Chapter 374
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 374
High Five’s Complete was a full-length album featuring five tracks, including the title song "New Thrill," which Blue Tiger had poured her heart and soul into, alongside contributions from other renowned composers and lyricists.
【High Five - New Thrill Official Music Video】
The music video begins with shadows flickering across a classical museum built in the Romanesque style. In the heavy silence, the rhythmic tap-tap of dress shoes echoes as the camera reveals the majesty of the high, arched ceilings.
In the center of the hall stands a massive, incongruous statue of a devil.
As the camera angle widens, a man dressed in a white silk shirt is seen slowly approaching it.
The camera zooms in, capturing a close-up of High Five’s main dancer, Lee Se-hyeon.
Carefully taking the devil’s outstretched fingertip, Lee Se-hyeon gently closes his eyes and reverently presses his lips against it.
Crash!
At that moment, the statue explodes, shattering into a thousand pieces. A single shard flies toward the screen, and the scene transitions to a night street vibrant with neon signs.
【Brrrr…】
Under blue lights, Kang Yeon-hu appears, leaning against the hood of a red sports car.
He is dressed in a white shirt and a black suit vest, layered with a leather harness made of multiple belts.
Loosening his tie, Kang Yeon-hu breathes out the first line.
【New Thrill—】
As if on cue, a funky rhythm spreads in every direction.
【—I can’t act calm in front of you
I’m getting swept up in the excitement】
As he tilts his head slightly, Kang Yeon-hu’s dyed black curls fall against his milky skin. His eyes narrow into a sharp, playful curve.
【New New New New Thrill】
The beat is bright and bouncy, maintaining High Five’s signature refreshing charm while simultaneously exuding a certain sexy atmosphere.
【Sparks fly in the middle of the circuit
Thrilling and precarious
A racing match just for the two of us
Make me cry out a little more】
Vroom! A raw engine sound mixes into the melody as rapper Jeong Chae-hyeong removes his helmet at the racetrack, a smirk playing on his lips.
【A thrill that takes my breath away】
Then comes the group choreography.
Between the voices soaring effortlessly, restrained point moves are arranged in a precise rhythm, making the song and dance blend mysteriously to create an even more captivating performance.
【I don’t need any brakes
My heart is howling fiercely, calling for you
You are my new thrill】
A rich, luxurious melody, lyrics that compare love to a car race, and a high-budget visual feast of a music video.
[This High Five comeback is f*cking legendary, seriously...]
The scent of success was already wafting strongly.
[High Five, I love you guys so much ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[I thought Jeong Chae-hyeong was a baby angel, but look at him all grown up... His physique is insane... And Kang Yeon-hu with black hair is way too hot. F*ck..]
[I love how Lee Yeong has such a deep voice despite his cute face;;;]
[Love the Shorty Squad, Lee Yeong and Chae-hyeong... They’d get mad if I called them that, though lol]
[Are Lee Se-hyeon’s abs for real right now?]
Until last year, High Five hadn't been able to escape the shadow of being "Black Call’s juniors."
However, with all of Black Call’s activities falling through this year, that image had been completely overturned. While WH Entertainment’s capital being poured into the successor group helped, it was primarily because the members' innate talent had blossomed brilliantly on stage, as if their potential had finally exploded.
Among them, Kang Yeon-hu’s transformation was the most overwhelming.
[Yeon-hu is insane]
[Kang Yeon-hu is the God of K-Pop]
[You can really feel the experience of a long-term trainee lol. You listening, WH?! Debut all those hidden long-term trainees right now!]
[But that’s not something you get just from practicing a long time. Kang Yeon-hu is just the real deal...]
Vocal skills that never faltered. A calm demeanor that handled unexpected situations without panic. An attitude as strict toward himself as he was toward others.
All these traits were reasons for High Five fans to adore him, but—
[Kang Yeon-hu is so damn lovely]
Above all, the most endearing thing about Kang Yeon-hu was the rare glimpses of his pure, innocent side.
