Chapter 160
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 160
“Kang Yeon-hu! Look over here!”
“Yeon-hu-ya!!!!!!!”
“Se-hyeon, good luck today!!”
Kang Yeon-hu entered the venue for the second competition, doing his best to return the greetings of the fans he encountered.
He had finished his makeup to match today’s concept and stepped out of the waiting room. He was stretching and twisting his body to work out the stiffness when he ran into The Dawn in the hallway.
“Oh.”
Seo Ho-yun, with his expressionless face, gave off a cold impression.
As their eyes met, Kang Yeon-hu reflexively flashed a smile.
“Seo Ho-yun-ssi—”
He called out to offer a greeting, but perhaps because there were no cameras filming or people watching, Seo Ho-yun naturally snubbed him and walked right past. The other members of The Dawn followed behind him, bowing their heads awkwardly.
“…Hmm.”
Kang Yeon-hu stared blankly at their retreating backs.
They say groups start to resemble one another, and while the rest of the members seemed to have strong personalities, Seo Ho-yun was on another level compared to anyone he had ever met.
I guess the members must have rock-solid mentalities.
Wrapping up his thoughts with a shrug, Kang Yeon-hu resumed stretching his arms upward to loosen his muscles.
A short while later, after finishing his rehearsal under the guidance of the staff and gathering the High Five members, he witnessed a peculiar sight.
“The rehearsal looked great this time. But that prop—it looked a bit difficult to spin, didn’t it?”
“……”
“What if you make a mistake? You shouldn’t hold the team back, right?”
There are still plenty of kids like that.
Words that sounded like they were spoken out of kind concern but were actually steeped in a murky, damp desire to drag someone down to the bottom.
There were countless people like that.
Back when he was a trainee, and even after he debuted.
Well, it’ll be fine…
He figured that since the kid was a member of a group with that Seo Ho-yun, he’d surely handle it well on his own.
“……”
Wait?
However, Jeong Da-jun’s expression looked precarious, as if a complex of his had been poked.
“Yes.”
After a short reply, Jeong Da-jun turned around and walked away.
Kang Yeon-hu’s eyes narrowed as he watched the TEW main vocal, who had been left behind, huffing with a flushed face.
What was that?
It left a bit of a bad aftertaste, but he didn't give it much thought and returned to the waiting room. It was almost time for the second competition to begin.
“Welcome to the second competition of Shining Star Season 2.”
Just as he finished touching up his makeup and clothes, the MC’s voice drifted from the monitoring TV. The cameras meant to capture High Five’s reactions had been rolling for a while.
“Ah, I’m nervous!”
“……”
At WH, everyone took it for granted that High Five would secure the final first place.
Therefore, what they actually wanted wasn't just the title of number one, but the secondary benefits that would follow.
“Hyung, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Shining Star Season 2 consisted of four competitions in total. Since the season was short, they had to pour their hearts into every single stage.
For this second competition, under the guise of fairness, the producers had provided too many options. It was as if they were saying, ‘If it’s unfair for us to choose, then choose for yourselves.’
Whether it was a cover or an original creation didn't matter as long as the genre and concept were met. In other words, it was like seeing who could find the most beautiful pearl in a vast ocean.
Though the luck of the spinning wheel played a part, it actually increased the probability that each group’s individual capabilities or the power of their agencies would be prominently displayed.
Hmm.
Perhaps this was exactly what Main PD Kim Hee-yeong had intended.
And as expected, according to what he’d heard through his manager, every group had prepared a performance with an original song.
Since they had showcased cover songs in the first competition, they had chosen a path that allowed them to show something new and appeal to their own abilities.
High Five had prepared a song with a cheerful, bright beat, for which the company had poured a fortune into sourcing from abroad.
This was an advantage and a mark of stability that came with being in a major agency, but it was also a strategy chosen by the company to differentiate their image from Black Call, who always performed intense stages.
