Chapter 55
“Yaaawn...”
“Ah, I feel like I'm dying.”
“My back... my legs...”
As the members got into the car, they each groaned, expressing their current state.
“You seem fine though, hyung?”
“It's a bit tough though...?”
Of course, I wasn't completely fine either.
From the music video shoot to preparing for the showcase, I hadn't properly slept at all.
Still, seeing that I could endure it, my S-rank stamina seemed to have surpassed the realm of ordinary people after all.
‘Should I invest in stamina one more time next time?’
While I was having that ridiculous thought—what if I went beyond S-rank, would I become a real superhuman?
“Wow... it's a bit tough...”
“Hyung... are you really human? I don't think we're the same species...”
From beside me, I could hear Sim Seong-ha and Woo Jung-woo muttering weakly.
Seeing that they still had the energy to talk, the two seemed to be quite alright.
At least compared to Eugene Kim, who had passed out the moment she got in the car.
“Eugene, are you okay?”
“For now... I can't guarantee anything after today, though...”
At Park Han-hwi's question, Eugene Kim opened her eyes slightly and answered.
Fortunately, she seemed to be alive.
But since Eugene Kim's stamina was inherently poor, her condition didn't look great.
“Guys. I know everyone is exhausted, but today is finally our showcase, so let's push ourselves just a little more.”
I spoke to the members who were slumped over with no energy, but—
“Yes, let's all cheer up and finish today well!”
Except for Park Han-hwi, who responded vigorously—
“Yeaay...”
“Let's... do our best...”
“Fighting...”
I received answers that sounded like they were each missing a screw.
Their faces screamed that sleep and rest were more desperately needed than fighting spirit. I was worried that everyone was too exhausted even before the showcase began, when—
“Guys, did you all fasten your seatbelts? We're leaving now.”
As the manager who got into the car started the engine, the members fumbled to put on their seatbelts.
Seeing the members moving weakly and slowly, the manager grinned and added a word.
“After today's showcase ends, we only have afternoon schedules tomorrow, so you'll be able to sleep deeply for the first time in a while.”
“Wow!”
“Sleeeep!”
“Finally, a proper sleep!!”
I let out a sigh of relief as I watched the members' faces quickly brighten at the word 'sleep.'
I realized once again that rest was a much better motivational tool than the leader's word of encouragement.
‘Anyway, it's a good thing they're cheering up.’
It wasn't a full day off, but being able to at least get some proper sleep after so long was something.
The more I stepped into the world of idols, the more lenient my standards for rest seemed to become.
‘Still, being busy is much better than having no work.’
They were this busy because they were popular, weren't they?
Even though I didn't have time to truly feel the popularity, being this busy sometimes felt like proof of it.
Having escaped the gloomy atmosphere, we were on our way to the shop with slightly brighter faces.
Park Han-hwi was the first to verbalize what everyone was aware of but hadn't spoken out loud.
“It seems like BlueRed's music was released early this morning? Their current performance is...”
Everyone focused on Park Han-hwi's words as he looked at his phone with a tense expression.
“Here it is on the music chart. Wow, it's 2nd place right now.”
“2nd place? Right after release today?”
“BlueRed... they're really amazing...”
I also looked at the ranking on the music site Park Han-hwi was viewing.
The title track ‘VILLAIN’ was holding the 2nd spot on the music chart, and two of the b-sides had settled within the top 10, meaning there were three BlueRed songs within the top 10 of the chart alone.
‘It won't be easy...’
I checked the chart more closely, wondering if their momentum would die down soon, but BlueRed's title track was already threatening the 1st place spot with an upward trend, making 1st place look almost certain.
“The album reviews seem good too.”
Eugene Kim, whom I thought was sleeping, had opened her eyes at some point and spoke while looking at her phone.
“What's the response like?”
“Overall, there are many reviews saying BlueRed has returned to their prime form. Especially the response to the title track Villain is good.”
