i quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, feeling like she had encountered the strangest mont in her life.
Why did the re sight of June in his new haircut bring her to tears?
Was it because June looked utterly handso?
Indeed, he looked very handso, but i wasn't that shallow to cry over a man's beauty!
"Hey, are you alright?" Ara asked in concern, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
i nodded, fanning her eyes to stop the tears from flowing.
"I'm fine. Sothing just went inside my eye," she said as an excuse, even rubbing them to make a point.
"Alright," Ara sighed, stopping i from rubbing her eyes. "We'll be performing soon. We don't want you to ruin your makeup."
"Right," i muttered, looking down at her hands.
Ara didn't look convinced that i was doing okay, but she let it go since i appeared like she didn't want to talk about it.
i definitely didn't want to talk about it.
She, herself, didn't know the reason behind her tears.
All she knew was that she felt a sense of familiarity after seeing June in his new hairstyle.
An older man.
However, what was strange was that the familiar man was still unfamiliar to her.
Ironic, right?
"First team, please go up the stage," one of the staff mbers said, causing i to snap back to reality.
She glanced at her teammates and nodded.
They were the first team to perform. It was her first ti opening the show since she had always been grouped with the likes of Jeemin and Mina. Therefore, she was extra nervous.
Nonetheless, she knew that she did her best in their practices and rehearsals, so she didn't want to waste her team's hardwork.
With that, she took her spot on the stage, the audience exclaiming as the first set of idols stood in the dark.
"Who is it?"
"Who's going to perform first?"
"I'm so excited! The song choices were already revealed, and I'm looking forward to the unique songs—especially 'We're All Going To Die.' That song is superior."
"Agreed! I wonder who joined i's team."
"It better be good trainees. Otherwise, she'll definitely get eliminated."
June joined the other ntors, sitting behind the audience to watch the team's performance live.
Amira turned to him with bright red cheeks, nodding in acknowledgent. anwhile, Ji-hyun pursed her lips and clenched her fists, holding herself back from squishing June's handso face.
anwhile, June was focused on the stage, feeling breathless.
For so reason, he was also nervous even though he wasn't actually performing.
He had guided the girls for the past week, and he could tell that they've poured their everything into the stage.
The stage lights were fully turned off, which made the audience silent.
A soft golden glow gradually illuminated the five trainees, their faces frad by halos of light.
The audience initially scread when they saw the trainee in the center—i.
Her face alone moved the audience.
However, they were more shocked when they realized that the first stage of the night was 'We're All Going To Die'—the team who struggled the most in the past episode.
The audience gasped as the unexpected sight registered.
The girls were dressed in bright yellow, flowy dresses, which was in contrast to their song's ominous title.
The color choice seed almost too cheerful—too bright for a performance of 'We're All Going To Die.'
Released in 2023, the song quickly rose to fa because of its beautiful harmony filled with piano, harp, and bells, which made it have a cheerful, almost christmasy ballad vibe. However, what struck them the most was the painful lyrics, one that spoke openly about death.
It was the kind of song that moved people without them even noticing it. Then, before they knew it, they had repeated the song over and over again.
As the first notes of the piano paired with the delicate bells rang out, the studio filled with an ethereal, almost magical atmosphere.
The people exclaid, covering their mouths with their hands as they felt the tune tug at their heartstrings. It was a comforting tune, but it also felt weirdly sad.
i stood at the front, her hands trembling slightly as she took a deep breath.
Her eyes scanned the crowd before landing on a familiar face.
June.
He was sitting at the very middle of the ntor's table, his face devoid of any emotion.
However, even then, i felt like he could hear his calm voice reminding her of his advice: 'the less you care about what other people think, the better you'll do.'
i closed her eyes, allowing his words to soothe her nerves.
When she opened them again, she felt like she was ready.
"We're all going to die.
But who decided that?
Why make us live?
When you'll take it away in the end."
The first few words left her lips softly, tentatively.
Her voice wavered but held steady, guided by the breathing techniques June had drilled into her during their practice sessions.
"We're all going to die.
When did that happen?
What was the use of the laughter and the cries?
Did I just imagine?"
The notes were in tune, and with each passing sound, her confidence grew.
June watched from his seat, a proud smile forming on his face. He had seen i struggle and had witnessed her fight to overco her insecurities.
Now, seeing her on the stage with her voice sounding more robust than before, he felt a surge of pride in his heart.
She was doing it.
She was really doing it.
For long, he thought that becoming an idol wouldn't be suited for i.
June wanted to protect her.
However, how could he protect her from the thing she loved?
It was obvious in her gaze that she wanted to beco an idol, and June regretted even thinking of taking it away from her.
So, with a small smile, he finally nodded.
And along with that nod was a sigh of defeat.
"That's my sister," he whispered.
"She's grown up so well...even without ."
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