Prince from another dimension becomes an Idol chapter 60

The members, having sought understanding from the organizers, snuck into the empty audience seats in the darkness.

From their previous visit to the hospital, they realized that more people recognized them than they had expected.

Because of this, all the members were dressed inconspicuously in black.

Woochul had received strict instructions from Heungmin and Kijoon.

He had been warned that if he acted like a “show-off” again, as he did at the hospital, he wouldn’t be allowed outside the dormitory during their vacation.

“Alright, alright, I get it. I won’t do it again…”

Woochul accepted his brothers’ warnings without protest, acknowledging his mistake that day.

At the hospital, thrilled by being recognized, Woochul had hummed [Dynamic] loudly for everyone to hear.

He even added a bit of choreography, lightly shaking his body.

Thanks to his antics, the number of people who recognized him skyrocketed, and they got trapped in a crowd before they could get on the elevator.

“Um… the song we’ve prepared for today is…”

In the meantime, Kyuseong briefly introduced today’s performance into the microphone.

The members, excited to surprise Dojae and Kyuseong, who had no idea they were coming, took their seats.

“There are two songs. The first is the theme song of ‘Moonlight Bakery.’”

“Wow!”

“It’s the Moonlight Bakery song! I want to sing it too!”

Moonlight Bakery was a popular animation among lower elementary school students.

Reflecting this, the children who hadn’t recognized MOST before now had their eyes sparkling with excitement at the mention of the Moonlight Bakery song.

Seeing the positive reaction, Louis nudged Heungmin proudly.

“I suggested this song, you know!”

Heungmin, seeing Louis’s excitement, complimented him like he was a little kid.

“Yeah, yeah. Good job. I’d pat your butt if you were standing.”

Meanwhile, Kyuseong introduced the next song.

“The second song is ‘I’m Different,’ our song, arranged in an acoustic, or rather, piano version.”

Kijoon and Heungmin were surprised.

They hadn’t expected this much preparation.

Woochul nonchalantly commented.

“You saw those two practicing at the studio and not coming back to the dorm, didn’t you?”

“True…”

“Well then, we look forward to your kind attention.”

Kyuseong bowed deeply again.

Dojae, seated at the piano, placed his hands on the keys, ready to start.

Kyuseong and Dojae exchanged glances to synchronize their start.

Although it wasn’t a large or official stage, it was their first time performing together, making them slightly nervous.

Still, they wanted to give their best for the excited children.

One, two, three.

After counting to three in their heads, Dojae began playing the piano.

The lively and cheerful accompaniment made the children’s shoulders bounce with joy.

As soon as the short intro ended and Kyuseong started singing, the children hummed along.

―Strawberry pastry
Blueberry macaron
Chiffon cake topped with whipped cream―

The lyrics made mouths water.

The children were ecstatic, while the adults watched in awe.

The members were also impressed by Kyuseong’s clear singing ability.

“Kyuseong sings even anime theme songs this well.”

“Right? It’s top-notch.”

Even though he toned down the techniques to fit the song’s mood, his voice quality was exceptional.

The auditorium felt like it had transformed into the world of ‘Moonlight Bakery.’

Dojae’s lively accompaniment, his fingers moving swiftly over the keys, added to the fun atmosphere.

―Walking on clouds
Even when I feel like crying? Or when I’m struggling!
Let’s go to Moonlight Bakery!

As the song reached its peak, the children’s voices grew louder.

“Let’s go-!”

One off-key child’s shrill voice mingled in, but no one minded; everyone sang in unison.

A few children stood up, imitating the characters from Moonlight Bakery.

Seeing the children’s joy, smiles spread across the parents’ faces too.

For this moment, they felt like ordinary parents of happy children, not just caregivers of patients.

The excitement was shared by the performers too.

Kyuseong and Dojae, genuinely enjoying themselves, couldn’t stop smiling.

No matter the song or the audience, seeing people enjoy their music and performance was immensely gratifying.

“Bon appétit!”

“Bon appétit―!”

“Bon appétit―!”

The final lyric, ‘bon appétit,’ was shouted by everyone, both adults and children.

Ding-!

And with the final, crisp note from Dojae, the song concluded.

Applause erupted from all around.

Kyuseong bowed repeatedly to the audience, thanking them.

“Thank you. Thank you. Many of you might not know the next song, so…”

Just as Kyuseong added, looking slightly awkward, a voice shouted from the middle of the audience.

“I know it! I know ‘I’m Different’!”

Kyuseong spotted Hayul and smiled.

“Me too!”

“I know it too!”

Encouraged by Hayul’s shout, several children raised their hands, claiming they knew the song too.

The sight of the eager children brought quiet laughter throughout the auditorium.

“Oh, a lot of you know it. That’s a relief. Then, let’s begin.”

Kyuseong announced the start of the second and final song with a shy voice.

After making eye contact with Dojae once more, Kyuseong took a deep breath and began the performance.

“Uh…”

Not long after the performance started, Kijoon’s eyes widened.

‘I’m Different’ was a dance track with a significant amount of rap parts.