Kang Yeon-hu covered his mouth with his hand and watched the other groups’ performances with a serious expression.
The other groups aren't bad.
However, because the songs had to be completed in a short time rather than being official titles polished over months, their limitations were visible.
After two performances ended, The Dawn’s VCR came on.
“The Dawn is doing Oriental style and Hip-hop?”
Naturally, after their appearance on Shining Star was confirmed, he had scoured all the clips from Season 1. Their Oriental arrangement of Today’s ‘Make Love’—a group that had since disbanded—had been very impressive.
“Oh… I see.”
“It won’t be easy since it’s The Dawn.”
Since The Dawn had already revealed all the weapons one could use for an Oriental style in Season 1, there was a risk that this performance might seem boring to the viewers.
The genre is a problem, too.
The concept and genre The Dawn had picked weren't actually bad.
Among previous singers, there were cases where mixing an Oriental flair with a rap beat had become a hit, and commercials that layered hip sensibilities over Oriental melodies had become world-famous.
However, the fact that the successful examples were few enough to count meant that they had to do it really well.
Countless others had been buried trying the same thing.
It meant that not only did the song have to be produced trendily, but the performers also needed to have innate sense and enough experience to play with the stage at will.
In that regard, The Dawn, with their few years of experience and lack of capital, was bound to be at a disadvantage.
But it’s strange.
Why was he feeling so anxious?
“It’s starting!”
Sshhhhhhh—
As if proving the validity of that anxiety, everyone fell silent the moment the intro began.
Along with the sound of falling rain, a dark, damp, and grimy street appeared on the stage. Faint neon signs flickered through the gloom.
“…Oriental style?”
High Five’s main dancer, who had expected them to push a poignant atmosphere, blinked in surprise.
Sshhhhh—
The camera panned across the floor as if actually walking down that street, then encountered a pair of heavy-looking black combat boots and slowly moved upward.
A man sat astride a matte black, ominous-looking bike with one leg stretched out. He wore tight latex leather pants and a modified Hanbok durumagi—an overcoat—elaborately embroidered over a rash guard.
“…Wow.”
The camera moved past the collar and the neckband, reaching the jawline.
【Are you ready?】
Then, Seo Ho-yun’s face, with one corner of his mouth curled up, filled the screen.
【Did you think I wouldn’t be able to follow you?
I’m reborn to relentlessly hunt your traces】
As Seo Ho-yun climbed off the bike and walked forward, roughly brushing his hair back, his durumagi fluttered in the air.
When he stood at the center of the stage, backup dancers sprang out from both sides to join the choreography.
“Wait, they’re doing hip-hop like this??”
This song was the answer Kang Yi-chae had come up with after listening to the track Chae Jeong-woo recommended. He had infused it heavily with his own taste.
“They didn't stick to the traditional Oriental mold.”
【Even if I turn the six-way wheel
I told you I’d find you
Do you believe me now?】
“Waaaaaaah!!”
“So cool!!!”
It was a trap one could easily fall into.
Instead of being trapped by the conventional notions that come to mind when one thinks of ‘Oriental style,’ The Dawn had decided to simply melt those concepts into the song.
Impressive.
The Buddhist Six Paths of Reincarnation.
Those who had reached the modern era through several cycles of rebirth.
The lyrics spoke of going round and round that cycle to finally find and bite their competitor.
【Even if you pretend to know nothing, it’s already cold
You can’t chase me out
I can smell your scent thick between the city buildings】
It wasn't as if he didn't know where that meaning was directed. However, the beat was so sophisticated and the choreography was such a sharp blade that he didn't even dare to criticize it. A blade aimed right at the opponent.
The answer was clear just by looking at Kim Seong-hyeon, who was expressing the scent brushing past the tip of his nose through dance.
“……Wow.”
High Five’s main dancer seemed to feel the overwhelming difference in skill.
His expression was exactly the same as when he had first watched Ju Woo-seong’s dance practice in the studio.
