Ch.153153. The Final Performance (1)

December 22nd.

Finally, the time had come to showcase the results of the past three months of practice.

“Wow… there are so many people outside!”

“Hey, who did all these people come to see?”

The 23rd and 24th generations, having finished their rehearsal, were all dressed in their performance outfits.

Outside the hall, it was already packed with audience members who had come to see their friends perform.

The first-year students kept peeking out, curiously observing the crowd.

“Lee Suhyeok!”

Hana, who was talking with the owner of the live hall—her uncle—waved her hand as if beckoning him over.

“Ah, yeah.”

Suhyeok was practicing one last time with his unplugged guitar.

His fingers had developed hard calluses that couldn’t get any tougher.

He had stayed up all night practicing yesterday too.

Since this was their last performance, he really wanted to end it spectacularly.

“Hey, Suhyeok.”

Suhyeok, who had only verbally promised to treat the uncle to a meal but never actually visited him, fidgeted awkwardly in front of the owner.

“It’s been a while?”

“Ah, yes. Have you been well?”

Since they hadn’t had time for small talk when checking the sound and lighting, the uncle wanted to chat with Suhyeok now.

“Of course. Thanks to you.”

“Ahaha.”

“Has Hana been taking good care of you? She’s not always the best at looking after others.”

“Uncle, what are you saying? I take such good care of him.”

“Try taking care of your family like that, Yoon Hana.”

Caught in the middle, Suhyeok scratched his head.

Indeed, dealing with a girlfriend’s family was always challenging.

In the backstage waiting room, Jiyeon was biting her nails.

“Juyeon unnie, what if I mess up?”

“You’ll be fine.”

“Ah, I’m so nervous. Maybe I shouldn’t have looked at the audience. Now I’m freaking out.”

Jiyeon was fanning herself with her hand despite the cold winter.

Juyeon reached out and held Jiyeon’s trembling hands.

“You’re good at this.”

“…Unnie, can I hug you?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m so nervous, I need to hug you.”

Though the reason was somewhat absurd, Juyeon opened her arms and hugged Jiyeon.

Juyeon was actually smaller in stature.

It was almost as if Jiyeon was the one hugging Juyeon.

“Ugh… I think I’ll survive now.”

“…Really?”

Seeing the positive response, Juyeon gave her a few gentle pats on the back.

I wonder if this will help her feel better…?

“Juyeon has grown up, hasn’t she? Now she’s even comforting her juniors.”

Next to Seo-eun was her boyfriend Jaejun, who had come to the venue early and was sucking on a candy.

“I’m almost an OB now.”

“That’s right. This is our final performance. We’re graduates!”

“But you’ll still visit the club room next year, right, unnies?”

Jiyeon felt somewhat melancholic at the thought of growing distant from the 23rd generation seniors.

“Sure~ If I’m not too busy?”

Seo-eun smiled brightly.

“Should I visit about as often as this guy? Or is that too much? The 25th generation kids might not like it.”

“Seo-eun, I didn’t visit that often, you know?”

“Yeah right~ You always came whenever I called.”

Jaejun tousled Seo-eun’s hair, telling her to think whatever she wanted.

Sohye and Choi Gang were sitting close together in a corner.

Their conversation had a slightly different vibe compared to other couples.

“So you’re saying a bottle of soju has about 400 calories?”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s like an hour of cardio.”

“Phew. So tomorrow I need at least two hours?”

“No! We’ll be eating snacks too. Calculate that as well.”

The two, preparing for a winter body profile, were already stressed about the upcoming team dinner.

“Ah! Can I step out for a moment?”

Hyejung, who had been glued to her phone, approached Seo-eun.

“Sure! But why?”

“My boyfriend is here, so I just want to see his face quickly.”

“You need to come back soon, okay? You know we can’t be late for the opening?”

“Of course~ I’ll be right back!”

As soon as Hyejung left mentioning her boyfriend, the first-year boys started ganging up on Taeho.

“Hey, Hyejung’s boyfriend is here.”

“Stop it.”

“Ooh, are you going to throw your guitar in frustration?”

“Are you crazy? Get lost, idiots.”

“Look, we triggered him.”

The snickering boys were demonstrating a textbook case of group teasing.

Taeho had set a goal for this winter.

Get a girlfriend.

He was determined to make it happen.

This humiliation.

He needed to find a drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend to shut them up.

It was a mistake to tell them about getting rejected by Hyejung when he was drunk.

Damn alcohol.

But regrets were too late now.

