Chapter 184: New Concept! Raising a Cicada
The arcade shimmered with flashing lights.
The members, huddled together, stared wide-eyed at the screen in shock. Ha Junseo placed his hand on Seohan’s shoulder with a reluctant expression.
“This… what is this?”
“…It looks like a game.”
They were familiar-looking games they had seen before. Some were even games they had tried once when they were younger.
Would it start playing if I pressed this?
Seohan reached out toward the monitor, and a small pixelated cicada in the game suddenly darted out sideways.
“……!”
At that very moment, the screen inside the game began to distort.
At the same time, the members’ faces turned to horror.
“Uh… uh oh!”
Where the arcade monitor had been, a swirling blue portal appeared as if it would suck them in at any moment.
And then.
The portal whirled fiercely and instantly swallowed the members whole.
“Aaaaagh!”
Beyond the final screams echoing through the portal, someone’s shout rang out.
“Cicada!”
[Thirty-six “cica-dorable” games.]
A challenge where you can freely choose from a whopping thirty-six games—Mini Game World.
“Cicada!”
[Play every “cica-day”!]
A challenge that gives out daily rewards through various attendance events—Mini Game World.
And in that beautiful world lived one cicada….
[Cicadaaaaaaaa—aaaaaaa.]
As a loud cicada cry sounded from somewhere, the screen transitioned into a neon-style text image. Seo Haim shouted excitedly with a bright face.
[Try out this new concept! Raising a Cicada!]
“What is this?”
“A cicada…?”
Finally, Ha Junseo picked up his phone as the screen zoomed out.
Seohan was smiling brightly at the center. All seven members shouted in booming voices at once.
[Challenge Mini Game World! Download it now!]
.
.
.
“Puhahahaha! What is that?”
Cha Seongbin burst into laughter after seeing the ad playing on TV. Seo Haim had already rolled away and was lying beside the sofa.
“Ah… I laughed too much, I have no strength left….”
And as for me—
I was pressing my aching forehead hard with my hand.
<Challenge Mini Game World> was a concept that brought back and renewed games popular in the early 2000s.
Among them, <New Concept! Raising a Cicada> was a pixel-style mini-game where you survive obstacles as long as possible and grow in size.
It seemed the game company had chosen <New Concept! Raising a Cicada> as the main feature and made the ad to push it….
But I didn’t expect the final product to come out like that.
I protested sincerely, feeling wronged.
“No, the director just told me to cry once….”
“Yeah. And at the time they said they weren’t going to use it. Ahahaha!”
“Ugh, I’ve been betrayed….”
I never imagined my crying voice would blend so naturally into the BGM.
It was so convincing that I even worried someone might mistake it for a real cicada sound effect.
I’m still an idol, after all.
So why am I doing a cicada sound commercial instead of one for a refreshing drink?
Was it really okay to cry that seriously?
“Haah…”
Cha Seongbin grinned and enthusiastically fanned the flames.
“Ah, but. It’s fine~. Your fans already know you’re a cicada sound expert~.”
“My fans do know. But I didn’t want the entire nation to find out.”
“Ahahahaha! True. Now the whole nation knows you’re a cicada…!”
Seo Haim laughed loudly while making a fuss, and then—
“Ack!”
She bumped her head on the sofa armrest and fell quiet.
“Yikes.”
Clicking my tongue, I habitually fiddled with my phone. I didn’t mean to, but my finger had already tapped into <Challenge Mini Game World>.
“But have you guys tried this?”
“Huh? The game?”
Actually, before we took on the ad, we received the beta version and played it in advance.
I dipped my toes in out of worry that it might be some weird concept game…. And now here we are.
Ha Junseo, watching the game screen beside me, widened his eyes.
“Whoa, what’s that ranking?”
<Rank 13,280>
Jin Sehyun, who had also downloaded the beta after me, rubbed his eyes and spoke.
We had played together even after the official launch, but he seemed genuinely surprised at the unexpected ranking.
“Doesn’t it usually show your percentile ranking or something? Why do you just have a number?”
“Raising a cicada is fun.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but it was more fun than I expected. I think this game might actually do well.
Jin Sehyun laughed at my words and added,
“Seriously… you’re the kind of person who’d enjoy that.”
“Excuse me?”
“No, it’s a compliment.”
Cha Seongbin chimed in on that remark, somehow managing to sound irritating.
“As expected from our Seohan~. Of course you raise cicadas well—you are one~.”
That’s not what this is.
[Truly, a person must dig only one hole (?)]
