Chapter 73: Have You Left?

d imposing, was abruptly interrupted. He felt a lump of air stuck in his throat, making it hard to breathe. Muttering under his breath, he turned his head and glared at the person who had interrupted...In the midst of cheers that filled every corner of the venue, nine members seamlessly transitioned from the VCR to the stage.

Given the VCR and the vibe, basically everyone already knows this is the title track of the next single album that Ji-won and his team mentioned earlier.

boywithlove

Seeing the song title appear on the big screen, countless fans were incredibly excited.

From March to now, EXO has released three singles albums, all of which have been hits. "" exploded and dominated for over a month, directly pulling EXO out of the situation where they were facing doubts about member departures. "" reversed its sound source ranking and became a hit, improving public opinion significantly. Even after so long, it's still at the top of the charts. Although "" is somewhat mediocre, it is still a high-quality main dance track, and many people enjoy it.

The previous excellent achievements directly raised all fans' expectations for the final album's songs to infinity, and unexpectedly, they were able to see it half a month early at this concert.

The ecstatic audience instantly focused all their attention, watching intently with wide eyes the nine people on stage.

After Bian Beran opened the show singing a verse, there was no more vocals. Only the instrumental music and powerful drumming remained, leaving the audience on edge with anticipation.

"Now this is too high, too high, I want to meet your gaze."

Under the expectant gazes of everyone, EXO, standing together on stage, directly began their performance. The cheers erupted once again, still coming from Baekhyun in the center. Before his part, the nine members who were just huddled together kept stepping rhythmically on the stage floor, swaying back and forth, scattering left and right in a way resembling tap dancing to form a line.

"Yeah, you're a boy with love."

Then everyone together turned in mid-air, jumped up and did a big high kick. Ji Jingyuan moved two steps to the right and swapped positions, coming to the center c position and directly started the chorus.

"ohyyy~ohy~y~y."

"I've waited all my life."

"Want to accompany you through every little moment."

Each person's body was stretched wide, their left hand gesturing with a thumb pointed to the left, swaying back and forth in a rhythmic wave. Then, both hands clapped rhythmically against their chests, each clap perfectly timed to the beat. The stretching, characteristic movements were captivating.

A quick criss-cross formation swap happened so fast, before anyone could react, the positions on either side had already changed. With Pool Jingyuan still in the center, leading the dance, he extended his fingers and lightly tapped to the left and right. After a slight bow, he stood up again, one hand resting on his waist, swaying steadily. After countless hours of grueling practice, the nine members' movements were synchronized and identical, looking exceptionally smooth. EXO’s long-prepared stage finally appeared before the audience.

The lively rhythm combined with the gentle undulation, the tacit and neat movements, each person's warm and gentle smile and k, more importantly, the melodious melody that is both graceful and addictive, has already made countless fans in the audience widen their eyes, sparkling with light, and involuntarily hum along and sway.

Even though this might be the first time most of them hear it, the words and tune of "ohyyy~" are so catchy. You can learn to sing it after just one listen.

Unlike those who were hearing it for the first time, several members of Red Velvet were already swaying their bodies and singing along.

As soon as this section was finished, many people couldn't help but frown in dissatisfaction.

Then, the once pleasing song vanished again, leaving behind only the annoying drumbeats that now took center stage, replacing the music. Exo simply moved and danced to the beat, no longer singing.

Why is it so short Is this all there is

This sounds so good, who could resist listening! Sing another one!

“Ahhhh…” Many screams gathered together, quite loudly. But this time, it wasn’t just cheers. There were clearly many complaining grumbles mixed in.

And... how did that last part just sound like a female voice singing Did someone get a feat Or did one of the members do a cross-dressing performance

In their discontent, many Ali remembered the just-heard chorus of what sounded like a brand new song. They had already learned it by heart! Many realized that the voice wasn't one of the members, but rather a female vocalist.

But it really is quite nice...

