# Chapter 93
He had started as a one-person company and was trying his best to endure on his own, but he still seemed unable to believe the series of events that had occurred in the midst of it all.
“Now that I’ve seen Taeyoung singing again, that’s enough for me. Honestly, it’s been quite overwhelming all this time. I was really worried that Taeyoung might experience failure again because of me doing something I don’t know how to do. If Grand Tamer makes such an offer, I definitely want to send Taeyoung there.”
No one could have imagined such words, and I was greatly shocked as well.
Come to think of it, Kim Taeyoung was a peculiar person.
Just the fact that he had consistently built such relationships until now.
It would have been difficult to leave such a lasting impression with just personal charm alone, but he seemed to engrave his existence deeply in others’ minds and hearts every time.
Someone who makes you want to nurture them even if it takes your entire life, someone who makes you unable to forget them for a long time even after parting.
What was the power of such an existence?
As we spent more time with Kim Taeyoung, we often discussed this.
That he had a strangely attractive, lingering impression.
You might think you’ve done enough, but you can’t let go because you feel like if you teach him just a little more, he’ll do even better – this was the common sentiment among Crop Five members.
Dagyeong, in particular, set higher goals for him as time went on.
“Taeyoung hyung is really amazing. He seems to make objective indicators meaningless. Usually, stories that universally apply to other people don’t apply to him. So what? So what about that? It’s like he keeps raising such counter-questions to himself. Now I’m trying to teach him everything I can without setting any limitations.”
Dagyeong put his words into action.
Including himself, he prepared high-difficulty performances that only a few among Korea’s top singers could pull off, and taught them to Taeyoung.
Many dance trainers at Grand Tamer were cautious, wondering if it would really work out.
But Dagyeong boldly attempted it, and Kim Taeyoung left everyone’s jaws dropping.
For what you might call a midterm check-up, to verify what had been done so far, Kim Taeyoung stood before us with a nervous expression.
Present were various officials from Grand Tamer and Crop Five.
Not only Grand Tamer’s dance trainers, but also singers and trainees known for dancing well were all gathered.
Kim Taeyoung seemed very nervous, taking several deep breaths, but once the music started, he took his position with precise movements.
The atmosphere emanating from his frozen stance and the charisma felt in his intense gaze.
All of it had changed as if it were a lie, as if he were a completely different person.
“Oh…!!”
“Wow…!!”
The eyes of those watching him expressed their emotions.
Having completely captivated the audience within just the first few seconds, he didn’t lose that power until the end.
A skillfulness as if he had never stopped dancing from childhood until now.
A level of proficiency whose depth couldn’t be fully fathomed.
Feeling these things, I wondered how it was possible.
Every movement was calculated to a breathtaking degree.
The words meticulous, intelligent, and overwhelming weren’t exaggerations at all.
We looked at each other, exchanging glances that asked if this was even possible.
Only Dagyeong was gleaming with satisfaction, as if he had known it would turn out this way.
As the music was coming to an end, Kim Taeyoung didn’t even appear to be breathing hard.
Even though his breath must have been caught up to his chin, his expression remained relaxed, and his shoulders didn’t heave.
The fact that he could control himself to that extent was simply marvelous.
Crop Five could naturally do that as well, but that was because they were Crop Five.
Initially, people were amazed to see Crop Five show no signs of wavering at the ending, but now they had reached the point of believing that it was only natural for Crop Five to be that way.
And I seemed to be the same.
It’s not that Kim Taeyoung or Crop Five don’t get out of breath.
They felt like they might collapse at any moment, but they were just enduring, considering even that moment as an extension of the performance.
Watching this, I clapped, and others too, as if coming to their senses, gave thunderous applause.
After showing everything, Kim Taeyoung bowed and smiled brightly.
He also knew how incredible what he had done was.
“You did well. Really amazing. Wow. I don’t think I need to say anything. Everyone who saw it will feel it. How you can do this is truly marvelous.”
Hyung said while not stopping his applause, and Team Leader Hyun couldn’t hide his moved expression.
Dagyeong looked like he wanted to run over and give Kim Taeyoung a tight hug, and Kim Taeyoung kept bowing his head repeatedly.
