GIJS

Chapter 49

Look at Yourself in the Mirror

On the day of the third round of the competition, Yeonji was sitting in the audience again.

She had managed to secure her spot in the audience once more despite the intense competition.

After watching the performance on stage three times, she had even made some friends. They all shared a common interest in Gunja, so friendships formed quickly.

What kind of amazing performance would he show this time?

Having seen performances like the sword dance, geomungo, gayageum, and pansori, she wondered if he might even play the janggu and spin the sangmo next.

Yeonji and the fans thought so, but Gunja's choice, true to his team name "Breakthrough," was bold and direct.

The moment she saw the two 'Scholar' characters engraved on his abdomen.

They had to cover their mouths with their hands to hide their rising smiles.

From the Tyrant Gunja and MC Gunja to now, Adult Gunja.

...Actually, it's even better.

To think he had such a beautiful appearance and such an intensely muscular body!

It was a tough stage for the high school student Yeonji. Her face, especially the capillaries on her nose, felt swollen, and she had to keep checking under her nose.

What if she ends up with a nosebleed?

But it was unnecessary worry.

The older girls next to her were gulping down their nosebleeds while screaming.

"I love you—!!"

"Gunja, I absolutely love you—!!"

"Ugh—."

Seeing this, Yeonji felt a bit more awake. It seemed like fan activities like this could be done even after becoming an adult.

When she regained her focus, she began to notice Gunja's performance.

The first thing that caught her eye was the display of flesh tones, but as the music started, she saw a dance with restrained movements. The live performance was impeccably clean.

Seeing the ever-changing public opinion, Yeonji was honestly a bit worried.

If it was another Eastern-style performance, it would be repetitive. Gunja was a one-trick pony with Eastern style. In the finals, he would likely be exposed as unable to handle sound or editing corrections. As Gunja's ranking went up, the public opinion turned harsher.

Every time this happened, Yeonji defended him and sometimes even engaged in keyboard battles, but her fundamental worries did not disappear.

What if things actually turned out as the anti-fans said?

However, Gunja seemed to be aware of the fans' worries and appeared on stage with a completely different look.

He discarded the tools that had brought him to the top and performed with a fundamentally impressive performance that everyone had to acknowledge.

It seemed as if he was speaking directly to Yeonji and the fans.

I know what you're feeling.

But there's nothing to worry about.

At first, it seemed like she might get a nosebleed, but now it seemed like she might cry. The tension she had felt melted away in an instant, replaced by relief and emotion.

The feeling that her top pick understood her feelings was a gift beyond anything else.

Looking around, the older girls who had been bleeding from their noses were now blending their tears into the nosebleed and drinking it.

"Gunjaaaaa—···."

"I'm dying, I'm dying—."

Being with such honest people, Yeonji was also able to raise her voice without feeling embarrassed.

"Yu Gunja, I love you—!!"

Gunja on stage seemed to receive that energy and looked thrilled.

He took the stage with an unfamiliar talent. Although worry was present at first, it became clear once the performance started.

Just how large of a support he had.

The fans cheered louder than ever. It seemed like they all liked the two 'Scholar' characters on Gunja's abdomen.

As the voices calling his name grew louder, his embarrassment disappeared. He could perform without hesitation.

The cheers that increased with each flutter of his clothing seemed like they would knock down the ceiling lights.

Wowww—···.

After finishing his part, the chorus began.

Now show me, the Suit & Tie just for you.

Even if it's a bit awkward, it's okay.

Look at yourself in the mirror—.

Starting from the frontman Yuchan , the choreography matched perfectly to the point of giving goosebumps.

The members performing on stage felt a shiver.

Thanks to the continuous practice, even in their dreams, the five of them seemed to feel each other's souls.

As the first verse chorus was ending.

Pael's face showed an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Even if there were a sudden sound failure and the stage ended here, he was ready to give a standing ovation.

Although it was only the first verse, there had never been a cover stage of "Suit Up" that was so clean and perfect.

However, as the second verse began, the five members changed their formation and prepared a new arrangement.

Even Pael, who was on the brink of euphoria, had to strain himself to straighten his back again.

"What, what's this? What's next?"

Centered around Hyun Si-woo, the five members formed a formation in the shape of a '十'. The members forming the wings were looking at each other instead of the audience.

In that mirror,

Today, look at yourself properly.

It's the same but not the same.

You know what you want—.

With the start of the second verse's first verse and the 'Mirror Mode' choreography.

Gunja faced Ki yu-chan, and Kwon Tae-woong faced Ji Hyun-su.

The two pairs of 'Mirror Groups' perfectly replicated each other's movements.

Adjusting cufflinks on their wrists, touching their ties around their necks, checking their suit lapels, and fixing their hair.

During the choreography that resembled putting on a suit, Pael experienced a kind of hallucination.

An illusion as if there was a real large mirror between the members performing 'Mirror Mode'.

Since the performance had minimized arrangements and stage devices, it was impossible for a mirror-like thing to suddenly appear.

However, the synchronization of the members in 'Mirror Mode' was so perfect that it induced such an illusion.

An extremely detailed and high-quality performance.

Ju Ha-sung's dance was also unparalleled in terms of completion, but it did not embody the lyrics. It was just a display of technique to match the beat.

