Chapter 38 Final Night (Part 2) We are Lumera! ...
[I bumped into GD at the SW finale! I took a picture of his "Good Boy" performance with my phone, he was so cute!]
[Poster]
[Video Link]
GD: Someone's singing and dancing to "Good Boy" in front of me? I have to film it to remember this moment~
It's said that after he raised his phone to take a picture, the entire audience burst into laughter.
【2L】
So who said Wolong is washed up? When it comes to offline events, so many people are still focused on it.
【3L】
Some people are just hoping he'll flop, but whether he does or not isn't determined by words alone. It feels like SW did this on purpose, right? Since you're already sitting here, the production team must have known he was coming beforehand.
【4L】
Feels a bit sneaky, trying to ride the coattails of Wolong's reaction to gain attention, huh? Even covering his face couldn't hide his smile when he heard "Good Boy," he's still so easily embarrassed.
【5L】
GD is so cute! He looks exactly the same as he did in his twenties. He hasn't changed at all!
【6L】
Am I the only one who noticed he was still filming Coldy? He suddenly pulled down his hat and put on a mask halfway through filming, how strange.
【7L】
They must be filming CL? They stopped filming when they got tired, and they're wearing masks because they feel CL is about to appear in public and they're worried about being seen by acquaintances.
【8L】
That makes sense. Maybe GD didn't tell CL on purpose, but the previous reaction shot gave it away, so he pulled up his mask.
【9L】
Don't you guys think your logic is weird? Even if we really filmed Coldy, it wouldn't matter. Who at the SW finale wouldn't want to film the center position?
【10L】
The person in question didn't avoid suspicion, but the fans did first. That's just the kind of flavor they like.
【11L】
...The two of them haven't even crossed paths, so how are they supposed to avoid suspicion? This is their first meeting tonight, and it seems like it's just one-sided viewing of the performance...
【12L】
Fans of both are saying, "Don't make me feel bad, and don't make me feel cold either! Is it possible that he's wearing a mask simply because he's cold? It's only five degrees today, and even though it's indoors, it must still be cold."
【13L】
I feel like what 12L said is true. How can you be so resistant to the cold? Wearing two layers in December is the persistence of a fashion icon.
【14L】
Speaking of being cold, the beautiful women on stage must be even colder. Coldy was even wearing a short skirt, and her breathing seemed heavier than on stage before, but she still sang so steadily with the microphone on—Coldy is truly talented…
【15L】
She must have been training regularly; her breath control has always been excellent, so learning to sing systematically should have been quite easy for her.
【16L】
A four-month intensive training program to create an all-around genius (amazing!) (amazing!)
【17L】
Coldy fans are really everywhere, can't they even recognize this as their own territory...? Now that the Dragon fans aren't very active, all sorts of nobodies and scoundrels are jumping on the bandwagon, constantly creating these CP pairings, they've really managed to get all that attention.
【18L】
They ordered it, but the fans still don't seem to learn how to respect their seniors.
【19L】
How can we control what passersby say...? Those who ship them are clearly anti-fans, they don't care about GD or Coldy, why are they labeled as Coldy fans?
【20L】
Your presence here is proof enough; you even automatically browse our posts and click to read them (eye roll) (eye roll)
【21L】
Watching the two fan groups argue, it seems the older generation's fans are more active than before; fandom activity still relies on online battles.
【22L】
It's because that girl's fanbase is too small. Even if she has a lot of fans and makes a comeback, she could easily beat you all.
[23L]
You're so angry! Have some loofah soup. Even a dog walking by would get slapped.
[24L]
Dog protection associations are outraged!
*
The order of appearance on the individual stages is based on the voting rankings in reverse order. Jiang Tinghan will be the last to appear on stage. This position has both advantages and disadvantages, but from the current perspective, the disadvantages should outweigh the disadvantages. Because everyone is already very tired by the end of the recording, and her songs are ballads, which are not very likely to get the audience excited. They might even fall asleep while listening.
But the show was already nearing its end, and Jiang Tinghan was basically free of pressure, feeling completely relaxed.
She was wearing a plain hoodie and casual trousers, her hair was tied up with a hair clip, and a few pink strands of hair fell loose around her neck. She sat on an ordinary wooden chair, looking down intently at the wooden guitar in her hands. There was a microphone in front of her, and an earpiece on the corner of her mouth, but she looked like an ordinary girl next door.
Only a single beam of light fell on the entire stage, like shining from the mouth of a well to the narrow bottom. Just looking at it, one could feel the oppression, and her face appeared to flicker.
