Chapter 120 (End)
Staring intently at the blank white paper, I eventually wrote down a few words.
Weers, members, me, us. And...
After that, I wrote down the words and sentences that came to mind haphazardly, then erased them again.
Is writing lyrics this kind of process?
Expressing the words in my heart in writing was not easy.
In the end, I had to go back to the beginning.
'What do I want to say?'
To the members. To the fans. And to everyone who has watched over Weers.
If the end comes, the words I want to convey.
Thinking like that, the words I wanted to say started coming to mind.
I wrote and wrote.
This time, I didn't erase them.
As I wrote unconsciously like that, the white paper overflowed with cheesy sentences, but I didn't care and kept writing down the words I wanted to say.
'How about something like this?'
Someday the end will come, but if we do our best now so that the end can be as beautiful as possible...
Then it won't be the end, but a new beginning.
A new one, not an end.
After putting a period at the end of the last lyric, I raised my head.
How much time has passed?
When I suddenly came to my senses, the lights outside the brightly shining window greeted me.
'I stayed up all night.'
Well, it should be fine if I sleep a little in the car.
I closed and opened my slightly heavy eyes for a moment, then looked over the creation I had made again.
"Hmm..."
Do I perhaps have a talent for writing lyrics, contrary to my thoughts?
The result of the lyrics I wrote for the first time was more satisfactory than I thought.
Then, lastly, the title of the song.
"This would be good."
I wrote down a word and got up from my seat.
It's time to start a new day again.
***
I've always been busy since debuting, but today was an even more hectic day than usual.
For some reason, my mind was more blank than usual.
Is it because I didn't sleep well?
When I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them, pitch-black darkness greeted me.
I was definitely in the practice room? Is this a hidden camera show?
Where are the members?
Just a moment ago, everyone was next to me...
[A problem has occurred in achieving the goal. An unexpected error found in Seonwoo Rin's actions. Your goal is wavering.]
At that time, a system message I hadn't seen in a long time appeared before my eyes.
Is this a dream or reality?
But a problem? An error?
At the flustered message I was seeing for the first time, without even giving me time to think, the system hurled questions at me as if pouring something out.
[Seonwoo Rin, what is your current goal? Why has your goal changed from the past? Didn't you only want success?]
Wait, ask me one at a time!
[...]
The system stopped its questions for a moment, then soon threw a single question at me.
[Are you satisfied with your current life?]
Satisfied with my current life...
I'm not sure about that.
[What do you mean you're not sure?]
I'm searching for it.
The life I want.
[Searching for the life you want. Does that mean it's different from a goal?]
It's different, because I no longer wish only for success.
[Then what are you hoping for instead of success?]
That is.
My happiness.
I cherish and am happy in these moments right now. And I want to become happier.
From now on, I want to try living for myself.
[Does that mean you will settle for reality, or...]
No, I will keep moving forward. However, I will move forward according to my own will, not someone else's will like before.
I will stand on stage according to my will. I will gain more experiences than now while being active.
And I will work harder.
If it's difficult alone, then together with the members.
Then I will be able to do it.
I believe so.
[... I respect your intention. Shutting down the system normally.]
"Yeah, thanks for everything until now."
With the final greeting, my darkened vision gradually brightened.
It was like a dream, but it wasn't a dream.
Right, it couldn't be a dream.
Thinking like that, for some reason, my heart felt at ease.
At that moment.
"Hyung...! Rin hyung!"
"Huh...?"
"Did you fall asleep, hyung?"
Hearing the voice, I came to my senses.
Then, I felt the gazes of the members focused on me.
"Thanks for everything until now? What does that mean?"
"Did you have a dream or something?"
"Hyung, you can't just go somewhere alone. We promised to stick together for the rest of our lives...!!"
At the members' words pouring out in an instant, I frantically retraced my thoughts.
What were we doing just now?
"Um, I was just tired for a moment..."
I was about to make an excuse but stopped when I saw the worry mixed in the members' gazes looking at me.
"It's okay, Rin hyung."
"You've been overworking yourself lately."
"Yeah, since Rin hyung is in charge of all the interviews and translations. You're bound to be tired."
Um... It's not actually because I'm tired, though.
But looking at the worried members, I could only give an awkward smile.
Being worried about wasn't so bad.
"Anyway, I'll talk again."
At that time, Eugene Kim spoke while looking at us.
Only then did I remember what we were talking about.
"First of all, I've looked over all the lyrics you sent me thoroughly."
Gulp-
The sound of someone swallowing was heard.
When everyone was looking at Eugene Kim with nervous eyes, curious about the evaluation of their lyrics.
"It was a total mess."
"Huh...?"
At Eugene Kim's shocking remark, Woo Jungwoo, who was full of expectations, gaped with his mouth wide open.
"No, a total mess..."
"The lyrics don't match the melody. The direction is all over the place, changing the theme several times in the middle. And it's childish... Sigh."
At the sight of Eugene Kim sighing, the other members made awkward expressions and avoided his gaze.
"Then... Were the lyrics we wrote completely unhelpful...?"
I asked Eugene Kim instead of the members who were looking away.
"It was still helpful."
"Huh?"
"Although the lyrics weren't helpful, just knowing what the other members are thinking was helpful enough..."
"Then...?"