【Was that your Karma?
I crave your fear】
Furthermore, in the part of The Dawn’s main vocal, Seong Ji-won, he started with low notes as if boasting his wide vocal range, then raised his tone at the end to belt it out. It sounded almost like a growl.
【Was this my fate?
Shall we build up karma together?】
One could argue that a clever ploy had played a big part in the first competition, but that wasn't the case for this stage at all.
It was pure skill.
The usually cold Seo Ho-yun, the gentle Seong Ji-won, and the stoic Kim Seong-hyeon were nowhere to be found; they were radiating their power like madmen.
【Grrrrrr…】
At that moment, along with the low growl of a beast, the ‘Mad Dog’ appeared.
【Once I bite, I never let go
They say I live stupidly like a beast
How did you know? I wanted to feast】
Kang Yi-chae, with his hair slicked back with pomade, spat out his rap as if scratching the beat, his eyes sharp and piercing.
“This is insane…”
【The fangs revealed in my open mouth
By the time you try to run, it’s already too late】
The beat gradually quickened, and the melody, which had been rising continuously since Seo Ho-yun’s first appearance—
【Yes, you are in my throat!】
The moment it reached a high pitch, the stage lights dimmed, and everything stopped as only the melody of a sogeum—a small bamboo flute—flowed out.
“Crazy, crazy, ah, goosebumps!!”
“What is this? Why is it so cool…?”
They had intentionally built up the atmosphere to the max and then dropped the tempo of the song for a moment by inserting the high-pitched sound of the sogeum.
Then, Seo Ho-yun appeared on the railing installed on the second level of the stage and made a gesture as if tapping something with his hand.
【Some laugh and some mock
They say people don’t know you anyway
Hmm, Okay】
Seo Ho-yun, brushing his hand over his mouth, flicked his fingers toward the camera as it approached.
“…Whoa.”
At a glance, it looked like he was flicking cigarette ash.
But it was so subtle that it was hard to pin down exactly what the gesture was.
As if he had planned it, Seo Ho-yun gave a faint smile.
【Because I’m going to swallow you whole in one bite anyway】
“Waaaaaaah!!!”
“W-what, whoa… so cool……”
Even though he was saying he would swallow his competitors whole, the High Five members cheered and made a fuss.
It seemed Jeong Da-jun was the center for this song, as he came forward during the highlight.
【We’ve been through that】
Everyone marveled at the sight of Jeong Da-jun, who wore a baeja—a traditional vest—over a black shirt and light-colored jeans, with thin strands of what looked like daenggi ribbons intertwined on the right side of his slightly swaying platinum-blonde hair.
However, only Kang Yeon-hu remained quiet.
It was because The Dawn’s youngest looked unstable for some reason.
“Whoa, whoa! The wheel in the back!”
【I’ve returned through the Asura Realm
Round and round the six-way wheel….】
The other members didn't seem to notice; they were just looking forward to what Jeong Da-jun would show them.
Jeong Da-jun’s fingertips pointed toward the wheel, and he applied force to spin it, but—
“…Gasp.”
It wouldn't turn.
Since they had finished the camera rehearsal with the expectation that it would spin smoothly, the screen was naturally focused on the wheel.
The stage effect flames, which flared up at the wrong time because he missed the timing, looked out of place.
It’s still okay.
The viewers would likely just think it was meant to be that way or feel a slight awkwardness.
Kang Yeon-hu judged that it was more important to continue the stage naturally as if nothing had happened.
【…You, I….】
But the real problem erupted after that.
Jeong Da-jun panicked and missed an entire line.
…Ah, that thing from earlier.
He’d felt uneasy for some reason, and it seemed the TEW main vocal’s words had truly shaken Jeong Da-jun’s mental state.
Perhaps they had the AR track playing low, but the audio went empty, and Seo Ho-yun, who was next to him, quickly jumped in.
