Chapter 207. Kairos (6)
While preparing for the stage and getting the setup ready.
Standing in the center with a handheld microphone in his hand, Lee Doha suddenly recalled the reason why this song came to be.
Back in time,
On the night when Doha himself had received sharp advice from Seo Taeil and then suggested to Yugeon that they practice together.
– “Ah, you’re here?”
– “Yeah. Yugeon came with me.”
– “Ah, great. You’ve worked hard.”
His roommate Hajin, instead of lounging around on the bed as usual, was sitting in front of Doha’s desk, doing something on Doha’s laptop.
Doha had already given Hajin permission to use his laptop whenever he wasn’t around, so without much thought, he reached for his pajamas to change into. However, he suddenly stopped when he heard a song playing from the laptop.
The song Hajin played was the one Doha had been eliminated for during the blind test.
When Doha, wondering what this was, turned to look at Hajin, he was already looking at Doha with a calm expression, as if he was just deciding on a late-night snack.
– “Hey, Doha.”
– “Yeah?”
– “Let’s do this.”
– “Do what?”
– “Your song. Let’s put this on our debut album.”
With a short flashback, the timer sound in his in-ear monitor signaled that the song was about to start.
Beep, beep, beep―
As soon as the countdown ended, a low, heavy bass rhythmically set the tone, and a fast electronic beat surged in. The members, clad in uniforms, moved in unison to the grand intro that reverberated like a victory anthem.
Doha’s arms and legs moved to the music before his mind could catch up, a reflex honed from teaching Yugeon how to rap every night, while learning dance moves from Yugeon in return.
Still, the memories of that day continued in his mind.
– “…My song’s already been rejected.”
– “It was dropped from the title track selection, not because the song itself wasn’t good. Everyone said they liked it. It’s our debut album, we should have at least one track with a powerful beat like this. Let’s suggest it as a B-side.”
– “But… The song was criticized for not fitting with the members. If you’re saying this just to make me feel better, you don’t have to. I’m okay.”
– “What are you talking about? If I were thinking about you, we shouldn’t do this song. Are you ready to practice twice as hard, preparing for the debut track and the performance that fits this song?”
– ……
Raising his voice, One, Two, Three!
The song began with Siwoo’s high-pitched voice that tore through the venue.
During their time in the Special Class, Siwoo had adhered to a more classical and smooth singing style, but at some point, he began to use his voice more roughly and with a rock edge, as if he had removed his limit.
Doha only realized this after Hajin pointed it out.
– “My proposal is the same as it was during ‘New Wave.’”
– ……
– “Let’s revise the song. But this time, I’ll help you.”
– “…Are you saying you’ll be the guide vocalist?”
– “No. I’m saying let’s revise the song together, you and I.”
**Let’s Burn this town**
**Let’s start, our takeoff**
**Warning, Warning**
**This fluttering won’t disappear easily**
Hajin’s smooth, rhythmic baritone contrasted with Siwoo’s, and Eunchan’s low, husky voice intertwined as they took the front stage and executed powerful choreography.
As the two passed each other with a wave motion, Taehyun, with a languid expression, swept his hair back and walked down the center like he was on a runway.
**Don’t be scared**
**Take my hand**
**A new wave is unfolding**
**Just enjoy it**
Taehyun’s laid-back voice teased the audience, as if pulling them in and pushing them away at the same time.
While moving to his next position, Doha made eye contact with Hajin. Confirming the glance, Hajin drew a clean arc with his lips as he smiled.
– “We don’t need a ‘perfect’ song.”
– ……
– “Give us a song we can sing.”
**We could get it all!**
**We want it all**
**The world we dreamed of**
– “Show me what music you want to make with ‘us.’”
Although he was the main vocalist, Siwoo boldly took the center stage, gripping the handheld microphone as he hit the high notes in the chorus. Then, Haru’s clear and beautiful voice softened the atmosphere of the song.
**You know it too**
**The path we’ve walked**
**The first step on the journey we gladly took**
– “That’s what we need right now. And you’re the only one who can do it.”
Hajin’s song, which had become Doha’s conviction, filled the venue.
**We could take it all!**
**Until our breath runs out**
**We’ll soar**
**Let’s kick off!**
Doha tightened his grip on the microphone.
In front of his eyes, he saw fans cheering for them, sending lights of support.
At the moment when a light suddenly pierced his eyes and nearly caused him to lose his sense of direction, someone gently pressed against his back, guiding him smoothly to where he needed to go.
**Hahaha―, Hold on, hold on.**
It was Yugeon, who, along with Doha, had practiced the first verse over a thousand times.
Wearing a slightly unbuttoned Chinese collar shirt under a black cropped jacket, Yugeon continued the light, fast-paced rap as he had learned from Doha, while Taehyun and Eunchan supported the choreography on either side.
**It’s begun, our Death Match**
**Do or Die,**
**And feel this vibe**
**The weight of the steps I take, staking my life on it**
The lyrics Doha had written with Yugeon in mind spread to the world through Yugeon’s voice.
While Yugeon and the other two members dominated the stage, Doha, who had stepped aside for a moment to regroup, felt an indescribable feeling as he watched them.
Perhaps noticing Doha, Siwoo, who had been waiting intently with a sharp gaze, lightly tapped Doha’s back and nodded. Then, he mouthed the words softly.
**“The song’s good.”**
With those words, the members on either side jumped back onto the stage. Doha, too, joined them and grabbed the microphone.
