novelraw Chapter 319: 1st Batter (1)
Chapter 319: 1st Batter (1)
Releasing our first double title track was a continuous series of new challenges. There was twice as much to prepare and three times the work to do. It was a painful time for everyone.
But, as they say, after hardship comes joy. Spark’s comeback was now proceeding exactly as planned.
Thanks to our manager sharing the schedule, the group chat was also buzzing nonstop.
Thank goodness. We poured a lot of money into this round — at least it wouldn’t end in a loss. Though, ‘a lot’ was just relative to what we had spent in the past.
I nearly overloaded myself trying to memorize two choreographies in such a short time, but I made it through. Our two dance coaches took turns keeping a close eye on me.
Truly, a teacher’s grace was as vast as the sky. I almost bought them carnations on Teacher’s Day, but I restrained myself.
‘The highlight medley is out, and they said the teaser is coming out tonight.’
It felt like I’d completely bid farewell to crammed comebacks.
This was the environment I’d wanted. After all, for work to be done right, you need a plan, capital, manpower, and time!
As I was looking over the schedule with satisfaction, Park Joowoo, sprawled out in a corner of the practice room, caught my eye.Perhaps because we had him training so intensely for the athlete concept, Park Joowoo was recently experiencing the strange phenomenon of his stamina decreasing even as he gained muscle.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“I don’t think I can make it to the finals…”
Park Joowoo was spouting nonsense. I gently encouraged him.
“You can do it, Joowoo.”
“Really…?”
“Of course. We don’t have many members, you know. If you’re not there, we lose by default.”
“That would be bad…”
Admirably, Park Joowoo wiped his sweat and stood up bravely. I’m so proud of him, so proud.
“By that logic, aren’t we already disqualified? Baseball has nine players.”
Just as I was in the middle of encouraging Park Joowoo, Kang Kiyeon rained on my parade.
“I’ll… I’ll bat twice…”
“No. We can just tell Choi Jeho to bat three times.”
“You think it’s all about batting? Who’s gonna handle defense?”
Even Choi Jeho chimed in, starting to argue about practicality. These unromantic S-types, honestly. Starting today, I’m officially an MBTI believer.
* * *
Baek Haewon had been unable to sit still since 5 o’clock. The teaser wasn’t out until 6, but her heart had been pounding since the moment she woke up that morning.
≫ Been waiting for 6 o’clock for 180 million years now
Time is just crawling
Even after posting on SNS and replaying the Highlight Medley on a loop for an hour, she couldn’t calm her trembling heart. And understandably so…
‘For a ‘refreshing’ idol group, a sports concept is a total cheat code!’
…The highlight medley image even had stitching shaped like a baseball seam. And it even had dirt smudges in the corner!
‘Please let there be slim-fit or skinny pants, long socks, spandex uniforms…’
Baek Haewon spent the remaining time deep in prayer. As if in answer, a notification came from the Spark channel.
≫ spArk 스파크 ‘On A High Note(OAHN)’ Official Teaser
The teaser’s main focus was Kang Kiyeon. The sight of his face, dappled with the shadow of leaves as he glanced slightly upward, was striking.
Even better, for a teaser, it was a full 50 seconds long. It was a generous runtime.
‘Here we go, youth sports drama!’
With a thrilled heart, Baek Haewon clicked the thumbnail.
The murmuring of a crowd and the sound of a large drum blended into the background audio.
Kang Kiyeon, walking down a tunnel inside the stadium, hesitated at the light pouring from the exit.
The camera zoomed in on his back. Five hands patted his back as they brushed past him.
‘Is Kiyeon the main?’
It was not like there was a designated ‘main’ member for every album, but there were always members who got a particularly high level of focus. This time, it seemed to be Kang Kiyeon.
The moment Kang Kiyeon stepped onto the sun-drenched field.
The screen switched to a shot of the vast baseball field’s grass and a group dance scene with the members in various baseball uniforms. The long socks Baek Haewon had been praying for were wrapped tightly around their calves.
Kang Kiyeon and Jeong Seongbin, standing at the center of the formation, smiled refreshingly as they performed a motion of adjusting their helmets. The sound of an aluminum bat hitting a ball rang out in Baek Haewon’s head. Clang, clang.
Kang Kiyeon, who told you to roll up your t-shirt sleeves like that? Who told you to expose your shoulders and bare skin under the natural light! And Seongbin, you’re the older one, you should be keeping your dongsaeng in check, but who told you to wear wristbands! Don’t you know that if the wristbands on each wrist are different colors, the fangirls will find a way to assign meaning to it?
