T/N: Thanks for all the likes, Theresa <3
10, 9, 8—…
As the mechanical voice slowly began the countdown, an enormous roar rose around them.
Cheonghyeon sat atop the stage apparatus and quietly settled into position. During rehearsal, all he had felt was fascination, but now his heart was beating so fast that it felt as though it might leap straight out of his mouth if he opened it.
The tremendous cheering and the chaotic activity beneath the stage felt like a dream.
It hardly felt real at all.
At last, the group’s name was announced and the stage mechanism slowly began to move.
This was the first time Cheonghyeon had ever experienced the strange sensation of the ground seeming to shake from cheers alone.
Every spotlight and every pair of eyes turned toward the four people onstage.
The performance had begun.
“Keep walking beside me just like this. Tell me that this is love.”
Cheonghyeon diligently sang his relatively small but memorable part before suddenly coming to his senses.
The fans are sitting on the second floor. I should look over there a lot.
He had completely forgotten that.
He had been so preoccupied with concentrating on the song and choreography so they could finish the performance successfully without any mistakes.
“Maybe we were wrong from the very beginning. Starting today, let’s draw a line through our friendship and call it love instead. The me who used to say that anything was fine as long as you were happy is gone now. I’ll be just a little greedier so I don’t lose you.”
Cheonghyeon sang his part earnestly while thinking for a moment.
As soon as his part ended, he quickly turned toward the second floor and made a huge heart above his head.
Naturally, an enormous cheer erupted.
The light sticks that had been moving passionately in perfectly coordinated angles suddenly seemed to lose all reason, breaking apart into a spray of light as they shook wildly in every direction.
A smile spread across Cheonghyeon’s face at the sight.
The moment was transmitted exactly as it happened to the fans who were not at the venue through the live broadcast.
The camera showed Cheonghyeon forming the heart, the lights shaking violently in response, and then even zoomed in on Cheonghyeon’s face as he watched them with a happy smile.
The fans, without exception, were plunged into an emotional frenzy they could not escape.
| [I’m someone who originally didn’t really know much about idols, you know?? Even when I liked celebrities, it was less that I liked the actor and more that I liked the character the director created. And I was basically just a face stan, so if this guy was handsome I’d stan him, then if that guy was handsome I’d stan him instead, that kind of thing… But after seeing Cheonghyeon smile just now, I think I kind of understand why idol fans love them so passionatelyㅠㅠ… I seriously just feel so strange right now] ↳ I think I know what you meanㅋㅋㅋㅋㅠㅠ I got into Cheonghyeon because of people’s sightings of him, not because of his performances, so honestly I never understood the fans constantly chanting for a comeback… But seeing him today, I think I finally get it. Idols really do shine the brightest when they’re onstage ↳ From now on, my youth belongs to you, Gi Cheonghyeon….ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Waaahhh |
After the performance ended successfully, the camera zoomed in on the East members’ faces one by one.
As Cheonghyeon soaked in the lingering feeling of the ending, the fans’ cheers rang in his ears.
Even though his mind was in complete chaos, he felt good.
His whole body tingled with an urge to smile, but Cheonghyeon held it in and put on the “charismatic, cool expression befitting an idol” that Changsik had told him about.
But eventually, the smile escaped anyway.
After unconsciously breaking into a grin, he made eye contact with the other members.
The moment they saw Cheonghyeon like that, they too burst into laughter.
Watching East finish their performance impressively and laugh happily together, the fans shouted and cheered in delight.
East’s stage had truly been a perfect moment that embodied the purpose of the Happiness Concert.
It was not simply a matter of performing and walking offstage.
It was a time when a spectacular performance and passionate cheering came together, when fans and idols alike shone brilliantly in their own places and exchanged joyful energy with one another.
True to the name Happiness Concert, Cheonghyeon’s first stage there, filled with happy moments, came to an end.
He stepped offstage and caught his breath for a moment, but there was not even a single minute to rest comfortably.
It was time for the final joint stage featuring all of the concert’s performers.
As the intro to a famous song that had even been used at the Olympics began to play, East prepared to return to the stage.
They were scheduled to appear alongside the song’s original singer while singing the highlight of the second verse.
“Let’s keep it up until the very end. Aja aja, fighting!”
Sikyung smiled and held out his hand.
The other members stacked theirs on top one by one, shouted their cheer, and thrust their hands high into the air.
Then they walked toward the center of the stage together while singing the highlight of the second verse, and the fans’ cheers thundered throughout the venue.
Every singer joined in for the final line.
Cheonghyeon sang along while committing each and every fan seated before him to memory.
The spotlight falling entirely upon him.
The light sticks moving together to the rhythm of the song.
Watching it all, Cheonghyeon felt as though he had truly become an idol.
It was different from simply exchanging comments with fans on the official café.
Sometimes, while watching interviews with senior idols, he had heard answers like, “We’ll repay our fans’ love with a great performance.”
There had been times when he had not understood what that meant.
But now that he had experienced a concert himself, he thought he finally did.
For the first time, Cheonghyeon felt as though he had genuinely communicated with the fans.
Feeling the strong bond and boundless empathy between them, Cheonghyeon stared at the second floor for a long time.
And naturally, Isaac came to mind.
This must have been what he wanted to see.
As though determined to imprint the sight permanently into his eyes, Cheonghyeon sang without blinking even once as he looked out at the fans.
He filled his ears with the cheers chanting his name, and filled his eyes and heart with this moment and the thrill of it.
He could not pull out his phone and take a picture, so all he could do was look for as long as possible and remember it.
Even after the song ended and everyone began leaving the stage, Cheonghyeon kept committing the fans’ faces to memory.
Right up until the members led him backstage.
“Good work!”
