Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: A Christmas Miracle
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["Hello!"]
The moment Hwang Yejun, microphone in hand, greeted the crowd, a piercing scream erupted.
Christmas Eve, a day for lovers and families. Many people had gathered at the outdoor stage for the KBC Music Channel special.
Just before Brown Black, the final act, was set to perform, the sound equipment had failed, likely due to the cold weather.
While the crew worked on a temporary fix, Hwang Yejun—the best talker in Brown Black—had decided to go on stage and stall for time, giving the MCs a break from hosting in the cold.
Hwang Yejun's face filled the large screens set up in the center and on both sides of the stage. The feed was being broadcast live across the country.
["I didn't expect so many of you to come. Hey, all the way in the back! Can you see me?"]
-Yeeees!
["Ahahaha."]
Hwang Yejun beamed.
["Thank you all for coming out in this cold weather. The MCs have been working so hard, so I've decided to take over for a bit. Is that okay with everyone?"]
Cries of "Yes!" and "Go, Brown Black!" echoed from all directions.
["But it would be a shame to have just one MC, wouldn't it? That's why I've brought a special MC with me!"]
The audience applauded at Hwang Yejun's words, but the staff, who had been scrambling to fix the sound equipment, whipped their heads around.
"What? There was a special MC?"
"This is the first I'm hearing of it."
As everyone exchanged puzzled glances, the PD's voice came through their earpieces. He hadn't even told the staff to maintain secrecy.
-It was my request. And tighten the security around the stage. Be vigilant elsewhere, too. More people might show up, so be prepared.
"Huh? It's already packed here. I think pretty much everyone who was coming is already here."
A performance by Brown Black, known as concert kings and live performance masters, was scheduled.
Their concerts were legendary, with rave reviews detailing the fierce battles among fans for tickets.
Many who couldn't secure tickets had come just to see them from a distance.
They couldn't resist the curiosity to see for themselves what kind of performance earned such universal acclaim. Thanks to that, the audience area was completely full.
Even those who weren't particularly interested had flocked over, thinking they should see it at least once.
-…Good luck.
"PD-nim? Why do you say it like that? That sounds terrifying."
-...Tell the others I'll give them a bonus later.
"...Who on earth is coming?"
["I'll give you a hint, so try to guess."]
Hwang Yejun bounced around, brimming with excitement. His high energy was so unusual that even Brown Black's fans wondered what was going on. They had never seen him look so happy.
["The hint is a video hint! Honestly, I don't think there's anyone who won't guess after seeing this."]
Hwang Yejun smiled mysteriously. At the PD's signal, the large screen in the center of the stage went black.
["For the record, I got permission!"]
With Hwang Yejun's final words, sound came from the one working speaker.
*Thud!*
*Thud-thud!*
"Gasp!"
Park Seongwon, who had reluctantly come at his persistent friend's request, sucked in a breath.
Though the sound was faint from the single speaker, he recognized it. Following his lead, the audience grew quiet.
Everyone wore the same expression of bewilderment. *No way, this is... that. But why is it playing here?*
["William?"]
The clip ended with a woman's voice, then another began.
*Jingle!*
["Hey, kid?"]
This one ended with a man's voice.
Hwang Yejun shouted.
["The one who gave a brilliant performance as William and the child shaman, our very own Hollywood star, Seojun Lee!"]
And from behind the stage, a small child walked out and stood beside Hwang Yejun. The large screen filled with Seojun's beaming face.
Seojun was wearing a thick, pure-white cape and a warm, fuzzy hat. Tiny white wings were attached to the cape, and a round halo hovered over the hat.
It was, in a word, Kim Heesang's masterpiece: the Christmas Baby Angel.
The outfit and accessories had taken a full week to create, each stitch done by hand.
His parents, watching their son fill the screen, gave a thumbs-up to Kim Heesang, who was chugging a beer beside them.
"Ahhh!" someone screamed.
"Waaaaaaaaah!" a roar of cheers followed. People watching on television jumped in surprise and shouted.
"Really? Is that really Seojun Lee?!"
"He's here!?"
"No wonder Hwang Yejun was so excited."
The connection between Brown Black and Seojun had already made the news. Everyone nodded in understanding. Entertainment reporters in the vicinity began uploading articles with just the headlines.
[Hollywood Star, Seojun Lee, as a Special Guest on a Music Channel?!]
[Shadowman Series' Seojun Lee with Brown Black!]
