Chapter 101: Debut (2)
"So right now we're going to your KBS debut stage… and after that you guys have a magazine shoot… and after that Reggie, Hyun, and Hyun-Ok have vocal lessons… Joon-woo, Du-Ho, and Yong-ssi have dance lessons… and maybe you guys will have some promo videos to shoot afterwards or throughout the day. You know, ticktock? Or whatever they call it?" Mr. Jeong explained almost out of breath by the end.
ASCEND was in the car on the way to their debut stage. Excitement bubbled in their expressions, yet a certain anxiety lingered. It was a first-timer's anxiety on most faces, but Joon-woo and Mi Yong's expressions were of different anxieties.
Winner was a hot mess, destined to disband by their first forming. Perhaps it was something related to that, Mi Yong looked slightly down. And Joon-woo… was Joon-woo. Anxiety was Joon-woo's last name.
Not to mention their full day of schedule that would leave them parched and ready to pass out by the end. They couldn't get accustomed to these 20-hour work schedules, ever. Joon-woo still wasn't used to them.
"Make sure you guys are kind to the staff and especially to the fans who attend. Fan service will be the decider of how well you guys do. I know your debut charted well, but maintaining that is very important." Mr. Jeong debriefed. "You guys know the images that you're to embody." It came off as more of a warning and sounded on in Mr. Jeong's usually timid tone.
Joon-woo figured he had been drilled by some higher-ups to keep them on their best behavior.
And their debut song did more than "well" in Joon-woo's slightly biased opinion. On Billboard Korea, it had charted just out of the top tens. On Welon, they had just barely entered the top ten in ninth. And on Mugs, they found the most success at eighth. In 24 hours, their music video garnered a little below ten million views and their album sales just below the 150k region.
Joon-woo hadn't expected this much success. Of course their debut wasn't historical. But considering the company wasn't in the top four. They had been shipped off to a smaller company by the name of EASY Entertainment. Not ICE, or Sound, or XO, a smaller one.
They beat out the comebacks of a few bigger soloists and groups, which sparked some… outrage. But for the most part, their debut was good.
They were all exhausted on the daily, had a growing fanbase, and no present scandals yet. It was a good compact by Joon-woo's weak definition.
The van pulled into a full parking lot. They were on time. Which was lucky, due the fact some paparazzi were lingering around their company building as they left.
Quickly, the group was ushered out and indoors.
The next hour and half passed so fast, then.
They were taken for make-up and costuming. And Joon-woo found himself the victim of gaping Noona's. Really, it was as if they were naturally charmed his way… Joon-woo also found himself in a skirt, again. Granted it was over jeans, he was still the victim of ridicule by his bandmates. Joon-woo missed being the ultimate Unnie of Cheerleader. Being a maknae was far too exhausting.
They were taken for mic-checks, and rehearsals soon after and by the time Joon-woo found himself back at Earth, it was almost stage time.
Perhaps it was a habit Joon-woo had long had, dissociating in moments like these. He knew his fan service game was fine and he had perfected it as best he could through his years as an idol. Sure, his fan service was definitely more… feminine. But his whole image was at that point, so who was he to care? It made it easier for him anyway, he was used to this more so than the manly type of fanservice. He could never imagine himself with abs, showing them off in wet tank tops and pulling up shirts. Frankly he was disgusted at the idea.
Funny thing is that he could imagine most of his group except Mi Yong or Baek Du-Ho doing exactly that.
His band members, he didn't think noticed his dissociation. Maybe he seemed a little more dead-eyed, but they all practically were with their crazy schedules. Hell, Mi Yong seemed to be a little out of it too.
He was shaken from his thoughts when Reggie approached carelessly from behind.
"Joon-ah, are you ready?" Reggie asked, excitement evident on his face. He had more make-up on than usual, they all did.
Joon-woo nodded, "I think so, Hyung." He replied dryly. He had wasted a lot of energy trying to pass to staff as kind, easy, and respectful.
"You seem very ready… You have to give me advice on the whole fanservice, it just feels so awkward to me." Reggie admitted.
Joon-woo shrugged, "You'll get the hang of it."
Reggie only rolled his eyes. "Wow. Are you hearing this, guys?" Reggie gestured to the rest of the group, who stood with mics up and outfits in best shape.
Mi Yong was going over some movements with Baek Du-Ho, but Ryeo Hyun and Jung Hyun-Ok nodded along.
"So arrogant, Joonie…" Jung Hyun-Ok whined. "I'm also curious on how to make all the Noona's fall for me like they did you."
