Chapter 201 : It’s You
Chapter 201: It’s You
It was absurd for Do Seojun to suddenly appear in the peaceful waiting room.
A dumbfounded laugh escaped from me.
I frowned and grumbled.
“Ugh, why are you even here?”
To my complaint, Do Seojun responded confidently.
“I’m here to see the manager, about a casting issue.”
“…Stop pretending like you work in the entertainment industry every time.”
“I do work in the industry though.”
I couldn’t win even a single word against him.
In the end, I sat in a waiting room chair with my nape practically grabbed, eating a lunchbox.
It was a pretty high-quality lunchbox, probably ordered from a well-known company.
Cha Seongbin grinned slyly and shoved a spoonful of bulgogi stir-fry into his mouth.
“Whoa, hyung-nim. I’ll eat well!”
“Thank you!”
The rest of the members also flocked in like a wave.
Seo Ian grinned and kept giving a thumbs-up.
“Thank you… It’s delicious!”
Do Seojun smiled and leisurely accepted the greetings from the hyungs.
Then he suddenly turned and spoke to Cha Seongbin, who was busy devouring the bulgogi.
“Oh. I actually have something to say to you, Cha Seongbin.”
“Me? Huh?”
“The casting offer I just mentioned—it was actually for you, Cha Seongbin.”
So it wasn’t just an excuse; the casting really was serious.
Apparently, SBC was launching a new in-house YouTube show, and they were scouting Cha Seongbin as one of the fixed MCs.
Seo Haim widened her eyes and asked.
“Seongbin-hyung is doing variety shows?”
“Me…?”
It seemed like a good opportunity, and the company would probably give the green light.
Cha Seongbin looked quite surprised by the sudden fixed offer.
Do Seojun added in a calm voice.
“It’s produced by PD Kim Yeongeun. It’s a seasonal show, so it shouldn’t be too much of a burden.”
“Not bad.”
I nodded and added my comment.
If anyone in Stardust were to be picked for variety, it’d definitely be Cha Seongbin.
He had a natural knack for witty remarks and knew how to liven up the whole vibe.
“The detailed concept will be conveyed to the company directly. Well then, I’ll get going.”
Hyung patted my shoulder a couple of times and got up.
He just threw us the news of a fixed variety spot like a gift and left in a flash.
He said it was a fellow PD’s proposal, but Do Seojun’s influence must have played a role too.
Either way, I was grateful.
Seo Haim stood up in surprise and followed Do Seojun.
“Gasp, you’re leaving already?”
“Rehearsal is busy, right?”
“Ah… Ah! But you could’ve stayed a bit longer!”
Once again, our chick Haim looked after Do Seojun’s back with regretful eyes, but my stance was a little different.
I smiled and eagerly pushed him away.
“Go quickly.”
Please just go already.
.
.
.
After he left, what remained were the lunchboxes and Cha Seongbin’s variety offer….
And a heart that had calmed down far more than before.
I had been so tense, but he helped.
“Thanks to hyung coming in and stirring everything up, I don’t think I need caffeine today.”
“Does caffeine even help you in the first place?”
“For some reason, it gives me psychological comfort.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
I had been accepting Ha Junseo’s 6-shot americano like it was some kind of herbal medicine, but I felt like I wouldn’t need it today.
“Then I’ll drink it alone!”
Ha Junseo declared it a special occasion and downed his slightly diluted 5-shot americano.
Whether it was 5 shots or 6, it looked the same to me.
Anyway, it was a concert we’d spent nearly a full month preparing for, almost pulling all-nighters.
Between the comeback, festivals, and all the other things to worry about, we had practically worn our bodies to the bone….
Even so, we had to finish these two days perfectly.
Leader Kang Siwoo’s eyes gleamed with determination.
“Let’s go show them.”
Seo Haim nodded and responded loudly.
“Pour everything out there and come back!”
“I really think I can do well.”
As Jin Sehyun’s confident voice joined in, we all naturally gathered in the center without anyone prompting us.
Seo Ian smiled and held his hand out in the air.
Let’s do a high-five before we head in.
Kang Siwoo smiled warmly and placed his hand on top of Seo Ian’s.
Seven hands stacked one by one.
The moment our eyes met, our chant roared loud enough to shake the waiting room.
Kang Siwoo was the first to shout powerfully.
“Shine bright! Stardust fighting!”
“Fighting!!!”
Let’s go crush that concert.
Inside the darkened venue.
The Gymnastics Stadium, which seats around 15,000, was packed to the brim with Stardust’s fans.
It was completely sold out for two days in a row.
‘My babies are killing it….’
That’s how hard it had been to score a concert ticket.
As with any big concert, scalpers were running wild and ground seat premiums were skyrocketing.
If I emptied my bank account, I probably could’ve gotten a ground ticket, but I didn’t want to hand my money over to scalpers, so I passed.
“This seat’s better than I expected.”
