Chapter 73

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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During the boring waiting time for the music show pre-recording, one of the VTIC members, who was touching his smartphone according to his taste, called Chungryeo.

What he showed was the 9th place in the WeTube real-time popular videos.

[The 1st Place Idol Who Got a Water Shower in the Showcase!]

[On the evening of the 18th, a debut showcase of an idol group was held at Red Square. Just a few months ago, the audition that heated up the internet, ‘s…….]

The WeTuber was talking about the showcase water bottle incident while adding his personal opinion excitedly.

“This is that guy, right? That Ajusa.”

“…Ah.”

Chungryeo looked at the screen and remembered that absurd psychological test.

“Park Moondae.”

[You’re quick-witted.]

Coincidentally, a fancam of ambiguous quality, which was attached smallly (due to copyright issues), appeared in the video. It was a scene where Park Moondae was handling the situation smoothly.

“This guy is really a bit smart?”

“I agree.”

“But he’s a bit unfortunate. To be released at the same time as us…….”

Other members who were glancing at the side also cut in and clicked their tongues.

“Is it only once or twice that Tnet is showing reckless courage?”

“The indicators are good, it’s a pity he won’t get 1st place.”

The way of speaking with a bit of sympathy was based on the certainty that they would win even in the 2nd week.

Actually, it had to be like that.

[#1 Night Sign / VTIC]

It was then the daily ranking of the largest domestic digital music site.

Since the digital music chart was reorganized so that real-time is not visible, it was impossible to go straight to 1st place through the existing digital music ranking unless it was something unusual.

‘It takes at least a week.’

The digital music of TeSTAR to be released at midnight was the same.

Then, TeSTAR’s 1st week album sales had to leave VTIC’s 2nd week behind by more than a triple score to expect the 1st place on a music show, but unfortunately, the initial sales period overlapped with VTIC for about a day.

Unless TeSTAR set a crazy record beyond expectations in either direction, it meant losing was a scheduled event.

Of course, it was also absurd to even mention the digital music chart 1st place to a rookie male idol, no matter how much they were from an audition.

“Ah~ whatever! If we have time to worry about juniors, let’s just do well ourselves!”

“Right!”

VTIC quickly returned to their respective interests.

And Chungryeo thought with his chin resting on his hand.

‘…We might lose.’

* * *

The debut showcase was finished successfully in an enthusiastic atmosphere.

However, there was no special after-party.

“You guys just debuted and you can’t come out on TV like steamed buns. It wouldn’t be good to feed you grandly~”

“Steamed buns are delicious!”

“Your face should be handsome, it shouldn’t be plump enough to want to bite it off.”

“Aha!”

Cha Yujin was convinced at once. I admired Keun Sejin’s amazing communication skills for a moment, and then became the subject of conversation again.

“Still, Moondae’s achievement was really something for an after-party.”

“R-Right.”

“It was excellent.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

“Haha, this friend is being embarrassed!”

“…….”

I was… then hearing the words ‘Park Moondae’s reflexes are the best in the world’ in various variations from immediately after the showcase ended until now.

Now it was to the point of being disgruntled rather than embarrassed.

Especially that guy Keun Sejin; he seemed to be doing that on purpose to make me more embarrassed, so it was subtly annoying.

“Everyone worked hard, and let’s… rest for a while.”

“Yay~!”

“Finally.”

Anyway, we did get a short break instead of an after-party. At Ryu Chungwoo’s words, the members scattered to the dorm while showing a wide spectrum of reactions from relief to joy.

For reference, I slept. Lee Sejin, who uses the same room, also slept, so the sleep quality improved.

‘I miss the trait that makes me not need sleep.’

However, the reality camera was still running. Thanks to that, after spending a short personal time, we had to gather in the living room again.

“Everyone seems to have rested well.”

“Hehe.”

Cha Yujin, whose face obviously looked like he had snacks, laughed.

And we all ended up looking into Ryu Chungwoo’s smartphone together.

“It’s amazing that it’s already the release date.”

“I-I’m nervous…….”

Because the debut album digital music was released at midnight.

Looking at one together instead of seeing their own… well, it would be because the picture came out warmly.

“Oh! It changed!”

The smartphone clock unit changed soon.

[00:00]

“D-Did the digital music come out?”

