The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 99

A single white beam of light descended to the center of the stage.

Against the completely dark background, Ryu Si-hwan entering the beam of light looked like nothing more than a shadow in the effect that perfectly contrasted with the pitch-black surroundings.

Tap, tap, tap.

Moving his fingers as if playing piano to match the piano melody that spread sweetly through the air, Ryu Si-hwan followed the beat while the remaining members approached one step at a time from both sides.

The mysterious sound of reverse cymbals rang out, swallowing the piano melody.

「My love is chronic, chronic

My chest hurts every time I think of you

I want to breathe, I want to break free

Pain, deep in my heart」

Ryu Si-hwan’s voice beautifully decorating the intro moistened their eardrums.

Even without using any special techniques, he possessed the charm to gather everyone’s attention.

Standing confidently at center, Ryu Si-hwan seemed to prove why he was the winner of 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉.

「As if bewitched by something, my eyes grow blind

Even when I reach out, can’t feel a thing

But this feeling, this trembling echoing in my body

I wanna chase it」

The formation that had been in a single line split apart and Chae Ha-ru came to the center position.

When he roughly grabbed the harness fitted around his collarbone area as if his chest felt tight, MILLENNIUM, who had been admiring his visuals, responded with screams.

Showcasing group choreography that had risen to the highest level of synchronization, CENTIX complicated their movement lines intricately.

As the deep house beat gradually picked up speed, their footwork became faster accordingly.

「Shouting into the void

Toward you who might be listening somewhere

Save me, Save me

Free me from my time」

The transition section connecting to the first chorus was decorated with Seong-hwi’s outstanding vocal tone.

No audience member could avoid being captivated by his voice that was thin yet had a strange magnetism behind it.

The piano sound had now almost disappeared from the deep house melody, which was enhanced with energetic EDM sounds and synthesizers.

The beat racing toward its peak combined with CENTIX’s group dance to amplify the immersion even more.

Split into a 2-2-2 formation, CENTIX used the entire stage.

Seong-hwi and Ma Si-hyeok in the center performed reverse choreography as if facing mirrors.

The remaining members who had moved to the sides lowered their positions below the two in the center.

「You can save me (save me?)

Oh will you save me? (save me)

Any way is fine with me

Cause my love is」

Ma Si-hyeok and Seong-hwi exchanged fast singing-rap lyrics while looking at each other.

Though both were equally outstanding main dancers, the style differentiation stemming from their physical differences properly set fire to the fans’ hearts.

All sounds suddenly diminished.

The members spread across both wings quickly spun and returned to a single-line formation.

And Ma Si-hyeok’s mid-low voice broke that moment of silence.

「Chronic」

The fast beat split even further, exploding with euphoria.

The deep house melody that richly filled their ears and the appropriately mixed EDM beat perfectly captured trendiness.

The choreography that CENTIX had refined day and night also shone.

The explosion of intense knife-group dance in the chorus section seemed to shout why Ryu Si-hwan had said ‘the key point of this song is the choreography that all six create together.’

MILLENNIUM opened their eyes wide with all their might, not wanting to miss those complex footsteps and upper body animations.

「The moment our breaths touch

I know everything will end」

During the beat killing moment, Ryu Si-hwan switched positions with Ma Si-hyeok and advanced to the center, his original position.

Reminiscent of the old 〈Back in the Time〉 blindfold performance, CENTIX covered both hands over their eyes then naturally brought them down to their mouths.

Here the choreography tempo seemed to loosen momentarily.

「My love is chronic, chronic

And only you can save me

SAVE ME」

Reaching the end of the chorus, CENTIX’s formation looked like they were literally flying across the stage.

It was a moment where Ma Si-hyeok’s participation in dance choreography creation clearly showed, having slightly mixed contemporary dance into the overall movements.

The pop-style EDM beat that had created the atmosphere faded and the second verse arrived with the piano melody ringing out sensually again.

The rhythmical deep house sound layered underneath created a medium tempo rap section.

「Trapped in time

Endlessly drawing only you

Can’t move, can’t see, can’t reach

Still I’ll treasure our memories

Try a hundred times? Huh no

I could do it a thousand times more

Cause you’re my savior」

The inverted triangle formation slowly spread and Kang Seon-woo grinned while covering his eyes in the center.

When he shook his head looking at the camera in time with the bass beat splitting into two beats, the crafty character he’d shown on variety shows was nowhere to be found.

His hair shining white like silver under the lighting and his heightened eyes proved why Kang Seon-woo drew hardcore fans around.

「I’m scared of the darkness, pull me out

The time’s collapsing on me

This illness is still far from being cured

Only my broken heart keeps beating

Tick tock even as time passes

Even if waves choke my breath

I will wait for you」

Following Kang Seon-woo’s rap that floated lightly and smoothly over the beat came Ma Si-hyeok’s rap.

Since he hadn’t originally started as a rapper during his trainee period, his pure skills were naturally below Kang Seon-woo’s.

But the advantage of being the only mid-low voice in CENTIX and the atmosphere stemming from his unparalleled physique made even his rap exceptional.

Like the first verse, the second verse transition bridge similarly built up the beat.

