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Chapter 499

The episode of the broadcast program featuring my performance with Cheongryeo was scheduled without any delay. And on the day of the broadcast, of course, it started with the part introducing the singers who would prepare for the stage, not the stage itself.

 

[Romjay: I’ve been interested in (Pansori) for a long time….]

 

[MC: Oh, this is the first time we’ve had a rapper interested in pansori on this program. Let’s see if a pansori master will join us!]

 

It was the part where they introduced themselves, talked about what genres they were interested in, and formed collaboration teams. It was almost at the very end of this segment when the guy who shared the stage with me finally appeared.

 

[The figure getting out of the car is…?]

 

[Cheongryeo: Hello.]

 

Artificial cheers are added in the background, along with light stick effects everywhere. And then, a huge caption.

 

[This guy… is handsome!]

 

“…”

 

Is this for real?  I would believe it if the person who made the subtitles came from 10 years ago in a time machine.

 

If it weren’t for the entertaining stages, this program would have been doomed a long time ago.

 

I stood up with a reluctant expression.

 

“Huh? Moondae, where are you going?”

 

“Just getting something to drink.”

 

For the record, I wasn’t the only one monitoring the broadcast.  Right now, we’re in the middle of preparing a new album and going on tour, and today is the day we have our weekly group gathering. That’s why we rented a suite, and we all gathered here. And I was watching this program on my smartphone…

 

“MoondaeMoondae, what are you doing? Oh, wow~ This is the live broadcast today?”

“…That’s right.”

“Oh! The TV in this hotel allows you to watch Korean terrestrial channels via the internet! How about using the TV so you can watch it on a big screen? If other guys are okay with it…”

“Of course, it’s fine~”

“Ah, is today the day Moondae’s broadcast airs? Let’s watch it then.”

“OK!”

 

…After going through this process, we all sat down together to watch this old-fashioned program.

 

[The King of KPOP, VTIC!]

 

[Leader Cheongryeo]

 

“…They’re really hyping him up.”

 

“Yeah, seriously.”

 

If you’re going to watch with such a dissatisfied expression, why did you even turn on the TV? Well, I had a similar thought, though. 

 

Anyway, the program proceeds without anyone objecting. Cheongryeo’s dazzling career is introduced, and soon, a scene where Cheongryeo talks about the ‘collaboration genre’ appears. Of course, usually, this is all scripted. It’s common for writers to select and match the experts based on their experience and popularity. However, this time, Cheongryeo really did collaborate with someone from the ‘genre he chose.’ To be precise, Cheongryeo personally pushed for this on the show.

 

[Cheongryeo: I… want to collaborate with an idol.]

 

[!!!!]

 

[MC: Cheongryeo, you remember that you’re an idol, right…?]

 

[Cheongryeo: Of course. (laughs) But interestingly, I’ve had quite a few opportunities to perform with artists from other fields, but rarely with fellow idols.]

 

The MC, pretending to be flustered, asked.

 

[MC: So, perhaps… with a female idol?]

 

[Cheongryeo: That can’t be. I mean with a male idol in a similar position as me.]

 

Cheongryeo casually brushes off the MC’s question with a smile and shifts the focus.

 

[Cheongryeo: And since the members aren’t here right now, um… performing alone feels a bit lonely. That’s the reason.]

 

I could hear the VTIC fans swooning with admiration.

 

His image-making is impeccable. That showed his experience.

 

I took my eyes off the subtitles and walked back to the refrigerator near the hotel room entrance. And as I was about to grab a bottle of water from inside… I saw it. Stout.

 

“…”

 

Come to think of it, it’s been years since I last had alcohol.

 

“…”

 

And there’s no concert tomorrow.

 

One can should be fine…

 

“Park Moondae.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Well, I figured this would happen.

 

The one who called me was Bae Sejin, who had followed me to the entrance. Does he have some kind of alcohol addiction sensor or something?

