wavenovel Chapter 1249 Good-looking
Chapter 1249 Good-looking
Chapter 1249 Good-looking
...Because the number of visitors to the Yodogawa Fireworks Festival surged this year, and most of them were influenced by the song "Uchiage Hanabi," the organizers not only invited EXO to prepare a stage, but also specially arranged a small fireworks display in advance on the "Uchiage Hanabi" stage to warm up the atmosphere and create a surprise.
Although the main fireworks display was yet to come, the small bursts of fireworks in the sky, perfectly complementing the lyrics and melody of the song's chorus, enhanced the atmosphere.
Singing alone lacks a certain sensation, and setting off fireworks alone lacks a certain romance.
At this moment, the collaboration between the two allowed all the audience to feel the beauty of "Uchiage Fireworks," and a romantic and brilliant enlightenment brewed in their hearts.
In this special atmosphere, Chi Jingyuan, who was already quite eye-catching, shone even brighter. With the combination of the song, the yukata, the fireworks, and the summer, in such a special and unsettling environment, he was so dazzling to everyone, to all the audience. An imperceptible filter was silently created.
...Whether they had heard of him or seen him, at this moment, Chi Jingyuan was the most handsome person in their hearts.
"Ahhhhh!!"
Looking at the atmosphere around us and the excited expressions on everyone's faces, and seeing the excitement of many female fans who seemed about to rush forward, we could tell how effective it was.
The summer atmosphere had already reached its peak, and the impromptu stage performance was a great success. However, Ji Kyung-won, who had worked up a lot of sweat, did not linger for long after the performance ended, nor did he say much.
The main focus tonight is still the fireworks display, which will start in half an hour. He still doesn't want to steal the spotlight or waste any more time.
"...Thank you all for coming. Please enjoy Osaka's summer and fireworks festival to the fullest."
Chi Jingyuan wiped the sweat from his cheeks, a sunny smile on his face, and bowed to the audience below the stage to express his gratitude. The audience was surrounded by a dense crowd that stretched far into the distance, and the faces of the people were not clearly visible in the dim lighting.
"..."
After thanking the audience, although the fans were all shouting with reluctance, Chi Jingyuan did not linger but quickly turned around and walked to the back to prepare to leave the stage. However, just as he turned around and took two steps, his steps suddenly stopped—as if he was being pulled by some invisible force, as if by telepathy, he naturally looked to the right in the distance.
In the complete darkness of the night, under the dim light, a very blurry figure could be seen on the distant terrace, looking in his direction.
At this distance and in this light, it would be impossible to see anything clearly; being able to see a blurry figure would already be considered good eyesight.
But, just like Mina, who is so far away, seems to be able to clearly see Ji Kyung-won on the stage.
In that brief glance, when all I could see was a blurry figure, something in my heart seemed to be gently bumped, and I instantly recognized that person.
The idea came unexpectedly, yet it was so certain that there was no doubt about it.
...Because when he arrived at the rehearsal this morning, Chi Kyung-won stood on the stage and looked around. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he specifically looked for the terrace where he watched the fireworks display last year and finally found its location.
That was exactly the direction he was looking at at that moment.
It's... Konan, it's... Minami.
In that instant, Chi Jingyuan recognized the figure in his heart. His gaze seemed to pierce through the night, clearly seeing Mina leaning against the railing—as if he could see her face, see her leaning over the railing, looking this way alone.
He could even seem to see her expression, watching her smile, her eyes brimming with tears.
Even though they were so far apart, he felt like he was meeting Mina's gaze.
call……
A surge of indescribable emotion welled up in his chest, and Chi Jingyuan subconsciously slowed his pace. But his professionalism quickly brought him back to his senses; he paused for only a second before turning away and leaving. The stage lights cast a long shadow behind him, while the figure in the distant stands gradually disappeared into the bustling night.
He strode off the stage, leaving behind only countless cheers and the noisy night.
……
Far away, in front of the railing of the terrace.
Minami was suddenly stunned.
Among the many audience members, many did not notice the moment when Chi Jingyuan paused and looked around, and even those who did notice did not sense anything unusual.
