When I Opened My Eyes I Was a Superstar - Chapter 111

# 111

Beautiful Person (2)

The day before, Do-wook’s first solo album title song, ‘Please Don’t Go’, was already released on the music charts and ranked first, heralding the ‘Kang Do-wook craze’.

‘Is this what singing a song alone feels like?’

Dowook stood alone on the stage.

It was my first time feeling this way because I was always with the members on stage.

The stage seemed too wide. I looked to the right and left, but there was no one.

Dowook looked straight ahead. When it was KK, the number of people in the audience could easily be 3,400. Dowook was also a little nervous about how many fans would come today.

In front, there were many fans holding keyring cheering tools. The audience was filled with Do-wook’s personal fans alone.

Initially, the number of people expected by KVS music broadcasting was about 100, but so many fans flocked that the number was increased significantly.

Having a solo debut stage at KVS was one of Director Cho Myung-guk’s other conditions.

This was a condition that was put forward when Do-wook said that it was impossible to appear on ’48 Hours Camping’ because he was preparing for a solo career. Do-wook felt the need to continue to maintain a good relationship with Director Myung-guk Cho. Director Myung-guk Cho was a smart person who used that image to push things forward even though he appeared to be a reckless and light-hearted person.

As Seok Ji-hoon, a member of KK, was selected as a regular performer on KVS-centered entertainment, it was Director Cho Myung-guk who spoke frankly about forming a friendly relationship with KK or Hit Entertainment in the future.

Considering that MVS and some broadcasting and newspaper companies are joining hands with Ara Entertainment, Dowook had no reason to refuse unless it was an unfair or illegal relationship.

‘All of those people…’

My heart sank when I saw the fans with their eyes shining only at me. These and other thoughts passed by.

‘I went from singing in my heart in a smelly corner of a bathroom to the point where I can now sing alone.’

Although he was in the body of ‘Kang Do-wook’, Do-wook was now Do-wook himself.

Do-wook’s spirit even changed the body of ‘Kang Do-wook’. It had a completely different atmosphere than before.

Even though he was standing alone, Dowook had an aura that seemed to fill the stage. The audience, overwhelmed by Do-wook standing still and staring straight ahead, waited for Do-wook to start singing.

After a moment of silence, the sound of piano keys began to resonate.

The way the piano sound cut through the silence was similar to the feeling of wind blowing and ripples on a calm lake.

Even though they were fans who had already listened to the released music, when the song started, they felt a strong resonance in their hearts as if they were hearing it for the first time.

Dowook’s voice was so desperate.

What if you leave me behind?

I’m standing here lonely with all the beautiful memories.

Don’t go, please don’t go –

The precise pitch and appropriate technique were added to clearly convey what the song was trying to convey.

As the pitch of the sound rose and the emotions became deeper, the fans in the audience who were cheering for Do-wook but at the same time holding their breath to better hear Do-wook’s voice felt uncontrollable.

It was because of Dowook’s song that seemed to be sung to him. The feeling of loneliness was conveyed very well.

Among the sensitive girls, some had already moistened their eyes.

“Why are you so sad…”

Fan muttered as the song came to an end, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. The friend next to him handed a tissue to his tearful friend.

“Hey… why are you crying…”

The situation was no different for the friend who consoled him. My voice trembled.

Dowook has always been a brilliant singer in the spotlight, but he seemed like a ‘human being’ who was lonely and painful just like them.

It was sad and comforting at the same time.

“Is this live?”

On one hand, people were wondering if it was live. There was not a single breathy sound mixed in with the song that seemed to melt your eardrums. It was a song that felt like ‘chewing on a CD’.

“Of course it’s live. By the way, Dowook oppa seems to be in good condition today. “The face and the song.”

“Are there times when you’re not in a good mood?”

“but. “No.”

People who were talking because they thought the performance was over looked at the stage in surprise.

This was because Dowook took off the jacket of the suit he was wearing.

The bluish suit that was Dowook’s outfit today was sponsored by Markrus, one of the world’s best luxury brands.

Markrus Korea has expressed its intention to sponsor not only the suit but also the shoes and accessories Do-wook wears. It was Marcus from head to toe. Of course, there were also props from other luxury brands mixed in here and there.

It was the stylist team of Han Jeong-ah, Do-wook’s personal stylist, who requested sponsorship from Markrus. This was because the concepts of this activity matched very well with Marcus’s new season costumes.

Han Jeong-ah decided that if Do-wook was there, Marcus would also be able to sponsor him. It was a decision I made after thinking about the reaction when I visited New York Fashion Week.

Since Markrus is a name, it was not a place where celebrity sponsorships often took place. During awards season, we often sponsored suits only for big actors.

That’s why I tried to reject Team Leader Han Jeong-ah’s offer. Even though KK had the image of a fashionista and unlike other idols, Dowook’s image was not light, it was a brand policy that was difficult to break.

However, after hearing about Marcus Korea’s issues, the head office actively encouraged Dowook to sponsor new season products during his activity period as a new attempt.

People at Markrus headquarters saw Do-wook’s appearance in ‘Bomb’ magazine after his photo was taken at the Markrus fashion show.

Of course, you could also spend money to buy costumes from Marcus or other brands and use them as stage costumes. However, it felt like the brand had acknowledged the sponsorship. It was a different concept.

Do-wook, who wore luxury brands that are not often used on stage, was more flashy and luxurious than anyone else appearing on today’s KVS music broadcast.

The white shirt attached to the body that was revealed when the jacket was taken off was also luxurious itself, but it was Dowook’s body, not the shirt, that fans cheered.

