Chapter 154 I <3 June
As Team Aglet left the stage, the impact they left on the audience was still felt.
Mimi felt like she was going insane. How could she feel prouder of June than during her time in Rising Stars?
Bora, too, felt like Ren's spot in her heart now had a true competitor, and it was concerning how she didn't even remember any other stage after Team Aglet performed.
Jia, as usual, felt prouder than everybody else. She didn't know what June and his team went through to get to where they were, but it seemed like they didn't have an easy time.
She couldn't wait to watch the episode.
Kang Minho went back to the stage with a proud smile. "And that's it, starlights! Just like that, the Concept Mission had come to an end. Please stay tuned for the songs as the trainees will record them in the next few days and release them to the public after the airing of the episode!"
"Now, it's time for you to make an important decision. As I said, this time, the individual votes will be forgone, so all you have to do is vote on the Azure app for the team you think performed best. We will be giving you ten minutes to make a decision! The special mentors, too, are given the privilege to vote for a team they like. Afterward, we will call out all the teams up the stage and announce the winners."
"Their fate lies in the palm of your hands, so vote wisely, starlights!"
Once again, Minho left the stage while the starlights made their decision. A lot of them, before even coming here, already had someone to vote for in mind. And when Team Risers performed, a lot of them were convinced that nobody else could top the performance.
However, as they watched Team Aglet, they couldn't help but feel conflicted.
Jia, Bora, and Mimi wasted no time in voting for Team Aglet, but there were still whispers of hesitancy from the other starlights.
"Should we vote for Skateboard Ride like we had planned?"
"Uh, I don't know. Why does my heart go to Team Aglet?"
"This is the hardest voting I have ever come across."
"But then again, does Team Risers even need the benefit?"
"I don't think that should be the question—does Team Risers even deserve the benefit?"
"Oh, shut up, guys. Just vote for Skateboard Ride. They're going to win anyway."
The special mentors on the elevated platform also cast their votes. Kiera, who had wanted to root for Team Sweet as Sugar from the start, scrolled past their name until she saw Team Aglet. Then, she clicked on their name to cast a vote.
"Who'd you vote for?" Jaeyun asked. "I still voted for my team since I was the one who taught them."
Kiera smiled. "It's a secret."
Since she voted quite quickly, Kiera had some time to scan the crowd. She was reminded of her days in Rising Stars, but she didn't miss the experience. Being on the show was… let's just say, stressful.
As Kiera continued scanning the room, her eyes strayed to a weird-looking girl in the front row. She had her arms out, but her hood remained, making her pop out from the crowd.
Kiera tilted her head to the side in confusion. Why does it feel like she knows that girl?
Back in the waiting room, where the trainees waited for the production crew to call them to go up the stage, Team Aglet finally arrived.
June still hasn't fixed his hair and smudged lipstick, so he still appeared to be the embodiment of the song.
Sehun nudged his shoulder. "You should button up now," he whispered.
June looked down at his bare chest and shrugged before buttoning them all up. He was in the midst of buttoning them up when someone patted his shoulder.
He lifted his head, expecting it to be one of his friends, but was surprised when he saw Casper looking at him with an unreadable expression.
June sighed. This dude again?
"Do you need anything?" June asked.
Casper was about to open his mouth and say something when a crew member shouted,
"Trainees, it's time for the announcement of the winner!"
June shook off Casper's hold and pointed toward Team Risers. "They're waiting for you," he said.
With that, June started walking back to the stage, but not without being congratulated by his friends.
"You betrayed me," Akira said. June looked at him in confusion. "Why didn't you tell me you were good at rapping?"
June shrugged. "I wasn't."
"Liar!" Jisung exclaimed from his side. "Is there anything you can't do?"
"I can't whistle," June confessed, causing them to burst into laughter.
"You're suddenly confessing that?" C-Jay cracked up. "Anyways, you really did such a good job out there. You were even better during our practice. Did you practice even more after that?"
"I bet it's his natural talent!" Minx chimed. "Our brother must be naturally good at everything."
June didn't deny or confirm it. Again, being acknowledged for his hard work was something he wasn't used to. It was true that the system gave him the foundation for his rap skills, but he worked hard for it too.
As they made their way to the stage, the fans erupted into cheers once more. It was the loudest of the night—with different sub-fandoms wanting to cheer the loudest for their favorites.
Since June was so focused on the performance a while ago, he didn't get the time to observe the banners they were holding up. He scanned the room and finally read them.
"Zetherealists got Zeth's back!"
"Ren, our forever love <3."
"Lin Zhi, born with everything!"
"Our smart and talented prince, Leo."
"King of Duality, Song Jisung!"
Alright, June had to admit. The fans made some cute slogans. It made him realize that this is why idols do what they do. They receive love from multiple people, and it makes them feel…wanted?
June had yet to see a slogan of his but stopped when he saw a group of women at the very far end of the room.
His eyes widened in surprise.
How come he didn't notice them right at the beginning?
With the biggest banner in the room was a group of old ladies, all with matching I <3 June shirts.
And then, as he let his eyes wander to their slogan, he felt like a bucket of cold water was being poured over his body.
"This grandma lives 30 minutes away from June! #GrandmasForJune #AgeDoesNotMatter "
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