But Mina noticed... or rather, she sensed it.
She couldn't see Chi Jingyuan's face clearly, nor could she see his expression or demeanor, but she did see that Chi Jingyuan had just stopped and seemed to be looking in her direction.
In that instant, she sensed it.
She could feel it—he stopped and looked in her direction. For a moment, she felt as if their eyes were truly meeting, even if it was just a fleeting illusion.
However, this distant, soulful eye contact lasted only a second. After their gazes and emotions passed each other, Chi Jingyuan quickly stepped down from the stage and disappeared.
Did he sense me watching her? Did he discover I was here? Does he even remember this spot?
Mina's fingers unconsciously tightened around the railing, her fingertips picking at the rust on it. Countless questions churned in her mind, mixed with a little bit of inexplicable excitement.
She hadn't cried at all, not even when she saw Ji Kyung-won on stage, saw him wearing his old yukata, listened to "Uchiage Hanabi" and watched his bright and eye-catching figure under the fireworks.
She was simply admiring, simply reminiscing, with a clear and sweet smile always on her face, letting the memories flow through her heart.
But at this moment, this brief exchange of glances across the distance seemed to have punctured a taut string in his heart.
Without any warning, she suddenly burst into tears.
……
On the other side, Chi Jingyuan remained silent, his initial excitement turning into a dull feeling. He turned and walked off the stage to the makeshift backstage area.
"Thanks for your hard work!"
"Thanks for your hard work!"
The staff greeted him enthusiastically, and an assistant who had been waiting there handed him bottled water and started cooling him down with a small electric fan. All the actions were very practiced.
Chi Jingyuan sipped his water, glancing around at his surroundings. Today's performance was over, and the stage crew had already started packing up. The other members had also taken off their stage costumes and changed into their new clothes, gathering in twos and threes to prepare to leave.
...This stage is their last event in Japan today, or rather, for the most part recently.
"The atmosphere is just perfect, this song is perfect for summer... Jingyuan, why don't you change your clothes first?"
The manager walked over and gave Chi Jingyuan a cheerful encouragement. Then, glancing at the other members who were idling around, he clapped his hands and began to give instructions: "That concludes today's schedule. We'll have something to eat first, then pack our luggage at the hotel. Everyone, meet at the hotel at 10:30 and we'll head to the airport together."
Although they have no work, EXO will have to rush back to Seoul overnight... Ji Kyung-won didn't actually lie to Myung-jung's mother yesterday; he really didn't have time.
...He just didn't say he would come back in a couple of days.
"Now, could we eat a little later?"
Upon hearing the manager's arrangement, Kim Junmyeon offered his suggestion. Judging from their expressions, they had probably already discussed it.
"Let's wait until after the fireworks display."
The agent understood what they meant immediately and nodded with a smile: "It's only a few minutes anyway, and it's not easy to come all this way... But don't go too far, go back right away after you're done watching."
Having come all this way to the fireworks festival, with such a wonderful atmosphere and such a great opportunity, how could we possibly just head back without even taking a look?
The crowd cheered and responded enthusiastically, creating a pleasant atmosphere.
After the manager left, Kim Junmyeon came over and asked with a smile, "Sehun and I are going to watch the fireworks together. Kyungwon, are you coming?"
"Hmm... Brothers, you guys go see it."
Chi Jingyuan considered it briefly before refusing, giving a perfectly valid reason: "What's the point of watching with a man? I'm not going."
"hehe."
Kim Junmyeon smiled kindly and pointed his middle finger at him without any politeness.
…………
Just over ten minutes later, Chi Jingyuan, who had changed his clothes and was wearing a baseball cap, appeared alone by the riverbank.
The darkness and dim lighting provided the best disguise, and no one recognized the idol who had just shone brightly on stage. He walked quietly and discreetly to the back of the crowd, his hands in his coat pockets, his expression calm, and his eyes scanning the bustling scene around him with keen insight.
By this time, the banks of the Yodo River were already packed with people, with tourists from all over the world and local residents crowding the area.
