Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 6

With the cheers of the audience gathered in front of the stage, seven young men ran out under the dazzling lights.

They were all wearing stage costumes as flashy as the lights.

Do-jae approached the stage as if possessed.

A few days ago, he had to stay far away while passing by an event, only able to enjoy the sounds that drifted into the car.

But today, Do-jae could approach the stage like any ordinary audience member.

“Ugh.”

However, it wasn’t easy.

Do-jae groaned, stuck in the crowd.

There were too many people to find a spot to stand.

“Hey, what’s your problem!”

A student in front turned around and shouted irritably.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Do-jae, momentarily flustered, apologized in his natural tone.

The student, Sun-mi, who looked like she was about to frown even more, changed her expression after seeing Do-jae’s face.

Tidy eyebrows, cool eyes, and a sharp jawline.

Even though his attire looked a bit shabby, he was handsome at first glance.

And there was even an unidentifiable aura about him…….

“What. Why is he so handsome?”

Sun-mi murmured, captivated by Do-jae.

She had been a fan of idols since entering elementary school, for nearly ten years.

Sun-mi prided herself on having seen almost every idol while going to all sorts of performances.

But it had been a long time since she had been so captivated by someone’s face and aura that she was completely mesmerized.

Leaving the dazed Sun-mi behind, Do-jae asked for her understanding.

“Excuse me, there’s no space, could you move over a little?”

“…Are you here to see the performance?”

Sun-mi asked in a much softer voice.

Even as the two were talking, the surroundings were chaotic.

With years of experience, Sun-mi skillfully used her elbows and toes to push the people next to her, creating space.

“Thank you.”

Do-jae smiled slightly as he thanked her.

It was a light, formal smile, often used at official events like imperial ceremonies.

But that smile made Sun-mi’s heart beat heavily and loudly.

His tone and even his smile.

The man in front of her had a dignity that she had never felt even from most idols or actors.

Sun-mi glanced at Do-jae, forgetting about the stage.

“Kya! Over here! Look over here, please.”

Suddenly, a voice with a higher pitch than the others cut in, disrupting Sun-mi’s admiration.

Do-jae, who had been focused on the stage, also looked towards the source of the sound.

The members on stage were standing in formation, waiting for the song to begin, and one of them adjusted his hair, prompting a fan to immediately scream.

That scream became the starting point for the fan group to become noisy again.

“Junghoon, your hair looks great today! So handsome!”

“Oppa! Please look over here!” [Oppa is a Korean term used by younger women to address older men they are close to.]

“Fighting, everyone!”

It was a fervent cheer that seemed to tear everyone’s eardrums.

Surprisingly, all that noise was coming from just a few people.

It was a situation where the phrase ‘one person doing the work of a hundred’ was perfectly fitting.

“What. Why are their fans so loud? Are they nobodies?”

“They have quite a few fans, more than I thought. What was it… Ah, some kind of Boys. I guess they’ve gained some fans.”

“Ah…. The group that debuted last year?”

“No. I think they debuted the year before last?”

“Big Boyz! They’re good on stage, so they’ve gained a lot of fans.”

“Good on stage?”

Those who were waiting for other singers’ performances talked among themselves about the seven boys.

‘Big Boyz, huh.’

Do-jae retrieved the group’s name from Kang Do-jae’s memories.

Big Boyz was the first idol group from an agency that had only produced ballad singers.

It had been a full two years since their debut, and while their skills weren’t bad, they weren’t what you’d call a ‘breakout group.’

Because the agency didn’t have much power, they didn’t get many opportunities to promote themselves outside of music shows.

And since there weren’t any members who stood out with individual activities, they had been competing solely on stage until now.

‘Their stage is really good… It seems they’re building up a decent fanbase, but.’

That was all the information Kang Do-jae had about Big Boyz.

In fact, Kang Do-jae had never seen Big Boyz’s stage except for their debut performance.

Do-jae was curious about Big Boyz’s performance, whether they were a successful group or not, as they had fans who cheered for them so enthusiastically.

He was also curious about how the young men on stage felt, receiving such cheers.

‘Fascinating.’

If someone were waiting for his songs or performances like that…….

The thought alone made his fingertips tingle.

‘Is this why so many people in South Korea want to become idols?’

There were popular singers in the Korean Empire as well, but most of them were soloists, and there wasn’t an idol group culture like in South Korea.

After a while. Finally, the color of the lights changed, and the song’s intro began to play.

“Kyaaak―!”

“Big! Boy! Z!”

The fans chanted the group’s name in unison, following the cheering cues, and the Big Boyz members began to move in perfect synchronization.

Do-jae focused his gaze on the stage.

“Wow…….”

Even those who didn’t even know Big Boyz’s name couldn’t help but exclaim at their movements.

They maintained a consistent angle without losing their formation, even as they changed it several times.

―Even if the clouds cover us, I run towards the sun!

As the song reached its climax, the main vocalist, standing in the center of the stage, belted out a high note, and cheers erupted from everywhere.

The Big Boyz members, as if absorbing the heat of the fervent cheers with their whole bodies, were drenched in sweat.

But instead of losing energy, they were intensifying the stage with increasingly bright and energetic faces.

―I’ll protect you!

The stage ended with five members forming a star shape.

Cheers and applause poured down on the Big Boyz members, who were catching their breath.

‘Better than seeing it on TV. It’s crazy in person.’

Sincere compliments flowed out amidst the applause.

“Kyaaaaak!”

“Awesome! Big Boyz are the best!”

Before he knew it, Do-jae was clapping his hands and applauding Big Boyz.

Sun-mi, standing next to Do-jae, was also lost in the performance.

“Excellent.”

Praise naturally flowed from Do-jae’s lips.

