translation by mourningmoor
L.I.T's performance, the third celebratory stage of the night, completely shook Gocheok Dome.
Even the artists seated in the artist section gave thumbs up, acknowledging that the performance was absolutely stunning.
After finishing the stage, we hurried back to our seats without even changing our outfits. The Rookie Award ceremony was imminent.
I watched the members take their seats and then sat down last. I wanted to sit as far away from ARCHE as possible.
But my plan backfired completely.
As soon as we returned, the members of Colpis, who had been sitting next to me, left their seats, and an unwelcome person took their place.
Noah, that damn Demon King, sat down next to me and gave me a blatant stare.
"Hoobaenim."
His voice was lazy, laced with amusement.
I wanted to ignore him, I really did, but I couldn’t.
There were too many eyes watching.
"Yes, sunbaenim."
I forced a polite smile, gritting my teeth as I responded. Noah’s lips curled into a smirk.
"You’re such a hard person to meet."
"That’s just how I am."
In a normal world, someone like me shouldn’t even be within reach of a Demon King like him.
But given how things are, I have no choice but to tolerate these encounters.
"How’s your shoulder?"
"Very, extremely, incredibly."
I answered with a tone full of annoyance.
"Fine."
"That’s a relief."
But Noah didn’t even flinch. He just smiled softly and nodded.
"Still, it’s a shame. That you got hurt."
A shame? More like he’s secretly pleased.
"It’s a good thing it was me. I’m built differently, after all."
Surprisingly, Noah’s brow furrowed this time.
His expression turned cold, as if he didn’t find my injury something to be relieved about.
"I find it regrettable. That’s why I reached out."
What is he talking about? Did he know this would happen?
"You should’ve picked up the phone. It would’ve been better if no one got hurt."
I narrowed my eyes as I stared at Noah. His lips curved into a sly smile.
"Smile. This is probably being filmed by fancams right now. If you frown, it’ll only cause trouble for L.I.T."
Smile? After realizing my position in this world?
Ha, what kind of bastard is this?
I didn’t want to smile, but I also didn’t want to cause trouble for L.I.T. So, I had no choice.
I leaned in close to Noah, lowering my head as I spoke.
"So, you knew about it?"
Noah leaned in as well, answering quietly.
"Generally, I can’t help but know about things with evil intentions, right?"
To anyone watching, it would look like we were having an intimate, friendly conversation.
"Do you know Jung Yoobin?"
"Maybe."
His vague answer made me clench my teeth. Noah’s lips curled into a smile.
"Do you need my help?"
"I’m fine."
"You might need me, you know."
I no longer felt the need to continue this conversation.
Noah knows Jung Yoobin.
I don’t know how, but it’s clear that the Demon King is involved in this.
"I’d rather die than rely on you."
I pulled away from Noah and forced another polite smile.
I don’t know how far this guy’s reach extends, but it seems his influence is why I couldn’t read Jung Yoobin’s intentions.
"Listen well, hoobaenim."
Just then, Dinaple was announced as one of the Top 10 Artists of the Year.
The L.I.T members jumped up from their seats, clapping enthusiastically. The artists seated in front did the same.
The place was packed.
Noah didn’t miss the moment.
"Don’t underestimate this world. Don’t underestimate my abilities either. I see things you can’t."
Ignoring Noah, I stood up with the members and congratulated Dinaple.
Noah looked up at me, grinning.
"You’ve really become one of them. You even know how to play along with your sunbae."
Annoyance washed over me.
As I clapped with gritted teeth, Noah slowly stood up.
Then, he tapped my shoulder.
Right on the injured spot.
"Let me know if you need help. I’ll be waiting."
When I didn’t respond, pretending not to hear, he leaned in close to my ear.
"Oh, and take care of yourself. You’re not at a level where you can use defensive magic yet. You might die."
He knows?
I narrowed my eyes and stared at Noah. He smirked and locked eyes with me.
"You haven’t even reached the second circle yet."
With that, he tapped my shoulder once more and returned to his seat.
Dinaple returned to their seat with the trophy. The L.I.T members high-fived Dinaple one by one, looking utterly delighted.
