While the adults were all standing together, looking at their smartphones, Yeonwoo couldn’t see the video and could only hear the song. Instead, she could see the fairies popping out of the smartphones.
The fairies that appeared in sync with the beat and melody were blue and red.
It was strange.
It was rare for them to appear simultaneously.
Normally, the blue fairy would emerge first, and only when dissonance erupted would the red fairy follow.
But this time, every time a blue fairy popped up, a red fairy clung to it, revealing themselves together.
Yeonwoo understood why just by listening.
‘Did someone mess with it?’
Someone had tampered with a perfectly good song.
Why ruin the music with unnecessary changes?
Though Yeonwoo had been nervous—Taeni was a massive company, after all, and even her aunt and Aunt Alice seemed intimidated—she now felt relieved.
The sheer number of fairies proved her song had won.
So she boldly announced to Alice, “Auntie, we won.”
Yet Alice’s expression remained tense.
Probably due to the adults’ politics.
Her aunt, Aunt Alice, and every grown-up around cared only about “adult matters”: company tiers, idol tiers, fandom sizes.
Yeonwoo didn’t get it.
Wasn’t everything solvable with a good song?
A great song would top streaming charts, attract more listeners, gain fans, make money—and eventually, Hadas and the company would grow.
She shared this with Jiyeong.
Jiyeong patted her head fondly. “Topping charts isn’t just about the song. It’s fandom wars too.”
“But I’ve topped charts before.”
“That was because of Kim Beomshin…”
“Auntie said he was washed up back then too.”
“Well… true.”
“It’ll work out.”
Jiyeong nodded. “Right. This is a song you made. Just don’t let her panic onstage.”
She glanced toward the stage.
The debut showcase was moments away.
Rehearsals done. Checks complete.
All that remained was flipping the live switch.
A sizable crowd had gathered for the performance—even BSK’s official YouTube live stream already had 10,000 viewers.
Wait, it hasn’t started yet. Ten thousand?
Jiyeong skimmed the chat:
-Is this the rookie group trying to rival Ladies?
-LOL delulu much
-Nah, they never claimed that. Trashy reporters dragged Alice into it for clicks.
-Anyway, cheers to 10k viewers at a rookie showcase LOL
-That them?
-Their visuals slap tho
-Kim Beomshin trained them—bet they can sing?
-“Talented idols” my ass
-Says who?
-They hyped themselves up LOL
-“Talented” idols? Still just idols smh
-Unnie, thoughts? I kinda like them
-A girl stanning a girl group??
-Netkama vibes
-Nah, she’s legit.
-Girls dominate stanning for boy and girl groups LOL
-Male fandoms = numbers. Female stans = $$$
-Not prettier than Ladies
-Hard disagree.
-Ladies are mid-late 20s. These babies look fresher LOL
-Still can’t beat Ladies
-STFU Ladies slanderer
-Ladies are early-mid 20s, dumbass. Do research.
-Where you live? I’ll fight you
-Yikes, chat’s toxic now
-Ladies fandom’s here.
-They’re just here to hate-watch LOL
-Brace for troll spam.
Most chatter revolved around Ladies.
“The marketing team must be thrilled,” Jiyeong muttered.
They put so much effort into filming and editing the teaser and photoshoot, but in reality, most people didn’t come because they were interested in that. Instead, they came to watch the fight between the Ladies’ fandom and reporters, drawn by the latter’s provocations.
Still, thanks to that, 30,000 people had gathered by the time the members stepped onto the stage.
“Maybe all this trolling… isn’t entirely bad?”
As I tried to stay positive, Hadas’ performance finally began.
The upgraded intro rearranged by Yeonwoo flowed through the venue, and the Hadas members started dancing.
The choreography by Jabbawockeez, a top American dance team, fully embodied Ellis’s concept of freedom.
Though their formations appeared orderly, each member’s dance style differed.
Yeonwoo watched the fairies hovering around him fly onto the stage, new ones materializing in their wake.
They emitted synchronized blue light as they danced alongside the members.
It was nothing short of spectacular.
From among the dancing fairies, Dahyun—the main vocalist—stepped forward and began singing.
While Yeonwoo stared transfixed at the stage, Jiyoung monitored both the performance and the live chat.
Ellis did the same.
The only real-time feedback came from the audience’s expressions and YouTube Live’s chat window:
Song’s good?
Insanely fresh.
The track itself is great but feels totally new?
What’s with this melody tho
Wait, what IS this? Unfamiliar but SO GOOD?
The reactions burned hot from the first note.
“Yes. This is it.”
