Chapter 109. Things Will Explode (9)
<I’m going to say it!>
This song, ambitiously chosen by the Candy Crush team, was a seasonal song released by a male idol group a few years ago, aimed specifically at Christmas.
The original concept was of a high-teen nerd boy finally confessing his long-held crush to someone he liked, overflowing with excitement and full of eager declarations.
The key points were the addictive whistle loop, the cheesy, over-the-top confessions thrown out at every moment, and the overly cutesy choreography, which could even make you cringe. But the visuals in front of us were already a success!
Ah! I can’t hold back anymore.
With Seo Taehyun’s stable first line, the song officially began. The sound of people groaning could be heard here and there as he made an exaggerated surprised expression and stomped his feet as if unsure what to do.
It feels like I’m going to pop! (pop!)
The greetings I share with you every morning (hello?)
They complete my ‘day’ perfectly
As the lyrics mentioned “day,” all the trainees bowed their heads toward Dan Haru. Then, Dan Haru sprinkled the silver confetti he was holding and made a flower cup with his hands, winking as he did.
‘The cute baby rabbit’s flirting is delightful!’
What do I do? This is the first time for me!
Search for ‘how to confess’
I learned it from a book, confessing my love
The choreography was generally faithful to the lyrics.
Jaeyoung and Parang began to present the confession methods they had each studied in their rap. From classic methods like confessing with a sketchbook or hiding a ring in ice cream to the wall-slam method from Japanese shojo manga (which was just funny when Yuki, a real Japanese, did it), various methods were showcased.
And the moment that really hit the mark was the last one. It was Seo Taehyun’s turn, who had been listening to the younger members’ presentations the whole time.
Noona, do you want to come see my cat?
Seo Taehyun, who had somehow prepared a black cat ear headband, tilted his head with a sly expression, and another round of cheers erupted. The gap between his innocent demeanor when singing the first verse and his sly one now was sensational.
“Why hasn’t he debuted yet?!”
“I don’t know!!!!”
MalangGgom and Soda, remembering the great mystery that even Kang Hajin pondered forty times a day, cried out in despair. Shaking the slogan they had received from Cherry Graphics before entering, they shouted as the song moved into the chorus.
Dan Haru, holding a burgundy beret in one hand, grabbed a handheld microphone and fluttered as he ran out to the center. The point was the long sleeves that almost covered his hands, holding a white microphone that resembled him.
Can’t wait!
I’m going to say it all!
I’m going to tell you everything!
You’re pretty (pretty!)
I like you (like you!)
I breathe just by your existence
“Wow…. This is holy.”
As Dan Haru’s clear and pure voice filled the room, the group dance began. The choreography wasn’t particularly difficult, but the never-ending steps captured the vibe of the song.
Say yes?
It’s okay if you don’t
I’ll just express this feeling
I only see you (see you!)
I see you in everything (everything!)
Your smile changes my world
Ah! I’ll say it, my shy confession
“Hey, but they’re really good at live performances.”
“Right? What’s up with their vocal power?”
“Hey, it’s Miro. If you can’t sing live as a junior from Utopia and Enderway, you might as well die of embarrassment.”
Although Dan Haru and Seo Taehyun were the focus during the chorus, the other trainees also shouted with energetic voices during the parts where the chorus came in.
The energy as they shouted “like!” and “show!” in unison was vivid.
‘What’s this…. They’re too cute.’
Even Soda, whose blood ran deep with hip-hop, couldn’t help but sway his body to the rhythm, enjoying the happy stage.
As the second verse began, the boys’ chaotic confession strategy unfolded like a musical. By then, the excitement had somewhat subsided, and I could watch the stage with a slightly calmer heart.
Of course, my cheeks were still so sore that my jaw was about to ache, as my smile didn’t seem to lower from its high perch.
I can’t wait no more!
As the song neared its end, pink confetti rained down on the stage with a loud bang.
With Dan Haru’s high-note ad-libs, the trainees each showcased their appeal. Some pulled out handmade hearts from their jackets, while others followed the dance from a popular challenge.
Seo Taehyun, who performed the choreography from Boy’s World’s title track that had once made him the “Cherry Boy,” smiled sheepishly after the dance, which ironically made him even more provocative.
Run to you
I can’t wait no more.
With Seo Taehyun’s sweet voice, the song ended. As they gathered in the center and created different hearts, a piece of confetti stuck to Haru’s cheek. Gwajam didn’t miss the moment and captured Dan Haru smiling brightly with the camera.
“Wow, that was crazy….”
“Unnie, Dan Haru! Dan Haru!!!”
“I got it, I got it. Calm down.”
MalangGgom, whose eyes had already turned into hearts, covered her mouth in excitement. Gwajam, understanding the situation, handed her a water bottle to help her regain her senses.
While the trainees, who were breathing heavily, slowly stood up and prepared for the interview formation, the heat from the audience showed no signs of cooling down. Sounds of people groaning erupted from various places. At this point, Soda began to feel a little concerned.
“Hey, what about the team that comes next?”
“No, how are they supposed to top this? With what? If you don’t press the button for this stage, it’s an insult to K-pop.”
“To turn the atmosphere around, the only solution is if Wolpyeongz shows their abs. But I doubt Lee Doha would ever do that.”
“Of course not. Our Doha is real hip-hop. He wouldn’t stoop to cheap K-pop tricks.”
Of course, if they did reveal their abs or back, I would definitely lose my mind and scream.
“Wow, but Seo Taehyun is really insane. I must have said ‘insane’ like five hundred times by now.”
“Seo Taehyun just being Seo Taehyun is a crime. How can such a grand group name not be attached to his name?”
