Chapter 1002: The Performances Start
Chapter 1002: The Performances Start
– They look so embarrassed!
– The cameraman is a genius for focusing on DAWN at the perfect moment. They were caught off guard.
– It seems like Benben Gummies had a bigger picture. The fact that they released the collaboration yesterday is sick! My boys still need to perform serious songs.
– It’s working, though. The rainbow edition ones with DAWN’s photocards are already sold out in my local grocery store.
-Girl, it’s sold out everywhere!
Jaeyong let out a playful groan, muttering under his breath, “Can we just hide now?”
Before any of the members could respond, the camera zoomed in on June. His expression remained impassive, serious in a way that contrasted hilariously with the cheerful chaos surrounding him.
The crowd let out a collective scream as someone in the front shouted, “His face card never declines!”
The statement was met with another wave of laughter, especially from the artists who were near that particular fan.
Well, June was just thinking how they could possibly outperform their image in the gummy advertisement when almost all viewers, along with the other idols, were already dead set on their cheery image.
– How can he look so good even in these moments?
– My man’s face card is so lethal that he looks like that even in the most unserious moments.
– I think I’ll laugh when I watch their performance, though. I can only imagine them singing about gummy bears that make them grow now. It really is bad timing.
The chatter gradually died down as Taehyun and Hana took center stage once more. “Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you’re enjoying the show so far,” Taehyun announced with a grin. “But now, it’s time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the opening performance of the PAPA!”
Hana’s smile brightened as she leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “Please welcome the incomparable new girl group LUNAIRE!”
A hush swept over the audience as the lights dimmed and the stage transformed into a glowing, cosmic wonderland.
The backdrop projected an endless galaxy with twinkling stars and swirling nebulas.
Fog crept across the stage, creating an ethereal scene that had everyone captivated. Then, on cue, LUNAIRE appeared, descending gracefully from above, suspended by wires and dressed in delicate, shimmering fairy costumes. Their outfits sparkled in shades of silver and pastel colors, the designs resembling the wings of mythical creatures.
The first notes of their song, Cosmic, filled the hall, arranged with orchestral instruments that made the room feel they weren’t on Earth.
The members of LUNAIRE floated down, their movements fluid as they hit the stage.
The choreography was enchanting, and every step was perfectly aligned with the music. They spun and twirled like real fairies, the smiles not leaving their faces.
June watched intently, arms crossed, but a soft, brotherly smile played at the corners of his lips. His eyes followed the members as they moved across the stage, their expressions showing how happy they were to be performing.
They glided into a stunning formation, wings fluttering as they hit the chorus. A loud cheer erupted from the crowd, and June found himself clapping along with everyone else.
Unbeknownst to him, the camera once again panned to capture his reaction. The instant his smile was caught on the big screen, fans shrieked, their voices echoing through the venue.
June noticed the camera’s gaze and quickly dropped the smile, his expression reverting to its usual stoic look. The sudden change only fueled the audience’s laughter, and even the emcees on the side of the stage couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I swear, they’re going to use that for every meme tonight,” Ren whispered, not being able to contain his own grin.
“You looked too happy, bro,” Jisung chuckled. “Too happy.”
Just then, June heard something from his side-another rookie boy group that seemed to be amazed by their performance.
“They’re so pretty!”
“Isn’t Mei so pretty? I always thought so, even during Rising Stars.”
“You started watching them since Rising Stars? You’re down bad, man!”
June immediately frowned. Who the heck were these little gremlins? His brotherly instincts threatened to come out.
As the song came to an end, LUNAIRE struck their final pose. The lights dimmed once more, and for a split second, the stage was cloaked in darkness.
When the lights returned, LUNAIRE stood beaming, slightly out of breath but glowing under the stage lights. The applause was really round, making the girls’ smiles even wider.
June joined in the applause, giving them a nod from his seat. He could see the relief in their expressions and the subtle way their shoulders relaxed after the high-pressure routine.
“This little girl,” June muttered as he gazed at Mei. “She has improved so much. Fu is doing her a really good favor.”
The night continued with the presentations of the first awards and performances from various groups.
The crowd sang and danced in their seats as the lineup progressed, consisting of only rookie groups for the first half.
Since they invited many groups this year, the pacing was tight, with each act barely getting time to exit before the next was introduced.
Fans of every group screamed at full volume. From the youngest rookies who had debuted just a month ago to groups with several years under their belts, each performance brought something new to the table.
Even so, there was an unspoken understanding among everyone present: the most anticipated acts were yet to come.
Usually, the older groups would be the ones performing in the end—and that was true for this event, too. CHAOS was bound to perform last. However, DAWN was an outlier to it all.
Despite only debuting a couple of weeks ago, DAWN was going to perform third to the last. Some of the artists on stage, especially those who debuted before them, questioned the
decision.
Why was it that a rookie group was performing right before their seniors?
There was only one answer to that-popularity.
DAWN was undoubtedly the most popular group in the lineup, and since the producers didn’t
want the audience to leave prematurely, they placed them to perform near the last.
However, of course, those groups didn’t seem to understand that. The concept of seniority
was still embedded within them.
So, they were ready to scrutinize DAWN’s performance to the core.
Meanwhile, the members of DAWN made their way backstage.
“We’re up next,” Jaeyong said.