translation by mourningmoor
“In Roa’s case, it’s a talisman with a spell to ensure his leg doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Mana flowed from my fingertips into Roa’s knee.
A sub-spell of time expansion magic—time freeze. The scope is limited to Roa’s surgery site. From now on, Roa’s knee won’t be affected by external factors.
Because the time freeze will persist.
And these piercings will also act as mana amplifiers.
“And for Siu, it’s to help him stop being afraid of cameras.”
I tapped Siu’s shoulder.
“Hyung, this is so you don’t fall behind in choreography.”
“Hey. I’m not that slow anymore, okay?”
At Hanjoon’s reaction, the members burst into laughter.
“Maknae, this is for you to do even better than you are now.”
Then I handed out the piercings one by one.
The members, each holding their own piercing, stared intently at the engraved spells.
Then the youngest suddenly widened his eyes and exclaimed.
“Huh? It’s a moon?”
Being the youngest, his eyes are sharp, it seems.
“Yes. It’s a moon.”
Hanjoon got a waxing crescent, Siu a waning crescent, Roa a new moon, and Jaewon a full moon.
I engraved each phase of the moon on the piercings.
The moon came to mind as an object that reflects light and illuminates the darkness.
Not the sun, but the moon, which radiates a presence as powerful as the sun.
Aren’t our members like the moon?
“Then what about you, Chani-hyung?”
Jaewon, who had taken my piercing and was turning it around, furrowed his brow.
“Ah. Hyung’s is a full moon. It’s round.”
A full moon? No, it’s the sun.
“Yeah. It’s a full moon. As the leader, I have to be perfect, right?”
At that, the youngest, with his eyes curved into a smile, beamed.
“True.”
Then he immediately stuck the piercing into his earlobe.
“Yes! The power of the lightning-struck jujube tree flows into me.”
Though said in jest, Jaewon had hit the nail on the head.
From now on, the piercing will act as a receiver, absorbing my mana.
Until I reach the 9th Circle and can completely remove my mana from them, I’ll keep pouring my mana into them. This is the only way to protect them.
“Right. So don’t lose it. Don’t take it off.”
“I’ll never take it off.”
“Me too.”
Roa and Siu nodded with serious expressions and put on their piercings.
“Good. Don’t take them off unless you have to.”
Everyone was excitedly putting on their piercings, but Hanjoon was different.
He quietly looked at the piercing in his hand, then clenched it tightly.
“Is something wrong?”
“……?”
“You seem a bit uneasy.”
Despite his seemingly dull appearance, he’s sharp.
“What do I have to be uneasy about?”
“You’re really good at hiding things, aren’t you?”
It’s not that he’s good at hiding things—he just hides them well.
“No. I know everything.”
No. You only know what I allow you to know.
“So if you have any worries, just tell me.”
Still, I appreciated his concern.
This guy is trying to do something to lighten my burden, even if just a little. Well, the other members are the same.
That’s why I decided to stick with these kids until the end.
But now, a situation was unfolding that could put even these kids in danger.
“Hyung. You know about the SS Group, right?”
“Who doesn’t?”
Right. Who doesn’t?
The most popular OTT platform right now is an SS Group subsidiary, and the production company behind the world’s most popular movie series is also part of the SS Group.
They’re the biggest sponsor of the Grammy Awards and own the world’s largest music streaming platform.
They have hotel chains in famous cities worldwide, and their construction subsidiary is building ‘Troifle’ apartments all over the globe.
SS Land, their amusement park, is global, and there are thousands of SS-branded theaters worldwide.
Now they’re trying to swallow up the company that owns NewTube, so even a newborn would know about them.
“But why SS?”
“They contacted us, saying they want to invest in our company.”
“What?”
It’s no wonder he’s shocked.
Among Korean entertainment agencies, the only one that has received investment from the SS Group is Maon Entertainment. The one with the musical instruments.
Maon wasn’t originally a big agency, but they leaped to the top after receiving investment from SS.
They received a massive investment from SS, and thanks to that, they were able to scout top actors and become the Maon they are today.
That’s why everyone envied Maon. They struggled to figure out how to get investment from the SS Group like Maon did.
The answer, in the end, was the musical instruments. They invested because of the instruments, and they reportedly rejected investment requests from others, saying there was no reason to invest elsewhere.
That rumor spread, and the value of the instruments skyrocketed.
Hanjoon had also heard that rumor, so naturally, he was curious.
