Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 142

#142.

With only the piano melody remaining, the singing voices echoed grandly.

-is yours

-is yours-!

Woochul and Louie’s voices layered over Dojae’s in turn.

It was a perfect harmony.

The chorus repeated, adding Kyusun’s unique tone.

There wasn’t a complete absence of accompaniment, but it felt like an acapella.

The parts that were originally supposed to connect were modulated, and the chorus repeated once more.

-My everything is yours

“Wow…”

It was a beautiful harmony that involuntarily made mouths drop open.

-I only need you

-I only need youuu-

Dojae’s voice firmly supported Louie’s delicate tone.

The intentional ad-libs were clean without any unnecessary additions.

-A deserted, empty island, an exploded star

-But I only need you

It was a sweet whisper.

Even though the song used a slow tempo and minimal instruments, there was no room for boredom.

The MOST vocal line was showing what it meant when people said the voice is an instrument.

-Because my everything is yours, your name is my youth

-From those who envy us

Kijun and Heungmin’s raps continued in voices that seemed to murmur at a low tempo.

It was a rap part that felt ticklish, as if a breeze was being blown into the ears.

And soon, Kyusun’s high notes followed.

-If we can only be together, if I can only reach you againnn-

With his eyes closed, Kyusun’s long, drawn-out high note was mesmerizing.

It was even more perfect than during practice.

The members on stage were surprised for that reason.

Even after showing off high notes that most people would find difficult to imitate, Kyusun was simply immersed in the emotions flowing through the song.

He didn’t seem to be struggling at all.

‘He’s improved.’

The members, including Dojae, thought simultaneously.

As expected, Kyusun was quietly strong.

Kyusun was constantly improving in places unseen.

-We must bloom flowers

Louie’s voice blended into the beautiful melody.

At this moment, the Besties [MOST’s fandom name] in the audience hoped that this song would be released as an official track.

The song originally evoked a fantasy of cherry blossoms fluttering, but the acoustic version felt like walking on a cherry blossom path.

And at the end of that path, a world of fantasy that had never been seen before seemed to unfold.

-We can meet again

The song ended with Dojae’s sweet voice.

“…”

“…”

Not even knowing that the song had ended, the audience was so intoxicated that they couldn’t react for a while.

Only when the members, who had savored the short afterglow, were about to get up from their seats did applause erupt.

“Thank you!”

Kijun gave a thank you greeting on behalf of the group.

The members bowed to the cheering audience in various directions.

During the promotion period, they wondered if a new stage would be possible, but they did it.

And it was quite successful.

The members had smiles on their faces as they came down from the stage.

***

As if it wasn’t just the members’ thoughts, Jo Jungyeol briefly visited the members while the next stage was being prepared and left words of encouragement.

“This is a setlist that hasn’t been revealed before, right?”

“Yes. The second song was specially made for today’s broadcast.”

Dojae politely replied to Jo Jungyeol’s words.

Even before the rehearsal, when they exchanged greetings, Jo Jungyeol looked at MOST with a pleased expression.

But now, his gums were in full bloom [a Korean expression meaning someone is smiling widely].

“This is… To prepare this much when you’re so busy, I’m so grateful.”

“No. We’re so grateful that you invited us.”

“I really enjoyed the performance. I knew it, but after hearing it in person, everyone’s skills are even more amazing.”

The members showed embarrassed expressions.

Kijun, who respected Jo Jungyeol quite a bit from a composer’s perspective, couldn’t hide his proud face.

“The songs are all good too… I really hope to see you again if there’s a chance later. I’m not just saying that, I really mean it.”

“Thank you!”

“Definitely, *sunbaenim* [senior/respected colleague]!”

Louie answered kindly after Kijun, and Jo Jungyeol nodded and gave a thumbs up.

“Jungyeol-ssi, you need to go up!”

A staff member shouted, and Jo Jungyeol hurriedly greeted the members and headed back to the stage.

That’s when the members were about to enter the waiting room in a good mood.

Jung Gilju, who would normally have run out, or rather, waited under the stage and headed to the waiting room together, was nowhere to be seen.

Even the stylists were handing the members towels to wipe off their sweat, but they looked anxious.

“…?”

The members, who had come down after finishing a more satisfying performance than ever, couldn’t help but be puzzled.

‘A problem must have occurred in the meantime.’

Dojae sensed it.

“What’s wrong, *noonas* [term used by males to address older sisters or female friends/colleagues]?”

“Ah, well…”

Sure enough.

The stylist who received Woochul’s question inadvertently glanced at Dojae before quickly averting her gaze.

“Yes? Reporter-nim. What are you talking about… Who’s saying such ridiculous things… I’m hearing this for the first time. This is… I’m not trying to hide anything.”

Jung Gilju’s frustrated voice was heard from the side.

He was on the phone behind the clothes rack where the outfits were hanging.

Jung Gilju had two cell phones, and the one in his hand kept receiving calls.

“Just a moment. I’m getting another call… I’ll check the facts and contact you. Yes. Yes. I’ll definitely contact the reporter-nim first. Don’t worry.”

The members changed out of their sweat-soaked stage costumes.

However, they couldn’t help but pay attention to Jung Gilju’s phone conversation.

