Chapter 46
Raised by Carrying:
Backstage, 15 Minutes Before the Main Stage
“Hyung! Still no contact?”
Ryusian, who was fixing makeup, asked urgently.
The “special guest” that Jin Dohyun had mentioned hadn’t made any appearance or sent any news until now.
Even if they had tried syncing with them, it was impossible—they didn’t know the name or face, and even on the day of the competition, the guest still hadn’t shown up.
“This is insane!”
Manager Yoon Seojun was about to lose it too.
The guest had clearly said they would come, but they hadn’t appeared during rehearsal, and there had been no contact even now, right before going on stage.
“Eunbi, what about the CEO?”
“No contact!”
“Ah, really! Why is no one answering their phone?!”
Yoon Seojun gripped his phone tightly in frustration.
Bang—!
At that moment, the backstage door swung open roughly.
“Still not here?”
The staff’s voice was thick with irritation.
“Ha… Let’s just go up. The PD says we can’t wait any longer.”
“Really, just five more minutes, please!”
“Ah, how many times is this now? Just let the manager go up!”
The staff sighed deeply.
“Honestly, we’ve already given up. The other performers know too. Lumis couldn’t get a guest. Just admit it cleanly…”
“Five minutes!”
Baek Doha shouted.
“Just five more minutes, please!”
The staff, glancing sharply around the waiting room, turned their head with a grunt.
“Sigh… fine, do as you like.”
Bang—!
The door closed, leaving a heavy silence.
“All right, I’ll cover the second verse and chorus. And Sian…”
“Hyung…”
“Jinwoo, it’s okay! We don’t need a guest. The parts originally for the guest can just be redistributed. The arrangement is good, we just need to give it our best.”
Baek Doha spun around and strode toward Cha Eun-gyeol.
“Yeol-ah, snap out of it!”
“…!”
Cha Eun-gyeol, who had been staring blankly at the wall, startled and turned their head. Their pupils trembled nervously.
“You’re our main vocal! You need to pull yourself together!”
“…S-sorry.”
Cha Eun-gyeol’s voice trembled.
“Because of me… I drew the card…”
“Hey! Cha Eun-gyeol! Snap out of it! The guest is just a guest! We’re the main focus! Jinwoo arranged it well, Sian made the stage great, Ian wrote the lyrics perfectly! Got it? ‘Blaze’, this is our song!”
“…Yes.”
Cha Eun-gyeol nodded with effort, gripping their trembling hands tightly.
“Cha Eun-gyeol!”
“…Yes! I can do it!”
“That’s right.”
At that moment, the waiting room door opened again.
“Go in! There’s really no time! If you don’t go now, you’ll be disqualified.”
“Let’s go!”
Baek Doha headed for the door first. One by one, the members followed.
“….”
There was no usual “Fighting!” this time. Neither Manager Yoon Seojun, Choi Eunbi, nor the other staff said a word.
‘Damn…’
As Baek Doha grabbed the door handle, his hand trembled. Though he tried to act strong as the leader and eldest member, the impending miserable stage, the empty guest seats, the mocking stares of staff, and the disappointed audience filled his mind.
“Ha…”
The door opened. In the hallway, some idols and staff were already lined up.
Perhaps the news had already spread, as their expressions mixed sympathy and ridicule.
“They couldn’t get a guest.”
“Really? What now?”
“Of all things, they got a trot song…”
“Lumis is done for.”
Whispers and piercing stares poured in.
Baek Doha gritted his teeth.
“Let’s go.”
He led the way, and the members followed with heavy steps. The walk to the stage felt unusually long today.
‘…Ah.’
The boy felt gloomy inside. He had come for the money, but now deep regret surged like a tide. Humans are creatures of forgetfulness, aren’t they?
He recalled attending a fan signing event a year ago in place of his sister.
“…If you go there, you’ll be the only guy! The girls will find you so cute.”
“…They’re coming to see idols anyway.”
“…We’re not fools either, you know? The older guys are gods! You’re… well, human.”
Honestly, at first, he had been tempted—not because he wanted to see the idols, but because he wanted to see pretty older girls.
The middle schooler, high schooler, and aspiring college student couldn’t sleep the night before the fan signing event. Pubescent, newly aware of the opposite sex, and a young boy led by a charming older girl saying, “Baby, let’s go!” How exciting!
He boasted about it at school, but a few days later, reality hit. Contrary to expectations, it felt like being caged like an animal. Yes, he was the only boy. True.
But the attention wasn’t what he expected.
“Aw, so cute!” wasn’t it; instead, it was, “Why is he…?”
Those around him looked at him with curiosity, suspicion, and slight wariness—as if encountering someone who didn’t belong there.
And he still couldn’t forget.
“Why do you like him? Do you want to take a photo with him?”
The person even held his hands. His mother’s daughter completely ignored her usual safety rules and fussed over him. Even thinking about it now, he was furious.
“Phew…”
The boy scanned the area. Thankfully, unlike the fan signing event, there were also some guys around today. Some seemed to have come with girlfriends; others probably just liked this kind of thing.
