Free Web NovelOn the day TeSTAR’s congratulatory song was confirmed, following the warm welcome from Pyheo Gongdan’s president couple.
“Oh, it’s been a while since we did a congratulatory song~”
“Sejin, have you ever... sung a congratulatory song?”
“Not alone. Back in high school, my teacher got married and we all sang together!”
By the way, that video had already been exposed on YouTube early in our debut, under the title “TeSTAR Lee Sejin congratulatory song lol.”
– Anyone could tell they were idol hopefuls
– Everyone’s in a different key lol
It became a minor topic of conversation.
Anyway, being idols who debuted in their early twenties, that was the only time this team had sung a congratulatory song.
Me?
‘No way I’ve ever done that.’
All my connections during civil service exam prep had been cut off—there was no chance I’d sung a congratulatory song for anyone. The only request I’d ever gotten was to take photos, but they wanted unpaid labor, so I never replied and blocked them.
Thanks to that, preparing for this congratulatory song meant starting from scratch.
As always, the guys gathered in the living room enthusiastically shared songs that came to mind for a congratulatory song.
“A bright, happy song!”
“How about Picnic...?”
“We have quite a few ballads on our album, right?”
Our title track, B-sides, and various love songs emerged as candidates and were listed out.
But there wasn’t a single song that felt like “this is it.”
“Hm, everything’s pretty bland.”
“Exactly.”
They even proposed songs we’d performed but that weren’t ours.
“Park Mundae, you know that song you sang on I Made the Singer? That one’s famous as a congratulatory song.”
“That could work. But I think dividing parts would be a bit difficult.”
“...Really?”
Sure. But there was another reason.
‘It’s too well known publicly as a solo song.’
There’d be no shortage of people comparing my solo performance of that song to a group rendition by TeSTAR.
‘No need to give them that ammunition.’
Lately, so many trolls were trying to use Bae Sejin to troll TeSTAR. Either me or TeSTAR would be an easy target—they wouldn’t pass up such an opportunity.
In the end, Bae Sejin reluctantly accepted the majority vote defeat.
“Alright.”
Each time a suggestion came up, it was postponed or rejected for various reasons.
Soon, songs with nothing to do with us popped up arbitrarily.
“I want to do this one!” frёewebnoѵēl.com
“Yoojin, that one’s for proposing to fans.”
Before we knew it, even the 30-second proposal challenge song trending on TikTok was mentioned.
“A better song!”
“We’ll think hard...!”
The discussion grew increasingly serious. Honestly, it felt excessive for a wedding song.
‘I thought we’d pick something cute and fitting.’
Meanwhile, Steer Kim Rae bin, whom I’d hoped to coax into offering opinions, sat stiffly listening as if he had no authority to speak. It was maddening.
‘Maybe we should just perform a medley.’
Fortunately, about an hour later, our leader stepped up and organized the situation.
“Hm, why don’t we just perform whichever song the marrying couple wants?”
“Oh.”
A perfectly valid idea. It wasn’t our place to play surprise gambits at someone else’s celebration. Better to play it safe.
“I’ll contact them right away.”
“Good.”
And the song Pyheo Gongdan’s president couple wanted was...
“Wow! You know that song from our first collaboration, the 127 Section trailer track? We’d love to hear that!”
“....”
That was a bit...
‘Doesn’t that song go, “I won’t die, I’ll survive”?’
Wouldn’t that sound like stirring discord at a wedding?
“Or the title track is fine too! ‘Roll the Dice’!”
Were they asking us to start a fight at their wedding?
Clearly, they were so bent on requesting the songs they loved that they’d lost sight of the wedding context.
“Ha ha, yes. One moment.”
I muted the call briefly and looked around. The members had started desperately pitching ideas again.
“There must be one of our songs that celebrates couples! How about something like that?”
“I know of none.”
“Why not? Something like High Five...it sounds like we’re proposing.”
“That’s why I was turned down when I suggested it.”
They’d told him no but then refused to stop suggesting proposal songs.
