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Chapter 25




From Zero to Superstar Chapter 25
A third-year high school student who has finished the college entrance exam is invincible!
Imiyeon sat down with a silly grin, holding a placard and a cheering stick in each hand.
As a first-year fan of WestWing, she found the broadcasting station she had come to for the first time fascinating. Everything she had only seen on TV was right in front of her.
“Are you Miss Imisa?”
“Ah, hello!”
It was her first time attending a music show, so she had arranged to meet a third-year fan she usually communicated with on SNS. It was a woman with the nickname "YourSky." YourSky sat down next to her with a smile.
“WestWing will be the last to appear. Please enjoy the other artists’ performances until then. It would be great if you could cheer enthusiastically.”
“Yes, I understand!”
Imiyeon waited, quite nervous, and finally, it began.
[Hello! The Music Show, which finds you every Thursday at 6 PM!]
[MC Rea here!]
[MC Minwoo here!]
“Wow!”
The staff encouraged applause. YourSky clapped skillfully, and Imiyeon, sitting next to her, clapped a beat late.
“They are really beautiful.”
This is why they are called idols. The MCs in person were even more beautiful and handsome. While Imiyeon was marveling, she heard a whisper from the seat in front of her.
“Oh, it seems we are the only ones here.”
“Well, what can we do? It’s a new group, and they don’t have any famous trainees. It’s amazing that we are here at all.”
Who is that? Glancing over, Imiyeon saw people holding placards that read [Love Bubla!] [BrownBlack, Fighting!] [Congratulations on your debut!]
If it’s a debut, are they debuting today? BrownBlack? Imiyeon tilted her head in confusion.
[Today, I’m nervous from the very first stage.]
[Yes, some very impressive newcomers are debuting.]
[Oh, have you met them, Rea?]
[No, I’ll see them now!]
Imiyeon nodded at the MCs’ introduction. It seems the first stage is by the group in the front row.
“They might make a mistake since it’s their debut stage.”
“That’s true. WestWing’s debut stage was...”
YourSky, who seemed to have been listening, shook her head. It was a debut stage that would long remain a black history. But it became a stepping stone for them to become famous, so it was a debut stage of love and hate for the fans.
[Oh, their names are as sweet as cocoa!]
[I hope all the viewers of The Music Show have a wonderful 'Start!' like their song!]
[The beginning of BrownBlack!]
Imiyeon and YourSky didn’t have high expectations. They clapped to support the debut stage.
Four men stood on the stage. Dressed in suits, BrownBlack looked like young professionals just starting their careers or well-dressed freshmen at a university.
As the song began, the audience fell into a momentary silence.
The chatter among fans waiting for their artists, the occasional cough, and the creaking of chairs all disappeared.
Numbers that only Seojun could see sparkled above BrownBlack’s heads.
[The connection of the orchestra conductor has been activated.]
Imiyeon, seeing an idol’s performance live for the first time, was captivated. She stared at the stage without blinking, her mouth agape.
Before she could react, BrownBlack’s song reached its climax.
Boom!
Confetti exploded. Goosebumps rose.
“Wow...”
BrownBlack, having finished their performance, panted and bowed to the audience.
Imiyeon clapped without realizing it. Starting with her, applause and cheers echoed throughout the audience.
BrownBlack, hearing the cheers, bowed repeatedly as they disappeared backstage.
“Wow, that’s what a live performance is like? I’ve only been able to watch on TV because I’ve been studying... I’ve never even been to a concert! Wow, if a debut group can perform like this, WestWing’s stage must be amazing!”
Imiyeon, excited, chattered on. The stage, which she hadn’t expected, was incredible. If a newly debuted group could perform like this, how amazing would the stage of WestWing, a famous idol group for five years, be? Her heart raced.
YourSky, who had been captivated and clapping beside Imiyeon, finally came to her senses.
“Ah.”
“What’s wrong?”
YourSky shook her head. It’s better to see it with your own eyes.