【That was it, I found you】
At this point, it looked like it wouldn't be easy to fix.
【I could tell at a glance between the buildings】
It was impossible for anyone not to notice that Jeong Da-jun had missed his part and Seo Ho-yun was working hard to cover for him.
Jeong Da-jun, who finally came to his senses, sang along to Seo Ho-yun’s lead, but he couldn't hide his shaking eyes.
【You can’t follow me down】
Perhaps because of that, Seong Ji-won pushed through with a high octave as if to draw all the attention.
【Was that your Karma?
I crave your desperation
Was this my fate?
Shall we build up karma together?】
“……That vocal is truly heavenly.”
The High Five members, who had been unable to speak easily because of the dizzying feeling—as if they themselves had made the mistake—let out exclamations of admiration at Seong Ji-won’s high notes.
Following that, Kang Yi-chae, who adjusted his microphone and swung his right hand forward, caused The Dawn members and the backup dancers to split to both sides and spin around.
【Spit it out moderately before you get indigestion
I’ve been through this tiresome cycle
By the time you realize it, I’m sorry, but it’s already too late】
And the moment Kang Yi-chae’s hand struck the floor—
【It’s already Dawn】
Brilliant sparks exploded, obscuring the view, and when the stage was shown again, everyone had vanished without a trace.
The song ended with the camera zooming in on the still-stationary wheel.
“……Wow.”
The High Five members let out the long breaths they had been holding.
“What did I… just see?”
“What are we supposed to do after that??”
“They really, really must have prepared hard.”
Kang Yeon-hu rubbed his brow as he watched his members chatter excitedly with a mix of thrill from seeing a great performance and a bit of anxiety.
“Sigh……”
The other groups’ performances and their own followed in turn, but Kang Yeon-hu kept ruminating on The Dawn the entire time.
To start with the conclusion.
Pop!
“Congratulations, TEW is in 1st place!”
High Five took 2nd place.
There’s a lot of fluctuation this time.
It might have been thanks to TEW’s performance being better than expected, but even so, he hadn't expected them to take 1st.
“The Dawn—”
And.
“—is in 5th place!”
They weren't the only group with a large fluctuation.
“Ahaha. Good job!”
“Good job~.”
After seeing the other members of The Dawn patting and comforting Jeong Da-jun, whose face had turned pale after the rankings were revealed, Kang Yeon-hu went down to the waiting room with the High Five members.
The High Five members, who had all refrained from speaking as if by agreement until they changed clothes and got back into the van, poured out their stories as soon as they sat down.
“2nd place is a bit disappointing.”
“The Dawn was so insanely good, but they’re in last place…. Is it because they made a mistake?”
“Even so, their expert score was the highest.”
“Hmm.”
Kang Yeon-hu, who had remained silent until then, cast his gaze down.
The expert score deserves to be high.
Today, if you took away the mistake, anyone could see that they were the winners.
Anyone with eyes wouldn't be able to deny it. That the winner of the second competition was The Dawn.
“…It’s difficult.”
Kang Yeon-hu wiped his face with his hands and let out a sigh.
The Dawn’s skills were better than what appeared on the surface.
Even,
I felt a vibe like Black Call.
Kang Yeon-hu gave a bitter smile at the feeling of having learned a fact he didn't particularly want to know.
* * *
“Ah, dammit.”
5th place? Are you kidding me right now??
Since our rank was decent in the first competition, I expected some pushback, but it was worse than I thought.
Following the face-to-face ceremony, when The Dawn received a high rank in the first competition, it seemed that opinions about voting had been exchanged within the fandoms that had gone into emergency mode.
Feeling a suffocating sensation, I returned to the waiting room and gulped down some water. Looking at everyone’s faces, they seemed to be reflecting on today’s results.
“Do you want to go back and eat ramen?”
“Whew…… Shall we do that today?”
Even Kim Seong-hyeon, who used to restrict this and that, saying idols had to manage what they ate, nodded, saying it was okay to let loose today.