“...So what will we sing?”
A dizzying silence fell.
Then Seon Ah hyun raised his hand.
“I... could we just sing whatever they want?”
“Huh, Ahhyun?”
“Even if it feels a bit awkward, it’ll be the songs most meaningful to them...! Since they run a company together, they’ll remember the success they had with that song and feel happy.”
“....”
“Oh....”
Some of the guys seemed moved by his sincere suggestion.
I quickly did the mental arithmetic. Stripped of wedding appropriateness...
‘It’d still be a talking point.’
Think about it: the heads of a game company get married and are celebrated by a top idol group performing their own game’s theme song.
I could already hear the clicks on YouTube.
But no need to spell it out. I nodded in agreement as if I, too, were moved.
“True. Since they want to hear it.”
This time there was no pushback.
“Right!”
Seon Ah hyun nodded brightly.
“Great, it’s decided then?”
“Yes~”
We politely resumed the call with Pyheo Gongdan’s president couple.
“We’ll prepare one of the two songs you requested.”
They’d chosen their own congratulatory song. Any wedding incongruity was their responsibility now.
“Really? Just a moment... yes, they’re thrilled!”
“Wow.”
“We’re so excited! Thank you so much!”
They sounded like people fully committed to doing exactly what they wanted.
After hearing their chatter live, the call ended on a joyful note.
“See you on the day!”
Once we hung up, we looked at each other and nodded.
“...Shall we practice?”
Right.
A consensual male idol group tackling an intense, hard-hitting title track at a wedding.
“Um... what is this ‘Bonus book’ song anyway?”
Let’s start educating that guy first.
After the call, back in my room, I played the song from the 127 Section collaboration trailer—“Bonus book”—which Steer Kim Rae bin had never heard.
“So I composed this song too...”
“That’s right.”
Steer Kim Rae bin sat between the beds, watching the trailer intently.
I then smoothly followed with “Better Me,” the title track sharing elements of its melody, and showed him the stage performance—his own solo fancam.
[Finding BETTER ME]
Each rhythmic move in sync with the riff melody drew cheers that cut through the music.
When Kim Rae bin, wearing the mask with a zipper over his mouth, tore it off and threw it, launching into his rap, the roar was deafening.
Waaaaah!
I spoke up.
“You’re pretty good, aren’t you.”
“....”
Kim Rae bin stared at his reflection on the vertical screen, silent.
Only as the song ended did he reply.
“I’m not sure. Did the audience think I did well?”
Right, people said he looked like he’d jumped straight out of a cyberpunk comic.
But his expression was ambiguous.
“You don’t like it?”
“I know the audience’s response was very positive, but I can’t judge if I was good...”
Hmm.
“Well, at least you’re perceiving it indirectly by seeing their reactions!”
“Okay.”
I folded my arms.
As I remembered it, there was essentially no difference in stage handling between Steer Kim Rae bin and TeSTAR Kim Rae bin.
‘If anything, TeSTAR Kim Rae bin’s stages were just a bit better.’
And more proactively, unconsciously using his own movements and expressions, adding ad-libs.
But not so different that they felt like different people—they # Nоvеlight # were the same person.
‘Yet Steer Kim Rae bin concluded he can’t perform, while TeSTAR Kim Rae bin isn’t sure? That’s strange.’
Originally, he had a keen eye for stage ability.
‘A talent in producing, he’s ruthless in judgment.’
It was almost cruel.
That attitude and skill had been with him since before debut in Ajusa.
For example, in our very first second-round team match, do you know why he picked Bae Sejin among so many contestants?
At that time, despite being a novice forced by agency pressure to join the survival show, Bae Sejin was chosen because...
– “He won’t stir conflict to grab more parts, and he expresses given parts well!”
In short, his talent was so clear that even with fewer parts, he’d still deliver perfectly.
‘He identified Bae Sejin’s unique performance stat and tenacity.’
His evaluations were composed.
