Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 132

The composition was oddly striking.

 

The members of <Fantasia>, looking visibly furious, and the members of [Kingdom], looking somewhat cowed. To be precise, it looked as if we, <Fantasia>, were antagonizing [Kingdom].

 

Every single member was.

 

Fortunately, Joo Wooyoung regained his composure a little belatedly and stopped radiating what could only be described as hostility—or something close to bloodlust… but that didn’t mean the tension had dissipated. His eyes were still chilling enough to freeze your insides.

 

Jegal Hwi was similar. Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about him until now, but today he looked different. He had the eyes of a butcher.

 

Among the slaves I was with in the Master’s laboratory, there were those who had been captured for serial murders or war crimes. Right now, Jegal Hwi gave off an eerily similar aura to those people. The difference was the absence of that specific bloodlust and the lack of a repulsive smell, but his eyes still made him impossible to read.

 

‘What is up with this guy? Seriously….’

 

Besides them….

 

‘Why is Baek Suhyeon smiling?’

 

Baek Suhyeon, and….

 

‘Kim Taeyeol, stop cursing.’

 

Kim Taeyeol was also strange. But the strangest of them all… was Kim Haejun. Yes, surprisingly, it was Kim Haejun, not Jung Taehee.

 

It had only been for a brief instant, but the look in Kim Haejun’s eyes had been so cold that I’d almost gotten goosebumps all over my body. Maybe it felt that way because it was the complete opposite of how he normally behaved, but there was no denying that the expression he’d shown just now had been disturbingly unnatural. Lime from Kingdom even visibly flinched—that alone said enough.

 

‘I thought he was possessed by a ghost or something.’

 

Jung Taehee actually looked the most normal by comparison. Even though he was currently ready to transform into a rabid chihuahua the second he finished checking on my safety… at least, compared to the others, he still wasn’t acting nearly as abnormally.

 

As I was briefly worried about how to clean up this mess….

 

“Let’s head in.”

 

Kim Haejun’s voice rang out. Acting as the group’s unofficial second-in-command, he addressed the members.

 

Just like that, this ridiculous farce came to an end. The members of Kingdom, including Lime, and the staff didn’t even have a chance to stop us. There was no opportunity to apologize or even suggest talking things out.

 

Supported—or rather, practically carried—by Jung Taehee, I enter the waiting room and quietly take a seat.

 

‘What was that? What just happened?’

 

The incident itself had been bewildering enough, but even now, after everything had supposedly settled down, I was still just as confused.

 

‘Is this even settled?’

 

No, it wasn’t. If anything, the conflict seemed to have flared up far more than I’d anticipated, and I had no idea what to do next. The situation wasn’t necessarily bad, though.

 

Sure, I’d been anxious, but now that things had turned out this way, everything that had happened here—and the consequences that would follow—actually felt welcome. Especially for Fantasia, who had been preparing for today’s music show with the mindset of soldiers marching into battle.

 

Because we’d gained the justification.

 

‘In any war or battle, justification is vital.’

 

Literally. Rare items and buffs were important, but the most important thing in this kind of war was the cause. The mindset with which you respond to the fight mattered. It was important to perceive, recognize, and think about the reason you were fighting.

 

I felt a brief sense of self-loathing, wondering if I was thinking of everything too much in the other world style, but at the very least, that was how the logic of the world worked in my eyes. The same applied here. In fact, you could read the lack of justification in [Kingdom]’s expressions.

 

Aside from Lime, the other five members all wore expressions tinged with discomfort and unease. They clearly recognized that we had the cause, and they knew who was good and who was evil in this scenario. Since I had even fallen down and was letting out pained groans, they seemed to have realized they were in the villain position.

 

Compared to them….

 

‘Our side is completely battle-ready.’

 

There wasn’t even any need to explain it. The waiting room Kim Haejun dragged me into was unusually quiet. The only words spoken were those worrying about my well-being. Everyone else was just simmering with rage.

 

“Unha, you’re really okay?”

 

“Ah… yes. I’m fine.”

 

“Any injuries?”

 

“I don’t think so. No sprains. I think it’s just some bruising… see?”

 

“Are you sure you can perform?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”

 

“Hey, it’s nothing, why go to the hospital? Sigh… I was just playing it up a bit.”

 

That was the atmosphere. Joo Wooyoung, in particular, was examining me cautiously; he looked like he might chant a healing spell if I actually had been injured. I noticed him staring at me silently before speaking.

 

This was a slightly different topic, but….

 

‘He’s not… trying to kill me, is he?’

 

I realized Joo Wooyoung was much friendlier toward me than I’d expected. I didn’t know how his attitude would change if he found out I had a connection to demons, but right now, he definitely seemed to perceive Lee Unha as a comrade. Otherwise, there was no way he’d be this concerned about me.

