Chapter 89
"Wow, Seon U-rin's beauty is seriously insane today...!"
Exclamations of admiration kept pouring nonstop from both sides.
Currently sitting in the very back row of the 4th floor of WEERS's concert venue, Kim So-young slightly frowned at the noise coming from beside her, but.
'Well, I was like that too...'
Thinking back to her past self from an hour ago who had unknowingly screamed when Seon U-rin first appeared, she decided to be generous and understanding.
Truthfully, unless some major disaster suddenly struck today, it felt like this satisfied mood wouldn't be broken.
'I'm so glad I came.'
After failing to get tickets on the fan club pre-sale day, in her despair, she briefly considered buying from scalpers.
Unexpectedly receiving help, she managed to get a ticket for the final day's concert.
For today's first concert as well, she used the ultimate refresh technique to barely snag a canceled ticket.
Even though her seat was the worst, the back row of the 4th floor.
'Back seats aren't so bad either.'
Reflecting on her experience of attending quite a few idol concerts, concerts in such large venues sometimes had lower satisfaction levels.
While visibility issues were unavoidable in large venues, larger venues required more attention to production and sound, and there were quite a few groups that failed to do so.
So when WEERS announced they would be performing in such a large dome from their very first concert, she was a bit worried.
'It was a needless worry.'
It wasn't just because she was a WEERS fan; the overall quality of the performance was simply high.
The stage setups, directing, and even the sound seemed to be declaring, "We'll cover our lack of performance experience with capital."
The proof was that even though she was watching the performance from the seat furthest from the stage, she didn't feel a single awkward moment.
Like that, the concert, having passed the midpoint, was gradually entering the latter half.
The unit stages, which had been veiled in secrecy, already had two teams' performances finished.
The first team, the youngest members' team's sexy concept stage.
And up to the second team, the same-aged main vocal team's stage.
'I had high expectations seeing the pairing, but to completely tear up the stage with just vocals...'
Woo Jung-woo and Yujin Kim's stage was, as expected, a feast of overwhelming high notes.
The two, who chose an ultra-high range song famous for being difficult to sing, showcased goosebump-inducing singing skills just as the fans had expected.
'Then the only ones left are Rin and Han-hwi.'
A pairing of Seon U-rin and Park Han-hwi...
It wasn't easy to imagine what kind of stage the two had prepared.
'Will they show a dance-focused stage? Or a comedic stage might be nice too.'
Just what kind of stage would the final unit stage be?
As Kim So-young, unable to hide her pounding heart and with a flushed face, was waiting only for the next stage.
Kyaaahhhh-
Finally, the long-awaited video appeared on the large screen.
[Han-hwi hyung. Do you have any concept in mind for this unit stage?]
[Well, the youngest ones are doing a sexy concept. And Yujin and Jung-woo said they're going with vocals...]
Park Han-hwi and Seon U-rin, looking troubled during their concept meeting.
The preparation video for the final unit stage had been revealed.
[Since it's summer, I think it would be nice to have a stage fitting for summer.]
[Are you talking about a summer song?]
'Ooh! A summer song!'
As the two conversed, the concept for this unit stage gradually began to reveal itself.
[But, you know.]
[Yeah?]
At that moment, Seon U-rin continued speaking with a sudden seriousness.
[Singing a refreshing song reminded me of something, how about something like this...]
[Hmm! That's not bad?]
Seon U-rin whispering into Park Han-hwi's ear.
And Park Han-hwi was seen making a surprised expression after hearing it.
[It would be cool if we could pull it off, but whether that's possible...]
Towards Park Han-hwi, who was momentarily hesitating, Seon U-rin spoke confidently.
[Hyung, don't worry.]
Along with Seon U-rin's words, the lighting gradually darkened.
And before the VCR video turned off, Seon U-rin's final words echoed through the concert hall.
[We just need to persuade the CEO. Easy, right?]
Finally, all the lights in the concert hall went out.
A familiar intro, sounding like it had been heard somewhere before, flowed through the darkened hall.
'Hmm? What song is this?'
At that moment, dim lighting shone on two spots at the very edge of the main stage.
Kyaaah-
An enormous cheer erupted from the standing area in an instant.
Since the large screen hadn't turned on yet, from a distance, it was hard to see exactly what was going on.
'No! Show me quickly too!'
At that moment, the stage began to brightly light up.
Shapes slowly began to appear on the stage floor and the back wall.
'An ice kingdom?'
And finally, the two captured on the screen.
Park Han-hwi and Seon U-rin.
'Wow...'
A space that seemed to be entirely made of ice.
Surrounded by transparent crystal decorations, the two were leaning back on glass thrones.
Like princes of an ice kingdom.
'The outfits are crazy too!'
Pure white outfits with gold embroidered accents.
It was an unrealistic visual, making one think that if there were a prince in a fairy tale, he would look like that.
Having shocked everyone inside the venue like that, the two finally walked out toward the center of the stage.
With every step the two took, pure white fragments shaped like snow crystals scattered from the stage floor.
-Somewhere
That no one
Knows of
The stage began with Seon U-rin's first line.
It was a scene like a movie.
Whenever Seon U-rin, with his white hair and pure white outfit, danced, forms of snow fragments scattering like special effects were created all over the stage.
-The voice calling me
This fate
As it guides me
Facing each other, the two moved identically, as if looking at their own reflections in a mirror.
And in an instant, the dancers surrounding the two gathered to form a massive group.
A group dance finally realized.
