Chapter 323:
As I finished the stage with ‘Nine’s closing move, a wave of applause erupted from the back of the auditorium.
“Wow!”
The cheers of the fans, the Soufflés, blended with the clapping, a sound I hadn’t heard during the earlier congratulatory performances. It was as if celebrities were clapping with the vigor of participants in a national clapping contest, almost at a rhythm of 128 beats per minute.
Backstage, I was still in a daze.
“Why did Taehyun tell us to brace ourselves for no reaction earlier?” the youngest member asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“Yeah, he did say that…”
He mentioned how embarrassing it had been for them a few years ago. Despite being top in Korea and having exploded in popularity in China and other parts of Asia, the response had been lukewarm.
But this reaction was something else entirely.
As I pondered the difference, I re-entered the theater and saw a veteran singer giving us a thumbs-up, his gaze filled with pride as if looking at his grandsons. Next to him, others were nodding along, trying to catch the vibe.