 

“I’m really fine, Wooyoung hyung.”

 

“I see. I’m glad to hear you’re okay.”

 

“…….”

 

“Fine? What do you mean fine!!? The sound you made when you hit the wall was different! Cancel the shoot and go to the hospital right now!!!”

 

‘Ah, seriously, stop.’

 

“Huh? I’ll handle things here, okay?! Huh?!”

 

‘Please just stay still, Director Oh…. Are you going to go up on stage instead of us? Seriously. I don’t know about anything else, but once this is over, I really need to distance myself from this ahjussi. I’m grateful he stepped up, but… it’s too much… way too much….’

 

“I’m fine! Director Oh! I’m not hurt at all.”

 

“That’s for a doctor at a hospital to decide, not for Artist Lee Unha! Huh?! What if you keep dancing while injured and the wound gets worse, affecting your future activities? What then!!!”

 

“I’m really okay.”

 

“Artist Lee Unha is a precious asset of <The World>! Huh!? Do you understand?! If something happens to you, how can I face the CEO?!”

 

No, I should just ignore him. Anyway, unless it was a truly dire situation… it was impossible to cancel the performance at this point. Especially for a rookie like <The World>. Of course, as Director Oh said, if the injury were truly serious, we might consider canceling the recording… but it simply wasn’t that serious. If anything, it only made his fighting spirit burn hotter.

 

“…….”

 

‘I did wonder if the Kingdom members would end up feeling guilty…’

 

“…….”

 

Each member seemed to be reacting differently, but at least Lime from Kingdom didn’t appear to feel guilty. If anything, hostile was a better word. He wasn’t just prepared to take a hit; his attitude was screaming ‘Even if I die, I’m going to crush you first’.

 

If that was how it was going to be, it was easier for me too. Even if that hadn’t been the case, my attitude wouldn’t have changed much…. But I felt a sense of relief.

 

And so. Inside the unusually quiet waiting room….

 

“We’re going on standby.”

 

A staff member had come to call Fantasia. I immediately got up. There was no need for a motivational speech or some dramatic pep talk to raise morale.

 

In the hallway leading to the stage, we encountered the Crown officials who were waiting to apologize, but we walked past them without a word.

 

“I’m saying this because everyone seems a bit heated….”

 

“Yeah, Unha.”

 

“Don’t get too worked up. Stay calm. Stay calm.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Don’t let your emotions take over. Stay calm. This is an important stage. We don’t just want to beat them in first-week sales… we want to beat them in performance too, right?”

 

“Right.”

 

“If we simply perform our own stage, we’ll win. Pour it all out on stage, but don’t lose your heads.”

 

“Yeah… don’t worry too much, Unha.”

 

Actually, I’m saying this to myself.

 

Eventually, we stepped onto the stage and looked out at the audience. It was a smaller scale compared to the Idol Classism final or the showcase, but just being able to perform in front of fans made me happy.

 

I stared intently at our fans. And then, I looked at the Kingdom fans next to them.

 

As expected, the Kingdom fans were unusually quiet. It was only natural. They didn’t know about what had happened backstage, but on the surface, <Fantasia> and [Kingdom] were enemies. Whether the two groups were actually close or not no longer mattered… they had effectively crossed a river that couldn’t be recrossed.

 

Even now, both fandoms were fighting an all-out war across online communities. I could feel their determination not to cheer, like a silent protest… but….

 

‘Let’s see if you can keep that up.’

 

Immediately after the stage began, I activate <Succubus’ Eye: C rank>, and the expressions of every single audience member looking at me entered my field of vision.

 

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

 

I looked at them clearly, directly. With the mindset of making eye contact with every single person. Of course, as I had analyzed last time, I knew someone with strong mental resistance might feel rejection, but these were people who already harbored negative feelings toward Fantasia. There was no need to hold back now.

 

— 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,

 

Even during the other members’ parts, I maintained my expressions as much as possible and unleashed the Succubus’s Eye. I could feel my mana draining rapidly, but I could hold on. I activated the skill in one-second intervals, preventing mana exhaustion while seamlessly continuing the choreography.

 

‘This video will last.’

 

This music show would remain on NewTube. As soon as it was uploaded, comments comparing <Fantasia> and [Kingdom] would start flooding in. Naturally, I had to clench my teeth.

 

It was not just me. Not just Lee Unha, but The other members also seemed to be gritting their teeth. A performance that would have been satisfying at 80% or 90% of the rehearsal felt like it was being done at 120%. The intensity of the members’ focus was almost frightening.

 

‘This is going to become legendary. Absolutely.’

 

While dancing and singing, those were the thoughts drifting through my mind.