Aria in the Rain
"It's still pouring..."
A pretty spacious Airbnb that could house quite a few people.
Lots of rooms, and a space perfect for use as a practice room—it was highly satisfactory overall...
But the problem was the weather.
The rain had come out of nowhere, with no forecast, and poured all day. It eased up a bit at dawn, making us think it might finally stop, but the sky betrayed that hope completely, still dumping rain like a sieve with a hole in it.
Of course, since this was a program requiring busking, we couldn't shoot if the weather didn't clear up.
So for now, the production crew and contestants had no choice but to huddle in prayer, waiting for the rain to stop.
"Siyeon, wanna practice? Come on over here?"
"Ah, sure!"
I trotted over to the practice room in the back.
For this stage, I wasn't singing—just handling the guitar session.
If the weather cleared, we'd do the busking tomorrow.
But my gut told me it might not happen at all.
I had three songs to play this time.
None of them had particularly tough chords, so practicing wasn't hard.
"Whoa, you've already mastered it? You're no ordinary kid."
"Hehe, thanks."
Lee Seung-hyun, who was set to play piano this time, ruffled my hair and praised me.
I was getting way too used to being babied like this lately, which worried me a bit.
But hey, it still felt great to be praised.
Getting attention online was nice, and having big-name people fawn over me and compliment me just by hearing my name? Even better.
Guess I had an incurable case of attention-seeker syndrome.
"Siyeon, wanna go for a walk?"
"...In this rain?"
"I like it when it rains like this. If you don't wanna, no biggie!"
I pondered Baek Yu-yeon's suggestion for a second before accepting.
Because I was super bored right now.
We'd bonded in the morning, chatting excitedly about music and getting friendly with everyone, but even that got old after a day.
Truth was, I hadn't released much of my own work yet, so I had to carry conversations based on their stuff...
But I don't know it that well.
This world? I'd only been in it for less than a year. Even if I'd binged their songs after seeing the lineup, I couldn't understand their music as deeply as lifelong fans.
Anyway, I headed out with Baek Yu-yeon, plus Saki and Jia who'd joined midway, toward the nearby park.
Barcelona's rain-slicked streets, ancient and grand, felt different from Korea's right from the air.
Mixed in with the muggy dampness was the mossy scent of old stone buildings, and the patter of rain on our umbrellas sounded like upbeat percussion rhythms.
Maybe it just feels extra special 'cause we're abroad.
"Wow, it's so pretty. The rain makes it even more atmospheric, right?"
Baek Yu-yeon led the way like an excited kid, followed by Saki and Jia. I scurried after them, my kid-sized guitar slung on my back.
I'd brought the bag specifically because it had a spot to fix an umbrella—no need to hold it by hand.
Entering the small park near the accommodation, the vivid green of the trees washed clean by the rain stood out sharply through the dense foliage.
And in the heart of the park, under a canopy of huge roadside trees like a natural roof, there was a simple wooden stage.
"Huh? Look over there. Is that a stage?"
The spot Jia pointed to was a tiny stage with a slight stone overhang for shelter from the rain.
In the center sat an old piano.
A few benches around it were soaked, and the stage floor had scattered shoe prints like kids had been running around, but overall, it was pretty dry.
Perfect composition.
Misty park, wet trees, and a serene stage at the center.
No need for production crew setups—even a smartphone could capture killer footage here.
And it wasn't deserted either. Being in the city center, plenty of people passed by, and the covered benches nearby had folks sitting and resting.
"Unnies, wanna do a song right there?"
All three pairs of eyes snapped to me at my suggestion.
"Here? In the rain?"
"Right now?"
Saki and Jia sounded flustered, but I was already unzipping my waterproof bag.
"If it stays like this, we probably won't busk tomorrow anyway... Might as well do one here. Yu-yeon unnie, piano okay?"
"Uh, yeah. Condition's not bad. I can play it."
I hopped up to center stage and pulled out my little guitar. Plucking the strings lightly after checking the tuning, a clear guitar note pierced the rain and spread through the park.
"Does it work?"
"Hold on, lemme check with the PD."
The cameraman who'd followed us made a quick call somewhere.
Then he gave the okay sign, like PD approval had come through.
"Wait, can we do harmonies?"
"The song you two did as a duet at last year's year-end stage. Remember? That should work."
Saki and Jia had done a duet last year. I'd caught it by chance while researching at the PC bang, and it popped into my head now.
"You mean 'I'll Be the Best'?"
"Yeah, that's it. I can play this one. What about you, Yu-yeon unnie?"
"Me too. It's such a famous song..."
YouTube views over a billion—it was huge in Korea too. Anyone who'd learned an instrument had probably tried it at least once.
Baek Yu-yeon and I ran through a quick run-through.
Meanwhile, Saki and Jia were posting Instagram stories: We're here! Come watch the busking!
Wonder if that'll draw anyone.
Even with K-pop going global, how many people would rush to a park in the middle of Spain on short notice?
Besides that song, Baek Yu-yeon and I synced up a few others they wanted to do.
I was surprised how many of their picks she knew—her image screamed traditional folk tunes only, but she listened to all kinds.
Anyway, we got a basic setup going.
The hastily grabbed mic and vintage piano had crappy sound, but it was playable for harmonies.
"Hehe, this isn't half bad. What do you think, sunbae?"
"First time in a situation like this... Kinda novel, I guess."
As the two chatted, people started gathering bit by bit.
We kicked off the performance on my cue.
"They're busking near here?"
Clara, who was turning 17 this year, shot up from her seat in shock at the Instagram story posted by FYG's Saki.
"Hey! Clara, what's up?"
"FYG's doing a performance here!"
Clara was a huge K-pop fan, especially FYG.
She'd been shy and introverted before, but falling for FYG got her into the dance club and turned her outgoing—practically a life-changing pivot.
The location wasn't far from home, so she threw on some clothes and headed to the little stage in the park.
Who's that kid? She looks tiny.
Spotting the little girl with a small guitar prepping the stage amid the adult women, she felt a flicker of curiosity. But then she saw her fave, Saki, and her heart nearly stopped.
Anyway, the show started under the little kid's direction.
Clara watched, totally entranced.
Seeing Saki—who she'd only ever watched in videos—perform live made her feel like she might lose her mind.
B-but seriously, who's that kid?!
She couldn't ignore the girl in the center, directing everything.
Icy vibe, but prettier than most K-pop idols.
Clara's gaze shifted from Saki to the kid more and more, uncovering something off.
She's starting every song. Even signaling the piano with hand gestures midway...
Every band has a bandmaster; every dance crew has a leader.
This stage felt the same—the kid was calling all the shots.
"What...? Can someone that age even do that?"