Chapter 153 : “Is a DJing Boom Coming?”
Chapter 153: “Is a DJing Boom Coming?”
It all started with the music video for <Not Yet>.
As it was the title track, things proceeded quickly and precisely.
There were no hiccups.
The concept, the song, the outfits—everything was clear.
“Phew…!”
The first to react was Seo Dongyoon.
He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and glanced at Taeyoon.
It was because he remembered recently provoking Taeyoon by saying, “You can’t write this kind of super cutesy girl group song, right?!”
He figured, someday he would.
If you're good at one thing, you're good at everything.
That’s what he thought.
When they first talked about R&B, he thought, That’s so Taeyoon.
That stubbornness that refuses to compromise with trends!
But then—
“Stay, you’re good at K-pop dance too?”
Not even a month later, he brought an actual girl group track.
And not just any track, but a glittery, music box-like K-pop dance song.
The refreshing sound alone felt like it brightened everything.
Dance dance dance~
Especially this hook—it was a cheat code.
Every time the hook came on, the members held up their palms and popped them out one beat at a time.
As if playing push and pull.
Even though the gesture was of rejection, it somehow looked adorable.
A little shy, yet a little bold.
That contradiction—shy but confident—was the charm of this song.
The lyrics played the push and pull even more leisurely.
Let me think a bit more
Not now
Not Yet.
Not yet.
Had there ever been a song that sang this phrase so confidently?
With just a palm, it controlled emotional distance.
It reinterpreted the kitsch of 2nd-gen girl groups in a 5th-gen style.
The long take camera beautifully captured the members’ fingertips and eyes.
The highlight was just one point.
“Push and pull has to be cute, after all.”
The art of rejection.
It proved that point flawlessly.
Everyone nodded at Seo Dongyoon’s words and gave a thumbs-up.
Dance dance dance~
The addictive hook kept swirling in their ears.
The choreography where they drew a stop sign with their left palm and leaned back slightly—
That point alone was already destined to be a short-form challenge.
“Dance dance dance—”
Even the sharp-tongued Director Woo Chaewon was happily mimicking the dance.
The lyrics, the choreography.
Undoubtedly a top-tier title track.
Everything about it was lovely and mischievous…
“Dance dance dance. Oh no, it keeps popping into my head. Shouldn’t this be banned for the college entrance exam season?”
It was addictive.
A healthy addiction.
A cheerful dance song that both kids and their parents could enjoy.
In the meeting room, <Not Yet> was already playing for the second, third—
Too many times to count.
An unquestionably standard title track.
Taeyoon, sitting at one end of the meeting room, watched everyone with satisfaction.
Inside his slightly curled palm, it felt like the refreshing sensation of “dance dance dance” still lingered.
The fact that the meeting room felt like a club wasn’t even strange anymore.
Everyone was reliving their teenage years, endlessly repeating “dance dance dance—.”
But they didn’t have time to just enjoy this moment.
Yoon Seonghan organized the somewhat chaotic atmosphere.
“Alright, let’s listen to track two now.”
Because today’s real star was yet to come.
Stay’s killer move!
The magical collaboration between Lee Jeongin and Blackhole!
Yoon Seonghan nodded broadly and played <Velvet Trigger>.
A completely different vibe from moments ago.
Through the open window, it felt like the humid sea breeze suddenly swept in.
Once the mastered version of <Velvet Trigger> began, it was certain.
Even before the guitar riff in the intro ended.
The stiff meeting room had already transformed into a romantic South American coastline.
Bass swelled like waves.
Percussion split the rhythm like rays of sunlight.
And over that—
Just one step closer, I won't pull the trigger first.
Lee Jeongin’s voice flowed hotly.
Sensual, yet composed.
A gun was loaded, but the trigger wasn’t pulled.
That was the way of this song.
Maintaining all the tension.
As the turn passed into a DJing break that followed the chorus—
“…As expected, Blackhole.”
The one who pulled the trigger was Blackhole.
He seductively lured the listener in.
Not blatantly, but boldly.
