Chapter 45
Red eyes filling the giant screen.
Just as the audience was overwhelmed by the intensity of those eyes.
A rough voice, sounding like an animal's growl, echoed low through the concert hall.
-Your voice is ecstatic, cruel Fantasy
With the short line, Seon U-rin's figure on the screen grew blurry.
Along with the mournful sound of the violin, the orchestra's melody began to flow out.
Requiem.
Music to comfort the dead; as its grand resonance lingered inside the concert hall.
Snap-
The lights on the protruding stage turned on, and Baek Si-hyun, dressed in a white formal suit, appeared.
A red piece of cloth drawn from his embrace. The red cloth fluttering softly, Baek Si-hyun's solo dance unfolded.
Matching the orchestra's music, Baek Si-hyun's figure showed sometimes restrained, sometimes desperate movements.
It reminded one of a shaman performing an exorcism dance.
Ooooh-
A low, gloomy melody.
At the same time, Baek Si-hyun's solo dance ended.
The main stage lit up, and five trainees dressed in white formal suits, just like Baek Si-hyun, appeared on stage.
-Under the blackened sky
Swelling, dizzying memories
With a faintly echoing voice, the song began with Eugene Kim's first verse.
-Before this darkness disappears
Hide my figure
The song, atop the orchestral accompaniment, merged with the band sound, transforming into an intense feeling.
Baek Si-hyun joined the center of the stage.
With Seon U-rin nowhere to be seen, the six trainees began the chorus's group dance.
-Cruel Fantasy
I will turn the world upside down to get you back
The moment the brilliant darkness turns red
If I see your face again
I will never let you go again
We'll be forever
The chorus ended, and the grayish space from the initial appearance appeared.
Seon U-rin, who had been sleeping there, woke up.
Leaning against an old chair, Seon U-rin stared at the camera once more with those red eyes.
The stopped music; Seon U-rin's figure, alone in the gray space, seemed to exist in frozen time.
Then, the sound of string instruments rang out just like the beginning.
The frozen time began to flow again.
Walking slowly to the center of the stage, Seon U-rin spat out spell-like lyrics in a low voice.
-Kindle the fire, let this body be the fuel
To make you bloom again
Burn it without a trace, so no evidence remains
Let resentment and love become a single spark
Shining brilliantly
I will make the last flower bloom
And finally, the moment the seven trainees gathered in one place.
Atop Seon U-rin's spell-like lyrics murmured without a melody, Eugene Kim's high notes, an octave higher, were layered.
-Kindle the fire, let this body be the fuel
To make you bloom again
At that moment, the figures on stage all began to move vigorously.
The red cloth drawn from their embraces once again.
The seven cloths began to scatter dizzyingly like pollen on stage.
-Burn it without a trace, so no evidence remains
Let resentment and love become a single spark
The drumming gradually heightened, and the thumping sound transmitted through the skin to the heart.
Ooooooh-
The grand melody of the orchestra and the band sound heightened the music, rushing toward the climax.
And above that, the beautiful resonance of a choir rang out.
Aaaaaaah-
The seven figures, who had been showing disciplined movements centered around Seon U-rin, soon stopped their motions.
In time flowing slowly like slow motion.
-Shining brilliantly
I will make the last flower bloom
As Seon U-rin and Eugene Kim spat out the final verse.
Fwooooosh-
As if all the lighting exploded, a shining white light descended upon the stage.
Bloom-
Eugene Kim's ultra-high note, screaming as if tearing apart, echoed through the speakers and filled the concert hall.
As the taut tension snapped, a roar of cheers erupted from the audience seats, threatening to burst the concert hall.
Waaaaaaah-
Amidst the crowd's cheers, the seven figures could be seen moving with all their might, as if burning the final spark.
-Cruel Fantasy
I will turn the world upside down to get you back
The moment the brilliant darkness turns red
If I see your face again
I will never let you go again
We'll be forever
When Baek Si-hyun flamboyantly waved the red cloth at the very front of the formation.
The camera shone down from above the stage, capturing the trainees.
The six figures rotating in a circle centered around Seon U-rin.
The formation gradually narrowed, sketching a shape like a giant flower bud.
White and red petals intertwined, embroidering the screen.
And finally, the red cloths moving dizzyingly as if rotating, began to wrap around Seon U-rin's body at the center of the circle.
