Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 29

#29.

“What’s wrong, Team Leader? You’re making me nervous…. Are we really doomed?”

“The performance was good though…. There were barely any mistakes……”

Woochul and Gyuseong asked, one after the other, noticing Team Leader Jung Heeyoung’s unusual expression.

Louis’s eyes darted around anxiously.

‘He wasn’t nervous on stage and did so well.’

He was worried because Louis was the only underage member, but on stage, Louis was flawless.

He was definitely made for the stage.

But in the waiting room, he was just a nineteen-year-old.

Dojae felt Louis’s hand trembling as he held on, so he took Louis’s hand.

“It’s a hit! You did great, guys!”

Team Leader Jung Heeyoung, who had been setting a serious mood as if something was wrong, suddenly shouted.

“Huh?!”

“Really?!”

“We’re doomed…. No, we’re not doomed? What is it, Team Leader!”

“Gosh……”

The members were relieved, even as they were confused by the changed atmosphere.

Team Leader Jung Heeyoung hurriedly shared the live broadcast reactions.

“The reaction was good from the intro stage. They said the dance angles were different…. It spread on community sites, and by the end of the showcase, the number of viewers had increased eightfold…. The title track stage reaction is also amazing…. Anyway, you guys really worked hard.”

It was hard to believe they had been ridiculed for even holding a debut showcase in a small, unknown agency.

It was a much more successful debut showcase than expected.

It was all thanks to the members who perfectly pulled off the stage.

“Whew…. That’s a relief.”

Woochul sighed in relief.

Seeing Woochul, Team Leader Jung Heeyoung teasingly said,

“You did well without any mistakes, considering you didn’t rehearse, Woochul.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You do well when you do it. Now, if you’re scared, don’t run away and just tell me or Team Leader Kim. That’s all you need to do.”

“Yes!”

Woochul nodded energetically.

Having heard the positive reactions, the relieved members quickly changed out of their sweat-soaked clothes.

“There must be a lot of articles out now, right?”

“I’m going to look for all the comments on the way.”

The members chatted excitedly while removing their makeup.

Thanks to them, the atmosphere among the staff working together was great.

The backstage was chaotic with tidying up, but it was full of energy.

Team Leader Kim Seokcheol and manager Jung Gilju burst into the waiting room.

“Oh, hyung, hyung! Please give us our phones!”

Woochul said hurriedly, spotting Jung Gilju.

Dojae, who checked the clock on the wall, also headed towards Jung Gilju without changing his clothes.

He was in a ridiculous state, with his upper body in his stage costume and his lower body in casual clothes, but he didn’t care.

‘It’s past seven in the evening.’

The phones were more urgent.

At the same time, he figured that Jung Gilju and Kim Seokcheol had already checked the results and came to the waiting room.

“Before that, I have something to tell you all.”

“…Yes? Why are you being like that again, Team Leader Kim…. Why are you so scary. Team Leader Kim is really scary.”

Woochul whined, but Team Leader Kim Seokcheol’s stern expression didn’t change.

“Ah! Could it be.”

Then, Heungmin, who was removing his makeup in front of the mirror, jumped up.

“Did the charts come out?!”

“Yes.”

6 PM.

At the same time as the stage ended, the music videos for the two title tracks were released on Mytube [a fictional video-sharing platform].

Also, the music for MOST’s first debut album, ‘the very First,’ was released on music streaming sites.

An hour had passed since then, so it was time for the chart entry rankings to come out.

The explosive increase in the number of internet broadcast viewers also meant that more people were listening to the music at 6 PM.

But it was hard to guess to what extent.

The music chart rankings were quantified.

It was the moment to know exactly where the newly debuted MOST stood.

Of course, you had to be in the top 100 to check the ranking, so it was possible that you wouldn’t be able to know the entry ranking at all.

“Wha…. What rank is it? No, did we even make it in?”

Heungmin asked in a completely nervous voice.

In reality, it was not easy for most rookies to even enter the top 100.

In fact, Big Boyz’s debut title track was only able to enter the chart within the top 100 after appearing on music shows several times.

Therefore, MOST’s target entry ranking on the music charts was 100th, and the final target ranking was within the top 50.

‘MOST doesn’t have any official broadcast schedules yet…. Even if we don’t make it in right away, there’s no need to be too disappointed.’

Dojae thought that even if they failed to enter the chart, he wouldn’t be disappointed.

They could just gradually work their way up to the final goal.

Of course, he was hoping that they would be on the chart, even if it was 100th.

‘The teasers and showcase reactions are good…. I guess I’m getting greedy.’

Greed.

It was unfamiliar to Dojae, who had been bound by his status as Hwangja [referring to his previous, more restricted life].

But it was natural for someone chasing a dream.

“I don’t want to hear it! I can’t listen!”

“Um…. Can I go throw up for a second?”

Woochul shouted that he couldn’t listen, and Gyuseong, who quietly got up from his seat, said he was going to the bathroom.

“Give me 5 seconds, just 5 seconds!”

Louis, who stepped up to do a countdown, began to fold his fingers one by one.

Team Leader Kim Seokcheol watched the members making a fuss.

Dojae swallowed hard.

Kijun, who was standing next to Dojae, also looked very nervous.

“3, 2, 1! Please tell us now!”

“89th.”

“Wow!”

89.

With just one number, the waiting room, which was already full of energy, became a festival atmosphere.

” is 89th, and is 96th.”

“Wow. Did both of them make it? Awesome!”

Looking at it from 1st place, both were in the lower ranks, close to 100th.

