translation by mourningmoor
At the top right corner of the photo.
Someone's hand, pointing at something with their index finger, was captured.
A bold silver ring on the long, stretched-out index finger.
It was a ring that Filaments would have likely seen at least once before. It’s a ring that Ichan often wears.
Immediately, comments started pouring in.
I knew it. The owner of the intertwined hands isn’t Ichan after all. Ichan’s hand is over there.
Chan-ah, grandma aged ten years because of this.
How nice of you to clarify it like this. As expected of our leader. So reliable.
While some Filaments immediately believed Ichan’s words, there were others who didn’t.
A thick, plain silver ring like that is everywhere. Can you really say it’s him just based on the ring?
Right. I have a ring like that too.
The comment section erupted, with people arguing that it was definitely Ichan’s hand.
I can tell just by the shape of my baby’s nails. It’s Ichan.
Yeah, the finger shape, the nail size. It’s Ichan.
Only Ichan has such pretty hands. No arguments accepted.
The comments were flying by so fast that neither Ichan, who was live-streaming, nor the Filaments watching the broadcast could keep up.
Then, Ichan zoomed in on the photo.
—That’s right. Rings like this are common. So, let me show you something not so common.
He pointed at the zoomed-in part with his finger.
—See here? It’s a bit blurry from zooming in, but it’s clear enough to see. There’s something sticking out next to the ring here.
Following Ichan’s words, Juhee, who was watching the broadcast, pulled up the photo on her computer and zoomed in. Just as Ichan had said, something faintly visible was sticking out next to the silver ring.
"What is that?"
"Is that a tattoo? The tip looks pointed."
Yoojung and Mina also leaned in to examine the screen closely.
Then, Ichan filled the screen with his own finger.
He was wearing a different ring from the one in the photo.
—I have a dot on my index finger. It’s unique, so some people mistake it for a tattoo.
Ichan removed the ring.
A diamond-shaped black dot was revealed. The four ends are slightly extended, making it look like a star.
—Let me put on the ring I wore during the day.
He showed the ring from the paparazzi photo and slipped it onto his finger.
"It’s Ichan. That finger is Ichan’s. It’s not Ichan holding hands with Ga Yuna."
Mina exclaimed.
It really was identical to the paparazzi photo.
From the shape of the finger to the way one end of the dot stuck out.
At Mina’s words, Yoojung and Juhee let out sighs of relief.
Then, Ichan spoke again.
—For those who still think this kind of dot is common, let me show you one more thing.
Ichan gestured towards the camera, and Roa and Jaewon suddenly popped into the frame. The smiling boys waved their hands.
—Hello, Filaments.
It seemed they were in the middle of practice, as Roa and Jaewon’s hair was damp with sweat.
Roa, smiling brightly, held up a tablet.
—Let me show you a photo. This is a photo I took earlier today.
He brought the tablet closer to the camera. "Can you see it?" he asked, adjusting the angle.
After confirming that the comments said they could see it, he began to explain.
—The location is a convenience store in Tsim Sha Tsui, and Ichan hyungnim is explaining the menu to Jaewon here.
—Yeah, that’s right. Ichan hyung was reading the convenience store café menu for me.
Just as Roa and Jaewon said, the photo showed Ichan standing close to Jaewon, pointing at the menu with his index finger and saying something.
—And here.
This time, Roa pointed to the far left of the photo.
—This is the person the paparazzi photographed. Someone wearing the exact same clothes as hyungnim.
It was the same black hoodie Ichan had been wearing all day in the paparazzi photos released earlier. Because of that hoodie, the person holding hands with Ga Yuna was assumed to be Ichan.
—But hyungnim was wearing the hoodie tied around his waist like this.
The comment section exploded again.
Sighs of relief and cheers could almost be heard.
—So, the man in the paparazzi photo isn’t hyungnim.
Roa smiled brightly as he read the comments.
Then, Jaewon chimed in.
—And duh. There’s no way Chan-hyung could be like that with Yuna-noona. She got so much nagging from him while working together that now just hearing his voice… mmph!
A hand suddenly covered Jaewon’s mouth.
It was Hanjoon.
Next to him, Siu was laughing.
—Filaments, we’re less than five minutes away from the music video release. Don’t be swayed by strange rumors, and please look forward to our new song. It’s really good.
At Hanjoon’s words, the number of hearts skyrocketed.
The comments were also exploding.
Thank you, guysㅠㅠ
Our pretty aegi(baby) bunniesㅠㅠ You did this live because you were worried about us lightbulbs, right? So thankfulㅜㅜ Let’s do well at the concert tomorrow.
You’re truly our loving darlings. Fan-loving darlings♡
Chan oppa. I just want you to be happy. Alone, until you’re 70,♡♡♡
The members reading the comments burst into laughter. Siu whispered something to Ichan, and Ichan slightly curled the corner of his mouth.
Juhee gasped at the sight.
"Ichan smiled. Every time he smiles like that, the fan club membership numbers shoot up."
Mina immediately countered.
"Come on. Why are you like this, Park Juhee-ssi. Our shining leader Ichan-nim gains fans even if he just dozes off with his eyes closed."
