Chapter 36
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36
[……Seo Ho-yun.]
“I told you. I would have framed the narrative the same way if I were in your shoes.”
[I don’t get you. It’s better to cut it now while there’s public sympathy. If you drag this out, the tables could turn in an instant. You’ll end up being the target of unfair criticism again, I’m telling you.]
“PD-nim.”
[Yes.]
“As you know, this isn't a bad development for you either.”
If they continued to fan the flames of the rivalry, the ratings would only accelerate.
[What is it you want?]
I let out a laugh. It was a question I’d heard so often over the past few months that I was sick of it.
I’d heard it from Im Hyeon-su, from Ju Woo-seong, and now I was even hearing it from Kim Hee-yeong.
“Just a bowl of rice to make a decent living.”
[……Are you mocking me?]
“I’m serious.”
[Sigh… fine.]
Kim Hee-yeong let out a heavy sigh that seemed to shake the earth before speaking to me.
[I’m going to… drop something big in today’s broadcast. Don’t regret not stopping now.]
“I won’t.”
[Aren’t you even curious?]
“No.”
[You’re a truly strange person, Seo Ho-yun. Don’t you need a title like ‘The Madman of Daepasung Planning’?]
“I think I already have a nickname like that.”
[Good grief.]
I chuckled. It was about time to hang up, but I hesitated. There was just one thing I wanted to say.
It required a bit of courage—why didn't a dialogue window pop up at times like this?
I let out a faint sigh, so quiet she couldn't hear it, and squeezed the words out with my eyes shut.
“Good luck.”
[…Pardon?]
“…….”
[…Oh, right. Thanks.]
A brief silence followed before Kim Hee-yeong hung up.
‘Dammit….’
Maybe I shouldn't have said that last part. Regret washed over me, but the milk was already spilled.
I checked the time on my phone.
It was time to head out.
* * *
“Hello, I’m your MC for Shining Star, Yoo Ji-ah!”
“Waaaaah!”
“Yoo Ji-ah! Yoo Ji-ah!”
The cheers were loud enough to be heard in the waiting room, though they were slightly out of sync with the live monitoring TV.
“Everyone, thank you so much for joining us today. The total score from the first to the third competitions will determine who gets the chance to advance to the final stage as a Final Star. Before we begin the first competition, let me announce your voting points.”
As Yoo Ji-ah spun around, a massive number appeared on the stage screen.
Audience Evaluation: 9,000 points.
It was an overwhelming number. Jeong Da-jun gulped nervously.
“A whopping 9,000 points. Combined with the 1,000 points from the judges' evaluation, today’s ranking for the first competition will be decided. So, you see how important your role is today, right?”
“Today!!”
“Mars!”
“The Dawn, fighting!!”
“Haha, yes. I can already hear the cheers. The group that takes first place in the first competition will be granted a special privilege. Please look forward to finding out what that is!”
Yoo Ji-ah winked.
A special privilege. I had a feeling I knew what it was just by the sound of it.
During the third performance by Mars, Seong Ji-won marveled as their main vocal belted out the highlight.
“Wow, he’s good.”
“He really is. I got goosebumps.”
Looking at the Mars vocal, the conversation we’d had about Seong Ji-won earlier flashed through my mind, and my face stiffened involuntarily.
The Mars vocal was good, but Seong Ji-won was no slouch either. Under normal circumstances, he could have been even more popular; he’d just had terrible luck.
It was annoying.
“Whoa, Ho-yun! Don’t frown right now.”
“Ah, sorry.”
“What do you think? I applied some red under your eyes and added glitter. Doesn't it look a bit more otherworldly? It fits the concept perfectly…”
To be honest, I didn't hear the rest. The only "liter" I knew was a unit of measurement for water.
I just nodded and offered my thanks.
“Thank you, teacher.”
“Oh my, look at how polite he is.”
The makeup artist laughed heartily.
“Do well today.”
After receiving the encouragement and bowing again, Seong Ji-won grabbed my arm and led me away. He gave a soft smile.
“I think our fans are over there.”
“Quite a few of them showed up.”
Well, I did set the stage for this, even if it meant getting pelted with eggs.
I expected this result, but the feeling was different.
As I led the boys out of the waiting room and down the long hallway, Seong Ji-won whispered.
“Ho-yun.”
“What.”
“You’re not… scared or anything, right?”
What kind of nonsense was this now?
