The Concert (5)
Rewinding time slightly to ten minutes before Jeong Jisul was caught on camera.
It was a brief intermission before the special event.
"Who are we bringing up?"
"There's this one guy who keeps catching my eye. I want to bring him up."
"I noticed someone too."
"I'm telling you, the way he was grooving to the rhythm was perfectly in sync with me."
"...Who is it?"
"Him."
Moore, the vocalist of Orchid, gestured with his chin toward Jeong Jisul in the VIP section.
"Is he Asian?"
"...What?"
"Isn't he way too handsome? Honestly, he's more striking than the Hollywood actors we met last month."
"He's a fan. Watch your mouth, Moore. That borders on racism."
"I'm trying my best to behave."
Moore shrugged as if to ask what the big deal was, then continued.
"Besides, look at where he's sitting. Those are the seats we personally set aside."
"The ones we gave to Bae Sol."
"If he's sitting there, he's probably a K-pop idol or something. Just look at him. I'm glad I didn't bring my wife."
"...So, we're bringing him up?"
"Yeah. Plus, we still owe Bae Sol an apology."
Neville nodded at Moore's words.
"True. We took the money back then, but the label blocked the collaboration."
The other members felt the same. Now, the final decision rested with Declan, the leader and bassist.
"Since we feel bad about Bae Sol, let's think of it as giving him a bit of free publicity."
At Moore's final push, Declan finally nodded.
"...Fine. We do owe her one."
Declan slipped backstage to speak with the staff.
Not long after, Jeong Jisul appeared on the giant screens.
"I wonder if he's any good," Declan asked, having returned to the stage.
"K-pop idols are singers too. He must know how to play at least one instrument," Moore replied half-heartedly.
Declan smiled faintly and muttered, "I hope he plays the bass well."
I followed the staff backstage.
I had considered passing the opportunity to Choi Saeron if transfers were allowed. However, they told me that if I declined, another person would be selected at random. So, I decided to go up myself.
"An interpreter is waiting on standby, so you don't need to worry too much."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
"And, um..."
The staff member hesitated for a moment.
"...Are you a trainee? Or have you already debuted?"
"Pardon?"
"Oh, it's just...! You're so handsome..."
"...No, nothing like that."
"Ah, then by any chance..."
Her gaze wandered aimlessly through the air, trying to look casual.
She pretended to scan her surroundings, but in the end, her eyes locked back onto me.
...Ah, here it comes.
It was a highly familiar situation, and one I had anticipated.
A strange tension had been lingering in the staff member's expression for a while now.
"......"
Biting her lower lip slightly, she took a soft breath.
"...Could I... give you my Instagram?" she stammered.
It was an incredibly polite approach. She wasn't demanding my handle; she was offering hers.
Truly rude people would just barge up and demand, "Give me your Instagram," in an unpleasant tone. She was a far cry from them.
But still...
"I don't use Instagram."
Just because she was polite didn't mean I was going to take it.
"And I'm still a minor..."
I bowed my head slightly.
"Thank you for asking, but I'm sorry."
I replied with utmost courtesy. Since she had approached me politely, it was only right that I returned the favor.
"Oh..."
Just as the atmosphere threatened to turn awkward, another staff member appeared from the stage side, bringing the situation to a timely end.
.
.
.
I stepped onto the stage.
The feeling of having the eyes of at least fifty thousand people locked onto me was...
...highly satisfying.
Honestly, I loved it. Quite a lot, actually.
They say all artists are attention seekers. While that's impossible to generalize, it certainly seemed to apply to me.
The anticipation of playing an instrument in front of this crowd sent a thrill through my veins.
Just then, the interpreter began translating the Orchid members' words.
"Moore says he's never seen anyone this handsome in his entire life!"
I understood that much without translation. You wouldn't be a Korean high schooler if you couldn't grasp that.
It's pretty hard to miss 'fucking handsome,' after all.
"By any chance, do you know how to play any of the instruments here?"
"Yes, I can play all four of them," I spoke into the microphone.
A collective wave of "Oohs!" rippled through the stadium.
"Oh, really?! Do you do music?!"
"I haven't debuted yet... I'm just an aspiring musician."
Once they finished their basic background check through the interpreter, the band members began asking me questions directly.
They asked if I was a fan of Orchid, and what my favorite song of theirs was.
It was practically a five-on-one fan meeting right there on stage.
In other words, the questions I asked here would represent the entire Orchid fanbase.
I carefully weighed my options.
What would Choi Saeron ask if she were here?
Keeping that in mind, I opened my mouth.
Once the Q&A wrapped up, the interpreter spoke again.