"Right, right. In the practice room video uploaded last time on NewTube, the part that got the best fan response was Ichan sleeping like a shrimp in the corner of the practice room."
Yoojung nodded and added.
In the end, it’s true that "those who are meant to rise will rise" and "those who are meant to shine will shine."
Ichan had become especially precious to the Filaments.
But still, telling a young, energetic guy to be happy alone until he’s 70? That’s a bit too much.
Yet, Kang Ichan responded to such forced jokes with a smile.
—70 years? I could handle 300 years without a problem, so don’t worry.
Even though they knew it was just talk, the Filaments went wild.
And just like that, the surprise live broadcast ended, and the Filaments, with proud faces, turned on NewTube with a sense of reverence.
Juhee, Yoojung, and Mina did the same.
As the countdown began, the three of them finished their canned beers and focused on the screen.
* * *
A white logo appeared on a gray background. Then, with a crash, lightning struck, and the logo lit up in yellow.
The screen darkened.
A grand yet somber prelude, blending piano and orchestra, began to flow.
Like in the teaser, the camera floated swiftly over the water’s surface and soared into the sky.
A single shining star in the purple sky.
Next, an old, gray-stained castle, a gloomy forest, and a dark valley shrouded in thick darkness appeared in sequence. Finally, it reached a giant tree standing in an open field.
As the prelude ended, thunder roared loudly, and light fell from the sky, striking the tree.
The dry tree caught fire, revealing five men.
L.I.T, dressed in something resembling black uniforms, had expressionless faces and deep, meaningful eyes that seemed to carry heavy stories.
As a tense and precarious melody flowed with a heavy jazz-style arrangement, Roa’s humming began.
Uhm~~~ Uhm~~~ Ah~~~
His clear voice sounded somehow sorrowful.
Roa, standing in the center, raised his right hand and slowly swayed it left and right, as if conducting. The flames on the tree flickered in response, as if obeying his command.
The camera then zoomed in on Hanjoon, who began to move.
The background changed to inside the old castle.
Another world.
A world you couldn’t even imagine has arrived.
Where you are not you, and I am not I.
The emptiness has brought this air, ominous, uncomfortable, unpleasant.
Everything is reversed. Up and down, right and left.
Hanjoon, with a rebellious expression, delivered a rough rap before disappearing, and Jaewon was zoomed in on. His eyes, somehow sad, seemed to reflect emptiness.
Jaewon sang as he surveyed the crumbling castle.
It’s a hollow world. But there’s no escape.
No matter how much I run, I’m always in the same place.
I want to change myself to change the world.
But hope leads to despair, and despair leads me to the abyss.
Then, Roa appeared.
In a circular space with a stained-glass ceiling, Roa moved gracefully, as if performing modern dance. His entire body expressed despair, and his expression was equally grave. The glass ceiling shattered and collapsed.
The air is suffocating, stifling. (Can’t breathe.)
Did the emptiness trap me, or did I trap myself?
I can’t see the way. I want to break free.
Even a single ray of light, please shine on me.
The screen then moved outside the castle to the burning tree.
There, Ichan stood.
Dressed in a black uniform, Ichan sang with a colder expression than ever, as if giving an answer to the children singing of despair.
If you want to escape, you have to stand up.
If you want to change, you have to walk.
Look for the door at the end of the path.
It will lead you to another world.
Another world.
As Ichan raised his hand, the flames burning the tree flew into the sky and spread in all directions. The dry field was set ablaze.
Then, Siu took over Ichan’s song.
I don’t want to see you crumbling.
Stand up, run. Please, try again.
(No way, no way, no way)
Don’t think there’s no way,
(Don’t give up)
If you knock, the door will open.
Siu, with a cold expression unlike his usual timid self, led the flames Ichan had sent towards the castle.
The purple sky was filled with flickering flames, illuminating the eerie space in the screen. Then, in an instant, the screen flipped.
The sky, where the flames had spread, became a river, and the burning tree transformed into the sun, opening up a completely different world. The old castle walls disappeared, replaced by a dazzling city.
Next, a dance sequence unfolded in a space with strangely intertwined colors.
The members’ outfits had also changed to white uniforms.
The start of a new world. The door has opened.
Don’t mistake the current me for all of me.
Another world beneath my feet. Another me.
If you want it, you can have it. Try it.
Let’s do it together. For another me.
The music, blending melody and rap, reached its climax in the chorus.
And then came the dance break.
The scene changed to the space where Roa had danced earlier.
Now, the members, dressed in black uniforms again, formed a V formation around Jaewon and began to dance.
Unlike the slow choreography at the beginning, this was intense and flashy.
The ruined world on the screen was slowly being fixed, as if rewinding.
By the time the dance break ended, the stained glass, now completely new, shone brilliantly.
The chorus repeated with an even richer sound.
The two worlds cross-edited, intertwining with the space where the boys were singing. As the music ended, the orchestra's sounds faded.
Finally, the purple sky and bright star from the beginning of the music video filled the screen once more. And beneath the sky, the giant tree burning alone.
It was an extremely grotesque scene.
The bright star flickered like a broken lightbulb. Then, it exploded like a firework.
The music video ended with the five men sitting side by side on a billboard atop a high-rise building, watching the scene from behind.