Roy and Choi Eunhyu’s gazes awkwardly intertwined in the air.
“Choosing a different song… isn’t that better?”
“No. Somehow, I really want to do it with this song.”
It was a strange thing. Both of them lacked confidence in their rap skills, so logically, picking a different song would make more sense, but oddly enough, they were fixated on this particular track.
“Still, the good news is the rap part isn’t as difficult as the raps in recent songs.”
The rap in the song they chose wasn’t terribly challenging.
At a glance, it almost sounded like whispered speech. With careful pronunciation and some emotional delivery, it seemed manageable.
“Then let’s split the rap parts evenly. One person handling it all would be too risky.”
“Sounds good!”
Unless it was a mission where they had to team up and beat other groups, this mission required them to eliminate their opponents on stage.
They fairly divided the rap parts and mutually agreed on the distribution of the other segments as well.
“Definitely, with only two people, there’s so much more we have to cover.”
Previously, at least six people sang one song. Suddenly cutting down to two meant each had to carry a much larger portion.
In other words, those who used to rely on their teammates’ skills had to fully showcase their own abilities this time.
“We need to decide on the remake direction quickly.”
After dividing the parts and brainstorming together, no good ideas came to mind. Surprisingly, the solution appeared during vocal lessons.
***
“Wait, we can use spirits on stage?”
“Of course. They said to actively showcase everything from this stage onward. Other teams are using their Hunter abilities to enhance their performances too.”
Roy and Choi Eunhyu blinked and exchanged glances.
When they visited their acquaintances’ practice rooms, no one had mentioned this aspect.
Perhaps everyone assumed Roy and Eunhyu would figure it out themselves.
Or maybe they considered it just another competitive edge.
“Roy, you’re a Spirit Summoner. You’re at a huge advantage compared to the others. And besides, those spirits are cute as hell.”
Lee Hyeyeon looked delightedly at the quarrelling spirits.
Indeed, with the four Spirit Kings gathered instead of just Ber and Aqua, there wasn’t a quiet moment.
“Beep!” (Where on earth did you learn that impudent Three-to-One Attack?)
“Por.” (What are you saying? People might think you’re the eldest here.)
Aqua wagged her tail lazily and shot Ber a glare.
As Aqua said, Ber was the youngest among the Spirit Kings.
Though all of them had lived for countless years far beyond human lifespans.
“Eunhyu might get overshadowed, but it’s better to make the stage impactful first, right?”
Choi Eunhyu’s Hunter profession was a swordsman — nothing special.
There weren’t many things he could utilize effectively on stage.
“That’s right! Thanks for the advice, teacher.”
Unlike Roy, who hesitated to speak up, Eunhyu quickly accepted Lee Hyeyeon’s suggestion. During the next practice, Eunhyu patted Roy’s shoulder as if to say not to worry.
“Hyeyeon’s right. We need to make the stage awesome first. To do that, using the spirits is essential.”
It was undeniable.
This mission wasn’t just about the song; it could be a platform to promote Roy’s profession as a Spirit Summoner.
In other words, a typical swordsman like Choi Eunhyu would struggle to shine.
But Eunhyu was willing to take that risk to create a spectacular performance.
“Since we have cute and cool dancers now, why not go all out with a flashy stage?”
He even actively pitched stage ideas.
The once bickering spirits slowly gathered around them, ears perked.
Ber’s eyes sparkled the brightest—he secretly wanted to take part in the stage.
“If you think that way, then I’m grateful.”
From Eunhyu’s perspective, he could have insisted on performing the stage just between the two of them, without the spirits.
“When else would I get to go up on stage with the spirits? Right, Ber?”
“Beehit.” (I really like this guy.)
Eunhyu smiled gently and tickled Ber’s small head with his index finger.
Ber half-closed his eyes, savoring the touch.
‘Having too many good connections is a problem,’ Roy thought.
This mission felt heavier than before. If he’d been teamed with someone like Lee Cheolhun, he’d only focus on knocking out the opponent.
The thought of pushing aside the kindhearted Eunhyu made his heart heavy.
***
“They’re seriously too cute…”
“Beep.” (I’m not crazy about being called cute.)
Ber, wearing custom sunglasses and a butterfly bow tie, shrugged his shoulders.
Eunhyu, with dazed eyes, carefully examined the stylish spirits.
‘Still can’t get used to this.’
Everyone said how cute they looked, but Roy’s brows twitched at the unfamiliar sight—Ber, Aqua, Ris, and Solum.
All of them wore oversized sunglasses that covered half their faces and butterfly bow ties matching their body colors.
Aqua’s hair had somehow been styled into two waves, flowing in midair.
“Porrrr…” (To think I’d be on stage…)
‘Do spirits get influenced by their summoner?’
