Chapter 136 : A Truly Powerful Move
Chapter 136: A Truly Powerful Move
We brought in Cheongseong as a stand-in—no, as the session band.
Even calling them session musicians was pushing it.
And now we’re even putting them in the music video?
The mastermind behind this outrageous plan was, of course...
“Stay’s producing isn’t half bad.”
It was Taeyoon.
Both Yoon Seonghan and CEO Kim Minsoo were thoroughly satisfied with the whole process.
They’d asked for producing, and what they got was magic.
“This doesn’t even count as media play. Do you like the results?”
“Uh-huh, it looks like we splurged. As expected of me—King Minsoo.”
It all started surprisingly simply.
‘If you’re not busy, chant.’
That saying fit perfectly.
Not sure if this is the right place to use that expression, but still.
Moon Jungbae was always sitting backstage, stroking a mic.
“Life is dull.”
That’s what he said.
And watching this, Taeyoon laid the bait, as if he’d been waiting.
“That’s because you haven’t paid for the premium version.”
“……?”
What good was a mountain of money?
Their only hobby and skill was music.
That’s how musicians are. Even with money, they don’t know how to spend it.
After wrapping up their activities as The Kids Who Escaped From Us, the Cheongseong members...
were often gathered backstage, just chatting away.
They occasionally plucked at instruments.
But it was hard to tell if they were band members or just loafers hanging around someone else’s studio, throwing in commentary.
Then one day—
Taeyoon called the Cheongseong members together and made this proposal:
“Gentlemen, how about I help you make some money?”
“Money? How?”
“Well, it’s not just about the money. You’ll have fun doing it.”
“Fun’s good. I’m bored out of my mind anyway.”
Naturally, it wasn’t because they were desperate to earn money.
They were curious how Taeyoon would go about making them money.
And if it was going to be fun? Then why not?
As expected, something fun did happen.
“Us?”
“With Double Line...?”
“As session players?”
“And even...”
“In the music video too?”
“Dude, what money? We’ll probably have to pay them instead.”
So this was—
A win-win situation.
Cheongseong beat their boredom by sessioning, and Double Line surged forward with Cheongseong at their back.
Stay, Cheongseong, and Busan Goblin.
That lineup alone allowed Double Line to show off an intensity far beyond what’s expected of rookies.
Even before debut, they’d earned the nickname “DubLine” and were already garnering hype.
When’s the Double Line album dropping?
Even my mom’s ready to buy it;;
I need to see that live stage, omg
How insane must these rookies be to have Cheongseong as their session?
That lineup is straight-up insane LOL
Stay is always a guarantee……. I’m so hyped for this.
“……Feels like we’re already famous.”
“Come on, Busan Goblin is singing—of course we are.”
“Wait, the session is none other than Bang Gicheol?”
“Honestly… don’t you think it’s all thanks to Stay? I was worried people would call it outdated to pair rookies with Cheongseong.”
If you want media play, you need a story worth talking about.
That was Taeyoon’s belief.
“It’s amazing,” “The song is great,” “They’re super rookies,” “You won’t regret it.”
Just hammering in media lines like that? It gets old.
You need one truly powerful move.
To put it simply—
“We baited with Busan Goblin, now let’s finish with Cheongseong.” That summed it up.
“Getting some attention?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s see.”
“Whoa. It’s even crazier than when The Kids Who Escaped From Us revealed their identity.”
“What if we end up stealing the spotlight?”
Bang Gicheol asked with a sly grin.
Of course, it was a joke—but it was half-serious.
Back in the day, all you had were TV and newspaper articles.
But these days, the power of attention is something else entirely.
With YouTube and social media, it was the only thing people were talking about.
Reading the real-time comments,
you couldn’t help but think, “Man, times really have changed.”
“Thanks to Taeyoon, we’re getting this kind of spotlight.”
“Our maknae’s making us emotional again...”
Even though it was just a session gig—
They couldn’t hide their excitement, like they were the stars all over again.
They even started seriously considering releasing a second The Kids Who Escaped From Us album.
With thoughts like, “Taeyoon’s making us the stars again,” they waited eagerly for Double Line’s debut schedule...
But Taeyoon was saying something else entirely.
“It won’t be that big of a deal, so don’t get your hopes up.”
“Huh? I thought you were trying to get us attention?”
“Of course not! The stars are Double Line!”
“Say what now?”
Sure, Double Line were the real stars.
But even knowing that, the Cheongseong members looked a little down.
The one who complained the most, as expected, was Moon Jungbae.
And the reason was simple.
“Well, at least you guys show your faces, right?”
“Ah.”
“I don’t even get to stand on stage. It sucks to be the vocalist.”
“Aaah.”
Since the vocal parts went to Do Gibong and Baek Junhyun, there was no place for Cheongseong's vocalist…!
“You’re still credited for the chorus. Shouldn’t you be grateful for even that?”
