Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 30

#30.

Do-jae blinked, as if he couldn’t believe it.

There was a long line in front of the broadcasting station.

It was a waiting line for fans who came to watch the music show.

‘I naturally thought they were all fans of different singers…….’

But in the middle of the line, there were people holding banners with the MOST logo largely written on them.

“W-we have fans?”

Gyu-sung stammered, asking towards the driver’s seat.

Jung Gil-ju grinned, turning the steering wheel towards the underground parking lot.

He hadn’t told them in advance so they could be happy seeing it for themselves.

“Of course! It’s already been four days since you debuted.”

Not even a year, but already four days.

‘If it’s only been four days…’

The members buzzed with disbelief.

“Wow, I didn’t even think about it.”

“Did the company recruit a fan club?!”

When Heung-min asked with an excited voice, Jung Gil-ju explained.

“It’s not a fan club yet. For now, we’re accepting people on a first-come, first-served basis on the website to participate in the public broadcast. The broadcasting station doesn’t have many fan seats allocated, so about 40 people?”

“Heol…….”

“Oh my gosh.”

Woo-cheol and Louis alternately exclaimed.

“Not 4, but 40 people gathered?!”

Heung-min asked, surprised once again.

The people who came to the debut showcase stage were more like simple spectators than fans.

People who came with some interest to see what kind of performance they would put on.

But the people who came today were definitely ‘fans.’

People who participated in the first-come, first-served application to see MOST’s stage and endured the long waiting time.

“Aren’t you guys too unambitious?”

Jung Gil-ju asked playfully.

“It’s because we can’t believe it!”

“You guys are still maintaining the 90s on the charts. The views on the music video and showcase video are also constantly increasing…. Do you think you wouldn’t have at least 40 fans? Maybe after today’s broadcast, even more fans will come to the next broadcast.”

At Jung Gil-ju’s optimism, the corners of Heung-min’s lips slowly went up.

“Then we’ll be recruiting a fan club soon, right?”

“That’s right. Soon.”

Jung Gil-ju answered playfully to Woo-cheol’s question.

The members’ faces lit up at the word fan club.

The sleepy look from just a moment ago was nowhere to be found.

“Our fans are here! Ugh!”

When Woo-cheol exclaimed excitedly, Gi-jun, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at Heung-min and said.

“Make sure he doesn’t run away.”

“Ah, hyung [older brother/male friend]!”

“Park Woo-cheol. If you run away again today and make us suffer.”

“I really won’t do that anymore! I’ve overcome it all! That day was really…. Sigh, I’m the sinner, I’m the sinner.”

“That’s right. You’re a sinner.”

Leaving behind Woo-cheol and Heung-min, who had started bickering again, Do-jae quietly savored the word fan club.

“Fan club, huh…….”

At the performance in front of City Hall, which Do-jae saw for the first time in Korea, he was able to watch the fan clubs of other singers right next to him.

‘They were surprisingly passionate.’

As much as the singers on stage, or even more so, they were passionate.

To have people who listen to his music and support and love him so ardently.

He understood why the members were excited.

Do-jae’s heart was also pounding.

***

MOST shared a waiting room with a male idol group that debuted last week and a female indie musician who was appearing on broadcast for the first time.

Since everyone was unfamiliar with broadcasting, the waiting room was chaotically bustling.

“First, we’ll finish setting up, do a dry rehearsal, and then go around to each waiting room to greet everyone.”

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol, who had come in advance to set up the waiting room, told the members the schedule.

“Wow. So we’re going around to greet all the performers?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“The ‘Candies’ sunbaenims [senior artists] are coming today too, right? To meet Candies sunbaenims…….”

Candies was a popular female idol group that sang the OST [original soundtrack] of the drama Louis liked the most.

“An autograph! I shouldn’t get an autograph, should I?”

“Louis 18th, why are you being so unsophisticated! Maintain your dignity as an emperor.”

Louis’s nickname was ‘Louis’ as it was.

With the age attached to it, ‘Louis 18th.’

He should be used to it by now, but Do-jae somehow flinched every time the word emperor came out.

At the words Louis 18th, Louis quickly retorted.

“I’m Louis 19th now, hyung!”

“Ah, that’s right. I’m Woo-cheol 20th.”

Louis laughed loudly at Woo-cheol’s words.

It was his first time at a broadcasting station.

His younger brothers, who were already excited, couldn’t calm down their excited hearts even after arriving at the waiting room.

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol looked at such Louis and Woo-cheol with cold eyes.

Gyu-sung poked Woo-cheol in the side.

Woo-cheol belatedly shut his mouth, feeling Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol’s cold gaze.

Louis also quickly tried to fix the atmosphere.

“An autograph. I won’t get it.”

“Yes. It would be good if you did that.”

It felt like it would be a little less scary if he treated him comfortably like Jung Gil-ju.

“Today’s broadcast is live. It’s a broadcast that goes out on TV as well as the internet…. There are many other singers too. Don’t get too excited and show a good performance like you did at the showcase.”

“Yes. Team Leader.”

Gi-jun answered in a straight posture at Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol’s words.

Being too nervous isn’t good, but if you let go of the tension completely, mistakes will come out.

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol looked over the members, who had regained their composure, one more time.

“Then let’s start with the setup first.”

At Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol’s words, the stylists began to move busily.

***

Thanks to regaining the atmosphere that was about to loosen, the members finished the dry rehearsal without any problems.

It was just a rehearsal to set the movement, so there was nothing difficult.

The real thing was the camera rehearsal and the main broadcast stage.

The camera rehearsal is done almost identically to the real thing.