How could they cover such a song with just a vocalist and a piano?

Kijoon had been curious about the performance direction.

However, as soon as the intro played, his worries vanished.

‘They’ve changed the direction completely!’

He had expected a lively acoustic arrangement, given it was a dance track, but it was something else entirely.

Dojae reinterpreted “I’m Different” as a lyrical and emotional song.

“What? Is this really our song?”

Woochul blinked rapidly.

The song was so transformed that even the members found it unrecognizable at first.

But it was undeniably “I’m Different.”

Once the initial surprise passed, it was familiar enough to sing along with.

The popular melody of “I’m Different” was perfectly preserved.

―I’m different. In a world that flows the same-

The opening line of Dojae’s arrangement was originally the bridge of the original song.

In the gaps between the accompaniment, Kyuseong’s jazzy vocals broke through.

Soon, the accompaniment filled in, and Kyuseong’s singing continued seamlessly.

“Amazing.”

Kijoon finally let out an exclamation.

Kyuseong’s unique voice could feel overwhelming when he sang a whole song alone.

Although he had toned down his singing for previous anime themes, this time he didn’t.

Instead, the piano accompaniment perfectly adjusted its dynamics to showcase Kyuseong’s vocal color and technique without making it feel excessive.

―Even if I’m different from others, I’m special

People were captivated by Kyuseong’s enchanting voice.

All the while, the piano accompaniment harmonized flawlessly with the song.

Even when arranging the same chords, the atmosphere of the song can change completely depending on how the notes are used and how the rhythm is handled.

The main melody was maintained but varied uniquely, with the overall tempo slowed down yet rhythmically engaging.

It was a meticulously and sincerely crafted arrangement.

Dojae’s serious yet gentle personality was evident in the arrangement.

As the song progressed, Kijoon’s admiration grew.

‘It highlights the striking vocals while being easy to listen to.’

Thanks to this, the lyrics were clearly audible.

―Still happy

The song felt like a message being personally delivered rather than just playing in the background.

Even those unfamiliar with the lyrics began to ponder them slowly.

―I’m different, and you.

As the chorus repeated, some started humming along.

Some even closed their eyes, trying to appreciate it more deeply.

What surprised Kijoon most was that the song itself was as beautiful as a picture.

Each note, forming a clear piano melody, struck a chord in the heart.

The song ended with a fast and splendid final performance.

It left a lingering impression.

Belated applause erupted from the audience.

Parents shared their impressions among themselves.

“That young man sings really well. I see why he’s popular.”

“The song is really good too. It’s not overwhelming.”

“Exactly.”

Though unspoken, everyone felt a lump in their throat.

They wondered if this was what it felt like to be comforted by a song.

The children felt the same.

Even the young ones who didn’t fully understand the lyrics knew it was a beautiful song.

“Thank you!”

“Thank you.”

Dojae and Kyuseong rose from the piano and bowed together before leaving the stage.

The applause continued.

In that moment, Kijoon also clapped for them but had to restrain himself from rushing out of his seat.

‘Yes, this is it!’

It seemed he had found the answer to the problem that had been troubling him since the preparations for the awards ceremony last year.

*

Kingdom Entertainment small conference room.

Team Leader Jung Heeyoung and Assistant Manager Lee Jungyeon’s faces were quite grim.

Since MOST’s debut, the main members of Planning Team 2 had never looked this troubled.

Understandably, despite the fatigue, they had always been smiling due to MOST’s success.

“Assistant Manager Lee… you received your bonus well, right?”

“Oh, yes… of course.”

Team Leader Jung Heeyoung tried to lighten the mood by recalling the year-end bonus thanks to MOST.

In March, the team would be reorganized and receive new salary contracts.

“Right. The kids might even get their first earnings from the next album.”

As soon as their activities ended, numerous advertising and event offers came in.

Thinking about that made him feel a bit better.

But there was another problem.

“But really… no calls from anywhere?”

“No.”

At Jung Heeyoung’s words, Lee Jungyeon weakly nodded.

There was a saying that stars are not rare because they are high up but because there are many of them like stars in the sky.

No matter how popular a star was, they were quickly forgotten if they didn’t appear on broadcasts.

Moreover, MOST were rookies.

Even during their inactive period, at least one or two members needed to appear on shows regularly.

However, despite being last year’s most noticed rookies, no variety shows had approached them.

Although Kingdom couldn’t exert significant influence on broadcasting stations, this was too much.

“So even the reality show we proposed was rejected?”

“Yes. They said the schedules are full.”

“Damn. Full, my ass. We proposed that ages ago.”

“…Exactly.”

Their sighs deepened.

Even if they planned a short gap before the next album, handling the hiatus was crucial.

Especially now, when they needed to solidify their fandom.

“This is really driving me crazy.”

It was hard to shake off the feeling that they were being sabotaged by another company.

If so, appearing on broadcasts seemed out of the question.

“Um… then Team Leader, what do you think about this?”

While Jung Heeyoung was inwardly cursing, Lee Jungyeon cautiously spoke up.

“What is it?”