Before she could even get a good look at the other members, the background changed again. This time, it was a locker room.
Choi Jeho, sitting on a chair, took off his catcher’s mitt and then, with his eyes closed, shook his head from side to side. Unlike the other members, the letter ‘C’ was written on the chest of his uniform. The moment her eyes met Choi Jeho’s, Baek Haewon unconsciously held her breath.
In ‘Unmanned Rest Area,’ he had looked like a wild caveman. But it seemed the dignity of a royalty never went away.
The screen changed from the group dance back to the baseball field—in what felt like a 3-second clip, Baek Haewon did not miss Kim Iwol’s skin, which glowed even brighter under the natural light, Park Joowoo’s brilliant dark gray eyes, and Lee Cheonghyeon’s seemingly longer legs.
Kang Kiyeon grabbed a rosin bag, dusting his hands with the powder.
Facing the blowing wind, Kang Kiyeon blew on the rosin on his hands.
『End』
Baek Haewon slammed her hand on the desk.
“If idols are going to start playing baseball, they should at least show us until the bottom of the 9th!”
Baek Haewon was indignant at UA’s lack of business ethics. At the same time, she was absolutely ecstatic. Which was to say, she loved the teaser.
* * *
Whether or not a group was well-known could often be seen from the number of comeback articles written about them.
Unlike in the old days—when we had to write our own press releases—even just dropping a teaser this time brought out articles that reporters wrote on their own.
[☆] Spark, the Symbol of Freshness, Returns
To already be called the symbol of freshness felt a little excessive
And we hadn’t even gone that far away. Even during ‘The Words I Want to Say’ era, we were pretty fresh, weren’t we? Was the problem really turning Choi Jeho into a chain ghost? We gave him a good role this time, so it should be fine, right?
While Jeong Seongbin checked my smartwatch records, I kept racking my brain. Just because there was more workload to do didn’t mean I could forget the important things.
I had to keep reminding myself. The current KPI was to successfully hold a concert, and as the system said, I could face difficulties if I didn’t prioritize my main job.
‘I can’t let my guard down.’
I slowly composed my breathing. Jeong Seongbin, who had been monitoring my heart rate, gave me the okay sign.
“Alright, let’s practice again!”
At my words, the guys who had been resting gathered one by one.
As I had ordered, the difficulty of the choreography was significantly higher. I never thought Spark’s performances were easy before, but the amount of physical exertion this time far surpassed anything we’d done.
Thanks to that, everyone’s jawlines were getting sharper by the day, despite increasing their food intake. It was pitiful for even me to watch.
Especially Lee Cheonghyeon… I didn’t know what kind of resolve he’d made, but he had repeatedly torn apart, reassembled, flipped, and ground the song until the very last minute, leaving his soul completely threshed. His ability to memorize choreography in that state was simply amazing.
“Are you okay?”
It was so bad that even Choi Jeho was asking after his well-being. Lee Cheonghyeon smiled with a face that was gaunt but, at the same time, showed a mature charm beyond his years. Dear Sparklers, I think I finally understand what ‘tragic beauty’ means.
“Once we wrap up this promotion successfully, how about we suggest a group vacation to the company?”
He loved group activities, so I casually threw it out there, and Lee Cheonghyeon took the bait immediately.
“A vacation? All of us together?”
“We can go separately, too. It’s not mandatory. The most important thing is to rest when you can.”
“No, no. I like group vacations. What about you guys? Kang Kiyeon?”
At the mention of playing, Lee Cheonghyeon revived like the dot bean I had last watered.
“Let’s go play in the water. Isn’t it still the off-season around the time our promotions end? Oh my god, I’m so excited already!”
Jeong Seongbin barely managed to calm the bouncing Lee Cheonghyeon down. It seemed I’d have to submit a corporate card request form during the last week of promotions.
* * *
The music video for ‘On A High Note’ opens with Kang Kiyeon transferring to a new school.
Kang Kiyeon struggled to adapt to the new environment and remained an outsider.
On his lonely walk home, Choi Jeho stopped him by tugging on the strap of his bag from behind, and Park Joowoo, with an arm casually draped over Choi Jeho’s shoulder, watched Kang Kiyeon with interest.
In time with the beat, Kang Kiyeon’s voice flowed out.