The white light that had been brightly illuminating that sight suddenly blacked out and disappeared.
On the darkened stage.
Seon U-rin, wrapped entirely in red cloth and collapsing alone on stage, revealed his figure under a faint light like a flower blooming alone in the darkness.
-Your voice is ecstatic
As Seon U-rin's red eyes closed, the faint light vanished, and the stage was once again dyed in darkness.
And.
Waaaaaaaah-
Kyaaaaaaah-
Only the excited cheers of the audience filled the vast Olympic Hall.
***
After the stage ended, posts began to flood the community board like a runaway train, where all writing had stopped for about 3 seconds.
-Ahhhhhh
-Sooooooob
-Uwaaaaaaaah
-Crazy... Crazy... Crazy!!!!
-Sh-sh-sh-shivering
-Seon U-rin is a god! Seon U-rin is a god! Seon U-rin is a god!
-What was that stage... Goosebumps...
The posts, which had been flooding so wildly that communication was impossible, gradually began to calm down.
-Wow, I can't even remember the first stage? What happened?
└What are you talking about? This was the first stage.
└We have a severe patient here...
-Ah, my heart... my heart burns. Rin's faint face at the end won't fade from my mind...
-When Eugene hit that high note, I screamed too, and my neighbor came over to check ㅠ
As a little more time passed, the viewers finally realized that both stages of the final round had ended.
-Is it really over? Tell me it didn't end quickly... I can pretend I didn't see it and watch it 100 more times...
-No, humanely, just give us a few more stages ㅠㅠ
-How can they put on such a perfect stage and then tell us to vote... Who on earth am I supposed to pick...
-Who's the fool that still hasn't voted? That's right, me... I don't know who to vote for ㅠ
In a situation where fans who still hadn't escaped the lingering emotions of the stage coexisted with fans screaming because they didn't know who to vote for.
The atmosphere in the venue, which hadn't settled down even now. Within it, Ria was struggling to continue the hosting.
"You have now seen the second stage of the 'National Idol Season 2' final round, broadcast live."
At Ria's words, the sound of the crowd letting out sighs of regret pierced through the screen.
Ria, who was sweating profusely at the sound, looked at the screen where the numbers were dropping in real-time and spoke to change the mood.
"Now everyone, there is less than an hour left until voting closes. If you are still hesitating to vote, please make your choice quickly!"
The audience seats, which had finally calmed down a little.
Looking at such audience members, Ria quickly continued the broadcast.
"There is only one stage left before the ranking announcement. And before we meet that stage, we will now watch the prepared VCR video."
The concert hall darkened, and a video began to play on the large screen.
On the screen, the 15 trainees sitting in chairs and talking freely were shown.
When the filming preparation was done, Park Han-hwi asked a question.
[Han-hwi: But why did we gather here?]
[Writer: You all came up here through fierce competition.]
[Everyone: Yeees!]
[Writer: But aren't you curious about what you all looked like at your first meeting?]
[Everyone: !!!!]
[Sung-ha: No! Absolutely! Absolutely not curious!]
[A-jin: Uwaaaah! No! Writer-nim, please...!]
Regardless of the screaming trainees' wishes, the projector lit up, and the trainees' appearances from their first meeting played on the screen right in front of them.
-Hello, I am Shim Sung-ha, a 2nd-year trainee at Higher Entertainment.
[Sung-ha: Ah, please just up to here!]
-From now on, I will show you my special talent, silly dance!
In the video, Shim Sung-ha appeared dancing wildly as if possessed.
The other trainees grabbed Shim Sung-ha, who was struggling in embarrassment, forcing him to watch the video.
[Han-hwi: Sung-ha, just stay still!]
[Jung-woo: Endure your karma!]
[Sung-ha: No, you all must think your videos won't come out!! You'll regret it!!]
In such a cruel spectacle, Sung-ha's video ended, and the next was Kang A-jin.
-I will show you my three-piece aegyo set!
[A-jin: Uwaaaaaah! You have to stop it! Rin hyung! Please!!]
Despite Kang A-jin's screams, the Kang A-jin in the video was diligently executing the three-piece aegyo set.
[Buy a Ttizburger! Ttizburger! I'm a little ghost, kong-kko-tto!]
[Rin: A-jin...]