 

I took my eyes off the stout and picked up a label-less water bottle instead. Since I had to monitor anyway, I might as well drink some cold water.

 

Just as I was thinking like that, Bae Sejin suddenly asked. “Are you feeling bad or uncomfortable right now?”

 

“…? No.”

 

I hope he’s not thinking that my condition was ruined because he stopped me from drinking.

 

“Okay… If that’s not the case, then sometimes, having a can or so… might be fine.”

 

“…?!”

 

Wait a minute.

 

Is he serious? The guy who threw away every drop of alcohol from the old dorm said that?

 

When I looked up, Bae Sejin continued, looking a bit embarrassed. “I know it was weird for me to be so controlling in the first place. But I just… thought it was a bad habit to get addicted to alcohol, so I wanted to stop it.”

 

I guess so.

 

“But now, if it’s not a habit, then I’m just meddling unnecessarily.”

 

“…”

 

“Of course! That’s only if you’re sure you don’t want to drink because of stress.”

 

I briefly took my hand off the water bottle and reminisced. Come to think of it… At some point, the habit of reaching for alcohol to relieve irritation had significantly diminished.

 

Every time I went near the fridge or a convenience store, this guy seemed to be probing me a few times.

 

And now, I definitely don’t want to drink to relieve stress.

 

I chuckled and nodded. “Yes.”

 

“Alright. Got it.” Bae Sejin nodded cleanly as if acknowledging something.

 

Good grief. It felt like receiving some kind of addiction treatment certification.

 

Yeah, thanks to him, I had to give up the cost-effectiveness of feeling better with alcohol. I admitted it too.

 

“Hyung wasn’t meddling for no reason, I actually got some help.”

 

“…Ahem, yeah.”

 

He couldn’t hide a bit of pride. Well, that’s fine.

 

How long has it been?

 

I reached out my hand. Finally, I grabbed a can of familiar brand stout from the fridge, the same brand I used to drink years ago, and took it out.

 

They’ve changed the design.

 

And then I opened it right away and took a swig. Gulp. The carbonation was exhilarating. The cold barley beer, which I hadn’t had in a long time, slid down my throat. It was refreshing.

 

Oh.

 

Holding the beer can, I returned to my seat.

  

“If it seems like something’s wrong, I’ll stop you again.”

 

“Okay.”

 

I took another swig from my beer can.

 

Bae Sejin watched me drink with a look that seemed like he had something to say, but he turned his head away without saying anything.

 

Good thinking.

 

I sat down with a refreshing feeling. On the TV screen, the slick guy was speaking.

 

[Romjay: But collaborating with an artist from the same genre… I really respect your dedication to being an idol.]

 

[Cheongryeo: Haha… Yes. Thank you. I put my life into being an idol.]

 

[VTIC Cheongryeo, who is passionate about being an idol! Who will be the artist to collaborate with him?]

 

“…”

 

The cast’s laughter echoed through the broadcast. We wouldn’t know that it’s not a metaphor but the literal truth.

 

He’s quite a con artist. I accepted it graciously and silently took a swig of my beer.

 

“Popcorn?”

 

Alright. I even nibbled on the popcorn Cha Eugene offered as a snack…

 

“…”

 

“Eat more! It’s okay.”

 

It’s not okay.

 

It’s sweet. I don’t understand how this guy can eat this stuff and still maintain his form. Is this what they call muscle transfer?

 

But instead, Cha Eugene carefully observed my arm grabbing the popcorn and then, with shining eyes, spoke. “Oh! Hyung, you’ve got muscles now.”

 

“…? Really?”

 

“What have you been eating?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

I haven’t eaten anything special. No matter how much I think about it, there’s only one variable.

 

I gestured towards the screen with my chin. “Looks like it happened while practicing.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Finally, it was my turn to appear.

 

[VTIC Cheongryeo’s collaboration artist!]

 

[???: Hello.]

 

Soon, an image of me, mustering all the enthusiasm I could, appeared on the screen.

