Chapter 242

Chapter 242

A few hours earlier, Cheongryeo could be found standing backstage on set for TeSTAR’s online charity concert.

“Do you need water?”

“I’m fine.”

He was used to spending time waiting backstage—he’d waited backstage at clumsy countryside festivals at times during his career where things were not going well. He’d waited backstage at stadiums, the area occupied purely by only VTIC staff. He’d experienced the industry at every level over and over, and the familiarity had built up inside him like the rings in a tree.

The VTIC members themselves were also very used to seeing their leader so calm as he waited backstage with them. He never seemed shaken by anything and appeared ready for any eventuality. It was as though he was born to do this job. As a result, his calm manner had been adopted among them quickly after their debut, spreading like an infection almost.

“Wow, I’m actually pretty nervous!”

“Me too, honestly. Is this what it feels like to be a guest?”

“Yeah. You have to do your absolute best when it’s technically not your concert!”

The VTIC members were deftly chatting in front of the camera they were filming with for WeTube, waiting for Cheongryeo to chime in at the right time, as was his way. They were not disappointed.

“It’s a really meaningful event. I hope our participation can be of some help to the TeSTAR members.”

“That’s right! Thanks for inviting us to perform at such an incredible event, TeSTAR!”

The members laughed and waved at the camera, and Cheongryeo smiled.

This is not good for us. He couldn’t believe they were saying something so silly with utter sincerity. It couldn’t be helped, since he’d selected the members based on their low scandal likelihood and the quality of their performance, not their brains, so none of them had realized the trap they’d fallen into. Only TeSTAR stood to gain anything from VTIC’s appearance today.

If we do well, we’re fools. And if we don’t, then people will see us as has-beens. What older group at their level would show up in its entirety to perform at a much newer group’s concert, and performing said group’s song, at that?

The members were not the only ones to blame for this, of course.

Maybe there was nothing we could do to escape this, since he set up such an enticing trap. Cheongryeo recalled the conversation that had brought all of this about—the one that had taken place in Moondae’s hospital room.

There, Moondae had made his first suggestion regarding the charity concert.

“Why don’t we co-host it?” Moondae had suggested.

“I don’t know about that.”

VTIC’s schedule had been about to take a turn for the horribly busy, since they were preparing a comeback as a group. After Cheongryeo’s solo album had been a huge hit, the range of opportunities offered to VTIC had widened greatly. The executives had been worried they would see a downturn in VTIC’s popularity and were thus hesitant about releasing a new domestic album. Their concern had disappeared following his solo.

As a result, Cheongryeo didn’t need to take any measures to hurry their album preparations along. As was true for most idols at VTIC’s level of fame, they were planning to appear on Korean music shows for a week before heading overseas.

Stadium tour rehearsals and preparations for a new concert could not take place at the same time. They wouldn’t have time to even sleep. Even paying a visit to Park Moondae’s hospital room had cut into the time Cheongryeo had to sleep. If their schedule was already this busy during the preparatory period, it would only get worse after the comeback. That future was so certain that it was embarrassing to even pretend it was just a rough guess.

Cheongryeo told him the truth.

“I won’t have time, because we’ll be in the middle of promotions.”

Park Moondae didn’t seem particularly taken aback.

“What about as guests?”

“Hmm.”

“If it seems like this event is going to go well, the platform will want a piece of the pie.”

Park Moondae’s plan had been clear. The charity concert would be offered exclusively on LeTi’s online platform. LeTi could then, in turn, allow Cheongryeo to appear in the concert as a gesture of goodwill, since he was a friend of Park Moondae’s.

“So you can perform whatever stage you want. You won’t have to do anything else.”

Cheongryeo had realized what the younger idol’s angle was at that moment.

So you knew exactly what you were doing. Moondae had known that given VTIC’s schedule, planning something together would be impossible. That was why he’d guided the conversation in this direction. Cheongryeo narrowed his eyes.

So he’s planning on using me… as a guest. Suggesting that he could perform whatever he liked might have looked like Park Moondae was being considerate of their busy schedule, but he was actually saying Cheongryeo could just come alone if he liked.

While TeSTAR delivered special performances they’d practiced and put a lot of effort into, Cheongryeo would be delivering an ordinary solo performance. It was a matter of weight class, and doing so could easily damage Cheongryeo’s reputation. While it might not be as dangerous as letting Moondae appear on VTIC’s tour as a guest, it was still dangerous.

“What do you think?”