But I wasn’t feeling so delighted.
The Demon King knows the extent of my mana?
If that’s true, it’s like my biggest weakness has been exposed to the enemy.
Damn it.
* * *
There were no surprises.
Thanks to the timely release of the article, HS was forced out of the awards ceremony without being able to exert any influence. The Rookie Award, as expected, went to L.I.T.
When the announcer called out "L.I.T," Gocheok Dome erupted once more. Dinaple, Möbius, and even ARCHE stood up and applauded.
The Filaments in the audience began to go wild.
The large screens on either side of the stage zoomed in on the faces of the L.I.T members.
Jaewon looked like a startled rabbit, Roa like a startled squirrel, Siu like a startled fairy, Hanjoon like a startled puppy, and Ichan, as calm as ever.
As we stood up, Jaewon was the first to wrap his arms around Ichan’s waist. Then Roa hugged Ichan. Siu hugged the three of them, and Hanjoon hugged all four.
L.I.T, now one big lump, expressed their joy at winning the award with their entire bodies.
Soon, the FMA logo song played, and L.I.T walked onto the stage.
Jaewon was the first to reach the stage and received the trophy, while Roa accepted the bouquet.
Finally, Ichan, the leader, took the mic.
All the Filaments held their breath, listening intently to Kang Ichan’s words.
"Filaments!"
When Ichan called out to the Filaments in a loud voice, they responded with cheers. Then, Ichan began his acceptance speech.
"Thank you for this award."
Ichan first thanked the fandom. Then, he slowly scanned the audience of over 20,000 people.
"I felt bad for the cheering stick being a light bulb, but seeing them like this, its luminous power is truly the best in the world."
The Filaments laughed and waved their egg-shaped light sticks like crazy.
"It’s been seven months since our first stage in May. We’ve come this far because of all of you who have been with us on L.I.T’s journey."
Ichan, who had been wearing his default expression, was now smiling brightly.
"During this time, we’ve released ten songs and three music videos. And now, a fourth music video is waiting for you."
Everyone had been wondering when the next music video would drop, and now L.I.T had finally mentioned it.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Thank you for believing in and loving us, even though we’re still young and lacking."
Ichan’s clear voice resonated as he delivered his acceptance speech, shining brighter than ever.
"We’ll continue to do our best every day to repay the love you pour on us daily."
The Filaments couldn’t help but go wild at Ichan’s radiant and composed speech.
"And thank you for giving us the honor of the Rookie Award, a once-in-a-lifetime achievement."
After finishing his speech, Ichan gestured to Jaewon to say something. Jaewon leaned into the mic and made a heart shape with his hands toward the audience.
"I love you, Filaments."
The crowd cheered again.
Roa, smiling brightly at the deafening cheers, stepped up to the mic.
"And. Thank you to Producer Pyo Cheonhee, Director Gong Seokho, Youngjun ssaem, Myungji ssaem, Director Jang Yujin, Team Leader Park Jiwoo, and Director Yang Jaechol."
As Roa listed the names of the company staff, Jaewon lifted the trophy and added,
"Gyuhyung hyung. We won an award. I won’t cry today, so don’t scold me."
Jaewon also called out several other names before finally addressing his mom.
"Mom. I love you. Thank you for giving birth to me."
That simple statement seemed to trigger something.
Suddenly, Siu started crying. Roa bit his lip, his eyes turning red. Hanjoon bowed his head deeply.
Ichan, watching the members, took the mic again.
"To our beloved Filaments, the staff at Blade Entertainment, and our families. Have a good night. Thank you."
After wrapping up, Ichan quickly put down the mic, and the logo song played again. Guided by the staff, L.I.T left the stage.
"This is insane. Absolutely insane."
Juhee couldn’t think of anything else.
How can they be so flawless?
Even on such a big stage, there wasn’t a single misstep. Kang Ichan truly felt like an extraordinary person.
And it wasn’t just Juhee and the Filaments who felt this way.
The 20,000 people gathered at Gocheok Dome, and the countless others watching through their TVs, all had the names L.I.T and Kang Ichan etched into their hearts.