Joon-woo shrugged again. "You'll learn." And with that, he advised the others' to shush and mentally prepare to take the stage.
It was their first stage as ASCEND. It was their first stage since months ago. Their cue was given, and each member quickly took their spots in a familiar formation.
Mi Yong gave the group a thumbs up to soothe nerves. It was time.
–+–
It began with Reggie in the center, three on one side, and two on the other. They started compactly, only Reggie doing small pointing gestures to the audience.
Cheers rang out loud, clogging their in-ears for a short moment.
Then at the first introduction of electronic type beats, they spread out slightly. In slight sync they did exaggerated arm movements along with quick shuffles.
Then assembling into a period position, Ryeo Hyun who was in front, ducked to reveal Joon-woo in the middle. He sang the first lyrics without a tremor in his voice.
"I've been waking up without you–
since we've begun to grow–"
Cheers entered their in-ears again. Joon-woo could barely hear himself over the whoops of his name.
"My sun is barely shining,
like a boy without his glow–"
Joon-woo continued, taking a short step away from the spotlight to reveal Jung Hyun-Ok. Everyone else was ducked and on one knee at this point. He winked and caused a nother wave of cheers to spring through the air.
"Sometimes I miss you, us,
and who've we grown to be–"
I drink my coffee black,
for a talking point of when we'll soon meet…"
He made a motion of tapping at his wrist as if he had a watch. Everyone was standing and in the midst of basic house steps and Jung Hyun-Ok faded into the moves with them.
Reggie stepped into the spotlight then, placing a hand phone to his ear and nodding an exasperated frown to the crowd.
"[Don't run~]
From me, from you. [from I–]
[Open your eyes– and see–]
to see me shine~"
He sang with tremors, but a number less than when he would sing live on Producer10.
He faded into the house steps along with the others to create an in-sync look.
"Let us grow! Let us make our lives our lives–
Let us breath! We're breath– we're breathing fine–
All we've wanted is our time
All we've done are for these nights~
So let us GROW!"
Really, the chorus struck hard. The dancing suddenly grew intense and a lack of harmony in their supposed-to-be-harmonized dance was shown. Joon-woo and Baek Du-Ho at the scene of the crime.
Joon-woo made up for it with his heavy vocals during the chorus's dancing. Of course most of the group had a like or adlib in the chorus, but Joon-woo's higher notes were standing out in the best way possible. His voice spoke like honey and was pleasant to the ears of everyone watching.
But of course, Baek Du-Ho's spotlight came about, and he sloppily broke from the formation to begin his rapping verse.
"Our photo album's are bare–
We're all finding lives, we're all finding wives–
Soju calls our name like a high-goodbye–
When you look at me, I hope you see your best
And I'll look at you like a lifelong friend…"
Similar to Reggie, his movements were exaggerated and were suited to the lyrics. He had a noticeably weaker form, but only the rest of ASCEND took great notice to it.
"[Don't run~]
From me, from you. [from I–]
[Open your eyes– and see–]
to see me shine~"
Reggie and Ryeo Hyun, as per the music video, split the post-chorus with slight rookie-like tremors. By now their movements were mostly insync except for the person singing with slightly different movements but similar ones all the same.
""Let us grow! Let us make our lives our lives– (LIVE OUR LIVES!)
Let us breathe! We're breath– we're breathing fine– (FINE~)
All we've wanted is our time
All we've done is for these nights~ (THESE NIGHTS!)
So let us grow…"
Joon-woo let out high adlibs to accompany Mi Yong and Jung Hyun-Ok's ending verse. Their once insync movements were broken into their own stand-still movements.
Towards the very end, they were lined up facing the crowd with heavy breaths.
And when the last beats closed, the audience roared so loud that even Joon-woo almost winced.
They then began their assigned ending fairies.
Joon-woo stuck out a finger heart with a small smile, Reggie made a heart with his hands just at his chest, and Baek Du-Ho used his arms to create a heart atop his head. The audience roared for each, maybe more from Joon-woo and Reggie, but Ryeo Hyun still got his fair share.
Perhaps the exhaustion of it all hit them as soon as the curtain fell, and Baek Du-Ho particular limped off the stage. Little applause coming from busy staff.
Joon-woo felt a sense of accomplishment then, they all did. Their first stage went well and it was over. It was over. Joon-woo let a flash of slight dizziness pass him with ease. The serotonin still took action even with Joon-woo's lack of food consumption.
They only had hours more of work to do after this.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone