GIJS

Chapter 152 Fireworks

Inspiration always starts from places one would never imagine and branches out.

For this reason, Ji Hyun-su, the producer of 7IN, always listened to the scholar's words.

Although the scholar lacked compositional skills, he always served as the starting point for inspiration.

A scholar who would interpret 'Yeah' as 'etiquette,' 'Fxxk you' as 'regulations,' and 'telephone' as 'transmitters' could hardly hear 'Damn' correctly.

Why were they crying out "Great Flame" (大炎), "Great Flame"?

The Guardians used the slang term "Damn," but it was not read as "dam" in the literal sense. If recorded as heard, it was closer to a two-syllable pronunciation.

The moment the habitual slang, used without meaning, was reinterpreted, a flame ignited in the minds of the 7IN members.

The emotion that binds the slaves together was always anger. Even the scholar, who had lived his life as an aristocrat, knew this.

If the preliminary performance's concept was 'Throne in the Snowstorm,' this time it was fire—literally, Great Flame. The rage that resides in the hearts of the slaves.

It was also a concept perfectly suited to the sound the Guardians could express. Nothing could better convey the erupting anger than a powerful rock sound.

The ice-breaking performance that opened the stage, the flaming Great Flame banner that vanished in flames, and the ensuing intense band music.

Just like the flaming ball that burned the banner, the fans in the audience were instantly heated. Although they couldn't dance well, the Guardians were confident in making the audience stand up.

Ziiiiiiiing——.

The intense electric guitar loop, the drumming that shook the whole body, and the voice of Chad, the main vocalist of the Guardians, merged into one fiery ball.

Damn!

We got no respect.

Gonna shut your Fxxkin mouth,

with a Zip-zap-.

The 7IN fans, already standing and jumping, continued to search desperately for the boys on stage with their eyes.

They understood that the performance was based on band music. However, for the fans, 7IN's share was as important as, if not more important than, the fantastic music.

The first to catch their eye were the large figures of Inhyuk and Taewoong. Inhyuk, who had captivated with his sculpted muscles from the start, and Taewoong, dressed similarly, were beating large drums on either side of the drummer.

Kuuuw, Kuuuuuuuw—.

With the intense kick drum sound accompanied by the large drum, the entire filming set seemed to shake as if it were experiencing an earthquake. Every time the two struck the drum, their arms and abs split with the falling lights.

Imma Imma Revolution

By my ill slave,

Behold this anger,

Through the big Damn-.

Every time the word 'Great Flame' came out of Chad's mouth, flames erupted from the stage floor. As the flames subsided, the scholar, handling the geomungo like a bass, was revealed.

Dung, Dadang, Duwoong—.

Usually handled gracefully like a scholar, the geomungo was played with more intensity and speed today. The sound of the geomungo, altered through the effectors, perfectly blended with the sound of a rock band's bass guitar.

Great Flame, now impossible to extinguish.

Choosing only the bad, incinerating it all.

Although Chad's vocals were in English, they were followed by Korean lyrics once the hook was over. The harmony between the main vocalist Hyun-jae and the scholar of 7IN.

The uproar of the enraged slaves.

This is already a great upheaval, not just a commotion.

In contrast to Chad's destructive vocals that seemed to scrape the vocal cords, the combination of Hyun-jae and the scholar, filled with Eastern charm, offered a unique auditory pleasure.

The stage, combined with numerous instruments and voices, had Hyun-su in front of the controller expertly managing the sound sources, blending them into one.

At the same time, with one hand touching the pad, he continually inserted sound effects fitting the stage concept of 'Great Flame.'

As a result, the temperature in the audience rose rapidly. While the previous three stages had been performances showcasing their idol personas, the slave-class stage was, in essence, a bundle of pure energy.

Waaaaaah—.

A roar of applause with a completely different texture than the previous stage erupted. The audience, jumping up from their seats, created a wave-like motion in the stands as if a tidal wave had occurred.

However, the flames showed no sign of extinguishing. Just like a small spark growing larger, the Great Flame of the slaves blazed red, threatening to engulf the entire venue.

"Kyaaaaaa—!!"

In just one minute, the voices of the fans in the stands had become hoarse. Despite having seen various 7IN performances, there had never been a stage as primal and intense as this.

The stage costumes, based on orange jumpsuits with Scotch-like detailed textures, resembled firefighters fighting against fire.

Yet, at the same time, the torn details and the name tags on their chests evoked images of prisoners in jail.

Both concepts were not incorrect. The members' faces were smudged with soot, and large silver bracelets and anklets reminiscent of shackles were visible on their wrists and ankles.

It was true that there had been concerns about the collaboration stage. The necessity to collaborate with a band was something that could only be understood upon arriving at the scene.

Seeing the quality and scale of the previous three stages, it was overwhelming.

