“Baek Hanje!”
“Henzel-ah! Henzel-ah!”
“Baek Hanje is handsome! You should come back with your hyungs too!”
I waved my hand toward where the sounds were coming from and bowed my waist. When the outstretched hands tried to cross the fence, my manager hyung stuck a little closer to my side.
“I can’t see ahead! Please turn off the flash!”
“Lower your camera lenses!”
I avoided by a hair’s breadth the lenses that looked ready to charge at my face. I maintained my smile while briefly bowing my head and continued walking.
“Even though we deliberately came at night, it’s chaotic. Just how many people are there?”
I answered those words while waving my hand.
“Hyung, think about when we used to tour.”
“You’re right. I said something greedy from following around a rookie lately.”
“Spades. Thank you. I’m grateful.”
Following the path we took, the crowd filling the airport moved.
Even though it’s been long since we’ve been active, I’m so grateful they wait and still love us, but if the commotion at the airport gets bigger and we hear bad things for no reason, I’d feel sorry.
Only when it came time to go through departure screening did we finally escape from the crowd and catch our breath with the staff.
“yACE is yACE. I thought Baek Hanje was just a company ghost, but this was a good opportunity to become a celebrity again in my mind.”
“Why are you erasing the career someone worked their bones off for since age fourteen?”
In my vision as I looked back crookedly, Go Won, who had been following from behind with his hood pulled over, was caught.
There was nothing to be caught or not caught about—with his tall height rising up darkly, he couldn’t help but stand out.
“I was worried we lost the kid, but he’s admirably following along well.”
That was fortunate, but between his hat and mask, eyes widened in an indecipherable meaning were looking at me.
“Why. What.”
Lately he’s been staring at me like that once in a while.
Go Won pulled down his mask to reveal his lips. His lips, which twitched several times, finally formed a sentence.
“…When I’m with hyung, I feel like I’m learning about a world I didn’t know.”
“What about it?”
“Not just the fans, but almost everyone in the airport recognizing hyung is amazing…”
“Why are you suddenly talking like a hoobae-nim again. Hmm…”
I slowed my steps a bit and went to Go Won’s side.
“Since we’re on the topic, should I tell you one more thing?”
I gestured to Go Won. The kid obediently brought his ear to my side.
“You have to take off your shoes to board the plane.”
Then immediately the respect completely vanished from his eyes.
“I know that’s a lie too.”
“Huh? Ah. Well, they did used to tease with things like this in the old days.”
I smiled warmly as if understanding.
“That’s for economy class, but we’re taking first class. It’s a seat the airline made for people who paid expensive prices to rest comfortably, so what shoes would you be wearing?”
“…Ah…”
“Even the manager hyungs forget to mention things like this. Good thing I told you in advance.”
I sent Go Won ahead with a convinced expression. First class had a separate boarding gate. In front of the welcoming flight attendants and captain, Go Won greeted them and bent down to take off his shoes as is.
“Ah, um… customer. You can board with your shoes on…”
Click.
The shutter sound heard at that moment was, of course, from my phone.
“Keuheuheup, kuk, keuheuheuk…”
Though the staff, including the manager hyung who didn’t stop me from talking nonsense from the start, were partly at fault here, somehow Go Won’s piercing gaze stayed on me alone for quite a while.
* * *
<Music Building>’s special episode proceeded as a live broadcast.
When the audience seats were completely filled, first the introduction video of Go Won, one of the special MCs, was projected on the screen. Since several of Go Won’s music show stages had become topics, some among the global fandom who knew him let out cheers.
Next, Henzel’s introduction video appeared.
The decibel of the cheers was on a different dimension. The people gathered at the venue screamed as if going wild.
Ah befitting a country that once gave yACE 1st place for 30 consecutive weeks
Wasn’t that Taiwan?
ㄴㄴ Same song Taiwan was forty-something weeks
The wild era itself lol lol lol lol lol
When the MC introduction videos ended, the two people walked out between the stage screens split to both sides. And simultaneously with their appearance, the intro of the special stage flowed out.
What song is this?
It’s Hanje’s stage so he must have arranged it himself, is it a yACE song?
