LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 62
Chapter 62
“Last group, please come up on stage.”
At Lee Chang-yeon’s call, the last group of trainees walked forward to the stage, each with a smile on their face.
In particular, the appearance of the popular trainees, Jing Xiao and Seo Moon-gyeol, caused a loud cheer to erupt from the audience, who had been waiting eagerly to see them.
“Please introduce your team first.”
“Everyone, do you know why Heungbu is rich?”
“Because he’s full of excitement!”
At Seo Moon-gyeol’s lead, the rest of the team members shouted the pre-discussed line in unison.
“Hello, we are Heungbuja!”
“You seem to be full of excitement from the greeting. Who came up with the team name?”
“Raon did.”
“Raon hyung came up with it.”
“Actually, the original team name was ‘Do You Know Why Heungbu is Rich? Because He’s Heungbuja,’ but the writer said it was too long… so we shortened it to Heungbuja.”
After the group greeting, On Raon, who was holding the microphone, quickly added, making the audience laugh lightly.
“Can we look forward to an exciting performance?”
“Yes!”
“Great. Then trainee Jing Xiao from Luizen Entertainment.”
“Yes.”
As Jing Xiao responded, the audience members who were holding slogans supporting him squeezed out every bit of their energy to cheer.
Lee Chang-yeon, who had waited for the audience to quiet down a bit, continued.
“This team has prepared everything: vocals, performance, and rap. Also, since there are many foreign trainees, I imagine the preparation and communication must have been challenging. Was it difficult as a foreign trainee?”
“Uh… of course, it was tough. I don’t think there was anyone who didn’t struggle. But thanks to my hyungs who helped a lot, I think we prepared well. We even had a birthday party in the middle, and I’m grateful.”
“How about trainee Nagase Ritsu from Star Stage?”
“[Korean dance is honestly still difficult for me. But the team’s atmosphere of working hard together made it enjoyable. Especially, Raon helped me a lot by learning Japanese to a surprising level.]”
“Then, Seo Moon-gyeol, was it difficult being the leader?”
“No.”
Realizing his answer was too short, Seo Moon-gyeol added after a beat.
“Of course, preparing for any stage is exhausting and hard, but I want to thank my teammates for trusting and following me.”
“Then how would you rate yourself as a leader out of 100 points?”
“60 points?”
“Do you agree with this assessment, trainee Day from Poka Entertainment?”
“No! I think he’s a 100-point leader.”
The interview continued, making it easy to see that the team atmosphere was good.
“Finally, trainee On Raon, could you say a few words?”
On Raon, who had been waiting, opened his mouth.
“Everyone! You must be very tired standing in the heat for so long! If I said we could blow away all that fatigue, it would be a lie physically, medically, and realistically. But since we are the last, we will use all our energy to make this performance very exciting and end today’s competition on a high note!”
As his speech speed increased and his voice grew louder, Seo Moon-gyeol, recalling yesterday’s event, held On Raon’s hand from the middle, signaling him to calm down, but it was not very effective.
“Why is trainee On Raon so excited already?”
“Can I be honest?”
“Of course.”
“Well… I’ll tell you after the performance.”
“This guy is really good at playing hard to get. Alright. Let’s watch Heungbuja team’s stage.”
* * *
The lights dimmed, and the trainees stood in formation for the beginning.
In the stillness, eerie laughter, neither human nor ghostly, filled the background.
As the audience tilted their heads at the strange atmosphere, Seo Moon-gyeol, standing in the center, lifted his head alone and snapped his fingers sharply.
That single motion had the power to completely reverse the mood.
*Usya usya usya usya!*
*Eolssu eolssu eolssu eolssu!*
As the prelude, filled with the rhythm of our nation’s melody, flowed out, the audience wore curious expressions.
‘No way. This song…?’
‘Why is this song playing here…?’
The first song Heungbuja team chose was the OST of a Korean movie featuring a mythical character.
No one had expected it to have a Korean style until the stage started, but now, the fluttering outfits inspired by hanbok made sense as the trainees danced.
However, the lively music that woke up the tired audience quickly faded, leaving them wanting more.
As the surroundings fell silent, the trainees who had bent their backs at a sharp angle swiftly lifted them in a traditional manner and shouted in unison.
