“Good work, everyone!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

The long, breath-holding scene finally wrapped. As soon as the cut signal dropped, I repeatedly swept my chest in relief. Angry Ham Yiseo was scary.

I heard one of Cheon Yoonsung’s lines—“Pushing the two of you into the pond and filling it in wouldn’t be any trouble”—got cut because it might fail the censors. Just hearing about it was scary. At this rate, it felt like there was only more to be afraid of ahead.

“Mr. Iwol, good job!”

“Thank you for your hard work. Thanks to you sunbaenims, the shooting went well!”

“Cheon Yoonsung really carried today.”

Ms. So Saeyoung waved her hand dismissively. From the perspective of someone leading the entire drama, my screen time probably wasn’t even much, but the way she praised my small contribution and showed professionalism at work reminded me of Assistant Manager Ahn.

“I wonder how he’s doing.”

He was a good person. A talent too precious to be at Hanpyeong Industry. It was a shame things turned out like this before I could even repay him for the help I’d received.

At this hour, he’d probably be working at some company somewhere. I found myself hoping that among the changes caused by my regression, his workplace had changed too.

As preparations for the position competition began, the dorm saw people coming and going every day like Gangnam Station during rush hour.

One guy would leave and another would come in; two would leave, and only one would return. Some days, three guys who went to fulfill different schedules came back together, saying they met at the entrance.

I wasn’t too worried about Kang Giyeon. He got paired with Blider, and because he was so polite, it seemed he was being doted on a lot.

Kang Giyeon’s broad shoulders that never lose anywhere also helped. Surviving next to the original door-frame idols wouldn’t have been easy with an average physique.

Although Kang Giyeon was the shortest in Spark, he was above average in general. Fortunately, his height was similar to the person he partnered with.

Jeong Seongbin was paired with Parte. The image of him awkwardly exchanging numbers with Mr. Han Gawoon after filming ended was still fresh in my mind.

“How is the competition preparation going? Is it going well?”

I approached Jeong Seongbin, who was frying unsalted popcorn as always today, and asked.

“Of course. Sunbaenim takes great care of me.”

“Really?”

It didn’t seem like empty words; his expression didn’t look bad.

“More importantly, I’m worried about today’s reaction......”

Jeong Seongbin smiled bitterly. The first broadcast of “Idol Annals of the Dynasty” Season 2 was just around the corner.

Since the 1st competition where they recruited audience members, the community had been unsettled. Suspicion, once sprouted, pierced through the defense of non-disclosure agreements and spread silently.

≫ What’s with the talk about Parte copying Spark??

I could see it the other way around, but I don’t get why Parte would bother doing that.

└ Seems like they’re saying Parte copied Spark’s IAD Season 1, but not sure

≫ I haven’t said anything because the broadcast isn’t out yet

If it’s just me feeling something’s off, fine—but if everyone does? That’s reason enough to doubt, right?

└ Sparklers who went to the recording are definitely sharpening their knives...... ㅋㅋㅋㅠㅠ

└ How was the atmosphere on site??

└└ Worse than being hit with a bucket of cold water

└└└ After their stage ended, people were murmuring everywhere......

Once could be a coincidence. Sparklers, who had gone through many ups and downs in a short period, never judged hastily. It was probably because they learned that doing preemptive attacks when the damage wasn’t confirmed yet would do no good.

Sadly, Sparklers found out their ominous premonitions weren’t wrong.

≫ Parte Season 2 premiere outfit vs Spark Season 1 premiere outfit

Is it just me seeing similarities????

└ Spark’s stage outfit is even more similar......

└ Ah right;;;

≫ All this fuss over nothing, seriously

Like only they can wear white tees and jeans?

└ It’s like they rented out “youth” or something...... Did they really have to pick “artist you want to see again” and all that?

└ Honestly it’s lame, the team won first place, is there a reason to bring in the team below them~~

≫ I’m already pissed from episode 1, is that normal?

When the first round reviews came out, I thought maybe we were misreading because we had bad feelings toward them~ but wow, the possibility of it being fact skyrocketed

└ Just seeing the same points mentioned as weird in the reviews...... If coincidence repeats, it’s a ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) plan......

≫ Wish Sparklers would stop overreacting

Kim Iwol isn’t the only producing member among idols

Countless idols succeeded with refreshing concepts before Spark

Acting like they’re the only self-producing idols, wow the second-hand embarrassment seriously

└ If you’re embarrassed, turn off your phone. No one’s telling you “Please follow Spark’s every move!!!”

└ Yeah, Iwol isn’t the only producing member among idols. So who plans for Parte? Don’t tell me even the rapper just writes lyrics and calls it “self-produced”?

└ ㅋㅋSpark didn’t invent the fresh concept, that’s true, but didn’t Parte say they weren’t doing freshㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Didn’t they say they wouldn’t do obvious concepts? ^^

“Already a mess.”