“Even Yeom-Mantic does idol work….”
“Oh, crap. Please avoid mentioning that name.”
Yeom-Mantic was Soda’s former oppa, who had recently become a father and a married man simultaneously. His surname was Yeom, so they called him “Yeom-Mantic” as a shortened form of “Romantic who makes a fuss.”
When Soda looked at Gwajam with a withered face, Gwajam smiled and promised to take amazing pictures of Lee Doha later.
Meanwhile, the stage was cleared, and the Candy Crush team and Seo Taeil climbed back to the center stage.
“The energy here is incredible. Please greet our Destiny fans.”
“Yes! Two, three!”
“Hello! We’re Candy Crush, responsible for your sweetness!”
With their chant, the trainees bit their index fingers lightly and winked. It seemed like they were imitating holding a lollipop in their mouths.
“Wow, did you see how Seo Taehyun nodded his head one more time on purpose?”
“What do I do? Jaeyoung is too cute. I feel like my preferences are being rewritten.”
While whispers spread here and there, the talk continued on stage. Each trainee introduced themselves individually, and as the leader, Seo Taehyun took the lead in explaining the stage and song selection.
Maybe because they were still young, even while Taehyun was interviewing with Taeil, they couldn’t stay still for a moment, moving around like little chicks.
Soda turned on the LED billboard app on her phone and displayed the cheesy phrase <☆My Day Is Completed by You☆>. It wasn’t that she was specifically trying to support Haru; she just rotated through appropriate cheesy phrases for each trainee as a manner of respect.
‘…What? Did he just see me?’
But then, Dan Haru on stage made eye contact with me. Or at least, it felt like it. Just as I was debating whether I was imagining things, Dan Haru confirmed it by smiling sweetly and mouthing, ‘Me too,’ while waving his hand slightly.
“What’s going on, I just saw Helios.”
“What’s that?”
“The sun god from Greek mythology.”
“Isn’t that Apollo?”
“Usually, he’s known as Apollo, but actually, Apollo is more of a second-generation sun god who took over Helios’ role, while Helios was the original….”
“Stop, enough. I was wrong.”
“Why don’t you stan Renes anyway?”
“Because they hate the concept. They said they don’t like using fake gods for gimmicks.”
“Aha.”
While we had a light conversation, the basic interview with the Candy Crush team wrapped up. In a typical survival show, this would be the time to start preparing for the next team’s stage.
But Seo Taeil didn’t let the Candy Crush team go so easily.
“So, everyone. When we gathered your applications for this recording, we also asked you to submit questions or things you wanted to see from the trainees. Do you remember?”
“Yes~!”
“Since we’ve met our Destiny fans today, how about we have
the trainees pick a few of those to answer here?”
Then, the staff, dressed in black, entered the stage with boxes containing the names and faces of the trainees.
Isn’t this show supposed to just focus on the stage? Although it was praised for being an angelic survival show, this was the first time such an event was happening, so the audience seemed a bit bewildered. Gwajam, checking the photos taken of the stage, nodded as if understanding.
“Oh, right. There are only three teams, but the recording time was too long.”
“Yeah, even if you give each team 30 minutes, it should only take an hour and a half.”
“It’s a total win for us, though.”
While they whispered, Seo Taehyun carefully picked out a slip. The first question was this.
As Seo Taehyun read the question in a perplexed voice, the audience burst into laughter. It was probably written in response to a previous interview where Taehyun mentioned feeling awkward because he outranked Taeil.
Taehyun, glancing at Taeil’s reaction, fidgeted as he tried to answer politely.
“Um, well, we’re really distant relatives. Master doesn’t call me uncle or anything like that! It’s just that, um, the first time we met, it was kind of… awkward….”
“Oh, so when you first found out I was your nephew, you wondered whether you should call me uncle, and it made you uncomfortable?”
“Sorry? No! Absolutely not!”
“Was I supposed to call you uncle, but I was too clueless?”
“Master, why are you doing this to me….”
Seeing Seo Taehyun sweat nervously in front of his senior was a rare sight, so his teammates giggled.
In a similar fashion, the other trainees had their question time. Since many of the trainees were younger, most of the questions and requests were for cute poses, challenges, and other charming actions.
Finally, Haru picked a slip.
As soon as the question was revealed, the audience began shouting a certain name as if they already knew the answer.
“Kang Hajin!!!”
“Hajin~.”
Even Soda, who normally hated personal mentions, nodded, thinking it must be Kang Hajin. Dan Haru was one of the main reasons why Destinies had turned Kang Hajin into a “giant puppy.”
“Hmm. Actually, I like a lot of hyungs!!”
“We know~!”
“But if I had to choose my favorite hyung for today, I’d pick Yugeon hyung!”
What?
Even if it wasn’t Hajin, Destinies thought he might at least mention Eunchan or Taehyun, so they were all caught off guard and momentarily forgot to react.
Did Dan Haru and Yugeon even have any close relationship?
They were in the same Class A, but they hadn’t really interacted, had they?
Was he just trying to avoid controversy by mentioning him?
Or was there some deep connection we didn’t know about?
While fans’ minds raced faster than the Earth’s rotation, Dan Haru dropped a bombshell with a sunny smile.
“Today, Yugeon hyung’s collar was so sexy, uhmp!”
“Hahaha! Haru, you like me best, don’t you? Say you like me the most.”
Quick-witted Seo Taehyun, as fast as a wasp, ran over and covered Dan Haru’s mouth, but the Destinies had already heard it.
‘His collar was sexy?’
Soda quietly clutched her head.
And she thought to herself.
‘Something big is coming, damn it….’