“Do we see it now?”

Kim Raebin organized it firmly.

“It takes more than an hour of tallying time until it’s visible on the 24Hits chart.”

“One hour…….”

Letting out a groan, Lee Sejin disappeared into the kitchen. It seemed he was going to bring some water.

‘…There’s a high probability that it won’t pop up even after an hour.’

Because we had to compete with one hour’s worth of results among other songs tallied for 24 hours.

Even VTIC entered the 24-hour chart at 87th place after an hour.

Probably Kim Raebin intended to continue explaining that fact, but he soon closed his mouth after making eye contact with me.

“……?”

It was okay to explain this time?

Keun Sejin spoke with a smile, as if to offset the tense atmosphere.

“Then shall we… start by watching the ‘Magical Boy’ music video?”

“Ah.”

Right. I haven’t seen that yet either.

Because we barely got break time after returning to the dorm, I didn’t have the mind to think of that.

‘The reality production staff told us to film the reaction portion for this too.’

“That’s a good idea.”

“Let’s see it on the big one!”

Cha Yujin quickly took the remote and changed the TV screen to WeTube.

Without even needing to search, the music video was at 1st place in real-time.

[TeSTAR ‘Magical Boy’ Official MV]

“Yay!”

“W-Wow.”

The members stared at the screen as if it didn’t feel real, and then barely regained their senses.

“Oh. The thumbnail is Moondae.”

“I-It came out well.”

The thumbnail was the appearance of Park Moondae looking back in front of the classroom window.

Beyond the white curtain, the sky colored in orange and magenta shone with backlighting.

‘Is it 1st place treatment.’

I looked at the thumbnail with a disgruntled face and then operated the remote Cha Yujin was holding to press the play button.

“Oh?”

The ‘Magical Boy’ music video was played against the background of Cha Yujin’s flustered voice.

The video started with the thumbnail screen.

[…….]

In a corner of an empty classroom, Park Moondae was looking out the window at the sunset.

The moment he looked back and made eye contact with the camera, the song started.

-I think of you
Whom I met tomorrow, all day long
I dream a dream as blue as the day

The screen changed.

The old and broken campus was clearly revealed under the midday sunlight, and then it was colored in purple as sparkling soap bubbles poured out.

♬♪♩♪- ♬♪♬♪- ♪♩-

And in the daily places of the school, the appearances of members doing non-daily actions passed by for each of their parts.

-Even if the world is cold
The dream is sweet
Even if reality collapses
The dream is clear

Cha Yujin was sitting on the only fine teacher’s desk in the totally broken classroom.

He lined up animal-shaped wind-up toys on the corner and wound them up. Because of the shadows and lighting, the toys looked like small creatures.

-I don’t want to be locked in
I want to fall asleep
I’m drawing a dream
But reality is breathing
All the time…

Seon Ahyun, sitting on the infirmary bed, tore open the pillowcase. From inside, dandelion-fluff-like things that shone instead of cotton popped out and sparkled in the air around the bed.

-All that time,
Maybe it was needed
The magic to go to the future
So I

Ryu Chungwoo shot flowers in the flowerbed with a toy gun. Instead of BB pellets or water, light streams burst out and blue petals fly.

And the dance unfolding on the rooftop where the purple sunset was setting.

-Cast a spell
Make a wish come
true true true
-Falling into the future quietly
-Cast a spell
Make a dream come
true true true
-Falling asleep with a dream blue-ly

In the interlude following the chorus, the beat was split more and a flashy dance break followed.

The midday rooftop was cross-edited, deepening the mystery of the purple background scene.

“Everyone must have suffered because of the new makeup for that.”

“That’s right! Everyone, if you look closely… there is a difference in costumes and makeup between what was filmed during the day and what was filmed during the sunset!”

Keun Sejin explained to the camera. It was true.

The day background was closer to a bare face, and the sunset background had some glitters and even something similar to a flush under the eyes.

The costumes also had more accessories attached when filming the sunset background.

‘It must have been deathly for everyone to film that in one day.’

Fortunately, the cuts came out well, making the hard work worth it.

♬♪♩♪- ♬♪♬♪- ♪♩-

And the entering 2nd verse.

After the mysterious finger movement that seemed like hypnotizing ended, Kim Raebin came out from behind.

