Chapter 266 Soft Spot
GIRLS' EVOLUTION was surprised when they suddenly heard their hit song play inside the venue. They never expected it to play at a time like this. Mimi secretly hated that song since it was one of their early releases. Not to mention the fact that it was an overly cute concept but with sexy undertones—a concept she hated. She pursed her lips in annoyance as the familiar intro played. However, when she recognized the trainee on the screen, she quickly halted. "June?" she whispered. "Oh gosh. That is him," Lala whispered by her side.
The others also couldn't believe what they were seeing. The trainee, although a bit blurry, appeared to have the same body build and features as June. He looked younger then, and it only made his fans squeal in excitement. "So cute! So baby!" Jia exclaimed, losing her sanity. The group of grandmas pulled out their latest phones, zooming in to take pictures so they could fangirl a little later in their homes. "Guys," Sasha said. "Mimi has stopped working." Again, she wasn't able to modulate her voice well, so BOYMYSTIC was able to hear her. Nico, on the other hand, had been watching Mimi from the very start. He was hoping that his hunch was wrong—or that he heard wrong a while ago. But it was definitely real. Mimi liked that month guy, and Nico was not having it. "He's so cute," Mimi muttered continuously.
Sera nodded in agreement, also being sucked into June's vortex. "I want to steal him and then make him into a little charm for my bracelet." "Oh gosh," Kiera muttered. "We've lost both of them." - This is so cute! But he was such a bad dancer then.
- It makes me look back on the times when June was a really bad dancer. Remember when he was being scolded by Gun back then? - Yeah, he couldn't keep up with the beat. Now, it seems like Gun has a soft spot for him. The trainees backstage still laughed despite this being the second time they had watched the clip. Cindy took the liberty to add effects such as hearts, bouncing cats, and over-the-top sound effects to his performance, so it only added to the bizarreness of the scene. June looked down at his lap, drowning out the sound of the music and laughter. Did he have to suffer through this again? Once was already enough! June sighed in relief when his turn was finally done. The spotlight now was on Zeth, but his audition wasn't bad at all! So June didn't know why he was reacting like he had performed a bad song. It was like comparing a past band kid's teen photos to the guy who had always been part of the football team! - These auditions were so precious. - These can be placed in a museum with how ancient they are. - This was literally months ago. But I get it. They look so young!
- They've really come so far. I'm so proud of these boys <3. <i>
After the never-ending laughter, the waterworks finally came. It started off with the video messages, which were edited more drastically to elicit an emotional response from the audience. Jia sniffed as C-Jay spoke. Why did her mom have to edit it in such an emotional way? They thought that would be it, similar to what the trainees had felt when they first gathered in the Audio Visual Room, so they were surprised when the video clip continued on, with a younger-looking Jisung shyly looking down at his palms. - Omo. What's this? - Was there anything like this in the past seasons? - I don't think so! Azure is kicking it up a notch this year. The past contestants of Rising Stars were also curious as to what it was. They didn't have anything like it during their season, so they paid extra attention. Then, the words—' To My Future Self' were shown. 'Awws' and curses filled the venue. It was time to bring out the tissues once more. "H–hi, Jisung?" he stammered, still not looking up to the camera. "Umm, you've always been a shy person, and that's okay. It's a part of who you are, but I hope you've found the courage to be more confident in yourself and in your abilities."
Jisung smiled shyly, finally looking up. The current Jisung looked embarrassed to see himself, but he also felt proud since he definitely gained more confidence throughout the competition. "One of your wishes was to make more friends. I hope you've reached out to people who appreciate your true self and have formed meaningful connections. Remember, it's not about having many friends but having the right ones who support and believe in you. You've met them, right?" he asked. "I have," Jisung whispered to himself, looking at the people he met along the way. Next was Sehun, who still had a bright smile. It was awesome to see that his smile hasn't changed until now. "Dear Sehun," he started off, chuckling since it sounded ridiculous to address a video message to himself. "I know you've faced many challenges and made sacrifices on your journey towards your dream. I'm sure you're wondering if you've finally reached it. I hope that the answer is 'yes.' Because if not, you should shave your head and prepare to go to the military now," he lightheartedly joked. And although the audience laughed along with him, they also couldn't help but feel sad about its connotation. - Please let Sehun debut. We can't waste his talent like this. - Sehun needs to debut, please! He's not as popular, but he's really good too. Sehun had left the audience with bittersweet feelings. C-Jay was the next to be shown, and as expected, he made the audience laugh with his first line. "Crush your opponents," he started off, looking more determined than ever. "You're a rap god. You're worth more than what they tell you. You're basically a mentor at this point!" "Just how big-headed is this guy?" Moon cracked up. "Surprisingly, I don't hate him at all, though." However, his speech quickly took a turn when he let out a deep sigh.
"But, in all seriousness, don't lose your humor, okay?" he chuckled, although sounding a bit sad. "It's the very essence of who you are…
and it's also what keeps you sane. Stay true to yourself, and don't change. Make friends, even when the pressure is high."
"And lastly, do your best! This year, we're going to show our mom that our dreams have finally become a reality. Fighting!" - This guy can actually be serious when he needs to be. - Now, I don't know what to feel. So few stars, so many trainees to vote for! The letters of the others were also edited sadly, and the audience was already sobbing by the end of Ren's speech. Cindy incorporated some scenes in the middle of it all, which added to the dramatic effect of the video. However, when June's scene was shown, they couldn't help but sob even harder. It seemed like Cindy had paid extra attention to June's scene, in particular. His words were the same—they still made his fellow trainees emotional. However, in the middle of his speech, clips of his hard work were shown, and the audience gasped when they saw the never-before-seen clips. June, too, frowned in confusion since he had never seen those scenes before. It was when he treated the zero-star trainees to pizza.
When he gave Akira a warm hug after their conversation. When he meticulously helped Sehun teach the new members their movements during 'Tie Me Up.'
When June stayed up late until night to finish their song during the production mission. It showed the difficult yet beautiful journey that June had been on. - Who the fuck is cutting onions? - Bro, I've never cried this hard for an idol survival show. Are you even supposed to cry during these shows?
- Please, Azure. Enough. I won't be able to watch the announcement at this point. However, Azure didn't give the audience any time to recover. As soon as the clip was over, and tears, snot, and saliva were still found on the audience's and trainees' faces, Minho took the center spot with a wide smile on his face. He glanced at the timer and then nodded to himself. 10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
"Starlights, trainees, and esteemed mentors… After months of sweat, tears, and fierce competition, the moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived. Tonight, under the dazzling spotlight, the fate of our idol survival show will be sealed as we announce the birth of an extraordinary idol group. It's time for the announcement of the debut team!"