Yet, briefly, as they watched the 7IN members perfectly blend with the band music, the fans felt their chests swell with pride once again.

"Our boys are the best—!!"

"scholarrr—."

The fans' cheers became the great flame's kindling. Feeling that energy, the members on stage burned with an unquenchable fire.

The rising flames seemed about to reach the ceiling. Perhaps due to the heightened body temperature, the evaporated sweat seemed to wrap around the members like an aura.

Imma Imma Revolution

By my ill slave,

Behold this anger,

Through the big Damn—!!

Reaching the climax and into the chorus of the second verse, the song gradually subsided, leaving only the sounds of drums and the large drum.

Kuuuw, Kuuuuuw—.

The geomungo's sound, which had been wrapped in the rhythm, flowed faintly. This time, without the effectors, the pure geomungo sound was more sorrowful and poignant.

There must be other emotions besides anger in a slave's heart. As if expressing that sorrow, Yu-chan and Si-woo appeared dressed in slave attire.

Daang, Daan—.

The two members danced gracefully across the stage in tune with the geomungo melody. The atmosphere was in stark contrast to the earlier stage, but strangely, it did not feel like a disconnected performance.

Perhaps it was the sense of the slaves' hardships in their expressions and movements.

The spotlight falling on their faces accentuated the contours, making their emotions more pronounced.

As Hyun-su, sitting in front of the controller, added sound sources, the geomungo melody was accompanied by the sound of a bamboo flute. The intertwining melodies of the two traditional instruments heightened the sorrowfulness.

Yet, the poignant time did not last long.

After filling eight measures, the traditional music duo gradually faded away, leaving only percussion sounds on stage once more. Simultaneously, the seven 7IN members playing their instruments in various spots gathered at the center of the stage.

Swoosh—.

When Si-woo and Yu-chan threw off their slave clothes, a small scream erupted. But instead of being bare, they were dressed in orange jumpsuits. The same as the rest of the five members.

With all the members' outfits unified in one tone, the effectors for the bass guitar changed, and a new tone began to play.

Doo-woong, Doo-woong, Doo-woong—.

With funky bass as the center, rhythm instruments layered the sounds. The seven 7IN members flew freely and lightly on top of it. The sight of the boys in orange jumpsuits looked like a single flaming ball undulating as one.

Doo-dung, Doo-woong, Ziiiiiiing—!!

With the crisp bass sound topped with light electric guitar, the liveliness was amplified. The mournful feeling of the traditional instruments was now absent. Instead, the freed slaves smiled and showcased their dance moves with ease.

Although not as precisely coordinated as usual, this very lack of precision highlighted their freedom. The sight of the boys tossing their arms around and throwing their gaze everywhere, smiling brightly, elicited cheers from the fans.

Waaaaaaaa—!!

From anger to sorrow, and from sorrow to joy.

The mood of the stage changed according to the flow of the emotions of the slaves. Hence, despite the performance being composed of various elements, it felt unified.

Even the judges, who had been standing and moving around since earlier, nodded in interest.

"7IN is truly awesome—!!"

"Guardians' performance is really the best—!!"

However, some judges were not pleased.

These were the judges who had previously expressed disappointment about the role distribution.

The stage was certainly well-organized. However, strictly speaking, it was not a perfect stage. The Guardians members had only performed instrumentals from start to finish.

There was not a single second of performance outside of playing instruments. Could this be considered an idol stage?

Teibo's Pi Hou-kam had the same thoughts.

"Didn't the ones playing instruments just slack off without dancing?"

Of course, playing instruments was also an impressive skill and an essential part of music. However, he was a judge who had previously criticized AKIRA for their lack of dance parts. If this stage were judged by the same standards, it would be difficult to avoid deductions for that aspect.

Yet, as Pi Hou-kam smiled with a sense of accomplishment, the stage's composition began to change once more. As the choreography naturally concluded, the bass and electric guitar sounds subsided, leaving behind the grand percussion sounds that filled the space.

Kuuuw, Kuuuw, Kuuuuuuw—.

This time, the lighting dimmed. As the stage went dark with only the drum sounds remaining, everyone wondered if this was the end.

Kuuuuuuuuw—.

As red lights fell on the previously darkened stage, it came into view once more.

The stage was now filled with 7IN and Guardians members, along with more than ten backup dancers, all bowing their heads.

Kuuuuuuuuw—.

With another powerful drum sound, dozens of people simultaneously lifted their heads in perfect timing. Below their eyes, black face paint had dripped down to their chins.

"Hah—!!"

With Chad's booming lead, everyone shouted in unison, reverberating through the audience's eardrums.

At that moment, overwhelmed by the sheer force, the entire stage seemed ready to be engulfed by flames. The traditional Maori war dance, the 'Haka,' began, dominating the stage with its fiery intensity.