Chapter 136:
Chapter 136
Diamond.
Awi stood behind Lim Tae-woo, leaning on the audience seats. The audience members, who were sitting at a distance, cheered loudly.
Ian glanced at the audience seats and saw a few blue dots shining. They were the marks of the people he had met somewhere, either on Awi’s music shows or concerts.
‘Our fans are here too… I heard the competition was fierce.’
As the daily confirmed cases gradually decreased, the broadcasting station started to accept more audience members. However, they still had to keep their distance, so the number of audience seats was very low.
‘Turning Back Time’ was a song with lyrics that playfully regretted the past time, and it was a cheerful and upbeat song from beginning to end.
“Did you arrange it yourself?”
“I like it already.”
The panelists murmured at the introduction of the sorrowful piano sound arranged by Lee Ju-hyuk.
Lim Tae-woo picked up the microphone and sang the first verse. The Awi members who were standing behind him turned around one by one and looked at the audience seats.
“I miss the passing time
But I can’t turn it back”
Following Lim Tae-woo, Lee Ju-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk’s singing rap and Park Seo-dam and Jo Tae-woong winked at the camera with their backs to each other.
After Ian and Lim Tae-woo’s duet verse, the music gradually intensified and then stopped abruptly. The laser lights illuminated the stage, and it was time for a dance break. Lim Tae-woo also showed off the choreography he had practiced with Awi.
“Wow!”
“They look like one group!”
Lim Tae-woo had learned some dance skills during his Diamond days, so he followed along without being awkward.
The panelists opened their mouths. As the dance break was about to end, elderly dancers, including Park Seo-dam’s grandmother, came up on stage one by one and danced merrily.
“What? What is this?”
“Are they dancers?”
Lim Tae-woo gestured to the panelists.
“Come on! Let’s dance together!”
“Let’s go too!”
The panelists quickly went up on stage and joined the exciting dance party. Lim Tae-woo sang in a rustic way, and Ian added some ad-libs. This stage broke the highest ratings in an instant.
The man of trot Lim Tae-woo, ‘Turning Back Time’ stage with Awi, breaking the highest ratings
‘Trot for You’ Trot singers and idols, and a special combination of dancers “A hot topic”
After his first stage with Lim Tae-woo ended successfully, the first recording was over. Park Seo-dam ran to his grandmother who was waiting in the waiting room.
“Grandma!”
“My grandchildren are here?”
As Park Seo-dam hugged his grandmother tightly, the elderly dancers quickly approached Lim Tae-woo.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Oh, we’re more thankful.”
Lim Tae-woo greeted them with a bright smile. Park Seo-dam’s grandmother, Cheon Ok-ja, patted her grandson’s shoulder, but her eyes were on Lim Tae-woo who was following them.
“Grandma, please greet us too. How was the stage earlier?”
“Grandma likes Tae-woo hyung more than us, right? You like us more, right?”
Jo Tae-woong and Ian stood on both sides of Cheon Ok-ja and begged for attention. Park Seo-dam had arranged a house for his grandmother and siblings near the dormitory, so Cheon Ok-ja sometimes invited Awi members to her house for a meal.
“What are you talking about? Our puppies are good too.”
“So you like us more than Tae-woo hyung, right?”
So except for Park Seo-dam, the other members were already like Cheon Ok-ja’s grandchildren. Park Jin-hyuk made an expectant expression, but Cheon Ok-ja gave a different answer than he expected.
“What are you talking about? Of course… our Prince Lim is better.”
Cheon Ok-ja slipped out of Awi members’ side and headed to Lim Tae-woo’s side. Lim Tae-woo greeted her with a bright smile.
“Are you Seo-dam’s grandmother?”
“Oh my, how did you recognize me?”
“You look like Seo-dam, so handsome.”
“I’m a big fan of yours.”
Cheon Ok-ja smiled sheepishly and took a selfie with Lim Tae-woo.
‘Prince Lim… Isn’t he ashamed?’
Ian turned his eyes away with a gloomy look at his old colleague’s business who was doing fan service with ease despite the embarrassing nickname.
The Awi members who were left alone smiled bitterly. Lee Ju-hyuk tapped Park Seo-dam’s back.
“Seo-dam, you lost to Tae-woo hyung.”
“That’s too bad.”
I’m his grandson! Park Seo-dam drooped his shoulders.
***
After the first stage was broadcast, Awi’s name also rose on the real-time search. It was the first time in a long time that the group name went up alone.
The real-time search was easier to go up when the usual search volume was low, and harder to go up in the opposite case. It meant that Awi’s search volume was higher than the previous search volume.
As time passed, the last broadcast recording of ‘Trot for You’ took place.
“I’m nervous.”
“I don’t know how they’ll react. It’s not a trot song.”
“Taewoo hyung’s fans will love it, right? They seem like idol fandoms, no difference.”
Today was the day of the new song showcase for the trot singers. It was the first stage of ‘Diamond’, arranged by Juhyuk after much deliberation.
“Hello!”
The members of Awi entered the waiting room with a cheerful greeting. The busy staff welcomed them warmly.
“Taewoo hyung.”
“Huh? Oh… you’re here?”
Lim Taewoo, who was standing blankly, was startled. Juhyuk sat next to him.
“Are you nervous?”
“A bit? It’s weird… I don’t usually get nervous.”
Lim Taewoo licked his dry lips.