"oo~~woo~~woo~~"

"Love is never."

“oo~~woo~~woo~~”

"thanaboywith, thanaboywithlove."

It seems to have heard the fans' expectations. After the annoying drumbeat finally ended, EXO finally performed a segment again, but it was still short, only two or three parts. Before the fans could enjoy it, the music ended with the final drumbeat. This preview stage came to an end.

"Ah ah..."

Even though the audience had been completely hooked by this trick, and everyone felt itching with frustration, they still cheered enthusiastically for the unexpectedly catchy main song snippet.

Although there were only a few lines of lyrics and less than a minute on stage, what came out was already stunning enough. After the stage lights dimmed, many viewers still hummed "ohyyy" softly in their mouths, apparently having been occupied by this melody in their auditory highlands.

Being able to hear it half a month in advance is already a very happy thing, and there's no need to worry about the quality of the next single album being poor and not being able to beat groups like BIGBANG anymore. Just this part that seems like the chorus has already shown the style of the song and its level.

And they can brag to their friends and fellow enthusiasts after returning, it's incredibly satisfying!

...I just don't know who sang that female voice....

"Wow, the effect of this feat you won is actually really good"

Even though several members of redvevlet had already heard the general melody, they were still surprised by the completed version as it was their first time hearing it. After watching the just-concluded teaser stage, they were amazed by the perfect fusion of vocals, dance moves, and unique style, and couldn't help but look over.

"Not bad, hahaha..."

“Oh yyy, this tune is really great, is it their new song” Huang Meiying hummed a couple of lines in fluent American English, nodding her head in approval. After asking a well-known question, she smiled and said: "By the way, is the feat in the chorus sung by someone from our company, that senior The voice doesn't sound very familiar."

"As per our company's usual practice, we typically cast internal artists. However, I'm not sure who it will be this time." Taeyeon, as a senior member, understood the situation well and casually remarked.

"Wait, why didn't they look for you You, Tai Gu, would be perfect for a feature with them... I wonder if it's because they don't trust your English"

"Oh, shut up, it's starting!"

The lights dimmed and then brightened again, EXO stood in a line. The moment the music started, they dispersed instantly. Countless fans' ears were met with familiar yet moving music. "咆孝" (The Roar) began with the prelude of 《onelove》, a song that had appeared on important stages many times back in 2013. Due to its scarcity and incredibly cool variations, those few performances became treasured clips with high view counts.

But s's personality is just like that, even if fans really like it, but this tro to this day has not been released on the sound source, only live versions that exist online.

And after this tro, naturally, as soon as the prelude began, it ignited the passion of all the fans once again, that song "Roar".

Even though two years have passed and many popular songs have been released in between, especially with several consecutive singles this year, both "callbaby" and "Spring Day" were huge hits.

However, when it comes to the most representative song, the one with the widest circulation and the most sacred place in the hearts of all fans, it is still this very “Roar”.

It represented EXO's meteoric rise to fame, a golden era of a complete and vibrant lineup, the youngest and hottest period.

"Your breath is always quick, you walk towards me."

"EXO-K!"

"You're looking at me smile, you must be drawn to me too."

"exo-!"

This song is a full-on singalong from the first word "sexy." Every line's ending makes all the fans enthusiastically chorus together, especially in this section where the iconic cheer after each part appears again, making it feel like we're back to 2013 when "" swept the music scene.

Unfortunately, the team is down to only three people now, and the previous two teams' dance routines have also been changed a lot.

It might be a bit bittersweet, but it doesn't affect the fans' passion. From "boywithlove" to "Roar," the atmosphere inside is so hot that it feels like it could ignite your heart and burn your skin with a slight tingling sensation.

Especially in the middle part of this song, with a sudden change, EXO on stage immediately began to move and split into two formations. Under a very rhythmic drumbeat, they performed a special dance.

This is exactly the dance battle between the two teams that took place at 13-year-old AA.

