Debut or Die

Chapter 43

It was crowded outside the stage of MusicBomb where the 3rd team match would be held.

And the majority of the crowd was not the audience, but the people who came to see if they could hear the sound from outside.

A college student who squeezed through the crowd and entered the queue line was dissatisfied with that.

‘Why are you gathering together when you can’t even come in?’

She didn’t understand why they were excited to be here when they couldn’t even see them.

‘It was the same last time in the second match, but the scale has increased.’

She stood in line, feeling so fed up. Just looking at the length, it looked like it would take forever to enter.

‘How annoying.’

Around her people were sharing slogans or snacks. It just so happened that the names written on those slogans were the same.

[Park Moondae ? Debut]

‘…He’s gotten really popular.’

She pouted as she recalled the previous second team match.

She felt bad because the person sitting next to her was Park Moondae’s fan, but Kim Raebin, who she liked, even went on the same team as Park Moondae.

‘Why do they like that concept bug?’

(TL note: Concept bug = a person who’s deeply immersed in a concept character they made themselves. I guess it’s similar to chuunibyou.)

She grumbled.

However, she was still in denial that she had gone crazy when the stage in the last team match was over.

…Still, she couldn’t laugh at Park Moondae on the Internet anymore.

‘…Well, he was okay on stage, so I’m letting it slide.’

She tried to deny it and took her eyes off Park Moondae’s slogan. She didn’t know who picked it, but the fact that it was pretty made it even more annoying.

“Please keep order!”

“Don’t push!”

They lined up according to the number they received in advance and entered inside, but from the middle, there were a lot of people who started running. It was a place where everyone had to stand without a single seat, so the earlier you arrived and took the spots, the more advantageous it was.

She grabbed the fence right in front of the stage.

‘I did it!!’

She couldn’t help but praise herself for succeeding in applying for an audience for the 18th time.

It was a great achievement because not only there were floods of applicants for the audience, the production team changed the application again on a first-come-first-served basis.

‘I’ll see him right in front of me.’

Her heart was pounding. However, some time passed, and it was only right before her expectation turned into discomfort that the MC entered.

“Welcome to the 3rd team competition stage of <Re-listed! Idol Inc.>!”

There was an explosive cheer mixed with relief, joy, and irritation at how it was finally starting.

‘Get started already!!’

She chanted inwardly, holding on to the fence.

“The theme of this team match is <Self-Production>! All the elements of the performance, from song selection to stage setting, were selected and created by the participants themselves!”

‘Kim Raebin must have done this well!’

She recalled her own stock, which was the only thing she could do to not start getting political. She cheered like other audiences in excitement.

“Also, by analyzing shareholders’ past buying tendencies with big data algorithms, the participants that shareholders like together have become a team!”

At the MC’s words, the audience murmured all over the place, asking what kind of nonsense he was spouting.

It wasn’t that they didn’t understand his words, but they simply wondered why the production crew had to do such a useless thing instead of getting a separate vote.

Anyway, the MC naturally finished the opening.

“You seem to have high expectations, then right now! The opening stage will be revealed!”

“Wow!”

“The song chosen by the participants is… It is <I Like the Wait> by the sentimental Idol, Maximite!”

The audience immediately turned their attention to the stage.

Eyes full of anticipation turned to the dark stage, wondering if their favorite participant would appear now.

‘It’s better to come out later… Ah, whatever! Come out right now!’

As if to repay that thought, the light burst from the stage.

Piiing.

‘Ugh!’

But it wasn’t entirely bright.

Thick yellow beam lights soared from below the stage. The beams of light dizzyingly illuminated the dark stage.

At first glance, there was only a huge wooden stump on the stage.

And the sound of wind instruments ringing.

Whoo-whoo-whoo! Woo-woo-woo-.

It was the sound of daegeum in the beginning of the Korean traditional music Suyeonjangjigok. Elegant sad notes roamed the stage alone.

