translation by mourningmoor
The lights went out.
Grand music filled the air as green lasers danced brilliantly across the venue.
Then, the lasers disappeared, and darkness fell.
A faint melody began to play in the quiet awards hall.
It was the sound of a traditional Korean flute.
A spotlight shone on the center of the stage, revealing a dancer.
Dressed in white, he captivated the stage with his dazzling dance moves. Then, the left protruding stage lit up, and another dancer appeared. Also dressed in white, his movements were distinctly different from the powerful first dancer—light and fluttering.
The third dancer appeared on the right protruding stage, also dressed in white, showcasing an impressive performance.
“When is Roa coming out?”
Yoojung craned her neck, staring intently at the stage.
Then, it happened. A spotlight shone on the center protruding stage, revealing a slender silhouette.
“It’s Roa.”
Filaments erupted in cheers.
Roa, dressed in a flowing white blouse and white slacks, was barefoot.
He began to dance, slowly raising the hand that had been covering his face.
He continued with a long solo, his movements graceful and delicate, almost feminine. The serene, dreamy traditional Korean music blended perfectly with ballet and contemporary dance moves, all executed beautifully by Park Roa. It was truly art in its purest form.
As Roa moved from the protruding stage to the main stage, the other dancers joined him.
Three dancers lifted Roa, who was fluttering as he ran, and they performed a group dance together.
The dancers intertwined their right arms, bringing the opening performance to a close.
The lights on the stage dimmed momentarily, and the dancers retreated backstage.
Then, dazzling lights lit up the stage once more.
A massive cheer shook Gocheok Dome.
Yoojung screamed like crazy.
L.I.T was seated in the artist section on the right side of the stage.
My goodness, they looked so composed sitting there in their red carpet outfits.
“L.I.T, Kang Ichan!”
She waved her light stick frantically, and the person next to her shook their flower stick just as vigorously.
They must be a Muse.
She wanted to hit the flower stick with her light stick, but she decided to be the bigger person and let it go.
Earlier, an article had been posted on a portal site’s entertainment news section, stating that L.I.T was a strong contender for the FMA Rookie Award.
The article mentioned that objective metrics had already determined the outcome.
It was true. Among the five Rookie Award nominees, L.I.T dominated in both voting and music sales.
If the results were overturned, it would mean someone had pulled some strings.
HS was known for doing such things, but this year, it seemed a bit more difficult. At least for the Rookie Award.
That’s because the public’s attention was focused on HS’s actions.
Earlier, an article about the controversy surrounding Kim Wooyoung had made it to the main page of a portal site’s entertainment news.
Did they tamper with the lights out of fear of losing the Rookie Award to L.I.T? Two suspicions surrounding MuteSeven.
* * *
A spotlight shone on the center of the main stage, revealing today’s main MC, Kim Hyunsoo.
In his third year as the main MC, he skillfully opened the awards ceremony.
“Today, we have artists who have shined this year with us. Please give them a big round of applause.”
Fireworks exploded, and cheers and applause erupted like thunder.
On the main screen behind the stage, the lineup of today’s performers was displayed, accompanied by a voiceover. On the right screen, the artists seated in the artist section were shown in vivid detail.
Finally, L.I.T was introduced, and our faces appeared on the screen.
Following what we learned in attitude training, I raised my hand slightly and waved. Light sticks shimmered brilliantly throughout the audience.
“Wow, Filaments are amazing.”
Jaewon shouted excitedly. Siu also nodded in agreement.
“Isn’t it bright?”
“Yes.”
The introduction of today’s performers took quite a while.
By the time the first celebratory performance began, Roa returned to his seat.
We all patted Roa on the shoulder, telling him he did well.
Once Roa was seated and some time passed, the bunny-like members began to enjoy the moment, forgetting that this was an awards ceremony.
But I couldn’t.
The side glances were too intense.
Our seats were right next to ARCHE’s. If I turned my head slightly, we’d be face to face.
Given the circular seating arrangement, it was inevitable that our gazes would meet with ARCHE’s members as we watched the stage.
Whenever our eyes met, some ARCHE members would smile and wave. With cameras rolling, I couldn’t ignore them. I smiled faintly and nodded.
Noah, watching me, let out a scoff.
Ha, damn. That annoying guy.
I decided to avoid looking toward the stage as much as possible.
As I focused on the protruding stage, someone plopped down next to me. It was Ga Yuna. Then, someone tapped my shoulder.
“Chan-ssi.”
It was Kim Jeongsoo.
