Episode 154. Verifying the Results (3)
On the screen, Jeong Seongbin gave off a different vibe than during his Spark promotions. The outfit—a combination of ivory and white—suited him perfectly.
Beneath him, subtitles appeared with a warm effect.
‘The grand transformation of the pretty boy singing of youth begins now.’
“What’s with those subtitles?”
Choi Jeho exclaimed in shock. The expression was old-fashioned, but it wasn’t exactly wrong.
“What? Seongbin is a pretty boy, isn’t he?”
“C-could we just skip over this part...?”
Jeong Seongbin hung his head low. The guy’s ears were bright red.
While the person in question couldn’t lift his head, the song title appeared at the feet of Spark’s top-tier pretty-boy vocalist.
It was Jang Junhu’s debut song, ‘First Step.’
A story of a man who loved someone for the first time, felt the joy of being together, and then fought with and parted from the person he loved for the first time.
Ironically, the reason this song had been a hit was that its story was cliché.
Because it was such a common story, many people would often sing ‘First Step’ at karaoke after a breakup.
Its simple structure and moderate vocal range also contributed to making Jang Junhu, who had been a freshly debuted rookie, into a recognizable singer.
I had a history of resorting to tricks by picking an obscure song from a famous singer back when I was a trainee, but Jeong Seongbin had no need for that.
The modest melody of an acoustic guitar flowed.
‘That spring, when I met you
My cheeks were dyed with cherry blossoms
In summer, in my young heart
I ran to hide behind a tree
In autumn, even the trees
And my heart burned only red
On a winter day, by your side
I approached and lay down
It fell so warmly, the snow’
Because he already possessed dazzling skill.
He could confidently aim for the flag planted at the very peak of the opposing camp.
Jeong Seongbin’s plain yet soft tone brought to mind a first love I’d never experienced in my life.
Perhaps this was the kind of moment where fans would say their hearts felt all soft and tender.
‘The steps you and I took
Became marks on the heart
Stacked up neatly
Looking only at each other
We walked and walked for a long time’
But within the softness, there was firmness as well.
The stability offered by fundamental skills built up over many years.
Jeong Seongbin was someone who had honed his basics better than anyone. That guy’s strength, from Awangsil until now, had given listeners a comfortable sense of trust.
He was the guy who had challenged established singer Jang Junhu with his skills since middle school. There was no way such a Jeong Seongbin couldn’t handle even the intro of a Jang Junhu song.
Jang Junhu must have been in his late twenties or around thirty when he sang this song. His tone was too fresh to sing of a first love, yet he lacked the experience to reminisce.
Then what about Jeong Seongbin?
While he possessed a young age and a pure face that suited the word ‘first love’ perfectly, he also held the maturity that even Jang Junhu back then hadn’t had.
It was only natural. Over the years, Jeong Seongbin had recorded all of Jang Junhu’s love and breakup songs as he aged.
Because he didn’t want to be scolded, because he wanted to do better. Because he wanted to keep singing and ultimately debut.
Could such inner strength not have accumulated in Jeong Seongbin after he had suppressed his pent-up feelings and sung for years with that heart? In a way, Jang Junhu had handed Jeong Seongbin the very blade to cut him down.
‘He’s good.’
He’d done this well, so why hadn’t he said anything after the filming ended? If he had just curled his lips up a little, I would have celebrated him unprompted.
I glanced sideways, but Jeong Seongbin was busy fanning himself with his hand.
Did he mess up the latter half? Or had he performed well but was embarrassed by poor results?
All sorts of thoughts ran through my head, but I came to my senses and focused back on the stage. The music was heading toward its climax.
Jeong Seongbin’s hand gripping the mic was shown in close-up.
Blue veins bulged on the back of his hand.
His fingertips were red, and as the camera panned up, his neck, the tip of his nose, and his lips were...
‘I walked, fleeing
To where the waves couldn’t reach
To a distant beach
Leaving behind you, being swept away and erased
My steps grow cold
Snow falls’
Red.
Tears had welled up in the corners of Jeong Seongbin’s eyes.
