"Alright, team!" Jaeyong exclaimed as they stood beneath the stage.
They were getting ready to appear on stage. However, their introduction and VCR were still yet to play before they performed.
"The one and only DAWN!" Hana excitedly exclaimed, making the boys put on their game faces.
Then, the familiar sound of their VCR was heard throughout the venue, making the crowd go quiet in concentration.
- The performances are quite short, right?
- That's because there are too many artists this year.
- I hope they gave DAWN more time to perform.
- It already feels different. Their VCR has started!
Everyone turned their attention to the screen where DAWN's VCR had just started.
It began with a panoramic shot of a sprawling landscape painted in deep hues of navy and silver, the stars shimmering like scattered diamonds.
Standing atop a hill, June's figure came into view. His midnight blue hanbok fluttered dramatically in the breeze, almost camouflaging against the night sky.
- Dang, is this a movie?
- Untouched Souls part two?
- What is this? Do they have a song that requires this kind of atmosphere?
- I don't know! All I know is that I'm excited. DAWN always eats with the concepts.
The members of CHAOS shook their heads as the first scene played.
"When did they have the time to film all of this?" Haruki muttered, finding them impressive since he knew how hectic their schedule was.
Behind June, the rest of the members started appearing one by one.
Their eyes seemed to reflect unseen battles—with each member engrossed in the role that they were given.
Whispers were through the rows where idols sat, LUNAIRE leaning forward with intrigue, their amusement from earlier replaced by genuine interest.
Other groups exchanged glances, the whispers of "They really do go all out" surfacing among them.
On-screen, June's gaze was as cold as steel, focused on the storm of dark forces that charged up the hill.
The camera panned swiftly, showing shadowy figures with eyes that glowed an unsettling crimson, their jagged forms twisting like sentient smoke.
The intense music underscored the scene, and each beat was a surge of adrenaline that gripped the audience tighter.
With a shout, June leaped forward, leading the charge. The other members followed suit, their movements sharp, synchronized, and reminiscent of warriors holding the line.
They clashed with the shadows, movements fierce but graceful; each strike choreographed with DAWN's signature precision.
The camera cut to shots of other idols reacting. A member of ZTC12456, the rookie group, had his jaw slightly ajar, eyes wide like he had stumbled into the climax of a drama he couldn't look away from.
Taehyun nodded approvingly, unable to suppress a small smile at the cinematic quality of the scene. "As expected from June," he muttered.
Back on the screen, the battle raged on. A sudden gust of wind howled through, and the camera zoomed in on June's face as the realization of an oning threat registered in his eyes.
From behind, a shadow pushed him—a dragon.
Jia and her friends simultaneously turned to each other in surprise. The mythical creature looked way too familiar for them to just ignore it.
"Azure?" Bora muttered.
It truly was a shadow of an Azure that pushed June away from his members.
The world around him slowed down as he teetered at the edge of the cliff. His arms flailed, the fabric of his hanbok catching the wind like the wings of a bird mid-dive.
Gasps erupted from the audience. Even those who were veterans in the industry. Despite the initial feelings of bias, they became unexpectedly enamored.
"No way," someone whispered from the CHAOS section, eyes darting between the screen and the dark stage before them.
The slow-motion scene stretched on, with June's expression shifting from shock to acceptance in the span of a heartbeat.
But just as the emptiness beneath him threatened to claim him, a hand shot out and caught his arm. The grip was firm, shaking out of desperation.
The camera panned out to show not just one but all the members of DAWN holding on to him.
Casper's eyes blazed with determination as he anchored the others, their linked hands forming a chain that kept June suspended between falling and being pulled back to safety.
Of course, the audience didn't think it was just a dramatic save.
Instead, it was a metaphor, clear as day, for what they had endured as a group.
The hall erupted with soft murmurs of understanding and admiration. In a moment where drama met reality, DAWN had managed to pull the entire room into their story.
The screen faded to black, and the stage lights flickered on like stars re-emerging after a storm.
Silence, a deep, anticipatory silence, enveloped the audience as the stage slowly illuminated. A single spotlight landed on Casper, who sat cross-legged with an unfamiliar instrument cradled in his arms.
"The gayageum?" Hana whispered, audible only to Taehyun beside her. Even the idols exchanged glances, puzzled but curious.
Most astras were aware that Casper knew how to play the guitar.
However, he now held the traditional Korean zither as though he had spent a lifetime mastering it.
His fingers danced across the strings, and a hauntingly beautiful melody filled the space.
It was their song—To My New Beginning.
However, instead of it being a song of hope, it sounded more like a cry for help.
- Only a second has passed, and I fear this is already the best performance of the night.
- So true. They should have performed last!
- Casper is so freaking hot when he's serious.
Idols in the audience, from CHAOS to LUNAIRE and even ZTC12456, sat frozen, eyes locked on the stage. The audience seemed to breathe in unison, waiting for the next move.
Then, a figure stepped out from the shadows, walking to the front of the stage.
It was June, his expression posed but intense, eyes scanning the sea of faces before him. He took a breath, and the moment stretched as the crowd collectively leaned in.
And then, he opened his mouth and began to sing. Not in the style the world had e to know him for, but in a traditional Korean pansori tone.
Mimi's eyes ically widened.
"He can sing this genre, too?"
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