Up until now, I had firmly believed that I was Spark’s ultimate hardcore stylist.

Based on seven years of ‘proxy stanning’ big data, I prided myself on having done my absolute best to show off Spark in as many amazing ways as possible.

But today, I had to reflect on that arrogance.

“Hyung, what do we do? I think Cheonghyeon has strayed a bit far from ‘cutie’ today.”

I realized it watching Lee Cheonghyeon fixing his slicked-back hair in front of the mirror. I was a frog in a well, and what this guy had shown so far was merely in the rough stone stage.

The navy outfit, with fabric wrinkles sparkling every time it caught the light, suited the black-haired Lee Cheonghyeon amazingly well. Not to mention the flashy golden embroidery covering the coat.

The heavy makeup characteristic of musical actors made Lee Cheonghyeon’s features stand out even more. How in the world could blue eyeshadow actually look good on a human being...?

“Is it bad? You’re not giving me your usual unconditional praise.”

“There are no words on Earth bold enough to describe your beauty.”

“Okay, you get full points for sense.”

Sense or whatever, I honestly didn’t know what to say. Faced with true beauty, humans were this helpless. All I could do was hand him a Polaroid camera and my phone for selfies.

Next to the young poet Lee Cheonghyeon, the watchmaker Kang Giyeon was getting his outfit adjusted with the help of the stylist. A monocle with an antique glasses chain gave Kang Giyeon, whose face was already sharp, an image of pursuing perfection to a neurotic degree.

The shirt, work clothes, and boots, filled with details so as not to look simple, created an atmosphere like an illustration in an old newspaper. If we put a matching newsboy cap on him and stood him under a streetlamp set, Kang Giyeon would take all the nostalgia in this area. Not the kind of nostalgia the average Korean would feel, but still.

Jeong Seongbin, scheduled to act writing a novel with a quill pen sitting at a desk, wore a calm reddish-brown coat. I’d worried the ivory shirt with all its frills might swallow him whole, but it was a pointless concern. Once the coat and dress shoes were on, he looked like a European literary figure ushering in the 20th century.

For reference, Lee Cheonghyeon had insisted that if we were going this far, we should go all the way, and had shoved a photo of a top hat in my face...

‘Is it a magician’s hat?’

...That single comment from Choi Jeho shut it down completely. If someone with zero fashion sense thought that, there was a good chance the audience would too, so Lee Cheonghyeon didn’t argue and immediately deleted the image.

Park Juu became a painter buried in nature. The denim apron splattered with paint was roughened up by faux-leather straps and pockets. Layering it over a loose, white shirt made his frame look surprisingly broad. Our dorm’s chinchilla looked like he could deadlift 400 kilos in big 3 lifts.

And Choi Jeho, who was spraying a ton of fixing hairspray on his hair with a plastic sheet held up to prevent makeup from ruining......

‘Your concept is... a noble who is suspiciously competent but no one knows what work he does.’

‘What?’

...He’d been cast as a mysterious up-and-coming aristocrat. I’d thrown him some reference materials to help him understand, but I honestly didn’t know if he’d read any of them.

Still, being the center for a thousand years, Choi Jeho brilliantly pulled off an outfit that could have easily looked over-the-top. Dyeing his hair a soft ash-gray with the faintest hint of purple had been a choice I didn’t regret for a second.

Spark’s visuals, looking as if they jumped straight out of a musical promotion poster, drew attention even while waiting. Everyone focused on Spark, especially on the makeup.

“Mr. Cheonghyeon is really... amazing.”

“Like someone from another world.”

Even with all the noise around us, those comments came through loud and clear. I’d have to pass that along to the styling team.

Though the direction was different, other participants’ outfits were also dazzlingly flashy. If UA had budget issues this time too, we would have been in big trouble.

The brilliantly splendid idols gathered together and decided the stage order according to the instructions on the electronic display board—there were no MCs for this order selection round. They couldn’t afford to keep the audience waiting until the actual competition, so they called in only the participants ahead of time to get the shots.

Thanks to Park Juu exercising divine power and picking the lot with the mark first, Spark got to choose the desired order. We had a lot of stage props to install, so if possible, we wanted an early slot with a longer prep window. Luck was on our side.

“Juu hyung, how did you know that was the winning lot?”

“There was a tape mark left on the stick......”

“......?”

It wasn’t luck—it was meticulous observation. When Lee Cheonghyeon heard the full story, he clapped in admiration.

