translation by mourningmoor
The fans of the rookie idol group L.I.T sat in front of their computers with a solemn heart.
10 PM. The music video for <Promise> was about to be released.
This music video was said to be a 'gift' from L.I.T, who had announced the end of their activities, for their fans.
As the time approached, numbers appeared on the black screen, and the countdown began.
And at exactly 10 o'clock.
With the signature melody, L.I.T's logo slowly rose from the center of the screen.
As the logo grew larger, it filled the screen, scattering in all directions like light rays, and the screen turned white.
On top of the softly played acoustic guitar sound, heavy footsteps were added.
As the white screen zoomed in again, it followed someone's legs.
The legs, walking slowly through a narrow and dirty hallway, stopped in front of a door from which light was seeping out.
The camera angle contrasted the dirty hallway with a pair of white sneakers, and soon it moved up the legs to focus on the hand gripping the doorknob.
The delicate, slender fingers, as if determined, swung the door wide open.
At that moment, light flooded everything, and the song began. The camera then turned to the sky.
In the cloudless blue sky, something sparkling fluttered in the wind.
The close-up revealed a shimmering seed pod.
And the seed pod gently landed in someone's two hands.
The seed was captured in a pair of dark eyes, and the pale hands gently cradled the seed in both palms.
With a languid voice, Jaewon's part began.
The moment I saw you, I knew. I recognized you at first glance.
That I’ll wander beside you like fate.
As Jaewon scattered the seeds with a nonchalant yet dreamy gaze, the scene changed in an instant.
A green garden, filled with colorful flowers, appeared on the screen.
In the center of the garden, Roa lazily leaned against a tree, holding a beautiful peacock in his arms.
With his head tilted slightly, Roa smiled kindly and gently stroked the peacock. Then, his soft voice resonated clearly.
It feels just like that.
A mere satellite orbiting your planet.
Roa, gazing at the camera, smiled brightly and reached out. The peacock spread its magnificent wings and soared into the air.
Soon, two large moons appeared in the dark sky.
A full moon and a slender crescent moon.
And then, the shadow of the moon cast upon a small pond, and Siu dipped his hand into the water.
As he gazed at the moon reflected in the pond, Siu lifted his head and began to mutter.
How did a wandering star meet you?
The remnants of a soul drifting through the far reaches of the universe.
As the scene changed, the five members appeared in a grand formation against the backdrop of the splendid garden, performing synchronized choreography.
I promise. I’ll stay by your side forever.
I promise. I’ll become your star.
The two moons replaced the lights, and the tall trees and vibrant peacock, slanted at an odd angle, strangely blended together, creating a background that looked like a painting.
The oriental yet mysterious atmosphere of the garden made it feel as though a fairytale world had seamlessly connected to reality.
In that fantastical place, L.I.T performed without a single flaw, creating a more dreamy atmosphere than ever before.
You, distant like a star. You, shining from afar.
I can’t reach you. I can’t be with you.
But remember. The promise from that day.
The atmosphere shifted once more.
As the choreography continued in the center of the garden, the background expanded, revealing a complex maze.
In the darkened maze, Jaewon wandered as if being chased by something.
Sitting on a strangely twisted tree branch, Ichan watched the scene unfold. With his chillingly cold gaze, Ichan smiled as if he knew the end of the maze.
As soon as I saw you, I knew. I recognized you at once.
You’ll capture everything about me.
At the end of the maze, in front of a door with light spilling through, Hanjoon began rapping, accompanied by two backup dancers moving gracefully.
We’re all tangled up in each other.
The gravitational pull is no joke.
So don’t drift away. The further you go, the more I’ll have to come closer.
Lightning struck the black sky, and everything around was dyed with light.
Ripples formed in the pond as raindrops poured down, and Siu looked up with a worried gaze.
As the peacock flapped its wings and flew up, Roa gazed at the black sky in shock.
Jaewon, who had fallen after wandering the maze.
Hanjoon, straining to open the tightly shut door.
And Ichan leisurely watched these members.
The images of the five members passed by quickly, like a fast-forwarded film reel.
Then, once again, a group performance unfolded at the center of the dreamlike garden.
I’ll find you. I’ll reach you. I promise.
Promise.
And just like that, the music video returned to the beginning.
The boy in white sneakers emerges from a long tunnel and reaches the door with light spilling through, once again grabbing the doorknob.
This time, the camera angle captured the boy’s face.
It was Kang Ichan.
With his cold eyes, Ichan opened the door wide.
The world outside the door. Beneath Ichan's feet, the night view of Seoul stretched out.
Slowly, the seeds that Jaewon had scattered,
Drifted into the gradually brightening Seoul sky.
Then, English subtitles appeared.
―Promise―
To be continued…….
* * *
<―Promise―
To be continued…….>
Noah, who had been staring at the subtitles, closed the laptop.
Then, Younghoon, who was sitting at the back, tilted his head slightly.
"So, that's him, right? The guy we saw last time in Samseong-dong, the 'Aura guy.'"
Noah, who was leaning sideways on the sofa, didn't respond to Younghoon's question. He merely tapped his temple lightly with his fingertips.
