Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 52

As they slowly prepared for their performance, the Big Boyz members waited for MOST’s turn.

Regina’s performance was in full swing on the monitoring TV in the waiting room.

Regina was the most noticeable rookie girl idol group of the year.

Since they were a team that promoted themselves as a hip-hop group rather than an ordinary dance group, their stage was very free-spirited.

“This team is really good too.”

“Their rappers are really good. They might even be better than Kedo, hyung [older brother or male friend].”

“Jungjoon. Are you kidding me?”

“Just kidding? Just kidding twice!”

“That Jungjoon…….”

Kedo frowned as if he had a headache.

Judging by his behavior, Jungjoon seemed more like an underground rapper than Kedo.

“You, you little punk. You made a slip of the tongue earlier too!”

“Why are you always picking on me? I’m just saying someone handsome is handsome. I was wondering if we had such talent in our company. He seems to have more aura than when I saw him on TV.”

That’s true.

The Big Boyz members next to him nodded.

Kedo almost nodded along with the atmosphere.

“No, not that! The part about running away.”

“Why? I’m serious. If I were on the same team as Gijun hyung, I would have run away already. It’s tough enough with you guys. Gijun hyung? I’d really run away immediately.”

“I want to run away because of you. Don’t you know there’s someone who actually ran away because he didn’t want to practice there?”

Jungjoon belatedly realized the truth and exclaimed, “Ah… Oh, right?”

“Oh, right?!”

“Ah, damn it. I really messed up again. I guess I’ll continue to be the mysterious member who can’t say a word on TV.”

“You know yourself well.”

Kedo clicked his tongue at Jungjoon, who was messing up his hair in regret.

Kedo knew better than anyone how much Gijun had struggled around that time because of Heemin, who had gone to study abroad.

‘Even before Heemin told the company that he was going to study abroad, the atmosphere in the dorm was already a mess.’

Gijun regained stability only after Dojae and Louis joined and the team was finalized.

It was a stroke of good fortune.

No, it seemed like it was for the better.

Kedo recalled the conversation he had with Gijun around that time.

[That kid Dojae has a good ear and seems to be able to write songs]

[He practices harder than me]

[He also works out every day after practice]

[The youngest is bright and 괜찮아 (gwaenchanha – okay/alright), though he’s a bit unique]

[Is it even comparable to Jungjoon? Woocheol doesn’t seem like that crazy guy]

..[I think I’m really going to debut this year]

It didn’t take long for Gijun to feel affection for the new members.

‘He practices harder than Gijun…….’

No one among the previous Kingdom trainees practiced enough to satisfy Gijun.

Watching MOST’s debut stage, Kedo realized that Gijun’s words were true.

‘They’re really crazy.’

The Big Boyz, who had become synonymous with 칼군무 (kalgunmu – perfectly synchronized choreography), had to endure a considerable amount of practice to get there.

But MOST was capable of live performances with perfectly synchronized choreography.

Jung Heeyeong team leader’s words that Woocheol was always complaining naturally came to mind.

‘He has a reason to complain?!’

And at the same time, he felt relieved as a friend.

Because it seemed like Gijun had finally formed the team he wanted.

Because it felt like he was being rewarded for the time he had waited.

The TV screen went dark.

It meant that MOST was coming on soon.

Kingdom Entertainment employees who had been scattered here and there also gathered in front of the TV.

“I wonder how well they’ll do today.”

Kedo’s murmur was soon drowned out by the cheers pouring out of the TV.

***

Gijun, who caught the microphone thrown into the air in an instant, quickly unleashed his rap.

―Our time starts now. Our own FESTA [festival].

It was a rapid-fire rap set to a beat that was faster than the original BPM of .

Yet, his pronunciation was so accurate that each syllable of the lyrics was clearly heard.

“Wow!”

“Kyaa! Lee Gijun!”

The audience cheered at Gijun’s diverse rapping.

Even though the newly created rap had quite a few lyrics, Gijun didn’t miss a single syllable.

Having perfectly completed his part, Gijun turned around and bumped palms with Heungmin, who was coming to the front of the stage.

Next was Heungmin’s turn.

―Yeah!

Heungmin was more skilled at riding the beat than at speed.

Heungmin, who shouted out in a thick voice, moved his hands freely and continued the rap of .

Meanwhile, the vocal part members spread out across the stage, encouraging the audience.

The members, dressed in dazzlingly colorful jumpers, ripped skinny jeans, and various accessories, stirred up the stage with a relaxed and confident demeanor.

After Gijun and Heungmin’s rap parts ended and the vocal part began, Gyuseong and Louis, Dojae and Woocheol each paired up to create harmonies.

In the easy-to-sing chorus, the audience spontaneously sang along without being told.

The MOST members, who had spread out in all directions like contrails created by airplanes in the sky, soon gathered in the center of the stage.

And soon the lights changed and the song playing on the stage also switched.

It was the intro song that they had performed once during their showcase stage.

The members had almost worn out their knees over the past two weeks preparing for a different choreography than the showcase.

“What, this is amazing!”

“Ooh!”

The mouths of those who had been focusing on the stage immediately dropped open.

The intro was a song that was made almost exclusively for dance performance.

In the intense yet fast beat, the members moved in formation in perfect unison.

The scene of the six members moving as one was broadcast on the large monitor at the back of the venue.

It was a choreography that was unwavering from any angle.

Soon the lights changed rapidly and two of the members jumped high.

It was Louis and Heungmin.

The surroundings darkened and white spotlight shone down on the two.

Under the lights, the two moved their bodies freely.

“Louis-yaaaaaaa!”

“Min oppa [term of endearment for older brother/male friend]!”

“Agh, so cool!”

