- Eighth? Why not first, huh, rich boy?
- Eyy, that would be too obvious then. Eighth place is just right to keep his fangirls and fan grandmas delusional!
- Oh my gosh! June went up until 8th place? I'm so proud. He just keeps rising every week!
- You must be proud of his parents, too!
- This comment section is hilarious. Feel kinda bad for the dude, though.
- This is the most awaited moment of the night! I can't wait to see how Rising Stars went with this.
Jia bit her lip as she watched June stand up from his seat. Unlike the other trainees, who were instantly adorned with some type of background music when they stood up, June was greeted with silence.
It felt more 'raw,' as if it was a live show despite being pre-recorded.
The camera focused on June, who slowly pushed himself up from his seat. The silence in the air was deafening, as though the entire room had fallen mute. Step by agonizing step, he began to make his way towards the stage. The fiberglass floor beneath him amplified the sound of his footsteps, each click-clack of his shoes resonating like a heartbeat.
June's gaze remained fixed straight ahead, the scene focusing on his unreadable eyes. Then, it panned out to his fellow trainees, who had expressions that ranged from envy, resentment, and anxiousness. They hadn't expected him to rank so high, and it was clear they didn't like it.
Even Robby was shown on screen, and he wore furrowed eyebrows as he looked at June.
"The silence is killing me," Wei whispered. "Why didn't they put any background music?"
Soo-min nodded in agreement. "Whoever edited this did a damn good job. I feel like I'm watching a soap opera."
Jia would have laughed since they were talking about her mom, but right now, she couldn't hear anything. She merely focused on June—who appeared to be lost on stage.
As June reached for the mic, the background noise in the room seemed to morph into a slight white noise, a buzz that only added to the tension. The camera, seemingly sentient, zoomed in on his trembling hands.
The trainees, still watching with narrowed eyes, exchanged anxious glances among themselves. There was a moment of silence that prolonged the cruelty of the situation.
The microphone hovered in front of June's lips, but no words came out. The silence was no longer just tense; it had become deafening….suffocating…
Then, with a heavy heart and a sinking feeling, June slowly lowered the microphone, breaking the silence with a faint, almost indecipherable sigh.
Then June's head dropped as he bowed, and time stretched as he held that position for what felt like an eternity.
- He's not even going to say anything? What a punk.
- Is this his way of apologizing? Fucking coward.
- June :(. My heart goes out to you!
- I don't know what's happening. Are they really not going to give us an explanation?
Xin and Hoon, who were in the confines of Hoon's room, watched the scene with satisfied smiles on their faces.
"Ah, this is gold," Hoon chuckled. This has been the happiest day of his life ever since he was eliminated. Seeing June bow his head and get humiliated in front of thousands, potentially even millions of people, brought him immense satisfaction.
"And it gets even better," Xin said. "Robby puts him under the spotlight, and he couldn't even utter a single word."
Joy swelled in Hoon's heart as he focused his gaze on the screen, waiting for June to get even more humiliated.
However, just as the tension seemed to reach its peak, the scene suddenly faded into a different one…
Jia frowned in confusion as the shot merely showed June's hands nervously intertwining with each other. Then, a heavy sigh was heard. At this point, there still wasn't any background music.
Then, the scene focused on June's eyes, which were glistening with tears before zooming out to his entire face.
"Ah," June said, his voice breaking through the silence. He harshly wiped his eyes, and although there was a small smile playing on his lips, it appeared as if he was carrying such a huge burden. "I—I don't know what to say anymore,"
Wait...could this be?
Jia's eyes widened in recognition when she finally realized what scene was currently playing.
In the broadcasting station, Yena and Yejin looked at each other in confusion. Their eyes silently communicated—they didn't recall preparing June for an interview!
"Ah, so stupid!" Minjun practically screamed at the TV as the scene of June bowing for a long time was shown. "He should have revealed the truth by now!"
The little kid continued to rant in frustration, but when the scene changed, he turned silent.
"What—What is this?" C-Jay asked.
"Did June also get an interview?" Akira asked Jangmoon.
Jangmoon shook his head. "No, he wasn't even called."
"Shh!" Minjun exclaimed, his attention solely on the screen. The others followed suit, wondering what the scene had to offer.
"We didn't have a lot growing up," June said, the camera now fixed. Unlike the other interviews, which had been cut and edited to become more emotional or intense, June's interview felt uncut.
It was the original footage of his conversation with Jia.
The group of guys, along with Minjun and Grandma, watched the scene with profound silence. They were used to seeing the annoyed, serious, and even the clueless side of June.
But to see and hear him speaking with so much emotion brought unexplainable feelings inside their hearts.
- What is this? They didn't have a lot growing up?
- But the Chois were already rich to begin with. They have generational wealth.
- People are really tone-deaf. Why can't it click that he might not be talking about the Chois?
- Bro, if that really happens, then this is fucking wild.
"Truly," June sighed, even his breath sounding heartbroken. "My mom's the most beautiful person in the entire world."
"Or should I say…was the most beautiful person," he said.
And at that hushed moment, a sad tune weaved through the scene, gently tugging at the strings of the soul. As the first chords echoed through the air, a quiet pondering settled over the viewers.
Minjun, who didn't even cry when his parents got a divorce, felt something forming in his eyes, a painful lump also felt in his throat.
"I just—I just wish that things would have gone differently," June said, looking into the camera with utmost sincerity. His eyes were so clear that you couldn't see a hint of a lie in them.
"Then, maybe the world would still have the most beautiful person."
Jaeyong pursed his lips as he felt a tear run down his cheek.
Fifth time. This was the fifth time that June had made him cry.
Jisung, even though he believed in June until the end, still felt guilty as he looked into June's eyes. There was a story hidden behind them…something he failed to see from the very beginning.
"But then again, that's not how the world works. We can never really go back in time. We can't change what's already been done. In the end, we just learn to accept it."
The hauntingly beautiful strains of the background music let out a mournful wail. And with every rise and fall of the melody, the viewers delved into the depths of June's heart.
There was a moment of silence before June began speaking once more.
"It's unfair? Yes, it is. But can I blame them for believing it? I don't know. So, right now, I just want to get my story across."
"Because I don't want to be seen as the son of somebody who has a lot," he said, his voice sounding clearer.
"I'm my mom's son," June said, a small smile forming on his face.
The comment section, which moved at an impeccable speed when June's name was called, had now turned still…
"My mom, who didn't have a lot but gave me everything I could ask for."
"And now," he said, looking into the camera and piercing through the hearts of every viewer. "I'm fulfilling my dream so I can continue fulfilling my mom's promise."
As the final notes lingered in the air, there was a bittersweet sense of closure.
Then, the scene faded back to June bowing before the trainees.
The bow that they had misconstrued in their distorted realities now blossomed into the bow that gently caressed their hearts.
