Chapter 485: New year (1)

The eventful year was drawing to a close, and before they knew it, year-end season had arrived.

Now, if you wanted to find Spark on a cue sheet, you had to scroll well past the halfway point.

They'd been nominated for plenty of awards, too.

Still, Kim Iwol decided it would be shameless to expect any wins.

Half their promotional plans had been wiped out.

They should be grateful they had barely managed to squeeze in even one comeback and perform on year-end stages before the year ended.

If it hadn't been for that break...

The more he thought about it, the more resentful he felt.

Next year, no matter what, he would keep Spark's activity cycle from ever stopping and turn it into the greatest year in the group's history.

"Hyung, it's our turn for rehearsal."

"Already?"

Kang Giyeon called out to him.

His neatly slicked-back hair, not a single strand left loose, was particularly striking.

When Kim Iwol stepped into the hallway, Verion was emerging from the opposite side in a long line.

With epaulettes, chains, and buttons decorating their uniforms, the sight of so many members gathered together looked surprisingly intimidating.

"I saw them during fitting, but wow, we really stand out."

"That's Spark's fault. Do you know how hard the stylists worked choosing shoes so we wouldn't look like our heights were all over the place?"

Yeoseongchan leaned over and complained directly into Kim Iwol's ear.

"Verion has plenty of tall members too."

"What good does that do when President Moon looks like he's about to sink into the ground?"

"Be quiet..."

Moon Yeongyu muttered.

The fifteen uniformed idols somehow managed to make their way through the corridor and reach the rehearsal stage.

Even though everyone wore enormous name tags, Kim Iwol couldn't help feeling sorry for the camera directors.

After rehearsal, they took uniform selfies and group photos.

They would change into Spark's solo-stage outfits later that evening, making this their only chance to take pictures at leisure.

Meanwhile, Choi Jeho somehow managed to snap one of the decorative chains attached to his uniform after a single rehearsal.

Thankfully, the stylist simply remarked that it was fortunate it hadn't happened during the live broadcast and immediately fixed it.

"We're doing the countdown today too, right?"

Lee Cheonghyeon asked excitedly while staring at the cue sheet.

"Of course. That's basically the whole point of this event."

Personally, Kim Iwol didn't think it was a particularly healthy tradition.

Making people work past midnight was still overtime.

Sure, idols and MCs spent long hours waiting, but could it really be longer than the audience?

And what about the staff who arrived before everyone else and left after everyone else?

People tolerated it because it happened only once a year.

Otherwise, he'd have gone on a rant during a livestream or BubblePop about how the entertainment industry needed a wake-up call, gotten blacklisted, and been permanently exiled from the business.

"Did you want to do the countdown that badly?"

Suppressing his rebellious spirit, he asked.

Counting down a few seconds wasn't difficult.

If Lee Cheonghyeon wanted, Kim Iwol could sit him in the middle of the dorm's living room and count down every birthday, Christmas, anniversary, and special occasion imaginable.

"We've always just watched it from the dorm."

Lee Cheonghyeon answered.

"This is the first time, isn't it? All of us staying until the very end together."

"It means there aren't any cute little maknaes anymore—only mature, stylish adult maknaes."

"Isn't that the perfect growth narrative?"

"That phrase only means something when the fans are the ones saying it."

"Then forget that."

"Isn't this... revolutionary growth?!"

Lee Cheonghyeon's eyes sparkled.

No cute little adverb like twinkling could adequately describe the intensity of that shine.

"You're right."

"It's incredible growth."

"Feels pretty meaningful."

"In what way?"

"In the sense that Sparklers won't have to wait for our ride home twice."

"That is a very important point."

He agreed almost automatically.

Even so, he spent the entire time trailing after Kim Iwol and talking excitedly about the event.

"I heard last year you told Seongbin Hyung and Juu Hyung not to get distracted by the fireworks and to look toward the fan section instead. The pictures came out amazing."

"Should Giyeon and I look at the fan section too? Can we at least watch the fireworks for a second?"

Without turning his head, Kang Giyeon was obviously listening to every word.

"You can just search Yeouido Fireworks Festival on MeTube."

"It's available in HD."

From the sofa, Choi Jeho kindly offered advice while completely misunderstanding the speaker's emotional needs.

Lee Cheonghyeon bounced around insisting that seeing fireworks in person was different.

Then he looked at Choi Jeho's face and immediately realized the man genuinely did not understand.

His will to argue vanished.

"Look."

"Huh?"

"Look at them."

"You and Giyeon both look good with your chins tilted upward."

"If you're looking at the sky, the photos will come out well."

Maybe the photographers would even capture colorful fireworks reflected in their eyes.

When they all traveled together, Kim Iwol hadn't been able to take pictures like that for them.

Lee Cheonghyeon and Kang Giyeon had that much visual potential.

So he gladly gave them permission to enjoy the fireworks.

"You're weirdly generous about the strangest things!"

Lee Cheonghyeon jabbed him in the side before running off to share the good news with Kang Giyeon.

Even from behind, the two looked delighted.

Getting this excited over fireworks and talking about growth.

They still had a long way to go.

≫ Verion and Spark absolutely destroyed that stage.

Have they gone insane with the group uniforms?

└ That was the best possible performance a large-member group could deliver...

└ How do I even describe it...? Majestic...? lolㅠㅠ My vocabulary is failing me, but it was somehow both incredibly glamorous and incredibly disciplined.

└ Both groups are always doing weird things whenever they get the chance, so I expected something funny.

But they came out way more serious than I expected.

≫ Since ancient times, uniforms have never failed.