Spark confidently chose the first order. It couldn’t be helped since we had to liberate the guys’ skin from foundation as soon as possible. We’d go up, finish our performance quickly, then come back with lighter makeup and enjoy the rest of the show with skin that could finally breathe.

“Cut! We will proceed with audience entry starting in 30 minutes. Participants, please prepare in the waiting room!”

30 minutes until audience entry. 1 hour for entry, announcement of filming etiquette, venue organization, and guidance on how to use voting devices. Adding 30 minutes for opening comment filming. A total of 2 hours of waiting time remained.

Wait, Spark’s silky skin. Mr. Kim Iwol will save you soon......

The musical "Night" contained the life of a certain 20th-century novelist. With a core story of finding freedom while experiencing various professions and art worlds, it wasn’t dramatically dramatic in development but was a masterpiece that formed a consensus and made a name for itself up to modern times.

Among numerous numbers, Spark decided to sing "Loneliness". Both the play and the song were chosen by Lee Cheonghyeon. It was a good choice, there was a nice balance between solo parts and group sections.

‘These lyrics are made by combining prose and poetry the author published during his lifetime......’

Before memorizing the lyrics, we also took a special lecture. Thanks to that, everyone picked it up quickly, even though it wasn’t originally our piece.

The protagonist had lived fiercely, but he couldn’t escape waves of hardship. Feeling isolated from the world and emotionally exhausted, he began to dream of his past.

In ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) the dream, versions of his past selves gathered together and looked straight ahead, toward where he stood.

Light poured in from one side of the stage.

"Close, and

In a distant place

My brother"

Receiving white lighting, Jeong Seongbin sat in front of a mahogany table and sang while writing a letter. The audience stirred at the voice of the guy boasting the most perfect vocalization among us. I tried not to be conscious of it, but a corner of my heart felt proud.

"Pitiful people

Do you remember the past day, past night"

Jeong Seongbin put down the quill pen and folded the paper neatly. The letter in the envelope slowly passed by his side and was delivered to my hand as I walked past.

I walked to the front of the bookshelf, my space, leaned my shoulder against the shelf, and untied the string of the envelope.

"That long pain disappears

That rest comes

I dreamed while looking at the stars"

As if reading the letter down. Recalling the point of my role, I touched each note like text.

Ending with the last syllable, the lighting moved from me to Kang Giyeon.

Sitting alone on a small chair, the guy with a detached face fiddled with his glasses chain.

"Did I wish for comfort

That desperation

Whom did it reach" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Lee Cheonghyeon covered with one hand the lighting pouring over the eyes of Kang Giyeon, who was singing looking at the sky.

Lee Cheonghyeon looked down at Kang Giyeon and smiled lonely.

"The starry night is so pale

Because the heart

Is empty

Joyful days

Seem to have vanished"

In the next part, Choi Jeho, standing on the opposite side of the stage, extended his arm towards Park Juu.

"Two hands lifted up

What do they pray for

Sweet moment’s salvation?

Or hopeless hope one yearns for?"

The question thrown by Choi Jeho was received by Park Juu.

"From painful sleep

Want to wake up

Let me breathe"

His tone, piercing the pitch perfectly, stood out even more against the gentle, monologue-like accompaniment.

The music escalated. Orchestral instruments rushed in all at once. Everyone walked forward, looked at each other, and synchronized their breath.

"Unending

Long night

Dark and sad

Deep night"

Choi Jeho took the lowest range, Park Juu the high notes, and the members sang the parts in between. Blue lighting shone over the heads of Lee Cheonghyeon with his hand on his chest and Kang Giyeon with both eyes closed.

"Sky without sparkle

Tomorrow without expectation

Even so

Morning brightens"

Reaching the highlight, Park Juu and Jeong Seongbin faced each other and filled the ceiling with chest voice. The other four filled the low notes without gaps. Taking out the left in-ear to match the harmony, I could hear the members’ volume exploding vividly.

Thick smoke lay at our feet. Even with only six blue lights on the dark stage, it didn’t feel empty.

"You, my friend

The blue sky, time with me

Do you still remember

Friend"

The last verse, sung long with breath released, ended without disarray. All lights went out, and only Choi Jeho shone receiving a small light alone.

"Leaving a final farewell

When you open your eyes

Wave your hand

Greeting the rising sun"

Choi Jeho’s whispering voice scattered mixed with the cello sound. Relief that we pulled it off flowed down my throat.