Boom boom boom―
On the darkened stage, the beat of the drums rang loudly, heightening the tension.
Then, Thud! The spotlight turned on at the center of the stage.
In the area that was illuminated, Do Wook was standing.
Only the sound of drums continued, with no accompaniment at all. However, the beat of the drums that had been played at a certain increment at some point sped up and became a rhythm layered over the bass.
Matching the beat, Do Wook started singing.
calling me when you feel-
Do Wook’s sweet voice resonated powerfully and clearly throughout the venue.
As it dragged on, the pitch grew higher and higher.
The sound, piercing through the microphone and extending out without wavering, dug into people’s ears and sent shivers down people’s spines.
The singers and audience in the auditorium all let out a collective roar as they finally let out the breath they had been holding back as they waited for the performance.
Woooooooooowwwww!
Fweeeeeeet!*
(TL Note: this is supposed to be the sound of people whistling)
Cheers, whistles, applause, and every other sound blended together, heating up the energy of the venue.
The Billboard Awards, held in Las Vegas.
It was the start of the two-time winner KK’s performance, nominated in three categories and taking home the Top Social Artist Award and the Top Dance Award.
Do Wook, who had ignited the atmosphere by starting things off, moved his body as if he were conducting. As the sound of the drums faded, various instruments centered around the trumpet created the accompaniment.
It was the prelude to ‘Connection’.
A dazzling graphic rose to life above the large screen behind Do Wook, surrounding him. The fast-moving graphics grabbed the viewer’s attention.
It made it look like the graphics on all the screens installed in the venue were connected as one.
Also, at that moment, a blazing pillar of fire shot up with tremendous power, and the members jumped up to either side of Do Wook.
They even synchronized the height of the jump. Park Tae Hyung stepped forward and did a somersault.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”
“KK!”
“Love you!!!”
The shouts grew even louder. Most of the audience at the awards ceremony were KK’s fans. The voices of the KK fans seemed to burst through the venue.
It was a heat too intense to remain still, like a blazing pillar of fire. The singers who had been seated stood up to enjoy the performance even more.
Then the song ‘Connection’ started in earnest.
When you feel like you’re alone, turn around.
I’m standing there-
Ahn Hyung Seo’s powerful voice and the beautiful Korean lyrics were inflaming the Billboard Awards again.
The graphics that were set to match Kim Won and Jung Yoon Ki’s rap were moving. Along with that, a huge number of backup dancers came onstage. It was a truly enormous number of people.
The large group moved as one. It was a surprising group choreography, one they had also seen in ‘Connection’. Connection didn’t have a particular synchronized group choreography, but the members had prepared it especially for this performance to showcase one of their points of pride: their sharp synchronized choreography.
Compared to ‘Continue’, it was a gentle choreography, but that made the KK members and the dancers on stage look even more impressive as they executed a unified performance.
That was not all.
Like the stars you see in the night sky, We all connected*―
(TL Note: This part was written in English like that)
As the song built up, the moment Suk Ji Hoon uttered the lyrics ‘connected’, dozens of drones flew through the air. The drones drew a large shape in midair that resembled the KK logo.
It was on a tremendous scale. The drones shone even brighter as the stage lights dimmed.
Below them, KK and the large group of dancers came together and repeated the choreography of ‘We are all connected’.
The sight on stage was truly spectacular.
Everyone at the venue yelled, “We are all connected’”.
Every last person sang in unison.
The sight on stage was magnificent, but the scene below the stage was magnificent as well.
‘Ahhh…’
Do Wook felt like his heart might stop.
It was a fierce live performance so it wouldn’t be surprising if he suddenly started hyperventilating.
Of course both Do Wook and the members, through countless performances and management, all were controlling themselves now to keep such crisis situations from occurring, but it was hard to control the overwhelming excitement that enveloped the entire body, swelling so much that all the energy inside seemed ready to burst into a frenzy.
‘Right now…if it’s right now…I think I could die happy,’
Do Wook thought as he listened to the echoing voice.
The song he had written, the lyrics he had written, the song he had sung. Everyone was singing in unison.
Kim Bo Myung, who used to sing ‘If It Were a Dream’, was now so faint in Do Wook’s memories. However, Do Wook put in effort to remember Kim Bo Myung.
Kim Bo Myung is a part of him too. In the past, that had been all of him, but now it was only a part of him.
And, in the end, it was the reason he was able to get to where he was now. He didn’t want to forget it just because the reason is dark.
‘I’m happy to the point that I could die without regrets, but…I want to be happy…for longer.’
The recurring refrain gradually faded.
However, the excitement didn’t die down easily. Do Wook and the members, with exhausted expressions, took a big breath on stage.
The members gathering in one area, getting into formation, and showing flawless smiles towards the camera was being broadcast to the entire world unfiltered.
The camera was capturing everything without fail, capturing them exactly as they were.
The lights above the stage had turned off, but the applause from the audience showed no end.
The MCs hosting the award ceremony were flustered and tried to calm the audience, but the audience was reluctant to let KK go.
In the end, the MCs also gave up trying to move on and were busy praising KK’s performance.
