Idol Revive: If I Don't Debut, I'll Disappear
Chapter 172: Phantom Thieves

Chapter 172: Phantom Thieves

Team Seven Flowers stood up from their seats. Feeling a bit choked up, Rayen fixed the collar of his body suit and did a few more tweaks on his clothes before heading down to the stage.

...

The old man grumbled, his white beard quivering in annoyance.

"Why are there so many advertisements?!"

He raised the remote control and pointed to the television where the sixth episode was currently playing.

"What products are these?! I’m gonna buy their company so they don’t bother interrupting my show!"

’Ehem. When did my show become yours?’

Plotter crossed his arms as he watched the old man utter a series of complaints before him.

When the last of the ads finally faded away, the old man’s eyes twinkled at the same time as the show’s logo appeared on screen again.

Unable to believe his eyes at the ridiculous scene, Plotter struggled to hold back his giggle. He could sense the Director’s eyes already glaring at him as though keeping him in check.

[World of Art by Seven Flowers]

The name of the current team performing appeared at the bottom left corner of the screen.

Zooming in on an object covered in a white cloth on the stage, the music started. Suddenly, the cloth was pulled away, revealing the object underneath it. It was a frame inside a transparent glass container, underneath it was a price tag.

The one who pulled the cloth was none other than Yeo Haru who uttered his line perfectly to the beat.

"With every tears and sweat

I’ve made it all"

The other members stood still on their positions, their back facing the camera. They surrounded Yeo Haru and the object beside him in a large encirclement.

Plotter immediately recognized one of them. This person’s red hair was too eyecatching for Plotter to miss it. Seeing his idol, Plotter grew excited for the performance too.

"What are these? Their butts are sticking out!" The old man complained.

Plotter’s face darkened hearing the negative remark from this old-fashioned old man.

Meanwhile, the old man’s face scrunched in disgust. "The other group was better!"

’What butts sticking out?! That’s just tight pants! You’re just old-fashioned to know that!’

However, their attire was completely out of Plotter’s expectation. Why were they wearing such outfits?

All of them wore all black attire, a suit and tight pants. Why do they seem like they didn’t want to be seen in the dark?

Ding ding.

The pink haired Xi Huan flicked her fingers, and a coat appeared on the hands of each members except Yeo Haru.

"Behold the act that I’ve shown!

Have you seen it yet?"

As she uttered her lines, the team wore the coats while syncing to the beat. The fabric of their clothes fluttered with their every action, seemingly elegant and mysterious. Looking at it right now, they were now like phantom thieves without a hat.

Right, this was Rayen’s brilliant idea. Instead of doing a simple museum exhibit for their concept, they changed it into an auction. And then, they will act as thieves and steal the art work for sale.

Even though Xi Huan only had this single part, she totally rocked it. Her actions were perfect as though she had done this gesture so many times, appearing like a full-fledged con-artist—uh, magician.

If the first group’s concept was already unexpected, this was even more completely different from anyone’s imagination. It wasn’t just the concept. Even the song somewhat changed.

The original song was quite dreamy and sentimental to begin with, the piano being the most emphasized instrument.

However, with a little bit of rearrangement from Ayumi, she also added a slight touch of chimes and synthesizers, retaining the dreaminess of the song but replacing the sentimental to a quite mysterious atmosphere.

Since the master producer was a member of this team, Plotter didn’t have to think who made the rearrangement. The song’s tempo gradually sped up, transitioning to the chorus.

"Have you seen it yet?

I’ve painted the sky,

Written a lullaby.

And acted on a mirror

Countless times for you."

When the chorus entered, Rayen also sang his lines. With the others, they also danced wildly to the backdrop. The sentimental music had transformed into an EDM.

Suddenly, the old man unexpectedly sang along with Rayen, his previous scrunched and disapproving gaze erased as though it didn’t exist before. Plotter smugly puffed his chest and also sang along. He didn’t know how the old man was able to keep up with the lyrics, but Plotter was different — he was this show’s writer and greatest fan, so he knew every song the groups were going to perform.

"Do you know any good places?

I’ll take you to dance

And paint your beautiful face

As you smiled and clapped.

Behold the act that I’ve shown.

I made it for you all."

"Whoa, who’s this guy? I love his voice! It sounds like my grandson!" the old man exclaimed and swayed along to the beat.

Plottet answered smugly. "It’s Rayen."

"Oh-ho. Okay, I’ll remember that."

Director palmed her face and shook her head. If she knew it was gonna be this easy to convince the old man, she would have already pulled him into this too.

Suddenly, another voice spoke from behind the Director.

"Why is Plotter acting so smug?"

The voice was ethereal as a voice belonging to a goddess. Director glanced behind her. There, a woman wearing a face veil sat on a cozy throne, watching Plotter instead of the performance.

"Rayen is Plotter’s idol..."

"Hmm... Is that so?"

Director nodded.

"Is he the reason for all this ruckus?"

The masked woman’s gaze weighed the Director down. In the end, she had no choice but to answer her question.

"Yes..."

The woman nodded in contemplation. "Okay, I get it. Then what about yours? Is your reason also among these people?"

"....."

Director pursed her lips, unable to answer right away.

"Yes..."

The woman didn’t say anything more, only shifting her gaze back on the screen. Iris’s part had just come to an end by then, transitioning into Adrian’s.

Director’s gaze avoided the screen. The woman smiled under her veil.

"If you’ve never seen it

I can photograph it for you

Or describe it to you

With a song, with a poem.

Hope it won’t be forgotten."

The song gradually turned to the bridge. Xu Jiji took the center stage. The lights also added an effect to the performance, turning into thin red lights. Xu Jiji led everyone into a dance break, their movements as though slithering between the gaps of the lights.

They used every space in the stage. As befitting of the team with the most members out of the three, they didn’t need backup dancers. Everyone acted as the main and backup dancers for themselves.

They carried the props, and they acted like props too. Ayumi stepped on the back of her members, trying to reach the object they’re vying to steal.

"It’s here, it’s here.

Come, I’ll show you."

Running and sliding on the floor to reach the object, the six formed a path for Rayen walking in the middle.

Finally, he arrived before it. The whole team surrounded the object once again.

"Behold the act that I’ve shown!

Have you seen it yet?"

When the team walked away, fixing their ties and coats, the camera zoomed in on the glass container behind them.

The object inside the container... was no longer there.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The woman in veil clapped her hands, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.

"I see potential with them," she said, her eyes observing Plotter and Director.

"I agree," the old man said with a wide grin.

The woman chuckled. "You seem to be enjoying it, Lib."

The old man, noticing his own behaviour, fixed his clothes and feigned a cough.

"I apologize for my behavior."

"No, it’s fine. I, myself, was intrigued."

With her words, Plotter and Director, along with the old man, sighed in relief.

However, what the woman said next left their eyes and mouth wide.

"Will you mind if I sponsor some of them?"

Plotter blinked repeatedly in surprise.

"A-Are you sure of this, Immortal?" the old man asked, flabbergasted.

The woman smiled, the eyes left uncovered with the veil turning into crescent moons. "Why not?"

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