novelraw Chapter 274: Year-End (2)
Chapter 274: Year-End (2)
Immediately after the cover stage ended, the waiting room became even more chaotic.
“Guys! We’re going to completely wipe off our makeup and do it again, so get ready!”
“Those with zippers on the back of their clothes, come this way!”
I took off my clothes by myself, wiped my face well with a cleansing tissue, and then went to the bathroom to wash my face. And while the guys were changing into their next outfits, I quickly scanned the community forums.
When I searched for ‘Spark,’ ‘SPK,’ or ‘SPRK,’ all sorts of posts came up.
There was also a slight misunderstanding mixed with the confusion.
≫ Is KI dating HSM?
Otherwise, there’s no reason to cover PKC’s group’s song
└ I was a bit startled when I saw this, too
└ Isn’t there a pretty big age gap between them??└ It’s probably more than a 12-year gap
└ Did they hit it off during My Office?
And this misunderstanding was resolved in 5 minutes thanks to the netizens’ fiery search.
≫ Firecrackers, I think you can put down your bamboo spears
(Photo)
UA’s vocal trainer is from PK CR
└ I thought my kid was recklessly dating, but turns out it was a ‘gratitude to my teacher’ event
└ Wasn’t HSM also from PK CR?
└ It seems they covered it because both HSM and the trainer are from PK CR
└ I am relieved
≫ Am I the only one laughing at Gu Jahan’s Insta?
Mr. Jahan, that’s not how you post a proof shot from watching in person
└ I went to see what was uploaded andㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I saw ten ghost photosㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ If Ms. HS and Iwol were dating, I don’t think he would have posted something like thatㅋㅋ
└ Mr. Jahan, you’re really bad at taking pictures, but I understand that you wanted to cheer for Iwol
└ All ten are pictures of Iwol, but there isn’t a single picture where Iwol is clearly visible
└ Schrödinger’s Iwol
Except for the fake news that Kim Iwol had dared to perform a deceptive stage, the other reactions were overwhelmingly positive.
≫ Loved the giant boy group’s hip-hop pink punk look runway. As expected, pink is for men
└ Outfit like a model, face like an actor, dances like an idol, sings like in the days before AR was a thing—what an old-school talent
└ I can’t believe my idol achieved the Y2K pink coord aesthetic before I did
≫ Choi Jeho’s wave just swept my sanity away like the tide going out
I can’t get the image of Choi Jeho doing the wave out of my head
The idols on TV keep changing, but I keep seeing Choi Jeho as an afterimage. I think I’m going crazy
It just… feels like I’ve been hit hard on the head with something
└ Iwol gave Jeho the wrong nickname. He should have called him the sexy emperor, not the center emperor
└ Our Emperor Jeho was at rock-bottom yesterday, but today he restored his status in an instant. Imperial power gloriously revived
≫ Spark’s main vocal carry is insane
The future of K-pop is bright
└ With this skill, why did he debut as a group instead of a solo… It seems like he made a choice that was rather disadvantageous to himself
└ Stop with the condescending advice. What do you know about Joowoo?
≫ I understand why Indenia put so much effort into carving out that photoshoot
They couldn’t possibly shoot an ordinary photoshoot with these faces
They had to squeeze out every last drop. I get it now
└ I understand too. It’s a natural choice in a capitalist society
└ That’s right. Indenia made a little more investment and produced the best result
≫ The world is unfair
He’s handsome, but he also dances and sings well
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ actually, this is the most important point. If you can’t sing, you’re just relying on your face and acting upㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ I feel energized thanks to the kids heh I’m cheering for the best master singer Spark^^
└ I knew they were going for a refreshing, bright-boy concept, but I didn’t know they’d be this fresh
More detailed evaluations would probably come up after the Music Festival ended and the group stage videos were released, but the real-time reaction was hot enough. I turned off my phone with satisfaction.
“After our next stage, we’ll be in the audience seats until the ending, right?”
“Yeah. What did you guys decide to do?”
“We’re going to be in the audience seats and then go to the dorm with Manager Daeyeon when it’s time!”
While I was monitoring, the subsequent schedule was quickly discussed behind me.
Usually, it was customary to stay in your seat until the ending… but. Spark, with a majority of its members being minors, couldn’t stay until the end even if they wanted to.
So, the younger members, including Jeong Seongbin, would return to the dorm with Manager Daeyeon in the middle, and only Choi Jeho and I would stay until the ending stage.
“I’m sorry, hyung. I’ll definitely stay in my seat until the end next year.”
Jeong Seongbin approached and said with a troubled face.
“What are you talking about? I’m the one who should apologize.”
“Huh?”
“Just thinking about how much those guys will chatter when they get back to the dorm…”
I trailed off.
In a situation where a performance extravaganza was taking place, would Kang Kiyeon stay still? When all sorts of arrangements were pouring out, would Lee Cheonghyeon just listen to them? It was not just idols, but there would also be special stages, so would Park Joowoo really not watch them and just go to sleep?
Realizing what I meant, Jeong Seongbin’s face turned pale. The guy grabbed my collar.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“You will to have to come back quickly…”
“If there’s no traffic…”
At my answer, Jeong Seongbin was overcome with sadness. He had realized it was impossible.
* * *
The hip, pink-punk-styled Spark from earlier disappeared within ten minutes of returning to the waiting room. Instead, a pure white Spark filled the void.
They had worn rather flashy attire in the music video, but today was the end of the year. The stage effects were booming, and the colorful light sticks shone, allowing all sorts of images to be displayed on the screen.