In fact, Roy was often surprised that he was somewhat stage-ready every time he performed.
It was almost like his mother’s blood strongly influenced him.
Now, even the spirits watched the stage with sparkling eyes.
Perhaps due to their joint practice, Solum and Ris, initially indifferent, seemed strangely excited compared to usual.
“Standby, please!”
Finally, it was Roy and Choi Eunhyu’s turn.
Both wore glittery outfits—Roy in blue, Eunhyu in red.
Without fail, their faces sported sunglasses, and their necks boasted bow ties matching their suit jackets, boldly asserting their presence.
“Let’s make a stage we won’t regret.”
“Yes!”
Roy and Eunhyu lightly bumped their clenched fists together.
They had practiced so much they sometimes slept in the studio.
Perhaps this could be their last stage, so even heading back to the dorm felt like a waste of time.
‘Status window’
A+ and S.
Compared to when Roy first fell into this world, it was tremendous progress.
Moreover, his songwriting and composing ranks had risen through this mission.
Though the editing team assigned by the production crew helped, Roy gained knowledge and experience throughout the process.
They even occasionally gave him and Eunhyu mission-like homework.
“Kyaaaah! Roy!”
“Eunhyu! Noona’s here!”
As the two and the spirits stepped onto the stage, fans’ screams pierced the air despite the lights not yet turning on.
It made sense; Roy and Eunhyu had both secured high ranks in the last Ranking Ceremony.
Eunhyu, especially, maintained a steady top spot since placing fourth in the first ceremony, so it was natural for them to have many fans.
“Ber-yaaaah!”
Among the cheers, the spirits were also called out loudly.
Since Roy’s first summoned spirit was Ber, he had the most popularity. Behind his sunglasses, Aqua’s round eyes sharpened.
“Aaah—”
Roy’s humming started the stage. Bright lights poured down from the ceiling onto the stage.
“Uuum—”
Eunhyu’s voice joined Roy’s, their harmonies building into a beautiful melody.
Then, flashy sounds reminiscent of the ’90s burst forth.
Clack, clack, clack, clack—
As Roy and Eunhyu raised their arms diagonally and bent their knees, the spirits moved in perfect sync.
Turning their heads sideways and placing their hands on their waists.
Since Ris’s body structure made standing like a human impossible, he borrowed the wind’s power.
Behind his sunglasses, Solum’s eyes shook uncontrollably.
‘I’ll have to live a long life and see what happens.’
Though he had lived countless years, he never expected to stand on a stage filled with wildly cheering humans.
If he were human, his face would have turned red, but Solum’s body obediently performed the practiced moves flawlessly.
The tempo was fast, and the powerful sound filled the stage.
Roy and Eunhyu’s voices were rich enough not to be drowned out by the booming music.
“White snow falls thickly—”
“In the alleyways—”
“Melting even the coldest snow—”
“My face was wet with heat.”
The rap parts were exchanged between the two in a throwaway style, possible because the rap speed wasn’t too fast.
“They’re seriously too cute…!”
One fan clasped her cheeks and stomped her feet in excitement.
It wasn’t just the harmony of Roy and Eunhyu’s faces but the spirits moving in perfect unison that was insanely cute.
“I’ve never heard this song before, but it’s so exciting.”
“I know this one. It’s way more sophisticated than the original.”
Since it was a ’90s track, the style differed from modern trends.
The repetition of notes that could have seemed monotonous was transformed by the duo inserting modern sounds throughout.
“But Roy’s singing skill has really improved… isn’t it better than the last stage?”
“At this point, I wonder if he was hiding his true skill at first.”
As the song neared its end, the murmurs among the spectators quieted down.
“What is that…?”
“Amazing…”
It was because of the spirits’ dazzling tricks on stage.
Like fireworks bursting, Ber and Aqua created flames and ice crystals that shimmered brilliantly under the lights.
Thanks to Ris adding the wind’s power, the tiny shattered ice crystals gently floated down over the audience like snow.
The backdrop was a scene of heavy snowfall in midwinter, as if they had stepped into a moment from the song itself.
“The moment I say goodbye to you.”
As the song reached its climax, earth rose beneath Roy, lifting him like a pedestal that extended to the front of the stage.
Seeing Roy up close, the crowd raised their hands and went wild.
“My heart is freezing cold—”
Earth also rose beneath Eunhyu, swiftly bringing him before the audience.
The sunglasses had been thrown off early in the performance.
Eunhyu’s sparkling makeup framed his eyes, which curved into a gentle smile.
Listening to the cheers of his supporters and reaching out his hand, there was no trace of fear of elimination on his face.
Only the passion for this moment on stage filled the air around him.
“I’ll remember you in my heart forever.”
Roy gripped the microphone and drew power from his vocal cords.
His emotional voice soared effortlessly.