Chapter 79, Temple Bar
Dublin experienced a week of light rain, temporarily halting street performances. Begin Us spent its days rehearsing at home and its evenings performing at various live bars.
They'd been to many of the famous bars in the neighborhood. After each performance, the owners would treat the band members to a drink, but Han Yunxing could only drink non-alcoholic beverages.
Lee So-ra jokingly said that after this episode ends, they can publish a Dublin drunkards map.
With great anticipation, the weather forecast showed that the next period of time would be cool and sunny, but it was still raining today, so the production team had to take the band's information out early in the morning to visit stores and make negotiations. As soon as they returned, they ran into the members watching the rain under the eaves.
After inviting the members inside, Lee Dong-hee announced some good news: they had secured a reservation at that incredibly difficult-to-book bar.
“The bar we’re going to today has a very high rating on Google, and the most upvoted comment says, ‘If you miss this bar, you’ve missed Dublin.’” Li Dongxi didn’t keep them in suspense and revealed the answer directly: “The Temple Bar, also known as the Temple Bar, is a magical place full of Irish passion.”
As a surfing expert, Han Yunxing quickly found information about the Temple Bar and showed the members the photos she found.
Temple Bar is a cultural landmark in Dublin, and Temple Bar, renowned for its red facade and extensive whisky collection, is one of Europe's most famous beer bars, with live music running from afternoon until the early hours of the morning. As night falls, Temple Bar's energy reaches its peak, with traditional and pop music playing in turn, accompanied by laughter and clinking glasses. People from all over the world gather here, making every night a vibrant and lively experience.
Lee Dong-hee smiled as he watched Begin Us marvel at the Temple Bar, then said, "We've finalized the schedule with the manager. Our performance is scheduled for 8 p.m., after which everyone can fully experience the artistic passion of the Temple Bar."
"Yunxing, is this beer something you can drink a little of?" Li Suluo looked at Guinness, the Irish craft stout mentioned most in the reviews. It had a very rich and smooth taste and was the number one drink at the Temple Bar. You couldn't miss it while in Dublin.
Han Yunxing clung to Li Sulu's arm and said coquettishly, "Unnie, my alcohol tolerance has been pretty good lately."
She stood up with a smile, flicking a strand of hair that had fallen to her ear with her fingertips. The hair drew a semi-circle in the air before landing lightly behind her shoulder, and the advertising slogan slipped out: "Haite Beer, sharing every wonderful moment with you."
After finalizing the formation of the new variety show, Haite Beer quickly approached the production team to discuss a PPL (Promotional Product Listing) collaboration. Han Yunxing fully demonstrated the dedication of a spokesperson, picking up a beer from the table and showing it to the camera from every angle.
Thank goodness, Li Suluo already knew Han Yunxing's drinking capacity. After their initial impromptu performance at the tavern, enthusiastic customers brought drinks to the "Begin Us" table. Li Suluo realized for the first time that harvesting a cherry tomato only required a small glass of wine. Although Han Yunxing would only sit quietly and giggle, he was consistently assigned to the non-alcoholic table for subsequent drinks.
“Yes, yes, Yun Xingni is also a beer spokesperson.” Li Suluo nodded with a smile, a hint of teasing in her eyes.
"Okay! Let's have a drink together today, it's been a long time." Yoo Hee-yeol stood up and patted Noh Hong-cheol on the shoulder. Noh Hong-cheol, who was being patted, was calculating in his mind whether two days counted as a long time, but his face was full of anticipation for the evening's performance.
*
Begin us arrived at the Temple Bar an hour early. The entrance to the Temple Bar was bustling with people. Han Yoon-sung and his companions, carrying musical instruments, tightened their arms and followed closely behind Noh Hong-cheol as they weaved through the crowd. The security guard at the entrance recognized Lee Dong-hee's face, and the group was invited inside.
The bar has two floors. Looking up from the first floor, there is a square atrium. The designer did not waste the space available for display. The ceiling of the first floor is designed as a sloping roof with the atrium as the center. The ceiling and the four walls are covered with paintings. The crystal chandelier on the second floor emits a dim yellow light that passes through the atrium and gives the giant James Joyce statue in the center of the first floor a mysterious feel.