 

[Park Moondae: I’m Park Moondae, the main vocalist of TeSTAR.]

 

[TeSTAR!]

 

All sorts of dazzling effects play as TeSTAR’s career is introduced.

 

Then, Cheongryeo and I pretend to be surprised at each other, shake hands, and start preparing for the stage in a friendly manner.

 

[Cheongryeo: Nice to see you. I’m really glad to meet you.]

 

[Park Moondae: Yes, Sunbae-nim. Please take care of me.]

 

[Cheongryeo: Haha. Ah, it seems like we can just be casual, right? I mean, the atmosphere.]

 

[Park Moondae: Then, please feel free to speak casually.]

 

[Were these two originally close…?]

 

Seeing it like this, it feels a bit pretentious, but it does come out quite heartwarming on screen. Of course, the internet comments are screaming, though. Comments filled with ‘Destruction,’ ‘Is he crazy,’ and ‘It was real’ are… something I have to endure.

 

I’ll benefit from it.

 

I munched on popcorn while staring at the TV.

 

[Cheongryeo: I got to know Moondae a bit around the time of his debut. Seeing him like this, I’m looking forward to the stage.]

 

Then, the scene of me receiving choreography guidance warmly and Cheongryeo harmonizing and looking satisfied passed by in the edit.

 

He’s taking all the good senior images for himself.

 

In reality, he had drilled the choreography into my head. No matter how I think about it, that’s definitely where my muscles came from.

 

The choreography that I was forced into required significant power to control the body. It means he used my strength in a highly compressed manner. Even though the scene looked cheerful on the screen. 

 

[Cheongryeo: Moondae is progressing smoothly thanks to his excellent dance learning ability.]

 

“Is that really the reason?”

 

“Don’t be fooled. We did it seven hours a day.”

 

“Oh.”

 

[Park Moondae: Please look forward to Moondae…? No, please look forward to the stage.]

 

[Natural idol aegyo??]

 

“Ahaha!”

 

“…”

 

They even used this.

 

And with the interview video that included my slip of the tongue due to exhaustion, the stage finally aired.

 

[Starting now!]

 

“Hey, is Moondae coming out now?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Oh~ let’s see, let’s see.”

 

The TeSTAR guys focused more on the TV, looking like they were ready to comment every three seconds. But after the performance ended.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

-That was amazing.

-Why are they so good?

-This is the taste of K-pop’s top tier, so good.

– Ah… Jaehyun, couldn’t you have waited until the kids were discharged… for a stage like this..ㅠㅠ

-ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

 

Both the people around and the internet were left speechless.

 

“Park Moondae, is this why you practiced so much…?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Then, I realized what effect Cheongryeo was aiming for. The sophistication stands out unbelievably.

 

Since this program has been around for a long time, it has a classic stage format that appeals emotionally to the middle-aged and older audiences. That’s not a bad thing, but the fact that everyone is using that method is the point to dig into.

 

This stage stands out on its own.

 

So, the impression of Cheongryeo and Park Moondae’s stage, which made early 2000s music seem like the essence of the latest KPOP, was doubled.

 

Wouldn’t a completely different color stand out if you mix it with similar shades? Of course, if you didn’t do it well, it would only create more discord. That part was suppressed with an overwhelming stage composition and experience.

 

And the reason he chose me… Well, he needed someone who could produce quality work according to their instructions, aside from those who had already gone to the military.

 

He probably wanted to manage public opinion to grow the company too.

 

As he admitted last time, I already saw signs of LeTi’s viral marketing starting.

 

–Ah, I heard LeTi invested a lot in this TeSTAR since they became independent. Looks like they’re getting involved at the company level now, lol.

└Wow

└So, are they under the same company?

└Not under the same company, but more like neighbors? Lol

└Still, it’s interesting.

