Chapter 317: Dumb Daniel

Breath of Eternity? Check.

Handsome smile? Check.

Clear throat? Check.

June was ready for the high note.

The 15-second note, which was practically impossible to sing after the intense dance break, was one of the things June dreaded during their practices.

Despite having high-tier skills, June still had limits as a human.

However, with the Breath of Eternity booster and the vocal upgrade he got earlier, June felt more confident.

He once again took the center and smiled, placing the head-worn microphone closer to his lips.

However, just as he was about to open his mouth to sing, the music abruptly stopped.

June's eyebrows momentarily raised in surprise. The audience, too, exclaimed in shock as the music stopped.

"What the hell?"

"Who the fuck turned it off?"

"Aww, it stopped at this moment? Poor EVE."

"Will they start the performance all over again?"

The technical booth was in a frenzy after the music had been muted. The other members flocked to the control booth while Daniel acted frantic as well.

"I—I don't know what happened, dude," he coolly said. "I was just chilling here, then it turned off."

June, however, knew he couldn't afford to fuck up this performance.

The silence was deafening, but without missing a beat, June took a deep breath, shoulders squared as he held his gaze on the audience.

"Laughter echoes in the oasis of our past.

A timeless reverie, forever to last."

The audience snapped their gazes back to the stage, looking at June with agape mouths.

His voice, soft yet powerful, filled the void left by the absent music. The high note meant to be supported by a low backing track now relied solely on June's vocal skill.

He sustained the note, a seemingly impossible feat, and the audience watched in awe as the 15-second note unfolded before their eyes.

June's voice soared, resonating through the venue with a clarity that surpassed their expectations.

Jisung and Akira glanced at each other, smirking, before singing the next lines of the song.

The group relied on the beat inside their minds as they continued the song.

At that moment, they sang in acapella, debunking all lip-syncing allegations.

The audience, initially taken aback by June's high note, erupted into applause. However, one girl remained silent through it all—Jia.

Her gaze was focused on June, falling deeper in love with the idol.

How could he surprise her every single day?

Daniel, who initially felt smug after lowering the music's volume, now listened to their set with awe.

"Idiot!" one of the members exclaimed, slapping the back of his head and making him snap out of his thoughts.

"The volume's turned down."

The other member took the initiative to turn the music up, and just like that, the accompaniment perfectly synced with EVE's singing.

Not only was it impressive that they managed to sing well despite their difficult choreography. However, it was almost as impressive for them to be able to keep the beat of the song without the backtrack.

"I'll man the control booth," a girl pushed Daniel away, causing him to plop to the ground, his pants falling and fully showing his ass crack.

The technical booth erupted into shrieks while Daniel quickly covered the crack with his hands. He looked at the disgusted looks on his members' faces and quickly ran away from the booth while pulling up his pants.

He initially wanted to enjoy the rest of the festival, especially since LUNIX still hasn't performed.

However, that night, Daniel decided that staying home was the best idea.

"Beware the Oasis in the desert of need.

For in its seemingly quenching waters lies the peril of drowning.

In the heat, none perish, but within the embrace of a deceptive sanctuary...

The true danger unfolds."

Some of the artists who were watching the livestream of the festival on their respective phones were amazed by what just happened.

Jordan stared at June and shook his head. He always thought that he, himself, was the most talented center that came out of Rising Stars.

However, he was doubting that now.

"We can definitely do that," Nico said, crossing his arms in front of her chest.

"Jordan can," Moon teased. "You definitely can't. You have the loudest backtrack among us."

Nico glared at him. "Fuck off."

Meanwhile, Amira's eyes were practically blazing. She quickly wrote her number on a small piece of paper and tucked it into her handkerchief.

She initially didn't want to make the first move because, quite frankly, boys begged for her number—not the other way around.

However, seeing as June must be shy (he was definitely not), she decided to make the first move and hand him her handkerchief after their performance.

"Oasis, the home we perceived.

Oasis, our home, where no one leaves."

The final notes of the song lingered in the air as EVE struck a triumphant pose, basking in the cheers and applause of the exhilarated audience.

Despite the dark connotation of the song and the murderous theme it had in the music video, the audience didn't feel such horror in their performance.

It may be because the boys looked really happy while performing the song...

Or maybe they've been held captive by the song, and they were now experiencing Stockholm Syndrome.

Or maybe even both!

However, one thing was certain.

EVE's debut stage was a hit, and people have already started sharing the videos they've taken on online platforms.

EVE stayed in their positions for a while, looking straight into the audience with wide smiles on their faces.

Then, when a staff member gave them the cue, they quickly bowed and left the stage. Since they only came out with their album yesterday and were planning to showcase their B-side track on a music show, they only got to perform one song.

Others had two to three songs, but honestly, it didn't matter.

That one song made a great impact on the audience as it is.

As they went down the stage, June exchanged knowing glances with his fellow members.

They all had a common expression—the satisfaction of a successful debut written across their faces.

The stage, now absent of the traces of the sunset, held the magic of a summer evening in November—one that would be remembered by the members for years to come.