The whole place was crowded. Miso was surprised to see how many people could gather in such a big neighborhood such as Hongdae.
Well, of course, Hongdae is one thing that comes up when you think of things like busking and street performers in Seoul. They have traveled and used public transportation to get there with the members and the intention of doing a great performance putting oneself out there was unfamiliar for Miso.
Her heart was fluttering and being nervous at the same time as well. She hasn't been to many places in Seoul before and Hongdae appeared a very vibrant and energetic town that has proven attractive to not only locals but also foreign visitors.
The main streets that are leading up to the Hongik University Campus are particularly renowned for their festive vibes created by various individual buskers and groups. Miso took a deep breath as she walked around the Hongdae streets and witnessed this area start to transform into one big busking stage from the late afternoon pretty much every day.
"It's been a while since I have been here," said Bin. He was one of the members who appeared to be looking forward to this so much. "Thankfully, I didn't have to bring my favorite keyboard unlike in the past."
"That's right," Han nodded. "It's a pain to bring the drums as well."
"Now that we are in the debut team," Chris said with a smile as he tugged at his brown hair. "It's getting easier to go out there with the company's support."
Miso agreed. The backing of the company after a few years would be useful for busking. She also felt relieved that she wouldn't be the only solo. It seemed that there are a lot of people who do busk as well.
What matters is getting their attention the most.
Busking in Hongdae tends to be cool, young, and trendy. They have already seen the spot where their manager had already set up the musical instruments.
Such a crowded place.
Getting noticed by people would be a hard feat for them. But when she thought of it, getting into the spotlight is even harder than it appeared. Efforts won't guarantee success.
Only the passion for doing it remains when faced with several failures.
When Miso scanned the whole area, she realized that there are a lot of people who start with street dance groups getting down with the latest and greatest K-POP hits.
Only a few people hold their guitars and sing and they were the only group who does band style. Some of the people sang while holding their instruments or even on their knees. Most of them just sang from their hearts.
What has made the Hongdae streets the center of the Korean busking culture is the actual involvement of the audience. Some buskers in Hongdae even conduct a variety-show-like performance in which there is a specific timeslot for the audience to jump in and show what they've got - and usually, participants are awarded small gifts and souvenirs for their participation.
This was something that made Miso feel a bit uneasy. She was afraid that they would feel awkward in front of the audience. After a few moments, they started to feel the festive atmosphere of the place.
"Are you feeling nervous?" Chris asked as he nudged her lightly. He took out his guitar from the case and glanced at her. "Just think of how much you have practiced for this exact moment. And I'll be sure that your talent will shine the most compared to the nervousness you are feeling right now."
"Chris is right," Lix nodded in agreement. "Even if the audience won't be appreciative of our talents, but in our eyes, we are already the best."
Bin encircled his arms around Lix's shoulders and said, "My bro is really poetic right now. I'm so proud of you, my brotha."
"Yes, brotha," Lix responded with a small chuckle and both of them gave each other a high five. "My brotha is a really good influence to me, I tell you."
The remaining members just gazed at them with amusement and adoration in their eyes. Manager Lee came over to Miso and spoke in a low voice.
"Jay, you must be nervous." he spoke in a gentle voice, "Just keep in mind that everyone is not here to criticize you, but we are here to listen to your soft and beautiful voice."
"Thank you, Manager Lee," responded Miso with a big grin.
The manager's comment made her feel more assured. She was finally going to be able to get the chance of performing in front of an audience. She had been thinking so hard about how to put on a good show.
Showing a good performance was the expected outcome, but nothing else mattered aside from her having fun and learning more from the experience.
In her mind, it was a stepping stone to become a better performer.
'Go and show everyone what you've got, Miso,' she thought to herself.
It was the best line she could ever say to herself.
In addition, Hongdae is a very diverse neighborhood and it is not rare to see some foreign buskers on the Hongdae streets, adding a new twist to the Korean busking culture.
Their addition as a band would be a fresh concept to the eyes of the audience.
Everything was already ready and the band members of Blue Rose had already gone to their respective positions.
Chris spoke in a loud voice, "Hi! We are a rookie band named Blue Rose! Please check us out!"
Everyone, including Ren, started to smile at the audience, most especially the women passing by. All of them managed to make women stop in their tracks and watch them.
Miso was slightly surprised at the fact that Ren could actually smile like that. It was as if he had a different persona. Opposite Ren, Han seemed a little bit quiet and seemed to be quite on guard.
"The song we'll be performing will be Memoirs," Chris continued and the band members received a whole round of applause. "Please listen to us!"
And with that cue, Miso grasped the mic in front of her and started singing. Her voice came out, but the microphone didn't seem to be working.
It was working well earlier, but now, it wasn't working anymore?!