YourSky looked at the people in the front row. They must have been the fans, delighted by the excellent performance they hadn’t expected.
As she had guessed, they were chatting with excited faces. YourSky looked at the placards they were holding.
[BrownBlack]
It was the debut of an impressive newcomer.
The Music Show continued. But the audience’s reaction was not as enthusiastic as usual.
They responded to their favorite artists, but it was weak. Everyone was still captivated by the first stage.
Unconsciously, they were comparing the first stage with the performances of other artists.
The Music Show ended with WestWing’s stage. Imiyeon stood up from her seat, looking disappointed.
“What can I say? I was really looking forward to it, but it wasn’t that great. The singing seemed to be half lip-synced, and the dance moves were off in many places.”
“It’s because the first group was so impressive.”
YourSky patted the dejected Imiyeon’s shoulder. Imiyeon, who had been thinking about the first stage while watching the other artists, recalled the first stage of The Music Show, which made her heart race even when she thought about it.
“What was the name of that group?”
“BrownBlack.”
YourSky, who had decided to become a fan of BrownBlack, smiled and said.
* * *
The Music Show ended. The staff were cleaning up the backup confetti that had exploded at the end. Kim Minhyuk came back with a cup of coffee, grinning.
PD Lee Sangcheol took the cup and took a sip. This guy, I want to work with him just for the coffee.
“Wasn’t it better than expected?”
“Huh? What?”
“BrownBlack? The group with the rich kid’s youngest son.”
“It failed.”
“What?!”
Kim Minhyuk, who had been grinning, was startled by PD Lee Sangcheol’s words. But, the stage was so good, how could it have failed?
“Didn’t you like it so much that you even used the confetti for the last stage on their performance?”
“Well, that was embarrassing...”
PD Lee Sangcheol rubbed his forehead. Why did I have to show such craftsmanship at that moment? I didn’t even know I had that kind of craftsmanship.
Unconsciously, I made the confetti explode and had to clean up. I had to clean the confetti on the stage for the next artist and prepare the confetti for the announcement of the number one song.
PD Lee Sangcheol’s head ached when he thought about an hour ago. Fortunately, there was backup confetti.
Kim Minhyuk sat down and asked.
“I think our ratings today will be off the charts. After the stage, it was trending on SNS...”
“It would be a hit if it were a recorded broadcast. But it’s a live broadcast. People switched channels because the first stage was so impressive, but it’s the same as usual. The bulletin board must be exploding right now.”
Kim Minhyuk checked his phone.
“Also, you’ve been talking about them since the beginning. Their stage overshadowed everything else. It failed. We should have put them in the last slot. They were so nervous during the rehearsal!”
PD Lee Sangcheol’s lamentation went unnoticed as Kim Minhyuk stared at his phone. Sensing something was off, PD Lee Sangcheol asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“They’re trending...”
Kim Minhyuk showed his phone screen.
1. The Music Show’s First Stage
2. BrownBlack on The Music Show
3. BrownBlack
4. BrownBlack’s Start
5. The Music Show Audience Review
...
NEW! 48 Hours with BrownBlack and Jun
* * *
“They’re trending!”
At Im Joon’s words, Seo Eunhye quickly checked her phone. Seojun, who was in her arms, also looked at the phone screen.
“BrownBlack, audience review, first stage...!”
“Amazing. Really!”
Seo Eunhye and Im Joon were stunned. The kids, who were trembling during the video call, had given a performance that sent shivers down their spines.
Moreover, it wasn’t just them who felt that way. People were all curious about the identity of the group that gave the first stage.
“Seojun, the guys are really amazing! Wow, I just thought they were hardworking, but to give such an amazing stage!”
“I should have seen it live! It’s a real shame.”
While Seo Eunhye and Im Joon kept praising BrownBlack, Seojun, looking at the dark TV, felt a burning sensation in his chest. It felt like something was burning deep inside.
Seojun’s performance by BrownBlack was definitely impressive. It wasn’t just because of [The Connection of the Orchestra Conductor]; it was the result of their effort, skill, and talent combined.
