Chapter 470: What Should We Do From Now On (34)

♪ Sometimes it's nice to have a bit of noise,

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Let's all dance together

Spinning around to the rhythm,

A party full of happiness

Being on stage and surrounded by countless others and singing together gave me a comforting sense of camaraderie. The entire venue was alive with vibrant cheers. It felt as though I was at a grand celebration, light-hearted and filled with joy, instead of feeling nervous.

Due to the sheer number of performers, each group had only a few parts to sing. However, this scarcity turned into an opportunity. It allowed us to engage more with the Rings when others sang. We could fully enjoy the moments of connection while others took their turn at the microphone.

"Suh Hyun-Woo!!!!!"

"Over here!!!!!"

"Yoo-Joon! Joo-Han!!!!"

The Rings’ lights shone brightly, and the voices of our fans rang out clear and strong. It was amazing how the energy was so joyous from the start. Laughter and smiles seemed permanently etched on the faces of all the members.

As we were waving and playfully interacting with the Rings, a sudden blur of movement caught my eye. Someone dashed up and wedged themselves right between me and Goh Yoo-Joon.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Jun!"

It was Han Jun. He came up with his usual sunny grin, just before his part was due. Naturally, Goh Yoo-Joon and I wrapped our arms around him in an instinctive embrace.

The fans witnessed our little reunion and erupted into even louder cheers. We shared a look, our faces mirroring the happiness we felt, and we all laughed together. This spontaneous interaction, just moments before continuing our performance, only added to the already electric atmosphere of the concert.

♪ HAPPY Oh, HAPPY—

This joyful moment,

We dance until we are tired,

And rejoice with every breath

While Han Jun sang his part, we clapped our hands and danced to the vibrant choreography of "HAPPY." The crowd was caught up in the excitement, dancing along and echoing our energy.

As Han Jun owned the stage, I watched his confident movements. Yes, this had always been a dream—sharing the stage with him and feeling the camaraderie of performing together. I had longed for the day when all three of us would stand together on stage, but until now, I had experienced this excitement only with Goh Yoo-Joon. Unfortunately, Han Jun and I had missed out on those early opportunities to perform together.

However, having the chance now to share the stage and laugh together felt incredibly fulfilling. It was a moment of gratitude, though I reminded myself not to get too carried away. After all, this was just the beginning of what I hoped would be many more performances together.

After singing his part, Han Jun joined us and slung his arms around our shoulders in a warm gesture.

"Isn't this thrilling?" Goh Yoo-Joon asked, his voice full of excitement.

"Definitely," Han Jun replied with a broad smile. "Every time I step onto the stage, I’m grateful I made it to debut. I owe a lot of that to you guys."

Even amidst the electric atmosphere, Han Jun’s words carried a genuine sincerity. He pointed into the crowd. "Hey, aren't those your friends right there?"

"Huh?"

"Friends?"

Both Goh Yoo-Joon and I turned toward the audience. There, familiar faces were eagerly waving at us to notice them. They were our friends from the show

Graduating.

Hee-Su and Joon-Hwan had successfully gotten tickets. There were also Lee Cheol-Min, known for his swearing, and Daniele, who always reprimanded him by saying "Don’t swear, we are on air!"

Their excited waving made us automatically respond, our hands moving on their own to wave back. Their presence stirred up some excitement among the surrounding fans.

After they passed GED and got jobs, we all became super busy and it was hard to meet up. Therefore, it was nice to see them again like this.

"Do you want to hear something funny?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

Goh Yoo-Joon’s tone was playful as he glanced at Lee Cheol-Min. Unlike the others who were wildly waving, Lee Cheol-Min was clapping with a reserved demeanor while giving Goh Yoo-Joon a sullen look, as if wondering why he was being stared at.

Goh Yoo-Joon leaned in and whispered to me. "I actually handled getting tickets for Cheol-Min and Daniele."

"And?" I urged him to continue.

"Lee Cheol-Min himself called me up to ask if I could hook him up with tickets as well," Goh Yoo-Joon shared with a smirk.

"No way! Really?" I feigned shock, giving Lee Cheol-Min a playful look. His expression turned even grimmer, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

I grinned and waved at them, mouthing “See you soon” before moving on. The venue was bustling, and there were plenty of people to greet. It was a task encouraged by the staff due to the vast number of attendees.

Reflecting on it, I realized just how much had changed. Having friends who would come to watch my show was a new experience for me.

Goh Yoo-Joon often teased me about not having friends, but in the previous timeline, the painful reality had changed me. After that accident during my trainee days, I isolated myself by cutting off all contact with friends and living as though I was in a bubble. I had been completely detached from everyone, including my family.