Which made it even more dangerous.
The thick melody melted into their ears.
And with that, the mood shifted.
The South American beach turned into a faded hotel corridor.
A Latin-style acoustic guitar riff flowed beneath a familiar melody.
Then, like a rap, a whisper slipped in.
Can’t say it in words. My fingertips will. You never saw it coming.
It was Blackhole.
Just one line, but short and intense.
Gasps of admiration burst out.
“That voice—what is that.”
“Damn, he hit it here?”
Over Lee Jeongin’s vocals, the whisper-like rap continued.
You lit the fire. But you gon’ wish you pulled it first.
Faint, yet perfectly timed.
It felt like things had been removed, but somehow it felt even fuller.
Even the moment when all the instruments muted—it felt designed.
There was no trace of outdated R&B here.
Only the rhythm that led the listener filled the space.
Stay, Lee Jeongin, and Blackhole.
They had already become a genre of their own, leading the listener.
A member of the A&R team muttered like a whisper.
“…At this rate, DJing academies might pop up. Mom, I wanna be a DJ!”
“A wholesome DJ—that’s a treasure.”
It was a flawless and irrefutable take.
Riding that momentum, analysis on DJing followed.
Seo Dongyoon, A&R Team Leader of Track Race, the label behind the album, took the lead.
“R&B can feel loose if done wrong, but with DJing layered in, the emotions feel restrained and even more dramatic.”
This time, Yoon Seonghan chimed in.
“Seems perfect for mixing in clubs. Maybe that’s what Blackhole was aiming for. Everyone needs a breather sometimes.”
He blinked toward Taeyoon and continued.
“Similar yet different from <More Than Time>, right? The DJ break in <More Than Time> was a soft bridge, but in <Velvet Trigger>, it’s a bold provocation. Oh man, this isn’t an R&B boom coming—this is a DJing boom!”
Seo Dongyoon responded with flair.
“Maybe… both?”
A soft laugh burst out.
No one really cared anymore about who Blackhole was.
‘He really meant business with this one.’
Seo Dongyoon’s gaze landed on Taeyoon.
Taeyoon was already nodding toward the speaker with a relaxed look, as if he had seen it coming.
Knock-knock—
Just then, someone tapped on the meeting room door.
It was the Art Team Head.
“We’ve received the music video draft. Please take a look and…”
Before he could finish his sentence—
Everyone was already leaning in, eyes scanning the small sheets of paper.
Kim Minsoo snapped his fingers and cheered.
“This is it.”
The others followed with their thoughts.
The most surprised of all was Seo Dongyoon.
The backdrop and narrative he had only envisioned in his imagination were captured perfectly.
“Wow… It’s just how I imagined it. Who planned this?”
“That would be—!”
Kim Minsoo politely clasped his hands together and gestured toward Stay and Taeyoon.
Taeyoon touched his chin with a V drawn by his fingers and answered,
“That would be me, Stay.”
A light laugh broke out.
This was why everyone liked Stay.
Even after making such a phenomenal track,
He just casually posed with a V.
“So relaxed, as always.”
Lee Jeongin murmured, and Do Gibong added softly,
“Bet he's actually panicking inside.”
Even after the cheerful laughter subsided, the atmosphere in the meeting room lingered with warmth.
Do Gibong thought to himself,
‘Stay really is bold.’
He had always followed trends.
Worried about falling behind, constantly alert, studying the public’s response.
He believed that was the answer.
He convinced himself it was fine to put aside personal taste and desire, as long as the song became a hit.
But Stay was different.
He created the trends.
Instead of following the crowd’s response, he made his own timing and threw it in.
And declared, “This is the moment.”
‘Maybe I can be bolder too.’
Do Gibong always found that fascinating.
Where did that certainty come from?
How could he make such unfamiliar decisions so casually?
‘Leading the public, rather than persuading them…’
For a moment, he worried that the heat rising in his chest was jealousy.
But no, it was pure admiration.
Do Gibong turned back toward the speaker.
Still lingering in his ears was Lee Jeongin’s voice.
