* * *
“Hey! You! Where the hell were yo—”
Heungmin stopped mid-yell as Woochul walked into the waiting room with Dojae.
Heungmin had been wandering the corridors when he received the news that Woochul had been found, and had hurried back to the waiting room.
“Hey… Park Woochul. You have no idea how much I—”
Heungmin, who had been about to explode in anger, saw Woochul’s disheveled state and choked up, almost in tears.
He was furious at his irresponsible behavior, but he also wondered what could have driven him to run away. Seeing Woochul looking like he’d been crying his heart out made Heungmin feel more pity than anger.
“Woochul, are you okay?”
“Hyung! Where have you been?”
Kim Kyuseong and Louis asked Woochul cautiously.
Seeing his teammates’ worried faces, Woochul steeled his resolve once more.
Just a moment ago, after his first time on stage, he couldn’t see anything.
For Woochul, who was about to debut, the stage felt overwhelmingly high. Dancing there made him feel like he might fall off at any moment.
He had calmed down a bit after crying a lot, and Dojae’s seemingly unshakeable composure had been a great comfort.
Now, he could finally see his teammates standing beside him.
“I’m sorry… I apologize.”
Woochul sincerely apologized to his teammates and the staff who had worried about him.
“I guess I went crazy because I was so nervous.”
He forced a smile, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
Manager Kim Seokchul sighed softly and spoke.
“It’s okay. You made it here, and that’s what matters.”
“I’m really sorry, Manager Kim.”
“Woochul, you’re not hurt or anything, right? You can still go on stage?”
Team Leader Jung Heeyoung asked, and Woochul nodded.
For Team Leader Jung Heeyoung, who had imagined everything from announcing Woochul’s withdrawal due to health issues to the worst-case scenario where he never returned, this was a huge relief.
“But I didn’t rehearse… will that be okay?”
“Just do it the way you’ve always done. As you’ve always done.”
Trainer Yangmal patted Woochul’s back.
Since only Louis and Kim Kyuseong were fully prepared, the stylists hurriedly moved to get the rest of the members styled. Woochul, in particular, needed to start his makeup from scratch, so his stylist was in a rush.
“Woochul, let’s get your makeup done first!”
In the midst of the bustle, Heungmin gave Woochul a stern warning.
“If you ever do this again, you’ll get beaten up!”
“I’m sorry, hyung.”
Though Heungmin bickered with him every day, Woochul knew he was the one who had been the most worried about him.
He hugged Heungmin submissively.
“Ugh, stop with the goosebumps. Just do well on stage.”
“Okay, okay.”
Woochul trailed after Heungmin, who pretended to scratch his arm in disgust.
Seeing them, Kijoon shook his head. Like Heungmin, Kijoon had been worried sick about Woochul, but seeing him back made him feel relieved.
He understood the pressure Woochul had been under… If not for the chaos Woochul had caused, Kijoon himself might have been a nervous wreck by now, struggling with tension.
As the eldest and the leader, Kijoon also felt the burden of being the composer of ‘Dynamic’, the song they were about to debut with.
He glanced at Dojae, who maintained a calm demeanor.
He had always thought of Dojae as a reliable and mature younger brother, but today, he shone even brighter.
‘Even during the rehearsal, I felt it… It’s a good thing Dojae is here.’
Dojae was the only member who didn’t seem nervous.
Kijoon, lost in thought for a moment, turned to Dojae.
“Dojae, good job.”
Not only had he found Woochul, but he had brought him back in a seemingly normal state.
Dojae smiled lightly at Kijoon’s compliment.
A moment later.
“Okay, MOST members, everyone get ready!”
The loud voice of a staff member echoed in the waiting room.
It was time for their debut stage.
***
Boom, boom, boom―
With a deep, resonant sound like the beating of a drum, the large screen lit up with MOST’s logo.
“……”
“……”
The lights in the venue dimmed completely, signaling the start of the performance. The noisy hall fell silent.
About 500 people filled the venue today.
Half were industry insiders and invited journalists, while the other half were genuine audience members who had been recruited after the teaser release.
They were not yet fans of MOST, but curious spectators eager to see what kind of performance the group would deliver.
There were no fervent cheers of support, only a tense atmosphere.
The members on the darkened stage could feel the stillness of the hall with their entire bodies.
Just before the lights came on, it was the most nerve-wracking and terrifying moment.
The next few moments would be crucial.
They could either meet or disappoint the expectations of themselves and others.
Despite having their debut stage, they might end up feeling defeated if no one paid attention, or they might become stars with miraculous popularity.
‘Ah…’
Dojae swallowed dryly.
He had already experienced a miracle, an inexplicable twist of fate.
He was standing on the stage he had always dreamed of.
‘Even across dimensions.’
No matter the outcome, he would give his all in this moment.
He would savor the joy of being on stage to the fullest.
