Chapter 47
A dark sky with dark clouds filled the LED screen.
Fog slowly settled over the stage.
And then a dreary orchestral melody began to play.
―♬♩♩♬♪....
A trainee standing tall in the center slowly spreads his hands to the sides.
The action was directed as if searching for something in the darkness.
As the sound of the strings grew louder, the song began with the addition of a synth-pop guitar sound.
Rhythmic electronic sounds and brisk electric guitar create a melody that sticks to your ears.
「I remember wandering around this familiar space
A strange feeling, like I've lost you」
Heo Yu-bin, who had jumped from the end of the triangle formation, covered his eyes and smiled faintly.
A tremendous roar rang out, piercing the sound of the chains on his chest.
The formation behind him reverses.
The trainee at the very front placed his hand over Heo Yu-bin's eyes and roughly gestured to the side.
「A shadow that cannot be reached even when you stretch out your hand
It doesn't matter, I'm going on and on」
Song Hyeong-bin slid out to the center.
As he stretched out both hands to the side, the trainees who had been standing in a line spun around and spread their large wings.
-Bang, bang, bang, bang!
The lively sound of dubstep drums was added over the guitar sound.
The string instruments that had created an eerie atmosphere in the introduction disappeared, leaving behind only a faint trembling sound.
「Follow the light you see in the distance
I was drawn in again like a bewitched person
I'll put my all on you」
The trainees moved in unison.
The wings that had spread out enough to fill the stage folded again.
Centered around Ken Hashimoto, two of them kneeled down, while the other two stood next to his shoulders.
Their hands created intricate choreography, almost as if they were literally expressing the lyrics.
The choreography, where everyone was pulled together as one body to the beat, was truly amazing.
Homma felt her already wide-open mouth drop even lower.
And all that was left was for her eyes to grow bigger.
「Even though I knew everything,
Go and find it again
Labyrinth」
Pre-chorus just before the chorus.
The trainees, who had moved to their respective positions once again, opened up space one by one.
Karis von Walden, who had been waiting behind Ken Hashimoto, walked forward while caressing his lips.
'It's crazy! '
She was well aware that people on social media were comparing Karis to a prince or crown prince.
Even Homma herself liked to use Karis's search-prevention nickname, 'Suja nim'.
Karis von Walden, who was now reaching out before her eyes, was literally the crown prince himself.
Lyrics about voluntarily entering a maze.
A hand was brought to the chest as if making an oath.
A look that is so confident that it almost seems arrogant.
It felt like the tingling feeling she had during the first competition was digging into her heart again.
She wants to throw away the camera she was holding and look at Karis.
She wants to kneel before this noble being.
She wants to shout his name until her throat is hoarse.
As Homma was struggling with these hot emotions, the chorus burst out powerfully.
「I'm looking for you somewhere in this maze
Don't stop, I'm closer deeper
Even if I'm trapped in a maze, I can't push it out
It feels like I'm going to get caught again」
Soaring high notes.
Heo Yu-bin and Song Hyeong-bin, who seem to be the main vocalist and lead vocalist, respectively, worked well together.
It felt like Song Hyeong-bin, who has a relatively soft and calm tone, was supporting Heo Yu-bin, who has a powerful and loud voice.
The two's chemistry did not waver even while dancing.
If those two maintained vocal balance, it was the other trainees who maintained the overall stability of the stage.
Karis von Walden, who kept the center position and moved both arms coolly, dominated the set with just his presence.
'Isn't he using his face too well, really?'
It was a series of emotions.
As the mood gradually heightened in the second verse, the song returned to its original synth-pop accompaniment.
An old-fashioned feeling that anyone who has listened to K-pop for a long time will immediately recognize.
The melody, which was electronically layered on a simple beat, slightly cooled down the already heated atmosphere.
Likewise, Homma, who had calmed down the excitement in her chest, quickly took a preview.
She has to get as many shots as possible before the chorus of the second verse comes out.
Because the moment Karis steps forward to the center, it's obvious that her sanity will fly away.
「I lost you
I'll run to find it again」
A variation was added to the pre-chorus.
The clear sound of the guitar rang out.
The main vocalist, Heo Yu-bin, stood in the center, closed his eyes, and sang the highest note briefly.
Before the pleasure of the clean, high notes had even faded, Karis came out in the middle.
And the group choreography following his lead once again raised the heat to the max.
「I'm looking for you somewhere in this maze
Don't stop, I'm closer deeper
Even if I'm trapped in a maze, I can't push it out
It feels like I'm going to get caught again」
It was a composition that made it impossible to take your eyes off the stage for even a moment.
She thought she could finally catch her breath.
「I Can't I Can't Don't stop that
I just broke everything
A wall so high that it cannot be measured
I'd rather break it, this useless thing.」
In the original song, Park Jae-hoon's singing rap can be heard in the part where the bridge is composed of falsetto.
The trainees waved their hands elegantly to the eerie melody of the orchestra that resonated just like in the introduction.
The singing rap ended without sagging and with a slight tension maintained.
The synth-pop guitar riffs rang out fiercely, along with Heo Yu-bin and Song Hyeong-bin's ad-libs.
The moment when red lasers poured down across the stage.
Karis, standing in the middle, slightly raised the corners of his lips and wiggled his fingers.
As if asking if they would come into the maze with him.
"Ugh."