But for a rookie who debuted today, just entering had great significance.

The chart entry ranking of the currently most popular rookie idol, The Origin, was 67th.

There was quite a difference, but it wasn’t a difference that couldn’t be caught up with.

Especially considering the difference in agency recognition and the amount of promotion.

“Congratulations, guys!”

“Congratulations!”

The staff nearby offered their congratulations.

“There was some interest from the teasers, but your stage completely turned the tide!”

Team Leader Jung Heeyoung said excitedly.

It was a perfect analysis.

As Team Leader Jung Heeyoung said, the ‘Knife-like choreography, rookie group MOST debut stage’ video was spreading on the internet.

Those who watched the video said the song was better than they thought and naturally looked for the music.

The members hurriedly received the phones that Jung Gilju handed out.

And immediately checked the music site rankings with their own eyes.

“Wow, awesome! Grape Music [a fictional music streaming platform] has a high ranking. It seems the public chose !”

Heungmin showed off the phone screen to Kijun, saying, ‘See, I told you,’ as if to argue that was better than , even though was also good.

“Hyung, you ignored my song, didn’t you?! If it wasn’t for the two title tracks, it would have been buried?! Isn’t that right?”

Kijun, who was sitting down and looking at the phone screen, remained silent despite Heungmin’s provocation.

“What is it? Are you too happy to speak?”

It was when Heungmin asked one more time.

Louis, who peeked at Kijun’s lowered head, asked, looking dazed.

“Kijun hyung [older brother or male friend]…. Is he crying?”

“What? Crying?”

Heungmin asked back with a shocked face.

At those words, Woochul, Gyuseong, and even Dojae focused their attention on Kijun.

Woochul, who had been scolded the most by Kijun, the leader, rushed over.

“Crying? Hyung is crying?”

“O…. Kay.”

Kijun tried to answer, because if he left him alone, Woochul would shout loud enough to make the waiting room collapse.

But his voice was filled with tears.

“What, is he really crying?!”

Kijun, the group’s oldest member, who was always indifferent and chic, was crying.

Woochul, who thought he would burst into laughter right away, was rather embarrassed.

“Ah, hyung. If a person suddenly changes…. Don’t die right after debuting.”

“It’s not that……”

At Heungmin’s words, Kijun raised his head.

He wasn’t crying profusely, but his eyes were red.

“He must be very happy.”

Seeing Kijun’s face, even Gyuseong teared up and muttered.

Kijun was a long-time trainee at Kingdom Entertainment, and he watched the Big Boyz members, who he had trained with, debut.

Of course, it was a choice to become the central member of the follow-up team, but it wasn’t easy for Kijun either.

He was worried about when the next debut would be.

The more the members didn’t gather as he thought, the more his anxiety grew.

Then, the youngest member he was training with suddenly left to study abroad……

He tried to fill the void by focusing on writing songs, and he even collapsed.

The members knew about Kijun’s time.

He was a blunt and strict hyung, but he was also an unwavering pillar of support.

At Kijun’s tears, Gyuseong, Woochul, Heungmin, and Louis also teared up.

“Ah, hyung! Why are you crying on a day like this! Are you going to wail if we get 1st place?”

“That’s right! Why are you crying when you’re happy!”

“I’m going crazy, really……”

Kijun bit his lower lip for a moment, looking at his younger brothers who were scolding him but standing by his side.

“…Thank you. Thank you for coming this far with me.”

And he expressed his gratitude.

“I really don’t know why this hyung is like this.”

Heungmin turned away as if he couldn’t listen anymore, feeling goosebumps.

Everyone knew that he left because he felt like he was going to cry if he stayed any longer.

“It’s just the beginning, hyung.”

Dojae said to Kijun in a calm but warm voice.

Kijun, who looked up at Dojae, nodded and raised the corners of his lips.

“Yeah. That’s right.”

He was grateful to everyone who was with him, but Kijun was actually most grateful to Dojae.

If Dojae hadn’t suggested making both songs title tracks, there was a high probability that would have ended up being the title track.

Kijun was a rookie as a composer, and Director Lee Jungeop was a veteran among veterans.

And Kijun himself would have trusted Director Lee Jungeop more than himself.

But thanks to Dojae, he was able to debut as a composer on the day he debuted as a member.

More than anything, he was glad that he had no regrets.

“Let’s do well in the future too.”

Kijun said that and smiled.

Dojae smiled back with a proud heart as Kijun, who didn’t smile often, smiled brightly.

***

A few days later.

It was finally the day to appear on a music show.

The members’ eyes, who had visited the salon since early in the morning, were full of sleepiness.

Heungmin scolded Woochul, who was yawning widely.

“That’s why I told you to go to bed early yesterday.”

“Hyung couldn’t sleep well either.”

“I slept earlier than you, you punk.”

Heungmin, who said that, barely fell asleep after midnight.

It was because he was excited and nervous about the first broadcast appearance, so he tossed and turned late into the night.

Of course, he wasn’t as nervous as he was at the debut showcase, where his vision went blank.

He had been on stage once, so he was more excited and thrilled than afraid.

He also wanted to do better because it wasn’t just their stage.

He was also curious about what the broadcasting station he had dreamed of would look like.

“Huh?!”

It was when the car carrying the MOST members entered the broadcasting station entrance.

Louis, who was looking at the broadcasting station building outside with curious eyes, shouted in surprise.

“There! Outside!”

Dojae, who had been calmly recalling the image on stage, also opened his eyes and looked out the window.

“That’s……!”