“Good work. Your performance was great today.”
Most of the idols gathered there had been debuted for at least three years.
It was not a stage where fresh rookies could easily appear, so every performer there was already a well-known celebrity who had established a place for themselves.
East was popular enough to perform just before the ending, but there were still far more singers there who were East’s seniors.
It was the sort of situation where people could easily become sensitive toward one another, yet the members of the different groups complimented each other and patted one another on the back, telling them they had done well.
“Ah, sunbaenim. Hello! You worked very hard today.”
When a veteran singer came backstage, every celebrity stood and bowed in unison.
Cheonghyeon, now accustomed to Korean etiquette, hurriedly bowed deeply as well.
It was a warm moment of farewell.
“Yes, everyone worked very hard. I’ll remember all of these faces, so let’s make sure we can all see one another again next year.”
Everyone burst into laughter at those words.
The hidden meaning behind let’s see each other again next year was essentially, Please don’t get into any scandals and keep your popularity this high.
As long as they did not end up on the social-affairs pages of the news, groups that had participated the previous year were eligible to participate again the following year.
But East, of all the groups there, could not readily nod along.
For a moment, the members’ gazes turned toward Cheonghyeon before scattering again.
Watching them smile, nod, and offer handshakes, Cheonghyeon found himself lost in thought as well.
On the ride back to the dorm, no one brought up what had just happened.
As though they had planned it beforehand, the members talked only about things that had happened before going onstage and things that had happened during the performance.
Their consideration touched Cheonghyeon, but it also made him feel guilty.
“No, listen. I was breathing out with this totally charismatic expression, and then Cheonghyeon hyung suddenly started smiling, so I started laughing too. I’m telling you, I ended up laughing! And I didn’t even manage to laugh cutely! I just burst out laughing, then I tried to force myself to hold it in, and I think that only made it worse. If this turns into a reaction meme and starts going around, Cheonghyeon hyung, you have to take responsibility for me!!!”
At Yoonwoo’s almost tantrum-like insistence, Cheonghyeon laughed openly.
After thinking for a moment, Cheonghyeon quietly lifted his phone.
“The fans probably still haven’t come down from the excitement either. Should we do a short live until we get back to the dorm?”
“Absolutely. I’ve got a lot of explaining to do too.”
Sikyung and Hando nodded, and when Yoonwoo enthusiastically agreed, Cheonghyeon connected the livestream.
Perhaps because everyone had just been watching the live broadcast of the concert, mere seconds passed before tens of thousands of fans came flooding in.
“Hello, Pobies. Did you enjoy the concert? We’re on our way back to the dorm now.”
Comments immediately began appearing, lamenting their heavy stage makeup and stiff, wax-covered hair.
The members shook their heads and told them it was fine.
“We actually feel more comfortable taking this stuff off at the dorm. Backstage is way too hot and chaotic.”
The fans were delighted by the livestream, but they were also worried.
Considering all the preparation involved, the members must have been moving since dawn, yet now, in the middle of the night on the way back to the dorm, they were broadcasting again.
Naturally, the fans worried about their stamina.
In particular, there was an endless stream of concern from fans remembering how fragile Cheonghyeon’s body had seemed on the reality show, like a little glass bead that might shatter.
“I’m fine. I drank lots of water and sports drinks in between, and I made sure to eat plenty of snacks too.”
Even over something so minor, the fans cooed over him and praised him for doing such a good job.
Feeling a little awkward, Cheonghyeon continued communicating with them as he read through the rapidly scrolling comments.
“The heart in the middle was just something I decided to do on my own. Haha.”
“Actually, Cheonghyeon suddenly did it, so I started thinking maybe I should do one too and nearly messed up the choreography.”
When Sikyung even revealed that behind-the-scenes story, Cheonghyeon’s eyes widened as he looked at him as though asking, ‘Really?’
Then he remembered Sikyung making a heart during the ending pose.
“Ah!”
He slapped his knee.
Originally, each member had already decided on their own ending pose, but it seemed Sikyung had regretted not getting to do the heart during the performance and changed his ending pose because of it.
“But you didn’t mess up the choreography, you did everything well, and you even did the heart at the end, so I’m satisfied.”
Perhaps Sikyung had also enjoyed spending time with the fans at a concert again after so long, because both of his cheeks were flushed.
“Today was seriously so much fun.”
Cheonghyeon also spoke quietly as he replayed the earlier performance in his mind.
Immediately, the comments filled with endless strings of ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ and sobbing emoticons.
At least in this moment, the fans and the members were all feeling the same thing.
“Ah, Yoonwoo’s nostrils were flaring while he tried not to laugh?”
Yoonwoo reacted fiercely to the comment Cheonghyeon had casually read aloud.
Even though he was wearing a seat belt, he twisted back and forth as though he might launch himself over to Cheonghyeon at any moment, desperately begging them not to turn it into a reaction meme.
The comments immediately became flooded with things like:
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Yoonwooㅠㅠㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
As always, Yoonwoo was the best at livening up the mood.
Cheonghyeon was smiling brightly as he alternated between looking at the comments and the members when one comment caught his eye.
| — Cheonghyeon, it makes me so happy to see that you seem to be enjoying your life as an idol. I’ll stay by your side forever, both onstage and offstage. I love you!! |
In a way, it was an ordinary message of support.
It was the kind of comment whose sentiment he had seen hundreds, even thousands of times since living as an idol.
Yet Cheonghyeon himself could not understand why, at that particular moment, those words struck him so hard in the chest that he felt as though he might cry.
Even until the moment they arrived at the dorm and he said goodbye to the fans, that comment remained deeply in Cheonghyeon’s heart.
At last, the Happiness Concert had come to an end.
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