Chapter - 61

At the end of June, I stood on stage and looked up at the audience. Starting with Vesta, five stages had already passed, and now it was our turn.

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"The song itself is the same, but just changing the subject makes it feel completely different."

Minho-su mumbled in amazement, and Song Ahseong nodded.

"The concept is straightforward: a soldier."

Song Ahseong chose Yoori’s representative song, “I’m Your Hero.” Originally, it was a song where one confesses to a lover that they want to be their life’s supporter. However, Song Ahseong changed the subject, thereby altering the overall atmosphere.

More grand and disciplined.

“Hero, soldier. Wow, it’s cool.”

Minho-su, seemingly entranced by the concept of “hero=soldier,” nodded. Perhaps because society had long switched from conscription to a volunteer military system, the view of soldiers was somewhat different than it used to be.

It felt a bit awkward to see eyes shining with pure respect, without any prejudice.

“It has to be cool, no matter what.”

The one thing Song Ahseong kept repeating while deciding on the song, concept, and stage costume was that it had to be cool.

"It has to be so cool that people naturally admire it, and we, who are making the stage, have to think it’s amazing ourselves."

Although it was a simple directive, it was difficult. The effort expended just for that single impression of “cool” was enormous. Considering the concept, anything less than perfect was unacceptable to both the performers and the audience, so in a way, it was a self-inflicted challenge.

But it was a stage worth putting in so much effort. It was a moment that required such dedication.

"Let’s just do as much as we practiced."

Below the stage, Han Min-hyuk said once more amidst the obviously nervous participants.

"We really worked hard. So let’s just do what we’ve practiced. No regrets."

With the eldest brother, who always stayed late to practice, saying that, Yu Minseong, whose hands were shaking from nerves, nodded. And I, the team leader in name only, added a word.

"We’ll do great."

I also patted Song Ahseong on the shoulder, who seemed very tense. Despite all the relentless practice, the inability to hide his nerves showed just how much he wanted to perform well on this stage.

Just before going up, the seven of us met eyes and put our hands together.

"One, two, fighting!"

In that brief moment before going up, we quickly pumped ourselves up, matched our breaths, and then ascended to the stage.

As soon as we got up, we took our positions. Then, on the dark stage, as if covered by a black curtain, the song began.

―Do you remember that dark night when you reached out your hand?

The warmth that became my shelter,

Now I'll protect you.

In the dark, without any lights, the familiar chorus started to flow. The start was Kim Sung-min. As his solid and clear voice uttered the first note, there was an audible gasp from the audience, who seemed to remember the famous OST from the blockbuster movie.

―Because I'm your hero,

I'll be your strength.

On the dark stage without movement, the prelude began after the chorus, and the stage lights suddenly brightened.

Under the sudden flood of light, the seven of us moved in perfect sync. The meticulously practiced knife-like choreography that we had perfected every day during the intense practice period. The steps, which we had matched hundreds of times until even the sound of our footsteps was perfectly synchronized, started to shine.

As soon as the lights came on and the performance started, a tremendous cheer echoed in my ears. The solo part started with me.

―Be safe, safe, safe

As long as you're there, I'm not afraid.

Although some parts of the original lyrics were slightly altered to fit the soldier concept, most of the meaning remained the same. Summoning courage to protect and make the loved one happy.

While maintaining a stable vocal, the ornate decorations on my uniform glittered in the light as I moved busily.

―I'll lead you through the dark path,

I'll reach out my hand first.

As I stepped back, Song Ahseong smoothly took over the vocal part, and a restrained cheer echoed from the audience. There were even a few sobs mixed in.

As I had noticed while preparing below the stage, Song Ahseong, wearing a military cap, shone. Thanks to his outfit, his distinct features stood out even more.

The elaborately decorated uniforms maximized our external charm.

―So you don't lose your way,

I'll be the path for you.

Then the restrained cheer erupted into wild applause as Han Min-hyuk stepped forward from behind Song Ahseong. The roar that pierced through the prelude was so loud it startled me for a moment.

I seemed to lock eyes with an audience member who had their mouth covered. I understood why they liked it so much.

Han Min-hyuk had a knack for making outfits look like they belonged on him, as he had shown in previous performances.

He found the role that perfectly matched the costume, and by fitting himself into that mold, he looked natural on stage. It could be said he had great acting skills. This, too, was a kind of talent.

―As you appointed me,

I'll be your hero.

The enormous cheers followed Han Min-hyuk as he saluted with a sharp hand motion.

Given his natural ability to make even the most unfitting concepts like friendship, youth, and an oriental cupid look his own, his innate talent shone through. This concept just further unleashed his potential.

Even the dance moves that felt somewhat relaxed matched well with the atmosphere.

As Han Min-hyuk turned back, it was the chorus again.

―Do you remember that dark night when you reached out your hand?

The warmth that became my shelter,

Now I'll protect you.

Singing the familiar chorus, we prompted the audience to join in. As we had deliberately made this part prominent at the beginning, the audience's voices quickly filled the stage.