“Why would SS invest? Who do we have that would make them want to?”
Why? Because of Go Dajin.
Go Dajin’s appearance on <Survival, Music Genius> Season 2 revealed his whereabouts, and his owner recognized him.
Or maybe they noticed my existence.
“I don’t know who it’s because of, but either way, it’s not a good thing.”
At that, Hanjoon also furrowed his brow and nodded.
“Right. An investment from SS? That means they’ll strip away our unique identity.”
That’s what happened with Maon.
They weren’t a big agency, but they were doing well with decent actors. After SS’s money got involved, they changed.
They started prioritizing profit over quality and didn’t hesitate to make political moves. They gained power but became SS’s lapdogs.
“So did PD Pyo agree?”
“No.”
PD Pyo felt the same way we did.
An investment from SS? Not at all welcome.
[They’ll take over management rights. That means I won’t be able to protect my artists, and I absolutely hate that.]
But he couldn’t outright reject it. Because TVH was involved.
“He said he’d think about it, out of respect for the H-NET CEO who introduced them.”
Hanjoon’s face twisted in seriousness.
“Is it that kind of atmosphere? Rejecting the rejection.”
“A little?”
“This is tough.”
Finally understanding what I was worried about, Hanjoon fell silent for a while.
“If we reject them, there’ll be repercussions. We need a way to offset that.”
“What is it?”
“We need to become a top-tier group.”
A top-tier idol group. Easier said than done, and everyone knew it wasn’t easy.
Complex thoughts swirled chaotically in Hanjoon’s eyes.
But as always, he was quick to organize them.
“Fine. Let’s do it.”
As if he now understood why I had gifted the piercings, Hanjoon nodded with a big gesture and put on his piercing.
“If the five of us work together, what can’t we do?”
Hanjoon, who had taken the meaning of the friendship piercings this way, made a determined expression.
“We’ll make it happen.”
He’s always so decisive.
I chuckled and extended my hand for a handshake.
“This is why I like you, hyung.”
At that, Hanjoon, smiling the same way, shook my hand.
“We’ll trust only the members.”
There was no right answer.
The SS Group, with a high likelihood of being a dark force, had approached us, and I had no way to avoid it.
If I can’t avoid it? Then I’ll enjoy it.
“Alright. Since it’s come to this, let’s enjoy it.”
I stood up abruptly from the bench and watched the youngest light an 11-shot firework.
Large and small fireworks bloomed brilliantly in the dark sky before fading away.
And so, the final moments of our short vacation came to a beautiful end.
* * *
The next day, the final round of <Survival, Music Genius> Season 2 began.
For the final round, special audience tickets were given out, allowing participants’ acquaintances to attend.
30 minutes before the live broadcast, I peeked into the studio and saw our members already seated. With two VJs attached, it seemed they were being interviewed.
Lee Nayoung, who had just entered the studio, couldn’t resist and went over to greet the kids. Yoon Jooeon also looked for the kids before taking his seat.
It seems L.I.T has grown a lot.
I smiled contentedly and slung my guitar over my shoulder.
There are three performances in today’s final round.
One is an instrumental performance, another a duet, and the last is an original song performance.
I prepared an electric guitar instead of an acoustic one and wore a black leather biker jacket to match.
The atmosphere in the waiting room was also different from before.
The participants, who had been picnicking without a hint of tension, forgetting even their rivalry, now had a determined look on their faces.
This was because, last Wednesday, an additional benefit was announced for the top three.
The chance to perform at the year-end HAMA stage, the dream of every singer.
For me, it’s already a dream come true, but for Seo Hanul and the other participants, it’s still a valid dream.
That’s why everyone’s resolve is extraordinary.
But what can I do?
The opening performance is mine.
Those determined expressions will crumble the moment my performance begins.
And finally, the staff signaled me to standby.
* * *
Darkness fell over the quiet stage.
Thick fog created by dry ice covered the stage.
A single red beam of light illuminated a drum set on the dark stage.
As soon as the lights came on, the drummer started playing in rhythm.
Then, with the intense sound of an electric guitar, the backstage opened.
There stood Kang Ichan, bathed in light.
He played the guitar so brilliantly and then leaned into the standing mic.
He belted out the climax of the famous rock singer Better Me’s hit song <Time Loop>.
Meeting you was an accident.
I fell in love.
With that one verse, the outcome of <Survival, Music Genius> Season 2 was decided.