novelraw Chapter 154: Confirmation of Performances (3)
Chapter 154: Confirmation of Performances (3)
On screen, Jeong Seongbin exuded a different aura than during his activities with Spark. The ivory and white outfit suited him perfectly.
A soft effect appeared below him, along with a caption.
『The beautiful youth who sings of youth, transforms now.』
“Why is the caption like that?”
Choi Jeho was appalled. The phrasing might have been outdated, but it wasn’t exactly wrong.
“What’s wrong with that? Seongbin is a beautiful youth, isn’t he?”
“C-Can we just skip this part…?”
Jeong Seongbin lowered his head, his ears bright red.
While the person in question couldn’t lift his head, the song title appeared beneath the feet of Spark’s top beautiful youth vocalist.
It was Jang Junhoo’s debut song, ‘First Step’.A story about a man experiencing love for the first time, cherishing the joy of being together, only to have his first fight and eventually part ways.
Ironically, the reason this song gained popularity was because of its cliché storyline.
Since it was a common tale, many people found themselves singing First Step at karaoke after a breakup.
The simple structure and moderate vocal range also contributed to making Jang Junhoo, a rookie at the time, a recognizable singer.
Back as a trainee, I had chosen a lesser-known song by a famous singer to take a shortcut, but Jeong Seongbin had no need for such tricks.
The melody of a simple acoustic guitar flowed.
『That spring, I met you
My cheeks were stained with cherry blossoms
Summer, with a young heart
I ran and hid behind a tree
In autumn, the trees
And my heart burned red
On a winter day, by your side
I lay down
Your gaze fell softly』
Because he already possessed dazzling skills.
He could confidently aim for the flag planted at the very top of the opponent’s territory.
Jeong Seongbin’s clean yet soft tone brought to mind a first love that never even existed.
Perhaps this was what fans meant when they used the term ‘fuzzy’.
『The steps you and I took
Became marks on our heart
Piling up steadily
Looking only at each other, for a long time
We walked and walked』
Yet beneath that tenderness lay undeniable strength.
The stability that came from years of solid fundamentals.
Jeong Seongbin had built his foundation better than anyone else. From IDC to now, his greatest strength had been the trust and comfort he provided to listeners.
He was the guy who had managed to push Jang Junhoo, a professional singer, with pure skill since middle school. There was no way Jeong Seongbin couldn’t handle the intro of Jang Junhoo’s song.
When Jang Junhoo sang this song, he must have been in his late twenties or around thirty. His voice lacked the freshness needed to sing about first love, yet he wasn’t old enough to sound nostalgic about it either.
Then, what about Jeong Seongbin?
He was young and innocent, perfectly suited to the word ‘first love’, yet he possessed the experience that even Jang Junhoo lacked back then.
It was only natural. Jeong Seongbin had recorded all of Jang Junhoo’s love and breakup songs over the years, as he aged.
Because he didn’t want to be scolded, because he wanted to do better. Because he wanted to keep singing, and ultimately, debut.
With that desperation, he had endured and refined his voice for years. It was almost ironic—Jang Junhoo had handed him the very weapon that could bring him down.
‘He’s doing well.’
If he had performed this well, why hadn’t he said anything after the shoot? If he had just lifted the corners of his mouth even slightly, I would have thrown him up in the air in celebration.
I glanced sideways, but Jeong Seongbin was busy fanning himself.
Did he mess up the second half? Or did he perform well, but the results didn’t turn out the way he wanted?
All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind, but I pulled myself together and focused on the performance again. The music was reaching its climax.
The camera zoomed in on Jeong Seongbin’s hand gripping the microphone.
Blue veins stood out on the back of his hand.
His fingertips were red, and as the camera panned up, his neck, the tip of his nose, his lips…
『I ran away, walked
To a place where the waves couldn’t reach
To a distant sandy beach
Leaving you to be swept away and erased
My steps are cold
Snow is falling』
—were all red.
Tears welled up in Jeong Seongbin’s eyes.