With the audience fully filling the seats, MOST was scheduled to perform live like a live broadcast stage.

The members changed from their casual clothes to stage costumes for the upcoming camera rehearsal.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Candies! Candies!”

The shouts towards Candies, who were rehearsing ahead of MOST, could be heard all the way to the waiting room.

The audience, mixed with fans of various singers, was in a heated atmosphere.

“Wow…. The cheering is really loud.”

Gyu-sung, who had put on his clothes first, said to Do-jae with a nervous look.

“Yeah.”

Do-jae nodded and replied.

The shouts were clear in Do-jae’s ears as well.

“You guys…. Are you okay?”

Gi-jun, who had quietly approached Gyu-sung and Do-jae, checked on the two of them.

There was a reason for taking care of the two people who usually didn’t have anything to worry about.

That was because the song they would be performing today, their first music show stage, was, of all things, “Again.”

It was decided because the music chart ranking of “Again” was slightly higher than “Paradise.”

However, as the leader and composer, Gi-jun was worried.

The choreography was easier than “Paradise”, but the song wasn’t.

Besides, the two of them were in charge of the high-pitched parts, which were the highlight parts of “Again.”

“It’s a live broadcast and live…….”

“We’ve practiced live a lot, so don’t worry.”

Do-jae quickly replied as if he knew Gi-jun’s worries.

Gyu-sung nodded as if agreeing with Do-jae’s answer.

At the sight of the two reliable people, Gi-jun soon turned around, saying, “Okay.”

“MOST! Get ready for the stage!”

“Guys, let’s go!”

The staff who opened the door and came in shouted.

Jung Gil-ju led the members.

Below the stage, looking at the concert hall filled with the audience, the MOST members gathered their hands together.

And at the same time, they shouted.

“We can do it! We’ll make it! MOST!”

It was a slogan that they had decided together in the dorm before their debut.

When they gathered their hands together and shouted, they felt like they could really do anything and make anything happen.

It felt like the energy of the six people was gathering in one place.

“Hoo…. Let’s go up!”

With Gi-jun in the lead, the six members ran up onto the stage.

***

“Wow!”

“MOST!”

“MOST is amazing!”

“Kyaa!”

The members, standing in a row on the stage, looked down at the stage below, tightly gripping the microphones.

Although it was a significantly smaller sound compared to Candies, who had performed on the previous stage, the voices of 40 people were constantly cheering for MOST.

The members became dazed, forgetting the heat of the lights shining down on the top of their heads.

Unlike the showcase, the temperature of the eyes looking at them was hot.

It wasn’t just the 40 fans who were watching MOST with interest.

There were fans of other singers who could become future fans or antis [anti-fans].

“One, two, three.”

When Gi-jun counted the numbers as promised, the members reflexively bowed like one body.

“We are MOST, here to be the best!”

When they shouted at the same time, a reaction of “Ooh” flowed out from the audience.

‘The music show stage is like this.’

Do-jae thought quietly.

After the greeting, while the staff was preparing for a while, silence fell, and the reactions of the fans in the standing area could be heard as closely as if they were talking to a friend.

“What. He’s cute. The one with the yellow hair.”

“No, I think the one with the red hair is cute? He’s handsome.”

“Hey, are you guys blind? The one standing in the middle…. What. I’m going to be that person’s fan from today.”

“Ah…. He is handsome. He looks like an actor?”

“I guess he’s the visual member. Then the song must be bad.”

“You never know. These days, handsome kids are good at singing too.”

“Where is there someone like that?”

“Our Infinite Boys Yoon-hoo oppa [term used by younger females to refer to older male idols]?”

“Ugh, why are you saying something so obvious! There’s no one like our Yoon-hoo oppa but Yoon-hoo oppa.”

The blatant reactions flowed into their ears, and the members were quite embarrassed.

They were busy trying to manage their expressions, pretending not to hear and looking far away.

At that time, a loud voice shouted from the place where MOST’s fans were gathered.

“Kang Do-jae is handsomeeeee!”

Because it was comically off-key, laughter erupted in the audience for a moment.

The members, who had been frozen on the stage, also chuckled inwardly, unseen.

At that moment, Do-jae, who turned his head towards the fan seats, gave a smile as if he had drawn it and greeted them.

“Thank you.”

And he raised his hand and waved slowly.

It was a natural and elegant hand gesture, as if he was very used to it.

Of course.

It was something he had always done to those who shouted, “Third Prince, I love you!” at him at official events.

Cheers were heard from the MOST fan seats at Do-jae’s actions.

“I guess that’s Kang Do-jae.”

“What. Why is he so relaxed? He’s even more handsome when he smiles.”

“So cool. He’s already giving great fan service. Isn’t today their debut?”

“Yeah…. Awesome.”

Admiration for Do-jae flowed out here and there.

Louis, who was standing next to Do-jae, gave Do-jae a thumbs up, and Heung-min shook his head as if he was amazing.

The cameramen, who were focusing the camera, even burst into hearty laughter at Do-jae’s composure.

“Music starts.”

The voice of the director with a microphone echoed in the hall.

The members tensed up and took a ready stance.

Soon, the intro of “Again” began to play.

The first verse was Louis’s, with his beautiful voice.

Louis stepped forward to the center of the stage and sang the first verse, and then Woo-cheol took over the next verse.

The audience was impressed by their stable singing skills, which were hard to believe were from their first live performance.

Next was Do-jae’s part.

It was a part that went straight up to a high note.

Gi-jun held the microphone tightly in his hand as if it was his part.

―In the world where you and I live-!

Do-jae raised his voice loudly.