When Seon U-rin, who was holding Kang A-jin's body, looked at him with pitying eyes, A-jin hung his head powerlessly.
Even after that, a massive number of victims began to emerge.
[Jung-woo: No, you said you wouldn't air that on broadcast!!]
[Cheon-woo: That's not me. Anyway, it's not. Anyway, that's how it is.]
Of course, there were also trainees who brightly admired their past appearances.
[Han-hwi: Ah, I made a mistake back then. How did you pick me even though I did that?]
[Si-hyun: (Nonchalant)]
[Eugene: Not bad... haha]
At that moment, someone noticed a strange sight.
[A-jin: Rin hyung, what are you doing there?]
The trainees discovered Seon U-rin stealthily creeping toward the projector.
[Jung-woo: That won't do!]
[Sung-ha: Hyung, you're trying to escape alone! Come here!]
[Cheon-woo: Rin hyung! Alone, that's cheap!]
Eventually, when the trainees united and voiced their complaints, Seon U-rin had no choice either, clearing his throat and returning to his seat.
Finally, a short-haired Seon U-rin wearing a military uniform appeared on the screen.
[Sung-ha: LMAO]
[A-jin: Pfft...]
[Rin: ;;;;;;;]
While the trainees were holding back their laughter at the sight of him in a military uniform.
-We are men, men of steel
This life devoted to country and people
Seon U-rin's dark history was immediately unleashed.
[Rin: Ah...]
Someone's sigh was soon buried in laughter.
[Han-hwi: Kya-kya-kya-kya-kya-ss]
[Jung-woo: Shaking! Shaking! Pfft-hahaha]
[Sung-ha: Kyahahahaha]
[Eugene: Pfft...]
With that shocking scene as the last, the trainees' first meeting video ended.
[Rin: *Grind*, Writer-nim... Then are the videos all over?]
[Writer: There is still one more video left.]
[A-jin: This time... what kind of video is it...?]
[Writer: Perhaps it's a video about the people you all want to see the most right now?]
When the trainees tilted their heads at the writer's words.
A video played once again through the projector.
-Hello, Eugene. Are you doing well?
On the screen, two people who looked like Eugene Kim's parents were seen greeting them warmly.
[Eugene: ...]
Seeing that, Eugene Kim showed tears for the first time since the National Idol broadcast.
***
We were standing backstage while the VCR was playing.
On the screen on stage, the trainees watching their families' video letters were playing.
"Everyone cried a lot back then."
"Ah, again, I feel like I'll cry when I go on stage..."
While Park Han-hwi and Woo Jung-woo were talking, I looked at Eugene Kim next to me.
-What... what?
I could see Eugene Kim expressing dissatisfaction at me with his eyes.
It seemed like I had seen Eugene Kim's flustered appearance, who was rarely flustered, quite a few times lately.
"It's almost over now."
"It sure is."
"But Eugene."
"Yes?"
"You can't cry again, okay?"
"..."
I barely held back my laughter as I looked at Eugene Kim, who was pouting hard with his lips tightly shut.
"I saw you getting teary-eyed too, hyung...?"
"Did you? Then shall we watch it on video again?"
"..."
After easily suppressing Eugene Kim's timid counterattack. I looked at the audience seats.
Once we finish the last stage now. This audition, which has been going on for 4 months, will end.
"You need to go up now!"
The VCR video seemed almost over.
Without even a moment to organize our feelings, we hurriedly went up on stage.
I looked at Eugene Kim walking next to me and said.
"You worked hard."
"You too, hyung."
We looked at each other and smiled faintly, then quickly walked toward our positions.
Thus, the last ballad song sung by all 15 trainees together.
The stage for began.
The first verse started, and the trainees who were singing with big smiles gradually became emotionally overwhelmed as time passed, showing tears and bowing their heads.
I slowly looked around the scenery of the concert hall that I hadn't been able to properly see.
The countless slogans with the name Seon U-rin written on them, and the fans calling my name at the top of their lungs.
And in a place far from the stage.
I could see the seats where the trainees' families were sitting.
'Hello!'
It was far away so I couldn't see well, but I could faintly make out the figures of my younger sibling and grandmother.
After waving my hand as hard as I could, I held the microphone and sang.
-I won't forget
Our precious memories
I won't forget
Your face smiling at me
Like that, the live broadcast was running fast toward its end.