I never thought it would be easy against BlueRed.
‘Still, I secretly hoped the response would be bad. Well, it can't be helped.’
If BlueRed's comeback album had flopped, we could have easily won by default, but that wasn't something we could decide.
If it's going to be like this, we had no choice but to win head-on as planned.
“Anyway, if our song is good, it doesn't matter whether BlueRed takes 1st place or whatever happens. Rather, it's good because we can properly face off until the end. That way, when we win, no one can say we only won because BlueRed flopped.”
I was confident about this debut album.
For the past month, we had all prepared with all our might.
I looked at the members who were watching me with half anticipation and half worry, and said,
“Alright, from now on, it's a real head-on battle. Today's showcase stage... let's tear it apart.”
***
Originally, WEUS's agency had planned to hold the showcase on a large scale in a concert format, but—
‘If we do that, all the members and staff will die...!’
Even before the members could object, with the desperate cries of the working-level staff, the scale of the stage was reduced and changed to a standard showcase.
Still, while they gave up on the massive scale, it seemed they couldn't give up on the massive press corps.
Inside the Peace Hall where WEUS's showcase was being held, even before fans had entered, it was already packed with journalists.
Of course, the journalists hadn't come all this way just to take up seats without any expectations, under the influence of the CL Group.
‘BlueRed and WEUS...! Even without forcibly creating a rivalry, this is already more than enough material for articles.’
‘Anything is material for articles. If they just make a statement about BlueRed, today's views will explode.’
As entertainment journalists, they couldn't help but pay attention to this competition between BlueRed and WEUS.
If they just attached a good title and churned out a good article, the interest and views would skyrocket in an instant.
That was why the fingers of the journalists who had already taken their seats were moving incessantly.
[The proven rookies WEUS. Enormous coverage heat even before the showcase begins]
[Finally revealed, the stage of the next-generation Kpop representative. What impact will WEUS have on the April music rankings?]
While the journalists were engrossed in their main job.
Among WEUS's fans, a piece of bait was already circulating even before the showcase had started.
-Crazy, I'm waiting at the showcase right now. They're handing this out to all the fans who came to today's showcase. (Photo)
A single photo posted on WEUS's fan community.
In that photo, along with a small lightstick engraved with WEUS's logo, there was a photocard that looked like it was taken on the set of a music video they hadn't seen before, perhaps as a showcase bonus.
-Aaaaaaagh Why couldn't these pathetic cursed hands get in within the first thousand ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-They really spend a lot of money ㄷㄷ I expected it from the moment they pulled out the MV quality, but WEUS is really getting full support this time.
-Is that photocard limited edition for this showcase?? No... even if I buy the lightstick when it's officially released later, the limited edition photocard is really... ㅠㅠㅠ
-My heart is burning, but congratulations to those who won tickets for today's showcase... ㅠ I'll be at home streaming and watching the broadcast, so please cheer hard for the kids...!
-No matter what, I'm definitely going to the next fan meeting and concert!!!
Not only in WEUS's fan community, but posts about WEUS's showcase were already spreading widely in other communities under the title of 'A Large Corporation's Capital Power.'
The live broadcast of WEUS's debut showcase through MusicNet had finally begun.
As the stage darkened, a familiar melody began to flow into the fans' ears.
-RUN RUN RUN RUN
-MORE MORE MORE MORE
The 3rd competition song from National Idol Season 2. .
As the first stage, the Soldier Game stage, newly arranged into the WEUS version, was performed.
Seeing WEUS properly for the first time in nearly a month, the fans' screams instantly covered the showcase venue in cheers.
Waaaaaaah-
Even amidst the tremendous cheers, the members calmly progressed through the stage.
And.
-I can't stop like this!
On top of Woo Jung-woo's high note part from the original song, Eugene Kim stacked an even higher harmony. The faces of the fans, seemingly overwhelmed by the incredible synergy exuded by the two main vocalists, were broadcasted as they were.
