The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 79

Costumes, which could be called the primary foundation of over-immersion.

When asked to recall stage outfits that command many fans among those stage costumes, suits, harnesses, and uniforms would come to mind.

Among the national managers who have been following idols for dozens of months, some might have wondered this.

Even though harnesses are relatively dependent on music genre, why don’t they put these kinds of people in uniforms, which are guaranteed box office hits?

As if answering that question through a loudspeaker, the 〈ISL 2〉 production team revealed their secret card they had hidden until the very last moment.

“Uniforms, it’s uniforms, uniforms!”

“Waaaaah—!”

As the audience members clutched their hearts watching the 10 trainees walking toward the center of the stage, people watching from home were also going wild.

—Blah blah blah white uniforms, has the coordi team finally lost their minds

—Ugh this is why you have to focus on places with lots of capital, it’s not just simple uniforms either, what’s with that quality, seriously

—Where’s the gif maker, hurry up and bring that golden-handed person here, sit them down and tell them to turn this entire stage into gifs, quickly

└That’s not a gif, that’s video capture level right?

—Wait is the center Yu Ha-woon right now? Is that Ha-woon???

└Oh I guess so, that’s Ha-woon alright

└I clearly remember Yu Ha-woon in my memory as someone with a totally baby-like atmosphere, when did he grow up like that?

└Yeah seriously, even standing next to the other guys he’s not falling behind much now

└That’s not what’s important, he even dyed his hair, he dyed it!!

Just as the sharp-eyed netizen who caught that split-second moment said, Yu Ha-woon stood tall in the center position, his brown hair fluttering in a much brighter tone than before.

Showing off shoulder decorations where golden threads rippled like waves, he raised his right hand high.

「We are on the Royal Road

Open the road for me

The time has come to reach the conclusion

Look left, look right

Everyone shout toward us」

After repeating the lines he had recited at his first appearance, a melodic bass from the deep house genre began thumping through the speakers.

The trainees who had been bouncing their upper bodies to that beat instantly formed a line formation when the synthesizer-infused piano accompaniment hit.

「In this dark path I had hoped

Waiting for the time when we would shine

Never miss this moment

Stand up, stand up」

Yu Ha-woon, who perfectly handled the opening through the first verse, dusted off his shoulders while grinning wickedly.

The audience couldn’t help but unconsciously unleash cheers at those mischievous eyes that completely contrasted with the cute youngest image he had protected until now.

「You said it was just my delusion

That it would never come no matter how long I waited

But in the end, I reached here like this

Break the wall」

At the very back of the line formation, a figure spun both hands to the sides in circles.

Then the remaining trainees orderly hit the floor one by one and stood up again, instantly moving their formations.

Like a maestro controlling his colleagues, Ha Sang-hun powerfully sang his verse.

「Let out all the breath you’ve been holding

Now it’s time to reach the end

Be the light, become this light myself

Brightly open this path」

And Chae Ha-ru, who received that energy completely, advanced to the center.

When he made perfect eye contact with the camera and smoothly swept back his parted hair, massive gasps responded from all directions again.

「Failure again? (Never)

Hanging your head again? (Never)

Now take a breath

It’s time for decision!」

They reached the trainees’ part where they exchanged rap verses with each other.

The formation split again, temporarily creating space in the center.

The tall, slender guys in front showed off flashy spins while switching positions for a few seconds.

Then Ryu Si-hwan, who had finished preparing, broke through the path and belted out the chorus with explosive vocalization.

「We are on the Royal Road

We’ll leap into the moment of dreams

Here, the synergy between you and me

I’ll repay all those hearts

Sing it with me

Our time of victory!」

This was the first scene where Ryu Si-hwan properly showed his face.

But befitting a participant who exuded overwhelming presence, he created countless points that captured fans’ attention in those few seconds.

—Wait, is Si-hwan the only one with a hand mic? Am I seeing this right? No one else has a hand mic, right?

—Wow seriously so cool for real LMAO. What kind of crazy bastard brings out a hand mic for the final stage!!

└I’m someone who threw my entire life to that crazy bastard

└222

└It’s like he’s shouting “I’m going live until the end” for everyone to see, damn Ryu Si-hwan…

There was generally a perception that holding a hand mic creates many restrictions when doing choreography.

In fact, most idol groups prefer ear mics when they have complex choreography sequences.

However, the perception that ‘main vocalists who sing well stubbornly hold hand mics’ had also spread, so Ryu Si-hwan’s choice led to firmly establishing his position.

Not stopping there, after shouting the final “Victory,” Ryu Si-hwan brought his free hand to his ear.

And just before his one-shot ended, he roughly pulled out his in-ear.