Even his desperate effort to hold back his tears until the very end resembled a youth who had just sent off his first love.
Holding the microphone tightly with both hands so as not to miss a single lyric, pressing each and every note deep into his heart—his appearance made my heart surge.
I even thought it would be rude to wonder how he could sing so perfectly while maintaining such an emotional thread right now.
‘Ah.’
On the screen, Jeong Seongbin took a small breath.
I could tell without looking around. Everyone gathered was immersed far beyond imagination in each breath, every line Jeong Seongbin sang.
It was an absurd level of emotional expression.
‘I underestimated him.’
I realized what it meant to have been chosen as the main vocal of Spark, a group that got criticized for everything except their faces and skills.
It was my mistake to have taken as mere data entry the facts that he had recorded guides since middle school, had been a trainee the longest, and had possessed double-digit vocal proficiency from the moment I first met him.
‘I just... wanted to bring Jang Junhu down a peg and wash away our resentment.’
I had thought it would be great if Jeong Seongbin could erase him using a Jang Junhu song.
But Jeong Seongbin had laughably surpassed my expectations.
Because anyone who saw this stage wouldn’t be curious about who sang the original.
It was shocking. In a good way.
* * *
“Hyung is a genius.”
Lee Cheonghyeon, the rims of his eyes red, turned to Jeong Seongbin and said.
“Our hyung is a genius!”
“Let’s try holding back the tears first, Cheonghyeon-ah!”
Lee Cheonghyeon seemed truly moved. I felt the same.
“Quiet down. I can’t hear what hyung is saying.”
Gang Giyeon scolded Lee Cheonghyeon and turned up the volume. Jeong Seongbin, having finished the stage splendidly, was being interviewed by the MCs.
‘I heard you’re senior and junior from the same agency as Jang Junhu?’
As soon as the MC asked, a familiar curse was heard from somewhere.
“Damn it...”
That punk Choi Jeho definitely cursed on reflex. Since the opponent was Jang Junhu, I’d let it slide just this once.
‘Yes. Actually, I have a deep connection with Jang Junhu sunbaenim.’
“Gasp.”
Lee Cheonghyeon swallowed his breath. He seemed to have never expected Jeong Seongbin to mention it so openly.
‘Really?’
‘I’ve been in charge of recording guide vocals for sunbaenim’s songs since middle school. So I’m confident that I know his songs very well!’
‘This is quite a connection. Junhu must feel proud to see his junior debut and put on such a good stage.’
“Proud my ass. He’s probably boiling with an inferiority complex by now.”
Lee Cheonghyeon scoffed. This kid seemed to have gotten a bit fiercer in temperament.
“Iwol-hyung, did you leave it to Seongbin-hyung because you knew he’d do this well on stage?”
Gang Giyeon asked. I glanced at Jeong Seongbin and replied.
“That’s not it. I was surprised too.”
As if embarrassed, Jeong Seongbin averted his gaze. Then he made excuses in an ant-sized voice, saying the tears hadn’t been intentional. There was no need to explain that it was even better because it hadn’t been intentional.
The broadcast ended with a 17-year veteran balladeer being selected as ‘Today’s Singer.’
Even amid fierce competition, Jeong Seongbin achieved the feat of placing third.
While I was fiddling with the photo of Jeong Seongbin attached to the slogan with great satisfaction, the person in question spoke to me.
“Thank you, hyung.”
“For what?”
I hadn’t done anything other than make the slogan, yet I was suddenly on the receiving end of thanks.
When I looked at him with a questioning gaze, Jeong Seongbin smiled and spoke.
“Do you remember singing ‘Sitting by the Window’ at the monthly evaluation last year, hyung?”
“I do.”
Wasn’t that the first evaluation where I faked emotions I didn’t have because I lacked skill? Looking back, it was a performance hot enough to burn my face with shame.
“While preparing for this stage, I thought about you a lot, hyung.”
“...You did?”
“The reason I could raise the completion was thanks to using you as a reference, hyung. If not for that, it would have been hard to immerse myself perfectly.”
Jeong Seongbin smiled.
This guy must have found something to learn from me back then. Meanwhile, I was recalling my past self and wallowing in self-deprecation.