The well-toned chest muscles were clearly visible.

As the bass boomed and the beat of the new song began, the mesmerized fans couldn’t help but cheer.

“Kyaaaa—!”

“Oppa Dowook!!!”

“Do-Wook! Argh—!!!”

‘Please Don’t Go’ was not the only stage that Dowook would reveal on today’s KVS music broadcast.

Dowook’s latest solo album was released in two versions. There were two titles there. After leaving the group, I made my first solo debut and even had two titles. Anyone who saw it could not help but feel great confidence.

There seemed to be a reason for his confidence just because he had succeeded in working with Lee Kun-woo.

In addition to the ballad song ‘Please Don’t Go’, the song Dowook prepared was a dance song. Ballad and dance two titles. It also gave me confidence that I could do well in any genre.

And that confidence had an accurate basis.

Dowook began the choreography by stamping his feet to the rhythm.

Cry cry don’t cry darling!

All you have to do is come here and run with the wind!

While KK’s previous dance songs were of a genre close to hip-hop, Dowook’s solo dance song ‘Darling’ was a song that made use of a jazzy atmosphere.

With fast footwork as if he were doing a tap dance, Dowook chanted lyrics that seemed to comfort his lover.

It was a live performance in which the body moved quickly but did not shake at all. It was a situation where everyone could be suspected of having installed AR.

However, while preparing for this solo dance song, Do-wook was well aware that he would have to sing alone a song that had been shared by several people.

Even if you sing with the same vocal volume, the better you sing with your mouth centered around the microphone when dancing, the better the sound will come together and a clear sound like AR will be produced without even breathing noises.

Do-wook constantly researched and honed even those techniques.

Hey! (Hey!) Darling! (Darling!)

Take my hand!

By the time it reached the chorus, the fans were singing along as if they were mesmerized.

Dowook rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and waved flexibly while making a gesture of checking his watch. The choreography of rolling up the sleeves to show off masculinity was a choreography created with great effort by the choreographer.

Every time Dowook moved, his long, cross-shaped silver earrings fluttered. Although it may have been an unsophisticated item, it looked very sophisticated.

At the moment when the silver earrings fluttering from his ears were shining, Do-wook winked at the camera and the performance of two songs in a row came to an end.

“Aaaahhh!”

“Aaaah!!!”

“oh my god!”

“Amazing, Great!!!”

“You’re crazy… you’re crazy…”

“Do-wook Kang!”

“Kang Do-wook!”

“Kang Do-wook!”

When the stage ended, cheers erupted. Even though Do-wook was going down the stage, the cheers of fans chanting Do-wook’s name showed no sign of ending.

Dowook’s entire body was damp with sweat. I was so excited that my toes were tingling.

Do-wook seemed to be possessed by something, going back and forth between nervousness and excitement.

‘Well… did you do it?’

As he headed to the waiting room, Dowook glanced back. He could see fans chanting his name.

Dowook, who had poured out all his energy on stage, looked exhausted but smiled sincerely and happily.

People cheered on their performance. I could vaguely see happy faces.

‘thank god.’

***

The reaction of those who watched Do-wook’s performance on air was also explosive.

The second title song ‘Darling’, which was released at the same time, also ranked first. As time passed, Dowook’s two songs, ‘Darling’ and ‘Please Don’t Go’, were competing for first and second place in the chart rankings.

Coincidentally, the chart ranking of the special music released by Sabang Shinhwa stayed in the top 30, proving that the idol music powerhouses are KK and Do-wook.

This was an example that clearly showed what the athlete meant when he said, ‘My only rival is myself.’

Even though the atmosphere of the two songs was completely different, they did not lose their unity to be included in one album, so the critics’ reviews were good.

The stage video was praised enough to spark live controversy. People were even saying that they could leave KK and do it on their own.

“Do-Wook! congratulations!”

“Great!”

“You were really the best.”

It was the KK members who greeted Dowook when he returned to the waiting room.

The members came to the waiting room just in time for Do-wook’s stage to end and were waiting for him. It was an attempt to support Dowook.

“Thank you. thank you.”

Dowook greeted each of the members. They were members who shared various concerns and helped me as if it were their own work until I released my solo album.

Although Dowook was the one who practically did everything, the members’ support was a great help.

Dowook was truly grateful for the members who selflessly supported his success. If the members had not been cooperative, Dowook, who is also a member of KK, would have had many difficulties releasing his solo album.

In other groups, this was usually the time when creaking noises between members occurred, but there was no noise within KK.

“Ah, on a day like this, you can’t miss taking pictures! Let’s take a picture! “Please take a picture of me.”

After hearing Ahn Hyeong-seo’s words, Gu Cheol-min picked up the cell phone.

The members stood in a line. Dowook was holding a bouquet of flowers delivered by the members.

“One, two, three!”

The moment Koo Cheol-min said ‘three’, I pressed the button.

***

Dowook’s first solo schedule, excluding music broadcasts, was a photo shoot.

Arriving at a studio in Cheongdam-dong, Do-wook was entering the studio alone while his manager, Gu Cheol-min, parked the car. The

original scheduled time was 3 o’clock, but Do-wook arrived at about 2:45 because he wanted to come early and prepare.

Do-wook, who was walking up the stairs, stopped when he heard the sound of words coming from the upstairs hallway.

I could hear a conversation between people who seemed to be an editor and a photographer.

“Kang Do-wook?”

“ok. I had a jacket photo taken last time. K.K. He was polite and okay. “Please write a good article.”

“What about manners?”

“Why… everyone is praising me.”

“That? It’s all pretense.”