Amazed.
Everyone was amazed.
This performance was something the audience expected to squeal to.
They definitely didn't expect it to make them emotional.
The faces of the five trainees were shown on screen, their smiles brighter than the spotlight.
With a subtle emotional piano in the background, they bowed before leaving the stage.
Then, a deafening applause was heard in the entire studio.
Jia sniffed as she looked at her friends, who had equally teary eyes as they all met gazes.
June had done it once again.
The cute yet emotional performance wormed its way into everyone's hearts. The group of old ladies situated at the very front glanced at each other with nostalgic smiles, the performance reminding them of the good old days.
Then, as their lingering feelings started to subside, the addictive tune of the chorus played in their minds, already engraved in their memories.
Meanwhile, in the trainees' rooms….
In Zeth's team, where the room had turned silent, a lone sniff was heard.
Akira felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he halted when the sniffing continued, even when the stage was over. A smirk emerged from his lips as he turned to his side, where Jaeyong was, appearing to be crying once again.
"That's the sixth time," Akira chuckled. "Or maybe seventh? I can't keep count anymore since you've cried so much because of June."
Akira continued teasing the crying Jaeyong, who still couldn't calm himself down.
On the other hand, Zeth stayed silent as he kept looking at the screen.
The television had turned black at this point, but his mind raced with a thousand thoughts.
For all the missions, he couldn't help but pay more attention to Casper. It was inevitable.
Casper was always behind him, on the verge of passing his rank.
And in this performance, there were two people whom he wanted to focus on—Ren and Casper. Casper for the same reasons as before and Ren because they haven't talked after the third mission.
However, no matter how much he tried to focus on those two, one person still managed to capture his full attention from the start of the performance.
Zeth felt his heart beating faster in his chest, an ominous feeling brewing in his heart. He already felt June's potential when they worked together, but now, June could be likened to the Trojan horse with how unexpected his growth was.
In the other room, C-Jay and Jisung exchanged knowing glances.
Jisung, despite being disappointed by his performance, felt joy in his heart after watching June's performance.
He was very proud of June and his progress. He could even remember the times when June would ask him to teach him how to dance.
Yet now, Jisung felt like June was at par with his dancing skills.
C-Jay, on the other hand, felt regret swell in his heart.
Maybe the reason why he mistrusted June last week was because of his own insecurities.
The two of them were in zero-stars during the start of the show, but now, June had come so far.
Maybe C-Jay wanted the reason for June's improvement and rise in ranking to be his parents. It hurt his pride knowing they both started from zero, but June could now compete with the five stars.
However, C-Jay now understood that June deserved all of it. There was no one to blame but his own insecurities.
On the other hand, in another room, Lin Zhi clenched his fists as he glared at the screen.
He was sure that this would be his time to shine. Heck, he even took off his shirt just to make the crowd go crazy!
As Lin Zhi watched the other performances, he felt his confidence swell. In his mind, not even Zeth's team was able to outdo their performance.
And when June's team took the stage, Lin Zhi became even more certain.
Fans loved hot and spicy stages more than cute ones—that's a fact he knew about. However, after their performance, it seemed like the audience was only fixated on the cute yet emotional stage.
Lin Zhi's thoughts snapped back to reality when someone started clapping in their room. He glanced to the side and saw Steel looking at the screen with amazed eyes.
"What are you clapping for?" Lin Zhi couldn't help but ask.
"They were amazing," Steel smiled. "I thought it was a performance by a real idol team. I can't believe they pulled off such a stage."
Lin Zhi pursed his lips in anger.
"I thought we were going to win this time," Steel continued. "But now, I won't be mad if their team wins. I feel like they deserve it."
Lin Zhi then let out a deep breath as he felt his anger bubbling over.
Unlike Steel, he was, in fact, going to be mad if June's team managed to win this mission. Lin Zhi deserved to win—there were no other options.
The mentors, who were left in a state of shock as Team Adorbz exited, all had looks of disbelief on their faces.
Gun glanced around the studio and felt the warmth that the performance left among the audience—the smiles, teary eyes, and hums that resonated with the bubbly tune.
Gun smiled as he shook his head. "June," he muttered under his breath. "I really thought wrong of you."
Hyerin and Jihyun, on the other hand, continued sniffing even after the performance ended.
Having experienced being in the entertainment industry at a young age was something the two of them had in common.
And they had related well with the message of the song. They had quite a lot of regrets when they were young—but in the end, they were all still memorable.
Jihyun realized that even during those tough moments, she wouldn't have it any other way.
And now, her thoughts of June—which she merely felt was infatuation and brief amazement had shifted into something more, something lifelong.
Truly, she had become a fan.
And truly, she wasn't the only one.
Because at that moment, it seemed like the performance opened the hearts of many—even those who closed their hearts off for June from the very start.
