On the day of Testa's Seoul encore concert.
A graduate student stepping into Gocheok Sky Dome wore a faint smile.
At last… my first concert…!
Because the encore was on a Saturday, she had just barely managed to make time. Finally, a chance to enjoy a concert without any spoilers.
A grad student at the crossroads of either continuing to a PhD or job-hunting with her master's degree—but today, she had only one concern.
Will I be able to see Mundae well? This really is the best seat, right?
Yes. She had managed to grab a ticket for the protruding stage front row—a truly legendary spot. The very section that last time had caused controversy when Season 4 of Ajusa took it all up.
Her friend, who always took photos of Park Mundae, had practically wept tears of envy while congratulating her.
- Just got in. My heart's about to explode ㅠㅠㅠ
Replying to her friend, who had arrived earlier, she sat down at her own seat. Her heart really did feel like it might burst.
Since encore concerts usually reused most of the setlist and staging, she already had a good idea what she was in for.
At least four songs right in front of the protruding stage…!
Clutching her light stick, she waited for the show, thrilled by the thought of watching Park Mundae perform so close.
And then—
"Uwaaaaa!!"
"Whooooaaa!!"
Amid the adrenaline-fueled cheers of the crowd, she screamed too.
Ahhh, I love this so much!!
From her central, unobstructed view, the concert felt almost like an art piece.
"Park Mundae!! Mundae!!"
Like the solo performance that had just finished.
Mundae had ditched the chair used in the tour and showed a performance floating in midair with nothing beneath him. From her angle, the intention behind the staging was crystal clear.
Swirling waves of bold-colored fabrics, the fleeting longing drifting in the air as fabric fell under the lights.
The grad student nodded solemnly, muttering her fangirl creed.
Park Mundae is… a genius.
And the emotions striking her weren't only because of the seat.
Mundae's gotten so much better.
Even sharper than last time. The sound system was the same, but somehow his voice hit harder—raw, emotional, undeniable.
If she had been online, she would've seen fans echoing her thoughts:
- I was lying in bed and started clapping
- No more excuses about bad audio quality, even through potato mics Mundae's a god LOL
- Am I the only one who thought that live was better than the album?
- Please release a DVD for the encore too
The more immersive he became, the stronger the emotions in the performance.
Even Mundae himself, just backstage after removing the stage rig, could feel it.
"…Haaah."
His hands trembled—not from pain or strain, but from lingering aftershocks.
It was like being drowned in emotion and then hauled back up. The emptiness and clarity overwhelmed him.
Still… it was a better choice than I thought.
He was satisfied with the stage he had just done. Diving straight into immersion without hesitation lifted him higher. Especially for such a chilling, desperate song performed alone.
Stronger than usual.
To steady himself, Mundae sipped an ion drink, trying to clear his head.
"Mu–Mundae! You're not hurt anywhere, are you…?"
"I'm fine."
"R–Really? Thank goodness… But if you do feel anything, promise you'll tell us!"
"I will."
"O–Okay! …Ah! That last stage, Flower Crescent Moon, was amazing…!"
"Yeah. Thanks. You were great too."
Listening to Seon Ahyeon's worried chatter while changing costumes, Mundae realized time was slipping.
Unit stage right before the encore.
"Seven minutes left!"
Concert time always flew by faster than expected. He braced himself.
Do it right.
Resolute, he walked through the corridor to wait beneath the stage.
And when Ryu Cheongwoo's solo reached its climax, he walked out again, diving back into immersion.
Now the concert rolled into its second half.
Title tracks passed, then the playful impromptu stages, and the audience reveled in the rare offline experience.
But they all knew.
From past VOD replays, this meant the concert was entering its final stretch. And that meant the highly anticipated unit stages—the ones hyped by Testa's reality show—were about to begin.
The setlist hasn't changed much!
Yeah, they must've put a lot into the unit stages this time…
As recycled VCR footage played, fans were already buzzing in calculation. And right on cue—
[Falling—like autumn stars, I fall, fall, fallen to you.]
First up: Seon Ahyeon and Ryu Cheongwoo.
An unusual combination that delighted the crowd. They sang the debut song of senior idol group T-Holic with refreshing charm.
Oh~ this is good! thought the grad student, a Mundae fan but an honest critic.
Next came Bae Sejin, Lee Sejin, and Kim Raebin.
[Targeting you, my enemy. I won't miss, my enemy.]
They pulled off a fierce girl group concept with spot-on part division.
That's cool too.
Both unit stages felt bigger, grander than the first concert's versions. The scale made the grad student's heart race.
That means… Mundae's next…!
The better the previous stages were, the higher her expectations soared for Park Mundae and Cha Yujin's finale.
Even SNS was buzzing about it!
Of course, if she'd dug deeper online, she would've seen fans nervously biting their nails with worry. But she wasn't that plugged in. All she had was pure, unfiltered anticipation.
Then—
The screen went dark.
Ding—
A grandfather clock tolled. Suddenly, the stage lights came up.