Even the way he struggled to hold back his tears resembled a youth who had just sent off his first love.
The way he gripped the microphone with both hands, trying not to miss a single lyric, pouring his heart into each note, made my heart ache.
How could he sing so perfectly while maintaining such emotions? It felt disrespectful to even doubt about such things right now.
‘Ah.’
Jeong Seongbin on screen took a small breath.
I didn’t need to look around to know. Everyone gathered was immersed in Jeong Seongbin’s every breath, every note, beyond imagination.
It was an unbelievable level of emotional expression.
‘I underestimated him.’
I had taken for granted what it meant to be the main vocalist of Spark, the group that was criticized for everything but their visuals and talent.
It was my mistake to treat the fact that he had been recording guide vocals since middle school, had been a trainee the longest, and had double-digit vocal proficiency from the moment we met as mere data entries.
‘My goal was just… to humble Jang Junhoo and get some payback.’
I had hoped that Jeong Seongbin would be able to erase Jang Junhoo from his own song.
But Jeong Seongbin easily surpassed my expectations.
No one watching this performance would even care who originally sang this song.
It was overwhelming—in the best way possible.
* * *
“Hyung, you’re a genius.”
Lee Cheonghyeon, his eyes red, turned to Jeong Seongbin and said.
“Our hyung is a genius!”
“Try holding back your tears first, Cheonghyeon!”
Lee Cheonghyeon seemed genuinely moved. So was I.
“Be quiet. I can’t hear hyung’s interview.”
Kang Kiyeon scolded Lee Cheonghyeon and turned up the volume. Jeong Seonbin, having finished his performance splendidly, was being interviewed by the MCs.
『You’re in the same agency as Mr. Jang Junhoo, right? As senior and junior?』
As soon as the MC’s question came out, a familiar curse word was heard from somewhere.
“Damn it….”
That Choi Jeho must have cursed out of reflex. I’d let it slide this time since it was about Jang Junhoo.
『Yes. Actually, I have a deep connection with Jang Junhoo sunbaenim.』
“Gasp.”
Lee Cheonghyeon held his breath. It seemed he hadn’t expected Jeong Seongbin to mention it so directly.
『Really?』
『I’ve been recording guide vocals for his songs since I was in middle school. So I’m confident that I know his songs very well!』
『That’s quite a connection. I’m sure Mr. Junhoo must be proud to see his junior debut and put on such a good performance.』
“Proud, my foot. He’s probably seething with jealousy right now.”
Lee Cheonghyeon scoffed. This kid, his temper seemed to have gotten a bit sharper.
“Iwol hyung, did you know Seongbin hyung would perform this well and that’s why you left it all to him?”
Kang Kiyeon asked. I glanced at Jeong Seongbin and replied,
“No, not really. I was surprised too.”
As if embarrassed, Jeong Seongbin avoided my gaze. Then, in a tiny voice, he explained that the tears weren’t intentional. I didn’t bother explaining that the fact they weren’t intentional made them even better.
The broadcast ended with a 17-year veteran ballad singer being selected as the ‘Singer of the Day’.
Even in the fierce competition, Jeong Seongbin achieved the feat of winning third place.
As I was fiddling with Jeong Seongbin’s picture on the slogan with satisfaction, he spoke.
“Thank you, hyung.”
“For what?”
All I did was make a slogan, yet he was suddenly thanking me.
When I gave him a questioning look, Jeong Seongbin smiled and said,
“Do you remember last year, hyung, when you sang ‘Sitting by the Window’ at the monthly evaluation?”
“I do.”
Wasn’t that the first evaluation where I faked emotions I didn’t have due to lack of skill? Looking back, it was embarrassing.
“I thought a lot about you, hyung, while preparing for this stage.”
“….You did?”
“Yes. I was able to elevate the performance because I used you as a reference. Without that, it would have been hard to fully immerse myself.”
Jeong Seongbin smiled.
This kid seemed to have found something to learn from my past self. Meanwhile, I had just been looking back at it with self-deprecation.
