translation by mourningmoor
<Survival, Music Genius> Season 2 Final Round—it seemed like the outcome was decided as soon as the curtain rose.
The moment Ichan’s voice cut through the sharp, sliding high notes of the electric guitar, I knew.
This hyung, I knew he wasn’t ordinary, but he’s truly a mad genius.
And it wasn’t just Jaewon who felt that way. Roa, sitting next to him, quietly grabbed his hand.
“Hyungnim is so good. Right?”
Jaewon nodded, barely able to breathe.
“Yeah. Too good.”
Goosebumps ran down his spine, and adrenaline surged to the tips of his hair. The intense emotion made him want to jump on stage and sing along.
Jaewon is usually playful, but he’s always serious when it comes to the stage. Watching Ichan’s performance, he couldn’t help but become even more serious.
This hyung is sincere in every performance, gives his all in every moment, and makes every stage the best.
That’s why just being with him makes your heart race.
This stage was no different.
Ichan, with a voice as sharp as if he were born a rocker, unleashed an incredible vocal range, playing with high and low notes as he owned the stage.
Watching Ichan, Jaewon’s lips parted involuntarily.
Jaewon, laughing hollowly, muttered a complaint.
“Why does he have to be so good at singing?”
At that, Hanjoon nodded.
“Right. Why is he so good at playing the guitar too?”
He had heard Ichan play the guitar a few times before.
A couple of times during their trainee days, and a few times after debut.
The first time he heard Ichan play the guitar, it was just okay. Like any kid who plays guitar to show off a bit.
But after debut, his guitar skills were different.
It wasn’t just about technique—the depth of his playing had changed.
There was no doubt that the lightning incident had changed him.
Whether he had crossed the wall of artistic talent after surviving a near-death experience, or the lightning had unleashed his suppressed artistry—either way, it was astonishing.
And now, the guitar performance Ichan was showing was truly at its peak.
“I… I want to learn the guitar too. I’ll take vocal coaching more seriously.”
It was a statement filled with admiration and respect, spoken without thinking.
At that, Roa tightly gripped his hand.
“Stop. Don’t overdo it and end up like me.”
Roa’s expression was serious, as if to say there was no way he could surpass Ichan.
“I also wanted to be like Hyungnim, so I pushed myself to the limit. But there’s a limit.”
He said he had hit a wall, both mentally and physically, including time and stamina.
That’s when he realized.
“Let’s each do what we’re good at and take it slow. Besides, you’re already doing great.”
Jaewon was undoubtedly the most talented.
He learned things quickly, picked up skills easily, and excelled at everything, which often made the other members feel a sense of deprivation.
But now, Jaewon was feeling that same deprivation toward Ichan.
“That hyung is good at everything.”
Singing, dancing, playing instruments, composing, writing lyrics, stage manners, vocabulary—even his intelligence. He was a complete idol, even in his second year.
It was enviable, fascinating, and cool, and before he knew it, Jaewon had started to admire him.
This feeling wasn’t unique to Jaewon.
“Well, it’s because he’s Ichan.”
“Right. Because it’s Ichan-hyung.”
Roa and the other members felt the same way.
Because it’s Ichan, it makes sense. Because it’s Ichan, it’s acceptable.
Jaewon nodded and turned his gaze back to Ichan on stage.
“He’s so perfect, yet he never steps into the spotlight.”
Jaewon handles vocals, Roa handles dance, Hanjoon handles rap, and Siu handles visuals.
Ichan has it all set up like this, and he only supports from behind.
At that, the same response came again.
“Because it’s Ichan.”
This time, it was Hanjoon.
“Because he’s the one who works hard to make all of us shine.”
They all knew how much Ichan had changed the team after the incident, even without saying it.
“That’s why he’s the leader.”
At Hanjoon’s words, Jaewon chimed in, saying they had chosen the right leader.
Hanjoon, who had been patting Jaewon’s head, spoke in a quiet voice.
“What do we have to do?”
“What?”
“Not disappoint Ichan and do our best.”
At that moment, Ichan’s performance ended.
As soon as Hanjoon finished speaking, he stood up abruptly and started clapping. Naturally, the other members also stood up.
At the same time, the judges and the audience rose to their feet.
Thunderous applause erupted.
Jaewon’s chest tightened, and his heart raced.
“King Ichan is the best!”
Jaewon whistled loudly, his fingers pressed to his lips.
“Our leader is the best, as expected!”
At that, Roa also shouted loudly.
“God Ichan! You tore up the stage!”
Ichan, who had shown them the best moment, smiled at the members.
Jaewon, forcing down the heat in his heart that wouldn’t easily subside, sat down and immediately shouted to the members.
“I want to practice.”
At that, Siu, leaning forward with a bright smile, agreed.
“Me too.”
The other members felt the same way. They exchanged glances and smiled happily.
Jaewon, exhaling deeply and calming his breathing, thought about Ichan again.
‘What an amazing hyung. Does he even motivate us like this? I’m so glad he’s on my team. If he were on another team, what would I have done?’
Unable to control his surging emotions, Jaewon held his breath as he waited for the next performance.