The dancers continuing their passionate dance as if filling the stage, and the endlessly unfolding flashy special effects.
And the two main characters at the center of it all.
In front of 20,000 spectators who were so extremely focused that not a single small cheer came out, unlike the other stages, Seon U-rin and Park Han-hwi were flawlessly unfolding the stage they had prepared.
And the following chorus.
-To a new world
To a new world
As the chorus section began, the music, which had been gradually building up, slowly died down.
Until finally, even the band's accompaniment briefly stopped.
Everyone's eyes turned to the two, Seon U-rin and Park Han-hwi.
The transparent glass poles placed in front of the two.
And the dancers waiting on their knees behind the two.
When everyone's tension reached its peak, the two finally grabbed the poles in front of them.
And.
Waaaaaaaaah-
The two soaring high into the sky.
Relying on a single transparent pole, the two were flying through the interior of the concert hall.
Boom boom boom boom boom-
Along with the two's flight, the drum's bass sound echoed as if it would burst their hearts.
-To a new world
To a new world
And with the chorus that started again.
Fwooooosh-
Something white began to fall from the dome's ceiling.
'Snow?'
The interior of the concert hall was instantly covered in snow.
And Seon U-rin flying around the concert hall through the fluttering snowfall.
'This... is a legendary scene...!'
The moment she saw that sight, Kim So-jung intuitively felt that the legendary scene of this performance had just been born.
***
As expected, nothing was impossible.
'If only they invest heavily, that is.'
I did feel a bit sorry for the staff who were ground down preparing for me and Park Han-hwi's stage, but...
'Still, we made a cool stage as a result...'
Finally, the last unit stage was over.
Compared to the time we spent preparing, it was truly a fleeting moment.
But to someone, it could become a memory they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
'So I need to finish the closing well too.'
Now, only one stage remained.
Actually, it was a song like a final greeting, almost odd to even call it a remaining stage.
"Everyone, how did you enjoy the unit stages?"
Waaaaaaaah-
At my words, a cheer that seemed ready to explode rang out.
At the endlessly continuing cheers, the members laughed and shouted, "That's enough!"
"Wow, the reaction is so hot that it's hard to even speak properly."
"But the stage was seriously cool. I'm telling you, they looked like princes!"
"Thank you."
We talked about our impressions of the last unit stage for a while, and then we were reminded that it was time to slowly wrap things up.
"The concert has been going on for almost 3 hours. How is everyone? Your eyes look a bit glazed over."
"What are you talking about! We're still full of energy!"
"We still have concerts tomorrow!"
"Wait! Today isn't over yet either!"
The audience reacted by laughing or letting out sighs of disappointment at every word the members said.
Everyone wanted this time to last longer, but.
It was now time to sing the next song.
"We'll now sing the last song for you."
At my words, the noisy hall suddenly went quiet.
We looked at each other and slowly walked toward the extended stage.
And when we reached the center of the extended stage.
The intro to the concert's last song, 'Our Spring', began to play.
As the familiar intro played, the audience waved their light sticks left and right and looked at us.
We stood in a circle on the stage, looking at the audience.
-Enduring the cold winter, we waited
The song began with Yujin Kim's voice.
Wow-
The center of the extended stage we were standing on slowly began to rise into the air.
-Even without saying it, I know
On top of the slowly ascending lift, I looked at the audience and slowly waved my hand.
Every time I reached my hand out, I could see the fans reacting.
'It's a shame.'
We prepared hard, but did this performance truly satisfy the countless audience members in front of me?
Such a thought suddenly crossed my mind at the final moment of the performance.
-That we have been waiting for each other
After finishing my part, the scenery of the audience became even clearer.
As if it were a lie, every single person's face was as clearly visible as if they were right before my eyes.
And soon the lift reached the top, right in the middle of the vast concert hall. It began to slowly rotate in the air.
-The miracle that came to me is you
Just as the chorus began like that.
Clunk-
'What?'
The rotating lift suddenly stopped.
"Uh, huh?"
"What?"
The concert hall's lighting slowly dimmed.
And even the band's accompaniment disappeared.
'Could it be an accident?'
While me and the members were looking around with flustered expressions.
[The miracle that came to me is you]
A singing voice suddenly started coming from the audience.
"Ah..."
Along with someone's sigh next to me, 'Our Spring' sung by 20,000 fans echoed through the concert hall.
The countless light stick lights shining in the darkened concert hall.
'It's beautiful.'
At that moment, I felt a shiver filling my entire body.
[Now we'll be together forever.]
The moment the last line of the chorus ended.
Suddenly, all the light sticks in the venue went out.
And then.
Letters created using the light sticks' lights from the audience.
The three words flashed with light.
And.
Fwoosh-
The moment all the lights in the hall brightened, confetti exploded.
And the band's performance began to play again.
"Thank you, Wish!"
"We love you!"
Woo Jung-woo and Shim Sung-ha waving and greeting with tearful voices.
And looking to the side.
"Yujin?"
"Yes... yes?"
I saw Yujin Kim silently shedding large drops of tears.
"You worked hard."
I might have been influenced by the atmosphere.
I just thought that doing this would be the right thing to do right now.
I grabbed the hands of Yujin Kim and Kang Ah-jin, who were right next to me.
Despite my sudden action, the two seemed to understand my intention and held the hands of the members next to them along with me.
Standing in a line holding hands like that, we all slowly bowed our heads together.
Cheers and applause burst out in an instant.
WEERS's first solo concert. The curtain was falling on that performance.