(TL note: The daegeum is a large bamboo flute, a transverse flute used in traditional Korean music. Sumber: Wiki.)

And a shadow came out of the left corner of the stage.

It was a terrifyingly neat somersault.

The tall man with a wooden rabbit mask ran out and turned around, cutting through the air.

“…!!”

The sound of the daegeum was over.

Following the movement of the shadow who landed on one leg, the robe over his body fluttered, revealing the dress inside.

At that moment, the beams of light that divided the stage completely disappeared.

On the stage which was completely dark, a voice rang instead of the sound of the daegeum.

– My wait is long

It’s always fun

Without accompaniment or a single note, It sounded perfect, as if it had been recorded.

And now the audience knew whose voice it was.

‘Park Moondae…’

The light returned to the stage with a deep drumbeat.

Dung- dungdungdung! dung- dungdungdung!

On the stage, five human shadows, wearing wooden rabbit masks, were standing in a circle.

Behind them, a brilliant Milky Way was revealed as if it were pouring into the background of the black stage.

And a group dance.

Slide.

The movement that started slowly and sensibly started to become more complex and faster as the beat broke.

It was almost like a natural phenomenon.

The speed might change continuously and the timing might not be right, but there was no one who missed the beat or movement.

Following the dance, the outline of the heavy drumbeat became sharp, and the modern baseline was heavily balanced after that.

Then the daegeum and the corrected piano notes began to play on the stairs.

Uhwi- Wiwiwi-

Uhwiuhwi- Wi~~

As soon as the drum sound completely became part of the sound composition, the five of them raised their rabbit masks to the side of their heads in unison in line with the choreography.

At the same time, the person on the far right began to sing. It was Park Moondae.

– On every road, I wait for you

My heart is fluttering

Keun Sejin, who turned completely toward the stage from the far left with the choreography, smiled.

– There is no room for anxiety

Because you already know

Just like martial arts, the formation split and Kim Raebin popped out from behind.

– That you will appear here

We will meet

My heart is sure

Every space is overflowing like this!

‘Raebin!!’

The college student holding onto the fence cried inside. She wanted to scream, but somehow she held it in.

And when it came to his rap part, there was something that was clearly noticeable not just to her but also to the majority of the audience.

‘You changed all the lyrics to Korean…’

Yes. All English that was mixed with a few words was changed to Korean and matched the atmosphere of the stage.

‘As expected, my kid is a genius!’

She cried loudly inside, saying that he had changed it perfectly. She didn’t even think of the possibility that it might be the other team members who had changed it.

However, as she was sucked into the stage, the sentiment disappeared behind her head in an instant.

– It’s so obvious

I know you.

You’ll get to know me

With Gold 1, Ha Iljun’s voice backing him, Keun Sejin completed the pre-chorus.

– The answer has already been decided.

An unavoidable fate will come~

Seon Ahyeon came out to the center. The rabbit mask turned in a slightly clunky way and covered his temple.

Still, his face sparkled.

‘…He’s handsome.’

The college student saw Seon Ahyeon from a close distance and couldn’t come up with a negative impression.

Seon Ahyeon started singing while standing up straight and gracefully.

– I like the wait

My wait is long and

It’s always fun

‘Uh?’

From that chorus, familiar movements began to mix.

It was the hand gestures, the point choreography of the original song.

However, a new foot movement was added offbeat to the hand movement to bring out a strong feeling.

Swish!

The choreography, which used bigger body movements than the original song, was incredibly impressive because it matched the fluttering durumagis.

(TL note: Durumagi is a variety of overcoats in hanbok, the Korean traditional garment.)

‘Ah…’

Rather than the emotional and simple feeling of the original song, the stage was completed in a historical drama style with a romantic and overwhelming feeling.

– When this wait is over

I know you who I’ll run into

My heart is already bright

Park Moondae sang the high note at the end of the chorus.

Perhaps its color faded during the filming, his hair was now closer to blonde and was swept away by the mask.