Refusing him was also a risky thing to do. Cheongryeo had not forgotten the recording—Moondae had a recording of their conversation during his kidnapping squirreled away somewhere in the cloud. VTIC’s main vocalist had already been splashed across the headlines. If the recording was exposed as well, VTIC’s career would be over. However, Cheongryeo believed that it was very unlikely that Moondae would release it.

It’ll be a dirty fight for both sides. Doing so would interfere with Moondae’s own activities, which meant he wasn’t going to take that option while he still had missions left to accomplish. Moondae’s survival was on the line, however, and he could easily bluff and try to threaten Cheongryeo with the recording. The moment he did so, their friendly relationship would be dead in the water. Cheongryeo didn’t want that, either.

After quickly thinking things through, he’d smiled.

“All right. I’ll appear as a guest.”

“In that case…”

“Oh, I’ll bring the entire group with me.”

“…!”

“You’re okay with that, right? It should help to boost the viewer count, too.”

This was an insane move. If Cheongryeo appeared alone, he could mitigate any damage done to his reputation and keep it to a minimum by passing his appearance off as a favor to a friend. Moondae had probably fully believed this was the worst that would happen to Cheongryeo. However, he was not going to let Moondae have the advantage so easily.

Moondae had been silent for a moment, but eventually nodded calmly.

“All right.”

“Right. That’s how it’ll be, then.”

He was making a risky move. If VTIC appeared as a group, there was more risk than there would be if Cheongryeo appeared by himself. However, if they gained anything by it, the benefits would also be greater, since the two groups would be directly compared to each other.

Knowing exactly how good VTIC’s performances were, Cheongryeo was quickly able to predict their chances of coming out on top.

Seventy percent or more. He had then upped the ante.

“I think it would be interesting if we swapped songs, for example.”

Doing this would also help Moondae get the audience he needed. Cheongryeo smiled to himself as he came to the end of his musings. He’d involved himself in all this willingly, and the members had naturally gone along with his decisions, since it was for a good cause and sounded fun. He had made sure all of his members were that kind of person—the kind he could control easily.

Their true power, however, lay in how good they were at their job. Cheongryeo recalled the requirements of Moondae’s mission.

Four hundred thousand, huh? They’d had an online concert last year, and six hundred and ten thousand people had streamed it in a single day. That was only counting the viewers who’d paid and logged in on their official platform. As long as VTIC’s group appearance was assured, Moondae’s survival was assured.

Though, he’ll have to accept that he’ll lose some of TeSTAR’s fandom to us. Moondae had brought that upon himself. Whether he came to regret that was his own business.

Maybe I’ll have to invite him to see Kongi. Thinking of his dog, Cheongryeo wondered if a doggy play date would be any consolation to Moondae.

“Let’s go.”

“Let’s have another VTIC day! Victorious!”

The members joked around, yelling the cheesy chant their director had made for them when they debuted. This chant never changed, no matter how many times he’d reset. Perhaps it was because he’d never bothered to try changing it.

He’d always wanted nothing more than to win, after all.

“VCR ends in ten!”

Cheongryeo watched as the screen in front of him split and opened up, and a strange tingle crawled down his spine. It had been too long since he’d felt the sensation of taking a risk leading to an uncertain future. He felt like he was embarking on an adventure.

“Testing,” someone said into the earpiece.

Their performance then began.

***

As VTIC walked out on stage and languidly assumed formation, the chat was flooded with question marks, exclamation points, and shocked comments. This response was not restricted to the streaming platform.

- Whoa VTIC

- It’s really VTIC

- Oh my god, the VTIC fans are going to lose it

- My gosh

Those who’d been shocked to see the real-time comments appearing on social media began to frantically log in to the concert. The notification that the platform sent out to VTIC’s subscribers also led many to click into the stream, curious.

[VTIC is here!]

The notification was accompanied by a VTIC logo-made emoji. It was among this chaos that VTIC began their performance.

Sirens went off, and the sound of low drums began, resembling neatly organized applause. Powerful percussion instruments and brass instruments played a rough, quick beat, adding to the tension.

Then came an easily recognized riff.

- Present

- The f*ck? Present?

It was one of TeSTAR’s most well-known songs, “Present.” There was none of the original song’s Eastern-style elegance, however. In its place was a technical electronic melody and an orchestra that raced through a powerful trap beat.

VTIC wore tailored suits, black harnesses, and gloves as they delivered a faster, more modern rendition of the “Present” choreography.