Dinaple was originally seated next to us, and Möbius was on the other side, but it seemed they had come over specifically to see me.
“Are you okay?”
Jeongsoo carefully touched my injured shoulder.
“If I weren’t okay, would you still be touching it?”
Startled, Jeongsoo pulled his hand away.
“You’re not okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Hey, you scared me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Jeongsoo was the one who had followed me to the parking lot that day, sniffling after the accident.
He was the one who called every day to check on me and share updates.
“Thanks to you, hyung, I’m all better now.”
Jeongsoo, relieved, patted my shoulder vigorously.
Then, Ga Yuna chimed in.
“Did you see the community post?”
The community again. I hadn’t read the fan cafe or community posts yet, but I knew things were getting serious. I also knew it had made the news.
I wanted to confirm something with Kim Wooyoung, but it seemed MuteSeven had canceled their appearance today, as they weren’t at Gocheok Dome.
“Jeongsoo said Kim Wooyoung gave you a threatening note that day?”
“Hyung, did you spread the rumor?”
Jeongsoo, startled, waved his hands.
“No, I kept it a secret.”
That day, after receiving the note, I had asked Jeongsoo to keep it a secret.
I was worried that if HS found out, Kim Wooyoung would face repercussions.
“But the rumor’s already out. I only found out yesterday.”
Listening to Jeongsoo’s heart, I could tell he wasn’t lying.
He had kept the secret as I asked, and it seemed he had heard the news from Woogi of DAS 17 yesterday.
Then, Ga Yuna interjected again.
“Anyway, it’s true, right?”
“It’s not true.”
This time, Jeongsoo got defensive.
“Hey, I delivered that note to you from Kim Wooyoung that day…”
“It wasn’t a threat. It was a warning. He told me to be careful. It seems Kim Wooyoung had… noticed something.”
At my words, Jeongsoo’s face turned pale.
“So, it was a warning?”
Jeongsoo, looking stunned, covered his mouth with his left hand.
“Oh no, what do we do?”
“What’s wrong?”
“I told Woogi earlier that Kim Jeongsoo delivered the note. That guy has a loose mouth.”
Just then, a staff member quietly approached.
“L.I.T, it’s time to prepare for the stage.”
It’s good that things are escalating, but they’re escalating in the wrong direction. This is problematic.
“Let’s talk after the performance. Please, don’t tell anyone about the note. Okay?”
Jeongsoo and Ga Yuna zipped their lips and nodded.
* * *
Finally, it was L.I.T’s turn.
Juhee, who had fixed her camera on the stage, prepared to film a fancam with her phone.
Grand music played as the darkened stage rippled like waves.
Smoke filled the air, and blue lights shone on the lower part of the stage.
Then, indirect lighting lit up the back of the main stage, revealing a three-tiered structure.
It looked like scaffolding from a construction site or the ruins of a collapsed building. Light cascaded over it, revealing the silhouettes of the members.
The music playing now was the title track from their latest mini-album, <Begin: Leap>.
But the vibe was completely different.
“Oh, this is the dark version, right?”
It was the dark version of <Begin>, included as a service track on the mini-album.
Lightning flashed on stage, repeatedly revealing and hiding the members’ silhouettes. With each change in their movements, Filaments screamed at the top of their lungs.
“The intro is so cool.”
The intro was absolutely killer.
Instead of coming out onto the stage, the members performed behind it, showing only their shadows. The choreography was stunning, and their individual styles were so distinct that you could tell who was who just by their silhouettes.
Then, the lightning stopped, and the stage darkened again.
The eerie music slowed, the indirect lighting disappeared, and the members’ silhouettes vanished.
“Oh, it’s the official color.”
As soon as the word “official color” left the Filaments’ lips, the stage background turned gray.
The entire massive background was now L.I.T’s official color, gray.
It was the color that adorned the beginning of their official videos. Soon, yellow, another official color, would fall like lightning, completing the logo.
As if on cue, five streaks of yellow light fell on the giant screen, forming the massive logo.
Then, the stage opened.
Five men walked out from where the light had fallen.
It was L.I.T.
Juhee’s phone screen shook violently as she waved her light stick like crazy.
At that moment, the image of L.I.T walking out was magnified on the left and right screens.
A deafening cheer erupted, shaking Gocheok Dome.
“Kyaaaa! What is this? L.I.T!”
Juhee screamed at the top of her lungs.
My goodness, Kang Ichan… was wearing a white shirt with a black harness.
“Kang Ichan!”