‘…What’s with that hair… It looks fine.’

She struggled to hide her excitement, making excuses saying that it was probably because the stylist put on their life’s greatest stage makeup.

And at the end of the note, Park Moondae turned completely backward.

‘What’s this?’

The audience, who had been focusing on the participants’ movements and facial expressions, reflexively turned their gazes back.

A huge dark blue trail was drawn over the starlight that flowed behind the stage.

“…!”

Soon, only strings and wind instruments remained.

With that as the background sound, the dark blue trail drew a huge circle.

The circle, which was completed with traces like an ink painting, as if drawn with ink, soon glowed blue.

Round blue light between the stars. It was the earth seen from the moon.

Uhuuu- Uhuuu- Uhu, Uuu–

Participants gently fall to the floor and rise to the rhythm, naturally taking off their durumagi and throwing them away.

– A light daydream

I’m on my way to meet you

All of a sudden, the participants stood up in full dresses.

Their bodies made a short and intense group dance.

It was a full-body movement that almost looked like a dance, and their bodies curved strongly and smoothly. It felt very strange.

The accompaniment without percussion sounded somewhat sensual.

‘Kim Raebin is crazy…’

“Ooh…”

“…”

The college student was startled by the sound of her own voice, but she realized that she could hear it from all directions.

-That you’ve been waiting for me

Speaking, clear dizziness

By changing the lyric ‘déjà vu’ to ‘dizziness’, it sounded more mysterious as if being swallowed.

– Facing the fateful moment

Never hesitate!

Bang!

At that moment, percussion came back into the accompaniment.

The slightly blatant sensuality disappeared in an instant.

– I like the wait

My wait is long and

It’s always fun

The chorus came back, and Keun Sejin came out to the center and took the center stage in the complex group dance.

The choreography became more colorful.

– When this wait is over

I know you who I’ll run into

My heart is already bright

Then came the low humming.

-Hum hu hu hum- huhu DDu-ru Du-ru Du Du

It was the melody of the chorus.

With the moving choreography, it felt like they were waiting for someone and singing with excitement.

The drumming of the accompaniment sounded like a heartbeat.

The college student belatedly realized that Park Moondae was adding an octave higher to the humming.

She got goosebumps.

‘…I thought it was a musical instrument.’

She gulped. On the stage, the intro choreography was once again being transformed.

As the formation constantly changed, the five naturally stood around the only prop on the stage.

‘Huh?’

The huge stump of wood.

It was the stump of katsura trees.

Naturally, sitting around the stump, they immediately took off their sheepskin blazers and tossed them down.

“…!”

Revealing a man’s jeogori designed like a shirt, Keun Sejin looked straight ahead and smiled.

He turned the rabbit mask back to his face and sang the last verse.

– Wait for me.

The stage was finished with the blue light of the earth falling over the moon rabbits who fell asleep leaning on each other while sitting on the stump of the katsura trees.

And there was a cheer loud enough to smash the roof of the filming set.

“Waaaah!”

“Kyaaaa!!”

“Uaaah!”

Under the stage, all kinds of reactions were overflowing, from screaming to covering their mouths.

It was because everyone was excited at the stage they saw that had a superbly high level of perfection, from the opening to the unexpected combination of high-ranking participants.

In addition, there was something about this stage that stimulated the heart of the fans.

Since they couldn’t interpret everything at once, they wanted to look at it more than once and find the hidden elements.

There must be many audience members who were already counting the days remaining until the broadcast.

‘It’s all over.’

The college student who let go of the fence mumbled proudly.She had been screaming and only barely came to her senses when the lights on the stage went out.

Since the opening was cut like this, the next team automatically set up the stage.

After hesitating, she finally admitted her excitement.

‘Well, October kids are good, too.’

While muttering, ‘You can debut with Ryu Chungwoo and Cha Eugene over there’, the irritation she felt when she had first entered already disappeared.