At that time, this stage caused a huge response after the aa livestream ended. It was hailed as one of EXO's most classic stages and, due to its limited number of live performances, it has been fondly talked about by fans ever since.

Although the team had fewer members after the split and the stage didn't have the same packed feeling as before, the thunderous screams proved that the audience loved this segment.

"I eu-reu-reeu-reu-reong you."

"I love you."

Under the final chorus of the whole venue, Chi Kyung-won, whose ears were almost deafened by the noise, finally finished the last part of "Rage." He half-squatted on the ground and gasped for a breath.

The final performance of this stage is extremely important for the concert. It can elevate the normal performance effect, the atmosphere in the venue, and the audience's sensory experience to a new level. This time, EXO started with a costume change and all the stages were hit songs. Starting with a preview stage of "boywithlove", followed by “咆孝”, then their debut song "aa", and finally this month’s main track "lht", completely leaving the audience overwhelmed and hyped up to the point of explosion.

"Uh...ha...uh...are you guys already tired"

After all the performances were over, the lights came back on. Several EXO members, like Kim Jungwoo, Oh Sehun, and DO, were seen crouching on the stage, drinking mineral water and wiping their sweat. Even Baekhyun just plopped himself down on the floor, looking exhausted.

Seeing this, Kim Jong-dae couldn't help but look at the few people and chuckle, saying, "I'm still full of life!"

"Ah... jjia, I almost fainted while eating noodles just now..."

"Though it was tiring, it was really fun." Park Chan-wook took the microphone and seriously began speaking, then suddenly smiled and said in a goofy expression, "Are you all happy today"

"Yeah..." As everyone knows they've reached the final stage, all the audience members are responding loudly.

"Wow, today we performed a lot of new songs, some that were released these past few months and some that have never been leaked before, including 'dropthat' and 'boywithlove'...."

"Ahhhhh..."

These two deeply impressive stage names, once mentioned, immediately sparked a chorus of loud screams. It's clear that the impact from just now still lingers in their hearts, undiminished.

“I feel very happy and extremely joyful……”

"We will have more stages in the future, there will be many..."

"I hope you can always believe in us, and I hope we can walk down the road together..."

"This is true love for us, heartfelt thanks to everyone..."

After all the other members shared their thoughts, a few more emotional ones started to choke up towards the end, remembering their journey. Even Kim Jun-myeon picked up the microphone, his smile fading a bit, and with a sincere expression, he began: "I'm truly grateful for everyone being here. In 2014, we received so much love from you all. No matter what hardships we faced, your unwavering support was incredible. I want to repay that love to you all, give back everything."

"Kang Sang Mida…"

Nine people stood in a line and bowed to the audience as their tour was coming to an end. With sentimental speeches, many fans couldn't help but cry, clearly immersed in this atmosphere and unwilling to leave this chance to meet.

However, the concert still brought joy and delight to the fans. After finishing the heartfelt words, Kim Jong-dae and the others quickly changed their tone, said some witty remarks, and made a few jokes with Beomgyu, bringing the atmosphere back to a more relaxed state.

"I'm so grateful that we could have a successful and accident-free first show of this tour."

After a while, Chi Jingyuan also picked up the microphone. After thanking the fans, he mentioned many staff members who worked behind the scenes for this concert: “But we look so handsome standing on stage, but backstage is really a war zone. We really need to thank many people, like the security guards who keep us safe and moving at all times, and the stage lighting crew who makes us so eye-catching…”

He kicked things off, and the other members quickly chimed in with their own expressions of gratitude: "And we can't forget the hard-working camera operators!"

"Lighting directors."

"And our beatburger is sinking in Yuan Ge, the managers, each and every one of them, the staff members, all the people who created this concert together with us."

"Thank you so much!"

This first concert of the second round was excellent in terms of lighting, sound effects, and overall stage effect. You can tell that the members themselves were impressed. The high level and dedicated work of the team behind the scenes was truly hard work and very important.