* * *
There were no surprises.
In the end, Ichan took the win.
Inyoung’s house, where they had been watching <Survival, Music Genius> Season 2, was in an uproar.
“It was decided from the first round. No one could keep up.”
Inyoung’s mother spoke decisively, smiling with satisfaction.
“When it comes to singing, he sings. When it comes to dancing, he dances. Why is his expressiveness so good? His facial expressions are amazing too. And that last song was really good. Whose song was that?”
“Mom, that’s Ichan’s original song. The final round was an original song mission.”
“Oh my. Really? I love that song so much. Hey.”
“I’ll download it for you when it’s released.”
“Really? Thanks, daughter.”
Inseong, who had been watching the mother-daughter duo with a displeased expression, quietly got up and went to his room.
He sat at his desk, resting his elbows on it and clasping his hands together.
His heart wouldn’t stop racing.
“Why is this happening? To those kids.”
Originally, Inseong loves hip-hop.
He’s a heavy listener, familiar with almost every hip-hop artist active in Korea, as well as overseas hip-hop artists.
That’s why he came to like ARCHE.
Because ARCHE, unlike other idol groups, was a hip-hop group.
Even though they now do more mainstream music, they always include at least one hip-hop track in every album, showing respect for hip-hop.
But now, his heart was drawn to music that wasn’t hip-hop, and to an idol who wasn’t a hip-hop artist?
“I must be crazy.”
No. What’s crazy about it?
The final performance song was really good.
It’s possible. It’s totally possible.
Inseong turned on his computer and searched the internet to watch the performance again.
“It’s not up yet.”
Well, the show just ended. Would the clip already be up? Hiding his disappointment, Inseong refreshed NewTube.
@MAD JUHEE / LIT_ICHAN_FINAL / YOUNG
“Young? Final? That’s the one from earlier.”
As if entranced, Inseong clicked on the video and plugged in his earphones.
The song that had mercilessly struck his heart earlier flowed into his ears.
It’s still amazing, even listening to it again.
His heart tingled, and goosebumps rose on the inside of his wrist.
Just then.
Inseong’s phone vibrated.
“What? Why are you messaging me when you’re in the living room?”
It was Inyoung.
Rude oppa. LIT does hip-hop too, you know? They always include at least one hip-hop track in every release. I highly recommend you check it out (link)
The link Inyoung sent was also a video from the @MAD JUHEE channel he had just been watching.
“LIT does hip-hop?”
The kids who completely reinterpreted Michelson’s song do hip-hop? The guy who completely made Better Me’s <Time Loop> his own does hip-hop? Kang Ichan, who tore up the stage with ARCHE’s <Shadow>, does hip-hop?
There was no more hesitation. Inseong immediately hit play.
* * *
Juhee, who had screen-recorded the final stage of <Survival, Music Genius>, first uploaded only Ichan’s performance to NewTube.
The reaction video she had recorded simultaneously would be edited and uploaded at night, and once Inyoung added subtitles, she would send it to Irene.
“But Roa was also caught on camera.”
She had been boiling inside because of Roa’s knee injury, but seeing him sitting in the audience looking perfectly healthy, she felt relieved.
“In that spirit, should I start editing the interview footage of our kids?”
Juhee cut out only the parts where the LIT members appeared from the full footage of the 6th round.
“Oh, there’s quite a bit of content, huh?”
TVH knows it too. The reason for the ratings boom this season is LIT.
After sitting for a full hour editing the video, Juhee did one last check of the subtitles and played the video.
―Hello.
―Nice to meet you. Jaewon-ssi. Shall we send you off again?
The video started with the judges warmly welcoming the kids as they entered the studio, and it was packed with scenes of the kids whispering and enjoying themselves in the audience.
This time, the members’ interviews were also captured quite well.
―Hello. I’m Hanjoon, in charge of rap in LIT.
Then, at the bottom of the screen, the question <What does Kang Ichan mean to LIT?> appeared in bold letters.
―Hmm. He’s the best leader. A natural-born leader. He’s the one who brings together members with diverse colors into one? At the same time, he helps each of us maintain our own color. A true leader.
Next, Jaewon’s interview played.
―He’s beyond a genius. He’s a full genius.
At the bottom of the screen, the subtitle <What is music genius Kang Ichan?> appeared.
―Chani-hyung is good at everything. His leadership goes without saying, and you all saw his musical talent. Besides that, cooking, cleaning, drawing, making things. There’s nothing he can’t do. He’s a cheat character, a cheat character.
Juhee laughed as she watched Jaewon’s interview.
“Right. Leader Kang is a cheat character. I admit it.”
Next was Siu’s turn. The question was <What is Kang Ichan really like?>
―He’s no different from what you see on screen. A typical tsundere style? He doesn’t smile much, doesn’t talk much, and seems a bit indifferent, but in reality, he’s a caring guy who looks after everything from A to Z. He’s also a master of mental care.
Juhee, clapping along, listened to Roa’s interview.
Roa, with a gentle smile, carefully read the question posed to him.
―A message to Hyungnim?