I looked at him with incredulous eyes, but Seong Ji-won was serious.
“No, I just thought since that happened at the guerrilla concert last time, you might have some trauma……. I was worried you might be scared.”
“Do I look scared to you?”
“……Um, no. Not at all.”
Seong Ji-won said flatly. Then he stole another glance at me.
“Then are you nervous? You said you were last time.”
“A little.”
More than nervous, I was mostly just annoyed right now.
Something about that answer seemed to amuse Seong Ji-won, as his eyes crinkled into crescents while he snickered.
Fourth. That was our turn. The final stage, naturally, belonged to Today.
The members of Mars, having just finished their performance, came out wiping away sweat. A staff member nearby spoke into a radio.
“Yes, The Dawn has arrived.”
“Great job out there.”
Kim Seong-hyeon, walking beside me, was the first to greet Mars. The members of Mars smiled brightly and gave us a ninety-degree bow. Despite being our seniors, the reason they were doing this was likely because they were conscious of the cameras.
“The Dawn, good luck!”
“Fighting!”
“Yes, thank you.”
The Mars vocal I’d spoken with before looked back and forth between me and Seong Ji-won. He seemed curious if I’d mentioned anything.
Just as Seong Ji-won noticed the gaze and began to look puzzled, Kang Yi-chae suddenly jumped in between them.
“Seniors, that was so cool!”
“Oh? Uh, thanks.”
“We were all especially impressed by the rap part.”
“Haha, thank you.”
Whether Kang Yi-chae did it on purpose or not, he cut them off at the perfect time.
“We’ll head up now. See you later, seniors.”
“Y-yeah.”
The vocal nodded awkwardly.
We bowed deeply and followed the staff’s guidance onto the stage.
Yoo Ji-ah saw us and gave a wide grin. Then she turned her gaze to the audience.
“It’s The Dawn!”
“Aaaaah!”
“The Dawn, fighting!”
As we gave our greeting, the cheers were strangely loud. In terms of sheer pressure, it felt even more intense than the last guerrilla performance.
I managed to straighten my back and look forward.
‘What the…?’
Nearly half the audience was holding blue slogans. It was our official color, which had become set in stone since our first album. At a glance, there seemed to be more of them than the yellow slogans for Today.
That shouldn't be possible. Our fandom was much smaller than Today’s.
“Ho-yun, fighting!”
I heard a fan scream. Only then did I realize.
The fans had put in the work. They must have handed out slogans to the general audience members who won the lottery, promoting us at the entrance.
‘…I’m grateful.’
I bowed once more. Then I turned back and took my position. Today was probably fuming as they watched the stage.
It seemed all our members felt the same way. Everyone’s eyes were filled with a fierce determination.
Just then, I locked eyes with Kim Seong-hyeon, who was glancing my way.
‘Hey.’
‘What.’
‘Just watch the camera.’
As I mouthed the words, Kim Seong-hyeon let out a hollow laugh of disbelief. But as soon as the intro music started, his expression hardened instantly.
It was time to set off the explosion we’d prepared.
* * *
Thump, thump, thump.
A cheerful song began to play. The fans all looked puzzled.
‘What? It’s not Second Chance?’
‘Didn't they say today’s stage would be their representative hit? What song is this?’
However, the fans of The Dawn—especially those who had been fans since before the reorganization into a five-member group—covered their mouths.
No way, could it be this…?
‘Glow!’
It was a song released with a high-teen concept that had been buried quickly because it was too mellow. It was the kind of song that made fans get overly emotional just by hearing the intro. A song that hadn't even charted and hadn't even reached 300,000 views on its music video.
But here it was, being performed again on Shining Star.
Kang Yi-chae and Kim Seong-hyeon walked out, grumbling.
[Is he still out of it?]
[Tell me about it.]
‘Guys!! Since you’re in school uniforms, is it a high-teen musical format?’
Seeing them converse, an original fan clutched their head. The agency was actually doing its job!
[He needs to realize it soon.]
Kim Seong-hyeon slowly stood up, grabbed a basketball, spun it, and with a smirk, threw it toward a makeshift hoop. The ball went straight in, followed by the sound of a whistle.
[Hey, what are you looking at.]
Kang Yi-chae snatched the ball from under the hoop, dribbled it, and bounced it toward Jeong Da-jun.
Jeong Da-jun caught it with a bewildered look and glanced around. Then the song began.
