Chapter 15

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Why is SoftSweet suddenly coming out here……?

Only then did the flustered audience realize that this stage wasn’t a cover of VTIC, but a cover of idols under LeTi, VTIC’s agency.

Because the MC had openly talked about VTIC in front of them, they had been momentarily confused.

“What’s this….”

Since it wasn’t even a very famous song, annoyed reactions intermittently appeared and disappeared here and there.

If it were a hit song like , it might have been different, but for the debut song, most people only remembered the chorus.

It was the same for her, who was changing the camera settings.

‘Should I just get some photos for the voting greeting?’

Around the time she was thinking half-heartedly while hiding her camera from the security’s eyes, the stage darkened and the intro began to play.

Wooo-. Woo-woo-woo-woo-. Woo-woo–.

The gloomy melody of a distorted synthesizer filled the stage.

It was a place where originally an orchestral intro in the style of a pure female idol of the 2010s with strings and piano should have flowed out.

“Huh?”

Into her eyes, as she reflexively raised her head, came the participants wearing white stage costumes with dark, sash-like decorations hanging over them.

Since a suit-like form was such a typical male idol’s attire, there was nothing new about it, but there was a strange sense of heterogeneity because the atmosphere was more lyrical than the intro filled with electronic sounds.

At that moment, the participants began to move.

– At some point, I realized
Me, wandering in an incomplete time

The participant who started the first line definitely had a handsome face and skilled movements.

She even remembered his name in an instant.

‘Was it Seon Ahyun?’

Even the choreography had lyrical and elegant dance movements mixed in, but for some reason… it was a bit strange.

– The maze of this time that cannot be stopped
Save me, trapped inside it

The moment the next part came out, she realized.

‘…Why are they all expressionless?’

The other participants, except for the one singing, all had no expression.

Originally, it was common for facial acting to be less when it wasn’t one’s own part, but it was rare for them to be this expressionless.

Furthermore…….

‘Th-Their eyes are strange.’

They were looking into space instead of at the camera.

Since their expressions and the focus of their eyes suddenly returned only when it was their own part, it seemed intentional.

Unless they failed to make eye contact with the camera by mistake, idols knew it was their duty to find the camera like a ghost even when it wasn’t their own part.

…So it was an even more strange sight.

It was even creepier as it contrasted with the participant who was smiling and had sparkling eyes alone during his part.

– I’m slowly withering
The small space inside here
Because I’m waiting for the day to bloom again
Please come find me quickly

Chizizik. An earnest voice rose over the MR that had a low pitch and was mixed with eerie noise.

The lyrics were definitely soft and sorrowful, but due to the intro and the production, it sounded like a trap.

If you heard someone crying in an abandoned school, wouldn’t you feel fear rather than a desire to help?

The stage was unfolding with such a ghastly nuance.

– One step, two steps
The sound of you coming
Echoes in my ears
Don’t hesitate, reach out your hand
Now I’m to a new world~

The high note singing the lyrics identical to the song title, ‘To a New World’, sent a thrilling chill down her spine.

Because it was made into a dissonance by raising it half a key, it sounded strangely evil despite being a clear and distinct sound.

He was the participant who sang the best so far, but she became more immersed in the stage itself than in his singing ability.

– Come to me
Come to me
It’s dazzling, the Paradise by your side

In the chorus, the same strings as the original song came in and collided with the distorted sound of the synthesizer, making it eerie.

Ziiiiing-. Kweeeeek-.

Because they added several intense movements to the movements borrowed from ballet, it felt inhuman.

At that moment, she realized.

October 31, October 31st……, it was Halloween. The night when evil beings come out to the world of the living.

– Come to me
Come to me
The Melody of love for you (continues)

This is something non-human singing to bewitch a person!

‘Heok!’

Her head was filled with the sound of an explosion as she covered her mouth.

Of course, it wasn’t that there were no idols who used inhuman concepts.

However, in an audition program for amateur idols’ debut, no one would have expected such a risky attempt with a female senior’s song that had the opposite concept…!

Without any room to make evaluations like ‘He has great guts,’ she was instantly immersed in the stage.

Eventually, passing through the modified and cut second verse, the song entered the bridge.

And once again, something unexpected popped out.

– Can’t You feel me?

The arrangement suddenly returned to the original song at the bridge!?

Even the vocal range returned. The clear voice of a boy echoed in the same high key of the original song sung by a woman.

– Your warm touch
Raises me up, it’s beautiful
The spring garden

As the lighting also changed color and became bright along with the beautiful orchestral accompaniment, it even felt holy for a moment.

– Ooh, Ooh…….

However, as the lights brightened, other things were also clearly revealed. It was the details of the costumes.

The cloth like a sash, which they thought was simply dark-colored, was actually a state where dark red dye was messily attached and stained on the same white cloth as the costume.

It even looked like a mark that flowed from the neck above the sash.

‘It was a vampire……!’

The moment that was engraved in the audience’s minds, the bridge ended and the chorus with the distorted sound continued again.

– Come to me
Come to me
It’s dazzling, the Paradise by your side

But this time, because the dissonance with the orchestra had subsided and much of the noise had disappeared, the sorrow as per the lyrics was revealed.

The artificial expressionlessness when it wasn’t one’s part also disappeared, and a dreamlike feeling became stronger than the eeriness.

The composition of the sound also brought a sense of space like Dream Pop instead of sharpness.

– Come to me
Come to me
The Melody of love for you (continues)

The distorted sound disappeared, and the sound ended with a violin.

Unlike the original song which ends with a ballet movement, the song finished with everyone collapsing as soon as the chorus ended.