“Ugh.”
A few days later—
Double Line released their full version music video with glamorous credits.
“KYAAAAAAAH!”
A brief commotion broke out backstage at the sound of a scream.
Baek Junhyun, who had been quietly preparing for debut until now, had finally revealed his true nature.
“What do I do? I’m so nervous.”
Taeyoon teased Junhyun, whose hands were trembling.
“What? You said you’d do anything as long as you got a shot! Come sit here. You think if you crouch in the corner with your head down, no one will see you? What are you, a cat…?”
Cheongseong members laughed heartily and patted Baek Junhyun on the back.
“I was like that before my debut stage too.”
“Don’t worry. Worst case, just don’t go out there.”
“Hey, you’re a ‘big star’ now. You can’t be like this already.”
It was hard to tell whether they were comforting him or teasing him because he was so cute.
Either way, strangely enough, Baek Junhyun started to relax.
Gulp.
Only the sound of swallowing could be heard in the backstage lounge.
Oddly enough, they looked even more nervous than they did before their first stage as The Kids Who Escaped From Us.
Wait—shouldn’t Junhyun and Gibong-hyung be the ones nervous?
Why were these teachers all swallowing dryly?
It was understandable that Junhyun looked like he was on the verge of death, but what exactly were the teachers expecting...?
As I had those thoughts, I kept my eyes glued to the monitor.
“Time’s up, right?”
“Three, two, one.”
“Whoa, it’s up!”
The long-awaited music video was released.
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DoubleLine더블라인<CrossingTomorrow>MV
The artist I discovered.
The day Double Line’s song was introduced to the world for the first time.
…To be honest, I was the most nervous of all.
I just pretended not to be.
This time, truly from beginning to end—
There wasn’t a single thing that hadn’t gone through my hands.
“Damn, I heard even the music video was planned by Taeyoon, huh?”
“I was just trying to find the best visual way to show the song…”
“I heard you even gave Junhyun and Gibong input on their hairstyles?”
“Ugh, their aesthetic sense was so terrible…”
“Will you guys shut it?”
I watched the music video with tense anticipation.
“Hey hey, it’s starting.”
A calm piano prelude.
A simple intro with just four notes.
A long-reverberating chord expressed the stillness of night.
Tap, tap.
The video opened with the sound of a man’s footsteps on a rain-soaked concrete floor.
An alley filled with neon signs and LED screens.
Rain was falling, and a man walked without an umbrella, his hood pulled deep over his head.
He stared at a worn-out poster pasted on a wall at the corner…
“Hahaha. That acting’s actually good?”
It was Do Gibong.
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CrossingTomorrow−CROSSINGTOMORROW
The scene changed.
This time, Baek Junhyun appeared.
A shabby practice room.
Wearing frayed headphones, sitting on a torn sofa.
Under a dim light, he scribbled lyrics into a blank notebook.
Then, as if something clicked, Junhyun lifted his head—and the calm vocals began.
With restrained emotion, he seemed to reflect on the past with a steady voice.
Just before the chorus, a bass line slipped in gently beneath the thinly layered strings.
“Wow…”
The atmosphere shifted.
The playful mood had vanished without a trace.
A slow drum kick tapped out a beat, like a heartbeat.
It was a deliberate sound.
A slow drum meant to mimic the rhythm of a heartbeat.
It led the listener exactly as intended.
So you couldn’t tell if it was the drum you were hearing—or your own heart.
“They really made this music video well…”
I continued watching with satisfaction.
To be honest, when the idea of gathering everyone to watch the video was brought up, I had my concerns.
Junhyun was one thing...
But I was worried Do Gibong’s usual image would come to mind too much.
That the contrast would make someone laugh and kill the mood.
But—those fears were groundless.
“It’s really different from the pre-edited footage.”
A perfect harmony.
The two collided in flawless unison.
Two different timelines met and became one.
“Damn… This is where it really begins.”
The climax of the song.
In the bridge, all the sounds disappeared.
Only their voices remained, solid and unwavering.
And just when the listener naturally leaned in—
The drums, strings, and piano exploded in an emotional outburst.
Clock hands spun backward, then forward again.
Until they finally stopped in the present, delivering the core message of the song.
“Who’s the director?”
“She’s Director Cha Soyeon. She used to work in film in the U.S.”
“She’s got a real feel. Maybe it’s because she’s a female director? It’s so delicate.”
“And bold at the same time.”
“Right? It’s not easy to use a cyberpunk mise-en-scène in a ballad. But it fits so well.”
“Wait, it’s not over yet.”
The song had ended, but the two were still walking.
The night streets of Seoul faded, and the neon lights gradually transformed into sunlight...
Do Gibong and Baek Junhyun turned around at the same time.
As if to say, our story is just beginning.
…With deadly serious expressions.
“How was it?”
“Well…”
No need to say anything—they all knew.
For over four minutes,
no one had been able to take their eyes off the screen.