It was now his turn.
**Our flight is beyond imagination**
**This is a symbol of success**
**A conception beyond that**
Doha thought back to the day he first dreamed of this path.
During Miro Maze, the comments and evaluations of those who sneered at the idea of him becoming an idol flashed before his eyes.
**You must have wished for my downfall**
**Wake up, it’s a delusion.**
**This is my impression of your fantasy,**
**Bring it on, Fight Sign**
Doha’s deep, heavy voice flowed rhythmically, as low as the bass sound. Meanwhile, Haru and Taehyun added harmonies and doubling with well-timed breaths, enhancing the live performance.
It was a setup designed to maximize their strengths—more stage experience and solid live performance skills compared to other rookie idols.
As he gestured, Doha moved through Hajin and Haru to reach his next position.
At that moment, a faint scene flowed into Doha’s mind—neither a memory nor an illusion.
**- “But why are you really selling all of this?”**
**- “I heard you’re barely active these days….”**
Although it was clearly a memory he didn’t recognize, the voice was strangely familiar.
As he looked at a stranger in a strange space, the unfamiliar self replied like this:
**- “…Doing music alone isn’t fun anymore.”**
Just as Doha felt as though he already knew that answer, the memory evaporated from his mind as quickly as if he had woken up from a dream.
**‘…What was that?’**
It felt like he had just been thinking about something, but what?
However, without time to dwell on it, Doha’s body instinctively prepared for the next movement to the beat.
Leaving behind only the impression that it was truly enjoyable to be able to perform on such a stage.
* * *
The fan showcase for Kairos was as packed and well-organized as a mini concert.
Starting with the track from their album, the members went on to perform the seven-member version of the title track from Miro Maze. During a brief interval, as the making-of video for their music video played, the members once again changed their outfits before returning to the stage.
“Yes, our members have changed their outfits once again. This time, it’s a denim-on-denim look, right?”
As he watched the members come out dressed in the outfits from the “fantasy” segment of the music video, Nam Daun expressed his admiration with a long, appreciative hum.
“This must be the charm of rookies. I never knew denim-on-denim could be such a fresh and cool concept.”
“Oh, thank you very much.”
“Thank you!”
“Our stylists often insist on making us wear denim jackets on bare skin, which can be quite challenging.”
“Oh dear.”
As Hajin added a playful comment, someone in the audience screamed a high-pitched sound of excitement. It seemed like their instinctive reaction to the exposure.
Unlike Taehyun, who was unfazed by such reactions, having seen similar responses often in Boy’s World, Eunchan and Haru,
who were witnessing this for the first time, looked at the audience in shock, their eyes wide.
Eunchan took the microphone, looking betrayed.
**“Do Destinies like that…?”**
**“Oh dear….”**
**“Hajin hyung, stop adding weird comments!”**
The Destinies, unable to say yes or no to the innocent eighteen-year-old, could only mumble in response. It wasn’t until Taehyun, sitting beside him, smacked Hajin’s arm, the culprit of this mess, that the situation calmed down.
The one responsible for this chaos, Nam Daun, waved his hand with a bright smile.
“I’ll give you a tip. You should designate a member to be in charge of things like that.”
“Things like…?”
“We have one. Yoon Jinu, the biggest guy but always the least covered. And of course, he’s so used to it that it doesn’t bother him at all. In fact, he seems to enjoy it these days.”
**“As long as it’s not me, right?”**
With a laugh, Nam Daun threw a bomb, causing all eyes to turn towards two members.
It was Yugeon, who already had a history of exposing his abs, and Doha, who had the most ‘desired’ image among the members.
Feeling the stares, Yugeon crossed his arms in an X shape to cover himself.
**“I’m a minor, you guys!”**
**“Hmmm, time will fix that.”**
**“We’re counting on you, Yugeon.”**
**“Thanks in advance, Lee Yugeon.”**
As Hajin, Siwoo, and Taehyun responded in turn, Yugeon looked at them with the same betrayed expression Eunchan had earlier. In contrast, Doha, who was also targeted, merely nodded as if it didn’t matter.
“Doha-ssi doesn’t seem to care much about exposure.”
“Ah… I often take my shirt off when working out.”
“Hmm. You and Jinu hyung are quite alike. You two will get along well. I’ll introduce you next time.”
Thinking it was enough, Nam Daun smoothly transitioned to the next topic.
As the showcase neared its end, various questions about the album and the members were discussed.
Among them was the fact that Doha, under the name Deon, had composed one of the songs.
“There’s a song in the album that was written and composed by a member?”
“Yes. The song we first performed, ‘Kick Off,’ was written and composed by our member, Doha. Seo Taeil sunbae also helped with the producing.”
“Oh, really? Then this ‘Deon’ is…?”
“…My rap name.”
“I see. Wow, the song is really great. It really captures the essence of Kairos.”
“…Thank you.”
Doha bowed his head slightly in thanks for the compliment.
Since the compliment came from a member of Utopia, the group that had once inspired Doha to dream of becoming an idol, his face, often compared to a stone Buddha, was slightly flushed.
Noticing Doha’s expression, Hajin chuckled quietly to himself.
Although he appeared stoic, his one and only friend of the same age was actually quite sensitive.
“Uh, but Doha-ssi.”
“Yes?”
And to the stone Buddha of Kairos, who was brimming with emotion, Nam Daun asked with a smile.
“What does Deon mean?”
**“Ugh, cough.”**
**“Oh dear….”**