The KK members, who were coming off the stage, had poured out all their energy so they felt drained, yet they held onto every applause that poured out towards them. It was as if the sound of applause had been imprinted into every single cell of their body.
“Are you guys ok?”
That was the very first thing Department Manager Oh Baek Ho said to the KK members when they returned to the waiting room.
Manager Oh Baek Ho, who had been below the stage, almost blanked out for a moment.
Each and every member had truly poured their soul into the performance.
The members always gave it their all, but it was their first performance in a while. They also knew this moment wouldn’t last forever, so it became an even more passionate performance.
Gu Chul Min moved busily and handed out water to the members.
The members had a dazed expression, as if their soul had left their bodies.
“All of you.”
Do Wook, who had barely caught his breath, started to talk. The members, who were unable to properly support themselves and were either sitting or lying down on the living room floor, turned their gaze to Do Wook.
“Thank you. Also…”
Do Wook thought that it was time to say the words he had never said before. There were no other words to express how he was feeling.
“You guys are the best.”
Do Wook’s words made the members burst into laughter.
“That’s right, man. You all are truly…the best,”
Jung Yoon Ki said.
‘The best.’
The standard could vary from person to person, and one could not definitively claim that KK’s position was the top.
Fortunately, there were still many mountains to climb. The fact that there were mountains to climb was actually a blessing for the still young KK members, so they weren’t arrogant, thinking they were the best.
However, right now, at this moment.
The members wanted to say to each other that, to them, they were ‘the best’.
***
[Legendary performance by two-time Billboard winner KK]
[Cheering for KK, who crushed the Billboard Awards]
[KK’s energy…Shaking the American continent!]
.
.
.
-I’m so proud. KK.
-Wow… this is…lol it’s something we have no choice but to acknowledge, not just those who are hyper patriotic lol
-It was a performance that will go down in Billboard history
-It was really shocking…Speechless
-I’m so thankful to each member for becoming singers T.T A world without KK…I can’t imagine that anymore T.T
-A group like KK…maybe we’ll see another one like them in 10 years?
“If we do get one within 10 years, it’ll probably be all thanks to Do Wook…”
Ahn Hyung Seo said, rereading the articles about the Billboard Awards that he had saved. Even though several months had already passed, the members were still reminiscing by watching videos of the performance or reading articles about them.
Do Wook laughed and shook his head.
“I’m not confident about that.”
Even if the song is good and you have a lot of money, not everything works out. For KK and similar groups to be born, everything had to fit, even the members’ smallest personality traits.
“And I said this numerous times, but for now KK is…”
“I know, I know. It’s just that I’m already sad.”
“Try to understand, Do Wook. Hyung Seo’s album tanked so I guess he’s feeling melancholic.”
Ahn Hyung Seo glared at Suk Ji Hoon.
Ahn Hyung Seo’s solo title song ‘You, and also Me’ was still ranking in the music chart, so it couldn’t be considered a failure.
It was just that he was being mocked that it ‘tanked’ because it didn’t reach ‘Number one on the Billboard Chart’, a success standard that even KK hadn’t reached yet, that Ahn Hyung Seo had confidently claimed it would reach when they were drinking.
‘However, KK’s new album might…’
Do Wook cautiously imagined what ranking the new album would get on the Billboard chart. Then he quickly shook his head.
‘I shouldn’t set the expectations too high.’
HIT Entertainment’s large conference room.
The KK members had all gathered and were getting ready for the concept meeting for KK’s new album.
The place where the members had gathered boasted a scale and facilities on a completely different level from the previous conference room.
Kim Won and Jung Yoon Ki, as well as Park Tae Hyung, were checking out and fiddling with things like the microphone and projector before the meeting started.
When they acquired Jam Music, HIT Entertainment completely relocated its headquarters. Expanding to the neighboring building was no longer enough.
The new building was about 30 minutes away from where the company used to be.
HIT Entertainment ended up using the entire 17-story building, which was built less than a year ago.
HIT Entertainment acquired not only Jam Music but also Hye Sung Entertainment of ‘Young Women’ as subsidiaries.
President Jung Hye Sung was still the President of Hye Sung Entertainment, but, as a subsidiary of HIT Entertainment, they would be subject to some involvement from HIT Entertainment.
However, President Jung Hye Sung believed that, for the greater development of ‘Young Women’ and its future endeavors, that approach would be better.
Moreover, within HIT Entertainment there was Do Wook, who was also set to make his mark as a producer, and since President Jo Anna, who was now the President, and the company’s operational policies aligned well, President Jung Hye Sung had an opportunity to produce how he wanted while also securing solid capital.
And that naturally led to Do Wook being named Director at HIT Entertainment*.
(TL Note: Dang! You go Do Wook!)
It was only natural, since he held a significant stake in Jam Music and Hye Sung Entertainment Entertainment.
President Jo Anna called Do Wook future President material.
However, that was a story for way too far in the future.
For the time being, he was only thinking about choosing the concept for the next album.
‘Since I did decide to try something new…’
in the 220’s!! 2 chapters left!!! We are on our last arc of the story
Next chapter: Technially the last chapter, with 225 being an epilogue
2 more episodes 🙁