Coming for you I’m coming today

No amount of struggle will let you off the hook

possible in any way Coming for you

The rap was slower and groovier, deftly complimenting the rest of the performance. The choreography, which had originally seemed to evoke the image of a large beast, had been replaced by a neat group dance that felt authoritative and powerful, like they were a special forces unit sent to hunt down an animal. They saluted as the bass rose.

He’s back. Be warned, be warned

He’s circling around, feeling the thrill of the game

Na, na, na, na

Take off

The rhythm changed for the rap, going all at an aggressive speed. Then came the chorus.

I’m finally here, present!

Oh, oh, oh…

The accompaniment dropped at a completely different point in the chorus from the original.

Never get away from me, yeah

They moved like a wave, thrilling the audience, closely followed by a faster and more angular dance. As their backup dancers waved enormous flags, VTIC used every square inch of the stage, showing off what they were made of without holding anything back.

They no longer had a main vocalist, but they had rendered his absence utterly irrelevant through their rap and strength of performance. Those watching were left breathless and overwhelmed, hardly able to notice anyone was missing at all.

- Wow

The chat slowed down. The viewers were too focused, rendering them incapable of offering digital applause. VTIC were on a rampage colored by red and blue lasers and a riff that was lower and more grand than its predecessor.

They skipped the intro to the second verse, the accompaniment immediately jumping to the bridge. The members stopped for a moment, turning their backs as they got into formation.

A familiar rap, however, began instead of the expected melody.

Sangun

Their claws are hella sharp

They’ll readily tear you apart

You can’t catch me, no not like that

No, you can’t

Viewers were treated to the iconic choreography that utilized their hands and waist to great lengths.

- ??

- Sangun

- I wasn’t expecting to see that here

They had incorporated “Sangun,” one of VTIC’s most popular songs. The melody and bass mixed well with “Present”, and the song grew louder and louder. The traditional wind instruments that were iconic to the song had been added.

Make me a boss

Yes, that’s right

VTIC had linked the two songs using the keyword “animal,” applying the traditional theme to only their own song, as if showing off who had done it first. They had rearranged “Present” completely, as if transforming it to have a more mainstream sound.

It was truly impressive.

- That is so f*cking cool

- Sangun! Sangun! Sangun!

- This is what you call a daesang-winning song

The audience and VTIC fans alike were excited by the appearance of such a hit song and reacted fervently to the way “Sangun” seemed to swallow “Present” altogether as the end of the song drew nearer. If a performance had a fun moment, it could capture any audience.

Sangun

Their claws are hella sharp

Let me prove it

There was a final dance break, full of explosive energy. Then the four members posed between their giant flags, marking the end of the performance. The chat was still going off, however.

- They killed it!

- That’s VTIC for you. Just crazy

- Why are they at this concert? T_T

- Gave me chills

- That was just so cool

VTIC took a moment to catch their breath, waved at their departing backup dancers, and then smiled into the camera. Then they sat down on seats the staff brought out for them for a brief chat with the audience.

“Thank you for making such a great choice, everyone!”

“It was extremely fun!”

They’d planned to appear even if the public had chosen the first option, but they didn’t say as much. Applauding the viewers, they praised the purpose of the day’s concert, not forgetting to crack a few jokes.

“Oh, by the way, we have concerts of our own, too!”

“Please come check us out in concert if you liked what you saw today! Haha!”

VTIC fans began wailing in the comments.

- Guys, there aren’t any tickets…

- This is not fair. They know we can’t buy tickets

- I understand why they’re friends with TeSTAR

Even a few of the fans who did have tickets complained quietly.

- T_T You assholes! You should have given us a heads-up about this…

- They are so goddamn good. I’ll never escape being their fan… Let them stay top-tier forever, you m*ggles T_T

- I bought a ticket from a scalper just now. I can’t believe what I just did

- LeTi, those bastards. How long do they intend to use the group to expand their business? They do this every time because VTIC is so good at what they do

- LOL This feels pretty good, not gonna lie. TSuns fans are probably grinding their teeth haha. I’m sure VTIC fans who missed the real-time broadcast will be upset as well, but at least I got to see the stream as it happened :)

The vibes were immaculate. There were no comments criticizing VTIC, other than the odd accusation that VTIC was trying too hard to win against a younger group. Not even their anti-fans could criticize the performance without a lot of mental gymnastics.

Park Moondae was watching all of this go down from backstage.

***

There would have been screams filling the air had there been a live audience.

I drank from my water bottle.

Scary son of a b*tch. Looks like I brought the fight to our turf. Of course, I had no intention of losing.

I can’t let them secure a win so easily.

TeSTAR was about to perform their next stage.