With the year-end awards approaching and the rivalry with The Dawn intensifying, everyone was hesitant to mention it. In that sense, the program Want to Sing with Me?, where one could see Kang Yeon-hu blushing to the tips of his ears while appearing alongside Seo Ho-yun, was a treasure for the fans, the Hi-Ris.
[In my subjective opinion, the person with the biggest gap between being on stage and off stage is Kang Yeon-hu!]
[Maybe it’s because his experience bar is full, but the way he knows exactly how he’ll look on camera and makes the prettiest expressions... I love you]
[Idols need to have a bit of a venomous streak to be lovely..
Kang Yeon-hu.. You’re making me go crazy]
Since the album’s release, even before they began full-scale promotions, the popularity of "New Thrill" was already skyrocketing.
【Congratulations! 1st place goes to High Five’s ‘New Thrill’!】
With every music show appearance, High Five clutched a new trophy, becoming the protagonists of the final shower of paper confetti.
[I’m going crazy ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I’m so happy right now]
[At this rate, isn't Song of the Year a lock?]
[This year is truly the golden age of boy groups. Haaa, the song is so good. Yeon-hu, your hard work is paying off..]
They were also scheduled to attend the K-POP concert in Tokyo, so their domestic promotions wrapped up faster than expected.
Even so, the concert was famous for its grand scale that grew every year despite being a special event, so fans' expectations were steadily rising.
[So excited for High Five at the K-Pop concert ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Let’s tear it up
└ The Dawn is performing too
└└ Ah...]
Meanwhile,
[What do you mean "Ah..."? "Ah" my ass, f*ck, this is so annoying]
[ㅠㅠ It can't be helped...
They pushed High Five’s comeback this time... But our year-end stage will be the best, right...
Like hell.
Shut up.
The Dawn has to be "Number 1" no matter what.]
[High Five.. honestly, they’re cute. I’ll admit it.
But The Dawn. Is. A. Global. K-Pop. Star.]
[I can’t be satisfied with just being number one in my heart.
Let’s go, The Dawn!]
Watching High Five’s winning streak right before the end of the year, the Noeuls were burning with competitive spirit.
*
"What’s with this order?"
I wasn't at all pleased with the performance order the manager had handed over.
I looked at The Dawn’s name, written third from the end, then moved my eyes down. After a special stage by a Japanese artist, High Five was listed as the final closing act.
As I clicked my tongue softly, Kang Yi-chae suddenly popped a chocolate into my mouth.
"Eat this and let it go."
Since The Dawn had received a significant push from the company during the "Level S2" promotions, I knew it was High Five’s turn.
But just because my head understood it didn't mean my stomach wasn't turning.
[Quest Arrived!
This K-POP concert in Tokyo is a great opportunity to further solidify The Dawn’s position this year!
Achieve the highest view count among all performance videos uploaded to the official Nutube K-POP channel.
Success: 10,000 Points
Failure: Unable to participate in the December year-end stages]
I glared at the newly appeared quest for a moment before brushing back my unstyled hair.
I had no ill will toward Kang Yeon-hu, but I was doing this idol thing with my life on the line. I couldn't just look at a rival with kindness.
Speak of the devil—I saw High Five entering the entrance of the waiting room hallway.
"Hello!"
"We look forward to working with you today."
'Look at them all shining.'
The faces bowing politely to the staff were all glowing with a healthy sheen. Perhaps they couldn't hide their agency’s unique vibe, but they gave off a feeling similar to Black Call.
As if they had been waiting, idols from other groups immediately swarmed around Kang Yeon-hu.
"Whoa, look who it is! Yeon-hu hyung! It’s been a while~."
"Ahaha, it has. Sunbae-nim, have you been well?"
Kang Yeon-hu surely knew they were acting this way hoping for some crumbs of his success, yet he still wore a relaxed smile and treated everyone with a friendly attitude.
