Chapter 98
The MusicNet Asian Music Awards were being broadcast live through MusicNet.
Fans of We:uS who couldn't make it to the venue swallowed their disappointment and watched the awards ceremony on screen.
-It started!
-SHINING STAR! It's addictive lol
-Seeing that reminds me of when the kids were trainees last year.
-Ugh, seeing that group choreography gives me PTSD.
-Yeah... our kids had times like that too.
With the start of the awards ceremony, We:uS's fan community was filled with posts about the event.
We:uS fans, who were reminiscing about Season 2 while watching the first stage featuring the National Idol Season 3 trainees, all poured out fierce reactions simultaneously as soon as Seonwoo Rin's face was caught on screen.
-Wow...!
-Visuals are crazy again today!
-Our Rin shines the most *shivers*
-I liked Wi Cheonwoo too because he was handsome during National Idol, but right now in that two-shot, I only see Rin...
Enjoying the occasional glimpse of We:uS on screen, the fans happily spent the first part of the awards ceremony.
Since it was certain that We:uS's stage would appear towards the latter half of the ceremony, the fan community was still overflowing with leisure.
And soon, Part 2 began, and not long after, the fans were able to see We:uS win the Rookie of the Year award.
-We:uS Rookie Award!!!!!!
-Congratulations on the Rookie Award, kids!
-ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-They really have to give the Rookie Award to our kids.
-Congratulations on your first Rookie Award ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Let's do everything you want to do in the future too ㅠㅠㅠ
Although it was predicted that We:uS would sweep the Rookie Awards at every awards ceremony from now on.
Receiving their first official award was still meaningful to the fans.
It was around the time Part 2 of the awards ceremony was coming to an end that the We:uS fan community, which had been filled with joyous cheers for a while, finally began to calm down.
-When are our kids going to perform?
-Since they're Daesang candidates, won't they perform in Part 3?
-It's the kids' first awards ceremony stage too... They must have prepared well, but I'm getting nervously thrilled for no reason *shivers*
-Still, since it's MusicNet, the scale of the stage seems like it'll be huge.
At that time, various speculations and expectations about We:uS's awards ceremony stage were running rampant.
Finally, the last stage of Part 2 began.
[We:uS]
On the darkened screen, We:uS's group name and symbolic mark floated up.
Waaaaaaaah-
The explosive cheers from the venue were vividly conveyed beyond the screen.
-It's starting!
-Crazy, it's the last stage of Part 2.
-Kids, fighting!
-The cheers from the Wishes at the venue are amazing ㅜㅜ I'm cheering from home too...!
While everyone was tense and focusing on the screen.
A faint light shone on the dark stage, illuminating the face of Baek Shihyeon, standing alone on stage.
Dun-
Instantly, a massive percussion sound pierced through the screams of the audience.
Baek Shihyeon, draped in a long black cloak that fell below his waist, began his solo dance on stage.
And a familiar melody was heard.
[Eyes seen beyond the open door]
Along with the verse from We:uS's debut title track, a piercing band sound began to play.
[You've already realized it too]
Unlike the explosive sound of the music, Baek Shihyeon's solo dance consisted of fluid, graceful movements one by one rather than sheer intensity.
While the audience was mesmerized and focusing on Baek Shihyeon's movements as he leisurely embroidered the stage alone.
[We're heroes]
The faint lighting suddenly dimmed.
The screen showing Baek Shihyeon soon shifted to show the massive audience inside the World Cup Stadium.
About 30,000 spectators and the lights of lightsticks containing the symbolic colors of the singers they each supported were visible.
When the cheers from the venue were heard again.
Flash-
The moment the stage lights came on, the screen, which had been showing the audience, moved back to the stage.
What appeared on the screen was Baek Shihyeon, who had been standing alone on stage until just now, and the six We:uS members who appeared around him.
And Baek Shihyeon threw off the cloak that had been covering his body.
[We'll be forever]
Two massive pillars were visible on the brightly lit stage.
And on the large screen behind the We:uS members, a place resembling the interior of a giant temple was seen.
On that stage, shaped like a temple, the We:uS members continued their group dance with movements resembling a religious ritual.
[We'll be forever]
The repeated melody was heard, gradually heightening the atmosphere.
To the melody of the title track from their 2nd mini-album, arranged for this stage.
The ethereal harmonies of a choir were added, creating a mystical atmosphere.
[Raise the toast even louder!]
Instantly, a clear voice pierced through the sound of all the instruments.
Woo Jungwoo and Yujin Kim were seen standing back-to-back in the center of the stage.
[Even if we can't hold onto this time]
The two exchanged lines, continuing the verse.
And finally.
[So that it can be remembered forever-]
Ahhh-
Over Yujin Kim's deeply appealing voice, Woo Jungwoo's chillingly clear voice was layered.
The music stopped.
For a moment, only the voices of the two filled the awards ceremony hall.
A suffocating silence.
Before they knew it, the two's voices had stopped, but the inside of the hall was still filled with stillness.
At that moment, white smoke spread across the stage and the stage suddenly went dark.
While the audience, watching the stage with tension, was flustered by the sudden disappearance of We:uS.
Light began to leak from the back of the stage.
Thump thump-
Thump thump thump thump-
The small drumbeats, which initially felt like background noise at the venue, began to gradually reach the audience seats.
