Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 125

StormStudent

 

I guess life really is full of surprises.

 

To think I’d end up at Fantasia’s debut showcase… with my own twin brother, of all people.

‘Seriously… is this a dream?’

 

“……”

 

‘Is it really not a dream?’

 

Furthermore… I wasn’t even the one who pushed for this.

 

Sure, I was over-invested in Idol Classism, and yeah, I was a fan of Fantasia now, but…

 

‘Offline events are a bit much for me.’

 

Strictly speaking, I was a homebody. Crowded places made me uncomfortable. Even the subway or a bus was a struggle.

 

I wasn’t like my outgoing older brother. If someone asked whether I wanted to come here, I would have said yes without hesitation, but actually making myself go somewhere this crowded was a completely different matter.

 

Honestly, I still couldn’t believe I was standing here with him.

 

The exact number of members in Fantasia’s official fan club, Aether, hadn’t been disclosed, but judging by the flood of proof shots on the fan cafe, the scale was massive. We had to do first-come-first-served ticketing for a venue that only holds about 3,000 people… basically, getting tickets for this showcase was nothing short of a miracle.

 

‘And this idiot actually did it….’

 

My twin brother had actually pulled it off, so there was no way I could refuse to come. It seemed he was too embarrassed to go alone, so he applied for my ticket too and proudly snagged two seats. That was the only reason I was here.

 

“Still not feeling the crowds?”

 

“Huh? Oh… no, it feels okay today for some reason.”

 

“See? It’s because you always rot at home that you stay stuck there. Relax. We’re all Aether here anyway. And you know, right? We need to cheer Unha hyung on.”

 

“Not just Unha—we should be supporting all of Fantasia.”

 

“I know that. But we have to cheer for Unha hyung the loudest. I mean, he’s the one getting attacked the most by those Kingdom fans. Every day, they post comparison GIFs with Lime, dragging him for his singing and dancing… even though it’s all completely baseless. Anyway, protecting Unha hyung is the same as protecting Fantasia.”

 

‘I’m speechless.’

 

“Got it?”

 

‘Why on earth is this guy so fixated on Lee Unha?’

 

He was evolving into a hardcore akgae, and it made me a little uneasy.

 

‘Well, he doesn’t know anything about fan culture. Anything I say here won’t change him. He’ll just have to learn by going around, making mistakes, and getting schooled by others.’

 

I wanted to give him some advice, but honestly, I didn’t have the luxury to worry about my twin. The environment around us was getting too chaotic.

 

A low buzz filled the air. People were finding their seats. They were all so different. There were students who looked like us, and people who looked like proper adults. I saw some unnies already exchanging gifts and chatting as if they’d met before. And…

 

‘There are quite a few guys here too.’

 

The number was surprisingly high, but it didn’t feel weird. Idol Classism was a hit with everyone regardless of age or gender, so it made sense for people to be interested in Fantasia. Though, paying 30,000 won to join Aether still felt a bit extreme for some….

 

‘The more people cheering, the better!’

 

My doubts vanished quickly. After all, even my brother had fallen for Unha.

 

If anything, I felt a strange sense of solidarity. Knowing we were all bound as Aether, even the older men didn’t feel out of place. Seeing everyone’s faces lit up with expectation only reinforced that feeling. It was almost funny seeing such a diverse crowd in one place.

 

As the chatter began to die down… the lighting shifted. Reflexively, screams erupted from all corners of the room.

 

Fantasia had arrived.

 

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

 

— One. Two. Three!

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

 

“WAAAAAAAH! FANTASIA!!!”

 

— Hello! Save the world! We are Fantasia!

 

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

 

The intro music started immediately, accompanied by a roar that made my ears ring. The screaming only got louder. It was a sound I wasn’t used to, but for those gathered here, it didn’t matter. Not for those who had been waiting for this debut ever since Idol Classism ended.

 

“What?! What?! They’re opening with Paradise?! Unha hyung! Unha hyung! I’m here!!!”

 

The lights dimmed and then flared up instantly. On the giant screen behind them, footage of Fantasia preparing for the stage was projected.

 

“UNHA HYUNG!!! UNHAAAA HYUUUUUNG!! I’M HERE!!!”

 

‘Would you shut up already?! I can’t even hear them!’

 

“UNHA HYUNG!!! UNHA HYUNG!!!”

 

‘Seriously, shut up already!!!’

 

Immediately after, the lights flooded the stage.

 

Lee Unha, the center and leader, opened the gates. His pleasant vocal tone pierced through the air.

 

— The poison hidden in hope, inside the vanishing shadow, is it paradise or just another trap?

 

‘Wait, are they singing live?’

 

Right after, Joo Wooyoung took over Lee Unha’s part. He showcased his signature healthy, clean dance lines while singing.

 

— Paradise, in a dream that never ends, I even forget who I am.

 

‘It really is live.’

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

 

‘Seriously, could you quiet down a little… stop getting so worked up…’

 

— This place where day and night are blurred, no escape.

The light vanishes, leaving only a trace of darkness.

A maze that deepens with every step.