And the final highlight of Soldier Game. The dance break.
Centered on the main dancer Baek Si-hyun, instead of the previous flashy dance break, a more refined and neat knife-like synchronized dance followed.
[The knife-like synchronized dance shown by WEUS. A stage torn apart from the opening.]
[More developed than their National Idol days. WEUS's spectacular debut showcase opening!]
With such favorable reactions, WEUS's showcase, the first opening stage, ended.
“It's even more joyous to see you all after such a long time. I'm Ria, the MC for today's showcase!”
As Ria appeared, evoking a familiar scene, a mix of cheers and sighs from the fans followed.
“My, it seems like everyone isn't happy to see me...”
As Ria spoke sullenly, the fans, only then snapping out of their audition memories, vigorously shook their heads.
“Haha. Just kidding. Right now, behind the stage, WEUS members must be busy preparing...”
While Ria was speaking. The WEUS members quickly came up onto the stage.
“Oh my, I didn't know WEUS would come up so quickly. As expected of rookies, you're fast with preparations.”
“I changed quickly because I wanted to see the fans as soon as possible.”
When I grabbed the mic and answered, cheers erupted from here and there among the fans.
“But Sunwoorin-ssi...”
“Yes?”
“Today... we couldn't see that performance.”
Bringing up the final performance of Soldier Game from the National Idol days, the fans let out screams of anticipation at Ria pressuring me.
“For the flashy performance, I would appreciate it if you could wait just a little longer until the final stage.”
“Ah, if you say that, I won't be able to change the channel until the very end.”
While Ria and I were conversing, a grand piano began to be moved onto the stage.
“I heard that among the b-sides of this album, there is a song that Eugene Kim-ssi personally wrote the lyrics, composed, and even produced.”
At Ria's words, Eugene Kim picked up the mic and answered.
“After the audition ended, I added a melody to the lyrics I wrote while thinking of the fans.”
“So it's a fan song for the fans! I've listened to the song too, and I think I understand what you mean when you say you made the song while thinking of the fans.”
Ria, looking at the now-set stage, looked out at the audience and spoke.
“Then, here is a b-side from WEUS's debut album. Let's enjoy the stage for ‘Our Spring’.”
With Ria's words, the stage lighting dimmed. On the screen behind the stage, a background video reminiscent of a movie scene with scattered flowers began to play.
As Eugene Kim, sitting in front of the grand piano, began the accompaniment, the entire audience began to glow with the white light of their lightsticks.
-Someday it will come...
The moment Eugene Kim's first line began.
An amazing thing happened.
‘I believed it would come someday
I waited while enduring the cold winter’
A song that had been pre-released for barely two days.
The fans in the audience began to sing along loudly.
A secret event the fans had prepared for WEUS.
It was a full-fan sing-along for ‘Our Spring.’
While the members were watching the sight in a daze.
During the chorus, the fans began to scatter paper flower petals they had prepared over their heads.
‘The miracle that came to me is you
Like our spring
Wrap me in your warm embrace’
Watching the colorful paper flower petals scattering, the members who were barely singing while holding back their surging emotions began to break down one by one.
Even Eugene Kim, who was playing the piano, couldn't bear to continue the song, when—
‘Forget all the hard and lonely times
Start anew
Now stay with me forever.’
Finally, the song ended.
Then, the sound of someone giving a signal rang out in the concert hall.
Congratulations on WEUS's debut—
Let's be together forever, WEUS!-
The fans' powerful shouts filled the concert hall.
The showcase venue, which was being broadcast live.
With the fans' event that moved even the members who had been tempered through the audition before debut.
The reaction immediately appeared on all SNS, including communities.
At the very top of the search word rankings on all music sites.
It took less than 10 minutes for the word ‘Our Spring’ to appear.
And so, even before the unrevealed title track ‘HERO’ stage.
WEUS's showcase was already generating tremendous buzz along with enormous interest.