I averted my gaze out of embarrassment.
“You thought of it and prepared it yourself. It’s not like I taught you.”
“Even so.”
“Don’t deliberately put someone else’s spoon on top of your efforts. Modern society is stingy enough with praise as it is.”
Perhaps because I was embarrassed, my words came out stiff. Feeling awkward for some reason, I quickly got up from my seat.
“Still, thank you for saying nice things.”
At my words, Jeong Seongbin smiled brightly. It was a cringeworthy night.
* * *
After Jeong Seongbin’s appearance on ‘Naegajang,’ a new song was added to Baek Haewon’s playlist. Since it had been a broadcast-only track, he hadn’t expected an audio release, but apparently they had prepared one, so the song was released.
‘It really... was a good show...’
Perhaps because it was a program with a long tradition, the sound was booming and the lighting effects were good too. He was simply proud of their baby who had shown an amazing stage there.
More than anything, ‘Naegajang’ captured Jeong Seongbin’s face—glistening innocently—in a breathtaking way!
Baek Haewon’s post capturing the moment Jeong Seongbin’s beauty shone was quoted like wildfire among the Sparklers. The video clipping his killer high-note section was also showing considerable views.
≫ My mom, who hated that an idol was on Naegajang, did a complete 180 in 3 minutes.
But she keeps asking if he’s really an idol.
So please, Seongbin, release just one proper ballad.
└ It’s not easy to surpass the original, but honestly Seongbin did so well... LOL I went to listen to the original and quietly backpedaled LMAO
└ Anyone can see Seongbin swallowed the original wholeㅠㅠ I’m dying of pride for our baby
≫ A forlorn cold beauty crying is cheating.
And he can sing on top of that.
At this rate, he’ll only be tier 1 male idol main vocal.
└ Same, at this rate Jeong Seongbin you’ll only be the #1 male idol vocalistㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
≫ What’s pooling in Jeong Seongbin’s eyes doesn’t look like tears, it looks like pearls.
Is this okay...?
My chest is... trembling so much?
I’m soaked in emotion from head to toe? If you squeezed me, it’d drip out?
└ Calm down and go stream first
≫ His eyes, the tip of his nose, even his neck are flushed, but his eyes are moist... his expression is forlorn...
How can you not love and cherish him when he sings of breakup pain with that face??
└ How can you not love and cherish him???
└ How can you not love and cherish him??????
└ How can you not love and cherish him?????????????
≫ Thank god I’m not in politics.
If it were me, I’d uproot every palace pillar to make him my concubine, and the treasury would go bankrupt every time Seongbin shed a tear, ending in execution.
└ OP, please, your head is gonna fly off thereㅠ
└ What am I even looking at
Taking this gap, Baek Haewon, who had gone to promote Spark even in the neighboring community, was completely burned out.
To recover his strength, Baek Haewon put Jeong Seongbin’s version of ‘First Step’ on repeat until the track wore thin and lay down in bed.
And exactly 30 minutes later, he shot up from bed at his phone alarm.
Lovely news about Spark had come up.
‘There’s nothing scheduled to come out today, is there?’
There was no way he had missed an SNS notice. Baek Haewon entered Spark’s MeTube channel in a hurry, bewildered.
≫ [Spark] 2X09XX Making Support Props Behind the Leader’s Back
‘Don’t tell me Seongbin made a placard?’
Spark was so cute he felt like dying. The cameraman had probably tried to film the kids putting their heads together, but since all of them had shoulders like the Pacific Ocean, only their backs appeared huge in the thumbnail, which was insanely great.
The setting for this video was, unusually, the dorm. There wasn’t even a neat PPT.
He wondered why, but thinking about it, this was what realistic self-produced content from idols usually looked like. He had almost been mistaken after seeing their overly professional sides all this time.
‘So we each make one and look at them together later?’
‘Let’s do that. Let’s make them in our own styles.’
As soon as Kim Iwol gave his permission, Lee Cheonghyeon picked up the materials.
And thus began the unhindered production of support props by the five members of Spark, not a single normal one among them.