In that way, the stage ended by leaving sorrow rather than horror at the end. As if the non-human narrator of the song had really fallen in love with a human.

“……Waaaaaa!!”

People who momentarily regained their senses sent enthusiastic cheers.

From the start with shock to the sorrowful ending, it was a stage that stimulated various parts of the viewers’ hearts.

If it had been done half-heartedly, it wouldn’t have been anything.

However, the participants of this team had done it properly.

‘This is crazy, really!’

Among the cheering audience, many also caught the point that it was possible because the skill of these participants was above average and their looks and styles were good.

The voices of excited audience members who had already made up their minds could be heard from here and there.

The participants who stood up tapped each other’s backs a few times, then bowed and greeted the audience with bright smiles.

“Thank you!”

“Th-Thank you.”

It was the same behavior that other teams had done, but due to the large gap with the stage, it somehow felt cuter.

“It’s cute……”

She, who had brought her camera, also muttered warmly. Especially, the member who did the high-pitched bridge caught her eye.

That twist bridge would definitely keep coming to mind even after going home.

Not only did he handle that high note unbelievably well through the poor acoustics, but his face was also trendily cute, and he didn’t even have a lull while doing that excessive concept.

‘Once the voting greeting comes out, I’ll definitely remember his name.’

While pledging and continuing to look at Park Moondae who was exiting backstage, she suddenly realized the camera in her hand.

And she was horrified.

‘Because I was focusing on the stage, I completely forgot about the camera…!’

While she felt like she could die of regret because she couldn’t take photos, at the same time, the thought that she was so grateful to have been able to see that with her naked eyes without worrying about the camera came to her simultaneously!

It was the first time this had happened since her former idol.

A thrill ran through her.

It was, by all accounts, a signal of over-immersion.

* * *

When we came down after finishing the stage, the team members either held the wall or slumped down as if their legs had given out.

I also thought while leaning against the wall.

‘That was… more fun than I thought.’

It was strange.

Honestly, I had never expected this to be fun.

I just did it because I would suffer a sudden death if I didn’t debut.

I had never sung and danced in front of anyone in my life. And even with makeup on.

…Clearly, until the moment I danced to Pop-corn or sang, I felt nothing but the feeling that I did it because I had to.

‘I thought I’d feel a reality hit, but… why is it fun?’

Even though I was in a state where my breath felt like it was about to jump out of my throat.

‘It’s harder than during practice.’

It seemed that more strength went in because it was the real thing.

And probably, the guys who went up together would have mostly been out of breath in a similar way.

Because they were huffing and puffing even now.

But their expressions were bright.

Because the cheers were so loud they felt like they would tear the ears.

“Waaaaaa!!”

“Encore! Encore!”

I could even hear the sound of some people shouting for an encore behind us now.

‘Even though there weren’t many people.’

The result was better than expected.

It was a cheer that even the team with the 1st and 2nd place members didn’t receive.

Could it be that this is why it’s fun? Because of the reactions pouring out in front of my eyes?

“Everyone, really… you all worked so hard! We pulled it off! Really!”

Big Sejin quickly spoke when the camera approached.

I couldn’t say he wasn’t conscious of the camera, but anyway, his words seemed sincere.

As the saying goes that everything is beautified if the result is good, the team members also began to thank each other while hugging.

“You worked hard!”

“Th-Thank you….”

Should I also say a word?

“Thanks to you guys… it was fun. Thank you.”

“Moondae-ya…….”

“Oh my, even Moondae says things like this.”

What are you talking about?

These guys are so moved that they are touched by any words.

Even that sullen Lee Sejin was caught up in the atmosphere with a choked-up expression.

“…Good job.”

“Heol. Hyung-nim.”

“I’m moved.”

The team members looked at Lee Sejin with warm eyes, rarely even being conscious of the camera.

The atmosphere was just like the end of a shonen manga.

I recalled the past practice process.

– Hyung! Don’t we also need to go strong with horror? We should go hard! So as not to be pushed back by purity!

– Right? I thought about it, how about a murderer!

– Oh~ that’s strong!

– …Since it might overlap with a real person, how about we think more towards fantasy creatures.

– G-Ghosts…….

– …Ghosts?

– Yeah, if you move l-like this… it looks amazing, so, that…….

– Hahaha! There are many good opinions~ Let’s put it to a democratic majority vote!

…….

…I only remembered the process of struggling to euphemistically cut down the absurd and excessive claims that these talkative guys chattered about.

At this time, I was grateful for Big Sejin. He was amazing at swaying public opinion.

In the end, most of the arrangement proceeded according to my and Big Sejin’s will. Because he also wanted to push for the vampire that I pushed for.

No matter what, a proven popular element was better than a ghost or a murderer.

Even if I could accept a ghost, a murderer? Was he thinking of being shared ten thousand times on SNS and being cursed at?

Anyway, I was satisfied since we got a good result by appropriately placing horror and purity.

And honestly…….

Because it was fun.

I felt like I could understand why there were so many people trying to do this job.

When I caught my breath and stood up, the team members put me into the space where they were hugging.

I shrugged. If I held back even here, the atmosphere wouldn’t live.

Since it was also necessary to show off teamwork to the camera, I didn’t specifically break away.

“Let’s definitely go to the next team battle.”

“Ah, let’s do it together next time too!”

“Th-Th-That’s good.”

“Honestly, our teamwork was the best.”

Well-wishing continued, and only when there were no more repertoires left did we move spaces according to the staff’s guidance to check the other team’s stage.

When we arrived at the room where the monitor was installed alone, the stage of the opposing team began shortly after.

“Oh…….”

These guys were admiring out of courtesy, but they probably realized.

That there was a meaningful difference in the audience’s cheers.