And Do-jae’s eyes shone clearly, like the brightly lit stage.

‘This is it.’

***

After that, several other singers came out and performed, but none gave as much inspiration as Big Boyz.

Do-jae, who returned home late at night, locked himself in his small room that day.

He ate simple meals like ramen or canned tuna, not caring about the cost, and lost track of time in front of the computer.

Kang Do-jae’s computer, bought secondhand, was very old, but it was fine.

It just needed to be able to play videos and listen to music.

‘The sound quality is too poor, though…. I almost want to bring the speakers from the Korean Empire.’

He didn’t mind eating ramen for the first time.

But the poor sound quality was a bit disappointing.

And so, Big Boyz’s performance videos played non-stop in Do-jae’s room.

One week later. He was playing Big Boyz’s performance video as usual.

Ding―

At the sound of the phone notification, Do-jae wiped the sweat from his forehead and came to the desk.

“Please don’t let it be Louis again.”

After spending a few days, Kang Do-jae didn’t have any friends to contact.

Since he was bullied, he couldn’t possibly have any trainee friends, and he only slept at school because he practiced until late every day, so he didn’t have any school friends either.

Thanks to that, whenever a message notification rang, it was Kim Louis.

Louis contacted him almost every day, asking what he was going to do.

Even though he told him to wait a few days because he needed to prepare, he had no patience.

[Kim Louis ㉕

Hyung, hyung, why aren’t you answering] [Hyung is a Korean term used by younger men to address older men they are close to.]

He had ignored him after replying a few times, and there were 25 unread messages.

Do-jae shook his head and checked the message.

“Oh.”

This time, it wasn’t Louis, but the contact he had been waiting for.

[Korea High Art Association

The auction for the item you requested has been completed…….]

Do-jae quickly tapped the message.

“Yes!”

As soon as he checked the message, a notification popped up from the bank app.

[Deposit 24,000,000 won

Balance 24,001,232 won] [Won is the currency of South Korea.]

The teacups that Do-jae had requested to be re-evaluated and auctioned were 8 million won each.

The total was 24 million won.

“That’s it.”

The timing was good.

Because the practice was also nearing its end.

Do-jae quickly transferred the money to his mother, Hye-kyung’s, account.

Opening the door and going out, he saw Hye-kyung, who was cooking dinner in the kitchen, checking her phone and being surprised.

It was natural, since a large sum of 20 million won had been deposited.

“Do-jae! W-what is this money?”

“It’s money to use for the time being until Mom finds a job.”

“Job?”

“Yeah. I think it would be better to look for a different place than where you’re working now. It’s too hard there.”

Hye-kyung was still working as a cleaner in Songhwan’s building.

Surprisingly, Songhwan’s side didn’t seem to be saying anything.

It seemed they thought that if they messed with Hye-kyung, they didn’t know what Do-jae would do.

Even so, Do-jae wanted Hye-kyung to take her time and find a better job instead of working as a building cleaner.

‘To be exact, she’s Kang Do-jae’s mother, but anyway, her face is the same as my mother’s…….’

In many ways, he didn’t want her to suffer.

“With the money I gave you now, can’t you rest and slowly look for another job? I’ll get more money if you need it, so don’t do anything too hard anymore.”

“No, first of all, where did this money come from? You haven’t been going to practice these days and haven’t even been going out, so what on earth…….”

Hye-kyung had been holding back from asking why he hadn’t been going to practice for the past week, as Do-jae didn’t talk much and seemed to get stressed when asked about his practice life.

She had been worried in her heart, but suddenly he had brought a lot of money, so all sorts of thoughts came to her mind.

“You… is something wrong? Don’t even think about giving up being a singer to make money. How much have you suffered all this time… I’m okay, so…….”

Do-jae looked at Hye-kyung, who was full of worry.

‘Kang Do-jae’s mother truly loves her son. No matter how hard it is, she wants to protect Kang Do-jae’s dream more than money.’

He felt a bit bitter.

‘If my mother had put me before the imperial family…….’

Do-jae shook his head inwardly.

His mother wasn’t an ordinary mother, but the empress of a country.

“I left that company. That’s why I didn’t go to practice…….”

“Why! That company. It’s a famous company. You said you would definitely debut there.”

“I left to go to a better company. I didn’t go to practice because I was preparing, so don’t worry, nothing else is wrong.”

“Okay. I’m sure you know better than me, but…. Then what is this money? Where did you get this much money…….”

“Um… I performed, and the new company scouted me and gave me a contract fee. You don’t have to worry.”

“Oh my… how could this…….”

“I’ll make even more money when I debut. Then Mom won’t have to suffer anymore, and we can buy a house.”

“What do you mean suffer? You’re the one who’s suffered a lot under a worthless mother.”

Hye-kyung’s eyes were already moist.

The amount was a lot, but the thought that Do-jae had been recognized for his talent and had earned money made her heart swell.

“How can I use this? The money you worked so hard to earn…. You must need a lot too…….”

“It wasn’t that hard…. Hmm. I don’t need that much money, and I’ve saved the money I’ll use separately, so don’t worry. It only has meaning if Mom uses it.”

“Oh, you…….”

“…….”

“Half of this money, Mom will put in a savings account. So you can use it later when you need it.”

Do-jae reluctantly nodded because Hye-kyung’s heart would feel more at ease that way.

“You’re really amazing…. My son.”

Hye-kyung muttered those words several times.

Do-jae felt sorry for lying, but there was no other way to explain it.

He just wanted to debut quickly, not just for his own dream, but also for Hye-kyung, who was only looking at Kang Do-jae.

“Really, nothing else is wrong?”

“Yes. Nothing.”

“Okay. If anything happens, be sure to tell Mom. Dinner will be ready in a little while, so come out and eat.”

“Okay.”