The seating area was very close to him, just a dozen meters to his left. Those with tickets sat in the seating area on the left, while those without tickets spread out on the ground along the riverbank with picnic blankets, burlap sacks, or newspapers to claim a small spot. Those who couldn't find a spot stood further back, extending outwards in layers.
But no matter where they were, everyone seemed excited, some whispering, some laughing loudly, but all looking at the dark and quiet night sky in the distance, anticipating something.
The crisp sound of wind chimes, the swaying of yukatas, the warm sea breeze, and the boisterous laughter—countless touching elements come together to depict the unique flavor of a summer night.
He took a deep sniff, and a night breeze blew by, making Chi Jingyuan feel relaxed and refreshed.
Although he was all alone, with no one to accompany him and nothing to do, he stood there looking around with great interest, as if he hadn't felt relaxed and at ease in a long time.
But he couldn't help but laugh again... As the fireworks display was about to begin, someone started singing it, and it quickly spread and people joined in. A few minutes later, the audience on the shore started singing "Uchiage Hanabi" together.
Many of the people were clearly foreign tourists who didn't speak Japanese, but they could still hum along. The mixed singing echoed along the coastline, making the surrounding night seem lively.
Although Ji Jingyuan didn't sing along, he started clapping along, completely immersing himself in the harmonious atmosphere.
After watching for a while and waiting for a while, the time finally came after the chorus ended.
"10."
"9."
Everything was ready, the broadcast began the countdown, and everyone who heard it joined in the loud countdown.
Chi Jingyuan didn't participate, but he smiled happily and looked up at the distant sky along with everyone else.
"3."
"2."
"1."
"boom!"
A sharp whooshing sound pierced the silence of the summer night as the first firework, trailing an orange-red tail, shot straight into the night sky.
At its highest point, the pyrotechnic bomb exploded with a muffled "bang," bursting open suddenly. First, a dazzling white-gold spot of light burst forth, followed by countless sparks radiating outwards. These sparks changed color continuously as they spread, from incandescent white to golden yellow, then from golden yellow to orange-red, finally transforming into millions of shimmering points of light that slowly fell to the ground.
Fireworks soared into the sky, and all was silent.
Bathed in the dazzling fireworks, Chi Jingyuan's face was illuminated. He looked up, silently gazing at the magnificent night sky in the distance, appearing unusually quiet, with only the booming sounds of the fireworks around him.
The sharp sound of fireworks piercing the night sky brought back a flood of memories from last year. Every detail and recollection of that day seemed to have been unleashed by the roar, appearing before his eyes in a flurry.
But memories are just memories. Although they are sweet, they always feel a little missing when you think about them now. It's like looking through a layer of frosted glass, and you can no longer feel the warmth of the past.
He had been looking forward to seeing the fireworks display again before coming, but for some reason, standing here now, watching the sky burst into silvery white, he no longer felt the same anticipation, excitement, and... thrill as he had last year.
I don't know if it's because I have fewer people around me to share with...
Or is it that even the most beautiful things lose their initial wow factor after experiencing them once?
call……
Suddenly losing interest, before the fireworks had even finished, Chi Jingyuan let out a soft breath, pulled his hat brim down a little to cover his face in shadow, lowered his head, put his hands in his pockets, and turned to leave discreetly.
Everyone around was looking up excitedly at the fireworks in the night sky, their faces brightened by the bursting and dying light. Only Chi Jingyuan lowered his head and walked in the opposite direction from the crowd.
In the seating area, Sana Minatozaki, who had been watching the fireworks, seemed to suddenly sense something, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned her head to look to her left.
"What's wrong?" Her friend next to her was startled by her actions, her excited expression faltering, and asked curiously.
"..."
Sana Minatozaki looked over there, but could only see a dark mass of people.
She frowned and glanced at it a few times, but finding nothing, she could only turn her gaze away, pouting and blaming herself for overreacting, then gave her friend an apologetic smile:
"nothing."
"Don't get distracted, look at the fireworks! Wow, this year's fireworks are so beautiful, even better than in previous years!"
"Yes...that's right."
I'll update later tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)