Chapter 361: Father (1)

By the time June arrived backstage, the other members, with the exception of Xion, were already there.

"There you are," Lee Sik smiled. "What took you so long?" he asked.

"My teammates were a pain," June muttered, wiping the saliva left on his cheeks. They all wished him luck in a very weird and affectionate manner—kisses on the cheek, so he had to wipe off the lipstick marks on his face before heading backstage.

"I'm jealous," Mimi muttered under her breath as she noticed a lone kiss mark on June's jawline.

Nico frowned. "Of what?" he suspiciously asked.

'I want to kiss him too!' she exclaimed in her mind. However, as she felt June's gaze on her face, she quickly came up with an excuse.

"I miss my teammates, of course!" she said. "At times like this, I also remember those rowdy girls. Treasure your teammates while they're still there. It may be annoying at times, but you'll definitely look back on it and wish you cherished the moments more."

The team was silent for a moment before Nico burst out laughing.

"Nah, I'm definitely not going to miss those bastards' teasing," he said, referring to the BOYMYSTIC members.

Their conversation was cut short when CHAOS exited the stage, signaling the end of their performance.

Xion quickly joined them, his skin glistening with sweat. The crew members flocked to him, wiping his sweat and fanning him with makeshift fans. Meanwhile, the other members of the special stage congratulated him for a performance well done, even though they didn't even get to watch the majority of it.

June, however, couldn't quite concentrate on the conversation before him since he felt a chilling sensation down his spine as one of the CHAOS members—the one he didn't get to see perform—passed by him in a flash.

There was something...indescribable about his aura.

June turned around but only saw the back of his head.

"Red," he muttered under his breath, staring at the fiery red hair of the mysterious man.

"June," Lee Sik said, causing June to snap back to reality.

"It's time for us to perform," the veteran singer said, giving him a reassuring smile.

June nodded in response.

"Don't be too nervous while singing, guys," Lee advised the entire team. "Sing with emotion while taking note of the original intent of the song."

"And June," he added.

"Hmm?" June hummed.

"Don't forget what we practiced."

June nodded with determination. Meanwhile, the other idols looked at the two of them in suspicion.

"What does this mean?" Mimi asked in confusion.

Lee Sik chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing. Just remember—whatever happens on stage, just go with the flow."

Although the others were still confused, they nodded in understanding.

"Let's go," Lee Sik said, leading the pack to the stage.

The lights on the stage were turned off as they entered, making the special line-up of the most awaited collaboration stage of the night remain a mystery.

The audience knew that Lee Sik was the protagonist of this year's special stage, so people from all generations anticipated the collaboration.

Cindy, who was a big fan of the veteran singer, also tuned into the livestream.

June stared at the sea of people before glancing at the large clock at the very end of the stadium. There were only 15 minutes left until the New Year countdown, and they were the closing performers of the night.

He felt his heart race faster, so he placed his hand over his chest and closed his eyes.

The stage was finally lit with a soft, white light, causing screams of excitement to wave through the audience. Lee Sik was with some of the most popular rookie and seasoned idols of the year!

- Xion is going to be singing with THE Lee Sik? He made it so far!

- Imagine Tres' excitement right now. He's always been vocal about Lee Sik's influence on his career as an idol.

- I wonder what song they're going to sing.

- I can't believe there is a representative for every successful season of Rising Stars on the stage right now.

- June, my black kitty, please don't mess up the stage!

- There's a sneak in the group. He's the only one with a vibrant hair color.

- Xion is going to tear this stage up. He's even singing right after performing two tiring songs!

A plain white background flashed on the LED screens, enhancing the aura of purity and simplicity. The audience's conversations gradually faded away as they waited for the long-awaited performance to commence.

As the lights ever-so-slightly dimmed, a lone piano emerged from the silence, its delicate notes piercing through the quiet audience like a crystalline stream.

The audience immediately exclaimed in nostalgia, the intro of the song being too iconic for them not to recognize it.

Jia pursed her lips, her gaze fixed on June. She loved this song, and the fact that the idol she loved very much was going to sing it meant a lot to her.

Just as the audience began to surrender to the enchanting piano, the gayageum joined the composition. Its strings resonated through the stadium with an ethereal elegance, complementing the piano's melody with a distinctly Eastern style.

The performers, despite being clad in diverse outfits, somehow harmonized into a singular aesthetic. They stood an arm's length distance away from each other, with the spotlight shining on the first singer—Lee Sik.

The veteran singer, the maestro of the performance, closed his eyes, shutting out the world around him.

"Oh, the sun would rise, and I saw a world so bright.

Through my innocent eyes, I admired your might."

Lee Sik's voice carried the weight of years of experience and the depth of heartfelt emotion. The audience, drawn into the singer's rendition, found themselves captivated by the vivid lyrics that unfolded like a timeless story.

- I watched this show for the idols, but damn, Lee Sik is on another level.

- There's actually someone in this world with a voice like this?

- I only ever heard this through other people's covers. Now, I regret not listening to his version first. Nothing will really beat the original.

In the waiting rooms backstage, the other artists halted in their tracks. The beauty of the song had transcended the confines of the stage, reaching through the monitors and touching the hearts of those inside the waiting rooms.

It was only a few seconds in, but the people watching already knew it was bound to be a legendary performance.