Chapter 54
Tap-tap-tap-tap—!
A light snare roll and tightly chopped hi-hats announced the pre-chorus.
Woooong—!
An 808 bass with its attack softened replaced the kick, shaking the stage floor.
Layer upon layer of brass sounds added grandeur to the track.
“Yeah, show me quickly!”
Baek Seo-yoon leaned forward, eyes sparkling.
On stage, the formation shifted dramatically. The real choreography had finally begun.
Thud—!
Except for Ryu Sian, the four members dropped to the floor as if collapsing.
Cameras caught them lying there, staring up at the sky.
— Even if we fall a thousand times (Stand up)
Even if we doubt ourselves ten thousand times (Wake up)
Ryu Sian’s airy falsetto filled the entire space.
Baek Do-ha’s Auto-Tuned voice layered over it.
“Wow!”
A small gasp burst from the audience.
With each line sung, another member slowly rose.
Ryu Sian extended a hand to Baek Do-ha first.
Baek Do-ha took it, stood, and reached his hand out to Cha Eun-gyeol.
— Even so, we never stopped
In the end, it was you and me
Eun-gyeol then pulled up Kang Ian, and Kang Ian lifted Ha Jin-woo.
Finally, all five stood, facing different directions.
Tak—!
Every sound cut out.
Above that silence, only one voice remained.
— We’ll find our way~
‘He’s… good?’
Seorin’s eyes widened.
It was Ha Jin-woo’s solo—one they had never heard before.
A clean tone, pitch so steady he could easily pass as the group’s main vocal.
Especially the transition at the end of the pre-chorus, slipping from chest voice to falsetto—it was unbelievably smooth.
♪♫ —
Boom—!
With a heavy kick, the chorus exploded.
— You’re my Starlight
The light that brightens the dark (light)
The long-suppressed kick and 808 with full attack shook the entire song.
The five members formed a V-shape and launched into a razor-sharp group dance.
“Ha Jin-woo…”
Han Jin-seo’s lips curled upward.
‘It’s still not an amazing stage, but…’
His instincts for building the track were excellent.
All the pads and rhythms remained unchanged.
Boom, tak! Boom, tak!
All he did was unleash the hidden kick and 808 in the chorus—yet the effect was explosive.
The soft R&B emotion and groove, layered with a powerful hip-hop rhythm—
The signature charm of K-POP: gentle yet impactful, coexisting perfectly.
— The unfamiliar me in the mirror
Loneliness under the stage lights
Even in those moments when the cheers disappeared
Unlike verse 1, verse 2 opened with Kang Ian’s rap.
Ha Jin-woo approached from behind and quietly placed a hand on his shoulder, taking over the rap.
— With just the look in your eyes that believed in me
I could start again
Your existence protected me
Then, without warning, Baek Do-ha’s deep voice cut in.
— The one voice that called my name
That was… you
“……!”
Baek Do-ha’s unexpected low-tone rap was a perfect “kick.”
A heavy bass that rumbled like it came from underground.
When he murmured “That was you” while locking eyes with the camera, several fans clutched their chests.
“Interesting.”
One of the vocal trainer judges rested their chin on a hand, smiling.
For this group, parts were just a superficial “frame.”
Rap, vocal—any member could handle anything.
Every performance proved they were true all-rounders.
♪♫ —
The song entered the second pre-chorus.
Ziiiing—!
A strange synth scraped across the space.
Irregular rhythm, clashing harmonies.
The choreography changed too.
Smooth, fluid movements suddenly—
Jerk, jerk—!
Their bodies staggered like broken dolls.
— Even if we’re a little broken (Still shine)
Even if we’re a little damaged (It’s fine)
At the center of the chaos, only Ryu Sian stood tall, singing.
Tak—!
He grabbed the hand of the stumbling Cha Eun-gyeol.
Eun-gyeol, who had been about to fall, regained his balance.
— The moments we refused to give up
In the end, they made me—made us
“Ah…”
Soft sighs leaked from around the venue.
It wasn’t just choreography.
From the start until now, they had been showing a message—
A portrayal of companionship, of lifting one another up.
♪♫ —
The second chorus began.
Wooong—
The eerie synth vanished, replaced by a side-chained wobble synth that filled the space.
More polished, richer than the first chorus.
— You’re my Starlight (starlight)
A light beyond time (light)
Even when the seasons pass, you still shine
Starlight, starlight
— Filling the night sky
The smallest, yet strongest
Our Starlight
The members glided across the large stage as if swimming, weaving a single flowing pattern out of complex paths.
Kang Ian walked toward center stage.
— The spark I thought was gone
Rose and became a star
One small belief
A miracle that started there
Because you were the one who connected us
A bridge that wasn’t in the original track—
A moment of calm before the storm, added by Ha Jin-woo.
Then Cha Eun-gyeol’s high note exploded.
— Maybe the foolish yesterday
Created the todayyyy!
Even soaring into the 3rd octave, his voice remained steady and unwavering.
Tak—!
Suddenly, all sound cut.
The stage fell into pitch-black darkness.
“……”
Everyone held their breath.
Tak—!
A pin spotlight slowly lit the old tree at center stage.
Step, step—
Ryu Sian walked into the light.
He stopped before the withered tree, touching the rough bark with trembling fingers.