「Shouting into the void

Toward you who might be listening somewhere

Save me, Save me

Free me from my time」

Yu Ha-woon caressed his entire body from his waist to his neck with graceful fingers.

Having already shattered MILLENNIUM’s expectation that he would always maintain only a cute image during the final round, he showed an even more developed side on this stage.

Yu Ha-woon’s dramatically improved facial expressions were truly spectacular.

「You can save me (save me?)

Oh will you save me? (save me)

Turn the stopped clockwork again

Flip my world upside down

Because someday we’ll meet

Cause my love is

Chronic」

Just before entering the chorus, this time Yu Ha-woon and Chae Ha-ru’s collaboration pleased MILLENNIUM’s eyes and ears.

Reciting lyrics with completely different content from the first verse, CENTIX’s expressiveness became even more intense.

Just before the final ‘Chronic’ struck the speakers.

Yu Ha-ru, who briefly stood at center after crossing positions with Yu Ha-woon, bit his lips gently and forcefully drew his hand across his neck.

At that moment, CENTIX, who had spread their formation in a circle, performed turn spins in the direction Chae Ha-ru had drawn his hand and collapsed to the floor.

Standing alone in the center, Seong-hwi showed off beautiful dance lines while performing a solo dance.

「The moment our breaths touch

I know everything will end」

As Seong-hwi flashed his trademark eye-smile and moved forward, the collapsed remaining members rose one by one to form a W-shaped formation.

Behind Seong-hwi’s voice handling the second verse chorus, Ryu Si-hwan’s doubling was appropriately mixed in.

「My love is chronic, chronic

And only you can save me

SAVE ME」

The EDM sound disappeared again and now only the sensual deep house beat and piano melody remained.

MILLENNIUM, recognizing they had entered the song’s latter half, was waiting for only one thing.

The pattern they’d shown throughout 〈ISL 2〉.

The killing point based on songs these members had done together.

「In unreachable time

You call my name

I can feel the heat

Thrills drench me」

Whether from the intense choreography or because he deliberately loosened it himself, it was unclear.

Ryu Si-hwan sang while shaking his black shirt collar once.

The exact part he had sung during the pre-interview earlier.

Everyone held their breath and just watched his technique of freely changing between head voice and falsetto.

Reverse cymbals soaring upward began gradually building the EDM beat again.

The members took their positions one by one in front of Ryu Si-hwan.

「Shine brilliantly on me」

Kang Seon-woo stretching both hands upward.

「Make my heart beat again」

Chae Ha-ru grinning while lightly pulling the choker around his neck.

「Even after a thousand years I’ll be here」

Yu Ha-woon adjusting his black suit.

「Move my world」

Seong-hwi walking out while brushing his bangs.

「Drench me in your color」

And finally Ma Si-hyeok stepping forward and murmuring low.

The members standing in a V formation stretched their hands diagonally toward Ryu Si-hwan, who was last.

「Cause you’re my savior」

They turned their bodies forward in time with Ryu Si-hwan’s voice belting out high notes with veins bulging at the center of the stage.

A production like flower petals contracting then blooming wide.

Ryu Si-hwan hit the peak of the stage with overwhelming skill.

Even while the five rose from their lowered positions to perform group choreography, his high notes didn’t break.

Ryu Si-hwan, who had sustained that high note for nearly 5 seconds, digested the chorus choreography in perfect sync with the members without a single waver.

CENTIX truly burned brilliant flames until the very end, making one wonder if that was really human stamina.

Fans who couldn’t take their eyes off them even once felt like the overwhelming emotion would burst from their chests.

「My love is chronic, chronic

And only you can save me」

Finally everything stopped.

The piano melody, the deep house melody, the EDM and synthesizers.

And the six idols who had dominated and flown across the entire stage.

Slowly stepping back, Ryu Si-hwan sang the final lyrics like a whisper to the ear.

「Save me」

The stage lighting went completely out, ending with a one-shot of Ryu Si-hwan gazing at the camera with his hand placed on his left chest.

“Waaaah!”

“Amazing, this is seriously going to blow up!”

“Ryu Si-hwan is insane!”

“You guys!”

Immediately 1,000 audience members erupted in tremendous cheers.

The emotion that 〈Chronic〉 had built up one by one in their hearts transformed into catharsis, creating more intense exclamations than ever before that continued for dozens of seconds.

As the members released their ending poses and bowed while descending the stairs, cheers for CENTIX filled the filming venue.

The same thought bloomed in everyone’s minds who had gathered here.

This would definitely be a hit.

Fans were happy that the debut song they’d been worried about turned out so well.

Reporters were happy thinking they could draw views with CENTIX articles alone for almost a week.

Finally, quick-handed reporters had already delivered this news to entertainment news sections.

[CENTIX, successful debut show… ‘1,000 people’s cheers weren’t wasted’]

[Monster rookies CENTIX, stage proving why they’re called monsters]

[Second half first place is a given…? CENTIX releases debut song 〈Chronic〉]

Before long these headlines would occupy the top of internet portal sites.

The CENTIX performance videos that followed drew the attention of countless people.

Not just regular fans.

But fellow idol colleagues as well.