"By the way, today is our EXO's second world tour's first performance, and it's also a very special day..."

When the flattery was done and the thanks were over, towards the end, Bian Boran's eyes shifted. Holding the microphone, he suddenly brought up another matter.

In fact, even without him mentioning it, many fans have been waiting for a very long time, and you could even say they've been waiting ever since the beginning.

"Ahhh...."

"Go!

">

"Damn it!"

Just mentioning Byun Baekhyun's name caused the crowd to erupt instantly. There was no need for further hints; Ailee and Yuan fans knew exactly what he meant.

Today's first concert is May 13th, which happens to be Ji Changwook's birthday. As a fan, of course, I will remember it.

Seeing the fans' enthusiasm in the audience, Ji Jingyuan, who was standing on the side, half-squinted his eyes and smiled. A few people beside him, including Do Kyung-soo, egged him on, reaching out to grab him and passing him to the center of the stage.

"Hahaha, that's right, today is wuli busy maknae yuan's 22nd birthday…"

"Ah ah..."

Sean gave a slight smile, just about to say something when he was interrupted by the enthusiastic fans. A chorus of sweet screams filled the air. He waited for several seconds until the cheers subsided slightly before continuing, "It seems like EXO-Ls already know... It's our first performance and it's also my birthday, what a coincidence. So, we older members, as well as the staff, have prepared a simple birthday party for our maknae..."

"Here!"

Amidst the fervent cheers of fans, Park Chan-yeol, who had somehow snuck down from the stage at some point, slowly made his way onto the stage from the side, holding a small cake in his hand. There was a name tag with 'yuan' on top, and two lit candles were inserted in the middle, seemingly representing his age of twenty-two.

His steps were slow, obviously afraid of extinguishing the already weak fire.

“Oooh ooh ooh…” Seeing Park Chan-yeol holding a cake and walking towards the front, the other members surrounded Ji Chang-wook in the middle, with preparations already made. They clapped their hands loudly and cheered, while more lively ones like Baekhyun were dancing and waving their hands, looking at the small cake with greedy eyes as if they wanted to snatch it away directly.

"Hee hee."

Standing in the C position, Chi Jingyuan instantly became the focus of the entire scene. He glanced at the group of members who were cheering him on, a smile curved his eyes as he looked at the cake presented to him, his face showing both happiness and shyness.

It was said to be a surprise, and there was no special rehearsal beforehand when it was arranged. But in fact, he had known about this segment long ago, and the members didn't intend to hide it.

Even though I knew it in advance, the feeling of being surrounded by members and celebrated by over 10,000 fans for my birthday was still incredibly joyful and touching.

Just as Chi Jingyuan was holding the microphone and preparing to say something on stage, he suddenly stopped.

The silver light on the several layers of stands facing the stage, which had been twinkling like a galaxy moments ago, suddenly underwent a noticeable change. In the silver sea at the very top level, a striking pale yellow appeared abruptly. Apparently, fans had switched the colors of their glow sticks, and this pale yellow was spreading at an incredibly fast rate. It looked as if they had rehearsed for a long time, like a wave of people constantly rising and falling, infecting each other. In a very short period, it created a unique pattern and characters.

From the top of the mountain, you could see the third floor, spreading to the second floor in the middle. From left to right, the colorful glow sticks continuously alternated, circling the entire gymnastics arena. The neat and orderly switching lights made this dynamic scene extremely vivid, and equally shocking.

In the blink of an eye, fans in the second and third tiers of the entire stadium used color-changing glow sticks to spell out these characters:

"Happy birthday, yuan."

And soon, the fans in the audience spontaneously started singing a celebratory song. It began with scattered and chaotic bursts of sound, then quickly synchronized into a unified rhythm. As more people joined in, the volume swelled from soft to loud, converging into an overwhelming wave of sound in a short period.