As if breaking the question, Go Won, who first lifted the hand mic, sang the opening verse.
-No need to try to remember the moment, just
Smile through every single time without exception, that’s enough for us
“Huh…?!”
The eyes of those watching the live broadcast and the eyes of fans at the venue all widened. Surely this song is…
<Here, Now, and Us>.
It was the mega-hit song from 8 years ago by girl group Edelweiss, belonging to Division 5 together with yACE and Go Won.
As if borrowing the concept of the original artist who wore airy mini dresses like party guests, the two wore bright-colored suits. Like different guests who came to a glamorous party.
It’s a high-teen prom party
Fuck I’ve only been watching hip-hop stages from both of them but seeing them in ties is making me crazy don’t say things like this okay
Edelweiss’s song was perfectly changed through Baek Hanje’s hands to the point where you wouldn’t remember it was a girl group song.
Wait wait wait doesn’t this have ‘that choreography’???
Please don’t leave that out, if you leave that out it’s shitting in front of K-dum
And in the first verse, there was the pair choreography that had caused a massive influx of female fans into Edelweiss’s fandom, which had far more males at the time.
-The moment you avoid eye contact, you lose.
After the two stood closely front and back, Go Won forcibly grabbed and turned the head of Baek Hanje, who stood in front, toward himself.
Of course, Baek Hanje voluntarily turned his head. He looked at his partner laughing as if Go Won’s fingers placed on his face were ridiculous, then pressed up his partner’s chin with his fingertips.
-You know I’m tricky. This much isn’t a surprise.
Too… Only the word “too” comes out, it’s too much, too much
Are they young masters fighting over succession rights in a conglomerate family?? This is Amor-level, anyway I’m clipping this unconditionally
Cheers burst out at the atmosphere overflowing with tension as if neither would yield to the other.
Meanwhile, the K-dum choreographer and director standing behind the stage let out sighs of relief.
The problematic section Go Won had struggled with most was precisely that part paired with Baek Hanje.
At first, the choreography had senior Baek Hanje grab and turn the head of hoobae Go Won, as was proper.
But Go Won, who had picked up all the dance moves in one day and flew around as if it had been his dance from the start, somehow stiffened rigidly only at that part. On top of that, his facial expressions didn’t work at all.
In the end, they switched roles and instructions went out for Go Won to maintain a stiffly expressionless face when facing Baek Hanje. Then it became a picture of Go Won with a serious expression and Baek Hanje with a sly expression facing each other, bringing their chemistry to life.
The results could be seen just from the on-site reactions. There were times when cheers toward a beloved singer became screams that lost reason. Now was precisely that time.
The chorus that followed.
Go Won danced powerfully like the textbook of boy groups. He efficiently used his long arms and legs without slacking in a single movement.
And Baek Hanje danced with a bit more ease showing through. Flowing movements continued, and even within the continuing choreography, he hit accurate notes with accurate pronunciation.
Ah covering girl group songs seriously and intensely is really fucking my favorite sob sob sob sob
Look at Baek Hanje’s vocals being solid while dancing, it’s earthquake-resistant construction grade;;
The second verse had variations. The main melody disappeared and Baek Hanje did low singing rap.
The lyrics hitting one by one, the soft dance and gestures and facial expressions made this place look like a perfect party venue. And Baek Hanje was the protagonist of this party.
When Baek Hanje’s part ended, Go Won came forward next. The rap section was next.
A brief silence flowed through the real-time comment window.
Uh
E
After that, it was plastered with ‘lol’s.
Clearly his rap skills were excellent. He used to handle rap parts during <Debut Chart> too, and his skills had risen remarkably compared to then.
However, if there was a disaster called by tension.
The young master ran away to the back alley for some deviance and is rapping.
The diction of the rap bringing out the rhyme was accurate. However, because too much force went in, it became what’s called ‘power rap.’ It looked like the young master escaped from the party venue and came out to the back alley of hip-hop people.
Henzel’s pitch didn’t shake but he got completely caught trying not to laugh
Baek Hanje is truly a pro idol, if it were me I would’ve slapped Go Won’s back while firing a huge laugh forward and caused an NG to get kicked out of the entertainment industry fuck
