Chapter 99: Pantheon Sprints

Tak.

Yang Hee-ju put down her pencil on the pad.

Then, Ju Seo-hye, who had been studying next to Hee-ju, checked the clock.

“Is it time?”

It was time.

The time for SBC’s music show Star Gayo to begin.

Hee-ju’s parents hadn’t come home yet, and there were only the two of them in the house.

“Uwaaa! Seo-hye, this day has finally come!”

“Yeah.”

The two went out to the living room and turned on the TV.

The program name was floating above the advertisements.

SBC Music Broadcast Star Gayo.

And the program name briefly switched to the lineup.

EXI.

“Ugh, Kang-yul Oppa is coming out.”

“Yeah.”

Pantheon.

“The remaining members are coming out too.”

“Right.”

Hee-ju screamed.

“Why such an ordeal for us!”

“Tell me about it.”

Seo-hye nodded.

“No, but what are we supposed to do when our bias breaks up the group and leaves?”

“Calling him a bias is a bit much, we just liked him.”

“We, the wounded young middle schoolers, ended up quitting fangirling!”

“There’s no quitting fangirling. Only taking a break.”

Hee-ju and Seo-hye’s identity was none other than the few remaining fans of (former) Pantheon.

A case where Hee-ju made a fuss one day about there being a really cool idol, causing Seo-hye to join the fandom as well.

The two best friends spent happy days fangirling together, but then the incident of Kang-yul leaving occurred.

If they were solely Kang-yul fans, they would have followed Kang-yul.

And if they were solely group fans, they would have stayed with Pantheon.

But since they were neither this nor that, should they say their feelings were troubled?

They didn’t know why, but they were very troubled.

“So! We dropped everything and just studied! Our grades went up a lot in high school!”

“We did work hard.”

Real life (Hyun-saeng), real life, rewarding real life.

At this rate, a top-tier university isn’t just a dream.

“But why are they both appearing on the same broadcast at the same time! Don’t we have no choice but to watch!”

“That’s true.”

Pantheon with consistent activities, and Kang-yul with his re-debut, appearing on SBC.

The two couldn’t bear it and decided to watch the broadcast.

Seo-hye pointed out reality coldly.

“Even worse, it seems their relationship isn’t that great.”

“Kuk! Seo-hye, what kind of trick of fate is this? Huh?”

The two fell into silence for a moment.

“Should we eat ice cream?”

“Yeah.”

First, they decided to eat something sweet.

Nom nom.

While pressing down and scooping ice cream from the pint container with spoons, the two predicted their future.

“Seo-hye.”

“Hm?”

“We’ll probably join a fandom again, right?”

“Probably.”

Self-objectification applies even here.

Even after spending over a year in real life, in the end, it’s re-joining a fandom.

But the problem is—

“Who?”

“Well.”

To Kang-yul, whom they liked but who broke the group?

Or to Pantheon, who strangely kept appearing in social news articles and bothering their minds?

Ultimately, today’s viewing becomes the moment to decide that.

“Should we order Tteokbokki too?”

“Yeah.”

And, the broadcast began.

Order-wise, the rookie EXI was first.

– A minimal song with retro analog sentiment. EXI’s <Off the map>! Please let us heaaaarrr!!!!

The screen switched, and a stage with a school bus panel standing came into view.

Right, the two had already watched EXI’s music video.

In the teaser video, they showed EXI unable to get off the school bus.

But in the music video, they got off the bus and freely roamed the city.

Dancing with street dancers under the midday sun.

Playing basketball under streetlights.

Walking the streets filled with dawn air.

Just like on stage now.

– Today is different from yesterday

• Walking off the map*

• Wow! But there’s a path here*

• We seem to become something*

The members well-expressed the tension and anticipation of taking their first step into an unknown territory.

The song also easily entered the ears with minimal and retro instrument composition.

The vocals extended clearly, and burst refreshingly in the chorus.

– Off the map, off the line

• Sneakers on the intersection*

• Off the track, off the sign*

• Clumsily, more clumsily*

In that chorus, Kang-yul’s sunshine exploded.

“Ah.”

“Kang-yul Oppa.”

Hee-ju and Seo-hye spoke simultaneously.

EXI’s other members were excellent too, but Kang-yul’s light was overwhelming.

“Isn’t he even more amazing than during Pantheon times?”

“Tell me about it.”

As Izm claimed, did he discover his talent after leaving Origin?

It was a tremendous sunshine that made one lean towards that thought.

“He still shines, without a wrinkle.”

“There must have been things happening, but surely he didn’t do anything bad?”

A strange aura persuaded Hee-ju and Seo-hye—

– Off the map, off the line

• Even the nameless road is ours*

• Off the track, off the sign*

• Walking without a set answer*

The final chorus passed, and the song concluded.

– Off the map Off the map

• If we hold hands*

• A path seems to form*

“Whoooo….”

Ju Seo-hye let out a long breath.

Indeed Izm, indeed EXI, and indeed Kang-yul.

“Hee-ju.”

Seo-hye turned her head.

“…….”

Hee-ju was slightly out of it.

“Hee! Hee! Snap out of it, we have to watch Pantheon’s stage too. Hey, your ice cream melted!”

She didn’t even know the ice cream on her spoon had melted and dripped onto her skirt.

‘It’s wrong. Hee-ju seems to have gone to EXI’s world.’

Seo-hye shook her head.

In truth, she felt like going to that world too.

The center member changed, but can they do better than this?

She heard they were called Demon God and building strange achievements, but would they do the stage better than this?

Seo-hye thought about just deciding on EXI, but waited for a moment.

While scooping ice cream into her mouth and watching the music show.