"Happy birthday, Kahmida..."

"Happy birthday, Hamida..."

The melodious and harmonious voice echoed continuously within the hall, surging towards the ceiling and then falling back onto the stage. It was like a warm breeze enveloping the central protagonist.

"Happy birthday, Hamida…" The members beside her were clearly taken aback by the scene. Several of them gaped in surprise at the change in the audience seats, and after being startled awake by the celebratory song, they quickly regained their composure. They then looked at the dazzling display of silver and gold letters with envy and bewilderment, smiling and clapping along to the birthday song.

Chi Jingyuan was a little stunned.

Members will give him a simple birthday greeting at the end. He knows about this.

But the live audience's actions were truly unexpected. The proficiency with which they switched fluorescent stick colors was clearly the result of deliberate rehearsals, and one can only wonder how long they practiced for.

Gazing at the dazzling and captivating sight before him, though his eyes seemed slightly dazed by the spectacle, Chi Jingyuan cheered along with the audience. As he heard over ten thousand people in the hall roar out their heartfelt wishes in unison, a surge of excitement welled up within him, rushing to his head like a wave. A sensation called awe and shock, mingled with an overwhelming feeling of being cherished, lingered within him.

He stared ahead for a few seconds before coming back to his senses.

He blinked hard, stretched out his empty left hand and rubbed it lightly against the pen, his lips pursed and then relaxed, repeating the action several times before letting out a soft sigh. He picked up the receiver, brought it to his mouth, hesitated for several seconds before finally speaking:

"Well...thank you..."

Joy, excitement, pride, and shame intertwined, leaving Chi Jingyuan unsure what to say. He struggled to organize his thoughts, finding no suitable words. After much contemplation, he could only express his most genuine feelings.

His voice trembled slightly, and the usually proud expression management and business smile seemed difficult to maintain. Even polite expressions were absent.

But at this moment, he also had some enlightenment.

An indescribable sense of satisfaction filled his heart. Perhaps for him, all these years since his debut, despite the late nights, fatigue, and exhaustion, he still enjoyed it because of this very reason.

A big part of what idols pursue should be this, right

It seems that the fans felt the idol's heart racing. There was some noise in the otherwise neat singing, with many worried fans shouting out loudly: "Haji ma!"

"Okay, blow out the candles."

The members who had been clapping enthusiastically on the side were also deeply moved by this scene. Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Kim Jun-myeon took the initiative to reach out and greet them.

And Pool Jingyuan also nodded and didn't say anything more. He walked over to the cake, puffed up his cheeks, and suddenly blew out both candles with force. He didn't dodge Park Chan-lyeok's opportunity to smear some cream on his face while he was at it. Just like that, with half a scoop of cream still on his face, he stood back up and faced the audience below.

"Ahhhhhhhh..." The chorus on the scene gradually ceased, and then a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted at the right moment. The whole gymnastics stadium was filled with joy and laughter, it was enviable.

"Wow, I was really moved after watching it, and also envious. I'm so grateful for everything EXO-L have done for us."

It was clear that Ji Jingyuan's heart was in turmoil. Jin Junmian took the initiative to step forward and said a few heartfelt words.

They were indeed very envious.

"I am truly very grateful..."

After everyone bowed together to thank the audience, he took the microphone and shouted out their final encore: "One last song, 'Angel'. Thank you everyone."

Warm music began to play, and all the fans knew it was time for the real ending. They held up their hand-made banners and waved their glow sticks with all their might, giving a perfect farewell.

"Step into your world (riding the breeze)"

"To your side, ask me where you come from (froyou)."

Nine members strolled through the venue. Ji Jingyuan held a microphone in his left hand, singing along, and cradled a small cake in his right, with traces of cream on his face, he smiled brightly as he walked along the side stage.