"I've decided on the general direction of the song. If it's an unavoidable end, then as splendid as possible. So that there are no regrets. That's the end I envisioned."
If it's unavoidable, then as splendid as possible...
At Eugene Kim's words, I quietly began to picture in my mind the stage we would create.
"And I've decided on the title of the song."
"Really?"
"What's the title?"
At the members' question, Eugene Kim looked at me and said.
"Finale."
Finale.
Hearing that word, I smiled at Eugene Kim.
Because.
'It's the title I put on the lyrics I wrote.'
"Finale... I think it's cool!"
"I like it too?"
"The final movement... It seems like a title that fits well with King's Road's final stage."
"I'm already looking forward to the stage...!"
While the members were chatting excitedly, Eugene Kim spoke again.
"Then I'll wrap it up quickly and let you know again."
"Yes!"
Like that, Weers' emergency countermeasure meeting ended.
Seeing the members scattering here and there, I approached Eugene Kim.
"Eugene."
"Yes? Ah. About the song title?"
"No, more than that... How were my lyrics?"
I mustered up the courage and asked Eugene Kim about the lyrics I wrote.
"Hmm..."
Eugene Kim, who was thinking for a moment, said.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
"The lyrics are too cheesy."
After that, the two of us were silent for a while.
***
The broadcasting station's editing room.
There, a man could be seen staring intently at a screen.
On the screen he was watching, the scene of the results announcement for the recently concluded 4th round of King's Road was playing.
[PD-nim!]
A woman spoke to the main PD of King's Road, who was staring blankly at the screen.
[Huh? What's the matter?]
[I got a call regarding the stage setup for the final round.]
[From where?]
[From Weers' side.]
[Really? Then accommodate their requests as much as possible. If there are any problems, tell me again.]
[Yes, understood.]
The woman heard the PD's answer and was about to leave the editing room, but seeing the PD still staring blankly at the monitor, she spoke again.
[I thought Weers would take 1st place in the 4th round, but it's a bit disappointing.]
[Right?]
[It'll be tough in the final too, right? Since Joshua and Eric Foster are so popular.]
[It probably will be tough.]
[I guess so...]
When the woman nodded at the PD's half-hearted response and was walking out weakly.
[Still, we don't know yet.]
[Pardon?]
[Who knows, the final stage might change people's minds.]
While the woman was tilting her head at the PD's murmuring.
The PD looked at the cue sheet for the final round and murmured again.
[In the final order, the song title is Finale...]
***
"This feeling. This mood! I feel like I've definitely experienced it somewhere."
"Me too."
"It's similar to the National Idol finale."
"That's true..."
The day of the final round of King's Road.
As always, Weers' waiting room was buzzing with excitement.
"Our goal is to win!"
"Fighting!"
"Let's put Rin hyung's winning energy into it and all heave-ho together!"
"Heave-ho!"
I could see Woo Jungwoo and Shim Sungha continuously chanting heave-ho for some ominous reason.
"I'm so nervous I can barely breathe..."
"Breathe as deeply as you can. Huuuuuu. Haaaaaaa."
Kang A-jin showing nervousness with her whole body, and Baek Sihyun next to her helping with deep breaths.
And.
"It's quite intense."
"Hahaha."
Eugene Kim talking quietly in his usual manner, and Park Hanhui showing a gentle smile next to him.
"Oh? Where is the energy of 2nd place coming from?"
"Right. Someone from LA who always gets 2nd place just said it's intense..."
"Stop."
In the end, Shim Sungha, who only met Eugene Kim's cold gaze, looked at me with a desperate expression asking for help.
"Alright. Everyone gather around."
At my words, the members who were sitting down all gathered in the middle of the waiting room, forming a circle.
"We talked about it during National Idol earlier, right? The final stage back then... Do you all remember?"
"Of course."
"I still remember it vividly."
"But there's something different from back then and now. Do you know what it is?"
"Well..."
"That we're in America, not Korea...?"
"No."
I looked into the eyes of each member surrounding me one by one and spoke.
"Back then, we weren't a team. Now, we are one team. That's what changed."
Faces trying hard to hide their nervousness. And gazes that trusted me.
Feeling those gazes, I spoke again.
"That's the most important thing. That we are stepping on stage together."
At my words, the members nodded with faint smiles on their lips.
Seeing their smiles, I spoke playfully.
"You've all worked really hard until now. Let's keep working hard in the future too. Alright?"
"Yes, sir! Loyalty!"
"Aye, sir!"
Then, the members looked at me and answered with a laugh.
And.
[Weers will now stand by.]
Finally, the time of the decisive battle had come.
Following the guide out of the waiting room, I could feel the concert hall vibrating with the cheers of the audience.
"It's amazing..."
The concert hall was so filled with cheers that I didn't know who said it.
And the stage getting closer and closer.
A brief wait and pounding heart.
The final stage.
And the new beginning that will be behind that stage.
[We're going up now.]
With those words, the members began to step onto the stage one by one.
Waaaaaaaah-
My ears go deaf from the erupting cheers.
"Rin hyung!"
The voice of someone calling me.
When I raised my head, the members had turned back and were waiting for me.
"Yeah."
I walked slowly toward the members, and toward the stage.
I don't know what will be at the end of this final round.
But we will pour everything into this finale right now.
So that the end can be the most splendid,