Chapter 58
Chapter 58
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Busan Summer Sea Festival (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was weird. The high schooler thought.
EverPlanet? It was clearly a male idol group he'd never heard of before.
So naturally, he figured they were just pretty faces with no real talent to speak of...
'Why are they so good?'
Staring at the stage as it hit the highlight, the high schooler couldn't close his gaping mouth.
At the end of the upbeat chorus, a sleek guy slowly walked forward, singing in a whispery tone.
- Beyond the limits, this moment
See all of me that I've kept hidden
'Why is his voice so damn smooth...'
The high schooler was inwardly shocked by that soft yet clear timbre.
And then, like taking up the baton,
- I'm waiting for you and me
The day we finally become one
Oh baby (YEAH-!)
A crisp high note shot out in an instant!
This time, he was genuinely startled—his hair stood on end.
He couldn't believe it was all happening in sync with the choreography.
The chorus repeated once more, and the song headed toward its close.
That's when the girl next to him clicked her tongue in amazement.
"Wow, that Go Eun-young kid is seriously good."
"Go Eun-young? Has she gotten better since she debuted?"
"You didn't know? It's obvious just looking at her."
The high schooler looked again at the member who'd hit the high note, eyes wide. Up close, yeah, it was a familiar face.
"No wonder he sings so well. It all makes sense now that I know it's Go Eun-young."
"But the others are good too, right? They dance great."
"...I don't know shit about dancing."
Well, even to him, who knew zilch about dance, it looked pretty solid.
It couldn't be easy for seven guys to move in perfect sync, sharp as a knife, without a single mistake.
But he didn't want to admit it. Stupid pride.
- BLAST-OFF!
In the meantime, the first song wrapped up.
Amid the audience's applause, MC Yoo Young-jun bounded onto the stage.
"Yes, that was EverPlanet's first stage! Before we hear the next one, let's chat with our EverPlanet boys. How about a greeting for the Busan citizens?"
"Yes, sir. Two, three! Turn Around! Hello, we're EverPlanet!"
The seven boys on stage bowed to the crowd, and applause erupted. The high schooler clapped reluctantly too.
Then a guy who looked kind of like a gentle golden retriever smiled and let out a sigh of admiration.
"Wow, as expected. Busan folks, you're giving reactions as refreshing as the summer sea. I'm touched. Truth is, we're a rookie group that's only been around a short while, so this is our first time on a stage like this. But sharing it with such a savvy crowd? We're thrilled. You all having fun too?"
The high schooler glanced at his sister next to him, who was shouting "Yes!" with shining eyes, then turned back to the stage.
"Perfect. We'll work even harder so you can enjoy it more. Now, for the next song. We've prepared something to blow away the summer heat. It's a track from our debut album! Hope you enjoy it."
As the guy wrapped up his remarks, the lights dimmed briefly, and a new song started flowing out.
An intro that felt like it captured the sea itself—cool and refreshing.
Go Eun-young's crisp high note followed the bouncy electronic beat.
- Oh oh oh yeah-!
At the same time, the guy who'd been smoothly MCing pushed forward and took over the vocals.
- Cool night sea, night sky drenching it above
We play like night children under the full moon
The lyrics and that bouncy melody were perfect for a summer night.
Then, a ridiculously handsome dude winked right at them as he started singing.
- This mysteriously perfect vibe in the universe
Cosmic Mood, how 'bout you join in too?
"Whoa, did he just wink this way? Insane. He's ridiculously hot."
"...What."
As his sister shook her lightstick in awe, the high schooler nodded grudgingly.
Honestly, that face... no denying it. Even a guy could see it was too handsome.
- The edge of this night all laid bare
Celestial bodies gleaming brilliantly in the night sky Oh
After Go Eun-young's stellar part, the dance formation flipped.
Then a boy naturally stepped to center.
- This Galaxy we'll write with our story
Can't wait to see what color it turns, Baby?
'Huh?'
The high schooler paused at the song from the boy who looked about his age, baby-faced.
He'd thought the voice was oddly captivating in the first song, but this one felt even stranger.
'What the hell is this?'
It was like getting sucked into the song.
He couldn't tear his eyes away from the kid.
It was his first time feeling this way watching a male idol stage—left him a bit flustered.
- Whoo! Take it easy, this night's still long
The ecstatic moonlight pouring down proves it
If not for the big guy's rap that followed, he might've kept staring blankly.
The high schooler snapped to and refocused on the stage.
- Whoo! Can't hold back anymore, running straight to you
Unavoidable, this night's Cosmic Mood—you and me
Just perfect, right?
A husky voice that didn't match his small frame, rough rapping.