『Challenges are scary』
Kang Kiyeon, in his summer uniform, stepped onto the mound and threw a pitch.
The camera captured Jeong Seongbin standing with his arms crossed, Lee Cheonghyeon squatting next to him with his chin resting on a bat, and Kim Iwol lying on the bench, watching Kiyeon with just a slight turn of his head.
『Maybe because it’s the first time
I keep hesitating』
The fresh atmosphere and bright visuals complemented the overall high-pitched melody well.
『But the reason I can’t stop』
『Is because this moment
Is so enjoyable』
The clean voice of Kim Iwol and the untainted voice of Jeong Seongbin filled the song in turn.
The members’ choreography, dressed in matching white uniforms, was cheerful and energetic.
Despite the perfect precision in their steps as they bobbed their heads to the changing notes, there was a sense of ease.
In the brightly color-corrected screen, Lee Cheonghyeon’s light pink hair came alive vividly. The baseball cleats, hitting the beat with knife-like precision, stood out sharply against the green grass.
『Beginnings are difficult』
Kang Kiyeon slowly melted into the group. He impressed the strict vice-captain Jeong Seongbin by bringing him water, and he dragged the unmotivated Kim Iwol back to practice
『Like running
On an unknown road』
Choi Jeho took in every one of Kang Kiyeon’s small actions. In sync with the scene, Choi Jeho’s part came on.
Next, Kim Iweol and Park Joowoo sang their short lines in turn.
『But the reason I keep climbing endlessly』
『Is because this memory is so precious』
As the team practiced through dust and dirt, the tournament bracket on the wall advanced upward, showing Spark reaching the finals.
『Because it makes my heart pound』
With Park Joowoo and Kim Iwol’s joint part as the background music, Choi Jeho, who had been contemplating in the locker room, took off his catcher’s mitt as if having made a firm decision.
Immediately after, the back of Kang Kiyeon from the very beginning of the teaser appeared.
His teammates patting his back in encouragement as they passed by, Kang Kiyeon’s feet stepping onto the field empowered by their support, and the hot, blazing sun were shown in rapid succession.
As if doused in carbonated water, Lee Cheonghyeon’s refreshing voice poured over the drums that were finely chopping the beat.
『Run, until I soar
Until my ragged breath
Reaches my chin
Until my whole body
Floats up』
Paper confetti, announcing the opening ceremony, scattered from the sky. One-shots of the members who had successfully made it to the finals flashed by in turn.
The fast tempo and rhythmic accompaniment, reminiscent of a cheering anthem, gave the feeling of watching a grand match.
『Under the blue sky
And the floating clouds』
『Shout, loudly』
While Jeong Seongbin and Park Joowoo smoothly exchanged lyrics, heading toward the song’s climax.
Kang Kiyeon stepped onto the most prominent spot on the field, the mound. Behind him, the members could be seen holding their defensive positions.
Catching a ball that flew from straight ahead, Kang Kiyeon’s eyes shone. Choi Jeho put on his mitt and sat down. Having finished his preparations by fiddling with the rosin bag, Kang Kiyeon gripped the ball. Dust kicked up from under his feet.
『Play ball!』
Taking his stance, Kang Kiyeon threw the ball quickly. His beaming smile filled the screen, and then the scene changed to a part of the scoreboard, which showed they hadn’t allowed zero runs throughout the entire game. A whistle, as crisp as if it had been recorded for the track from the start, rang out in time with the chorus.
The joyful expressions of the members were captured in slow motion. The dust that had covered the field floor was once again covered by confetti, rosin powder, and the members rushing toward Kang Kiyeon.
As the video neared its end, Kang Kiyeon, sitting on his bed in a dark room, sent a message.
Me
[Hyung]
[Why did you choose me as the starting pitcher?]
The song’s instrumental played softly in the background.
Captain
[Because you’re good at baseball.]
Kang Kiyeon’s eyes couldn’t leave the screen.
As the camera pulled back, his packed bag for the expedition, an old uniform hanging on the wall, and old posters on the wall came into view one by one.
Finally, when the camera had pulled back completely, all that remained on the screen was the darkened room where the objects were hard to identify in detail, and a single, small, bright light.
『End』
With the final text signaling the conclusion, the music video finally came to an end.
Author's ThoughtsHi, everyone, I am sorry, but this novel will be posted two chapters a week from now on. It's temporary (hopefully)