Standing in sharp formation with eight dancers on a black-and-white stage was the tall figure of Cha Yujin.
Mundae…?
Before the thought was complete, music crashed in.
Listen!
No matter how hard I think about it,
I cannot hold it—
A lively electro-swing beat kicked off. Yujin led the dancers, dressed to kill in a black shirt, harness, and jewelry chain—unmistakably a soloist.
Why, why~ are you not a monster?
Cha Yujin was dazzling.
Sparkling lights, nimble vocals, glitter explosions woven into the choreography—he was possessed, reveling in the stage.
The crowd screamed without pause.
So when Yujin strode to the side, the grad student finally realized—
Wait, but where's Mundae??
But Yujin dove straight into the chorus. A hook song, the iconic part repeated four times.
Monster, monster, you got me so, I grabbed you, bebe, babe—
The choreography was impossibly intricate, but Yujin danced like it was nothing. The spotlight devoured him.
And then—
Vrooom—!
The sleek electronic arrangement cut off. In its place thundered a wild orchestral band.
"…?!"
Before anyone could react, the backdrop split open in a blaze of light.
From within rolled out a massive golden throne on a blue carpeted platform.
And seated lazily upon it, in a conspicuous school uniform and glasses—was Park Mundae.
What the—?!
With an expression of brooding anguish, he began to sing.
Yes…
Even the thought of it,
I can't endure you any longer—
It was the same pop song, but adapted into Korean.
His clear, resonant voice carried it with slightly exaggerated emotion.
Wait… this sounds familiar.
The grad student blinked. Then it hit her.
This is… a musical number!
The song Monster Baby was famous not just as a pop hit but also as part of a jukebox musical.
You're hardly even human!
Mundae, dressed neatly in a school uniform, embodied the deranged student trapped in a 17th-century gothic castle.
And it didn't stop there.
Woo-woo-woo~
Figures in elaborate period costumes swarmed around him, dancing and singing chorus lines.
It was unmistakably a musical ensemble.
Even fans unfamiliar with the reference quickly caught on: they were watching a musical reenactment.
The audience gasped, then gave in, swept along by sheer force.
Monster, monster, drag me in, pull me closer, yes, like that—!
Mundae sang while perched on the massive throne as the ensemble moved it in sync with the story. The lighting, feathers, dizzying theatrical elements all collided—while his voice split the hall like a blade.
The crowd roared with applause.
But was this even a unit stage? It felt more like a solo battle.
Isn't this just… two soloists clashing?
And then—
Whirr!
The interlude shook, and Cha Yujin stormed back in with his dancers, this time in sharp black-and-white suits.
They shoved aside Mundae's throne and ensemble, reclaiming center stage.
The musical set slid away—and the beat slammed back in.
Bababam!
Yujin and his dancers pulled out staffs, snapping and connecting them with each move, glowing with neon light.
"Whoa."
Light drones swarmed above, amplifying his every gesture. Yujin smirked, handling them like living creatures.
bebe, babe!
The chorus climaxed again—only for Mundae to charge back in, throne and all.
Crossing his arms atop the golden chair, he dropped in a chandelier, blasting light across the stage.
Today again I thought, I can't endure you any longer!
The lyrics hit with perfect timing.
The audience erupted into laughter—not mockery, but sheer delight at the audacious spectacle.
The clashing aesthetics—electro-swing soloist vs. bombastic musical theater—turned into shamelessly meta humor. And because both Yujin and Mundae carried it so straight-faced, the stage was electric.
Finally, they barreled together onto the protruding stage for the final chorus.
Electro beats fused with orchestral blasts, creating a festival-like chaos.
Monster, monster, bebe, babe!
Original lyrics and Korean adaptation overlapped, dancers and ensemble colliding, Yujin on the golden throne while Mundae danced with drones.
The energy spiraled to madness.
Boom!
Fireworks burst as the final chorus and choreography reached their peak.
The crowd shrieked like it was part of the performance.
The grad student smacked her light stick against her palm in wild applause.
It was only on her way home, an hour later, that she realized the performance had lasted barely four minutes and twenty seconds.
Backstage.
"That was insane! Insane!"
"Got it."
Cha Yujin, still buzzing, shook Mundae's shoulder, chanting the same words. He had loved it that much.
Mundae understood. He was surprised too.
I can't believe that worked.
It was a setup that could've fallen flat without nerves of steel, but there hadn't been a trace of awkwardness.
Thought it would flop, but I guess it was worthy of S-rank.
He almost wanted to skip the VCR break and keep performing nonstop.
"Let's do it again! A hundred times! That was insane!"
"…Not quite. Let go."
"Fine, fine. Let's reset formation first!"
"Yeah."
He couldn't waste energy here. He needed to stay sharp until the very end.
Because beyond this crazy unit stage, one more event remained.
…This really is the end.
Thirty minutes left until the concert's finish.
The status abnormality's release was finally within reach.
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