"Declan wants to know which instrument you'd like to play, and which song!"
The time to choose had arrived.
However, I didn't hesitate. This was Orchid, of all bands. Of course I had to play the bass.
When else would I get the chance to take center stage alongside world-class musicians?
And for the song...
I chose the title track of their third album, the one Choi Saeron loved so much.
I conveyed my choice to the interpreter.
Upon hearing it, Declan's eyes widened.
He then asked me in basic English if I was sure I could play the title track of their third album.
I parted my lips and assured him that I could.
In truth, the third album's title track was the Orchid song I was most confident in. I had practiced it extensively beforehand to give Choi Saeron crash-course lessons once her skills improved.
Declan frowned slightly and conversed with the interpreter.
The result of their exchange was...
"Declan says he'd like to see a quick demonstration of your skills first..."
Well, that was fair. I knew exactly how demanding that title track was for a bassist.
"If there's a bass ready, I can show you right now," I said, projecting confidence.
At that, Declan finished speaking with the interpreter and handed me his own bass.
Um, Declan's bass...
Declan's bass...
Declan's bass...?
"...Huh?"
It was highly unusual to be handed a professional bassist's or guitarist's personal instrument.
Some were extremely sensitive about maintaining their custom setups, while others simply hated anyone else touching their gear.
There were countless reasons, but the bottom line was...
...they usually don't just hand it over.
I stared blankly at Declan, wondering if this was actually happening.
A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.
"Is this really okay?" I asked, worried there might have been a translation error.
"Yes, he says it's perfectly fine," the interpreter reassured me.
"Then I'll just play the beginning of the first verse."
I steeled my resolve. The bass was already in my hands. The best I could do now was...
...show them what I've got.
Without plugging into an amp, I began playing the bass right in front of Declan.
It didn't take long before I received an approving nod from him.
Moore's expletive-laden exclamation of awe from behind was a bonus.
"...Is this even possible?"
Choi Saeron's low murmur reached Kwon Dain's ears.
But that wasn't the only sound filtering in.
"He's so freaking handsome..."
"Who is he?"
"No idea, looks like a celebrity though?"
"Or maybe a trainee."
"If he debuts, I'm definitely stanning him."
"Right?"
Voices praising Jeong Jisul's looks echoed around them.
"...It's definitely a different style."
"But it has its own charm."
"He's really good. He must be super experienced. Does he run a cover channel? Or is he a professional?"
Praise for his skill followed.
But the most striking comment came from Choi Saeron, who was muttering to herself.
"...His style is completely different from Declan's. You can't even call this a cover. How is it a cover when he's completely rewriting the song in his own color...?"
Kwon Dain glanced sideways at Choi Saeron.
Saeron's sparkling eyes were fixed entirely on Jeong Jisul.
...She really likes him.
Dain knew Saeron loved Orchid, but wasn't this look meant for Jisul? Why were her eyes shining like that while looking at him?
Am I just being overly sensitive...?
Dain shifted her gaze to Jeong Jisul, trying to understand the reason behind Saeron's starry-eyed expression.
He looks... so happy.
Jisul's face was filled with pure joy. Was this what they called a hundred percent genuine smile?
Seeing him so happy made her own heart flutter with excitement.
...Ah, so that's why Saeron made that face.
The moment that realization struck, Jisul's gaze swept across the audience.
"...!"
In that sweep, their eyes met perfectly.
Dain quickly lowered her eyes. She bowed her head and held her breath.
...Did he see me?
Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs, fast enough to count as a cardio workout.
Let's leave.
Dain made a swift decision. There was no reason to take unnecessary risks.
She would slip out of the venue now. If Jisul asked about it later, she could just play dumb.
However.
Her reason and her instincts were pulling her in completely opposite directions.
Because of that, a small, greedy desire bloomed in a corner of her heart.
A shallow yet persistent urge to keep her eyes on his joy-filled face for even a second longer held her in place.
...I'll leave after his performance is over.
And so, Dain decided to watch just a little longer. Surely, she could allow herself this much.
"......"
The performance came to an end.
The crowd of over fifty thousand erupted into applause, and the members of Orchid gathered around me to shower me with enthusiastic praise.
Yet, my mind was occupied with something else.
The moment my eyes had met the person in the beige hoodie kept replaying in my head.
It was Dain.
It was definitely Kwon Dain.
Of course, she could be here. There was no reason she couldn't. But...
...Why?
I was simply curious. Why did our paths cross like this? Why hadn't she said anything? Why hadn't she asked to come together? Things like that.
And to be honest, I was also a little worried about her.
I should contact her as soon as I get off the stage.