And he did a melody rap with a slow and complex, very mysterious rhythm.

What was cross-edited was Kim Raebin sitting on top of a heap of broken cabinets in the hallway, tossing and catching an awl.

“Oh!”

“The voice is good.”

“…Thank you.”

Kim Raebin answered, unable to hide his pride although he was slightly embarrassed.

“But exactly why did you choose such a scary object like an awl, Raebin-ssi?”

“…Because it’s cute……?”

“…….”

Keun Sejin’s mouth was closed at the answer beyond imagination. I answered instead in a good mood.

“Let’s say it is.”

“Right. It’s cute, Raebin-ah.”

It seemed the reactions became more relaxed after confirming that the music video quality was fine.

On the subsequent screen, Lee Sejin was appearing as the last runner.

Lee Sejin was standing inside the school building looking at the main entrance hall. The campus was seen beyond the glass door.

And the bridge before the last chorus flowing out.

The tone of the music box sound, which is the riff melody, lowered, and the vocal melody followed exactly on top of it.

-The thing that can’t be hidden even if you hide
Maybe it’s magic
The dream that makes me
Short of breath and trembling.

Lee Sejin broke the glass door.

At that moment, the cuts flowed along with the sound of a film running.

After a mysterious whisper that seemed like rewinding a tape passed by, a cut was inserted without the song.

Park Moondae walked into the campus from outside the school.

[…….]

Park Moondae, who eventually stopped in front of the entrance hall, stretched out both hands and grabbed the handles. And.

Click.

He locked it.

…Click.

While the film was running, the last chorus burst out with the choreography.

-Cast a spell
Make a wish come
true true true
-Falling asleep with the future quietly
-Cast a spell
Make a dream come
true true true
-Falling into a dream blue-ly

Before I knew it, the area around the rooftop where the choreography was unfolding had turned into a more unrealistic space.

The railing surrounding the rooftop broke and transparent crystals formed. And it distorted the light like a prism.

Like the light that confused the background, the choreography became more complex and the curves became stronger.

♬♪♩♪- ♬♪♬♪- ♪♩-

The end of the choreography. The members naturally changed the formation to a circle. The song ended at the moment they laid down in a circle with their heads together on the rooftop.

Thud.

Purple soap bubbles burst out.

[…….]

And the appearing black screen.

While the Inst of ‘Magical Boy’ arranged slowly was flowing, a classical ending credit like a short film came up.

Only then did the members’ mouths burst again.

“Wow!!”

“It came out so well?”

“Thank you, Director.”

“I-It seems to have come out coolly and well….”

It became a strange situation where no one responded to each other’s words because they were talking simultaneously.

However, no one cared and they talked excitedly.

“It came out very, um, meaningfully, so it’s interesting.”

“It seems the fans can feel the fun of finding various detailed elements.”

“Ah, we liked it, and I hope the fans also liked it~”

The atmosphere became as warm as it could be.

‘It’s understandable that they’re excited since they made a good start.’

Thanks to that, when confirming the digital music chart, the tension was not sharply high to the point of being uncomfortable.

And the result.

“…!”

“Wow! It entered the chart~”

It was an entry at 85th and 88th.

‘…One song is even slightly higher than VTIC.’

The opening buff with the public appeal of the audition that was popular nationwide was beyond expectations.

‘Crazy.’

But perhaps because there were more people who were more familiar with words like ‘real-time entry at 1st place’, the members seemed to be just generally happy.

Even if they knew it in their heads, what they saw right then was the 80s.

So a more intense reaction burst out next.

On other digital music sites where the real-time chart was still alive, TeSTAR’s title songs took 1st and 2nd places side by side.

[1st place Hi-five / TeSTAR] new!

[2nd place Magical Boy / TeSTAR] new!

[3rd place Night Sign / VTIC] ▼2

[…….]

Even all 4 songs released in this album were within the 7th place.

Of course, they would be pushed back by VTIC in an instant in a little while.

Still, it was a crazy momentum.

The members, who finally felt it real, continued to look into the smartphone screen while engulfed in astonishment.

“L-Let’s take a capture.”

“That is a good idea.”

It was a favorable signal that burst from the very beginning of the activities, even before appearing on a music show.