Suddenly, a plush toy-like hat was thrown to the front by an unknown fan. This was a characteristic of the Peninsula idol's concert, so he wasn't surprised. He walked over and took a look, then proactively put down the microphone, putting on the Donald Duck plush hat. After pinching the protruding soft duck bill, he couldn't help but chuckle. He picked up the microphone again, stood up, and waved towards the direction where the toy was thrown, looking very fond of it. This instantly caused a wave of excited screams from that side.

In the eyes of these fans, Ji Jingyuan at this time was wearing a black short sleeve, holding a cake in his left hand and a microphone in his right, waving to everyone. The duck hat on his head was extremely comical, and the sunshine smile on his face backlit gave people a dazzling feeling, while a smear of cream on his cheek added a layer of warmth to the whole person.

Although their outfits were simple, they felt he was so radiant at that moment, the most handsome he'd ever been all night.

The scene froze.

Finally, we are one, this is EXO.

"Exo, let's love each other."

In the iconic slogan, nine members waved goodbye as they walked into the slowly closing screen door, disappearing completely from the eyes of all the audience. The first show of the second round officially ended.

...but the reluctant cheers still kept ringing out, many people were lost in the atmosphere of just now, unwilling to give up, and staring at the closed screen door that refused to move their eyes away.

…………

"Hmm..."

After returning to the backstage, Chi Jingyuan first celebrated with the members and all the staff for the successful completion of the concert. After a brief few words, he put down the cake, went to the restroom first, and then washed off the cream on his face in front of the mirror.

He cupped water and splashed it vigorously on his face. The icy cold water hitting his skin brought a slight stinging sensation, which finally calmed the restless emotions that had been churning within him.

Just now, seeing that last scene on stage was really touching. If I hadn't held it back, I would have almost choked up.

Even now, my heart is still burning with passion. Plus, the first concert ended perfectly, so I can't help but feel great.

He shook his head, pushed back his slightly damp fringe with a hand, and walked out of the bathroom from backstage to return. But he found that besides the staff who were still busy preparing for the next work, all the other members had disappeared, leaving only Doyoung putting things away in the lounge. Judging by his appearance, it seemed like he was about to go out too.

"Where is the person"

He glanced around and casually asked.

"My manager just said they'll be back later for the meeting. For now, we have some free time, but please don't leave the venue... A lot of familiar faces came to today's performance, many of them are seniors from our industry cheering us on. After all, a lot of internal tickets were given out by us. Also, people like Jun-Mien's family and relatives are here, so they probably went to meet with friends and family."

Doh Kyung-Soo briefly said that, tidied up his things, drank some water, left a sentence and walked out: "I guess we'll chat or take a look backstage. I also made an appointment..."

Looking at Do Kyung-soo's departing figure, Ji-yeong nodded understandingly.

EXO's popularity now means each member has a lot of their own social circles within the industry. This leads to many internal votes being given out. Some senior figures with close relationships and higher status might ask for tickets to see the performances, which is actually a way of showing support and giving face. After the performance, it should be appropriate to say a few words and greet them.

If family comes to visit, it's even more so. Even the company will specifically set aside time for members to gather with their families.

But since the insiders who get tickets from Chi Jingyuan are all relatively familiar faces, there's no need to be so polite in social interactions.

And it was unprecedented for the second brother to take time out of his first concert last year to support him. Today, at this second tour, his family didn't come.

Well, I'm just too lazy to go out. Relaxing and carefree.

Just as he settled onto the sofa and reached for his gaming console to pass the time, Ji Jingyuan suddenly stopped. He remembered a child who had come alone today to cheer him on.

Looking at the time, the audience should just be starting to leave now, not everyone has gone yet.

After thinking for a moment, Chi Jingyuan picked up his phone and opened the contact list. He sent a message:

"Have you left"

First release on the Traditional Chinese Novels Networkwhose practice time was the shortest in the group, scanned the room with his eyes, blinked once, then chuckled and nodded. After a brief moment of thought, he said, “I joined the company last, I think...