Chapter 358: Good Luck

As the skies turned dark, households across the city buzzed with excitement.

2023 had been a year where many struggled, but it also couldn't be denied that it was memorable. It was one for the books.

The year passed by in the blink of an eye, but at the same time, it felt gruelingly slow. It could be compared to the junior year, a.k.a the worst year in high school—classes and requirements just never seemed to end, but looking back on it, one would realize there was so much more that could have been done.

After a whole year of celebrations and defeats, the year had finally ended.

And while some might miss it for the memories it birthed, it was safe to say that most are happy to mark a new beginning in their lives.

The cold air was filled with the aroma of delectable dishes. Families gathered around their kitchen, preparing the feasts they were going to indulge in after the countdown.

In one particular household, the Jung family, adorned in ugly Christmas sweaters, exchanged heartfelt wishes as they clinked glasses of sparkling cider. The matriarch, Mrs. Jung, couldn't help but glance at the empty spot on the couch where her daughter usually sat.

"Where's Jia again?" Cindy asked her husband, who she hadn't seen for months because of her work.

"She went to some kind of year-end festival or something," Mr. Jung answered.

Cindy sighed and shook her head, refilling her glass with red wine.

"That girl, really. Why is she so obsessed with idols nowadays?" she grumbled.

"She's only obsessed with one, though," Mr. Jung said.

"June," the two of them said at the same time, causing them to chuckle.

"Yeah," Cindy said. "She talks about him all the time whenever I call her."

"Well, she had always been pretty stubborn," Mr. Jung said. "If she likes something, she'll be dead set on making it hers. I believe she got that from you."

Cindy clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"I just want us to celebrate the New Year together," she said.

"Don't worry. Jia will come back tomorrow. We can celebrate then," he comforted her.

"In the meantime, while she's away, why don't we—you know?" he suggestively asked.

Cindy paused, her heart racing inside her chest. She placed down her wine glass on the table while gazing at her husband.

"Should we?" she shyly asked.

Mr. Jung nodded, bringing out something from under the table, his movements slow and sensual.

Mrs. Jung bit her lip as she watched her husband's muscles flex under the artificial light.

"Here," he said.

"Let's continue our scrabble battle!"

***

The awaited year-end show was finally here!

The stadium was filled with a sea of fans, each holding personalized banners of different artists. Jia and her friends were once again able to book front-row seats because of Bora's luck, and they all excitedly screamed as the first idol group ended their performance.

"When is EVE going to perform again?" Jia asked.

"Seventh," Bora said. "The first page of the setlist was leaked, so I know they're going to be performing after OCTA."

"Oh gosh. I'm so excited," Wei said. "I want to see June really quickly."

Jia clicked her tongue, subtly glaring at her friend. After her infatuation with Lin Zhi during Rising Stars, she was now currently obsessed with June, which Jia wasn't too happy about.

Wei now had more June photocards than Jia!

Backstage, the next artists were preparing for their performances, all of them eager to show off their talents and efforts.

Aside from impressing the sponsors watching, they also wanted to show off to their fellow artists. Since so many stars were gathered in one place, it was only expected they wanted to be the best among the rest.

Every waiting room had a large LED screen TV, where the live performances were being aired. While waiting for their time to perform, EVE watched the current performers on the screen, all with serious expressions.

"Why are idols so good these days?" Akira asked. "Most of them are almost pro at dancing. Back when we debuted, singing was the most important."

"Yeah," Sehun said. "I feel like the 4th and 5th generation of idols rely more on their dancing and visuals rather than their vocal skills. I'm not saying it's necessarily bad, but it's just different."

"I get what you mean," Jaeyong said. "Since social media is so rampant, idols' mistakes are getting played over and over again—vocal cracks, nervous breakdowns, and the like. I think that led idols to become more conscious of their performances, which resulted in lesser live singing."

"Well, you guys are having a serious conversation," Jay said, entering the room with bags of boba milk tea in his arms.

"Can I have one of those?" Jisung excitedly asked.

"No can do, young chicken," Jay said. "You're going to be performing in less than 20 minutes. We don't want your throat to get cold."

"Who are these for then?" June asked.

"For the crew members, of course. I'm going to be extracting information like how a mage extracts souls or something like that!"

The members shook their heads at their manager's ridiculous comment.

"Well, off I go with my quest," Jay said. "Someone will come get you when it's your turn to perform. I'll be watching well, so do a good job, and don't forget to have fun!"

Jaeyong nodded. "Have fun extracting souls, too."

"Will do," Jay said, waving goodbye as he disappeared from their sight.

They continued talking about the nuances of the newer generations of idols when the door suddenly opened.

"EVE, please standby."

Jaeyong quickly stood from his seat and led his members out of their waiting room.

OCTA was now performing their last song, so they settled backstage while conditioning their minds.

They were pretty nervous since more artists and fandoms were going to watch their performance. Moreover, this was going to be the very first time they were going to perform Red Moon ever since their debut album was released.

OCTA's last song flew by faster than they had anticipated, and before they knew it, their fellow rookie group was already trudging down the stairs.

June's eyes met with Uno, and for the very first time, the latter actually stopped.

"Good luck," he said.

June smirked.

"Thanks, but I don't need it."