[No, I said no
I’m going to snap out of it]
Jeong Da-jun tossed the basketball aside and ran forward. He tried his best to ignore Kang Yi-chae, who was watching him while laughing. For the record, that was some very natural acting.
[I told you it won’t work between us
I know that, but you’re talking to me again]
Seo Ho-yun and Kang Yi-chae loitered in front of him, blocking his path. Jeong Da-jun ignored them too, deftly dodging past. Right on cue, as Kang Yi-chae bent down as if to tie his shoelace, Da-jun stepped on his back and leaped over him in time with the beat.
He then pulled a book out of a nearby locker and made a tearful face.
[I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my mouth]
Seong Ji-won naturally took the book from Jeong Da-jun and ruffled his hair while leaning against the locker.
Seo Ho-yun sat nearby with a bored expression, resting his chin on his hand and adding ad-libs.
[I’m spouting nonsense again (Huh?)
I say the sky is pretty today (But it’s raining?)
Ah, I should just stop talking, what can I say]
The camera moved away from Seong Ji-won and focused on Kim Seong-hyeon. Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been spinning a basketball on one finger, let out a sigh.
[No, I said no
I’m going to snap out of it
I must be crazy]
Kang Yi-chae popped out from behind Kim Seong-hyeon. He playfully snatched the basketball and poked his cheek.
[My friends all tell me
That you’re different from us
I know that too, but I keep, keep getting drawn to you]
‘Guys! This refreshing concept is amazing!’
Perhaps because it was rearranged into a musical style, it was much more upbeat than the original. The fans were already so satisfied they felt like they might faint, but…
The song wasn't over yet.
Screeeech!
Suddenly, the stage went dark, and a moonlit night arrived.
It was the part for the group choreography as they gathered in the center. While they were hunched over like wolves, swaying their bodies, the music abruptly stopped. All the members crouched down as if waiting for something.
Then, the long howl of a wolf echoed through the air.
The fans were startled.
‘This part wasn't in the original!’
Kang Yi-chae burst out in front of Kim Seong-hyeon, who was clawing at the floor with his nails out.
[Again, moonlight comes
I stop being myself
My head spins and my instincts awaken]
It was a new rap section added to the original version of Glow.
‘Holy….’
‘Is it a werewolf concept?’
The fans felt like they were going to lose it. Of course, it wasn't just the fans; everyone was wide-eyed at the completely unexpected turn of events.
So that’s why they said to snap out of it.
Because they weren't the same species, they could never be together!
[At the edge of this distant full moon, I find you
You see, I can’t stop thinking about you,
even in this light.]
As Kang Yi-chae’s part ended, Seo Ho-yun appeared, lying on a table. The members lifted the table from below. As a bright white spotlight shone intensely on Seo Ho-yun, he truly looked like something non-human.
[In the dawn, I keep thinking of you alone]
Seo Ho-yun slowly touched his lips.
As if he regretted all these emotions, as if he were constantly wavering.
[Can we be together?
or not?
Can we stay together?
or not?]
“Ho-yun-aaaaah! Let’s live together!”
A fan couldn't hold back a scream. Whether Seo Ho-yun heard it or not, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and the fan looked ready to pass out.
Seo Ho-yun slid off the table and swept his hair back.
[But it’s already over
My head is filled only with thoughts of you
Please, hold my hand]
At the same time, he slid across the floor.
In an instant, the stage brightened, and with another wolf howl, the atmosphere shifted back to the high-teen vibe.
Jeong Da-jun came forward at the end, wiping his mouth.
[(No she’s not one of us)
Even your whims are pretty
(You gotta listen to me)
I know, I’m gonna regret this
I jump up at a single text and head to your house]
Seong Ji-won added a chorus at the end. It was a much higher note than the Mars song earlier, but it was cleaner.
[I’ll throw everything I have at you]
The fans, unable to control their surging emotions, watched with clenched fists as Seong Ji-won and Seo Ho-yun locked eyes and harmonized.
[Can we be together?
or not?
Can we stay together?
or not?]
Jeong Da-jun walked out dejectedly, just like in the intro, and slowly kicked a basketball.
[I’m not sane, I know
But I want to ask you]
Opening a locker, he slowly froze. Holding a letter found inside, he murmured blankly.
[Can you really be with me?]
The trendy high-teen aesthetic,
A delightful twist,
And a provocative narrative.
It was, quite literally, a shocking first competition stage.