The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees – Chapter 30 – U Know (2)

Author: CleiZz

It looked as if he had been crying just moments ago, his eyes rimmed red as he stared at the screen. Then he began to sing softly, almost like reciting the words.

Yes I know

You probably think I’m a fool.

Yes U know

But you know you’re the same, too.

His soft singing of the lyrics was soothing, yet full of emotion.

The moment Muse’s part ended, the chains binding him seemed to slither away like snakes. Freed, he rose to his feet, and instantly, the stage behind him transformed.

Just like Muse, Lee Nak-hwa—his eyes also red—walked among withered, lifeless trees as he continued the song. The backdrop was a dark night with neither moon nor stars.

And We know

(Still, there are things we can’t do)

And They Know

(Still, things we must do)

Muse’s soft singing layered over Lee Nak-hwa’s lines, weaving seamlessly with his voice.

The melody, previously lyrical and gentle, shifted suddenly—now charged with the rhythmic energy of K-pop, propelling the song forward.

From the thick branches behind Lee Nak-hwa, Shin Yoo-soo appeared.

I know—it’s hard.

He looked down at Lee Nak-hwa with a faint smile.

But, you know, right?

Yeah, that we still have to do it.

Lee Nak-hwa met his gaze and returned the same gentle smile.

The once-dead tree—stripped bare—sprouted anew, eventually forming a flourishing forest. At its center, all of Victory gathered, performing their group choreography.

Yes We know

And You Know

Their formation shifted fluidly—from a circle of three and three to a straight line, then flowing like water. Though the tempo had become more rhythmic, their movements retained the original emotional tone. Soft, modern-dance-like gestures blended perfectly with the song.

As the choreography neared its end, Cheong-ryang and Haneul stepped forward, crossing their arms and exchanging lines:

Leave the past behind and move on.

Turn your back on the future and move on.

Even if the road is endless, keep running.

It’s okay to fall.

It’s a path where everyone falls.

They softly sang the final line together, eyes fixed straight ahead, drawing faint smiles with their sorrowful gazes. The background, however, turned a bright, clear blue.

Beneath the endless meadow, Sol delivered his lines with the same calm, serious expression as the two before him:

Yes I know

You probably think I’m a fool.

Yes U know

But you know you’re the same, too.

The moment Sol finished, Muse appeared back-to-back with him.

And We know

(Still, there are things we can’t do)

And They Know

(Still, things we must do)

Lee Nak-hwa’s softly sung vocals intertwined with Muse’s, piercing through the lines. When their parts ended, the youngest members stepped forward. Facing each other, palms pressed together, they sang as though pouring out every last trace of sorrow.

Yes, we tried it, you know?

But you know, right?

How difficult it is.

Having released their burdens, they turned forward with genuine smiles.

Once again, the scene shifted. The background was now a forest of towering, ancient trees. The heavy darkness had lifted, replaced by a clear, refreshing sky shining through the woods. Cheong-ryang and Haneul appeared, smiling brightly under the sun.

Together, they softly sang in unison:

Still do it (Let go!)

Step on it (Let go!)

All the paths you’ve walked (paths!)

Every single one (paths!)

With each chorus, all six members’ voices harmonized, and the dance continued.

Yes We know

And You Know

This time, the background was where Muse had once been chained—against broken clocks. The six members moved as one in precise, fierce motions. The soft, modern-dance-like gestures from before were gone. Kneeling in a circular formation, they executed powerful, synchronized movements. Behind them, the broken clocks shattered, revealing a blue sky. The red sunset lingered, yet the members wore nothing but bright, unburdened smiles—as if the day’s struggles no longer existed.

Yes, we tried it, you know?

Lee Nak-hwa softly sang with a smile:

Why am I like this?

Why are you like this?

Why are we like this?

Everyone responded in soft harmony:

Yes, we tried it, you know?

Muse sang again, his voice gentle yet confident:

Leave the past behind and move on.

Turn your back on the future and move on.

The others joined in, softly singing their lines in harmony:

Yes, I know it’s hard.
But you know, right?

Sol sang the next line with a bright smile. Muse draped an arm over his shoulder and softly sang the final line:

Yes, it’s what must be done.

The camera pulled back, capturing all six members together in a single frame.

Swoosh—

The projector rolled again, and Victory’s image blurred. The background returned to the movie theater. This time, the once-empty audience seats were filled—with Victory themselves.

Each member appeared in a different look, yet all of them wore the same bright smile as they faced the screen.

They were no longer “the audience.” No—sitting in the audience was Victory as Victory. And then, all of them turned to look straight ahead.

[Re:Make]

[We start again]

The same words from the beginning appeared above them, marking the end of the title track MV for their first full-length album.