The large screen displayed only four huge Chinese characters, "词不达意" (words fail to express meaning), accompanied by Korean and Chinese translations below.
The girl's fingertips plucked the guitar strings, and the large screen behind her was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples on the blue water.
"Thump thump thump—" The prelude was soothing yet tinged with sadness. A clear sigh rang out in the accompaniment, perfectly timed with Jiang Tinghan's head-raising movement. The audience, seeing her obvious deep breath, immediately felt that the sigh was coming from her.
"Some people spend their whole lives learning to overcome communication difficulties, and I can do the same for you and me..." Her voice was firm, yet one could feel her heart trembling amidst the deep sorrow.
The language was quite unfamiliar to most of the audience, yet the emotions were conveyed very effectively, making it seem less like a talent show and more like a singer's concert.
It was heartbreaking to listen to, but it also gave me the feeling that the game was already won the moment she opened her mouth; the quality of her singing voice far surpassed that of many other contestants.
【Huh? Is it a Chinese song? I can't understand a word...】
[This is a bad choice. I don't understand how it can move the audience. I'm a little worried for Coldy.]
[What's there to worry about? Do you think the audience speaks fluent English? They still listened anyway. You can't just tolerate it because it's an English song and then complain because it's a Chinese song, can you?]
I once thought that "Polaris" and "E Back to Me" would be presented to the audience with a stage performance of self-accompanied singing, but I didn't expect that to be the case. It turns out that they saved it for last, with the simplest stage presentation and the most touching feelings.
Music transcends borders; at least from her singing, I could tell she was portraying a girl who had just broken up with her boyfriend, was reminiscing about a past relationship, or was experiencing pain in love.
[Isn't it a pleasant surprise? Coldy has learned another instrument. Piano, electric guitar, and now guitar. It's like he's playing some kind of instrument master training game.]
Jiang Tinghan sat there, like a reserved and aloof white lotus. She only needed to quietly play and sing a few lines of lyrics to evoke countless memories of love, family, and friendship hidden deep in people's hearts.
"I long to translate my joy, fear, and suspicion into words and bring you into my heart."
Her makeup and styling looked so approachable, not too glamorous. The director gave her a close-up shot, and her makeup was very simple, without any big under-eye bags or black eyeliner, making her look exceptionally clear. It seemed like she had only applied a layer of lip balm, without any jewelry, and only a black rubber band worth a few cents on her wrist.
This makeup and styling instantly eliminated the sense of distance between idols and the audience. They are still beautiful, but it has become a more approachable kind of beauty, the kind that makes you feel like someone you've had a crush on for three years in high school.
However, because it is so close to real life and so much like the girls you would meet in your own private life, the heart-wrenching feeling is even stronger. Viewers feel both hurt and guilty, as if they are the one who is heartless.
"We're like separated by a pane of glass, we can see each other but can't touch each other." After playing this melody, Jiang Tinghan hunched his shoulders slightly, took his hands off the guitar, pulled his sleeves to his mouth, and gently breathed on them to warm them.
With just one movement, it's as if you can see that white mist. Looking up at the lyrics translation, your heart suddenly feels like it's been pricked by a needle—it turns out to be just mist on the glass.
Glass is inherently a barrier, but when it's transparent, you can still see what the other person is doing, or at least get a vague outline. When it fogs up, you lose even that last pitiful ability to spy on the other person.
In an instant, two barriers appeared between them, as if the distance had been forcibly widened.
Even though I'm only millimeters away from you, you have no idea how anxious I am.
"Unintentionally turning a blind eye, I stood there awkwardly silent, tears streaming down my face..."
Her voice was so firm and clear, yet you could hear someone crying.
The large screen behind me displayed a texture similar to car window glass. Outside the window, a light rain began to fall, and each raindrop that slid down the window looked like a tear falling.
His fingers returned to the cold guitar strings, sweeping them with warm fingertips, trying to melt the other person's resolute heart and to make them understand him.
"I can't express myself, so where do I even begin?"
"How can I translate 'I love you'? I'm so lonely..."
You see, I may not say it, but my palms are warm, my heart is burning, and I love you.
My language may not be able to express myself verbally, but my actions and body language are another language of mine.
"I also want to build a bridge with you and establish a tacit understanding..."
"But the words fail to express the meaning."
Another deep sigh escaped, the song stopped, but the lyrics seemed to linger on the mist, unable to dissipate for a long time.
Kwon Ji-yong clutched his heart. Call him narcissistic or shameless, he felt like the song was being sung to him.