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

 

‘What is wrong with this punk today?’

 

Even through the nonstop yelling from the nuisance sitting beside me, I could clearly hear Kim Haejun’s voice. His diction was so crisp that every lyric came through perfectly, catching me by surprise. The atmosphere reached a fever pitch as Jung Taehee’s chorus began.

 

And then, once again, lights exploded across the stage once more.

 

A brilliant, vivid glow descended upon the stage.

 

“…….”

 

“…….”

 

My heart felt full. It wasn’t just a performance. The things Fantasia went through weren’t just their story. Fantasia’s fans had lived through all of it with them. I remembered what the members had been like when they first appeared on Idol Classism. Just like everyone else. I wasn’t quite at the point of tears, but my chest tightened all the same.

 

Seeing how much they had changed—No, how much they had grown—only made that feeling stronger.

 

‘They practiced so much, didn’t they?’

 

“…….”

 

‘They really practiced a lot.’

 

It was completely different from what I saw on the Idol Classism final stage. It wasn’t just the arrangement. The time that had passed wasn’t especially long, but it was enough to tell just how much practice they’d poured into this.

 

The group dance was sharp, and the live vocals were stable. The voices felt even better hearing them live than the polished versions on TV.

 

‘Taehee… he’s become an incredible singer.’

 

The same Taehee who had gone off-key during his self-introduction and burst into tears was now controlling his expression perfectly as he belted out his lines. The same went for the other members. Every single one of them was incomparable to before. I could feel that they had run toward this one showcase stage with everything they had.

 

— A dream hidden in hope, is it paradise or just another trap?

 

Lee Unha’s part began again.

 

At that moment, for some reason…

 

I felt like I made eye contact with him.

 

No, we definitely made eye contact. Even though he was quite far away, it felt real. Not through the screen, but in person. Even though his pupils should have been hard to see, I felt like I could see them perfectly.

 

It felt like I was being sucked in. No, I was being sucked in. It really felt that way.

This might sound a bit random, but…

 

‘Unha’s eyes… are really beautiful, aren’t they?’

 

Being sucked… in….

 

That thought… filled… my head….

 

“—————-AAAAAAAAH!”

 

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

 

“——————————-!!!”

 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

 

“WAAAAAAAH!!! LEE Unha!!!”

 

“———————————TASIA! FOREVER!!”

 

“HEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! LEE Unha!!! Unha HYUNG!!!”

 

And….

 

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

 

“WAAAAAH! I LOVE YOU FANTASIA!!!”

 

“——–!!!”

 

“AAAAAAAAAHH!! Unha HYUNG!!! Unha HYUUUUUNG!!!!”

 

A voice reached me.

 

“What are you doing? Let’s get up….”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The showcase is over.”

 

“What? It’s over? Already?”

 

“What’s wrong with you? Are you sick? It ended 10 minutes ago… They did the interview with the reporters, they sang all the songs on the mini-album. They even greeted the fans and took photos… You were screaming like a maniac. I thought you’d lost your mind. Don’t you remember?”

 

“No. No. No. I remember… everything….”

 

“Really? Are you sure you remember? Are you really okay?”

 

“No, what are you talking about? Of course I’m okay! I’m just… a bit dazed. Seriously… that was insane. I didn’t even notice the time. I really, really lost track of time, oppa. Honestly, I felt like I blinked and it was over. Now that I’m thinking back, I remember everything. What do I do? Did I scream too loud? Did I bother other people? Was I screaming at the wrong times?”

 

“I thought you were a pterodactyl.”

 

“Ahhh! Seriously!!”

 

“I’m kidding. Everyone was screaming that loud. People were staring at us, though.”

 

“That means we were bothering them! They were giving us looks because I was screaming too much! Ugh… that’s so embarrassing… What if we end up all over the internet?”

 

“Eh, so be it. More importantly, wasn’t Unha hyung incredible today? Did you see?”

 

“Huh? Yeah. He was no joke. I meant it, my heart is beating so fast I can’t handle it. Let’s go to these events often. Music shows, concerts, everything. Let’s go to all of them together. Oh! We have to go to the fan meetings too! The fan meetings! And the album… I have to buy the album! And collect all the photocards!”

 

“We’ll do it all. But I don’t know if you can do it all. You have no money.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Guess you’ll have to get… a part-time job?”

 

“…….”

 

“Guess you’ll have to go… outside?”

 

“Ah! I’ll do it! I said I’ll do it….”

 

It wasn’t just empty words.

 

I felt like I’d regret it forever if I missed even the smallest event.

 

I put my hand on my chest and could still hear my heart thumping. I felt like I had to run home and find a part-time job immediately.

 

‘Ah! Before that… I need to write my showcase review first.’

 

“…….”

 

‘Oh, right! The MV is being uploaded too! I have to pick that apart and enjoy every bit of it….’

 

“…….”

 

‘And I have to see Unha again. Yeah. One more time….’

 

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, but I didn’t care anymore.

 

My whole chest, my heart, and my head were being filled with a mysterious, overwhelming emotion.