[The Undisputed Hollywood Actor! Seojun Lee!]
-Seojun Lee?! I'm a fan! Why am I not there?!
-They should've announced he was coming! No, wait, I'm on my way now!
-Wow. A music channel. How much did they pay him?
The staff member swallowed hard at the extraordinary reaction from the audience.
"I don't think 'good luck' is going to cut it, PD-nim."
["Hello!"]
Seojun raised his microphone. Everyone screamed at the sight of him, transformed into a baby angel for Christmas Eve.
["Does everyone know Seojun Lee?"]
Yeeees!
["We have a small connection with Brown Black, which is how I ended up here. We'll also have a special performance later, so please look forward to it!"]
A brief conversation flowed between Hwang Yejun and Seojun, broadcast live across the country through the microphones and cameras.
Seojun's fans who lived near the outdoor stage began to gather one by one, and the staff's hands and feet grew busy.
Finally, the repairs were complete. A staff member who had applied a quick fix waved his arms at Hwang Yejun. Seeing the signal, Hwang Yejun gave his closing remarks.
["Today is Christmas Eve. I hope everyone has a happy day!"]
["I hope everyone has a happy day!"]
As Seojun echoed the greeting, he activated his ability. Perhaps because its owner was kind, the ability was kind too—a convenient power he could use whenever he wished.
[The Generously Giving Baby Angel's Feather -Low-Grade- has been activated.]
A feather from the wing of a generously giving baby angel.
It slightly purifies the hearts of those who see it.
It can bestow a small blessing once a day.
Feathers, visible only to Seojun, drifted down here and there into the audience, being absorbed by the people. Now, for at least one day, they could set aside their worries and be happy.
["Now, shall we see Brown Black's performance? Seojun, you can sit over there."]
Hwang Yejun guided Seojun to a chair at the edge of the stage. Audience members near the chair turned on their phone cameras to take pictures of Seojun.
Seojun waved and sat down, sighing inwardly.
'Wow, going to that children's festival would have been a disaster.'
The reaction was even bigger than on his first day of preschool. If it was like this just being on stage, walking down the street would be... Seojun shook his head internally.
["This next performance is by Brown Black."]
Meanwhile, the MCs, having warmed up, introduced Brown Black's stage. Seojun clapped, and the screen showed him doing so. The audience followed his lead, clapping along. In response, Seojun smiled shyly at the camera.
"Kyaaaaaa!"
Brown Black, now on stage, chuckled. Soon, the music began to play.
[Orchestra Conductor's Connection is activated.]
Wow.
People who had never seen Brown Black perform live before watched their stage with mouths agape. Seojun, too, watched the stage, his eyes on the glittering numbers.
He could see his hyungs dancing their usual spectacular, synchronized choreography. It was more impressive than other singers' performances, but it seemed they had reached the limits of their talent, as there was little difference between the two songs they performed.
[Orchestra Conductor's Connection -Lowest-Grade-]
The musical skills of connected beings increase or decrease by up to 1.3 times depending on their bond with the conductor.
The bond with the conductor and the bonds between the connected are expressed as numbers.
Max Connections: 4
'Is this 1.3 times their current talent limit?'
After their performance, Brown Black approached Seojun.
They had grown so accustomed to their current limits that they themselves believed this was the peak of their abilities.
Wasn't it too soon? It felt like they were about to fall into a slump due to their plateauing skills, but they all skillfully hid it.
Now it was time for the special performance with Seojun and Brown Black.
Seojun stood up from his chair and joined Brown Black in the center of the stage. He took the microphone one of the members handed him.
Music flowed from the speakers.
It was time to sing the song they had practiced diligently for a week. Seojun stood in the middle with Brown Black on either side. A gentle melody seemed to envelop the five of them on stage.
Seojun hadn't prepared a separate ability for this performance. Because,
[Orchestra Conductor's Connection -Lowest-Grade- is activated.]
he already had a good one.
Seojun now understood the mindset Brown Black had when they performed. Just by standing on the same stage, he could feel and understand the music.
With a pounding heart, Seojun enjoyed Brown Black's music.
There was a stark difference between practicing without the skill and performing with it activated. As if guided by a real conductor, the five voices blended in perfect harmony.
It was then.
The numbers above Seojun's head began to climb rapidly. And at the end of the first verse of "TODAY," all the numbers above both Brown Black's and Seojun's heads hit 100 and began to sparkle.