Unless tone-deaf, no one could miss this song’s uniqueness.
Fly High used common chord progressions yet sounded wholly original—a melody that hooked the ears despite its strangeness.
Now everything hinged on Hadas’ vocals.
Truthfully, Fly High was brutally difficult even without its climactic chorus.
They had to sing while dancing.
Without AR, catching breath alone would be a struggle.
But Ellis had played her ultimate card:
No MR. Pure live vocals on a broadcasted showcase stage.
For months, Hadas had endured grueling training alongside vocal practice—all to expand lung capacity.
Why such extremes?
Ladies couldn’t do this even WITH AR…
Outsinging Ladies’ main vocal? Wild.
No wonder they’re under Kim Beomshin. Vocals no joke.
Holy—
A nugurook group with no agency backing or fandom could only counter Ladies—their polar opposites—with one weapon: raw skill.
That, and individuality.
Unlike Taein’s formula of copy-pasted vocals, Hadas thrived through distinct voices—from main vocalists to rappers—each member radiating unique color.
Yet none sacrificed singing ability, unlike Ladies’ designated roles.
Chaewon’s a dancer? Somin’s the rapper?
Yeah.
Why they sing better than Ladies’ main vocalist????
Their skills are LEGIT.
Now I get why they challenged Ladies lol. Damn.
Ladies’ name kept flooding the chat.
How could you criticize a group where even dancers sang this well?
But this wasn’t their finale.
They hadn’t unveiled their true weapon.
The flawless harmony Yeonwoo demanded during recording—practiced relentlessly for live performance.
Time to unleash it.
Everyone who knew the song tensed as the climax approached.
Dahyun raised her voice, crying “Freedom!”—the signal.
Four voices layered over hers as stage lights and screens depicted them soaring skyward.
The climax’s high-note harmony didn’t just dominate the stage—it shattered it.
Jiyoung and Ellis simultaneously glanced at Yeonwoo.
They believed they’d perfected it, but the composer’s ears were merciless.
Ellis craved his approval more than fans’ cheers or Kim Beomshin’s praise.
Yeonwoo stared unblinking at the stage.
Blue fairies erupted with dazzling light, ascending alongside the members’ high notes.
An electric shiver raced from his scalp to his toes.
A primal thrill he’d never experienced.
Yeonwoo smiled brightly without realizing it.
At that impossibly beautiful smile, Alice let out a sigh of relief.
A single expression spoke louder than a hundred words.
After Ladies’ comeback showcase and Hadas’ debut showcase occurred on the same day in overlapping time slots, the gossip reporters’ articles vanished as though they’d never existed.
Ladies, true to form, announced their comeback by appearing on music shows and variety programs, effortlessly drawing the spotlight.
They flooded popular YouTube channels, churned out countless shorts, and uploaded endless clips of their appearances to InGradeDong—solidifying their status as top-tier idols.
Hadas, meanwhile, embraced their rookie status. They debuted on music shows and promoted steadily on popular YouTuber channels, showcasing their skills with quiet determination.
But the gap between the two groups was undeniable.
Ladies had announced a concert for their first full album coinciding with their comeback. Tickets sold out in five minutes.
Their albums, packed with member photocards, flew off the shelves.
These sales propelled Ladies to immediate music show wins post-comeback.
But that’s where the triumph ended.
Seriously, isn’t this song garbage?
Absolute trash.
Same composer as their hit digital single—what happened this time? ;;
Legit trash. ;;
This is the title track?
Outside their fandom, public opinion deemed the song mediocre. Rankings nosedived whenever fans stopped mass-streaming.
Ladies fell from 1st on the daily chart within two days, plunging to 6th by day three, 8th by day four, and 12th by day five.
Never in their history had their chart positions collapsed so rapidly.
Panicked, Ladies rushed to prepare a second title track.
Meanwhile…
“I’m delaying Hadas’ second single… the one we planned to drop next week.”
Alice, who’d intended to release Hadas’ second digital single just a week after the first, paused her plans.
Why?
Five days.
When Ladies tumbled out of the top 10, Hadas—starting at 86th—climbed into the top 10 within those same five days.
Hadas, once dismissed as collateral damage in Ladies’ shadow, had reversed public opinion through sheer musicality.
[Rookie Sensation HaDas: Talent Shines in K-Pop’s Crowded Scene!]
[Fly High Soars: Rankings Skyrocket!]
[Fly High Enters Top 10—Can It Claim #1?]
[No Fandom, No Problem: BSK Lets the Music Speak!]
And just like that, all eyes turned to them.
