Chapter 313: Abracadabra

"A debater. A dancer. A rapper. A gangster...and now an English and Philosophy major? What other professions are you hiding from us, bro?" Akira asked, wrapping one arm around June.

"That was so beautifully said!" he complimented. "I bet Jaeyong didn't even understand half of the words you said!"

Jaeyong glared at Akira before nudging his side. "Shut up."

"Did you know?" Akira suddenly said. "Jaeyong was always the most leader-like trainee in our company, but he was such a bad student! If you saw his grades back then, you'd all faint."

"What?" Jisung asked with wide eyes. "You were a bad student? You always came off intelligent for some reason."

"It's his facade," Akira smirked. "In real life, he's as ditzy as Patrick the Star."

Jaeyong rolled his eyes and let Akira be.

"Did you get good grades in school or something?" Akira asked, turning to June.

They all looked at June, pondering upon Akira's question before collectively shaking their heads.

"I feel like June will beat me up if we went to the same high school together," Casper said.

Ren rolled his eyes. "Who would even beat you up? You look intimidating for no reason. Meanwhile, June looks...sweet."

"He bites, though," Zeth said. "I'm afraid of June sometimes."

June clicked his tongue. "Want me to make you even more afraid of me?" he asked.

Zeth quickly hid behind Sehun's back and cowered in fear.

"Well," June said. "I'll head out for a while. Don't look for me."

"Where are you going? Shouldn't we rest now since we have a schedule tomorrow?"

"I'll be back soon," June said, placing on a jacket before leaving their dorm. He made sure his hood and mask were secure before walking out of the building.

The last thing he wanted was to get caught by some fans.

He walked to a place he discovered when they roamed around the neighborhood—a children's playground.

As expected, since it was already evening, the park was empty.

He sat on one of the swings and closed his eyes to practice the bridge part of their song.

They had a studio-type room on the floor of their dorm, but June wasn't in the mood to use it.

He also wanted to get some fresh air, so this place was just perfect. Moreover, since tomorrow's festival was going to be held in an open field, he felt that this could simulate the performance better.

"Laughter echoes in the oasis of our past.

A timeless reverie, forever to last."

June clicked his tongue since, although it sounded good, it felt like he could do so much better. So, he repeated the line over and over again.

Then, when he hit the satisfying note without any struggle, he was finally able to smile.

However, he still wasn't satisfied.

June started running around the park, doing push-ups, going down the slide, and even going through the monkey bars just so he could tire himself out.

A little kid who bribed his older brother to go to the park stopped when they saw the scene before them. His older brother clicked his tongue and quickly covered the little boy's eyes.

"See? I told you that weirdos come here at night."

With that, June was left all alone once again. He practiced all night long, wanting the best for their performance tomorrow.

It was going to be his very first live performance as a member of EVE, and although he had done plenty of live performances in Rising Stars before, performing as an idol felt entirely different.

And even though he has the Breath of Eternity booster, he still wanted to make the most of the skills he had built.

June practiced multiple times until he felt it was enough. He even went as far as singing the entirety of their song, all while dancing their choreography, just so he could perfect his performance.

When he felt like the wind was getting too cold, he zipped up his jacket, drank some warm water, and headed back to the dorm.

As he went inside their dorm, he found that the living room was now empty. He glanced at the wall clock and almost fell when he saw it was nearing midnight.

Has he been practicing that long?

No wonder he felt so tired.

With that, June went to his room, laid down on his bed, and closed his eyes. He let go of his phone, causing it to fall on the ground.

His screen showed him streaming their album. Actually, he had been streaming the album the moment it came out.

He talked big about not competing with other groups, but in his mind, he still wanted to have good results for the album they worked hard for.

June left his phone on for the entire night.

That night, he also had a sweet dream.

He dreamed he was performing on stage.

***

It was a whopping 30°C, arguably one of the hottest days of the year. Everybody wore cool and fresh outfits with mini-fans hanging on their necks.

The atmosphere was filled with excitement as the student body gathered for a rare moment of enjoyment.

Y University, one of the most prestigious universities in Korea, was admired by many. With an acceptance rate of 16%, its grounds were sprawled with intelligence and talent.

However, today, those brilliant minds were going to take a break from their academic pursuits and enjoy the simple joys of being a college student.

The bleachers were filling up quickly, and the standing sections were already packed with students eager to witness the upcoming event. Laughter and chatter echoed across the fields as friends gathered.

In the sea of faces, Jia and her friends occupied the front row of the bleachers.

"We should have been in the standing section instead," Jia sulked.

"Those people have been camping here since the school gates opened," Soo-min said. "With this hot weather, I bet it smells like armpits there already."

Na-ri chuckled at Soo-min's graphic description. "I also don't want to stand all night long."

"Yeah," Wei agreed. "We bagged a pretty good spot. The extended stage is so near!"

Jia, although still disappointed, didn't retaliate any further.

The sun was still high in the sky because noon had just passed. The official start time of the event was 3 PM, so right now, unknown school bands and dance troupes were the ones who took the stage.

The bands on stage, clad in various costumes, excitedly showed their talents. Some played rock tunes that had the crowd on their feet, while others delivered soulful ballads that resonated with the audience.

Jia and her friends cheered along with the rest of the crowd, their usual academic stresses momentarily forgotten.

As the previous band left the stage, a new figure emerged, drawing every eye in the field.

It was none other than Minji, the popular senior who was also a trainee in a famous idol company. A loud cheer, especially coming from the boys, erupted as she stepped into the spotlight.

Minji, with her striking black hair swept by the wind and her pale skin glowing under the sun, confidently waved at the audience.

The cheers got louder as her beautiful face was shown on the large LED screen.

"She's so pretty," Jia whispered.

"Coming from you?" Wei asked. "You're pretty as hell, too!"

With a smile, Minji took a moment to let the cheers subside before leaning into the microphone.

"Hey, everyone!" she greeted, the crowd's cheers growing once more. "I hope everyone's enjoying the event so far."

"Let's make some memories and enjoy the most awaited event of the year—the Abracadabra Festival! Get ready for a magical experience filled with music, dance, and surprises. Keep your eyes open because you don't want to miss a single moment!"