And gently laid atop it, Blackhole’s rapping.
He had made up his mind for real now.
Ballads were just the beginning.
He decided to reveal his true desire—not as Busan Goblin, but as Do Gibong.
Just like Stay.
The two songs had contrasting charms.
Two faces of love—a mood that any woman could relate to.
Do Gibong wanted to say something cool.
Stay, you’re the best. You’re the only one who could pack this kind of twist into a single album.
What could he say? Something catchy?
After some thought, Do Gibong blurted out:
“Taeyoon, are you… maybe a woman?”
Why was he saying something so ridiculous with such seriousness?
Taeyoon asked back,
“Why?”
“Well, think about it. You’re not a woman, yet how do you understand women’s hearts so well? Suspicious. Who is it? Who gave you advice?”
“Did you like it that much?”
There were no objections.
The women in the room all nodded in agreement.
“Lumière is gonna get a ton of female fans.”
“A truly unique world.”
Someone you want to become. Someone you want to cheer for.
To capture both those characters in one album—it was no easy feat.
Do Gibong’s joke about Stay being a woman stirred up the room.
Even though it was nonsense, somehow it felt oddly believable.
That’s how deeply Lumière’s new album resonated with women.
“How did you do it, seriously? Teach me.”
To Do Gibong’s question, Taeyoon shrugged.
“I didn’t do anything special. Aren’t people all kind of similar?”
“Huh? You’re saying everyone’s similar?”
“Yes. You want to draw someone in, but getting too close feels burdensome… And sometimes, you want to captivate them boldly. There's no rule that says only women can feel that. The speaker just happens to be a woman—I just wanted to show two different ways of loving.”
A foolish question, and a wise answer.
It was such a Stay kind of response.
A song not that represented women—but one that captured various sides of love.
That was the core of Lumière’s second single.
Do Gibong’s face flushed red.
While he was flailing about, stuck in formulas,
Stay had sprinted ahead and completed a track that mocked them all.
Kim Minsoo clapped once, gathering their focus.
“Alright! Not long until the showcase now. Let’s make the most of the time left.”
Kim Minsoo was as steady as always.
As expected, Stay stayed Stay. That was the simple impression.
Seo Dongyoon felt a bit different.
Soon, a flood of R&B demos would pour in.
In that case, he needed to listen more, dig deeper. Research across genres.
If you’re in A&R, you’ve got to stay a step ahead in times like this. He reaffirmed that resolve.
And so, the meeting wrapped up with each person holding their own thoughts.
Taeyoon stood up first and headed toward the backstage.
Du— dudung—
But he couldn’t move his feet at the sound of the intro drums leaking through the door.
‘…How many times are they playing it?’
Only after about five plays of the song,
Could Taeyoon finally leave with a smile.
Time moved on.
As soon as Lumière’s second single album dropped—
Shortform was flooded with cover videos of <Not Yet>’s killing part.
Regardless of gender or age.
It began with an idol challenge.
And it wasn’t even a girl group—Signum, a boy group, kicked it off.
Stay’s killing part? No one could resist.
[ Signum – Dance Dance Dance Challenge (1-Hour Loop) ]
↳ Holy sh*t lol this is stupid cute lololol
↳ So cheeky lolol
↳ What the hell is Lee Yehwan doing with a bass while dancing dance dance dance lmaoo
↳ Freaking adorable lol
↳ Pilgrimage complete! The origin of the Dance Dance Dance Challenge!!!
↳ I’m dying to see the original version by the artist lolol
↳↳ For real tho, Stay probably dances well tooㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Next, elementary school kids joined in, then university students, then office workers.
Even an elderly person at a 70th birthday party was caught doing Dance Dance Dance.
The whole world was dancing.
“Oh ho…?”
It was basically a festival.
Even Taeyoon couldn’t just sit and watch.
He pressed the record button and awkwardly got into position.
He had practiced it countless times.
Whatever. How hard could it be to do Dance Dance Dance once?
He could do better than Signum.
…Probably?