– The male gods sprinting toward fans! Will they reach your hearts today? Pantheon’s <Crash to you>!

“Starting.”

A set where giant machine fragments and collapsed buildings were visible here and there on a desolate background, as if mixing a desert and a city center.

From the heartbeat effect leading to a crashing sound, the screen also gradually brightened.

The members, who were taking poses as if crashing—

– CRASH!

Slammed themselves onto the floor with a fierce shout.

“W-What is that!”

Seo-hye was extremely shocked.

Self-harm? On stage? Is it choreography? No matter how I look at it, it’s self-harm?

What happened to Pantheon in the meantime?

But the next moment—

“Uh uh uh uh?!”

By the pre-agreed camera work, Pantheon’s jump was caught.

If that could be called a jump.

Even the music show production team was curious about what special device was in the shoes, but it was truly a pure jump.

The Demon God who leaped several meters, and the members who, while not to that extent, were definitely not at a human level.

And even the landing was perfect.

Instantly sucking in Seo-hye’s gaze.

– Crash To you

The Demon God, staring straight ahead, was zoomed in by the camera.

An ominous, fearful, and arrogant existence runs toward you.

“Just wait right there…. Uh? What am I saying?”

Startled Seo-hye heard Tae-young and Yoon-seo’s verse.

– The ground sinks beneath feet, like a desert

• Memories spilled onto the sand*

• I flew above it*

• Because the path toward you is clearly visible*

Feeling it anew.

She knew it well when fangirling, but they were all good at singing.

“Still, they’re doing better?”

Because they share the Demon God’s Aura.

They were always pouring out capabilities beyond what they possessed onto the stage.

Thanks to that, Seo-hye was truly receiving it.

How much the group called Pantheon was running toward the object of worship was felt along with the breathless BPM.

– No matter how far away, it’s fine

• I will chase you to the end*

• Even with eyes closed, I see*

• Only you, clearly*

I will definitely go to you.

Pantheon will go to you, Seo-hye.

Where are you?

“Here…. Ah, what am I saying again?”

Hearing something constantly from earlier must be just a feeling.

I must be bewitched because of the intense song and intense group dance.

Fitting the fast BPM, the group dance was also at tremendous speed.

Yet, the fact that it wasn’t chaotic and brought the sensation of sprinting to life was amazing.

“Phew….”

Around the time to take a breath.

– Crash! To you!

• Here where the heart struck!*

• Crash! To you!*

• You, you are here!*

• I will reach you!*

“Uwaaaah! Understood!!”

Pantheon did not stop.

Seo-hye, are you there?

We are going, are you there?

Seo-hye became restless sitting down.

Running toward me like that, she was swept up in a strange feeling that she should do something too.

– Keep running, hold breath / To you who are there

• To the end Rush! Crash into you!*

• Lies crumble / Walls blow away*

• The place where you are is now visible*

Still running.

Seo-hye even lifted her butt slightly from the seat, then recalled this was just a living room of an ordinary home and sat back down.

Running like that would cause noise complaints between floors.

But why am I breathless too?

– Crash! To you!

• Me who crashed into you*

• Crash! To you!*

• This end is in front of you!*

• Crash! To you!*

Eventually, until the song ended, Pantheon didn’t rest even once.

Even when not doing group choreography, they were doing individual choreography moves.

Strong-strong-strong choreography that made one wonder how on earth that was possible.

Seo-hye was frantically swept up in that sprint and only breathed after the song ended.

Huk, huk, huk.

Breathing hard, heart pounding, even sweating.

It felt like she ran together.

After sitting sprawled like that and catching her breath for a long time.

Seo-hye realized quite a few things.

“Ugh, ice cream.”

That she, like Hee-ju, lost her mind and got ice cream on herself.

“They picked the center member well.”

That she felt attracted to the new center, Sun-woo.

“Just how much effort did they put in.”

That Pantheon’s original members grew surprisingly.

And.

Lastly.

“I’ve decided.”

That she, unlike Hee-ju, had come to go to Pantheon’s world.

It can’t be helped.

They are running toward me like that.

It feels weird not to go.

“Hee-ju, sadly, I think you and I joined fandoms in opposite directions.”

Just as the paths of Kang-yul and (former) Pantheon diverged.

Mine and Hee-ju’s fangirling also diverged.

Seo-hye turned her head toward Hee-ju, who was lost in Kang-yul—

“Huh? Why opposite?”

Sparkle sparkle.

Hee-ju, who had recovered her gaze before she knew it, was looking at her.

“Eh? Hee-ju, weren’t you re-joining Kang-yul’s fandom?”

“Huh? No?”

When Seo-hye narrowed her eyes and looked, Hee-ju answered.

“I intended to, but seeing Pantheon, should I say my hazy mind suddenly cleared up? They are running tremendously.”

“Pfft!”

What Seo-hye felt, Hee-ju felt too.

If they run toward us that diligently, we can’t not go.

Going to Pantheon.

“Right! Let’s do fangirling together again!”

“Kyahahaha!”

The two high school students laughed in joy at the thought of fangirling together.

Ding-dong.

Just in time, the Tteokbokki arrived too.

It felt like things were working out smoothly.

***

“Next week’s 1st place nominees will probably be EXI and Pantheon, right?”

“Yes, Novior is out too. There are no other competitors next week. It’s those two teams.”

Star Gayo’s PD Park Chang-su nodded.

“Then I should contact both sides in advance. Tell them to definitely appear.”

PD Park scratched his head with a troubled expression.

In a situation where teams quietly decline appearing due to accidents with 1st place nominees, for this to happen.

Today, an even bigger accident occurred.