But this 'Mirror Mode' perfectly conveyed the meaning of the lyrics.

It wasn't a mindless finishing move prepared for show-off or to win a battle. It was the result of deep thought on how to perfectly express the meaning of the song.

The formation that started in a '十' shape transitioned into an 'X' shape through smooth steps.

While it was ideal for lyric expression, the 'Mirror Mode' covered its relatively static nature beautifully through changes in movement.

This idea impressed not only Pael but also other guest judges.

Formal

Breaking away from the stereotype of being boring.

Believe in what you wish for.

Try wearing clothes you never wore before—.

This time, Ki yu-chan and Ji Hyun-su, who were wearing jackets, took them off and handed them to Gunja and Kwon Tae-woong.

Finally, the moment when 'the me outside the mirror' changes into a new outfit.

Pael had another expression of being so happy it seemed like he was going to go crazy.

Beyond expressing 'two selves', they even depicted the transformation process?

The performance of Team 'Breakthrough'' overflowed with respect for the original song "Suit Up."

It was a stage that was amazing just to watch, but Pael, the original artist, was at a loss for words at the extreme and generous treatment.

It felt like being treated to an omakase performance by juniors.

Meanwhile, the movement of putting on the jacket was perfectly executed like a blade.

As Gunja and Tae-woong fluttered their jackets, the hidden angry abs underneath the shirt were fully revealed.

Wowww—···.

Fans, who had been slightly disappointed thinking it was just about putting on clothes, once again erupted in cheers.

In the meantime, the song reached the second verse pre-chorus, and it was Gunja's turn to stand in the center.

Now show me your completely changed self.

Everything that made you new is just as you wished—.

As Gunja, fully dressed in shirt and jacket, stood in the center, the four members took out a measuring tape from their pockets and performed a choreography measuring Gunja's body dimensions.

"Wowhaha-."

"So cute—!!"

A drop of humor and playfulness in the clean performance following the royal road.

However, even that playfulness perfectly conveyed the meaning of the lyrics.

Even while joking, the live performance was unwavering.

After the pre-chorus part, which had briefly shifted the mood, the song surged into its climax.

Passing through the more powerful second verse chorus and the bridge.

The bridge started the 'Mirror Mode' again, but this time it wasn't two people facing each other in a mirror.

The five members turned their backs to each other and looked in all directions simultaneously.

Dancing with the same movements as if looking inside a kaleidoscope, they all fell forward at the same time.

"—!?"

An unprecedentedly shocking move that even surprised the judges.

However, the five members who had fallen immediately bounced back up as if propelled by core strength.

The movement of getting up was also exactly replicated as if copying and pasting each other.

The difficulty of the moves themselves was remarkable, but the incredible synchronization left even the guest judges, who were choreographers, in awe.

"...Wow, they matched it like that..."

"This isn't the quality of an idol audition, is it?"

After passing through the highlight moves with insane precision, Gunja stood at the center for the final chorus of the performance.

"Now show me, Suit & Tie just for you.

Even if it's a bit awkward, it's okay.

Look at yourself in the mirror."

As the 4-minute performance neared its end, no one showed any sign of fatigue. The movements were more powerful than ever, making the jacket and shirt flutter with every motion.

Wowww—...

The fans couldn't stop cheering either.

In essence, it was similar to 'Veloce's' "Suit Up" in terms of arrangement, composition, and performance.

But the level of completion was different. The harmony among the members was different.

Without overly complex staging or break sections, 'Breakthrough' generated the loudest applause.

The competitor, Ju Ha-sung, knew well that this applause wasn't simply due to the exposed abs.

The performance, which poured every ounce of effort into the final chorus's last lyrics, ended with Team 'Breakthrough' perfectly synchronizing their final move. They had already exhausted all their energy but gathered their last strength to face the one-shot camera.

"Pant, pant..."

It's not over just because the dancing and singing are done. Engaging with the fans is also part of the stage.

Despite looking like he might collapse any moment, Gunja didn't relax until he heard MC Jeong Hae-jin's voice.

"Team 'Breakthrough's' performance of 'Suit Up'! It was truly a chillingly precise and perfect stage—!!"

When Jeong Hae-jin's voice was finally heard, the members of 'Breakthrough' rushed to each other, hugging without concern for who was first.

"Hyung, hyungs, uhh..."

"Wow, this... wow, I'm really going crazy—"

"Haha, it feels amazing!"

"Ugh, Gunja—..."

It was clear that the others felt the same emotions as he did.

Gunja, who had managed to hold back tears again, found it difficult to do so when he saw the audience.

Everyone was reaching out, shouting the names of Gunja and the team.

"Yu Gunja! Yu Gunja!"

"'Breakthrough'! 'Breakthrough'!"

Wiping away tears with his bare clothes, Gunja bowed repeatedly towards them.

This was the stage he had prepared for the hardest among the three rounds.

Though he didn't have the strength to stand, the applause seemed to compensate for everything.

"Thank you—!!"

"Yu Gunja—."

But the thunderous applause and cheers didn't come only from the audience.

"Yu Gunja! Yu Gunja! 'Breakthrough'!"

Pael, seated in the guest judge's seat, had been clapping enthusiastically like a seal since earlier.

It seemed that he had a lot to say about the performance, holding the microphone tightly as if the judging order didn't matter.