Unveiled on the Festival Stage
Two chairs placed on the school festival stage, and the kids sat down. Their setup consisted of just a few mics, a bass, and two guitars. It was pretty sparse for something calling itself Group Sound. And with that minimal gear, the two of them dove straight into the music without any explanation.
Drums replaced by foot stomps, a simple bass line overlaid with fingerstyle electric guitar. The kids gathered in the auditorium tilted their heads at this music they'd never heard before. But that confusion didn't last long. The sharp guitar sound pierced through the hazy veil over the stage, drawing gasps from the music-loving students.
"Isn't this Overmistake?"
"Overmistake? Kinda sounds familiar."
Like a droplet rippling across a still pond, the whispers spread. As a track that had lingered briefly on the 24-hour charts, plenty of kids recognized it even without knowing the title... and quite a few knew the song outright. Then the main melody hooked their ears, and like most of the audience, he realized what was playing.
He didn't know the exact name, but it was that upbeat rock band tune that popped up now and then on Melon—super catchy.
One day, if you choose just one path among countless roads,
Could I really tell you not to go?
When the vocals kicked in, chills ran down his spine. It was exactly like the original song and voice. Come to think of it, the guitar sounded identical too. The bass felt the same... The whole performance matched perfectly, drums and piano aside.
At that moment, he wasn't the only one piecing it together. Puzzles clicked in the kids' minds: similar voices. Ha Suyeon from the band. Killer guitar skills. Audition show winner. School violence scandal. Daeyo Girl. All-girl quartet. And so on.
Like a collective hypnosis, the auditorium erupted in the same realization through the same thought process.
"Suyeon's in Group Sound? Those audition winners?"
"That's why her face looked so familiar..."
The reaction was explosive. The laid-back vibe of "Oh, I know this tune, it's fun" shattered as kids' voices burst out, drowning the music from the speakers.
"That's her?", "Wait, so Daeyo Girl is Suyeon too?", "No way.", "Does that even make sense?"
It seemed unbelievable at first glance, but tracing the steps made it all too plausible. Suyeon and Iseo had kept quiet about the audition show amid the school violence fallout. The charismatic, unhinged image from Invasion from Seoul clashed with their "pushover" school personas and the cute Daeyo clips on Shorts.
Put it together slowly: Suyeon joined a band audition, so it had to be Invasion from Seoul 2024. Only one all-girl high school band there—Group Sound—so she was in it. They won singing Overmistake, so Suyeon sang it... Et cetera.
But kids, numb to fleeting info overload, had brushed it off. Those in the know figured everyone else got it too. And that was that.
Tomorrow's you wipes away tears, but yesterday's you wouldn't,
Tomorrow's you kneels, but yesterday's you was different.
Those two lines floated down over the kids like comfort. And through their voices, they bounced back to the stage.
Nothing like the vibe just a couple minutes earlier.
What's with the sudden reaction? Myeongjeon wondered as he wrapped up the song. Dead silence, then murmurs among themselves, and now half the crowd singing along.
"Ah~ Thank you! Without drums and keys, it's tough to recognize at first, right? That was Group Sound's 'Overmistake}! Hello! I'm Choi Iseo, handling bass for Group Sound! Nice to meet you~!"
The vibe, trashed by the guys' half-assed opener and still recovering when they took the stage, had boiled over into frenzy. Plenty of kids chanted "Ha Suyeon!" and "Choi Iseo!"
No way they just now figured it out.
Myeongjeon thought, then greeted, "Hello. I'm Ha Suyeon, guitar for Group Sound."
Ignoring the weird shouts of "So cute!" and "Do Daeyo~!"
"We've only got 30 minutes, so let's dive in quick. Might play some you don't know—enjoy anyway."
He picked up the acoustic again. Time to see the payoff from drilling Iseo these past few days.
Another foot-stomp drum track kicked off. Myeongjeon tore at the strings with calluses and nails, scanning the crowd below.
Unfamiliar tune, but cheers erupted just from the start. A far cry from before.
Wonder if they know this one... Famous enough, but some might not. Still, it pops up in YouTube guitar searches, so plenty should.
"It's really Suyeon."
"Told you~! See!!"
After the song ended and stage banter filled the gap, Dain showed her friend a short clip. To convict the stubborn skeptic.
She believed it now, thankfully. Though it stung that it took Suyeon's live performance, not Dain's word.
"Dude, do you ever believe me? When have I ever lied?"
"Haven't you... a lot?"
Dain shut up Chaerin mouthing off from the side and pressed her friend. Nod of agreement at last.
"But does Suyeon only do this kinda music?"
"Nah, all kinds."
"What's this? Rock or whatever? Not really my thing..."
"Doubt it."
Dain recalled recently: Suyeon's YouTube gig, Busking Busking. Just an acoustic, moving the street crowd to tears. Like right now.
"Doing something else now?"
Chaerin pointed stageward. Suyeon set the electric on its stand, grabbed the acoustic, prepping to sing. More singer-songwriter vibes drew cheers.
The track began: pure rhythm at first. Steady bass pulses under line-less acoustic strums of pure, good notes.
Kids stared curiously—what song? What'll it be? Dain too.
Curiosity solved quick. Melody rang familiar. Funky rhythm backdrop.
Post-Overmistake chatter hushed but didn't chill. Not red-hot, but blue steel ready to burn—silence thick with boiling steam below.
Dain spotted the "not my thing" kid subtly grooving. She felt her own feet itching too.
"Whoa, whose song?"
"Dunno."
"Guitar's insane. That's really Ha Suyeon?"
Genuine awe at the fluid guitar. Post-incident, endlessly mocked Suyeon unveiled this—serious, flashy mastery. They cheered heartfelt.
But more waited: endless guitar and bass rising from nowhere.
"Huh?"
Dain wasn't alone. Thought it ended. Bass, till now just holding rhythm, asserted itself post-vocals.
Choi Iseo sprang from her chair, fingers flying. Bass poured through speakers to the floor, stirring kids' feet.
Rhythmic sway as needed, topped by unbelievable sharp acoustic solo.
Hidden heat beneath silence long burst free. In those few minutes, the duo had half the crowd on their feet moving.