Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Even as a Villain, I Want to Debut
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A chilling red light draped over the quiet stage, casting an eerie atmosphere.
The piercing, bone-chilling sound of the haegeum drew murmurs from the audience here and there.
'The arrangement really changes the vibe completely.'
[Crimson Hunger]. A song anyone into K-pop has probably heard at least once.
When I first heard we were covering this track, I was pretty worried.
Even the original artist couldn't pull it off perfectly—a song that suits the word 'over the top.' So I'd half-given up on it...
'But it's better than I expected?'
As the intro flowed out, Kwon Hak-jin, standing center stage, launched into a solo dance.
His movements synced with the haegeum, flowing with the graceful lines of traditional Korean dance. Each step sent the hem of his Korean robe fluttering.
In the original performance, the styling was always a cape or long coat to fit the vampire concept.
But here, everyone was in black Korean robes. Blending the concept with Korean flair created a fresh visual.
'...He dances really well.'
As everyone watched Kwon Hak-jin's dance in awe,
he spread his arms wide one last time and twisted his head. The formation shifted, kicking off the verse.
'Whoa... that's good.'
My initial thought was just 'better than expected,' but once the verse hit, the feeling shifted dramatically.
How to put it? It felt even more unhinged than the original. Mixing vampire vibes with Korean elements gave off a chilling aura I'd never felt before.
After spitting out the final line, Hyeon Si-woo brought his fingers to his lips and clawed at his face.
The impact was huge—cheers erupted from the standing section all at once.
Then, as Hyeon Si-woo moved, Do Won-woo's figure emerged from behind him.
Do Won-woo flung his long robe to the side, flowing into a loose wave motion.
One of the original's key choreo points.
The section that got a lot of flak for cringey lyrics.
But the arrangement filled the empty sound, drawing eyes to the choreo instead of the words.
Plus, main vocal Hyeon Si-woo's tone softened the lyrics nicely.
The rap passed, and Do Won-woo tilted his head, shaking his hair wildly.
Then he bared his fangs like a vampire in a facial expression act.
The formation slanted diagonally, and Kwon Hak-jin at the end moved in smooth yet sharp lines to the accelerating beat.
You could see traces of traditional Korean dance woven into the powerful choreo.
In the bridge, Hyeon Si-woo threw his head back and belted a high note.
Cheers poured out again at the clean, soaring tone.
"Whoa..."
Amid the gasps of awe, Do Won-woo struck the ending pose.
Just a slight smile, but his face alone made him shine.
The electric atmosphere lingered long after the stage ended.
After the performance, Do Won-woo and the team were buzzing.
They'd only ever performed as trainees without an audience, so this was their first time on a real stage.
No wonder they all looked overwhelmed with emotion after wrapping up their debut show.
"Good job."
"Yeah, everyone worked hard."
"Whoa, we actually pulled it off."
Down offstage, the team panted heavily, exchanging a few words. You could tell they'd poured everything into it.
After catching their breath on the floor, they started heading back to the waiting room—but one stayed seated in the corner, head down.
"What's up, Si-woo hyung?"
Hyeon Si-woo sat motionless, showing no sign of getting up.
They thought he was just resting, but his stillness worried them.
"You okay? Hurt somewhere?"
Unlike the team crowding around with concern, Do Won-woo watched from afar.
Only he noticed. Hyeon Si-woo was crying.
'Other trainees might be thrilled too, but for Si-woo, it hits harder. After that accident, he was told he might have to give up his idol dream.'
In that situation, getting back on stage to dance and sing—how overwhelming must that have been for him?
"Good work."
Do Won-woo approached quietly and patted his shoulder.
Hyeon Si-woo was crying silently, eyes squeezed shut. Just like when he'd been alone in the practice room yesterday.
'At least these tears aren't from anxiety. That's a relief.'
Yesterday's were pure fear. Today's meant something else.
Knowing that, Do Won-woo smiled faintly in relief and helped him up.
"Thanks."
"Ah, what for?"
"Just... everything..."
Hyeon Si-woo trailed off with a tear-streaked grin.
Both teams gathered in the waiting room for the results announcement.
The higher-scoring team gets the benefits. Tension hung thick as they waited, rigid in their seats.
Dun dun!
The monitor showed a blank table for the scores.
Even empty, my heart throbbed.
'...Why am I shaking this much?'
I don't think I was this nervous getting test scores.
At least there, I could guess how many I got right.
But this? No clue. Couldn't read from the audience faces if they voted for us.
'Benefits aside, for Si-woo's sake at least, I hope we get a good result.'
He cried after the stage—for him, please let it be good.
I wanted him to hold onto this joy as long as possible.
"Oh, it's up!"
The suffocating silence broke as the team scores dropped.
We won. By a landslide.
"Whoa, these scores are insane?"
"Why so high?"
"We got this many?"
My mind blanked for a sec.
'Wait. This beats the protagonist's original score...?'
Speechless, I stared at the screen. Then a nose-blow from beside me.
Thinking he was crying again, I turned—Hyeon Si-woo rubbed his nose, shaking his head like 'no way I'd cry again.'
"Whoa, whoaaa! Guys! Great job everyone."
Kwon Hak-jin shook off his shock, and they celebrated.
The other team, stunned by the gap, just clapped without regret.
'Did it go well?'
Didn't matter. Things were turning out better than ever.
Do Won-woo, who should've bombed the mission and flopped in the original, was now owning center and soaring.
Back in the waiting room, we watched the other teams' stages.
One team left: the ones who picked 'fate' for their keyword.
'Won Ji-an's team.'
An extra who only appeared in the roster, no lines or descriptions.
Wondering how he'd twist his fate this time.
"Oh, starting."
Won Ji-an's face close-upped on the monitor. Not flashy, but strikingly handsome.
To the intro piano, Won Ji-an mimed pressing keys in the air.
Onstage, the trainees wore white shirts with red strings on their wrists.
The strings fluttered with their collars as they danced.
The moves flowed smoothly like water, matching the lyrical melody.
Won Ji-an at center drew all eyes.
His clean, pure tone blended perfectly with the music, resonating out.
'...He's good.'
In the outro, Won Ji-an bit the red string off his wrist with his teeth—a new performance not in the original.
"What?"
"He untied it with his mouth."
The watching trainees reacted hotly.
"Ah, the red thread of fate?"
Fitting the theme, severing the wrist string at the end.
'Feels like Jeong Hee-min's idea.'
If I'm right, from his teammate Jeong Hee-min, the team's idea bank.
'They nailed the fate theme.'
Especially that final mouth-untie—huge impact.
'So who wins this mission?'
I knew the novel, but with fates changed, hard to predict the victor.
All stages done, trainees gathered on set for the winner reveal.
Teams in position, tense faces waiting.
Not just first place—last place announced too. Lower scorers prayed not to be dead last.
'...With our score, we could aim for first, right?'
Original had Lee Hae-won's team winning, but fate shifts—worth hoping.
"Keyword Group Battle. We'll reveal from last place up."
In the tense air, final scores appeared on the big screen.