After finishing the theme song performance and the original songs performance, we changed into calming white-toned outfits and lined up on stage in a straight line. Now, it was time for the final performance of the program.
“The song for the last performance was composed and written by the leader and producer of PRISM, Cha Woon-ssi, who has helped us a lot with the competition song and even the arrangement training.”
“AAAAH!”
When Yang Hajun read the script, the audience let out a collective sigh at the mention of the
last performance
. It seemed to be because of the realization that this would truly be the last time
the trainees here
would sing a song together as
a trainee,
regardless of whether they debuted or not.
— Why are they planning to announce the rankings right after showing such an emotional performance? I’m tearing up … It’s not like we’re dumplings who can be dipped in hot and cold water alternately. I’m a human being.
— Save me
— Don’t go ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
— It feels like the program just started yesterday, but it’s already the final? This must be a lie.
— I’m not ready to let them go yet
— I’m currently lying flat on the floor, crying sideways
— My dog is whining. Because I’m crying. Sob, I’ll just hug its butt and cry
Not only the audience on site, but the chat window was also filled with tearful emoticons and the letters ‘ㅜ’ and ‘ㅠ’.
But even if people didn’t want to say goodbye, the moment of parting was bound to come, and we prepared this stage to bid them a proper farewell.
‘Even if you’re crying, the show must go on.’
After lightly laughing off people’s reactions, Yang Hajun continued in a soft tone.
“As someone who has closely watched the trainees’ growth, and as a groupmate of Trainer Jay, he created a song that perfectly suits the trainees. After this performance, the debut members and rankings announcement ceremony will follow. Now then, everyone, let’s enjoy the trainees’ last performance,
Sing for you
.”
With those words, Yang Hajun left the stage and the trainees walked onto the stage, and as we waited for the MR to start playing, some people called out to the trainees.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Danbi-ya, I love you!”
“Han Seungbeom! Thank you!”
They were the people in the audience.
As one person began shouting, two others joined in, and when two shouted, five more followed suit, repeating the process. Perhaps they too felt desperate, as this might be their last chance to see the trainees they were cheering for.
The trainees smiled and waved their hands to greet them back.
However, it didn’t last long, and as the overhead lights dimmed, preparations for the main performance began.
“…….”
As the stage lights turned on and the smoke effect spread across the stage, the audience quietly prepared to immerse themselves in the performance.
The entire stadium went completely silent, the screens lit up with a gentle accompaniment. Then, someone’s voice came from the giant screen behind the stage.
It was the voice of the trainees, immature yet sparkling with dreams.
[“Hello! I’m Do Yuda, a trainee from SU Entertainment!”]
[“I’m Han Seungbeom from SU Entertainment.”]
[“I’m Nicholas Lee from London.”]
Since I had checked it during rehearsal, I already had a general idea of what kind of video would be playing on the screen. It was the self-introduction video we filmed during the interview before the program started.
The audience couldn’t help but smile at the slightly clumsy appearances of the trainees.
[“I’m from Kitsch Entertainment, Lee Danbi.”]
In the video, there were trainees who were shorter and had higher-pitched voices than they do now.
[“Hello, I am Trainee Woo Kangwon.”]
There were also trainees who were anxious.
[“I am Baek Kiryang….”]
There were also trainees who were more timid than they were today.
[“I came from Japan. My name is Nagi Zen!”]
There were also a trainee who insisted on wearing somewhat unusual fashion.
Judging by the audience’s laughter, the video must have been showing Zen’s appearance before I styled him.
And then, the trainees’ best moments were shown one after the other.
[“Victory! Thank you!”]
[“For you, thank
you
.”]
[“…Was I an idol that you could be proud of today?”]
[“Lee Hwayoung! Lee Hwayoung! Lee Hwayoung!”]
[“First place, Trainee Han Seungbeom.”]
As I watched the clips documenting the trainees’ journey, it began to dawn on me that a long time had really passed in the blink of an eye.
‘Finally, this is the last time.’
Just as I was thinking that, the gentle instrumental intro came to an end and the main song’s opening began to play.
“When the sun sets and the moon rises
Sometimes I wonder if I’m in reality, or a dream
I can’t tell the difference.”
Since this was a ballad, the opening was left to Baek Kiryang, who had a delicate vocal technique. Cha Woon made this choice after having all the trainees sing all the parts and choosing the best one for each part.
‘……Well done. Baek Kiryang, Cha Woon.’
I could hear the audience gasp at Baek Kiryang’s steady singing. I nodded in approval, barely hiding my pride.
“Please forgive me if I keep looking back at the path we’ve walked
I think I’m missing you more than I thought I would
It wasn’t easy for me to admit that
It was truly painful for me”
Do Yuda’s part was next.
From their vocals that flowed together as naturally as water, it was clear how well Baek Kiryang and Do Yuda understood each other’s singing. While Do Yuda was singing, Baek Kiryang added harmonies to enrich the sound and sang the chorus.
“In a world without you, perhaps I
I might find it too unbearable
Am I the one who’s strange?
Do other people in this world not feel this way?”
It was Lee Hwayoung who naturally made his presence known in the atmosphere that was heightened by the vocals of Baek Kiryang and Do Yuda. It seemed impossible to hide his talent even in a ballad, and for a moment, all the attention from the audience was focused on him.