Hearing the rap jogged the high schooler's memory.
"Huh? That's B-light?"
"B-light? Who's that?"
"You know, the one who raps well. Why's he doing idol stuff instead of Showbiz?"
"Guess he wanted to."
"Yeah, maybe."
While the high schooler chatted with his sister, the song hit the chorus.
- We got that Cosmic Mood in your mind
Beat shaking your whole body, melody that feels eternal
Surrender to this heart-burning rhythm
Go crazy together, let's run wild
At the same time, the sleek mover dashed to center stage with flashy dance moves.
Fluid lines like a pro dancer. Obviously killer choreography. Damn, he couldn't help but admire it.
And so the second song ended, the seven struck their finale pose, and the lights went out.
"Thank you!"
'Is it over? Kinda disappointing...'
The high schooler thought that without realizing, then startled himself.
Disappointing? It was just one stage.
That's when the lights blazed back on in a flash.
A new song exploded from the speakers, rowdy and loud.
"Can't end it like this—it'd be too bad, so here's the real finale!"
"Hands up, everyone!"
"Stand up, everybody!"
"Let's have one last blast together!"
The last song was pure hip-hop vibe.
Perfect for the high schooler, who loved hip-hop.
The seven boys roamed freely to the stage's edge, hyping the crowd.
With their great stage presence, the audience started standing and getting into it.
- When I play, I go all out, eyes rolling wild
Don't think about tomorrow, it'll work out somehow
Shake your head side to side like you're crazy for a sec
Trust only me tonight, follow me on this stage
Like a bomb exploding up front
I'll burn it all down, burn this night Hey!
B-light's storm of rapping ended, and a heavy drum beat hit like an explosion.
Machine sounds adding rhythm, flames shooting up dramatically!
In the center, the seven danced in razor-sharp sync—perfect for a festival.
But that wasn't all.
- We burn this stage like
BOMB BOMB BOMB!
With the chorus, the sleek guy leaped center like a tiger, flipping in mid-air!
'Crazy... is he nuts?'
The high schooler's jaw dropped.
Not just anyone could pull off a flip like that.
What followed was dance so cool it drew involuntary awe.
Not one slacked; they danced like their bodies might shatter, full passion.
The flashy group choreo went straight to the song's end.
- Blow it all away
This night night night!
As the song finally closed, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
But the high schooler couldn't clap yet.
"Whoa..."
The afterglow of the stage was too strong.
In a daze, he called to his sister beside him.
"...Sis."
"Yeah."
"From today... I'm a Planets fan."
"You too? Wait, what's up with you? I thought you only liked girl groups."
"Whoa... they're too good. I'm hooked."
The high schooler watched the seven exit, still buzzing from the performance.
'They're gonna make it 100%.'
No doubt. Idols with this level of skill, earning his approval despite his girl group bias—they had to succeed.
And so, the high schooler quietly tucked EverPlanet into a corner of his heart.
* * *
After the show, we came down from the stage.
The crowd's massive applause trailed us like a red carpet.
A staffer greeted us as we descended.
"Great job on the performance!"
"You too."
"Please wait in the dressing room until the whole show's done."
"Got it. Thanks."
Finishing the stage didn't mean we could head home right away.
We had to greet the general director and staff who'd made it all possible.
Back in the dressing room, we started chatting in excited voices.
"Today... we were pretty good, right?"
"You guys were flying out there."
"Tell me about it. Did you see Teddy's flip?"
"Flip! Was it flip-like?"
"It wasn't *that* flip, but anyway, you killed it."
"Hehe!"
Everyone was buzzing from the successful stage, unable to hide their high.
I smirked from a distance, watching them.
Even I thought today's stage was solid.
[You've put on a performance that drew fiery reactions from the audience. Performance skill proficiency +20%.]
Maybe that's why the performance skill shot up big time.
Compared to other skills that inched along, it seemed to surge during killer real-stage moments.
"Good work, everyone."
"Jae! Jae was awesome too!"
"Yeah, Jae, you did great."
"You all killed it!"
After hyping each other up, once the show fully ended, we greeted the general director.
"Director, thanks for all your hard work. Appreciate it."
"Yeah, yeah. EverPlanet. Damn good for rookies. I'll keep an eye out. Keep grinding."
"Yes, sir! Thank you!"
After thanking the staff too, we left the venue and boarded the van.
"Back to Jae-oh hyung's place?"
"Nah. Got somewhere else to go."
"Where?"
"You'll see when we get there."
With the manager hyung's cryptic words, we followed wherever he drove.
And we ended up at...
"Oh, Jae-oh hyung's mom and dad."
"Huh? Yeah?"
"But... what's this place?"