The sweat droplets slightly bouncing off his hair turned to the side, the loose in-ear wire, and the killing moment created by his flushed jawline.

The national managers enjoying the stage at the venue couldn’t notice unless they looked carefully, but viewers watching through the live broadcast went crazy.

Of course, Ryu Si-hwan had simply removed his in-ear because his own voice singing and the voice from the MR were mixing together.

But he unintentionally created another legendary scene.

At the point where the chorus ended, the piano synthesizer sound dropped dramatically, and in its place came a dreamy bass beat that hinted at a dance break.

The number of 10 people could create formations with ideal balance.

This knife-like group dance was exactly what touched many fans’ heartstrings as 〈ISL 2〉 progressed.

Showcasing quality so good it was hard to believe this was self-produced choreography, the deep house genre of 〈Royal Road〉 raced toward its end.

As the heightened bass beat gradually died down, the trainees who had advanced to the very front of the stage stepped back and returned to the center of the stage.

Then the same formation that first appeared breaking through the light was completed.

Yu Ha-woon shook his bright brown hair in the center and sang the final verse.

「Whatever comes, I’m ready

Sing it with me

Our time of victory」

The final bass of the deep house sound dropped like raindrops, and the blue spotlights went out temporarily.

The 10 trainees including Ryu Si-hwan, who had struck ending poses in the center of the stage, naturally rode the lift down.

The audience who visited the venue screamed like crazy, and people watching from home were busy leaving frenzied comments on live talk and communities.

But that moment of frenzy was brief.

A red light flashed on the side stage next to the main stage.

「Feel ma heartbeat, my pulse

Even the rising excitement is sweet to me」

Fog lightly sprayed from special effects devices installed below the set, creating considerable atmosphere.

And in that red fog, 10 figures began pumping their chests to the beat.

“Waaaaah, Seong-hwiiiiiiiii!”

“Hwi, look over here!”

Intense EDM accompaniment that differentiated from the dreamy and sophisticated sound of deep house struck their eardrums.

The audience unleashed cheers again without time to breathe at Seong-hwi’s voice laid low over the melody that seemed to have electricity crackling down.

「My mind is made up

No need to hold on anymore

Throw everything you’ve been enduring

Cause today’s the final day

Make ’em pay

Running only toward the light」

Behind Seong-hwi, Kang Seon-woo, showing off his flowing silver hair, delivered tight rap.

As soon as Kang Seon-woo’s rap verse ended, the trainees who chose the future EDM genre of 〈Royal Road〉 vigorously ran through the passage and came to the central stage.

At the appearance of black uniforms like the deep night sky, contrasting with the white uniforms of the earlier trainees, the national managers cheered until their voices went hoarse.

「Uh uh, move your body

There’s no time to hesitate

Step by step move your feet

The feeling of victory, I’ll convey it to you too」

Ma Si-hyeok fluttered both lapels once, making the silver decorations dance.

When his trademark angry collarbone was briefly caught on screen through the slightly open uniform top, some people even clutched their noses.

Following the future EDM beat that developed at a much faster tempo than deep house, the trainees unfolded exhilarating group dance.

「We are on the Royal Road

We’ll leap into the moment of dreams

Here, the synergy between you and me

I’ll repay all those hearts

Sing it with me

Our time of victory!」

Sparks flew brilliantly and the participants who raised their right hands stopped in place.

Thud, thud, thud—

The melody line lost strength like an alarm on the verge of going out.

When the audience took disappointed breaths as the song’s heated atmosphere seemed to be dropping.

The central lift activated, and the trainees in white uniforms reappeared with their left hands stretched high toward the sky.

Soon, the accompaniment of 〈Royal Road〉, modulated once more, burst through the speakers more intensely than ever.

Following the flow that transformed into the most K-pop-like mainstream pop genre that everyone was familiar with, now 20 trainees flew across the stage all at once.

When there were only 10 people, really clean and knife-like formations were achieved, but with double the number, the effectiveness of the group dance also doubled.

At the end of 〈Royal Road〉’s highlight, English phrases obviously made for group singing were repeated, and the experienced audience instinctively sang along with all their might.

「Sing it with me

Our time of victory!」

The final survivors of 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉 raised their hands with all their might.

This time, not sparks but fireworks decorated the grand finale, erupting magnificently.

Matching that timing, the pop melody that had reached its limit also ended, burning out its final thrill.

“Waaaaaaaah—!”

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

Only screams that couldn’t be expressed in words burst out with momentum to pierce the ceiling.

Receiving that tremendous praise with their whole bodies, the 20 trainees rode the lift down below the stage with their hands raised until the end.

It was a beautiful stage befitting the name of finale, where everyone’s energy in the gymnasium burned together.