So, Spark decided to mix the mindset of their early ‘IDC’ days with the newly provided capital of UA.
From the simplest all-white color with a touch of luxury in silver accessories, to the six different outfits, all the same color but with different details tailored to each member’s characteristics.
I felt like crying, remembering the self-PR stage where we had endured with white t-shirts, jeans, and baseball jumpers. Guys, we made it.
Watching me change into a pure white frilly ruffled shirt, Lee Cheonghyeon spoke.
“Your Highness, isn’t it a bit too worldly of an attire for someone who lived in an ice castle?”
“You insolent fellow, even I have a style I want to wear at times.”
Lee Cheonghyeon cackled with laughter. The bobby pins, put in to hold his bangs in place, dangled, so I had no choice but to re-pin them for him.
“Why are you wearing so many necklaces and bracelets?”
“I sealed them so I wouldn’t carelessly use the king’s power.”
“Ah, so that’s the setting.”
Choi Jeho, who was listening to my and Lee Cheonghyeon’s conversation, shook his head back and forth. It seemed he didn’t even feel the need to react to our discourse.
“But won’t Jeho hyung feel cold?”
During the cover stage, Choi Jeho had embraced winter in a sleeveless top; this time, while he’d regained both sleeves, he had lost his entire chest area. It was only today that I realized a shirt could be cut that deeply and widely. The center’s harsh fate was to choose between the cloth to protect his chest and the cloth to protect his biceps.
“Put on a hot pack. If you stick it to your back, it won’t be visible, right? But you have to put it on your clothes, not your bare skin.”
“You know if it falls off mid-stage, my cool image will be completely ruined, right?”
“Were you the type of person who lives and dies by his cool image?”
“It’s less about image and more about the humiliation.”
In the end, Choi Jeho rejected the suggestion to attach a hot pack. We considered taping it to his clothes, but since dancing might reveal the inside lining of his jacket, it was no use.
“It’s not exactly for warmth, but do you want to wear a tie? It would be warmer with even one layer of cloth, wouldn’t it?”
“Is that even cloth? And you’re telling me to wear a tie on my bare neck?”
“It’s a fashion that many of our sunbaenims have done in the past, so what’s wrong with it?”
Choi Jeho rejected the tie as well. He said it was fine because his pants were long. I could only hope that the thick, high-necked white walkers, or the several belts fastened around his thighs and biceps, would provide some warmth.
On the other hand, Park Joowoo, who had been wearing a warm fleece sweatshirt until just a moment ago, began to shiver from the cold as soon as he changed. The sight of him, clutching a hot pack given to him by Jeong Seongbin and getting his makeup redone, was quite pitiful.
“Joowoo, what are you going to do about the cold?”
“It’ll get warmer when I dance, so it’s fine…!”
Park Joowoo answered positively. It was a wonderful attitude.
“I’ll prepare a blanket for you when you go up to the audience seats.”
Manager Daeyeon said as he tore the plastic off a brand new blanket.
Spark’s turn to go up came quickly. The schedule was merciless to rookies.
“Since the stages are back-to-back, we have little preparation time.”
“When you have more seniority later, you’ll be able to stand on the ending stage.”
At my encouragement, Jeong Seongbin made a face that said, ‘What are you talking about?’
“You haven’t thought that far ahead?”
Jeong Seongbin’s mouth fell open.
“Not at all.”
“It’s good to be faithful to the present, but, well.”
The day he stood on the ending stage would come someday. As it did in the past.
So for now, just endure a little. With that thought in mind, I patted his shoulder and picked up my mic.
* * *
Baek Haewon, whose heart had been dyed pink, lay sprawled on the sofa and took a deep breath. It was too stimulating a stage for a delicate girl.
≫ Happy Pink Christmas, everyone
└ Happy Pink Punk Cute Christmas to you too, Miheon-nim
└ Merry Happy Pink Punk Cute Christ-spark-mas
≫ Aaaack guys
Who told you to come out wearing such a cute hat?
Who told you to put a headband on a telephone pole?
Who told you to put cat ears on a village guardian post?
└ Seems like you’re enjoying it more than anyone
≫ The choreography is insane. Unnies, please make a comeback
└ Unnies… I have a bank account, please make a comeback…
└ And the song is good tooㅠㅠ Pink Carrot, definitely come back
After that, she remained completely dazed. All she did was alternately glance between the set list and the clock.
≫ When are the kids coming on?
└ Ma’am, the kids just went on stage
Parthe came out earlier and they’re out now too!
She was about to burst with anger, but she held it in. Baek Haewon was not immature enough to deliberately target another group on a day of celebration for everyone. If she was going to curse, she should curse at the broadcasting station; attacking the group itself would only cause a fandom war.
Instead of getting angry, Baek Haewon collected the pictures that were being uploaded on social media. Her hands, saving images and pressing likes, were more precise than a machine. As befitting a skilled social media user.
‘Look at how pretty the kids are.’
At this rate, her gallery was going to explode. She should have bought the one with the biggest storage capacity when she first bought her phone. Baek Haewon smacked her forehead like a regretful male lead.
At that moment, the time in the corner of her phone caught her eye. It was the time Baek Haewon had been chanting under her breath for.
When she turned her head to the TV screen, the order was proceeding roughly similar to the setlist.
After this stage ended, Baek Haewon would be able to see Spark again.
Spark, performing The Words I Want to Say, the best seasonal song of this winter as chosen by Sparklers.