The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 74

“Yo.”

It was past 1 AM.

Even though I had gone through nearly 8 hours of 〈Royal Road〉 practice sessions during the day, I still hadn’t been granted any special privilege like a practice room escape pass.

When I had to spend over 10 hours in the same space, Kang Seon-woo, who seemed particularly long-unseen, appeared waving his fingers.

I threw him one of the water bottles placed beside me in response.

“Oh my! Why are you suddenly throwing water bottles at me, Ryu Si-hwan?”

“So you don’t whine to me later about being thirsty—drink water right now.”

“Your preparation and review are very thorough, Ryu Si-hwan.”

“Can’t you drop that weird way of talking?”

“Nope, can’t do it!”

Kang Seon-woo made a bright nasal sound.

I was an idiot for thinking this guy was welcome, even for a moment.

“It’s not even been a minute since I saw your face and I’m already getting sick of it.”

“Hey, but we’re seeing each other after such a long time! We’ve been rotting in different practice rooms and couldn’t even greet each other properly. Isn’t my silver hair, which you’re meeting after 4 days, welcome?”

“I only think of Jeju silver hairtail fish.”

“Since you mentioned Jeju, I want to go to Jeju! We’ll be able to go to Jeju for schedules after we debut later, right?”

“Don’t talk so carelessly and warm up your body.”

“I’ve been dancing all day and came here, man. There’s nothing to warm up.”

Still, Kang Seon-woo listens well to what I say, so as we were rotating our ankles together, the 〈Winning Shot〉 members gradually opened the practice room door and came in.

“Hello!”

“Brother Si-hwan, long time no see!”

“Long time no see, everyone.”

I briefly high-fived Ma Si-hyeok, who had been in the Future EDM version, and Kang Seon-woo was doing some inexplicable traditional dance with Chae Ha-ru and Yu Ha-woon.

Finally, when Ha Sang-hun and Seong-hwi arrived, all seven had gathered.

“Ugh, my whole body aches.”

“Why are you making dying sounds as soon as you arrive?”

“Hahaha, if you ask Si-hyeok over there who’s peeling and reattaching pain patches, he’ll know well!”

Seong-hwi, who had practically collapsed against the practice room wall, swept his fluttering bangs back.

Just looking at his state, he seemed quite worn out from fatigue.

Seeing the pain patches attached to his knees and both elbows, his body didn’t seem to be in good shape either.

“……There were various difficulties in creating choreography.”

“If you say it so plainly like that, it doesn’t properly explain the situation, Si-hyeok.”

“This is the best way I can talk.”

“To put it simply, we thought we’d try creating choreography in an integrated way while listening to people’s opinions as much as possible, like Brother Si-hwan did. But everyone’s desired key points were somehow slightly disconnected from each other…… We had trouble finding that center point, you know.”

I had thought that with Seong-hwi and Ma Si-hyeok already showing their creative sides, that team would finish their choreography relatively easily.

I briefly contemplated while looking at the L sticker attached to Seong-hwi’s chest.

‘If it had been Seong-hwi from the early days of 〈ISL 2〉, he would have pushed through with whatever path he thought was right regardless of what others said. Everyone has changed, including me, but this guy has changed tremendously too.’

Seeing my gaze, Seong-hwi let out a brief laugh filled with his characteristic madness.

“Don’t stare so seriously. The choreography itself is all finished, so now all that’s left is injecting it into those idiots.”

Correction again.

His personality has changed, but his essential character is still alive.

First, we need to finish the session as quickly as possible so our sleep time can increase too.

I clapped my hands while positioning the members in formations I’d stood in countless times.

“No matter how many dozens or hundreds of times we’ve practiced 〈Winning Shot〉, it was already 2 weeks ago. We’re currently learning choreography for other songs at the same time. So absolutely don’t let your guard down, and let’s practice as intensely as if practice were the real thing. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“Yes!”

“Let’s finish quickly and sleep!”

The Music K Showdown exclusive 〈Winning Shot〉 stage practice that began like this ended when it was nearly 4 AM.

And the promised Thursday quickly flew toward us.

* * *

“Brother, don’t you need to drink more water?”

“I’m good. You drink more.”

“If I drink any more here, I think I’ll want to go to the bathroom.”

Ma Si-hyeok put down his water bottle while chewing his lower lip.

On his opposite side, Chae Ha-ru was trying to collect himself by taking deep breaths.

“Why does it feel so different even though it’s always the same place where we performed?”

“They say even if the place is the same, it changes according to the atmosphere of that day and moment.”