With sorrowful eyes, he looked up at it and whispered:
“Yeah. As who I am now… I want to reach you.”
He slowly turned toward the camera.
His sad eyes glimmered under the light.
A faint smile curled his lips—an unreadable mix of sorrow, hope, resignation, and resolve.
As he spun around—
Bang—!
— You’re my starlight, starlight
A Starlight that will shine endlessly!
With dazzling effects, the finale began.
Wooong—!
An orchestra joined in.
Majestic strings, powerful brass, thunderous timpani.
“!”
No more gasps came from the audience.
They simply stared, mouths agape, completely immersed.
— Never let go, never fade out!
— I’ll sing for you, Starlight, starlight!
Baek Do-ha and Cha Eun-gyeol alternated in an endless high-note battle.
Their contrasting tones made the moment even more dramatic.
♪♫ —
The five members swept across the stage, pouring out their final energy.
Perfect formations, flawless synchronization.
Sweat dripped from their chins, but not a hint of shake appeared in their vocals.
Tadatak—!
Finally, the members stomped into their final position, forming a W-shape.
Facing the audience, they delivered the last line.
— Always in that place
You’re my only starlight
Boom—!
The final drum beat signaled the end.
Tak—!
Every light on stage shut off.
…Was it over?
Just as that thought crossed everyone’s mind—
Chhhzz—
With static, a video appeared on the screen.
The opening scene—
Countless sparks filled the night sky.
“Wow…”
“What is that?”
The sight was so beautiful that soft exclamations rose from all over the audience.
The sparks rose at their own speeds, tracing their own paths.
Some blew away in the wind or faded halfway.
Shooo—!
Among them, five especially bright sparks suddenly shot upward.
Past tall buildings, through the clouds, and finally into the pitch-black cosmos.
Swoooosh—!
The five sparks spun wildly, shone even brighter, and then stopped in place.
“Oh, that!”
The vocal-trainer judge leaned in.
A slanted “W” shape—no, a constellation.
Ping—!
A golden line connected the five star-sparks, forming a perfect Cassiopeia.
At that exact moment—
“We hope to become someone’s star someday… someone’s light in the dark…”
Cha Eun-gyeol’s narration echoed in the darkness.
Tak—
The screen shut off and the stage lit up brightly again.
Upbeat BGM played, and the MC’s cheerful voice pulled everyone out of the lingering afterglow.
“A big round of applause for LUMIS for that incredible performance!”
“……”
PD Lee Geon-woo stared at the monitor, mouth hanging open.
The newest episode of LUMIS’s content series LUMIS House filled the screen.
[SWITCH! LUMIS X Jin-hun! Trot Era Season 4, Get Ready!]
It had surpassed 700,000 views in just one day.
And it was tagged #1 on Trending.
Clack—
Geon-woo slowly rolled the mouse wheel.
The description box was packed with strategically placed tags:
#TrotEra #SWITCH #REVIVAL #Jinhun #TrotKing #LUMIS #Sparks …
Thumbnail, title, upload timing—
All of it had gone through the approval of that five-year-old kid.
He had felt a bit of existential crisis during the process, but…
‘Well… the results speak for themselves, right?’
The moment he opened the comments, his eyes widened further.
Oh my~ such handsome young men! ^^
If Jin-hun oppa praises them, I trust it~
Jin-hun + Lumis chemistry too gooood (laugh emoji)
So coool!
Supporting Lumis♥
Since Jin-hun oppa supports them, I’ll support them too~
My granddaughter really likes them too~~~ (laugh emoji)
└ I like them too ㅠㅠㅠ
└ Your granddaughter has amazing taste♥These young lads sing with such sorrow ^^ (purple heart)(red heart)(yellow heart)
└ They’re called LUMIS~ Jin-hun oppa said they’re his favorite juniors~
Typos from “eagle-typing,” excessive emojis, odd spacing, familiar speech patterns—
Their age bracket was painfully obvious.
Tadadak, tak—
He searched RE:VIVAL.
The full version of LUMIS’s performance from yesterday’s Episode 6 was at the top.
Scrolling even a bit revealed an endless chain of related videos.
[RE:VIVAL Round 5 – LUMIS ‘Starlight’ Full Ver.]
[RE:VIVAL Round 4 – LUMIS ‘Sparks’]
[RE:VIVAL Round 4 – LUMIS ‘Sparks’ Trot Ver. 1-Hour Loop]
Even YouTube Shorts were flooded:
[The Trot Idol Jin-hun Approved!?]
[Idol Being Rediscovered Through a Survival Show]
[An Idol Who Devours K-pop With Trot!]
“This much…?”
The recently ended Trot Era Season 3
Left aimless trot fans—and Jin-hun’s fans—pouring in.
A perfect strategy executed at the perfect time.
With normal marketing, there was no way to beat Bit12Y, backed by giants Chrome and Vista.
‘But with this age group…’
Ruha had perfectly analyzed the trot fanbase.
Loyalty rivaling idol fandoms, spending power surpassing them—
And most importantly, overwhelming voting participation rates.
‘Online votes make up 50%. If this demographic moves…’
“No way…”
Geon-woo let out a faint laugh.
‘What would a five-year-old know anyway?’
It must just be coincidence.
And yet…
His hand was already moving toward the voting page.
He had a feeling something huge was about to happen.