What did he think while holding on to a song that he couldn’t use or discard? Juhyuk couldn’t guess Lim Taewoo’s inner thoughts.
“We didn’t end well, after all. I keep thinking that I want to do this song with the old members, if possible.”
“Really?”
He wanted to sing with the people from back then, at least with Kim Yongmin. That’s why he felt more regretful that they had no interest in the entertainment industry.
“Except for a few who trolled us… Ah, I don’t mean that it’s bad to do it with you guys.”
“I know.”
Juhyuk laughed. Lim Taewoo had played games with Awi members a few times and absorbed the language of the younger generation like a sponge.
“It’s strange, when I think about it, there aren’t many good memories, but I still want to have a proper farewell sometimes.”
“I don’t know yet.”
“You’ll know when the time comes. Or maybe it’s better not to know.”
Lim Taewoo shook his head. Telling the kids that they would find out about disbandment soon was not advice but a curse.
“…I don’t think about the end. I can’t even imagine it.”
He didn’t know what the others thought, but at least Juhyuk was confident that his group would somehow last forever.
“Let’s go record now.”
“Okay.”
Lim Taewoo patted Juhyuk’s back.
He felt that Awi’s teamwork was better than other groups while working on ‘Diamond’ with them. Lim Taewoo also had a feeling that Awi would last long without disbanding.
‘If only we had met a good agency back then…’
There was no point in regretting it now. He had started his second life as a trot singer, so he thought it wouldn’t be good to cling to the past.
***
After the new song stages of other trot singers were over, it was finally Lim Taewoo’s turn.
“Can you tell us a little bit about your new song?”
“Well… I brought out some nostalgia from the past.”
“Nostalgia… I’m looking forward to it. Well, then, here is the new song stage of Lim Taewoo, the trot star. Let’s watch it together!”
The stage went dark and Lim Taewoo let out a deep breath and clasped his hands around the microphone. The lights on the stage turned on and Lim Taewoo smiled brightly and sang the first verse.
“It sounds like a dance song?”
“It reminds me of Kim Jayeon teacher’s ‘Que Sera Sera’.”
“Yeah.”
The trot singers who had performed before had prepared calm and resonant songs for the autumn season.
“Guys, let’s go.”
When the time came, Juhyuk jumped up and led the members.
The Awi members who were sitting on the panel grabbed the microphones hidden under their chairs and stormed onto the stage.
“What? What is this?”
“Oh, they must be featuring!”
The staff who had rehearsed knew already, but the panel didn’t. The panel opened their mouths in surprise and watched Lim Taewoo and Awi’s stage.
“You are a shining jewel
Shining Shining Shining”
The repeated lyrics in the chorus gave the song an addictive quality and the panel and audience waved their hands above their heads and cheered. The point choreography that was completed by Lim Taewoo’s suggestion was easy enough for anyone to follow.
‘It’s fun.’
Lim Taewoo glanced at Awi members who were doing the same choreography on his sides. The desire to do it with Diamond members from before disappeared and relief filled its place.
‘This is goodbye.’
Lim Taewoo’s digital single ‘Diamond’ was never going to be performed again after this stage.
They had made this song while staying up all night in a cramped dormitory. It was a special song for him, his first composition in his life.
‘I never thought I’d perform this song…’
Ian, who was doing the point choreography next to Lim Taewoo, couldn’t hide his strange feeling.
‘It feels weird.”
He already knew that his identity was not Kim Yong-min, but Choi Ian.
But maybe it was because his past memories lingered like afterimages, he couldn’t help feeling some emotions welling up inside him.
‘I’m glad they didn’t bury it.’
Anyway, there would be a day when his hardships back then would pay off. When the song ended and he struck the ending pose, Ian stared at the camera. A relieved smile hung on his lips.
***
Lim Tae-woo, who came backstage for a moment to fix his ruined hair and makeup, spread his arms toward the members. The members who hugged Lim Tae-woo stood together shoulder to shoulder.
“Today’s stage was awesome, guys.”
“We were awesome too, hyung.”
“Guys, thank you so much.”
Lim Tae-woo patted the backs of Ian and Lee Joo-hyuk who were next to him.
“I’m glad I’m with you guys.”
‘Me too.’ Ian just smiled without saying that.
‘To You Who Love Trot’ Lim Tae-woo’s new song ‘Diamond’ released, AWY fires a shot of support.
Lim Tae-woo’s new song, ‘Diamond’ is “a self-composed song he worked on during his idol days”
Former Diamond Min-joon, ‘To You Who Love Trot’ SNS reaction… “A song with our memories… I’m happy to hear it again”
└Shut up and go away ??
└Go take care of your kid at home
└Fall for our Tae-woo~~~~
└This guy always tries to butt in
***
“There were a lot of great hook songs back then.”
“Should we make a hook song for our next one?”
“That would be fun.”
The car that carried AWY left the broadcasting station and headed to the dorm.
“Hey, Joo-young, how are you?”
“Huh? Uh…”
While the other members were chatting excitedly, Kim Joo-young only looked out the window quietly. The members who knew that Kim Joo-young’s condition was not good lately deliberately talked to him.
“You know…”
Kim Joo-young turned his head and looked at Ian who was sitting next to him.
“What do you think about making a personal YouTube channel?”
“What?”
The members who were holding their breath and listening to what Kim Joo-young would say were surprised and asked back. Lee Joo-hyuk and Park Jin-hyuk who were sitting in the front seat quickly turned around.
“A personal channel?”
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