Jiang Tinghan is the kind of person who likes to use "teasing" and "pranks" to cover up her true feelings. When you chat with her, eight out of ten sentences are humorous, but they are all empty words. Often, her true thoughts will only be revealed in the last sentence.
Because she'd had her fill of fun, and because she wasn't used to expressing affection to others, she either rejected or vaguely brushed off all of Kwon Ji-yong's flirtatious words. Part of the reason was that she didn't know how to respond to other people's affections. She couldn't bring herself to say "Oh, then you can love me" when Kwon Ji-yong said "I love you." Instead, she would say, "I don't want it. You keep it for yourself."
This is a typical example of "words failing to express meaning".
If you see her verbally refusing so many times, yet unable to bear cutting off contact with him and responding to his messages time and time again, you can sense that she is not actually so cold-hearted, aloof, or unshakable.
"Standing firmly in your blind spot, rain or shine, sharing your joys and sorrows—don't you ever feel curious?"
Jiang Tinghan sang calmly, unlike the cautious tone expressed in the lyrics. However, this singing style made people feel even more uncomfortable. It seemed that the singer did not dare to reveal her emotions even while singing, resulting in another instance of words failing to express the intended meaning.
"Your surroundings are cold and crowded, but I've always been here."
She looked up, her gaze unfocused as she looked at the audience in front of her. Whether it was her imagination or not, she somehow spotted a familiar figure at the very back.
A thousand people crammed together isn't actually that many. The person was standing some distance from the end of the line. Because the pants were so conspicuous, Jiang Tinghan recognized him in a second. The audience was all focused on their own performance, and not many people noticed that figure.
He was wearing a hat, so his face couldn't be seen clearly, but Jiang Tinghan could inexplicably feel that he was looking at her.
She choked up a couple of times, somewhat surprised. Wasn't she in the sponsors' section? How did she end up in the audience?
She forced a sound from her throat and continued with the next line of the lyrics.
"Not saying a word..."
This was the only time her voice trembled in the entire song; her closed, hard shell was finally broken, revealing her resilient inner self.
The sponsored seats were on the second floor, higher than the stage. She usually kept her eyes down and deliberately avoided looking in that direction. But now someone had deliberately gone to a place lower than the stage to look up at her.
He didn't want to look down; he only wanted to keep looking up at that shining star.
In that instant, Jiang Tinghan even imagined the distant future when fans would question him, "Are we all just playing around with these two?"
She took another deep breath, her voice filled with even more emotion. She put down her guitar, removed her headset, and stepped in front of the microphone stand to enhance the quality of her singing.
The monotonous accompaniment became more complex, like a light drizzle turning into a heavy, humid downpour. Strings quietly joined in, the clear sound of the piano intertwined with the steady thumping of the bass drum, lifting her voice upwards.
My heart is already churning with emotions.
"I can't express myself, so where do I even begin?"
"But I can't translate 'I love you,' which is a great pity..."
"I also want to build a bridge with you and establish a tacit understanding."
Holding the microphone stand, her body swayed from side to side with the music. Even though she was singing "I can't convey myself," someone could still hear her expression, and she could no longer feel regret. This was too good, yet indescribably terrible.
Of all times, it had to happen at this time.
Jiang Tinghan's eyes were no longer on him, only lingering on him for a brief second before turning to the fans, trying her best to make amends.
A few lines of lyrics that had no prior meaning were seized by someone, and she was forced to sing the line "I also want to build a bridge with you and establish a tacit understanding" to the audience to restore balance.
Looking at the audience supporting her below, at the fans cheering for her, at the unfamiliar faces and the familiar love, her eyes became clear and firm. Her singing voice was like flowing water, soothing everyone's ears. The melody was still sad, but the singing voice showed a bit of firm strength.
"I must first understand myself, and translate that into 'I love you'—"
"But the words fail to express the meaning."
"Words fail to express the meaning."
The sound finally drifted away gently in the wind, and the audience below gave it a warm round of applause. No one thought the performance was shallow; they only felt it was very moving and experienced the purest power of singing.
It was a perfect ending.
The one-hour voting period has begun. After waiting for the last hour, a brand new girl group will be born.
[Coldy sings so well...]
This vocalist is amazing! I think Coldy should be our vocalist, right? He can handle any style, and he can pull off both high-energy and low-energy performances.
We want the vocal lead, and we want the all-around ace too! In just four months, you've become a well-rounded, all-around player with no weaknesses. Coldy, you're amazing!
Who knows how much effort Coldy put in? It hasn't been an easy journey for us. This final performance brought tears to my eyes.