Homma instinctively covered her mouth.
There were already people running wild on both sides of her, but she really felt like she wouldn't be able to control herself if she let her guard down for even a moment.
So she desperately tried to keep herself from screaming.
After the bridge, an irregular rap verse came in.
Park Jae-hoon and Ken Hashimoto faced each other and rapped to the rhythm of dubstep.
And again, all the sounds rang out at once.
The climax of the stage.
After a perfectly synchronized dance break, the synth-pop melody returns to the beat of the chorus.
After the final chorus, which exploded with catharsis, the five trainees sang the post-chorus together.
「Just as the compass points
Even on a dark night, the stars shine on me
The endless maze that holds you here
Now, all those thoughts are put aside」
The boys held out their hands, clenching their fists as if they were grabbing something.
The original orchestral sound returns to the melody, where the guitar and dubstep sounds have died down.
Everyone dropped their arms down, following the subtle vibration of the stringed instrument.
As soon as the song ended, a huge cheer erupted throughout the set.
"Wow!"
"This is seriously crazy! "
Even Homma, who had kept her mouth shut until then, was finally able to scream freely.
"Karisuuuu-!"
She could have continued screaming, but the cold feel of the camera around her neck brought her to her senses.
Vote. I have to vote.
Of course, I have to press the O button.
The best trainee is....
Homma shouted in her mind as she voted Karis von Walden's number over and over again.
'Karis has to be number one in this, no matter what! '
* * *
"Haa, haa."
I looked down at the stage, gasping for breath.
Truly, no matter how often I see it, it is the most beautiful sight in the world.
I felt nostalgic for Grand Quest Saga again, just like when I finished the first competition.
Cheers to victory!
Cheers to the troops going out!
The roar of the crowd that I could hear just now made me recall the moment when I lived as Crown Prince Karis von Walden even more vividly.
As I came backstage, threads of memory followed me, but I quickly regained my senses.
'Wake up. If this continues and the Crown Prince's ego awakens again like that, it will be a big problem.'
A day playing basketball at Hangang Park.
The abnormal status of 'existence from another world' first occurred.
Even at that time, I only thought about the feeling of the past, but all the memories came pouring out like a waterfall.
"Thank you all for your hard work! "
"I didn't make a mistake! I'm so happy! "
"Haaaaaah... It's really over."
"Everyone worked hard."
The team members who returned to the waiting room all collapsed on the sofa.
As I was the last one to pass through the door, Song Hyeong-bin raised his fist at me.
"Karis also did really well. When you come out as the center, there's really nothing more reliable than that."
"Thank you. It's thanks to you, hyung-nim, who passionately taught me the choreography."
Even as I smiled at Song Hyeong-bin, my mind was filled with thoughts about the abnormal condition.
'If I think about it, the situation I was really worried about may have happened.'
An abnormal condition that can turn on at any time, place, or moment.
I can't even imagine what kind of disaster would have occurred if the status abnormality had been activated before the stage.
The Crown Prince's overflowing ego and his physical abilities going wild can definitely work to his advantage.
The problem is that the arrogance and confidence of Karis von Walden are likely to strangle my spirit.
It is clear that it will be extremely difficult to maintain the appearance of a normal idol in that state.
'I need to think of a countermeasure. It's okay this time, but I don't know what kind of situation will arise later. So....'
I chewed my lips.
But how on earth do I prepare for this?
The time of occurrence.
What kind of urgent mission might come up?
The status abnormality may affect my mind in some way.
No matter how supernatural the system may be, it has no ability to predict the future.
I think it's right to identify and prepare for problems as much as possible in areas where things can go wrong due to the nature of the idol profession.
I can't think of any way to deal with this situation.
"Ha."
"Karis hyung-nim?"
As I sighed, Heo Yu-bin, who was drinking water, looked at me with worried eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"It's okay. It's just.... Yeah, I just sighed because the tension was relieved."
"I also feel relaxed, so my body is sagging. Ah, I shouldn't make a mistake on the high notes. If I miss a note, I'll really die! I was thinking like that. Now that it's over safely, I don't have any strength in my arms."
I looked at Heo Yu-bin, who was looking dazed and chuckling.
Instinctively, my hand went up to his head.
"You did a good job."
"Heh, heh heh. Heh heh!"
When I patted his head, he responded like a broken puppy.
'The priority is to focus on the present. There is no time to fret over unresolved issues.'
I glanced at the hidden quest window and pulled myself together.
First of all, the most important thing is to win first place in the second round.
"I was a little disappointed with the drawing order."
"It's okay. If we come out too late, the audience will get bored."
"But I still feel like we came out in an ambiguous order."
Song Hyeong-bin expressed his regret while turning on the TV in the waiting room.
The stage order is always decided by lottery.
Because we drew the middle order, there were still quite a few latecomers left.
"I hope other teams do well too."
"That won't do! They have to be a little worse than us."
Everyone burst into laughter at Ken Hashimoto's honest remarks.
Song Hyeong-bin raised both hands as if he couldn't win.
"Admit it, admit it. We have to be number one, but if we do everything well, it'll be a little difficult, right?"
"But I'm a little worried because there are still a lot of good teams left."
I nodded to Heo Yu-bin's words.
'Ahead of us in order. The group that is worth looking at is Ji Yoon-cheol's group and the group that Kang Si-yoon is in.'
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