Nearly two hours later, Jun and Daniel reached Cheonggye stream in Seoul. The cameraman who was quietly sitting beside the driver started recording from the moment they stepped outside the van.
Jun got the feeling of a celebrity as he walked down for about fifty meters for the sake of the film.
Cheonggye stream or Cheonggyecheon is a 10.9 km long modern public recreation space downtown.
Their busking location is a popular tourist spot, the spring sculpture at the Cheonggye square itself. Usually, it's tough to get permission during weekends when even foreign tourists swarm around but it is Genesis Entertainment, the only billion-dollar company that is an entertainment agency in Korea.
By the time Daniel and Jun reached there, they saw a couple of cameras and a few staff members were waiting. As for the supposed audience, manager Seon informed that they were currently disguising themselves as tourists and will join them once they start.
Although Jun feels that this arrangement is unnecessary, he understands the management was thinking for their sake. If they sing and failed to attract the audience, it will turn into an embarrassing situation for them. Moreover, they weren't just busking.
This busking also served as a short film, which will be recorded and later edited by the professionals. If it turns into success with attracting a huge audience, they will later add it to the video collections.
Since they picked up the time and day when the location is bustling with tourists, manager Seon was also confident in his strategy.
As soon as they reached the place and greeted the cameramen and the other staff, they get to the work.
A digital piano was set up on the stand, along with its mic and a seat. A speaker was also set up. Both of them were given mics and an earpiece. A staff member started helping Jun with the mic boxes to put on his back.
Meanwhile, the arranged audience slowly gathered around the place. The place is always full of tourists. So, there were some curious people too. Eventually, over 25 people are gathered as the main camera is set up at the front with the other one moved around for different angles.
Jun and Daniel took off their masks, earning a gasp of surprise from a few. A couple of them recognized Daniel as the latter was in several news articles, a couple of weeks ago for winning the Treasure Campus. And Jun had 8.7 points of appearance. It's natural that his visuals will attract the nearby audience, especially young women in their 20s and 30s.
Even the arranged audience couldn't help but take out their mobile phones and take pictures.
Manager Seon gave them the signal and backed away.
Jun and Daniel bowed with a smile and introduced themselves.
"Hello, I'm Han Sung Jun," "Hello, I'm Kang Daniel."
Even though they were being recorded, their main aim is only to sing before the live audience and get familiar. So, they didn't give any more detailed introductions and went straight to the performance.
The song started with the drums as they went into position. It was a dance cover of TVXQ's Mirotic. The first line itself brought a cheer from a few ladies as the both of them started to dance.
"It always begins like this, plain and ordinary
I can control women's hearts
So, I'll unlock yours, Oh
Love is a red ocean that's much more profound
Now breaking my rules again, in this boring world"
*********
By the time they did a full dance cover, the people around them had already doubled from before.
"Thank you…" Both of them bowed and the audience clapped. Just as a few of them were about to leave, assuming that it might be a dance cover and it is already over in one take, Jun calmly spoke while controlling his breaths, "we have prepared a few more solo performances. I hope you like it. Thank you."
Daniel stepped back a little bit to let Jun start the performance in order to attract more people. After the morning evaluations, his confidence in Jun's vocals reached a peak.
Jun cleared his throat and took a sip of water while activating his passive skill before he started to sing his first of the three songs as the piano melody was heard from the speakers. The song is titled, "No matter where" by M.C the Max.
"As I look into your cold eyes
You tell me goodbye
Song lyrics that I listened to without meaning
Now painfully linger in my ears
As if winter started again
Between the scattering snow
You are building up in my heart
I couldn't even ask you not to go
I'm just showing the back of me
With my head low"
****
The song was first slow and peaceful, but still, half of the audience already closed their eyes unknowingly and enjoy the song. A few people who were passing by stopped and stared at the crowd.
It was then Jun hit the high notes as he raised his chin and the mic while closing his eyes.
"Don't come to me
Don't ever love like this again
Rather than remembering you, I'm waiting for you
My crushed heart hurts even more
Even if you meet someone new
And erase our love
I hope only the happy memories remain
And you forget me slowly"
*****
All of a sudden, a female spectator broke out into tears. With the Voice of an Angel in full effect, more than half of the people suddenly started to tear up. Even Daniel, the cameramen, and the manager weren't spared either. They became emotional while listening to this breakup song from a close distance.
Jun didn't care about the state of everyone and continued to sing.
In the halfway, Daniel remembered something and took out two earplugs from his pocket. "Hyung wanted me to use it for this reason? He expected it before?"
On the way to Seoul, Jun purposely bought earplugs and gave them to Daniel. The latter thought Jun bought him for a peaceful sleep. But, now he realized the reason.
Since everyone's attention was on Jun, he quietly took out the earpiece and wore earplugs. The effect was diminished a lot and he calmed down. Of course, this was only for temporary to stabilize his mind. He sighed in relief and mumbled, "Jun-Hyung is really a type of troublemaker by being too good. Let's hope Hanbin-ssi and Yoongi-ssi won't be overwhelmed in the future like today."
Meanwhile, at a 3-bedroom apartment somewhere in Dongdaemun district, Dahyun was shouting at her roommates. "Unnie, hurry up. Oppa might have already started."
"Alright, alright, just 2 more minutes. The place isn't too far anyway, we'll get there quickly." Nayeon casually said while changing the earrings.
For the past three weeks, she saw Dahyun was overworking herself to forget the loss of her mother. In her free time, Dahyun could be seen either chatting with her brother, practicing piano or sleeping. She didn't have a single moment of fun.
That's why when Dahyun cheerfully said that she wanted to attend her brother's busking event at Cheonggye plaza, Nayeon and her other roommate, Yeji volunteered to tag along with her and also their manager.
Since this was their third year as idols, the management was a bit lax on the restrictions. They still couldn't date but they are allowed to go out and have fun when they have time. So, the manager Do didn't have a problem with taking them too.
Instead of the company's van, the Manager took the three of them in his private vehicle so as to not let the public know their presence.
Because of heavy traffic, it took them about 40-minutes just to arrive at the location, which is only 8-9 kilometers away but they didn't get to make it to the busking as the roads were blocked, about a couple of hundred meters away from the exact location.
"Oppa, what happened?" Dahyun asked him anxiously while looking at the time.
The manager got down from the vehicle only to see hundreds of people gathered at the Spring Plaza. There are police cars around but the policemen don't seem like they are doing anything.
And as Dahyun lowered the glass and peeked outside, she could hear the screams of the crowd gathered where his brother is, and in between the screams, she heard the music and song. It was as if there was a global singer is singing on the streets.
Meanwhile, at the spring sculpture, Daniel and Jun were smiling widely while constantly jumping lightly as if they were in a party mood.
They were singing the last part of the remix version of the "Tears" song by So Chan Whee in extreme high notes.
"Take your love from me.
You know all things are attachments.
Erase completely the passionate love.
It won't take long, until the last minute I'll love you."
"I'll love you" – Jun
"forever" - Daniel
"I'll love you" – Jun
"forever" – Daniel
"Wo ho hoo~" "Ooh~" – Jun
*****
"Thank you." Jun and Daniel bowed while taking heavy breaths this time. They were also sweating a lot. "Please do support us when we debut." They waved their hands, forcing out smiles.
"Whooooo~" The spectators cheered loudly.
Manager Seon who also found himself enjoying the performance managed to snap out of it and hurried towards the two future idols to take them away before the spectators rush towards them to take a selfie. He didn't even bring any bodyguards too, not expecting that it would turn out like this.