***

Clap! Clap! Clap!!

“Perfect! Wow, no wonder they entrusted this to a top director—this turned out amazing! Absolutely perfect! The best! Incredible!”

Chris clapped his hands excitedly, and next to him, Team Leader Hong nodded in agreement.

“They said the editing was finished late last night, so I was worried, but it seems that worry was unnecessary.”

“Exactly! I was afraid a bad MV would ruin such a good song! The members must have seen it already, right?”

“They probably watched it at the dorm. They wanted to show the fans their reactions through personal broadcasts, but we told them not to.”

“They must have been a little disappointed!”

“Well, there’s no choice. Meeting fans on stage has much more impact than through a video anyway.”

Team Leader Hong exchanged a few words with Chris before looking at me. They must have been curious about my reaction.

“It’s good,” I said sincerely.

Everyone looked slightly surprised, as if expecting more. Chris quickly asked, “CEO, you really think it’s good, right?”

“Yes, Chris,” I nodded, adding, “I genuinely like it. Honestly, I’d love to take you all out for a celebratory dinner, but remember, we have the comeback showcase at 7 PM today.”

With this stage, Victory would officially kick off their promotions—and this time, they would be treated completely differently from before.

“Make sure to check the showcase stage thoroughly, right to the very end.”

“Yes!”

“We’ll have the celebratory dinner after Victory finishes promotions for their first full album.”

“Are we getting beef?!”

Chris raised his hand, eyes sparkling. I smiled and replied,

“Beef—or anything else—you’ll get it all.”

“Waaaah!”

Cheers erupted all around. Even Team Leader Hong, usually so reserved, seemed pleased.

Maybe I should request some beef be grilled at company dinners more often.

“Then, everyone, do your best.”

“Yes, CEO!”

One by one, the staff who had monitored the MV left the room.

“CEO! Make sure you get a good rest today!”

“You too, Chris.”

Only after Chris left did I return to my office. As soon as I sat down, I played Victory’s first album title track.

The title was U Know, written by Kang Ye-seong. When asked why he chose it, his explanation was surprisingly thoughtful.

“Actually, there were many title candidates, but none captured the meaning as fully as U Know.”

Whether to end it with a question mark, exclamation mark, or period…

“Depending on that, the public could interpret it differently.”

A question mark makes it feel like a question. An exclamation mark gives it a rebellious tone, like “You don’t know anything.” A period makes it a nod, like “Now you know.”

“So I decided to title the song ‘U Know.’”

It carried such a meaningful nuance.

But I also understood a deeper meaning that Kang Ye-seong hadn’t explicitly explained.

This was a message he was sending to his own past—

To ‘NIKE,’ who had shared struggles and climbed to the top together in The Genius Who Came to Take Over the Entertainment World,

And a farewell to the seven years at King.

Fortunately, Victory’s existing fans seemed to have understood the message perfectly.

[F***]

Guys, may you only walk on flower pathsㅠ We’ll lay them down for youㅠ No, we’ll be the flowersㅠㅠ Just trample everything behind youㅠ Forget everything that happened at Kingㅠㅠ Love you guysㅠㅠㅠ

?[LoveMyBoys]: I freaking love you, my boys.

?[BigdolLet’sHitItBig]: Really love you.

Other fans shared the same sentiment.

[Rushed to pre-order the album]

I heard my oppa owned some AMA stocks and trashed them so much that I came here to see what these guys were about. From now on, I’m a Nike fan, okay? If my oppa dares trash my kids, I’ll take him down and post a review, everyone.

?[StockWatcher]: 22

?[BigdolLet’sHitItBig]: LOL, can’t wait

I wanted to tell the post’s author that AMA stock would recover soon. In fact, until yesterday, AMA stock had been steadily falling. But by morning, not only would it recover to its original price, it would continue rising.

[Guys, so…]

This song really is Victory sending a message to their past selves, right?

?[BigdolLet’sHitItBig]: I saw it more as delivering a blow to those who mock our kids…

?[BigdolMajorShareholder]: I think it’s a message to the past.

?[OurBoysAreInTheMainLineup]: Anyway, I really love this songㅠㅠ f***, the way their expressions bring the song to life is insaneㅠㅠ

Yes, it was the perfect time for MV interpretations to flood in.

Leaving the community reactions behind, I checked the music charts. U Know, released alongside the MV, was climbing rapidly.

The song initially entered at 63rd place—Victory’s best achievement yet.

Not only U Know, but every track from the first full album had entered the top 100.

The response was explosive, and fans weren’t letting the energy slip away. It would continue like this.

By now, the track I’d been playing had reached its second half, racing toward the end.

Leave the past behind and move on.