Younghoon, who had sneakily glanced at Noah, started to stir.
"Wow, so he’s an idol. Noah-ah, your observation skills are amazing."
At Younghoon’s words, the other ARCHE members also showed interest.
"What? Did something happen with L.I.T.?"
"Are those guys from L.I.T.?"
"Yeah, they’re the ones. L.I.T. and MuteSeven are getting attention as rising rookies lately. L.I.T.'s average age is a bit younger than theirs."
"Wow, Noah-ah's got a good eye. Guess he really is a rising star?"
Already in their 6th year as idols, ARCHE was busy preparing for their comeback next week. During practice, when their leader, Noah, suddenly opened his laptop, everyone wondered what was going on. It turned out, he was watching a rookie idol group's music video.
L.I.T.
They weren’t even affiliated with Bishop Entertainment, and the name was unfamiliar—another idol group from a small agency.
Everyone was curious why Noah would show interest in a member from such an unknown group.
"They..."
Noah, deep in thought for a while, finally spoke.
"Are they still active in music shows?"
At Noah's question, Jino, who had dubbed himself the group's information gatherer, quickly answered.
"Yeah, I think they were on last week."
Suddenly, Noah was interested in a rookie idol group's music video, and now he was curious about their activity status?
The other members of ARCHE widened their eyes in surprise.
Jino, who had been watching Noah's expression closely, hesitantly asked.
"Should we check them out?"
"No."
Noah gave a light smile as he stood up.
"Why bother checking? We’ll see them on the music show on Saturday."
He then walked across the practice room and stood in front of the mirror.
"Let's just focus on practice. If we don’t want our spots taken by rising rookies."
* * *
The released <Promise> music video was a massive success.
Unlike the title track, which focused more on performance, <Promise> placed heavy emphasis on world-building storytelling.
While fans of L.I.T likely looked into the group's lore, there were still many who hadn't.
Naturally, various portal sites saw L.I.T trending in real-time search results.
#LIT #리트(L.I.T) #LIT_Worldview #lit #Idol_of_Light
Fans who had now truly encountered the L.I.T world began rushing to idol-related communities.
At first, I thought the world-building was childish, but now I just want to smash my head for thinking that.
└From the beginning, the sacred idol is... The maknae bunny.
└That beginning is actually Ichan's, though.
└???? When did "beginning" become Ichan's?
└At a fan meeting, "Godchan" said he was handsome from the very beginning, so "beginning" became Ichan = Godchan, haha. Go watch the fan meeting video (link).
What's up with our Siu? His physique is just unbelievable.
└Elementalist?
└He says he's the water element.
Godchan is seriously cool all the time, but when he smiles, it's like... dying.
└No joke. The reason he's the leader is because of that chic smile that dominates the room.
└Everything about him, from his physique to everything else, is just amazing.
ICHAN OPPA SALANGHAE (eng comment)
└Who is Ichan? Black hair on the tree?
└Yeah, the statue sitting on the tree = King Leader = Godchan = Kim Ichan.
ㅇㄴㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Who put Hanjoondaeng in those black leather pants? ㅋㅋㅋ I screamed when I secretly saw them at the academy, seriously! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└So hot, so hot.
└From now on, only people with bodies like that should wear leather pants.
Thes said he’s the administrator ㅋㅋㅋ, but Park Roa, doesn't he look like a fairy ㅋㅋㅋ
└I’ve thought about it for a while, but his expression acting is really good... that stiff yet languid gaze is no joke..
└Every time he flirts with a smile, the lightbulb bursts.
Fans were busy praising their favorite members, and whenever a troll comment or hate appeared, they responded with unity.
Of course, even if it was a hateful comment, there was nothing to worry about.
It was mostly about the worldbuilding, and when it came to the members, it was mostly from fans of other groups.
Too young to be charming, awkward facial acting, or just mediocre faces of mediocre kids—something like that?
Naturally, the Filaments didn’t react much.
With so many fans seasoned from long years in the field, they know it’s better to just ignore such things and move on.
But when someone, likely a fan of MuteSeven, tried to compare them with L.I.T, the comments exploded in a heated debate.
Why are they even comparing Mangdol and MuteSeven? Just being associated is ridiculous.
T.N.: Mangdol, a sarcastic nickname for a group perceived as "failing" (from 망하다, to fail).
└ True, comparing your oppa with ours doesn’t make sense—the gap is too big, starting with talent... ㅋㅋㅋ
└ Acting all cocky for a group that's such a joke, ㅋㅋ. Even the planning and creativity can’t compare.
└ Yeah, MuteSeven’s nickname is 'Push Crusher,' lol. Good luck with that.
T.N.: Push Crusher, even with heavy marketing or agency "push," the group didn’t succeed.
└ Your oppa's name has six characters, and your supposedly amazing agency came up with a fandom name that's only two characters long, ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Sure seems like they care a lot about you, huh?
T.N.: 뮤즈 (Muse: 2 characters) 뮤트세븐 (Mute Seven: 6 characters)
The fan club of L.I.T, Filament, and the fan club of MuteSeven, Muse, were reacting so sharply because the teaser for TVH was finally uploaded on their website.
In other words, the battle of nerves had begun.