As the light erupting from the back of the stage grew larger.
A large screen on the stage was seen slowly moving to both sides.
And.
-What's with the stage scale?
-They really put a lot of effort into this stage.
-It's really daebak...
-It looks like a movie set, it's really cool *shivers*
The stage set, hidden by the large screen, slowly revealed itself.
The stage looked exactly like the interior of the temple that had been shown on the large screen just moments ago.
Men in black suits, walking in step under the massive sculptures surrounding the circular stage, and.
In the very center of the stage, the We:uS members could be seen wearing silver-white masks that matched their black suits.
An ironic atmosphere where the scenery of the past and modern times coexisted.
And to the ears of the audience overwhelmed by the massive set, a familiar yet new-feeling melody began to be heard.
-This isn't a We:uS song?
-Isn't this a James Blake song?
-It is a James Blake song.
It was music that had recorded a worldwide hit more than 10 years ago.
Although it wasn't exactly like the original song, it was enough for everyone to remember it.
-No way...?
-Is James Blake coming out?
Along with the singing voice, a large number of people matching formations on stage created a group dance together.
And the We:uS members dancing in the center of the stage wearing masks.
However, anyone with a keen eye would notice that the number of people dancing in the center of the stage.
Was eight, not seven.
[It's so dangerous]
An EDM sound with a vastly different atmosphere from the stages before was heard.
Brilliant lights illuminated the stage.
Fierce choreography poured out endlessly on the stage.
The atmosphere of the stage was rushing toward a climax.
Finally, one person wearing a mask in the center of the stage broke away from the formation and stepped out of the circular stage.
Stepping outside the dolls dancing around the stage, he finally threw off the mask he was wearing, and.
-Wow...
-It's legendary.
-James Blake appearing at the MusicNet Awards right now *shivers*
As the protagonist of this song finally took off his mask and revealed his identity, a huge cheer rang out, enough to heat up the air inside the awards ceremony hall.
As James Blake roamed the stage without hesitation, the We:uS members also took off their masks and ran out of the set.
A stage where a global pop star and a Korean idol group stood together.
A stage no one had expected was unfolding before the audience's eyes.
[Yes! It's so dangerous]
The sight of James Blake and the We:uS members roaming the stage as if it were a concert hall rather than an awards ceremony was vividly conveyed not only to the audience at the venue but also to the fans watching the live broadcast.
Thus, the time that surprised everyone passed.
Finally, as We:uS and James Blake were seen seated on the eight thrones at the highest point of the set.
The joint stage of We:uS and James Blake ended.
Waaaaaaaaaah-
Cheers even louder than before the stage started vibrated inside the World Cup Stadium where the awards ceremony was being held.
On the screen, the faces of each We:uS member briefly flashed by.
Lastly, the contrasting images of James Blake smiling leisurely and Seonwoo Rin glaring as if he would devour the camera were captured on screen, and then Part 2 of the awards ceremony concluded.
***
"Hah... Hah... Is our stage really over?"
"Yeah, get a grip."
I quickly caught Sim Seongha, who was about to collapse as his legs gave out the moment he came down from the stage.
Actually, my legs felt a little shaky right now too.
Because this stage required us to pull off rough choreography that continued without rest, to the point where we could say we had poured everything into the performance.
Of course, there was no way I would be this exhausted to that extent.
'Is that guy a monster?'
James Blake, who had come down from the stage with us right now, was looking at us with a broad smile, as if he was having so much fun.
[Umm... This stage wasn't bad. If I had to rate it, about 7 points?]
James Blake said playfully, looking not tired at all.
The reason I was this exhausted was precisely because that guy went crazy on stage, and I had pushed myself trying to keep up with him even a little.
'Anyway, we finished it safely.'
[Thank you for standing on stage with us.]
[Umm, Yujin, come to think of it, your singing skills seem to have improved more than before, and that friend next to you wasn't bad either. Taking that into consideration, I can give you 0.5 more points.]
James Blake was a completely unpredictable person.
Before starting the stage, he looked endlessly irritable, but now that the stage was over, he had a relaxed atmosphere like someone out for a stroll in the neighborhood.
'Should I think of it as him being that thorough about the stage.'
Honestly, there were more than one or two things we gained thanks to James Blake.
That massive stage set behind us right now wouldn't have been created if it weren't for James Blake.
I hadn't been able to check the reaction to the stage yet, but judging by the final cheers, I was certain it was by no means a bad reaction.
However, there was one regrettable point right after finishing the stage.
'If we weren't careful, the stage could have been completely stolen from us.'
During the group dance, James Blake threw off his mask before us.
That was not the timing we had promised.
James Blake's appearance should have come a little later than that.
Actually, the mask was intended to show James Blake's appearance as dramatically as possible, but more than that, it was a device to prevent us from looking like James Blake's backup dancers.
But James Blake had easily shattered our intention.
'Don't tell me... was he testing us even on stage?'
I had felt it from the very moment he agreed to share the stage with us, but it seemed James Blake viewed us not as partners standing on stage together, but as subjects to be tested.
At first, I thought it was because we were rookies, but...
[It's a bit disappointing to end it with just one stage like this.]
[Pardon?]
While exiting the back of the stage, James Blake muttered to himself, then suddenly turned around and spoke to us.
[By any chance, do you guys want to work with me?]