Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: A Legendary Performance
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A gentle piano accompaniment began, marking the start of the performance proper.
Choi Seon-il trudged forward and yanked hard on the chain in his hand.
In response, the other members bent forward at the waist as if being pulled by it.
It created the illusion of a clanking sound ringing in their ears.
—Don't leave
After spitting out the narration in a low, rough voice, Choi Seon-il threw the chain to the floor.
At the same moment, the chains that had bound the performers on stage dropped to the ground.
It was a dramatic representation of something breaking free.
The visual impact was incredibly strong.
I had seen plenty of “sexy” concept stages on numerous idol survival shows, but this time was different.
It was so good it made me think, ‘Am I really allowed to watch this for free?’
‘An idol survival show with no minors is definitely on another level.’
As it was a second-chance program, the ages of the RED CUBE contestants were not on the young side for the idol scene.
The youngest was twenty, and the oldest was twenty-four.
It was an ambiguous age range—not exactly old, either.
But it was also true that the average age was higher than in a typical idol survival show.
Thanks to that, we were able to witness a stage like this.
‘A sexy performance of this quality is so rare. Oh my god, my heart is pounding.’
The performance hadn't even truly started, yet I was already flooded with dopamine.
—Don't leave
—Like my sorrowful heart
The first verse belonged to Kang Ju-hyeok.
He took a step forward, lightly covering his eyes with his hand.
—A shattered life
—A wounded heart
Hwang Jae-hyun followed.
He moved close to Kang Ju-hyeok, grabbed the hand covering his eyes, pulled it down, and performed a short pair choreography.
“Aaaaaah!”
The crowd couldn't help but scream.
—A love I only realized after you left
As the two of them stepped back, Seo Yoon-seul and Choi Seon-il moved to the center.
—I look back, but you're no longer there
Seo Yoon-seul and Choi Seon-il stood back to back and stomped their feet hard.
At the same time, the piano sound faded as the tempo gradually picked up.
—Even when I call out now
—You, who doesn't answer
—I picture you
Choi Seon-il performed a wave while delivering his low-toned rap part.
—Thought my days would pass the same without you
—But I was like a broken machine with a screw loose
The performers on stage sat down, extending one leg, supported themselves with their right arm to slightly lift their torso, and swept their left hand down their leg.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Resounding cheers filled the venue.
—Even if I scream that I miss you, to you who won't return
—I know there's nothing to gain from holding onto false hope
This part highlighted Lee Seok-kyung's beautiful voice.
They swept their extended leg in a clockwise semicircle, transitioning into a kneeling position.
—Can you see the empty space beside me?
—Have you already forgotten me?
—Do you even miss me?
—Do you not love me anymore?
They picked up the chains scattered on the floor again and made a gesture as if strangling themselves.
Then, they raised their arms.
They looked just like marionettes.
—I miss you
—I can't even reminisce
—Can't even love
—My heart aches
—Tossing and turning all night
—I turn my head away
Bound by the chains, Lee Seok-kyung rapped while lightly swaying his body left and right.
The college student gasped.
She could hear the person sitting right next to her swallow nervously.
‘This is insane. This will be talked about for ages. I’m sure of it.’
The college student was certain that even after RED CUBE ended, this performance would be remembered and called an all-time legend.
‘If this isn’t remembered, then the world is truly mad.’
—I'm sorry
—Hate me for the days I left you
—all alone
They lowered their arms, rose to their feet, and threw the chains far away.
It was the beginning of the chorus.
—Because I loved you
—Because I was sincere
—I'm putting a period on it with ‘goodbye’
The choreography for the chorus was, in contrast, simple.
It was a move where they lightly swept a hand up their neck and tilted their head back, seemingly with intentionally reduced force.
It was a perfect display of controlling dynamics.
A performance that was constantly at maximum intensity would only fatigue the audience, so this was a wise choice.
—It's bearable enough
—I have to tell myself that
—And you have to smile all the more
The harmony built around Seo Yoon-seul's voice gave off a very poignant feeling amidst the powerful melody.
‘What was that? That high note just now. Was that Seo Yoon-seul?’
A high note so thin it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say a woman sang it.
After hearing that, Seo Yoon-seul became the focal point of the college student's attention.
—Alone, submerged in memories of the past
I expected the second verse to start right away, but instead, a calm tempo followed, a brief respite known as the ‘saintess part.’
—After leaving you, I tried so hard
—not to break down
—I tried
As Lee Seok-kyung’s part ended, they shifted into a straight line.
—Only after your tears
—had all dried
—did I realize your true feelings
They stood in place with their hands behind their backs and performed a domino choreography, slowly leaning their upper bodies back.
From that position, they twisted only their torsos to face the sky.
—If by chance we run into each other there
—laugh at me for my regrets
—call me pathetic
—and walk on by
Kang Ju-hyeok, the one singing the part, was the first to rise.