“Yes, Team Leader Kim. Yes, yes. I was going to call you anyway, but the reporters… What? Ah…”

Jung Gilju’s expression hardened as he spoke urgently on the phone with Team Leader Kim Seokcheol.

And he called Dojae.

“Dojae-ya. Team Leader Kim wants to talk to you for a moment.”

Dojae, who was in the middle of taking off his top, hurriedly put his arms into the casual sweatshirt he had brought.

Dojae’s expression darkened as he changed his clothes and took the phone that Jung Gilju handed him.

Team Leader Kim Seokcheol was looking for him, which meant that…

‘I’ve caused concern and trouble in many ways.’

It was something he had expected when Songhwan posted on Gate [online community platform], but even knowing that, it was still annoying.

Dojae hadn’t bothered to bring up his personal desire for revenge, hoping that the members wouldn’t worry and that he wouldn’t cause any trouble to the team in any way.

He simply had the single-minded determination to live better and be more successful than Yoo Myungwoo and his group, in place of the ‘Kang Dojae’ who had even wished for death.

That’s what actually happened, and it seemed like Yoo Myungwoo would self-destruct if he just waited a little longer.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been in a way that revealed his past wrongdoings in detail like this…

Dojae answered the phone.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

***

At the same time that the members were performing on stage.

It goes without saying that public interest poured in even more after the comment that the victim was Dojae was posted.

The level of criticism against Yoo Myungwoo also increased, but at the same time, various opinions poured out, taking on the aspect of a public opinion battle.

In particular, as Yoo Myungwoo was unilaterally criticized, people who seemed to be Yoo Myungwoo’s fans, or those who really wanted to take a ‘neutral’ stance because there was no visible evidence, came forward, saying that the truth needed to be determined.

1) The circumstances seem to fit, but there is no evidence. At least authenticate that he was a New trainee.

2) Is it right for a third party, not the victim, to post this? Whoever the victim is, they must come forward and reveal the truth.

They were saying that if it wasn’t all true, only innocent Yoo Myungwoo was being criticized, so they hoped the truth would be revealed soon.

‘The victim has to come forward…’

They may want to know the truth, but it was a cruel thing to say.

The issue of bullying within the group raised by Hwang Juho’s fans had already been forgotten.

There were limitations because the only evidence was the broadcast content, and there was a tendency to dismiss it as a unilateral claim by Hwang Juho’s fans.

The fact that the The Origin members decided to embrace Hwang Juho, even though there was a problem that warranted his departure, also had a domino effect.

Above all, the biggest reason was that the content posted on Gate was much more stimulating, and the fact that Dojae’s name was mentioned made it a back burner.

In that situation, New Entertainment released an article.

[…We are checking the facts about the post on the online community site.

The writer is a trainee who lived as a trainee with the members of The Origin and left the company after his debut was canceled, and they were on good terms at the time…]

It was a press release that gave off a strange nuance, as if they were getting along well when they were trainees, but now they were posting this, as if it was because they couldn’t debut…

Anyway, as it was confirmed that the post was written by an actual trainee, netizens became even more frantic to find the victim.

All the trainees who had gone through New Entertainment at that time were mentioned, and Dojae was mentioned as the most likely victim.

From then on, reporters and people involved began to contact Jung Gilju and the MOST staff.

-Then why did that trainee bother to bring up Yoo Myungwoo at this time? If GDJ is doing well and didn’t intend to reveal this, lol

-A friend of mine is a New employee and said that GDJ was never bullied

-Didn’t GDJ say that he was bullied by that writer?

-Since both of them couldn’t debut at New. They must have had some resentment:/

-Wow, look at Yoo Myungwoo’s fans being shameless, they’re trying to muddy the waters so much

-I don’t think it’s either Yoo Myungwoo or GDJ lol I think the trainee was so full of inferiority that they made up the story because everyone debuted.

In the meantime, there were rampant speculations from those who wanted to defend Yoo Myungwoo.

And Dojae had two choices.

One was to just let things flow as they were.

New would try to resolve the issue with Songhwan in a way that would cover it up, and then Dojae would no longer be mentioned.

The other was to reveal that Dojae was the victim.

However, in that case, there were many things that Dojae would have to endure, even though he was a ‘victim’ and not a perpetrator.

If he received sympathy, it would definitely have a negative impact on his ‘successful idol image’, and what he was most worried about was the mud fight that would break out the moment he revealed that he was a victim.

Unless there was solid evidence, Yoo Myungwoo would try to reduce and conceal the matter in any way possible.

-Dojae-gun [term of address, similar to Mr.], as expected, things are… going a little badly. I told the company the truth and we talked enough.

“Thank you, Team Leader.”

-We are going to proceed with the work unconditionally as Dojae-gun wants. I received the message earlier. Has your mind not changed?

Listening to Team Leader Kim Seokcheol’s voice over the phone, Dojae looked at the members.

Kijun, who made eye contact with Dojae, nodded once.

Heungmin next to him also nodded as if he was okay.

Woochul raised his hand and drew a circle [a Korean gesture meaning ‘okay’], and Kyusun and Louie also signaled with their eyes that they were okay.

“Yes. It hasn’t changed.”

Dojae answered in a firm voice.

If it becomes a mud fight, only Yoo Myungwoo and Songhwan’s gang would have to stand there.