Bang—
The screen lit up with a short clip of Lumis members preparing: drawing cards, having meetings, lightly practicing choreography—before the main stage.
“Ah, that’s them…”
The boy immediately recognized Kang Ian and Ha Jinwoo, thanks to the recent RE:VIVAL episode 3 rap part his mother’s daughter had shown him.
‘Interesting…’
In the video, they had looked like gloomy, rebellious introverts, yet here they appeared completely different: handsome and cute. Not only that, but they had spent the whole day charming those around them. Surprisingly, it wasn’t awkward.
‘So that’s why they have to be handsome,’ he thought.
Unlike his friends constantly begging him for “just one thousand won!” this was different—he found himself smiling and intrigued.
And the rest of the five were so good-looking he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow!”
“Holy!”
“This is insane!”
“Wow~ what do we do?”
The surrounding crowd buzzed with excitement. On the screen, Cha Eun-gyeol, usually expressionless, was flustered, shaking a card. Large subtitles read: “Trot.”
‘Trot…?’
Wasn’t this an idol program? Their last stage was hip-hop.
(What will happen to Lumis members!?)
The screen went dark, subtitles appeared, then faded out, and the stage lights brightened.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
The MC from earlier reappeared.
“Yes!”
Honestly, watching his mother’s daughter fangirl before, he thought it pathetic. Just listen to the songs if you like them—why follow them around, look up videos?
“….”
But now, he oddly understood her feelings a little.
‘Maybe because I recognize their faces…’
“The stage of stars that lost their light! RE:VIVAL Round 4, second performance is about to begin.”
The warm, neighborly MC transformed as the camera turned.
“Lumis members chose ‘Trot’ for the 4th Round <GENRE BREAKER>. Nothing is predictable! Let’s hear what our judges think.”
“As a group that shows new sides every stage, expectations are high.”
‘Wow… Seorin is so pretty!’
To the adolescent boy, Seorin was goddess-like.
“I’m curious how Lumis will handle such a heartfelt genre as trot.”
The judges continued giving light comments.
“Then, Lumis’ stage. Let’s begin!”
As the MC finished, the lights dimmed, and sparks appeared on the screen behind the stage.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap—!
Spotlights lit each of the five men at the standing microphones.
― Blazee~ Aaah~
Without accompaniment, only Cha Eun-gyeol’s clear, pure voice resounded throughout the studio.
― Fly, blaze~!
Ryusian, Kang Ian, and Ha Jinwoo supported the main vocal with harmonies, while Baek Doha’s deep voice added flavor.
― Lighting countless nights
And the next part:
― Blazee~ Aaah~
Fly, spread far
I will light up the world
Pop—
The lights brightened and rhythmic MR music played. Unlike the original acoustic version, this had a funky electric guitar riff and groovy bass.
Ryusian began the verse:
― I held my breath in the ashes
The world passed by, unaware of me
As he finished the line and winked at the camera, the audience gasped.
Next, Baek Doha’s part:
― I scatter in just a handful of wind
They said I was destined to fade
― It’s okay, I’m Blaze
Even scattered and blown,
I will rise higher than anyone
The members smiled at each other, moved around the stage, and rotated with the standing microphones.
Kang Ian, at the far end, grabbed a mic and came to the center, rapping:
― You thought I was gone
The world passed me by
Silent breath in the ashes
I was alive within
When Kang Ian reached the empty spot and stood at the mic,
Boom—
With a sound effect, the stage went dark.
Whoooosh—
Wind sound effects played as the screen showed darkness and then a campfire.
The fire died into ashes, and the hidden sparks gently scattered upward.
“Wow…”
“Woah!”
“Really, it’s beautiful!”
The audience marveled at the screen’s beauty, but the five men on stage felt uneasy.
It was nearly time for the lights to come on and show real “trot.”
‘Ha…’
Cha Eun-gyeol sighed internally. The stage was about to start with sparkly jackets, yet the guest’s seat was still empty.
“Yeol-ah.”
Baek Doha gripped Cha Eun-gyeol’s shoulder. His gaze was firm.
“We’re here.”
Ryusian smiled and patted Cha Eun-gyeol’s back.
“That’s right! Who cares about a guest? We’ll crush it ourselves!”
Kang Ian raised the mood with his signature smile.
“Hyung, we trust you, right?”
The youngest, Ha Jinwoo, spoke earnestly.
‘Fighting!’
The five members’ eyes met in the air.
‘Yes, who cares if there’s a guest or not.’
Cha Eun-gyeol clenched his fist and steadied himself.
‘All five of us are on one stage.’
He nodded and took a deep breath.
“Blazeeeee-!”
In the darkness, Cha Eun-gyeol’s high note erupted.
“Waaah-!”
An immense voice, an incredible high note. The audience gasped.
Pop—!
Lights shone brightly, illuminating the stage.
“Waaaah-!”
At that moment, thunderous cheers erupted from the audience.