Our Seohan has proven that sticking to one thing pays off
He stuck with cicadas and ended up in a cicada ad lol
Following Seohan’s example, I’m only raising cicadas starting today
Gonna become the national representative for Raising a Cicada
—This… I don’t even know where to begin correcting it….
└Ah f*** lol it’s not a cicada ad, it’s a game ad lololol and what’s with the national rep thing lolol why are they taking this pixel game so seriously?
└So what’s your ranking?
└(Photo) I’m ranked 18,000!!
└They say Do Seohan is at thirteen thousand something, yup yup
└Huh??? Why is the ranking so high???
└Why is he raising a cicada again lololol
—Apparently the whole dorm is obsessed with this game lately lolol Jin Sehyun and Do Seohan are in a pride war lolol
└The two of them are having a ranking battle
└They’ve been staying up all night gaming after practice lolol Junseo snitched to fans during his livestream lolol
└Stop being so serious about that infuriating pixel game lololol
[Tried that “New Concept Cicada” game or whatever]
What is this… what is this… is it fun or what….
Feels like a cicada version of that Ladybug× game we played as kids
Surprisingly addictive—I’ve already sunk ten hours into it hehe
—Was like “what’s so fun about this trash,” but suddenly I’m all in….
└22222 You end up playing it brain-off lololol
└>>(New Concept! Raising a Cicada guide) Use the items in this order for best efficiency, cooldown is basically nonexistent
└Going to read it carefully…
└Apparently Seohan and Sehyun are planning a livestream soon to share cicada-raising tips lol
└Ah lololol is this a game stream now?
└The majesty of Rank 13,000…
└I heard he climbed—he’s at 8,900 now
└Why is Do Seohan good at games too…?
<Challenge Mini Game World> saw a dramatic rise in ranking thanks to the impact of its ad models. The response was explosive.
‘Since the boys are advertising it, maybe I’ll try it just once?’
Even Dusty members who started with that casual thought were soon fully invested in the game.
In the fan community where members communicate, <New Concept! Raising a Cicada> ranking proof shots were being uploaded nonstop.
Among them were posts provoking Do Seohan and Jin Sehyun, who were serious about cicada-raising.
[Going to beat Do Seohan]
Noona is ranked 1305
Come at me, Seohan
└Ham-Seohan: No way….
[Rank #1 makes a glorious entrance!]
(Proof photo)
I raise cicadas better than anyone in this area
How’s that overwhelming score, Seohan? Let’s get married
└Ham-Seohan: Wow….
└Victorious Sehyun: Crushed it
And so, two weeks passed.
The calm downtime of their break flew by thanks to <New Concept! Raising a Cicada>, and the Dusty members were now eagerly counting down to the April concert.
However, Stardust hadn’t spent that entire time solely preparing for the concert.
February 8, at exactly noon.
[Chapter 1 – be trapped in a train]
With an English title that gave away nothing, a full 3-minute teaser video was released.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
What could almost be mistaken for the sound of a heartbeat—intense pounding followed closely behind. It echoed through the entire train, creeping closer to him. His breath grew ragged.
“Haa… ha….”
Ha Junseo knew.
He knew he was being chased. That he must never be caught by whatever lurked in that darkness.
Breathing heavily, he dashed through the rattling train.
Every time the train shook violently, his pale face flickered in the window’s reflection. His bright silver hair fluttered with every stride.
The train’s interior had an antique feel.
How many endless cars had he passed through? Ha Junseo stomped forward with all his might.
And finally.
At the very end of the train, the thing he had so desperately awaited appeared.
An elevator, shimmering with radiant light.
Ha Junseo hurled his body into the open elevator.
“Ugh…!”
His side throbbed slightly where he had hit the elevator pole, but there was no time to pause.
Beep—
With a tense expression, Ha Junseo quickly punched in the numbers.
He keyed in a set of digits reminiscent of a year, then frantically pressed the close button. His face, wild with panic, looked as though he might smash the elevator in a fit of rage.
Because the shadow was closing in.
Please. Please.
Desperately crying out, Ha Junseo squeezed his eyes shut.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The shadow that had been pursuing him was now right before him.
But—
It seemed the narrow escape was his to claim.
By the slimmest margin, the elevator doors shut.
“Haa….”
Just as Ha Junseo sat down in relief—
Click.
Someone’s hand slipped into the gap of the elevator door.
“Ah.”
With a face falling into despair, Ha Junseo slowly lifted his head.
And reflected in his retina was—
A figure, smiling coldly.
A shadow of someone all too familiar.
That voice quietly spoke.
“Found you.”