Chapter 279: First Full Album (15)

“I really put a lot of effort into writing that as beautiful as I could.”

“You

wrote that, hyung? But your handwriting is terrible.”

“Yeah, but it turned out pretty good, didn’t it? It looks like it was written by a successful businessman.”

Goh Yoo-Joon was admiring his own handwriting in the video and laughed off Jin-Sung’s comment about his typically poor penmanship.

In the video, Goh Yoo-Joon had just finished writing on the chalkboard and was now stepping back with a stern expression. His face was a mix of complex emotions.

The camera then focused solely on the chalkboard's message and gradually faded to darkness. On the black screen, the words “Phantom Spirit (幻想靈)” appeared in white before slowly disappearing.

The scene shifted to a pastel-colored dance set featuring a close-up of me. The background gradually darkened as the camera pulled back to include all the members.

The music began playing. The choreography video commenced with us dancing, intermittently showing fleeting glimpses of someone running.

? Nightmares are rampant,

I sink into this place,

The more you meet me,

The larger my presence grows

The alternating shots of the choreography and someone running fully transitioned to just the runner. The camera moved up from the runner’s legs and revealed Yoon-Chan's face stricken with terror as he ran.

“Yoon-Chan really looks scared, huh?"

“Ah, I look like that because... I was tired from running so much earlier..."

Goh Yoo-Joon laughed at Yoon-Chan’s explanation. He said that whenever he saw that scene, he would only remember how exhausted Yoon-Chan had been during filming.

“This time, the mood is very grim. Isn't the music video scary already, even though it barely started?"

“That’s what I’m saying! Well, no one filmed anything scary, right?" Jin-Sung asked while half-hiding behind me.

The other members just laughed without replying to him.

“Why isn't anyone answering? Did you film something scary?"

No one did. But we didn’t respond.

Meanwhile, the music video scene shifted from Yoon-Chan to what could be considered the center of the narrative: a flower field.

“Wow! Who could that be?"

“Rings will probably guess right away!"

Lee Jin-Sung was smiling at someone across from him in his fantasy world. The stranger was also looking at him. A black shirt could be seen underneath the white cape that covered the stranger entirely, their face hidden underneath the hood of the cape.

“..."

That was me. I pretended to focus on the music video while ignoring the members' teasing and attempts at pretending they didn’t know who that was.

“Who could it be? Who is that? That guy has a nice head shape from the back!"

Jin-Sung and I shook hands. The camera slowly zoomed in on our clasped hands. Between the palms of Jin-Sung and mine was a pocket watch that had appeared in every music video so far.

? In the darkness beyond the night,

I wait for you to find me

When you awaken,

Let's dance in the fantasy

The camera showed Joo-Han playing the piano. He circled the piano slowly and pressed a key to test it. Then, he moved away from it, pacing broadly around the room.

The pastel pink background had somehow turned murky. Joo-Han’s expression was hard to read, as if he was hesitating about something.

“Wow, I really don't get it. I try to understand what’s going on, but I feel lost already,” I said.

Yoon-Chan nodded in agreement. “If it's not your own scene, it’s hard to know what it's about."

“Right."

? In my world, you gradually

Rise up

The video continued to alternate between scenes of Yoon-Chan running until the first verse and chorus, Goh Yoo-Joon sitting desolately in a club room chair, Lee Jin-Sung being with a stranger—in this case, me—and Joo-Han hesitating in the flower field.

After the chorus ended, the music paused. The flower field was shown. The silence in the video was broken when the veiled person and Jin-Sung, who had been holding hands, grinned at each other. Jin-Sung then released the watch and my hand and stepped back, vanishing.

An exclamation involuntarily escaped Goh Yoo-Joon. “Waaah, what a mood. This is seriously no joke..."

The atmosphere of the music video was profound, mysterious, and eerie. Despite the members usually making comments, no one was speaking anymore since we were all absorbed in the video.

Creak—

A metallic noise followed by the repetitive sound of a music box could be heard. The camera focused on a watch barely hanging onto my wrist, swinging loosely.

Creak—

Another metallic sound was heard. The screen briefly darkened before lighting up again, showing Jin-Sung, as if reenacting his presence in the middle of the flower field where he always stood.

The sound of a music box was heard again. I finally pulled down the veil that was covering my face. The previously unknown man looked at the camera expressionlessly. As if a great secret was revealed, the person was, of course, me. A dramatic sound effect played.