Then, one by one, he helped the other members up.
The formation changed naturally.
Seo Yoon-seul and the remaining members split into two groups.
—So I won't cling to you again
When Seo Yoon-seul delivered a four-level high note, the crowd erupted in cheers.
‘Is that a note a human can hit in one breath? Without pausing like that? At this point, isn't he breathing through gills?’
The thought that a “one-breath challenge” might start right after the broadcast dominated the college student's mind.
‘It’s a given. Every idol or regular person who can sing will jump on this.’
This is going to blow up.
That conviction sent a shiver down the college student’s spine.
She quickly pressed the voting button she had been holding, twice in a row.
She knew she only had one vote per team, but she did it unconsciously.
*Dudungdung.*
The sound of drums kicked off the dance break.
After finishing the high note, Seo Yoon-seul walked toward the other members.
They reformed into a diagonal line, then bent their knees slightly and performed a wave, sweeping their hands down their thighs.
“That’s crazy!”
“Uwaaaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
All sorts of screams filled the air.
Even those who had already become fans of someone else and were tightly gripping slogans in their hands were creating a wild wave of excitement.
It seemed they were determined to show the very essence of sexy.
They took two steps to the side, landing precisely in the center of the stage, and this time, they did a wave to the right.
*Thud.*
Suddenly, the music stopped.
The performers on stage turned their bodies to the left.
—I'm sorry
As Choi Seon-il uttered the apology in a low voice, the music resumed.
—I'm sorry
—Hate me for the days I left you
—all alone
It was the start of the chorus again.
—Because I loved you
—Because I was sincere
—I try to say the word ‘goodbye’
Seo Yoon-seul and Lee Seok-kyung continuously added backing vocals, ensuring not only visual but also auditory pleasure.
—It's bearable enough
—I have to tell myself that
—And you have to smile all the more
The college student's eyes began to follow Seo Yoon-seul.
She remembered what Seo Yoon-seul was like during his time with GANGSTER-M.
It was because she had a friend who was a fan of GANGSTER-M.
Since he was her friend's favorite idol, she felt a strange sense of familiarity despite him being a competitor, so she would occasionally click on his videos when they appeared.
All the members of GANGSTER-M were talented, but the one who stood out the most was the main vocalist, Seo Yoon-seul.
‘I thought he was good for a rookie back then, but what on earth happened in the meantime?’
The fact that he could improve even more from that point came as a fresh shock to the college student.
—Alone, submerged in memories of the past
‘They were definitely a team that lagged far behind the others in terms of recognition.’
The contestants currently on stage, with the exception of Kang Ju-hyeok, were all on the less popular side.
Lee Seok-kyung and Choi Seon-il just had a faint presence, while Hwang Jae-hyun had become a target of criticism for his mistake during the B-class group video shoot.
Seo Yoon-seul hadn't done anything wrong on the show, but his image was already tarnished due to his previous group, GANGSTER-M. On top of that, he was at the center of a controversy over alleged favoritism because RED CUBE had featured him prominently in its promotions.
Becoming a fan of Seo Yoon-seul in this situation wasn't just a painful path.
It was a one-way ticket to hell.
Knowing all this, she had vowed time and again that she would never, ever become a fan of Seo Yoon-seul.
‘Anyone but Seo Yoon-seul...’
As if to mock her resolve, Seo Yoon-seul delivered an insane high note that shot straight up to a B5.
It was one surprise after another.
“Waaaaaaah!”
The atmosphere in the venue was incredibly heated.
‘Is he for real? How can he hit that note? Is he a dolphin?’
—I'm sorry
—Hate me for the days I left you
—all alone
The choreography had changed from before.
They did two light chest pops, then ran a hand through their hair as they stepped.
—Because I loved you
—Because I was sincere
—I try to say the word ‘goodbye’
It was footwork-focused choreography that looked incredibly difficult to copy.
‘They must have had so little time, how did they practice all of this?’
As with all survival shows, they surely hadn't been given much time to prepare for the stage.
A week or two at most.
It was an extremely tight schedule for preparing a performance.
‘They’re truly amazing.’
It was enough to create the illusion that all the time Team ‘Villain’ had spent practicing was unfolding right before her eyes.
—Alone, submerged in memories of the past
—Regret, despair, sorrow
—And longing
Choi Seon-il recited it like narration as he stepped forward.
The other members followed him.
—Say goodbye
The performers on stage fell backward, and the song came to an end.
“Waaaaaaah!”
The cheers that erupted were several times louder, piercing the ears.
It was a level of screaming that couldn't be compared to the previous stages.
“That was insane!”
The college student joined in the fervent cheering.
She raised her voice until her throat was raw.
The worry that her voice might be ruined the next day had long been cast aside.
‘The first thing I’m doing when I get home is making a new Seo Yoon-seul fan account.’
It was the beginning of her journey as a fan.