Chapter 126: My Best
126. My Best
Music shows feature far more teams than one might expect.
After all, they have to fill over an hour of airtime by compiling performances that barely last four minutes each.
That's why sometimes even veteran music show regulars find themselves thinking, Who are they again? when unfamiliar groups open the show.
And when popular teams appear back-to-back, you get amusing moments like, Wait, they're already performing?
Because of this, dedicated viewers who watch music shows from start to finish have dwindled recently.
Why?
Because it's just too boring!
The clips will be uploaded to YouTube anyway, so I'll just watch those... Or maybe I'll just tune in when my faves come on.
But there are those who endure this tedium purely out of love.
The fans of the performing artists who attend the live recordings.
They've already seen their idols' pre-recorded stages, screamed their lungs out learning fan chants, and are now hoarse. Exhausted from waking up at dawn, they just want to go home—but they stay until the end, clinging to the hope of catching one more glimpse of their favorites.
And Kang Hajin's target today was precisely those people.
Bye, Oh Bye!
Bye, Oh Good Bye!
Yes, at the end of our fleeting time—
Dan Ha-ru's crystal-clear high notes resonated brightly through the studio.
Though the broadcast would air a pre-recorded version, the Sad Ending team performed everything flawlessly from start to finish.
Their outfit change from the first verse to the second,
the grueling dance break,
not a single ad-lib or backing vocal was half-hearted.
At the end of that extraordinary day we shared,
At the end of all the time that's slipped away—
Hajin could have easily sung this part standing still, but he deliberately leaned forward slightly, adding a small gesture. It made the performance feel more real.
Like this, we—
Like this, we really have to say goodbye—
At the end of the love we once knew.
Hajin's greatest strength—his emotion—burst forth before Seo Tae-hyun's smooth, elegant dance lines recaptured the audience's attention.
Bye, Oh Bye!
Bye, Oh Good Bye!
Tae-hyun, now fully immersed, brought his fingertips to his lips with a bittersweet expression. It was a slight variation from the original choreography, where he was supposed to kiss the end of his tie.
Yes, at the end of our fleeting time—
Like a farewell, Tae-hyun blew a quick kiss toward the audience before flashing a bright smile and waving at the camera. It was the ending Hajin had suggested right before they took the stage.
—Who knows if there's someone like me in the audience today?
—Someone like you?
—Someone who voted for you during Boyhood Under Heaven.
Hello? It's nice to see you again.
That was the sentiment behind Tae-hyun's gentle smile. Watching him, Hajin also smiled faintly, proud.
Hmm— hmmm—
The song ended with Ha-ru's soft humming.
While the pre-recorded closing shot played, the Sad Ending team quickly stood and realigned their formation. Then, following Hajin's cue, they bowed deeply in unison.
"Thank you! We are Miro Maze!"
Only then did the live audience snap out of their daze.
Oh, right. This is just a pre-recording.
This isn't even airing live.
Watching the boys rush offstage, someone thought:
...Now I get why they're so popular lately.
What was that guy's name again? He was pretty good-looking.
They really can sing. At the end of the day, idols still need talent.
The ripple of thoughts spread uncontrollably, growing wider and wider.
"Alright, the next team will take the stage now~"
The next group, who had also pre-recorded their performance, stepped up.
Their fans cheered and waved their light sticks enthusiastically, but the lingering impact of Miro Maze's powerful stage still occupied a corner of their minds.
It's not like I have anything else to watch on the way home... Maybe I'll check out that survival show they were on.
And everyone present knew—this was just the beginning.
[System Alert: The world of idols is mercilessly cruel.]
[System Alert: The System adjusts its glasses with great interest...]
What's this all of a sudden?
On their way back to the waiting room after a flawless performance, Hajin stared at Sipsam, who had materialized wearing a pair of ridiculous glasses.
[System Alert: The hearts of fans are as fickle as reeds.]
[System Alert: Today, they cheer for this team, tomorrow they shift their interest to that team, and the day after, they might even curse the very team they adored yesterday...]
Having experienced various incidents alongside Hajin, Sipsam seemed to have formed its own philosophical musings.
Hajin silently watched as Sipsam rambled on.
[System Alert: What exactly is a 'fan'?]
[System Alert: A being capable of boundless affection, yet also of boundless indifference.]
[System Alert: Truly, humans are such multidimensional creatures.]
Why the sudden deep thoughts?
[System Alert: I got curious and eavesdropped on what the live audience was saying.]
So that's why it had been quiet earlier—it had gone on a little field trip to the audience seats. Either way, Hajin was curious too, so he pressed further.
And?
[System Alert: They had quite a variety of opinions.]
[System Alert: Strangely enough, some were even badmouthing the idols they supposedly support.]
[System Alert: Stuff like, 'Our boys are already slacking off,' or 'They're just going through the motions.']
As Sipsam spoke, Hajin picked up a water bottle and fell into thought.
Well. Like you said, people are complex.
The heart of a fan.
Who could possibly define it?
Some might offer harsh criticism out of deep affection, while others would curse over the smallest things.
A loving reprimand could, in an instant, cross the line into outright cruelty.
Yet those who once hounded them mercilessly could also become their sturdiest shields.
The important thing is—no one recognizes our efforts more than the fans.
So if those Believer bastards got their act together and gave their all on stage today, maybe Hajin's predicted fan exodus wouldn't happen after all.
Conversely, even those who took an interest in Miro Maze today could turn away at any moment if the trainees' future performances didn't meet expectations.
So what choice do we have? Just... give it our best shot.
And today—
Hajin's best was far from over.
"Hey, you guys memorized all the lyrics, right?"
"I'm working on it now!"
"I've been listening to this on loop, so I already know it by heart!"
