Chapter 20: First Stage
TBN’s reporter Yoon Jaea stood behind the stage, recording every detail of today’s performance.
Four teams had already performed.
Maybe because the stage was composed of trainees, there was quite a difference in quality between the teams.
It was said that there was barely any vocal tuning in this Stardust Project.
“No matter what, this feels a bit cruel.”
There was almost no AR either.
Thanks to that, the raw skills were blatantly exposed, and some teams received harsh criticism as they came down.
That was the case for the teams who chose girl group songs.
To be fair, the songs were difficult, but what the public sees is the final product.
Song selection is part of skill, too.
Yoon Jaea gave a cold evaluation.
Then, two teams who chose songs from VENUS also showcased their performances.
One of the teams seemed to have taken a direct hit from the song change and delivered a disastrous stage, while the team Kevin belonged to was surprisingly decent.
Of course, “surprisingly.”
It was basically Kevin carrying the entire team on his own.
Probably the only ones who might survive from that team were Kevin and a few top-ranked members.
“Kevin’s definitely good.”
“Keviiiin! I love youuu!”
“Who’s up next?”
“On the Way to School? Looks like it’ll be an Eloy song.”
Eloy?
Yoon Jaea’s eyes sparkled.
Though she was there for work, there was one team she personally looked forward to.
A team with such an amazing combination — the team that included Seo Haim.
“Haim… is so cute….”
Reporters are people too.
When watching broadcasts, it’s natural for some trainees to catch your eye.
Yoon Jaea covered her mouth and muttered quietly.
She might end up writing a slightly biased article.
“Junseo is mature, and Sehyun sings well too.”
And Do Seohan.
Even though he was the youngest, he was quick and sharp, and he seemed like he’d do well even as a leader.
In the last broadcast, it was hard to tell if he was taking care of Seo Haim or being taken care of, but the two bickered lightly and looked like they’d get along well.
Thinking of the two youngest ones huddled together planning their stage movements and arranging the song….
“Huff.”
Too cute.
Yoon Jaea covered her mouth again.
“That’s right. It’s the group with Ha Junseo and Mam-Seohan.”
“Wow, this team’s lineup is insane. Haim was sooo cute.”
“If only it weren’t for Lee Junhyeok?”
At the mention of Lee Junhyeok, Yoon Jaea’s face turned cold.
Our Haim was doing her best, reacting energetically, and that guy threw cold water on everything.
“If only it weren’t for Lee Junhyeok, it would be perfect.”
Yoon Jaea nodded emphatically at the high school students chattering in front of her.
It really was a perfect team — except for Lee Junhyeok.
When it came to Lee Junhyeok, there were just too many things to criticize from start to finish.
According to a fellow reporter who went to interview at the last music broadcast, he said Lee Junhyeok — still just an un-debuted trainee — already had a terrible attitude, and his answers were half-hearted.
If people were already saying things like that, even before debut, he probably wouldn’t last long after debuting.
On top of that, there were other rumors too.
That he was all smiles, but as soon as Do Seohan’s name came up, he turned cold.
“He’s clearly got some inferiority complex.”
The entertainment industry is full of eccentric people, so she wasn’t even surprised anymore.
Of course, there’s still time to criticize after the stage ends.
“It’s starting, it’s starting.”
“Waaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaah!”
Now, the performance really began.
Click.
Darkness fell over the stage.
Yoon Jaea swallowed nervously and craned her neck.
Since she was standing in the back, she couldn’t see the stage very well.
Flash—
Finally, only the stage lights came on.
Bright white lights lit up the empty set.
A lone chalkboard, desks, and chairs placed on stage.
Looked like a classroom concept set.
And then—
Boom boom.
With a gentle drum beat, the intro melody of “On the Way to School” began.
“So it really is a school concept. It’s starting softer than expected.”
It was a fairly common setup.
Begin gently and then shift the mood midway for a high-impact highlight.
She swayed slightly to the piano notes, focusing on the performance.
“Mmm. Hmm.”
As the MR ended, a soft voice flowed out.
It’s a fantasy, drawn when I close my eyes
A vivid trembling memory
He sings well.
A resonant voice struck her heart, one beat at a time.
A softly whispering voice.
Yoon Jaea widened her eyes at the unexpectedly good performance.
She thought the voice sounded familiar — it was Do Seohan.
For a stage with barely any tuning, his vocals were top-tier.
Compared to earlier stages, his skills clearly stood out, and the audience started murmuring too.
“Wow, Seohan… sang really well.”
“The cicada has a good vocal technique, doesn’t he?”
“…Huh?”
“But… he’s really good though…?”
Ignoring the whispers from the front row, Yoon Jaea focused on the lyrics.
I carved your name into the chalkboard
And slowly stepped into a past I can’t return to
Still so good.
A voice that captured emotion so well — unexpectedly mature for his age.
A single line that brought on a wave of nostalgia, like being back in school.
It’s just so good.
Simply wonderful.
But something felt off.
There was nothing wrong with the song, but….
“Huh?”
Even the high schoolers up front started looking around.
This song right now.
This song, flowing out at a professional level.