Dojae made up his mind.
Pop! With a loud sound, the lights came on.
As the bright lights illuminated the stage, the audience below became invisible in the darkness.
Only the flickering lights of the journalists’ laptops could be seen.
―Thud, thud!
The first track, ‘Intro,’ from MOST’s debut album started playing through the large speakers.
At the same time, the six members lined up behind Louis, who was at the front, extended their arms and began to dance simultaneously.
The intro was a grand yet lively beat without any lyrics.
Since it was their first performance, which needed to captivate the audience, their trainer and choreographer, Yangmal, put great effort into the intro’s choreography.
Without lyrics, the choreography was incredibly challenging.
Every hand movement had a precise angle.
The members worked hard to synchronize, even timing their foot stomps perfectly.
Though their individual dance skills varied, they moved as if they were one.
‘Now.’
Dojae got into the exact position and checked on Woochul.
Fortunately, Woochul was also perfectly in place.
It was hard to believe that this was the same member who had been trembling and wanting to run away just hours ago.
The choreography was so demanding that there was no room for other thoughts.
Turning his head, he saw Louis stomping his foot vigorously.
This was the part they had practiced the most and were most worried about.
With a loud stomp, Louis jumped off the backs of the crouching Dojae and Woochul and flipped in midair.
Louis’s dyed blonde hair fluttered.
“Wow―!”
“Ooh.”
The audience, intently watching the acrobatic dance, erupted in cheers.
In those brief 60 seconds, the members moved in perfect unison.
Bang!
With a sound like something striking the ground, the intro performance ended.
In those 60 short seconds, the members gave their all, their bodies drenched in sweat from the tension and effort.
As the members formed their final positions and paused, the lights went out again.
It was the same darkness, but the atmosphere had changed.
They could feel the difference in the air, now charged with excitement.
‘Yangmal really planned this well.’
The high-difficulty choreography had been tough to practice but was perfect for capturing attention.
While the members caught their breath, a pre-recorded VCR video played.
―KIJOON!
―MIN!
It was a short video introducing each member.
―DOJAE!
Hearing the recorded voice call his name, Dojae prepared for the next stage.
***
The next stage was their title song performance.
With the sound of drumsticks clashing, the intro to “I’m Different” began to play.
The lively sound quickly lifted the atmosphere.
Holding a handheld mic, Kijoon started rapping precisely to the rhythm.
Being a track by Director Lee Jungyeop, known for its broad appeal, the rap was not too fast and easy for everyone to follow.
Heungmin continued the rap as if having a conversation.
Having successfully completed their parts, the two moved lightly.
Kyuseong stepped forward, showcasing his charming voice.
―There, everyone will be surprised when they see me.
As the song continued, the six members kept changing formations.
Even the members supporting from the back gave their all, unseen.
―Different, different!
It was the part that had been in the teaser.
As the addictive chorus played, murmurs from the audience could be heard.
―I am different, too!
Posing individually, the performance of “I’m Different” ended.
Louder cheers than the first stage were heard from the audience.
Next was “Dynamic.”
The choreography was easier and freer, but the song was very demanding for the singing members.
Dojae mentally reviewed the lyrics of “Dynamic.”
The piano intro of “Dynamic” began to play.
Dojae adjusted his expression.
Even at that moment, the camera with the red light on was diligently broadcasting MOST’s debut stage.
***
After all the performances, there was a brief Q&A session with the press.
Since the questions were pre-determined, the members took turns delivering their rehearsed answers.
“Please love us a lot!”
With the youngest, Louis’s, cute comment, MOST safely concluded their debut showcase and left the stage.
In the waiting room, the members’ faces looked half-dazed.
“Haa…”
“Good job, everyone!”
“Well done!!!”
“Good job!”
Staff members continued to congratulate the hardworking members.
“…Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
The members mechanically bowed and thanked the staff who had worked hard alongside them.
And they also greeted each other.
“Good job.”
As Dojae spoke to Louis, who was in front of him, Louis spun around and grabbed Dojae’s arm.
“How, how! Oh my gosh! I… I’m going crazy. Won’t my heart break down like this? So crazy!”
Louis’s face was covered in sweat as he babbled.
With a flop, Kyuseong collapsed onto the waiting room sofa.
“I can’t believe it.”
Kijoon spoke in a calm tone.
Dojae agreed with that sentiment.
It truly was unbelievable.
The scorching lights, the hundreds of eyes watching them.
None of it felt real.
The atmosphere felt good to the members.
But the live broadcast reactions were more important.
That would be the true reaction of the public.
“Ack. How are the reactions, huh? We didn’t mess up, right?”
Woochul grabbed Team Leader Jung Heeyoung and asked.
Team Leader Jung Heeyoung, who was checking real-time internet reactions with Deputy Lee Jungyeon, froze while holding her phone.
“You guys…”
* * *
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