Me too. I feel this song isn't just about heartbreak, it's also a message to those haters and passersby who casually leave hurtful comments. It expresses a kind of protest: "No matter what I say, it's never enough."
[It's like he's confessing his love to his fans! "How do you translate 'I love you'?" Coldy, you already love us enough, no translation needed, I get it!]
For career-oriented fans, simply giving their best on every stage is already a way to show their love for their fans. Where can you find such a perfect idol who satisfies both the "idol-raising" and "strength-admiring" fans?
[It gives me the feeling that even if I were to date, I'd only become material for her stories.]
[As for dating, forget it. What really breaks my heart is not forbidding her from dating, but the thought that someone could get her. I would cry my eyes out.]
[I can talk to my teammates, I agree to talk to Kong Yeon-seo, I agree to talk to Wolchi Anri, I agree to talk to Putuo Qian, I agree to talk to Kim Seo-hee, I agree to talk to Yoon Ji-chae, I agree to talk to Bae Soo-min and Si-kai...]
[I agreed to talk to CL's mentor and Megan, and I just started shipping them. CL is like a little wolf, and Megan is like a little sweetheart~]
[Hilarious! What kind of C-family compound is this?]
In addition, another post is slowly gaining traction.
[Criticism Group | I'm so sad, GC's story ended badly today! (Private discussion thread, do not share outside)]
[Poster]
I can't take it anymore. The battle report is in! Old Dragon sat through the entire show, but then he left right when Coldy's performance started… [Video link: "Waaaaah, the superstar's gone! Will we ever see him on stage again?"]
【2L】
Lao Long was wearing a mask during Coldy's first mentor performance, but he took it off later. Judging from this, it seems like he has a problem with Coldy. What happened? I really want to know!
【3L】
Based on our group's previous speculation, Lao Long must have had a special fondness for Juanlian, right? How could it end so quickly? Such a fast-food romance!
【4L】
Roller Shutter was definitely dumped. These powerful and wealthy older men never end well. Maybe the two of them had been secretly seeing each other for a while, with Lao Long occasionally liking his mistress's posts to keep things trending. But they broke up before the final night. Roller Shutter begged and pleaded to let Lao Long come see the show, hoping to win him back with a song, "Words Cannot Express My Feelings," but Lao Long was unmoved and left immediately.
【5L】
Holy crap, this guess is so true! The love lives of the rich are so enviable, it makes me want to vomit. They can hook up with hot new idols with just a flick of their wrist, and sponsor them whenever they want.
【6L】
Go check out the buzz surrounding the SW finale night today. It's not even over yet and it's already trending everywhere. Coldy even had a "pink beauty" outfit trend. I'd say that black dress and pink shawl are just average. These people are obsessed with American idols, creating some kind of "Coldy style" outfit. It's just ordinary clothing, why are they making such a fuss?
【7L】
I just realized that Roller and Lao Long were wearing matching outfits today. I said to Lao Long, "Why are you wearing such flashy pink pants? You're not young anymore, pink is so cute!" And now it's turned into this. Lao Long, you're so heartless!
【8L】
The saintly image the fans were praising has collapsed. His little sweetheart sang so pitifully on stage, and he just turned around and left. Teddy didn't even leave, did he? Teddy is still much better than Lao Long.
【9L】
How many representative works does Lao Long have without Teddy? Teddy was always the stronger one.
【10L】
Oh my, this post is overflowing with sour grapes. It's spreading rumors about G-Dragon and Coldy. If Teddy is so popular, how come his most-listened song this year is "Still Life," co-written by G-Dragon? Where is Teddy? How come "Lies" is a song composed by G-Dragon, and "Day by Day" is also written and composed by him? Why isn't Teddy's name on "If You"? I could give you a whole bunch of representative works, but this post is just crazy for putting down G-Dragon.
【11L】
This is a common tactic used by Kwon Ji-yong haters. They're using Teddy Bear to criticize him, without even considering how much resentment Blackpink fans have towards Teddy Bear. All I know is that Kwon Ji-yong still topped the charts even without Teddy Bear.
【12L】
How many mothers and fathers does someone who spreads rumors about female idols have? Wearing pink pants and dyeing pink hair doesn't mean they're together? I, like the previous posters, have an "L" in my name, but actually I'm your ancestor, you all have to pay me tribute, you know?
【13L】
Maybe they had an emergency and left early. Doesn't this further prove that Coldy and GD have nothing to do with each other? This "favoring the little sweetheart" theory should stop now. Coldy is clearly talented. Tell me, who can get the center position in front of Coldy? If she's not the center, why would the production team give her so many resources?