Instead, it was the other High Five members around him who were restless, their eyes darting around. Soon, they hurriedly ushered Kang Yeon-hu away.
'……What was that?'
It was quite suspicious, but at the manager’s urge to go for rehearsal, I pushed the thought aside, took off my jacket, and headed toward the stage.
【…—Don’t ask, just come out and dance with me, Babe
Like it’s our last time together…】
It was a choreography we had practiced hundreds of times, but since it was a long, protruding stage, the blocking was different from usual. We continued the rehearsal while meticulously checking our movements.
After finishing one run, Kim Seong-hyeon gathered the members while wiping sweat from his chin.
"Guys, I think we can come out a bit further."
"Right, Seong-hyeon hyung! This space is bigger than I thought!"
"Yeah, it’d be better to use the stage more widely after the band part ends."
Following Kim Seong-hyeon’s instructions, we made minor adjustments and successfully finished the full rehearsal. As I walked back to the waiting room, exchanging trivial jokes with The Dawn members, I heard the intro to High Five’s "New Thrill" behind us.
"Hyung, do you need something to drink?"
"No."
After ruffling the sweaty hair of our maknae, I stepped out of the waiting room. Something about High Five’s reaction earlier was just too bothersome.
I walked toward the backstage area, and sure enough, instead of being in the middle of rehearsal, the High Five members were huddled in a circle. In the center was Kang Yeon-hu, wearing a boxy ivory sweatshirt and looking troubled.
"—Good job——."
"Hyung, is your foot— okay——."
"That’s why that move —————."
After listening to them mutter for a while, Kang Yeon-hu sighed and waved them off. At that, the High Five members' faces instantly crumpled into pouts.
As they turned to leave with resigned expressions, they spotted me, quickly smoothed their features, and bowed.
"Oh, Seo Ho-yun-ssi! Hello."
"Hello."
"Good luck with The Dawn’s stage today!"
Only then did Kang Yeon-hu realize I was there, his brows furrowing slightly.
I slowly approached him, observing the situation.
"Congrats on the comeback."
"Yes, thank you."
His face was handsome as ever, but his complexion was strangely pale.
I glanced down and saw a swollen left ankle beneath his rolled-up pant leg.
"The smell of pain relief patches is reaching all the way to the waiting rooms."
"…What, should I apologize for that?"
"An injury?"
Kang Yeon-hu hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding.
'Is he unable to move because it hurts?'
That’s why he sent his members ahead—so he wouldn't get caught.
"……Did you get hurt during practice?"
"…Yes, right before we came here. I sprained it pretty badly."
Wary defiance flickered in Kang Yeon-hu’s eyes as he looked at me.
There wasn't a trace of the smiles he usually handed out so freely.
'He’s planning to go on stage like this?'
Then again, if Kang Yeon-hu, the leader and the core of High Five’s popularity, suddenly dropped out now, the backlash would be significant.
'But why did he do the full choreography?'
For a guy who’s soft, he’s usually quite sharp.
If it were Kang Yeon-hu, he could have performed just fine by only checking the blocking, but seeing him catching his breath, it seemed he had danced the whole thing from start to finish.
"Why did you do the rehearsal? It’s only going to swell more."
"Seo Ho-yun-ssi."
Kang Yeon-hu, who had been touching his bright red ankle, pulled his pant leg back down.
"Of course I had to. Getting hurt was my own failure to manage my condition, but this is work."
"……."
"I have to do it."
Oh, is that so?
Swallowing the slight annoyance rising within me, I simply shrugged.
"Right. Good luck then."
"Yeah… thanks for the concern."
As Kang Yeon-hu took a slow step forward, his face contorted sharply for a split second.
Just looking at him made me feel the pain, causing me to scowl involuntarily.
'It’s pure stubbornness.'
Look at this kid, barely an adult and already filled with such grit.
I watched Kang Yeon-hu limp away before turning back to the waiting room.
It wasn't my business to worry about, anyway.