It was definitely Do Seohan singing it, but he couldn’t be seen.
“Where is he singing from?”
Yoon Jaea’s gaze shifted forward, then sideways.
She looked all around.
He wasn’t behind the stage, in front, or on the sides.
Even so, the voice grew closer and closer to her ears.
What was going on?
“…Huh?”
Step, step.
With the sound of approaching footsteps, Yoon Jaea instinctively turned her head.
And at that moment—
Flash—
The previously dark light at the back turned on.
There stood a person.
And then—
“Kyaaaaah!”
“Uwaaaah!”
“Seohanaaaa!”
Do Seohan.
I’ll walk back up the road where only I remain
Until I see you again, I’ll keep walking
“……!”
Wearing a white shirt, he smiled as he walked and stopped right in front of her.
Seeing him in person, he was too tall and fair-skinned to be teased as just a hamster.
At the same time, an aura, as if a spotlight shone down on him, captured her gaze.
Whether it made sense to say physical light was glowing around him, she didn’t know.
But it felt like only the light remained in that space.
Was this a dream?
No, was it reality?
Was she even working right now?
Was this… heaven?
The moment she saw his figure pass right in front of her with a grin—
“Oh, shit.”
Yoon Jaea nearly collapsed backwards.
“Se, Seohan… please debut!”
With a silent scream, Yoon Jaea fell forward.
‘Seohan, what kind of concept did you have in mind?’
When they chose Eloy’s “On the Way to School,” Seohan had a separate concept in mind.
The day they switched from the VENUS song to Eloy’s, Seohan made a suggestion despite the gloomy mood.
It was a suggestion that flipped the team’s somber mood 180 degrees.
‘I think we should follow the world-building.’
‘World-building?’
‘Yes, the world of this program.’
Stardust World.
A small school located in the middle of space.
Staying true to that setting, the back of the stage became filled with the vastness of space.
In an instant, the stage turned into the universe.
Floating lightly.
At the same time, the prepared set began to rise slowly.
It was a scale they never could’ve imagined.
“Wow… wow!”
“Oooooh!”
Students dancing as if floating at night from a school that floats up.
The choreography flowed with their soft movements.
Smooth transitions, flawless choreography.
The subtly reinterpreted arrangement made the scene before their eyes feel like a painting.
Yoon Jaea couldn’t help but let out a gasp.
She had already nearly fainted once, and now she felt like she’d do it again.
It was a scene straight out of a movie.
A musical film came to mind.
Seo Haim, sitting on a desk, tilted her head with a bright smile.
Her clear voice layered gently over the song like a whisper.
What might lie beyond that place
I feel like I’ll never reach it
Jin Sehyun followed Seo Haim’s vocals with a high note.
He was the main vocalist, in charge of the highest range among the five.
Their voices blended naturally into a harmony.
Who might be standing beyond that door
I feel like I’ll never be able to open it
And beneath that—
Ah-ahhh—
Ah-ahhh—
Ha Junseo and Do Seohan exchanged glances as they laid down soft notes.
Their performance, as practiced as it was, moved as one team.
The song, imbued with the personalities of all five, was no longer the “On the Way to School” the general public knew.
It was a famous drama OST.
Even if trainees performed it, there was no way they could add their own color.
Naturally, people thought the original drama’s shadow would linger strongly.
But that wasn’t the case.
The memory of the original was quickly fading.
The audience watching the scene before them today would remember a different image from now on.
Do Seohan, scribbling something on the chalkboard while bickering with Seo Haim.
Ha Junseo and Jin Sehyun grinning as they clung to their chairs.
Even Lee Junhyeok, who was trying his best to sing earnestly in his own way.
Five bright friends, gathered like tiny dust motes in the vast universe.
An innocence that seemed to paint youth like a film captured the eyes of the audience.
The five gathered at the center of the stage and quickly scattered again.
Drawn in by the dreamlike song, the audience couldn’t even breathe as they watched.
The precise stage movements.
The part rushing into the highlight.
Even if I can’t reach it, I still want to fly
I’ll swim into that sky
Had the lyrics of the original OST ever matched the situation this perfectly?
It felt like the song existed just for this scene.
I’ll walk back up the road where only I remain
Until I see you again, I’ll keep walking
Scratch scratch.
Stardust.
Five letters, and the dream he had always longed for.
With trembling hands, Seohan carved the letters into the chalkboard.
Whoosh.
Then, boldly threw the chalk away.
It was just a small action, but it had a strange power.
Was this what they called star quality?
Yoon Jaea couldn’t take her eyes off Seohan.
“Kyaaaaah!”
Seohan boldly ran to center stage and grabbed the mic with a bright smile.
With a relaxed smile came a natural gesture.
And then—
“What the, what the what…!”
Already stunned, Yoon Jaea had no choice but to be shocked once again.
Do Seohan’s stage movement that commanded attention.
Our memories are in this classroom
Even if you run, I’ll catch you
“He’s… he’s rapping?!”
“Kyaaaaah!”
“Seohanaaa!”
A position no one expected.
Seohan’s self-written rap part had begun.