"Good, good. Let's give it our all today and head home. Once we're back, that brutal survival show will be waiting for us."
"Ugh, nooo..."
"I was just starting to forget about that..."
Hajin patted the sulking Ha-ru and Jae-young (and even Jayden) reassuringly before turning to Yu-geon and Tae-hyun lounging on the sofa.
"Yu-geon, are you some kind of paper-cutting machine?"
"Try helping younger trainees with their evaluations for years. You'll get fast at cutting paper too."
"...That's cheating."
"...? What's wrong with you?"
Ignoring Tae-hyun's indignant sputtering, Hajin walked over and examined the scissors and paper in Yu-geon's hands.
"Need any help?"
"Nah. You're terrible at cutting."
"Terrible is a bit—"
"You're unbelievably, insanely, catastrophically bad at it."
"......"
"Just take Tae-hyun and go stick these on something."
Yu-geon pointed to the neatly cut letter stickers. Hajin had already picked up the scissors twice before, only for Yu-geon to take over both times.
Fully aware of his own abysmal crafting skills, Hajin wordlessly crouched on the floor with Tae-hyun.
"Guys, you really don't have to go this far."
Suho watched them with an expression torn between amusement and exasperation, arms crossed. But the trainees, now fully immersed in their own world, weren't listening.
Instead of stopping them, Suho pulled out his phone and snapped a photo. Then he sent it straight to Tae-il, who was currently filming overseas.
[Tae-il. The kids are doing this to celebrate when you guys win first place. What do we do? You better win today.]
Tae-il's reply came almost instantly.
[Tae-il ‖ LOLOLOLOLOLOL so cute]
[Tae-il ‖ Of course we're winning first place]
[Tae-il ‖ Don't you trust our IDEA?]
"...Honestly, these kids."
How did Miro Entertainment end up with such a bunch?
This cursed idol fate.
Shaking his head, Suho pulled out his phone again to look for a dinner spot to treat the kids after the recording.
"Who will be the trophy's rightful owner in the fourth week of May?"
"Let's reveal today's final results~!"
Finally, the moment for the winner announcement arrived.
All the performers gathered onstage, with Believer and the Sad Ending team flanking the MC on either side.
A comparison of their scores appeared onscreen. On one side was Believer's live performance, while the other showed UTOPIA's I'll Be There music video.
No need to plaster our faces onscreen before the winner's even announced.
Following the MC's lead, the scoring criteria were revealed one by one.
"First, the digital streaming score."
"Next, the album sales score."
The rapidly changing numbers had everyone on edge.
UTOPIA dominated in digital streams, but Believer led in album sales, making the final outcome unpredictable.
"Hyung. Who do you think will win?"
Ha-ru covered his mouth with his hand and whispered. Hajin, calmly watching the scores, hesitated before answering.
"Hmm... Hard to say."
Before they knew it, the pre-voting and broadcast scores were also revealed. Surprisingly, UTOPIA's broadcast score was quite high—likely thanks to Miro Maze's MC Seo Tae-il and Cheong Han-sol, who had been appearing since Episode 3.
Covering his mouth similarly, Hajin whispered back:
"Probably UTOPIA sunbaenims?"
Finally, the live voting results were tallied into the final score.
"And the winner is—UTOPIA! Congratulations!"
"This trophy will be presented to Miro Maze's Sad Ending team, who are here with us today!"
"Gasp!"
Ha-ru clapped both hands over his mouth in shock at the perfectly timed announcement. Hajin, as if he had expected it, broke into a bright smile and applauded loudly.
The MC handed the trophy and microphone to Seo Tae-hyun, who had been strategically placed at the center. The expressions of the Believer sunbaenims (bastards) watching from the other side were priceless.
Did you really think Tae-hyun's fans would just sit quietly today?
This was the same fandom that had been left with lingering resentment after Boyhood Under Heaven denied him a debut.
There was no way they'd stand by and watch him clap politely from the back of a music show stage.
And with the subtle rivalry reignited by the challenge against Believer, this was no longer just UTOPIA vs. Believer—it was Believer vs. Miro Maze.
Some DESTINYs probably voted for UTOPIA too, just in case we got to accept the award on their behalf.
There was no way Believer's waning fandom—their Boyhood momentum long faded—could compete against the blazing force of UTOPIA's fans and DESTINY, the current powerhouse of the music scene.
If they had slacked on pre-voting and lost the nomination to Shin Tae-pal, that would be one thing. But once they made it to the nominees, the winner was already decided.
Hajin quickly tore his gaze away from the Believer members, who couldn't even manage their expressions, and took the returned microphone.
At the same time, the other trainees smoothly unfolded the signs they had hidden on the floor.
[The love of UTOPIA and IDEA... might just last forever☆]
[Congratulations on UTOPIA's 13th Anniversary Fan Song's 1st Place]
[We respect you, sunbaenim. We love you, teachers.]
[I'll be there... I....DEA....♥]
A collaboration of Yu-geon's meticulous cutting and Hajin and Tae-hyun's painstaking pasting—resulting in these insane glow-in-the-dark placards.
With the outrageous signs as his backdrop, Hajin began speaking.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Kang Hajin from Miro Maze. It's truly an honor to celebrate UTOPIA sunbaenims' first place win with you today. I'm deeply moved."
His speech skills—unbelievable for a mere trainee—shone once again.
Unfazed, Hajin maintained eye contact with the camera and smoothly continued.
"We're short on time, so I'll just read this quickly. I was asked to pass this along."
With that, he pulled out the phone he had prepared earlier and began reading in a warm voice.
"To IDEA, who've built our utopia unchangingly over these 13 years— Hello? Once again, you've gifted us a miracle today."
A freshly sent message from Seo Tae-il—bridging a 13-hour time difference!