As you walk through the art gallery, the entire bar is filled with laughter and chatter, the clinking of glasses mingling with the footsteps of tap dancers.
Han Yunxing and his friends were lucky enough to encounter the Irish folk performance "Riverdance". The members quickly found their seats and sat down to enjoy the wonderful performance.
The Temple Bar has a dedicated live performance area on the first floor, featuring a performance of Riverdance by an elderly Irish troupe.
Folk musicians skillfully blend popular and traditional music, with the lively and cheerful bagpipes intertwining with the melodious violin, while the electronic drumbeats of the keyboardist add richness to the entire piece.
The biggest highlight of the entire piece is the dance, which is separate from the music. The dancers in the center of the stage move intricately yet naturally, changing with the strong rhythm of the music and making crisp sounds on the wooden floor.
After the first piece of music ended, the performance team prepared an interactive segment.
The audience members tried to dance the tap dance steps, led by the dancers on stage.
Begin us, a group of people, were very curious about tap dancing and practiced it in the open space next to the stage.
The impression that everyone in South Korea can sing and dance was proven by the members. After trying the basic dance steps taught by the dancers on stage, Begin Us was able to dance them quite well.
Among them, Han Yunxing is one of the best dancers. This is likely because she has systematically studied ballet and mastered ballet footwork techniques, allowing her to quickly learn the basic tap dance steps. Furthermore, her bright and energetic dance steps unconsciously incorporate the elegance and power of ballet.
"Yoonsung dances so well, no wonder she's an idol," Yoo Hee-yeol exclaimed, his feet still moving.
The others watched Yunxing's dance steps carefully for a while after hearing this, and they all nodded in agreement.
The essence of Irish tap dance is to keep the upper body stable while the lower body moves in rhythm with the music.
Hearing the commotion behind her, Han Yunxing turned around and found the members earnestly praising her, their dance moves continuing uninterrupted by the conversation.
Han Yunxing inexplicably recalled the scene of chatting and playing shuttlecock with her friends when she was a child. Thinking of this, she burst out laughing.
Infected by Han Yunxing's laughter, the other members looked at each other as if they were shocked by reality, and then burst into laughter as well.
Especially Li Su-luo, who laughed so hard she could hardly breathe when Han Yun-xing recounted her earlier association. Li Su-luo once again marveled that Han Yun-xing was someone who was perfectly funny.
Just as they stopped laughing, Begin Us and several other people next to the stage were invited onto the stage.
The atmosphere in the bar was incredibly high. The dancer, along with his carefully selected best students, repeated the dance steps from before. The rhythm of the bagpipes and violins grew faster and faster, and the dancers on stage continued to move with measured steps, making a neat and orderly sound on the floor.
As the music ended, amidst thunderous cheers from the audience, Begin Us smiled and waved to the audience and the performance team.
After stepping off the stage, Begin Us was chatting with PD Lee Dong-hee and the others about their strange experience when a middle-aged man with a beard suddenly appeared next to Han Yoon-sung.
"Hello, miss. Your dance was as beautiful as your face."
Just as Lu Hongzhe was about to tease Yin Daoxian about this somewhat old-fashioned pickup line, the man immediately explained his purpose.
It turns out that this performance troupe would select the priestess from the audience for each performance of the piece "The Dance of the Kings".
Han Yunxing hesitated before looking at Li Dongxi. After seeing him nod slightly, she accepted the invitation and got up to follow the middle-aged man backstage.
The remaining people watched Han Yunxing and the other person's retreating figures until they were out of sight before turning their gaze away.
Li Dongxi smiled and took a sip of dark beer for this unexpected material, which was a performance on the same stage as a top-tier folk performance troupe.
"Our maknae has been chosen, Yoon-sung Charan-dae—" Noh Hong-chul spoke the minds of everyone present.
"We need to give them a good cheer from the audience later." Li Suluo pondered whether she should run to the front row directly below the stage right now.
"We begin us, the light."
"Friends, who knows how to use that DVD that Yoon-sung brought? We need to record it completely from beginning to end." Yoon Do-hyun fiddled with the machine in his hands. He only knew where the power button was, and he was now frantically fiddling with the machine.