It was a choreography that brought out their own individuality as much as it contrasted black and white, even though it was the same movement.

The large stage felt full with just the two of them.

The moment the two, who had been moving their bodies quickly, slowed down and bent their backs, those in the audience momentarily covered their mouths.

The two, who had bent their bodies completely backward as if they were about to touch the ground, sprang up and straightened their bodies.

“Kyaaaaaaa!”

“Waaaaaa!”

“Kyaak―!”

“MOST! MOST!”

“MOST!”

Soon, a high decibel of cheers poured out.

The voices chanting MOST grew louder.

As Louis and Heungmin did a somersault forward and went to the front of the stage, the lights changed and the remaining four members who had been waiting were revealed.

The four members were already wearing white short-sleeved shirts that clung to their bodies, having taken off their jumpers.

“Oooooh!”

Exclamations of admiration burst out from among the female audience.

This was because it wasn’t an incredibly muscular body, but a slim yet firm physique was all revealed.

While the view was scattered among the four, Louis and Heungmin also naturally took off their jumpers and picked up the microphones.

The highlight part of immediately followed.

―This is our dynamic world!

After Gyuseong’s mesmerizing tone that seemed to take away the soul, Dojae’s pleasant baritone echoed loudly throughout the venue.

***

“You did well! You did well! You were the best!”

“Wow. Gijun hyung. I thought it was your concert.”

“Everyone…. Is this really your first awards ceremony?”

Praise poured out from the staff and Big Boyz members as they came to the waiting room.

However, the MOST members couldn’t hear anything.

It felt like all the moisture in their bodies had been drained.

Since they had poured all the energy they had on stage, it was not much different from reality.

“Here, water. Drink some water first.”

“…Thank you.”

Dojae barely managed to receive the bottle of 생수 (saengsu – bottled water) handed out by Jeong Gilju.

The other members couldn’t even speak and gulped down the water.

They already knew that it was on a different level from when they stood on a music show stage when they saw the size of the stage.

‘But it was really different.’

Dojae thought of the stage.

He was so immersed in the stage itself that he couldn’t remember it well.

I have to do well, I have to work hard.

It wasn’t something that could be done by making up his mind.

His body just moved on its own.

It would be right to say that he was intoxicated by the stage itself.

The audience all felt it too.

The audience was also intoxicated by the stage with the energy that MOST was pouring out.

“Thank you so much for your hard work. It was a great performance.”

Kim Seokcheol team leader, who watched the members from under the stage instead of the waiting room, said.

The members, who had barely regained their senses, smiled slightly at Kim Seokcheol team leader’s praise.

“Did we really do well?”

When Woocheol asked, Kim Seokcheol team leader nodded again with conviction.

“You killed it, you killed it! The internet is going crazy right now.”

Jungjoon came over and held out his phone towards Gijun and Woocheol.

-Daebak [amazing/awesome]

-What just passed by?

-Is this live right now?

-Most.. what is it???

-I knew they were good at singing, but the rappers are really good at rapping too

-The first rapper to come out could win even if he went on D.Hiphop right now?

-You’re exaggerating again

-It’s true that he’s as good as a rapper from D.Hiphop

-The vocals are really amazing

-Really good

-The dance is crazy, they’re flying????

-This is why I watch rookie stages.. they work so hard

-Look at how alive they are

-You can tell they prepared hard

-It’s different from their usual stage?? They prepared hard for the awards ceremony

-Give them the Rookie of the Year award, they work so hardㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-Most fans have increased a lot

-I’m praising them for doing well on stage, why are there suddenly Most fans

-I’m going to be a Most fan from today

-Welcome to being the best^^,,,

-Ugh!!!!!

-Did they bend their backs?????

-I couldn’t breathe just now

-ㄴㄷㄴㄷ [short for “same here”] I wonder if their backs are okay?

-It looks too dangerousㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-Eye candy, ear candy, it was amazingㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-It was the best stage I saw todayㅇㅇ

-I’m waiting for Infinite Boys, but I was bored and was about to change the channel, but I sat back down

-Big Boyz’s 칼군무 (kalgunmu – perfectly synchronized choreography) has come down to Most

-Where did Kingdom get these kids from?

-The D.Origin stage is starting!

-Oh..

“Only they didn’t make it. It’s your stage next.”

Kedo said, pointing to the monitoring TV.

On the new stage, D.Origin was singing , which was released last month.

Yoo Myeongwoo, who received a one-shot, winked at the camera.

It was a sweet stage that harmonized with the effect of snow falling on the entire stage.

“I know. It looks boring.”

Another member of Big Boyz nodded next to Kedo.

“The debut song is a dance song with a strong vibe. It’ll be better after this.”

“They’re good for rookies too.”

“That’s true.”

It wasn’t a bad stage, just not as impactful as MOST.

The colorful stage effects and the appearance of dozens of dancers dancing together created quite a spectacle.

As Big Boyz expected, the atmosphere was reversed as they moved on to their debut song, , and an intense dance performance followed.

It wasn’t much different from the music show stage, but it was still eye-catching.

Dojae and the members watched D.Origin’s stage with quiet eyes.

The Rookie of the Year award announcement was fast approaching.

***

Shortly after.

MOST, Regina, and D.Origin, who had already reorganized their makeup and costumes, gathered in one place to wait.

The candidate seats where the three teams gathered were crowded.

At the same time, a subtle tension flowed.

Tension was inevitable as they were competing for one award.

“Now, we will invite the presenter to announce the ‘Rookie of the Year’ to the stage.”

The presenter stepped onto the stage at the MC’s mention.

While the MOST members were focused on the presenter’s fancy dress and the stage, the D.Origin members openly glanced at Dojae.