“My heart is pounding like crazy.”

Despite his plain way of speaking, Chae Ha-ru’s pupils were truly trapped in the middle of an earthquake.

I calmly checked his in-ear equipment while briefly comforting him.

“Anyway, once you get on stage, you won’t think about anything. Honestly, we’ll be too busy handling our choreography to have time to feel nervous, right?”

“That’s probably true.”

“Right, think simply. Just tear up the opening properly. Then your body will naturally loosen up.”

“Just tear up the opening… Just tear up the opening……”

Like someone chanting a spell, Chae Ha-ru kept repeating what I had told him.

I patted his shoulder while briefly pondering my own words.

For some reason, I felt déjà vu.

I think I said something similar right before the 1st team battle, that is, right before the 〈Volt〉 stage.

Leaving Chae Ha-ru to his self-hypnosis, I moved to check on the condition of the surprise element who had received those exact same words during the 1st team battle.

“Is your condition fine?”

“Ahhhh—! Oh, it was you, Brother. Yes, I’m doing pretty well! I feel like I can totally destroy the stage today!”

When I lightly patted his back, Yu Ha-woon was startled to death before barely pulling himself together.

I chuckled while looking at his microphone cord that didn’t match his boastful words.

“If you go up with the cord twisted like that, your transmitter pack will slip out during the performance, you know?”

“Ah, it was definitely fine until just now—!”

“Wait, I’ll untangle it for you.”

As I untangled the knotted cord with practiced hand movements, Yu Ha-woon watched the work with curious eyes.

“I was curious before too, but Brother, how are you so good with stage equipment like this?”

“Huh?”

“You’re a regular person who hasn’t even joined an agency. But you seem to handle equipment more skillfully than us, so I found it amazing.”

“Ahem.”

This was another moment when déjà vu hit.

Yu Ha-woon had asked me this exact same question before.

That time, Chae Ha-ru’s messing around let it slide vaguely, but now I have to make some excuse.

‘This is why habits are scary.’

During my days when I debuted with Black Shot. Although I had only sung on official music broadcasts like this once, I had received thorough early education beforehand.

How to handle in-ears, how to properly manage easily tangled ear mic cords.

So even after spending 50 years in hell and being reborn, it was one of the basic knowledge ingrained in my body like a habit.

But it was knowledge that the current individual trainee Ryu Si-hwan, who participated in 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉, should normally not know.

“It was, how should I put it, a hobby. While practicing alone, I searched a lot about stage equipment and props.”

“As expected, if you see a lot with your eyes, you can quickly apply it in real situations!”

“That’s about right.”

I succeeded in throwing off Yu Ha-woon with nonsensical bullshit.

If it had been someone who was more perceptive like Seong-hwi or Kang Seon-woo, it would have been harder. Fortunately, he’s an insensitive youngest, so it worked out.

While I was catching my breath like that.

“Ah, I want Si-hwan to comfort me too! Hwi, should I also pretend to be nervous?”

“Want me to be coldly honest?”

“What?”

“If you say that, Brother, you should be thankful if Brother Si-hwan doesn’t hit you.”

“You’ve become such a cold child too!”

“Ahaha, I was always like this.”

Seong-hwi and Kang Seon-woo, like ghosts, finished their preparations and walked over here.

By the way, I think Kang Seon-woo said something weird just now.

“Si-hwan, I’m also really nervous—.”

“You’ve probably done countless practice performances at BK during monthly evaluations and such.”

“—At least let me finish what I’m saying!”

“Ah, sorry.”

When Kang Seon-woo was making an indignant expression, Ha Sang-hun, who had finished his final preparations, entered the backstage.

“Our final piece Ha Sang-hun is here! Is your throat okay today?”

“Ah, yes. I drank honey water last night before sleeping and it got better.”

If you ask who among the trainees has sweated the most lately…….

I would probably mention Ha Sang-hun and Yu Ha-woon.

They practiced live vocals until late at night to the point their throats became hoarse.

And they carved out corresponding time to polish their choreography as well.

Not a single person here lacks desperation.

However, now with only the final live broadcast remaining.

Ha Sang-hun and Yu Ha-woon, who received low rankings in the 3rd ranking announcement, will have to break through much heavier pressure than others.

Most people give up when suffering under such pressure.

But those two guys seemed determined to sublimate the heavy atmosphere into passion and burn their flames until the very end.

Since I couldn’t possibly not know that desperation, I just squeezed Ha Sang-hun’s arm once firmly.