Nodding my head in rhythm while performing the choreography, I felt we had perfectly captured the mood.

―I'll be your strength.

Because I'm your hero

As I harmonized over the voices of the audience, the chorus repeated once more. Following the feeling of raising our voices, a grand orchestral arrangement came in.

―Do you remember that dark night when you reached out your hand?

The warmth that became my shelter,

Now I'll protect you.

The rich sound enveloped not only the stage but the entire audience. A harmony fitting for the final act. It felt a bit like cheating to use the audience, but remixing a well-known song brought benefits, and it didn’t stray from the original intent of the challenge.

When selecting the song and concept, we were constantly reminded that we are idols. Our job was to entertain and create good memories through our performance. Happy memories—that had to be the foundation of this stage.

―I'll be your strength,

Because I'm your hero.

Looking around the audience while listening to the melody created by various voices, I saw happy faces singing along. This was a success.

The stage, as Song Ahseong had emphasized, was undeniably cool, and the effort we put into expressing it well made it a stage worth all the preparation.

"This was Sunflower Team. Thank you!" [1]

"Encore! Encore!"

“Encore!!! Encore!”

Even though it wasn't a concert, as we finished our greetings and were about to leave the stage, the audience called for an encore. As we saluted and walked off stage, their disappointed cheers filled the air.

Moving to the waiting room after coming down from the stage, I patted the backs of those with joyful yet dazed expressions, probably from the lingering excitement of the performance. It was a hot day with summer approaching, and those who chose uniforms for stage outfits were drenched in sweat.

Despite the air conditioning in the indoor venue, the heat from the lights and the cheers was overwhelming.

I hurried to the waiting room, noticing Song Ahseong lagging behind, sweat pouring down his face under his hat. I handed him a towel and opened a bottle of water, then wiped my sweat and straightened my crumpled clothes.

"We did well, right?"

Returning to the waiting room and feeling the cool air brought us back to our senses. Jo Min-jun, who had his face buried in a towel, spoke cautiously.

"We did great! We even got an encore!"

Minho-su, with a big smile, replied. His face was still flushed with excitement from the stage's heat.

"I was so moved when everyone sang together. I almost cried while singing."

Yu Minseong's voice was still emotional, so I patted his back a few times. We had worked hard.

"Who suggested the group singing idea? Kudos to you."

Minho-su praised himself with a cheerful smile. His suggestion had indeed shifted the atmosphere from a competitive performance to a shared concert experience. It was a fitting end for the final act.

"Yeah, praise is deserved. We did well."

If we had been in the middle or first act, it might have been awkward, but thankfully, we were last. When it airs, this part will likely be edited to highlight the emotional ending rather than any missteps.

If it had failed, it would have been embarrassing, but the overwhelming positive response made it a huge success deserving of praise.

"Good job."

I placed a towel on Minho-su’s still-wet hair. As he looked at me with tearful eyes, I handed him the towel, and Jo Min-jun, with a happy face, spoke up.

"Suddenly, I want to watch the movie."

Despite complaining about getting sick of the song during practice, it seemed he only remembered the good moments now that it was over.

"You said you've seen it a lot... Don't you already know it by heart?"

"The mark of a masterpiece is that you want to watch it again even if you know the plot and ending."

Watching Jo Min-jun shake his head at Minho-su's question, I started to get curious.

'Maybe I should watch it sometime.'

I wasn't usually into romance movies, but if someone liked it this much, there must be a reason. Besides, having done a remix performance, I felt I should know the original work, so I made a mental note to watch it when I had the time.

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work... I was a bit ambitious with the stage, but thank you for going along with it."

Having finished a bottle of water and somewhat recovered, Song Ahseong finally spoke. Han Min-hyuk, who had been fanning him, shrugged.

"Regardless of the result, I’m satisfied with this stage. It was good to do it together."

His thoughtful words made me nod. Preparing for the stage while stepping back from directing, producing, and arranging was a first for me, but this round made me realize relying on others isn't so bad.

'There are a lot of talented people.'

Maybe that’s why the production team goes big with these shows. The fun of audition programs largely depends on the contestants' abilities. Even when things get complicated, it somehow works out, making it feel like there are no limits.

'I hope there are some limits in the finals, though.'

Thinking about how the finals would proceed, I fixed my hair and face. Although the performance was over, we still had to go back on stage for the judges' feedback and the ranking announcement.

"The tallying is almost done. Please be ready!"

Just then, we heard that the tallying was nearly complete. Yu Minseong, who had been smiling broadly, suddenly looked serious. The same went for Jo Min-jun.

Announcing the rankings for the six teams was especially important for the lower-ranked contestants. Depending on the ranking, they could get a free pass to the finals, the last stage.

"Let’s move to the stage!"

The performance was over, and now it was time for the evaluation.

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T/L: Idk why i posted another one right after that one... but i did... So yay(?)

anyways. If you like it, review it on novelupdates please. If you can then leave a comment

[1] Im confused about that group title. is it tulip group or sunflower group? what's the group's name? Please tell me in the comments or ig i'll find out tomorrow or whenever i read the novel.

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