“I know you’ve really worked hard all this time, and it’s paying off. Thank you so much. I didn’t think you’d make such good use of this opportunity. I’m really looking forward to this album.”
The preparations for the launch were complete.
And with PepperMix’s showcase, “Crop Five Epilogue” came to its final episode.
There were various discussions about whether it would be good for Crop Five to stand on PepperMix’s showcase stage.
If PepperMix wanted it, it wasn’t difficult at all for Crop Five to share the stage.
But because each of them was such a tremendous black hole, they couldn’t help but worry that the attention that should be focused on PepperMix might be diverted to them if Crop Five took the stage.
However, PepperMix said he would be grateful if Crop Five could do that, and Crop Five gladly took the stage with a joyful heart.
The cheers were tremendous.
And those cheers were directed not just at Crop Five, but also at PepperMix.
People loved narratives of weak, untalented individuals growing, and PepperMix met those expectations.
Kim Taeyoung was, by anyone’s standards, a good person, and even when caught unexpectedly on camera, he always showed a good side, tickling the hearts of many.
The story of someone who had a dream but left the entertainment industry without achieving it, then struggled to return, and met Crop Five, with their help getting on the showcase stage, gave hope to many people.
The passionate cheers calling out PepperMix’s name didn’t stop until the moment the stage ended.
Kim Taeyoung kept wiping away tears.
With sweat pouring like rain, it was fortunate for him that wiping away tears could look like wiping away sweat.
Crop Five looked at Kim Taeyoung with pride.
The stage direction was planned solely for Kim Taeyoung to stand out and shine.
Every movement, every path was the epitome of consideration, and those watching the stage had the eyes to recognize that.
Realizing what message Crop Five wanted to convey on stage, they enjoyed the performance while showering attention on PepperMint.
It was a perfect stage without any flaws.
Direct camera videos from the showcase started being uploaded, and people began to obsess over Crop Five and PepperMix.
The concern that Crop Five might take away the attention focused on PepperMix became somewhat of a reality.
However, it wasn’t excessive and didn’t go in a negative direction.
People seemed to know what Crop Five was worried about and “allocated” attention to PepperMix.
Even when talking about Crop Five’s stage, they didn’t forget to mention PepperMix.
And it was as if after mentioning Crop Five to a certain extent, they would also talk about PepperMix in proportion.
[I’m so happy to see Crop Five frequently these days. It’s become difficult to see the complete Crop Five, but during “Crop Five Epilogue,” Sijin also keeps appearing, which is great, and it’s good to see all of Crop Five standing on stage together. But PepperMix is really good. I’ve watched all of “Crop Five Epilogue,” and it’s hard to believe he’s the same person who first appeared on the show.]
[PepperMix is almost like being reborn. He even became more handsome. Is it the Crop Five effect? It’s natural to look like a squid when standing next to a handsome guy, but why is Kim Taeyoung like that?]
[I hope they do programs like “Crop Five Epilogue” again. It would be good to have singers like PepperMix continue to appear. Crop Five is good at other things too, but their human side is really nice to see. Even though they are looking down from a great height, they don’t ignore others, respect their musical characteristics and individuality, and are extremely considerate of the other person with every word. I was healed throughout the broadcast, and finally, it’s PepperMix’s showcase, which is overwhelming.]
After the showcase, PepperMix’s popularity skyrocketed, and the music video was re-examined.
PepperMix, who successfully entered the charts with a high ranking from the start, continued to rise in rankings afterward, and there was also heated interest from abroad as his recognition had already increased from appearing on broadcasts with Crop Five.
If PepperMix hadn’t been sufficiently prepared, those who came with expectations might have left with only disappointment, but that wasn’t the case.
He made the most of the opportunity and showed his charm to those interested in him.
“I really want to be successful. I want to widely promote this album, make one more person know my song, earn a lot of money, and gain a lot of popularity. By doing so, just as Crop Five extended a hand to me, I want to extend a hand to those who have lost hope. I want to make people want to listen to my song and watch my music video, and through that, I want to promote Crop Five.”