Feeling embarrassed, I avoided his gaze.
“You prepared and thought it through on your own. I didn’t teach you anything.”
“Still.”
“Don’t try to give me credit for your hard work. The world is already stingy enough with praise as it is.”
Perhaps because I was embarrassed, my words came out stiff. Feeling awkward, I quickly got up from my seat.
“Still, thanks for the compliment.”
Jeong Seongbin smiled brightly at my words. It was a night that felt embarrassingly sentimental.
***
After Jeong Seongbin’s appearance on ‘Genre-Swap’, a new song was added to Baek Haewon’s playlist. Since it was a song for broadcast, she hadn’t even expected it to be released as an official track—but it dropped as if it had been planned all along.
‘That was… such a good broadcast…’
Perhaps because it was a long-standing program, the sound was excellent, and the lighting effects were great. She was proud of her idol, who put on a fantastic performance there.
Above all, ‘Genre-Swap’ captured Jeong Seongbin’s innocent, glistening face perfectly!
Baek Haewon’s post, which included screenshots of Jeong Seongbin’s shining visuals, was widely shared among Sparklers. A video of his amazing high notes also boasted a considerable number of views.
≫ My mom, who hated idols appearing on Genre-Swap, did a 180 degree in 3 minutes.
She keeps asking if he’s really an idol
So, Seongbin, please release a traditional ballad already
└ It’s not easy to surpass the original, but honestly, Seongbin did so well… ㅋㅋㅋ I went to listen to the original and quietly backed away ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Let’s be real, Seongbin swallowed the originalㅠㅠ I’m so proud of our baby, I could die
≫ A cold, ethereal-looking guy tearing up? That’s cheating
Plus, he sings so well
At this rate, he’s going to be the No. 1 male idol main vocalist
└ 22 At this rate, Jeong Seongbin, you’re going to be the No. 1 male idol vocalist ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
≫ The tears in Jeong Seongbin’s eyes look like pearls.
Is this okay…?
My heart… my heart is trembling?
I’m drenched in emotions from head to toe. If you squeeze me, I’ll wring myself out
└ Calm down and go stream the song.
≫ His eyes, the tip of his nose, his neck are all reddish, his eyes are moist… his expression sorrowful…
Singing about the pain of heartbreak with a face like that, how can you not fall in love??
└ How can you not fall in love???
└ How can you not fall in love???????
└ How can you not fall in love?????????????
≫ I’m so glad I’m not in politics
If it were me, I would have pulled down all the palace pillars, issued decrees, and emptied the national treasury every time Seongbin shed a tear, and I’d end up getting executed for it
└ OP, please, your head is literally about to rollㅠㅠ
└ What did I just read?
Having taken this opportunity to promote Spark even to neighboring fandoms, Baek Haewon was completely drained.
To recover, she lay in bed, playing Jeong Seongbin’s version of ‘First Step’ on repeat until the music wore out.
Exactly 30 minutes later, her phone notification startled her.
A new update about her beloved Spark had just dropped.
‘There wasn’t supposed to be anything today…?’
There was no way she missed an SNS notification. Confused, Baek Haewon hurriedly went to Spark’s MeTube channel.
≫ [Spark] Making Cheering Props Secretly for Our Leader 2X08XX
‘Could it be banners they made for Seongbin?’
Spark was so cute she wanted to die. It seemed like the cameraman was trying to capture the members huddled together, but since all of them had ridiculously broad shoulders, the thumbnail ended up just being a massive wall of backs—which was somehow perfect.
Unusually, the background of this video was their dorm. There was no sleek PPT either.
She wondered why, but thinking about it, this was normal for an idol’s self-produced content. She had been so used to seeing their professional side that she almost forgot.
『We each make one and then put them all together later, right?』
『Let’s do that. Let’s make them with our own individual styles.』
As soon as Kim Iwol gave permission, Lee Cheonghyeon picked up the materials.
Thus began the unhinged creation of cheering props by the five members of Spark, none of whom were quite normal.