“Let’s show everything without regrets today and come down.”

“Of course.”

I looked at the idols singing passionately in the center of the stage where dozens of cameras were shining.

Soon, seven trainees would appear not in 〈ISL 2〉 but on major music broadcasts right there.

While being swept up in special emotions.

“〈Winning Shot〉 special stage, standby! Cast members, please get ready!”

We nodded to each other once, then walked silently toward the stage step by step.

I turned my head one last time to look at Cerberus wagging his tail in the distance.

He also cheered with an unusually serious tone.

{Master, fighting!}

‘Yeah.’

* * *

“Live Music K Showdown! Unfortunately, all the stages prepared for today have finished~!”

“We’ll return next week with even richer and more substantial quality!”

“Until now, the MCs……”

Right after Music K Showdown, the pride and center of cable music channels, ended, fans who had watched live from various locations simultaneously burned with the same will.

They had to somehow brag about the spectacle they saw with their own eyes.

Numerous SNS sites and various communities were blazing with the same topic.

The special stage that could only be seen today among the otherwise ordinary music broadcast.

〈Winning Shot〉, presented by participants from 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉, which is currently drawing hot attention in South Korea, began spreading like it had wings.

The stage quality and trainees’ live performance weren’t much different from the 3rd round competition. Since they had already poured out everything they had back then, they couldn’t do better than this.

But the people who watched the 3rd round stage from beginning to end with complete immersion were only the hardcore national managers who love 〈ISL 2〉.

Ordinary people who don’t watch 〈ISL 2〉, that is, muggles, had only heard about that legendary stage through NeoTube channels or friends’ enthusiastic praise.

Thanks to appearing on a mega music broadcast like Music K Showdown, 〈Winning Shot〉 could reach broader age groups and consumer demographics than ever before.

—Did anyone see today’s K Show special stage?? I really turned on the TV and watched K Show live for the first time in ages since they said these guys were appearing lmao

└I also turned it on thinking I should watch it once since the fans around me kept going “Winning Shot, Winning Shot”…… To be honest, they did much better than I expected. It’s not for nothing that they’re popular

└You have such a mild reaction even after seeing this legendary live performance, ma’am? I can’t breathe properly right now and I’m going crazy

└Ah, since you mentioned live, I should mention this too. Honestly, the reason I wasn’t watching ISL 2 was because I thought it was all pre-recorded stages with post-processing anyway, right? But the kids who came out on today’s stage did well live, as expected

└Right lol. I was also being a hipster and not watching ISL saying I wouldn’t follow trends to the end! But I thought I should watch K Show once and then what the hell… The main vocal, what was his name? There was this really handsome kid. Anyway, his live was amazing

└The main vocal is Ryu Si-hwan, Ryu Si-hwan!! Our kid is perfect in vocals, dance, and charm, so please give us your precious vote during next week’s live broadcast T_T

—[02:35] What’s the name of the trainee who appears here?? I’m kinda urgent, he set my heart on fire and ran away

└Ma Si-hyeok (20) living on Earth / Features: damn tall, damn broad shoulders, damn sexy face / Frequent behavior: Setting people’s hearts on fire and running away, a complete arsonist

└I wish someone would catch that arsonist and bring him to our local police station so I can visit that police station every day

└Wow, that friend’s name was Si-hyeok! I’ve been seeing him in gifs on Bluebird for a while wondering who he was, but after watching K Show today I decided to become a fan. I’ll watch the live broadcast too hehe

—Guys guys guys, urgent news!! (link) K Show version Winning Shot MR removed version is up

└These people LOL. It hasn’t even been an hour since K Show ended, why are your hands so fast

└It’s because these golden hands exist that we can comfortably do our fangirling, right? We love you, golden hands

└Just listened and came back, they really sing better than most first-tier idols? LOL. And their choreography was incredibly intense, wasn’t it

└It’s been so long since I heard rough breathing and the sound of cheeks hitting mics in MR removal. I love this realistic MR removal

└What’s with Seong-hwi’s voice, it’s smooth yet seductive, like a human fox

└Seon-woo and Si-hyeok’s rap is clearer and Ha-woon and Sang-hun’s voices are more distinct. The kids all did well regardless of main, sub, rapper distinctions

The fruit of the boys’ efforts who were just considered trainees.

The firepower of broadcasts that ordinary fans, not just specific demographics, can access.

And the community buzz and overwhelming topic generation that brings all of this together in one place.

This tailwind brought by Music K Showdown would carry over intact to 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉 episode 11, which would air the next day.