I was walking toward the van with the members when I turned toward Jeong Da-jun, who was following a bit behind.
“Oh, right, Jeong Da-jun. Make sure you have your wallet—”
But I couldn't finish my sentence.
“……!”
It was because Jeong Da-jun was shedding big, fat tears.
He’d had a stiff expression ever since the mistake, but since he’d been acting maturely at the venue and in the waiting room, I thought he was okay.
“Whoa~.”
Seong Ji-won laughed awkwardly and quickly pulled Jeong Da-jun into an embrace.
“Why are you crying, Da-jun-ah? Hmm?”
“That’s….”
Even though he tried to stop crying, it seemed like everything he’d been holding back had finally burst, as he continued to sob for a long time.
To Jeong Da-jun, who could only cry without being able to speak properly, Kim Seong-hyeon, who had run to the van and back in the meantime, handed him a tissue.
“It’s my fault. I’m sorry…….”
“Huh?”
“…I, I made a mistake, and ruined everything. Th-that’s why we got 5th place….”
He’s talking about how he panicked and missed a line because he couldn't turn the wheel.
“The hyungs were so perfect, th-they were insanely good, hic, but as expected, I held you back.”
As expected?
As I listened to Jeong Da-jun’s tearful words, one phrase grated on my nerves.
“I vowed not to, but because I made a mistake….”
“Da-jun-ah! Things like this are just funny when you look back later. And don’t you know hyungs make mistakes too? Ji-won hyung, hurry up and crack your voice.”
While Kang Yi-chae threw out a joke to lighten the mood, my mind was busy spinning.
“Ah! Yi-chae-ya, mess up your rap.”
“What’s a rap? Is it something you eat? And that eldest hyung lacks character.”
“I can’t argue with that when it comes to Seo Ho-yun.”
“B-but….”
I became certain at Jeong Da-jun’s last words.
“It’s a nuisance if I make a mistake….”
In the moment everyone fell silent, I briefly touched my mouth.
I see.
“Jeong Da-jun.”
I took a step closer to Jeong Da-jun and wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes.
“Everyone makes mistakes.”
Jeong Da-jun will grow more in the future.
“The mistake you made today is just one of those countless mistakes.”
When we look back later, this will just be one episode to talk about on a broadcast.
Until then, I will also be by his side.
So what exactly is the problem?
I gave a faint smile.
“It’s no big deal.”
“……”
“Stop crying, Jeong Da-jun.”
Jeong Da-jun sniffled and slowly nodded his head.
“…Yes.”
“How did you hold it in until now?”
“I just, felt so sorry to the hyungs, that even crying felt like…”
When Kim Seong-hyeon asked while ruffling Jeong Da-jun’s hair, a mumbled answer came out in fragments. It was hard to understand because he had been crying so much.
Beside him, Kang Yi-chae pressed Jeong Da-jun’s cheek and spouted nonsense like ‘he’s so weak he couldn't even turn a wheel,’ while Seong Ji-won gently stroked Jeong Da-jun’s back.
We barely managed to calm him down and get him into the van, but the youngest, while drinking water, burst into tears once again.
Seong Ji-won gently pulled away Jeong Da-jun’s hand as he tried to hurriedly wipe them with his sleeve.
“Da-jun-ah, you worked hard and you did well.”
“…Yes.”
“It’s okay to cry a lot. We’ll stay by your side until you stop.”
“Yeees…. Thank you….”
Listening to their conversation, I made eye contact with Kang Yi-chae, who had a peculiar expression while fastening his seatbelt.
Jeong Da-jun’s mental state, which had been fine until recently, suddenly collapsing like this; his use of words he would never normally use; and his behavior that had seemed strange lately.
Kang Yi-chae also already knew, and by the looks of it, he was holding back the same question I had.
“Good job.”
Jeong Da-jun.
“Ahaha, you too, hyung.”
Which bastard told you that?