*What is an idol!*
The six boys, radiating energy that seemed to shake the studio, drew cheers from the audience.
With a cheerful shout of “Eolssu,” the formation changed, the paused music resumed, and Jing Xiao, with a proud expression, stepped forward.
*An idol rules the stage
Always striving for a better stage*
As he continued his rap with intuitive lyrics parodying movie lines, the audience smiled at Jing Xiao’s charming antics.
Jing Xiao enjoyed the cheers from fans who had been waiting all day for this moment and continued his rap.
Meanwhile, the trainees in the back moved lightly as if the ground was a soft lawn. Seo Moon-gyeol was responsible for such attention to detail.
*Knowing how to look cool
And smile like a flower*
The lively exclamations like “Heoit” or “Johta!” that occasionally popped in were a bonus.
*Loving the fans
Is the idol’s job*
Jing Xiao, who induced happy screams from fans by making a heart with the hand he used for a flower pose under his chin, did his part and stepped back, allowing On Raon to jump out of the formation this time.
*All we have is excitement
If we put on a show, we win*
Boosted by the willpower stat, On Raon’s voice, squeezing out more energy than usual, excitedly pounded the eardrums of the audience like his leaping movements.
*Now, let’s enjoy the moment together*
# Chapter 62
**Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer Chapter 62**
*Run like crazy*
*Destroy any wall that stands between us (Bring it down)*
As soon as they shouted “Bring it down!”, the trainees who had been forming a triangle broke apart and gathered in a circle.
Although they referred to it as a wall, those who were listening to the song at that moment could not miss the deeper meaning.
The other trainees, who were watching the stage on TV from the waiting room after finishing their own performances, felt a strange sense of relief.
The trainees sweating on stage looked like they were fully enjoying the moment, completely free from any worries about their ranking.
*So if you ask who’s having the most fun*
*It’s only natural to answer*
On Raon, forming a V with his fingers and bringing it to his eyes, leaned slightly towards the camera with a mischievous expression.
*“This was On Raon.”*
*Waaaaa!*
It was impossible not to get excited.
Following the atmosphere that On Raon had heated up, Seo Moon-gyeol stepped forward.
*A feast lasting all night has begun*
*If you don’t enjoy it, we won’t let you leave*
Unlike Jing Xiao, who had the support of the fans, and On Raon, who surprisingly did well, Seo Moon-gyeol was outright excellent.
His dance lines and voice tone that changed delicately with each moment were exceptionally graceful.
Only after seeing Seo Moon-gyeol’s performance up close did On Raon fully understand his words about performing freely.
*‘He’s so good that he can be free.’*
While thinking that, On Raon was even more determined not to fall behind and clenched his teeth harder.
*Join in and have fun, come here*
Seo Moon-gyeol lightly gestured, and there was On Raon.
“Excuse me, my name is On Raon, not ‘come here’?”
On Raon, with wide eyes, playfully retorted.
A second later, as if it didn’t matter whether he was ‘come here’ or On Raon, the six members mingled together and showed a group dance.
Although there were hardly any difficult moves in the choreography, the large motions, like lightly jumping and kicking forward, were executed with perfect timing, creating an amplified synergy.
After the rap part of the first verse ended, the second verse followed with a brief lull.
The audience’s expectation at this point was incomparable to earlier.
Seo Moon-gyeol, walking proudly towards the center with his back to the audience, suddenly turned his head and whispered softly as he glanced back.
*“The melody doesn’t please you, does it?”*
The audience screamed their throats out, unsure whether it was a cheer or a shout, just to calm their wildly beating hearts.
As the song transitioned smoothly, the second verse led by the vocals of Day, Kyle, and Nagase Ritsu began.
Although none of the trainees had Korean as their mother tongue, their performance showcased a high level of perfection achieved through rigorous practice, as if they could sing the song even in their sleep.
The trainees, blending together, ran nonstop until the end for the remaining three minutes or so.
Having exhausted all their energy, they struck their ending pose, scattering the prepared handful of red petals above their heads.
What came back to the trainees was…
*“Encore! Encore! Encore!”*
It was the first encore of the season.