But if that judgment ability faltered so deeply that he believed he couldn’t perform, it might stem from a trauma deeper than I expected.
‘I do want to talk more though.’
I’d like to gently coax him into a deep conversation over a few days.
The problem was that Kim Rae bin’s own will was unwavering.
“I want my memory fully restored as soon as possible!”
Hmm.
If I tried to delay and keep talking, it would probably make him more anxious...
‘Even more so.’
I decided quickly and nodded evenly.
“Alright. Then let’s do it today.”
“Yes!”
That night, before midnight, I called the others.
“Are we restoring now?” freewebnøvel.com
“Yeah. He wants it before the wedding song.”
“Hm... okay.”
Soon, Kim Rae bin was seated in the center of the living room as if he were receiving a birthday celebration.
“Kim Rae bin, have you eaten well? You’ll sleep soon, so eat up!”
“I’ve eaten enough! And I’ve already studied Senior Cheongryeo’s case, so I’m prepared!”
With a firm answer, Steer Kim Rae bin lay down.
“Please!”
Right.
I opened the status window, navigated past the two types of popups, and summoned the desired one.
The preview guide popup.
I murmured while looking at it.
‘End preview.’
Without fanfare, a hologram flickered.
Vruuum.
At some point, the preview’s unfinished interface design suddenly vanished.
[Complete!]
Then everything fell silent.
‘Phew.’
I took my eyes off the status window and turned my head.
Kim Rae bin would probably fall asleep like the others in a few hours...
‘Wait.’
Instead, he lay with his eyes wide open.
“...?”
“Um... Mundae Mundae, did you just process it?”
Huh.
We all looked at Kim Rae bin again.
‘What the—?’
He spoke.
“Sorry! I felt dizzy for a moment... so has Senior Cheongryeo’s memory returned?”
“Huh?”
“Uh, uh uh?”
Seeing the stunned expressions of the members, he nodded as if satisfied and sat up.
“...! So I must have waited while dozing off since Senior Mundae hadn’t started yet?”
“Rae bin.”
“Yes?”
“What were we just doing?”
He looked puzzled.
“...? Senior Mundae tried to run a ‘preview.’”
And we all realized.
Kim Rae bin had regained TeSTAR’s memories, but his Steer memories seemed to have evaporated.
Everything Steer Kim Rae bin experienced in the past few days!
“....”
“Sorry. I’ll keep my mind clear so I don’t interfere further!”
“...That’s.”
I pressed my finger to my brow.
‘Preview, damn it...!’
A few days later.
“Congratulations.”
“Oh, long time no see!”
At a certain wedding hall in Seoul.
A guest attending her cousin’s wedding admired the unfamiliar crowd and the flurry of flower wreaths.
‘They really made it big.’
The rumor that her uncle’s son made a hit mobile game and bought a building in Seoul had become hot gossip in the family.
Even elders who loathed computer games liked money and business.
‘Capitalism is something else...’
As a sociology major, she shook her head and joined the line to give congratulatory cash.
She had zero interest in games, so she only vaguely recalled her cousin making some famous mobile game.
In any case, the wedding’s lavish display confirmed that he’d made good money.
‘This is huge and unique.’
Young people she assumed were business associates and company staff filled the hall.
A slightly unconventional program and game-inspired events gave it a fresh feel.
‘The food must be good too.’
As guests made such judgments, a brief and concise sermon concluded, and the wedding moved to its final stage.
The congratulatory song segment.
[For the congratulatory song... wow, fitting for the Pyheo Gongdan president couple’s wedding.]
‘What is he talking about?’
She glanced at the host with indifference; others shared the same expression.
The host smiled nervously and announced.
[The congratulatory song will be performed by the idol group TeSTAR!]
“Huh!?”
Almost all the guests, including her, nearly leaped from their seats.
‘What, what?’
Doubting her ears, she listened again.
[Then, let the congratulatory song begin.]
Following the lights, she quickly turned her head and saw someone running in from the darkened back of the hall.
“...?!”
TeSTAR, dressed in suits!