“It sounds like a different song.”
“It’s different from the digital track, right? Is it because Gibong looks handsome now?”
“I couldn’t watch it.”
“Ah, if he looks good, just say he looks good, please, seonsaengnim!”
“What do you want me to do if I don’t want to? Look at him pretending to be handsome.”
“Oh come on, hyung-nim…”
Whap whap.
Before anyone realized, Do Gibong and Bang Gicheol-seonsaengnim had become close.
Well, no matter what they said—
Bang Gicheol-seonsaengnim was probably secretly acknowledging it too.
Even though it was a song they knew well,
even though they knew the real personalities of the singers—
On screen, it lived as a completely different story.
“Did you come up with the wardrobe too, Taeyoon?”
“Oh, with the art team, yeah.”
“The denim jacket and hoodie—they were well chosen.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Denim-on-denim is classic retro. A hoodie with jogger pants is today’s vibe. Just from the clothes, you can see the transition.”
I nodded vigorously.
This was the power of visuals.
A music video isn’t just a piece of visual content.
It interprets the music and becomes a narrative that expands it.
Of course, that intent needs to come through clearly.
While we shared thoughts for a moment,
Bang Gicheol-seonsaengnim asked with a sulky tone:
“But why do we appear so little?”
“Wait—did you actually expect more?”
“I didn’t think it’d be that little.”
I even persuaded the director to add more stage scenes...
Was this still not enough?
“Well, at least your face is visible, right?”
“Oh? That’s true?”
He quickly agreed with Moon Jungbae-seonsaengnim’s comment.
As expected—bassists don’t hold grudges.
Taking advantage of the lull, I quickly checked the reactions.
This moment—both nerve-wracking and exciting.
In just a short time, more comments had piled up than expected.
Interestingly, YouTube comments were calmer than community sites.
1
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1st!I’vebeenwaiting!
↳ For real—comment first, watch later.
↳ Why am I so nervous lololol
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Iusedtowanttodomusictoo…Thissongbringsbackmemories.IwonderhowthefriendsIusedtosingandplayguitarwitharedoing…We’reallinourlate40snow…
↳ I’m sure they’re doing well. Maybe they’re listening to this song too, reminiscing just like you ^^
↳ Aw, this comment is so wholesome ㅠㅠ
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Peoplewerehypingthisup,anditlivesuptoit.Ican’tevenfindthewords.When’sthedigitaltrackdropping?MightbuyaCDforthefirsttimeinages…
↳ Same. Don’t know why, but it’s healing.
↳ Listening to this on the bus ride home… makes me want to pick up my guitar again, which I’ve put off because I was ‘too busy.’
↳ The word “dream” really gets to people. Thanks for the nostalgic trip.
↳ Wait, are they really releasing a Busan Goblin photo card? lol
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Holycrap,howisthesingingthisgood.What’sthevocalist’sname?It’ssocalm,butitmademetearupㅠㅠ
↳ They say it’s Baek Junhyun.
↳ Singing like you’re just speaking? Not easy to pull off hahahah
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∗Now∗thisismusic,fr.Noneofthatdoo−be−doopbam−bam−bahook−hooknonsense.Thatalienlanguagestuffisn’tsinging.Thisiswhatrealmusicis.Listeningtothisafteridolsongs,myearsfeelcleansed.
↳ Wait lol one of the DubLine members was the one who made that bam-bam-ba hook-hook song lolol
↳↳ For real?
↳ So funny how the composer who used to get flak for hook songs is now getting comments like this lololol
As expected, most of the comments focused on Double Line rather than the session members.
Either way—
The star of a song is always the vocalist.
“We’re really not mentioned at all, huh.”
“What do you mean not at all—ah! Here, here it is. ‘Is that Cheongseong in that quick scene? Wow, I spotted Cheongseong! As expected, the bassist is the coolest.’”
“Hold on, that last part wasn’t there. Where’d you sneak that in?”
I felt great.
My plan had hit the mark perfectly.
It looked like Junhyun had fully relaxed at some point too.
He was leaning back on the sofa, endlessly replaying the music video with a goofy smile.
“Hey, you like it that much? You’re gonna poke a hole through your phone.”
I meant to tease him.
But Junhyun took it seriously.
“Heh… Seeing myself like this, I’m actually kind of okay?”
“Wait—you were worried about how your face would look on camera? Seriously?”
“Long live the director!”
Pre-releasing the music video was an unconventional move.
But it could also serve as a spark to ignite attention.
A single well-made music video is worth more than ten articles.
We had to ride this momentum carefully.
The digital track would be released tomorrow, and the debut a bit later.
“How many days left until the debut stage?”
“About a week.”
“Alright. Don’t overdo it. Let’s run it again tomorrow.”
Instead of the usual music show route, we chose a slightly more unique path.
For that, we needed time to release the song and let word-of-mouth spread.