Dusty Yoona steadied her breath and gazed straight ahead.
Her seat was in the center of the first floor, with a clear view of the digital billboard. Second row—it was better visibility than she had expected.
It had stung to miss the ground seats due to “first come, first served,” but at this distance, she figured she could still see them up close when they rode the trotco around.
In fact, putting all that aside…
“Ah, I’m so nervous.”
My heart swelled with emotion just from being able to share this space.
Her Deokchin nodded and raised her slogan banner.
“Hey, let’s take a picture.”
“Yeah, we have to. It’s their first solo concert—history in the making.”
When she started binge-watching Stardust Project a little late at her Deokchin’s recommendation, she hadn’t expected to get this emotionally invested.
Dusty Yoona chuckled softly, reminiscing about that time.
‘Hey, have you ever seen an idol imitate a cicada?’
‘Huh? What kind of nonsense is that?’
It was a video link of Do Seohan that her high school friend, now her Deokchin, had sent.
She had zero interest in idols before, but with just one click of that link, she had fallen hard.
She didn’t know stanning a trainee would be this painful.
‘Hey, but your pick will debut. Seo Ian is in the Danger Zone, it’s driving me crazy.’
‘That’s how people end up choosing a second bias and still miss debut!’
‘How does someone new to idol stanning already know that….’
Especially right before the Stardust Project finale, she’d been so anxious Seo Han wouldn’t debut that she even nagged her friends into voting.
Ironically, her Deokchin, who had introduced her to Staf, grumbled that if she’d known it’d be like this, she should’ve converted her with Seo Ian instead….
Still, seeing them debut side-by-side like this was wonderful.
They were now close enough to buy albums together and enjoy wholesome fangirling.
“Oh oh, it’s starting.”
At last, the concert was about to begin.
Her Deokchin squealed and pulled out binoculars from her bag.
Even the audience felt slightly more heated than earlier.
Just then, the murmuring sound rode in on the breeze.
Pop—
The concert hall went dark, and light flickered onto the screen above the billboard.
“Oh my god.”
It was the concert VCR announcing the members’ appearance.
Dusty Yoona’s heart began to pound like crazy.
Soon, the voices of the members, personally recorded, flowed through the concert hall.
[We’ve wandered for quite a long time.]
A shadowy figure running frantically to somewhere unknown.
Only the screen shone in the darkness, and Yoona instantly fell into a trance, immersed in the VCR.
A dense forest thick with vines—reminiscent of the opening scene from the Thicket MV.
The shadowy figure kept running before finally stopping.
The sound of a heartbeat echoed hotly through the venue.
The shadowy figure reached toward the ivy vines hanging over a wall.
And at that exact moment—
Seo Han suddenly burst out from between the ivy.
With a bashful smile, he looked up at the sky—Stardust’s youngest on top, Do Seohan.
“Kyaaaaaaaa!”
A reflexive scream burst out from among the fans.
Then came Cha Seongbin’s low voice.
[Even if I can’t reach you, I can feel you.]
A person standing in the middle of a flower field, holding a single rose and grinning.
Cha Seongbin’s blue hair shimmered faintly under the sunlight.
“They’re flowers placed in a flower field.”
Her Deokchin muttered under her breath and covered her mouth.
The VCR screen showed each member’s face in turn.
Each one more breathtaking than the last, their visuals paired with historically stunning hair and makeup.
As the cheers grew louder, the opening VCR approached its end, and the seven members appeared on one screen, smiling brightly.
Their final opening line, shouted all together:
[What I found on this timeline was….]
[It’s you!]
At the same time, numbers appeared on the VCR screen.
“10!”
No one told them to, but the Dustys began the countdown.
In the rising excitement, Yoona shouted with all her might.
“9!”
With every decreasing number, it felt like her heart was going to leap out of her chest.
In this vast concert hall, 15,000 people became one and began to shout.
“5!”
“4!”
“3!”
“2!”
Only one number left.
“1!”
She held her breath.
“…….”
Blink.
Blink.
Blink.
A soft light turned on in the previously blacked-out concert hall, and a familiar face walked out from the center.
“Oh oh oh oh!”
Wearing a light blue denim jacket that brought back memories of the Stardust Project days—center Do Seohan.
His light brown hair, now back to that color, glowed under the lights.
More mature than during Staf, yet still the same cute youngest.
Dusty Yoona let out an involuntary scream, but it was drowned out by the roar of cheers around her.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaaaaa—!”
Next, Cha Seongbin and Ha Junseo rose up on the lift.
The remaining four members walked in from behind, forming a circle on stage.
And then—
With just the intro, a familiar MR that made hearts race filled the stage.
The signal song of the Stardust Project, a piece of bittersweet history.
Returning to that clumsy time, now shining brighter than anyone else—those stars.
The first stage had begun.
Stand up and spread your dreams
You can do it
Take me take me
Reach out your hand
“This is it.”
In that moment, a shiver ran down her spine.