Well, there was some semblance of connection with my students though.

‘Thinking about it, those kids must be in training by now.’

They would be training under YU, just like in the previous timeline.

I looked at On-Sae, who was joyfully surrounded by the Sequence members. His life had indeed been transformed by my interventions. It was essential for him to succeed and be happy.

The thoughts that were crossing my mind while on stage were amusing.

Nonetheless, the song was winding down to its final segment. It was reserved for Il-Seong from Sequence, the member who had endured the longest trainee period.

***

The concert was steadily garnering a great response. The special stage featuring trainees from the "Joy" music video had just wrapped up, followed by performances from Sequence and Yeong-Yee. Now, it was Kun-Ho's turn to take the stage.

Standing backstage with a microphone in hand, I watched as Kun-Ho performed a song I had adored during my trainee days. I used to attend concerts just to hear this song live, and now here I was, about to perform a duet with him. It really felt like a significant progression in my career.

"You seem very nervous. Are you?"

A voice from the behind-the-scenes camera caught me off guard as I was watching the stage.

"Yes, quite nervous," I admitted without taking my eyes off the performance. "Senior Kun-Ho has a unique emotional depth that I really resonate with. Just thinking about diving into those emotions with him makes me wonder if I can match him. Despite all the rehearsals and practice, the nerves are still there."

"You perform well too," the cameraman commented, making me smile.

"Of course, I’m pretty good myself. Anyway, wish me luck. See you!" I clenched my fists for the camera and then followed the staff’s lead down the stage stairs.

"Now, for the next stage... Haha, wait, what? Am I in too much of a rush to get to the next performance?" Kun-Ho managed the transition smoothly while pacing the stage. "Let's talk a bit about the next song. It's a song I really love, one that my junior... No, my student covered."

"Whoaaaa!"

The audience erupted in cheers. The subtle shift from

junior

to

student

made it clear to the Rings that he was talking about me.

"I first heard about it from my manager, who said someone had covered this song! I looked it up on

UTube

, and sure enough, it was a beautifully done cover. This friend of mine has a voice and emotional range that I adore."

The audience chuckled and murmured in anticipation, enjoying Kun-Ho’s anecdote filled with praise for me. The staff beside me giggled.

"Lucky Hyun-Woo, getting praised for his voice and emotional range from Kun-Ho!"

"Yeah, lucky indeed."

Feeling a bit embarrassed by all the compliments, I managed a shy smile.

"You might guess the person I’m talking about by now. I worked with him on the program

Graduating."

Kun-Ho paused to drink some water, then suddenly pointed out to the audience. "Oh, you guys are here? Hello, everyone! Over there are my other students!"

He waved enthusiastically at Hee-Su and other friends, who were prominently displayed on the big screen. They were startled but quickly bowed in greeting to Kun-Ho.

"Did you come to see your friends? Nice to see you, kids. Yes, the person who is having a duet with me is also my student, as well as my music disciple. He covered ‘Goodbye Snow’ not too long ago."

As soon as the title "Goodbye Snow" left his lips, the Rings erupted into cheers. While other artists' fans might not understand the connection, this song had been a significant topic of conversation to the Rings when it was performed at the inauguration ceremony. It was a song that perfectly matched my vocal tone and emotional range.

"I was really surprised the first time I saw this kid perform it. 'Wow, to sing it so well,' I thought. I was drawn in completely, hoping I could hear it live someday. And now, here we are."

The cheers from the audience grew louder, and Kun-Ho chuckled.

"You might be wondering why I’m talking so much about someone else. That’s because we will perform the next song together. Hmm."

Kun-Ho cleared his throat and positioned himself in the center of the stage.

"Let's start. ‘Goodbye Snow.’"

The lights dimmed. I gripped the microphone tightly and slowly ascended the stairs.

Soon the intro to "Goodbye Snow" began, and a spotlight fell on Kun-Ho. As a trainee and even as a trainer, I had never dreamed of standing on stage with a senior I admired so much. As another spotlight landed on me, I slowly walked beside Kun-Ho and began singing the first part of the song.

♪ The pure white cold falls and piles up,

I look at the sky with my reddened eyes

Kun-Ho greeted my entrance with a warm smile and applause. The intensity of his gaze and the roar of the crowd nearly made me laugh during this serious song.

‘No, I can't laugh. Not now, on the stage of my dreams. I'd regret it forever if I do.’

I desperately repeated this to myself. I successfully completed the first part amidst the cheers. I stood beside Kun-Ho, and our duet began.