 

They’ll probably test the waters all night and then announce tomorrow that ‘TeSTAR has joined the LeTi line.’ This will reduce any confusion or resistance about TeSTAR appearing on LeTi’s platform in the future, smoothly increasing their own platform’s influence. It’s a successful execution of a mid-to-long-term plan to grow the agency’s scale.

 

Honestly, if there was nothing in it for me, I wouldn’t be too pleased with the situation…

 

“Hey, Moondae, did you enjoy it…?”

 

“…”

 

In response to Seon Ahyeon’s question, I shrugged my shoulders. Well, it seemed like the other party gained quite a bit from it.

 

“It was worthwhile.”

 

That was true.

 

“It’s good to learn this kind of choreography at least once.”

 

Seon Ahyeon smiled at my answer. “Yeah. I’m glad. Oh! The stage was really amazing….”

 

“Indeed! The arrangement and composition were interesting, but what stood out the most was the stability in the harmonies and the proficiency in the choreography. It was a very impressive performance.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

In the rather warm atmosphere, I nodded.

 

“If you want to try more of this kind of choreography… I can teach you…!”

 

That’s a bit too much.

 

“Thanks. Let’s do it sometime when we have the time.”

 

I’ll accept your feelings for now.

 

Honestly, I do have some hope that if I keep going, my dance stat might increase, but the cost-effectiveness is just…

 

At the point where I can’t max out my stats, struggling to raise my dance stat isn’t very efficient in terms of time. There are already other guys on the team who dance well, and from the perspective of group activities, other aspects seem more appealing. It was to raise the core stats that I’m already good at to the maximum. So…

 

Maybe it’s worth focusing on my vocals instead.

 

I’m kind of curious about what would happen if I maxed out my singing ability to ‘EX’… like the charisma stat of STier Cha Eugene.

 

I thought of the guy who was flying around during Water Bomb and looked at Cha Eugene, who was sitting next to me, shoveling popcorn into his mouth.

 

“Hmm? Is something wrong?”

 

“No.”

 

“OK. Oh, your stage was awesome, Hyung.”

 

Alright.

 

I turned my head back and reminisced…

 

In fact, Cha Eugene’s talent stat has returned to S+. Maybe it’s because the memories from when he was at STier have become blurry. Or perhaps, when certain conditions are met on stage, he might manifest as EX again… Still, it’s a bit concerning. Especially given what I witnessed.

 

“…Hu.”

 

That guy was watching STier Cha Eugene’s Water Bomb performance on a smartphone in the living room late at night. Cha Eugene frowned with an expression that was hard to tell if he was analyzing something or being frustrated. 

 

He’s good at handling things on his own, though.

 

Well, I was thinking it would be nice to have a hint or something…

 

[Survey Available!]

[Help: You can customize the function through feedback from the survey.]

 

Not you. I said no.

 

This guy is persistent. Is this a desperate plea to add a stat-boosting feature? I dismissed the status window without even waving my hand.

 

“But MoondaeMoondae.”

 

What?

 

“Are you holding a beer in your hand?”

 

“Yeah, I can drink it now.”

 

“Who said that?”

 

“Sejin hyung.”

 

“Oh.”

 

I naturally emptied the beer can quickly and put it down, then thought again. Anyway, I’ve gained what I needed, and the preparations are going smoothly. Thinking about what I achieved by taking a chance on this featuring stage, I actually feel like cracking open another beer to celebrate. I want to get started right away, but… There’s something I need to set up first.

 

ĭter. The rookie group that ‘benchmarked’ TeSTAR. It would be best to make sure that rookie group can’t compete with TeSTAR anymore. And while I’m at it, it would be good to strengthen the company’s finances.

 

I chuckled as I switched the screen on my smartphone. A message that arrived this morning was displayed.

 

[Spacer Kwon Heeseung: Hyung, we finished our practice haha]

 

Spacer’s comeback preparations were complete. The proxy war was about to begin.

these Chs are commissioned if you want your series to be translated you can contact us at discord for your favorite series.

Reed chapter first at Utoon.net