Apparently there's a difference between not failing and being a massive success.

The visual blessing is unreal.

No matter who appears on screen, they're handsome.

└ Spark, please do a full-group uniform concept comeback just once...

If I write this here, Iwol will probably make them wear 57,293,861 uniforms.

└ Our Jeho really became an emperor...

Please, Iwol.

└ Uniform enthusiasts are losing their minds all over the timeline lol.

└ Forget the timeline. Just look here. Everyone's already losing it.

≫ Now I finally understand why older fans liked "manly" boy groups.

I was foolish...

Spark...

Thank you for putting our boys in uniforms...

└ A million Cherries are crying over these uniforms.

└ The older sisters who followed the Blider → Spark bloodline are the real veterans. Their taste never misses.

≫ Part 1's Strawberry Park stage is best viewed from aerial shots.

(Photo)

(Photo)

The formation changes were incredible and the staging was unique, but it apparently wasn't visible from the front, so they used overhead cameras.

(Photo)

And finally, everyone's personal favorite:

The terrifyingly synchronized fifteen-member dance formation.

└ The camera work was actually good lol. What miracle is this?

└ Wait. Is it called Strawberry Park because it's Verion + Spark?

└└ OHHHH lol.

└ The precision is terrifying.

≫ Who doesn't love the combination of slicked-back hair + uniforms + combat boots?

Because I certainly do.

Please sell a DVD.

└ I'm literally waiting for the stage video to uploadㅠㅠ

Please hurry.

└ Exactly. I still can't believe this stage doesn't have individual fancams.

The response was positive even though fans had only caught brief glimpses while the members were fixing their makeup in the waiting room.

They couldn't stay around to watch the stage footage upload because they still had to change outfits and head back out, but it was satisfying nonetheless.

The truly ruthless stage fans had been anticipating was reserved for Spark's own performance.

As a result, makeup took unusually long today.

The look was less costume-like than “Dreamer,” but heavier than “Alight.”

That balance was the key point of the solo stage.

"Do you think... this is okay?"

Kang Giyeon cautiously asked the room.

Seen through the mirror, his eye makeup was the boldest it had ever been.

The turtleneck and excessive accessories were intimidating enough.

The eyeshadow made direct eye contact feel dangerous.

"Among everyone I've seen this year, you're the scariest after Alight-era Iwol Hyung."

Lee Cheonghyeon said while patting Kang Giyeon's shoulder.

Kim Iwol had no idea why people kept acting like he'd been frightening.

Park Juu complained that his shoulders were cold and wrapped himself in a blanket.

It was the pizza blanket Kim Iwol had given Choi Jeho.

The stylists had dressed him in nothing but a vest and jacket over bare skin, leaving his neck and shoulders completely exposed.

Cruel for winter weather, perhaps.

But it suited Park Juu perfectly.

Ever since “Speaker” and In My Office OST, he had become the mysterious dreamlike rocker with an inexplicably captivating gaze.

As for Choi Jeho, who had generously lent the blanket to his younger member...

"Hyung, do you want the blanket back...?"

...his exposed back ended up earning even more sympathy from Park Juu.

Learning from the previous incident where Choi Jeho's outfit nearly caused public panic due to overworked buttons, the stylists had chosen a different approach this time.

Instead of fastening the front, they had opened the back of the jacket in the shape of a playing-card diamond.

A narrow harness covered as little area as possible, allowing him to fully display the back muscles that had clearly been built through diligent effort.

"It's fine."

"I'm not [N O V E L I G H T] cold."

Choi Jeho declined.

Park Juu still seemed concerned.

Eventually, he sat beside him, unfolded the blanket, and draped it over both of them.

At last it was time to put on the chest guard prop.

The straps rattled loosely.

Everyone seemed busy, so Kim Iwol tried adjusting it himself.

Then Jeong Seongbin approached.

"How should I help, Hyung?"

"Can you tighten the waist section a little?"

"I left it loose, and it keeps rattling."

"I think the noise might get picked up through my in-ear monitor."

At his request, Jeong Seongbin carefully adjusted the knots.

He even slipped a finger underneath afterward to make sure it wasn't pressing too tightly against Kim Iwol's body.

"How about you?"

"Does the choker bother you?"

"Maybe because I wear them often now, but I've gotten used to it."

Jeong Seongbin smiled sheepishly.

The same person who once complained that chokers made high notes feel suffocating had now become a professional idol capable of pulling off elaborate layered designs with chains attached.

"Did everyone get their hand warmers?"

"Once Part Two starts, we won't be able to come back to the waiting room."

"We'll be outside the whole time."

"I prepared them before we leave."

"And I brought blankets too, just in case."

"You can't bring the pizza blanket."

"Why not?"

"It's a good blanket."

Choi Jeho immediately joined the conversation from halfway across the room, somehow having overheard everything.

"It doesn't match the outfits."

"And plaid does?"

"Less ugly than a pepperoni pizza."

"Then why did you buy me an ugly blanket in the first place?"

For once, the guy actually fought back without yielding a single inch.

Kim Iwol almost demanded to know whether he'd never seen one of those useless-gift competition videos.

But he stopped himself.

Who could he blame?

The real culprit was the warm, cozy pizza blanket that had completely captured its owner's heart.

Part Two's opening time was approaching.

After arguing endlessly about blankets, the members ultimately decided to maintain their style even in the artists' seating area and brought only small hand warmers.

At this rate, once the festival ended, there would probably be another post saying:

"Spark's dedication is legendary. Their outfits are practically falling apart, but they still refused to wear a single blanket."