At my words, everyone laughed awkwardly. Since it wasn’t an unexpected reaction, no one was greatly surprised or flustered.

Putting aside the real-time reaction that was in turmoil, we checked the broadcast. Definitely, with the set becoming prettier, the visual beauty improved significantly.

Spark wearing Hanbok in the set decorated with a full palace feel stood out exceptionally. Sitting on chairs with dancheong patterns wearing orange and white mixed Hanbok, they looked like snow-covered persimmons hanging on trees in an old palace garden.

Considering how dark competition program sets usually were, Spark had kept their outfits bright since Season 1. Seeing it now, it felt like the right choice. We’d worked so hard to keep Spark from blending into the background.

“If you copy that without a thought... of course people get mad.”

Watching Parte perform a bright, concert-encore rearrangement of Spark’s debut song, rather than the more famous original, made me snort.

When the group interview cut saying they prepared hard going back to their roots was cross-edited, I couldn’t even laugh.

Over the shoulder of Song Minil holding the mic, Han Gawoon was visible. He wore a faint smile, but he didn’t speak during the opening or the interview.

“Is the internal atmosphere bad?”

From what I felt when sharing the waiting room, the relationship between members didn’t look good. It seemed Mr. Han Gawoon took care of Song Minil’s mess since trainee days, so maybe he was just tired.

I looked alternately at Mr. Han Gawoon on the screen and Jeong Seongbin sitting next to me.

Although Jeong Seongbin didn’t seem like the type to lie.

I shouldn’t take my eyes off Jeong Seongbin at least until the position competition ended.

“This crappy life...”

After much suffering, Baek Haewon closed the workbook. For three hours straight, she’d done nothing but homework, unable to watch IAD.

It was the first time she’d ever been grateful that a survival show aired so late at night. Otherwise, she would’ve had to see Spark’s stage for the first time tomorrow morning on the shuttle bus.

She could watch the opening later. But she couldn’t tolerate herself watching the stage later than others. That single determination held Baek Haewon to the chair until now.

Fighting with her inner fiery self, Baek Haewon finally finished her homework. Now was the time to give herself a sweet reward.

When she hurriedly turned on the computer, one team had just finished their stage.

“Blider sunbaenims, so cool.......”

“Really. The presence is different.”

The scene of Park Juu and Jeong Seongbin clapping and admiring was captured on screen. Their fluffy cute appearance like cotton balls blooming in a snowfield made Baek Haewon’s heart race.

“They finally spent money on the set after all the hate.”

The Hanok window lattice background and dancheong patterns were bright and pretty. In Season 1, they trapped all the kids in cave-like places. The taste of success was apparent.

“Now for the last order. Spark, please prepare!”

Hellas Yur said, pointing to the stage. Already the last, the world was too unfair.

However, Baek Haewon’s despair was neatly swept away by the hem of the overcoat brushing past Kim Iwol’s neat gait.

It wasn’t a suit but a hanbok, not a sliver of ankle showed, and somehow it looked sexy. Truly incomprehensible.

Moreover, in-ears never seen before were plugged into the members’ ears. Custom ones!

“They wouldn’t even accept gifts when we begged!”

Tears of joy welled up. Isn’t that what fans want—to make sure their idols get everything everyone else gets?

Why should my idols have to sing live without even their own dedicated in-ears? If Spark weren’t a group that refused fan gifts, Baek Haewon would’ve held a hundred events. Even if it was obvious that all Sparklers would face defeat against Kim Iwol’s insistence!

The song was nothing like she expected from the outfits, but she still loved it. Spark fans had a deep-rooted belief that Spark would always do well. That pride was everything.

Matching the gayageum sound, Kang Giyeon wearing a white mask walked out. “With List” played with Korean traditional instruments was quite unique.

And above all......

“Kiyeon doing Korean dance is here......”

.....She finally beheld the legendary Korean-dance Kiyeon. For the first time, she truly understood what “I can die without regrets” meant.

How she’d envied Kang Giyeon’s middle school classmates all this time. As a soft orange light washed over his pale skin beneath the white mask, she felt like she’d briefly left this world.

The flowing hem of his clothes, both crisp and graceful, proved the unity of his movements. Mom, I guess I did study non-fiction hard. My vocabulary increased.

The admiration was brief.

With a clean motion, the mask slipped from Kang Giyeon’s hand and seemed to burn away. His lips curved up in a refreshing smile.

“Ready to play perfectly?”

Behind the members, a visual effect like flying sparks appeared.

The studio’s black background, the red lights from above, the flame effects, and Spark in white hanbok dancing slowly among them—it all reminded her of something she’d seen before.

“It’s Nakhwa Nori.”

A traditional festival often reposted on social media as a place people wanted to visit at least once.

The splendid photo of lighting a pre-made pillar while moving on a boat at night after sunset was recreated on stage.