“Ooooh!!!"

“Whoa! Suh Hyun-Woo!"

“Yes, that man was me, haha." I awkwardly said as I was jostled around by Jin-Sung, who was gripping and vigorously shaking my shoulder.

From that moment on, the color palette of the music video changed dramatically. The song started playing again. Night had fallen at the school where Goh Yoo-Joon and Yoon-Chan were. The previously dim sky was strangely changing its color. Slowly but noticeably, it shifted to the pastel pink that had been representative of the fantasy world until now.

In contrast, the background of the fantasy world itself crumbled and gradually darkened as if the world was collapsing.

? The moon shines like winter,

Can I still see you even in the darkness?

Even if you are from another world,

I can love you without any problems

I was standing in the flower field and was holding the cane that Jin-Sung had used. I was wearing the badge he had worn. I was on the screen every time the screen transitioned.

Goh Yoo-Joon was sitting in the empty clubroom, looking around regretfully as the sky changed.

“Something is changing in the world now. What could that be?" Joo-Han narrated as if he was the center of attention in that scene.

Goh Yoo-Joon slowly stood up and opened the door of the clubroom. The corridor outside the clubroom through the window was also turning into pastel colors. He hesitated for a moment before calmly stepping out.

The clubroom door closed. The camera showed the empty school hallway without any trace of Goh Yoo-Joon.

“Wow, it changed so much. That must have been tough to shoot."

Jin-Sung gave a thumbs-up above his head. “We filmed in a completely dark environment. I really respect the producers."

Then, Yoon-Chan, who had been running all day in the video, suddenly stopped in front of the school. He was visibly confused about how he ended up there as he looked at the school with a defeated expression.

The pastel-colored sky was reflected in Yoon-Chan’s eyes. He was about to step back in complete terror, but hesitated when he heard someone’s footsteps. Reluctantly, he stepped inside through the wide-open school gate.

“Yoon-Chan really ran all day that day."

“Even watching the music video makes you breathe hard. Good job, Yoon-Chan."

“Yoon-Chan got sick after that day."

“No, it was manageable. It felt like I worked out for a long time."

“...You are too kind."

I patted Yoon-Chan on the head and back. He had been sore for days from the muscle strain, yet he said it was okay. This truly was a testament to his kindness.

Someone chasing Yoon-Chan was caught on camera. Yoon-Chan avoided the owner of the footsteps and went deeper into the dark school building. The music video then switched to show me standing in the collapsing world of the flower field. I opened my eyes and looked at the camera before the scene changed again.

? I wait for this night

Even as dawn breaks,

I await your illusion,

And whisper eternal love

The song halted, and with it, so did the whirlwind of emotions it expressed.

Creak—

Yoon-Chan gasped for air as he opened a door somewhere that led to a classroom.

“Haah...

huff..."

His eyes wavered. This all-too-familiar place was the clubroom.

[He betrayed us]

Yoon-Chan stared blankly at the phrase Goh Yoo-Joon had left behind. The person who had been following Yoon-Chan into the classroom closed the door. Yoon-Chan got startled and turned around. The camera slowly moved up from the pursuer’s feet to reveal their identity.

It was Lee Jin-Sung, dressed just as he was in the fantasy world.

[He is not a friend]

White letters appeared on a black screen. Again, the scene showed an empty school without any signs of Goh Yoo-Joon and Park Yoon-Chan. The sports field was shown. I was dressed in a black shirt and wore a badge, looking at the flames inside a burning drum under a darkened real-world sky. There were no emotions on my face as I watched the fire.

I raised my hand to drop something into the flames before walking back into the school building. The burning items were the name tags of Goh Yoo-Joon, Lee Jin-Sung, and Park Yoon-Chan.

Joo-Han was watching me from the rooftop in his fantasy world attire. The screen darkened once more, and white letters carved another message.

[Guilt]

[Longing for lost memories]

[I will willingly live with it]

[For my brother—]

I walked into the clubroom and erased the phrase ‘He betrayed us’ written on the chalkboard. The tears fell spontaneously from my eyes, but the director made them appear as if they were part of the production. With that, the music video concluded.

“...Yes, it’s over.”

As the ending credits rolled, Joo-Han stopped the video and began to rouse the members one by one. We were all lost in the afterglow of the clip.

“Alright, everyone. Let’s share some thoughts. What did you think about it?”