【14L】
These women are so self-censoring! They're even deprived of the right to wear pink after thirty! Your thinking isn't even as advanced as Wolong's! Others learn fashion and style, but really they just don't want to be sloppy their whole lives like you.
【15L】
What's wrong with Wolong having a youthful mindset and wearing pink pants? It's really making a fuss over nothing. I also support Coldy dyeing her hair pink; this girl really suits this look. Don't be a sour grapes!
【16L】
What? You said GCbe?! Then what did they do?! Oh, so it was just a normal departure and a normal performance. How are you any different from that perverted guy who spread rumors, with your delusions? Here's a song for you: "Self-Destruction."
【17L】
I'll also give you a free copy of "Bullshit".
【18L】
I think what he said makes sense. Old Dragon has become a major investor in SW, isn't that basically being kept? I have to say, Coldy has good taste, much better than those old tycoon types.
【19L】
Are you brain-dead or brain-dead? Are you a pig? The money given to the show doesn't go into our sister Kou's pocket, doesn't GD make money investing? Who gets more money the more sugar daddies they have? Now you know why girls on Douban are so poor, you have absolutely no investment or financial acumen.
【20L】
If you like chaebol old men so much, go for it yourself. I, Koko, don't like them anyway. I'm busy debuting, so please don't bother me.
【21L】
Great! I'm going to bookmark this post. If anyone spreads rumors about G-Dragon and Coldy's relationship again, I'll throw it in their face.
Kwon Ji-yong did leave, but only after the voting results were announced.
He watched as the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh place winners excitedly hugged Jiang Tinghan. When he saw that the eighth place winner was Kong Yanshu, who had defeated Audrey and Song Yamin, she grabbed Jiang Tinghan's hand and almost burst into tears.
Jiang Tinghan gave her an encouraging and warm hug. She performed very well today, singing "Angel" which left a deep impression. Not only did she sing, but she also danced to her best.
She also watched as Lin Zhixia, who was quite familiar with Jiang Tinghan, saw that she had actually managed to get thirteenth place. She was so satisfied that her eyes welled up with tears, and she finally didn't have to put on an act to cry her heart out.
She also stared blankly at Jiang Tinghan on the stage, watching the votes reach eight million in just one hour. The girl's snow-white face seemed to glow under the lights, and her pair of glassy black eyes were still clear, but they seemed to be moistened by the morning dew of early spring, as if they were filled with a little mist.
The final lineup appeared on the screen: [Coldy, Yoon Ji-chae, Sikai, Putuo Qian, Wolchi Anri, Bae Soo-min, Kim Seo-hee, Gong Yeon-seo]
Cries, applause, laughter, and screams mingled together as Kwon Ji-yong silently left the stage after watching Jiang Tinghan receive the honor she deserved.
He knew tonight wasn't his time.
As the center, Jiang Tinghan was pushed onto the honorary podium by the new team members, raising the trophy representing the center position and the medal representing the team's honor.
Her gaze swept back and forth among the audience below, and then glanced at the sponsors' section and the very back of the audience, but she didn't see anyone. Then her gaze turned to the family section.
The old man was very excited, he looked like he was dancing with joy. Jiang Tinghan couldn't help but smile and waved the trophy at him, but for some reason, he felt a little lonely.
She took the cue card from the host and said, "Based on the comprehensive evaluation of the mentors and the production team, we believe that this trainee has outstanding leadership, a sense of responsibility and teamwork, and is able to lead the group to the top. Therefore, I will be the team leader... Coldy will be in charge."
A small slip of the tongue made the audience burst into laughter.
Kiyo! Saying "me" is perfectly fine too!
The other teammates cheered happily, except for Yoon Ji-chae, who still pretended to be aloof and gloomy, but her clapping hands betrayed her true feelings.
Her fans laughed even harder at her performance and dedicated a song to her called "Words Cannot Express My Feelings"!
The lights shone on Jiang Tinghan's shoulders, as if crowning her with glory and bathing her in a reliable and warm holy light.
Surrounded by the other seven girls, she announced, "We were born and grew up under the stars of Shining World, and now it's time to leave. A new journey is about to begin."
Our names are—
The voices of the eight people blended together, creating an inspiring and world-shaking force.
"Lumera!"
Lume, light, era, time – heralds the coming of a new era for them, defined by light!
-----------------------
Author's Note: I feel like this is the next chapter! It'll be this evening if things go smoothly, and tonight if they don't.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com