In the end, it was the chief steward, Lu Hongzhe, who took over the camera and, with the help of the staff, adjusted the parameters before the group headed towards the performance area.
"Is it about to start?" Noh Hong-chul had just used his DVD to interview the members about their feelings at that moment, and now, watching the bands take the stage one after another, he immediately turned the camera towards the front of the stage.
"It should be soon," Liu Xilie noticed the crowd gradually moving towards the center: "In which scene will Yunxing appear?"
"It's starting, it's starting."
The stage suddenly went dark, with only a faint light flickering in the center. A deep drumbeat sounded, and the atmosphere instantly became tense, followed by the sound of bagpipes, like a flock of birds startled from their slumber in a secluded forest.
The Dark Lord appeared clad in armor, wearing a helmet with ram's horns. His dance moves were aggressive, and his footsteps grew faster and louder.
Suddenly, the bagpipe melody changed, and a flock of birds landed around the Dark King, transforming into humans with wild and chaotic footsteps. Under the Dark King's threatening footsteps, the dark forces gradually gathered together, shouting towards the other side of the stage.
The Lord of Light awakens amidst shouts, the stage lights gradually brighten, and the sounds of bagpipes and violins rise, their rhythm lively and full of hope.
The King of Light's dance is full of power and elegance, and he calls on his followers to break free from the shackles of darkness.
The music's rhythm oscillated between joy and melancholy, while the stage lights shifted rapidly, symbolizing the start of a duel between light and darkness.
The Lord of Darkness and the Lord of Light moved faster and faster, their tapping footsteps like a torrential downpour. The audience marveled at the intricate and dazzling steps. The music then took a sharp turn, becoming tender and poignant. The Lord of Darkness was dancing a mysterious dance, tempting the Lord of Light to submit. The white lights were slowly being consumed by darkness.
Suddenly, the music stopped, and footsteps, accompanied by the thumping drumbeats, came from afar.
Han Yunxing entered the stage from the side, her long hair piled up at the back of her head, wearing a crown adorned with jewels and feathers, revealing her elegant shoulders and neck. She wore a dark blue long dress with a wide skirt adorned with golden tassels that swayed with her graceful dance steps.
The drumbeats stopped, and a sacred harmony filled the air. A beam of light shone on Han Yunxing, whose dance movements were light and graceful. Her steps moved unhurriedly between light and darkness, exuding a mysterious aura.
As the harmonies faded, she pointed towards the light, and the darkness receded. With the Dark King's defeat and defeat, cheers erupted from the audience.
The music became more lively as the King of Light invited Han Yunxing to their victory celebration. The believers formed a circle around the High Priest and the King of Light, and they danced together, each step full of rhythm and control.
Infected by the joy, the high priest also jumped up. Han Yunxing's movements were elegant and solemn, and his footsteps formed a mysterious totem on the stage, blessing this victory and hope.
The audience erupted in applause. Lu Hongzhe held up a DVD, pointed to Han Yunxing who was taking her final bow on stage, and introduced her to the person next to him: "The high priest on stage is our sister, isn't that amazing?"
"She's so beautiful, is she a dancer?"
The praise from those around them helped the members stand tall.
"We are singers!" Yoo Hee-yeol replied, while also promoting Begin Us' upcoming performance to those around him.
Hearing how the high priest on stage was chosen by chance, the people around him marveled. Han Yunxing's dance was fluid and elegant, and as audience members, they thought the high priest was a professional dancer.
The dancers with such graceful movements were about to perform with the band, and they were filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Because Begin Us was performed immediately after the folk music troupe, Han Yunxing didn't even have time to change her clothes after the performance and rushed backstage to meet up with the members.
"Well done, Yunxing!" Lee So-ra gave Han Yunxing a big hug, then said with a smile, "There was even an audience member who swore that this was definitely not your first time tap dancing."
Han Yunxing's face was flushed, flushed with the heat of the dance and the shyness of being praised.
Her appearance attracted the attention and teasing of the other members.
There's no way around it, the chance to tease the maknae is really rare.
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Author's note: Well, usually it's Yoonseong who's on top of the members, with the maknae (youngest member) in the lead!
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