After BrownBlack’s performance, the applause and cheers heard through the TV made Seojun feel the admiration and excitement.
‘Just a month ago, they were playing with me.’
“Even their photos are trending on SNS?”
“Even the video of Seojun with them is trending!”
Mom and Dad were excited, unaware of Seojun’s troubled heart. Seojun, in Mom’s arms, looked at the phone screen.
Photos of the guys smiling brightly on their way home.
The guys with red eyes, as if they had been crying.
Someone compared the photos of BrownBlack on their way to work and on their way home.
A life-changing moment.
From the faint photos of BrownBlack in the background of famous artists’ photos to the photos of BrownBlack surrounded by cameras, smiling brightly.
Staring at the photos, Seojun suddenly realized that the life he had wished for in his first life was right there.
BrownBlack was similar to him in his first life. They were unknown and died unknown in his first life, but unlike that, they were unknown but eventually made their names known to the public, taking a step towards becoming stars, just as he had wished in his first life.
I will become a superstar. The vow he had made in jest suddenly loomed large.
Tears began to fall from Seojun’s eyes, staring blankly at the phone screen. Tears he himself didn’t realize. He didn’t even notice Seo Eunhye and Im Joon’s frantic movements.
Seojun’s eyes couldn’t leave the photos on the screen.
He helped his brothers because he felt sorry for being unknown. He didn’t want them to feel the despair he had felt in the past.
But seeing the people who were just beside him moments ago shining brightly there...
Seojun really, truly, wanted to become a superstar, regardless of his first life.
* * *
Title: Anyone know this song?
Writer: FailCompany
Anyone know this song? I couldn’t record it... It was a song I heard from upstairs.
Turu-turu-turu-tara-tara-tara-turu
Something like that!
-?
-How do you know that?
-Isn’t it WestWing’s Together?
-Another ChickenWing here...
-Write down the lyrics
-Writer: It was a low volume, so I couldn’t hear it well. Something like “Step on me and rise, I want to be higher”?
-What a great lyric...
-Imyeon’s accusation!
-Brian’s tik-taka!
-Writer: Neither
...
The internet music forum was on fire. The writer, who kept saying “no” in the comments, disappeared, and speculation ran rampant. Eventually, it became a top post.
Title: The writer who asked for the song yesterday!
Writer: FailCompany
I found it. They were performing at the playground in my apartment complex!
They haven’t debuted yet, and they’re called BrownBlack. The song is called Start! It’s amazing!
I even got their autograph!
-?
-??
-???
-What the? This much attention?
-They haven’t debuted yet, but you’re asking for it?
-Is this how new artists promote themselves these days? Big. Deal.
-??? : Created 10,000 haters in a day.
Comments flooded in instantly. The two posts by “FailCompany” quickly spread across various sites.
[Common New Idol Promotion Method]
The man downstairs was at a loss.
“No, I didn’t mean to do this...”
Even when he tried to find and post his appearance on the BrownBlack variety show on Nertube, it didn’t look edited.
Seo Eunchan had edited it in advance to prevent manipulation theories, as the person who appeared was not a pre-arranged guest.
A few weeks later, the man posted again.
Title: Look at this.
Writer: FailCompany
I didn’t expect my post to become such a hot topic. It’s not promotion, it’s real.
They debuted on WNET The Music Show. The first stage is at 6 PM. It’s not promotion, I’m serious! If you want to criticize, watch the stage first!
-Okay, next promotion.
-It was really unique.
-I searched for the song hard!
...
-Wow, the first stage... It’s a legendary legend!
-When I thought they were good, they were really good. Goosebumps when the confetti exploded.
-The other artists’ performances were really bad.
-You’re mistaken. The first stage was just too good. Well, ChickenWing was definitely bad.
-It’s a debut stage, right? Really, big. Deal.
-Whether it was promotion or not, the song was good.
...
-But they have a variety show on Nertube... Have you seen it?
#