[All bonds have reached their maximum level.]
[The grade of Orchestra Conductor's Connection is increasing.]
?
During the instrumental break, Seojun's eyes widened at the text appearing before him.
*What?*
*Grade increase? That was a thing?*
[The grade of Orchestra Conductor's Connection has increased from Lowest-Grade to Low-Grade.]
Regardless of Seojun's confusion, the text continued to appear. The symbol on his right hand glowed.
[Orchestra Conductor's Connection -Low-Grade-]
The musical skills of connected beings increase or decrease by up to 2 times depending on their bond with the conductor.
The bond with the conductor and the bonds between the connected are expressed as numbers.
Max Connections: 8 (4/8)
[Orchestra Conductor's Connection -Low-Grade- is activated.]
*Huh?*
And then, the second verse of "TODAY" began. With no time to be stunned, Seojun started singing the familiar verse. Brown Black's voices mixed with his.
The upgraded [Orchestra Conductor's Connection] dramatically improved the musical skills of the five performers. They soared past the previous maximum of 1.3 times, reaching nearly double their ability.
And from the very first line of the second verse, Brown Black realized their singing had changed.
They were shocked but calmly continued the song. Only the twitching of their facial muscles betrayed their frantically beating hearts.
Brown Black's voices grew louder. They poured out the song as if expending every ounce of energy in their bodies.
"Holy shit."
Im Yiyeon, who had become a fan after seeing Brown Black's debut stage, blurted out the words unconsciously.
Her friend, Park Seongah, was in no state to reprimand her. Everyone was captivated, watching the performance by Brown Black and Seojun.
Brown Black's voices and Seojun's voice blended together so perfectly. The five distinct voices harmonized like an orchestra, creating a powerful synergy.
There was no flashy group dance or cool choreography, but with just the song, with just their voices.
They mesmerized the crowd.
They moved them.
"So this is why they're called concert kings…"
Park Seongwon was also lost in the moment. He regretted never having gone to a Brown Black concert until now.
The audience listening live at the outdoor stage and the people watching on television all thought the same. No, the ones there in person felt incredibly fortunate to have come today.
When the song ended, the audience was silent. Not a sound could be heard. As if experiencing déjà vu, Im Yiyeon brought her hands together.
*Clap—*
*Clap-clap-clap!!!*
"Waaaaaaaaah!!!"
"Wow, seriously. What was that!"
Park Seongah was crying. She wiped the tears streaming down her arm but didn't stop clapping. Im Yiyeon spoke, her face flushed with excitement.
"This is it! This is the debut stage I saw! No, it's even more amazing than that!"
"So this is the legendary debut stage I've only heard about…!"
People watching the broadcast were also stunned. Brown Black had always been popular for their good songs and music, but this was a performance beyond imagination.
-Floored again today. A reenactment of their legendary stage!
-Good thing this was the last performance of the night. If this had been the opener, the acts that followed would've been... *shakes head*
While the internet was in an uproar, Brown Black had found their purpose once again. They were all overcome with joy.
"I thought we couldn't possibly get any better…"
"Doesn't it feel like good things happen whenever Seojun's around?"
Having gotten into Seo Eunchan's car, the members of Brown Black looked at Seojun, who was fast asleep in his seat.
They had all struggled to get through the cheering crowd after the performance. Seojun, who had never experienced such a situation, was clearly flustered.
"He'll be fine once he gets home and rests."
***
"What is this?!"
Seojun stared at the conductor's baton symbol drawn on the palm of his right hand.
[Orchestra Conductor's Connection -Low-Grade-]
The musical skills of connected beings increase or decrease by up to 2 times depending on their bond with the conductor.
The bond with the conductor and the bonds between the connected are expressed as numbers.
Max Connections: 8 (4/8)
"Really? It really changed?!"
He had been so shocked by the unprecedented event that he couldn't remember how the performance ended or how he had fallen asleep.
"Why did it change? This has never happened before."
No matter how skillfully or how long he used an ability, it had never once increased in grade. He had even read the [Fairy of the Conductor's Baton] book, but nothing had changed.
"In that case…"
He wasn't certain, but only one reason came to Seojun's mind.
"That damned tree!"
He had never imagined that the tree, with its terrifying obsession with music, would have included such a mechanism. Seojun looked at the symbol with a weary expression.
As if mocking him, the symbol twinkled.