“I’m sorry, I’m not very good with words
I don’t know how to offer a kind word to you
I’ll send you this song as an excuse”
I was worried he might stand out too much on his own, but the sharpness left by Lee Hwayoung was balanced out again by Woo Kangwon’s soft and gentle voice. It occured to me that even this was an arrangement that Cha Woon had intentionally planned.
‘He was always complaining that the trainees were not good enough..…’
I realized that he had been paying close attention to every little detail, just as I suspected. At the same time, a sense of relief blossomed in me, knowing that that guy could become a great composer.
“This song will connect us
I’ll sing for you.”
After Woo Kangwon’s part, the trainees who followed were able to sing with a bit more ease. The trainees, whose faces had become quite familiar as time passed, took the microphone and sang together.
“I’m sorry, there are too many things I want to tell you
If I may simply say everything without order”
“I am doing well
and I’ll be doing well in the future
It’s all thanks to you
So, don’t worry.”
I listened to the trainees singing and looked for the creator of this song.
‘Where is he?’
I scanned the nearest audience and, after a while, I was able to spot him right away.
Cha Woon was looking up at the trainees singing the songs he composed from a corner of the celebrity seating area. As the soft melody, so different from the songs Prism often did and
needed
, echoed through the entire stadium, a faint light sparkled in his eyes.
I sang as I watched Cha Woon.
“I often think back on our memories
Just that alone is enough
For me to find the courage to live for tomorrow”
From the first time I received the lyrics, I was curious.
Were those lyrics the words you wanted me to hear?
Were they the words you had kept inside you for years, without being able to say them
?
Since he was someone who had never shown any interest in things like songwriting, I couldn’t help but have such doubts.
“This song will bring us together
This song is for you.”
“If we meet again, I’ll hug you tightly one more time
So that pain cannot seep between us (for you)
So that sadness cannot seep between us (for me)”
“
I’ll sing for you
For you and for us.
“
That guy’s gaze, moving along the stage lights, happened to fall on me.
And when our eyes met, Cha Woon gazed at me with a face that looked more at ease than any expression I had seen from him throughout this program.
“…….”
“…….”
The audience, the singer, and the song that connected them.
I knew better than anyone that there could be no happier sight than this for the person who created the song. I was very happy that Cha Woon felt this joy.
“Because there’s no ending for us
More than a farewell
Let’s greet each other with a promise of reunion
Promise for us
.
“
After the gentle accompaniment faded away and there was a moment of silence, I received a signal from the production team and took the microphone. It was to carry out the task entrusted to me as the first-place trainee from the last ranking announcement.
“All trainees.”
The audience had turned into a sea of tears, and the trainees, watching them, tried their best to hold back their tears. However, one by one, sobs began to mix with their singing voices as they held onto the microphones.
And among them, there were trainees who might never be able to stand on stage again, who might never be able to have this many fans in front of them.
“I’m so sad…….”
I placed my hand on the back of the trainee next to me, who was almost gasping for breath and crying softly. Then, I made eye contact with the trainees around me. With their faces soaked with tears, they nodded at my gaze and wiped their eyes with their sleeves.
Once I confirmed that they were ready, I opened my mouth again.
“We greet the fans who have supported us so far.”
At my words, the trainees bowed in unison, their heads almost touching the floor.
Then, as one, we shouted,
“Thank you for supporting us until now!”
“We will continue to work hard! Please watch over us!”
The applause and cheers from the audience filled the entire venue, and when the sounds began to subside, a pinlight descended above my head. It was for the solo unaccompanied part that had been reserved for me, the trainee who ranked first in the ranking announcement.
I fixed the microphone and started singing into the silence.
“Before longing engulfs us whole
Let’s meet each other again through this song.
“
And the moment Lee Hwayoung reached out toward the camera, the drum sound surged, scattering as if overflowing. As the accompaniment resumed, all the trainees, except for the three main vocalists, began singing the chorus together.
“
Woo woo for you
“
It was a build-up to the climax of the song.
“
I’ll sing for you
“
Just as my brief part ended, Lee Hwayoung locked eyes with me and sang softly, taking over the song. Then, as if swallowing up the chorus, the song’s intensity deepened, and the focus immediately shifted to the main vocalists.
“I will be waiting
“
“I will not miss it
“
“I will not forget
“
The distinctive vocal of Lee Hwayoung, the delicate and stable vocal of Baek Kiryang, and the most explosive high notes from Do Yuda. The representative vocalists of this program stacked harmonies one after the other and belted out high notes.
Lee Hwayoung and Baek Kiryang, who had started singing first, exhaled all their breath and gracefully left the song. At that moment, Do Yuda, who was continuing the melody on his own, raised the note even higher and belted out a note that went beyond the fifth octave.
Bang!
At the moment the song reached its climax, a burst of high-pressure nitrogen released a shower of colorful confetti, creating an air shot effect. The lights that had been focused on the stage began to shift toward the audience, and one by one, the tearful faces of the fans came into view.
“
Woo woo for you
Let’s meet each other again through this song.
“
When the song came to an end, we gazed upon those faces, then took each other’s hands and bowed our heads deeply.
“Thank you!”
With this, the last performance of the trainees had been completed.
And what awaited us was the final rankings announcement ceremony.
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Translator’s Corner:
I feel like a crazy person tearing up to a fictional song