“Gang, could you bring in everyone from outside?”

Checking the time, Seo-eun asked him to help.

“Lee Suhyeok! Yoon Hana! Come in!”

The two, who were still chatting with the uncle, were summoned into the waiting room.

With the 23rd and 24th generations all gathered, they formed a circle in the cramped waiting room and joined hands.

“Everyone, you know we need to have fun performing today, right?”

Seo-eun smiled broadly, delivering a proper president-like speech.

“Let’s look super cool and give it our all until the end, okay?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Then on the count of three, we’ll shout ‘fighting’ and go?”

The spirit was like that of a sports team, full of energy.

“One. Two. Three!”

“SPIRIT FIGHTING!”

The second-year students, the main generation, would open the show first.

Unlike the regular performance during the school festival, this external performance often attracted people from other schools and the general public, so the 23rd generation would take the stage first.

The 23rd generation members did their final outfit and equipment check.

“Everyone ready?”

Seo-eun went through the confirmation process.

“Suhyeok, come here.”

The leather jacket that was too hot to wear in spring.

Today was also Suhyeok’s day to shine.

“Good. Belt looks nice. Pant cuffs are fine.”

Hana meticulously adjusted Suhyeok’s outfit.

“You look cool.”

“You look pretty too.”

Hana had bought a new black leather jacket to match with Suhyeok.

The two were essentially going on stage in couple outfits.

Sohye and Choi Gang lamented that they couldn’t do the same.

“Be careful, your guitar might scratch against the belt buckle?”

“Yeah.”

“If it gets scratched, you won’t be able to sell it later.”

“I’m not selling it. Why would I sell it?”

Suhyeok planned to stay with this Telecaster for a long time.

“Juyeon, come here.”

Seo-eun bent down to meet Juyeon’s eyes.

Juyeon’s performance outfit was personally selected by Seo-eun.

A white blouse topped with a cute navy blue vest sweater.

Today, Juyeon exuded the aura of an adorable young girl to anyone who saw her.

“Whoever did your makeup did a great job~”

The makeup was also entirely done by Seo-eun.

“Thank you, unnie.”

Juyeon grabbed Seo-eun’s collar, seemingly embarrassed by the compliment.

“Let’s go up now!”

Choi Gang, grabbing his drumsticks, nodded.

All five members stood in front of the passage leading to the stage.

Once they stepped through, their final performance would begin.

“…Let’s go, everyone.”

Seo-eun took the lead first.

As the leader, she led the members from the front.

Hana gently held Suhyeok’s nervous hand.

When Suhyeok met her eyes, Hana gave him a beautiful smile like a sunflower.

At the very back was Juyeon, watching it all.

As he stepped onto the stage, Suhyeok faced the audience that filled the venue.

Despite the tickets not being free but paid, so many people had come.

Over there, he could see a female student who had brought a placard with Hana’s name on it.

He plugged in the cable and checked the amp connection.

Red signals lit up all at once.

The 23rd generation planned to greet the audience with a song instead of a speech.

In the deep navy blue lighting.

As the members nodded, Choi Gang’s drumsticks broke the silence.

-Clap clap clap clap

-Ta-ra-ran

The first song they performed was Hana’s choice, a track from a foreign band.

It was the most difficult song of the semester and the one they had practiced the longest.

This song was placed first to show that Spirit’s performance was polished enough to satisfy the audience.

Choi Gang’s hands moved at top speed.

The same was true for Hana and Suhyeok.

Songs with metal elements demanded such overwhelming dedication.

After an intro that lasted nearly a minute, Juyeon, holding the microphone, opened her mouth facing forward.

“It’s a night I can’t hold my mind.”

The 23rd generation’s most brilliant talent.

She didn’t look back.

With her back to the guitar, drums, and bass, she focused solely on the stage below, where faces were barely visible.

She surrendered herself to the drum sound that was loud enough to shake her heart.

“Eventually falling”

“The word you spit was rolling.”

“Empty heart is breaking my soul.”

As the song ended, Hana’s solo poured out.

Even while playing accompaniment, Suhyeok tried to capture the image of his shining girlfriend with his eyes.

She was cool and lovely.

She was shining in her most magnificent form on this stage.

The product of overlapping affection and effort.

After the explosive solo passed, warm yellow lighting began to shine down on the 23rd generation, making their faces clearly visible.

Juyeon, holding the microphone, took a short breath.

“Hello! We are Spirit, 23rd generation!”

A confident voice flowed from the lips of this once-outcast girl.