Chapter 400 Siren
The tension increased as EVE assembled on the stage. "I wonder what they're going to show." "I watched them since Rising Stars. They've already performed a variety of genres. Would they be able to surprise us again?" "They're great live performers." Jee Haemin, who was a secret fan of the fourth season of Rising Stars, anticipated EVE's performance the most. He felt a bit guilty since OCTA was in the same company as him.
However, he couldn't help but feel giddy as he waited for EVE to start their performance. At first, he was drawn to Jisung, who he felt had the same dancing style as him. As a well-known main dancer, he was always on the lookout for talented young artists. However, as he continued watching the show, he felt drawn to all the members. He felt that their group had the potential to become one of the greatest groups of all time—that is if they don't lose that potential. Jaeyong oversaw their formation and nodded, also taking his position. Then, he nodded at one of the producers, signaling they were ready for the performance. The stage transformed into a dreamscape as the lights bathed EVE in a surreal glow. For a second, the room remained silent, making the participants confused. "Why isn't the instrumental playing?" Seven whispered to Ocho, feeling concerned for EVE. Uno, too, frowned in confusion. He wanted to one-up EVE in their performance, but not in this way. Robby smirked at the thought of EVE's technical difficulty. Meanwhile, Jee Haemin looked at the staff members with furrowed eyebrows, wondering why it was taking such a long time to play EVE's instrumental. "Home...where we spent most of our days. Home...where no one goes away. Home...where we make each other stay." They snapped their focus back to the stage when June's voice resonated through the venue. His lines were a departure from his usual range, dripping with a velvety allure that sent chills down the listener's spines. He had been working on expanding his range after his vocal lessons with Magic Mama, and it definitely paid off. Although not all the low notes were fully supported, they still sounded great to the ears. Then, just as they thought the music was going to play after June's intro...it didn't. Instead, Ren's higher tone interwoven with June's, the air thickening with a haunting elegance.
"Beware the Oasis in the desert of need.
For in its seemingly quenching waters lies the peril of drowning." Casper's and Zeth's natural low voices added a mysterious undertone, a rumble that echoed like distant thunder. "In the heat, none perish, but within the embrace of a deceptive sanctuary...
The true danger unfolds." Jordan softly gasped. "Acapella?" he whispered. "Why didn't we think of that?" Nico muttered under his breath. Y thought ill of the group's pink-haired center because of his insulting chuckle during the opening. However, he couldn't deny that June was talented, and his voice served as the foundation of their harmonies. The absence of the instrumental accompaniment magnified the voices of EVE and how they all contributed to creating their sound. "Has this song always been this scary?" Seven quietly asked. "The music video was eerie," Dos answered, "But their performances had always been bubbly, so I wasn't expecting it." Just when they thought it couldn't get any better, June started yet another harmony. "Ahhh..." The members all took turns singing in different octaves, with the former members sustaining their notes. Smoke arose from the ground, accompanied by the sound of loud waves. It was different from the original song. Instead, it sounded like a ship sailing in a stormy sea, only adding to the haunting aspect of the performance.
"Oh, oh, Oasis... Oh, oh, my life is..." They sang the chorus together, still in different octaves. However, the main vocalists' voices undoubtedly led the song, which made the performance more harmonious. "Where the waters intertwine...
Where love is deep, like the ocean's endless line.
With friends by my side, beneath the azure dome,
In this haven, I've found my true home."
The last line was sung by June, sustaining a high note while his members went around him in a circle. Jee Haemin watched the spectacle before him, his heart racing in excitement. He was brought back to the days when their team was still very active. It made him want to perform something like this with his members. And then, as his high note ended, June stared right into the camera before doing a body pop. That body pop became the 'trigger' of the instrumental, startling some of the participants. In contrast with the bubbly introduction of Oasis, this one was intense—very fit for a dance break. Jisung went to the center along with Zeth and Sehun and moved gracefully yet powerfully to the beats. The other members served as their shadows, moving subtly to give more emphasis to intense choreography. As the others watched, they finally realized what EVE was trying to portray. "Sirens," Uno concluded. His members heard his conclusion, and everything made sense. "Genius," Seven said, already admitting defeat. They never thought a bubbly water concept could be interpreted in such a way. Now, EVE didn't look like hot boys on the beach. They appeared like dangerous male sirens in the wild ocean, ready to capture everyone that would come their way. The waves crashing in the background grew louder, surpassing the recorded version's intensity. The audience was swept away on a sonic tide, lost in the ocean of emotion crafted by EVE.
June smirked as he looked at his teammates, already satisfied with what they had put out. At first, they decided to perform a remix version of Oasis, one that showcased its usual bubbly charm. However, as they thought hard about it, they realized that they needed something more intimidating to show their competitors. And that's when the concept of sirens was brought up by Jaeyong. It was brought up as a joke at first, but June insisted it could work. In the end, it exceeded their expectations, and by the look of the watchers' faces, it also exceeded theirs. Each performer was given less than three minutes for their performance, so EVE had to cut their performance short after the first chorus. So, as the last notes echoed in the venue, there was a collective thought in the participants' minds—
"It's too short," Jee Haemin muttered.
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