198 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.198 #198. Your Graduation Ceremony Unlike yesterday, when the dazzling lights danced beneath us, today's graduation ceremony intro felt incredibly modest. [Hello-o-o~] [Hi!] [We meet again today, huh?] [Hehe, it's nice to see you again.] [Nice to see you all!] Typically, I always thought graduation ceremonies should be held during the day to capture the essence, but perhaps out of consideration for fans who were either in school or working, Closer's graduation ceremony was scheduled to begin at 8 PM. [Do you all see this? Isn't the campfire beautiful?] The map where they were seated evoked a camping ground atmosphere, with the members of Closer sitting around the campfire, each having a blanket draped over their laps to match the weather. The interior of the map turned dim. The subtle glow of the campfire painted their faces in a dusky rose hue. [So much emotion~ Shall we take a selfie?] Luca picked up a camera and, like a caster, began snapping pictures with the other members. [Wow. Our Nipper unni came out so pretty~] [Hey, hey. It's the last time, so let's take more quickly.] Half of the viewers were engrossed in their usual playful broadcast session. The other half pleaded for them not to leave. Which side was I on? It was a feeling hard to express in words. Something you dearly cherished was vanishing. A sense of never being able to witness it again. Honestly, it's not like Doa is disappearing, or the character of Luca is vanishing. Yet, my chest felt an inexplicable hollowness, as if a part of it ached for reasons even I couldn't comprehend. [Alright, let's stop taking pictures. Today, we're supposed to say our final goodbyes to our fans.] [That's right. Should we each share a story then?] [Ah, but if we start telling stories in earnest, we might not finish today... Can we extend it for just a day?] When Clover threw the question into the air, the chat box erupted with messages begging for more time, like a cascading waterfall. [Ah... but at midnight, our representative said they'd officially hold the graduation ceremony for us.] Oh... The YM representative? I had seen them a couple of times back when I was involved there. [Come on, come on, there's no time. Let's proceed quickly.] Jennifer, the leader, seemed anxious, trying to rein in the members from wandering off-topic. [Let's go back a year and talk about the audition, shall we?] [The audition... I was really nervous back then...] [What are you talking about? Honestly, after Lea, I thought I did the worst when I sang.] [Luca, let's use some nice words. It's the last time.] Doa had a few triggers, among them being that audition story. And it wasn't just her trauma alone. Because I also watched it live, cursing heavily as I did so. Watching it, complaining how unfair it was or something like that. That was already a year ago. Despite everything that happened, it felt like a year that passed unbelievably fast for me. [We probably talked about first impressions at the showcase or somewhere back then, but today let’s try a new spin on it~] [Sounds great! Give us the questions!] [Which member is the most different from their first impression compared to how they seem now?] With a countdown, they had to point at the member they felt matched the statement. Fingers pointed in different directions. Luca pointed at Clover. Each took a turn explaining their choice, and the process was filled with laughter. [Honestly, with Lea, I thought her quietness was just part of the concept back at the audition.] When it was Jennifer's turn, she expressed her thoughts on Lea with a sense of lingering mystery. [You know, standing on stage doing musical theater, you'd expect confidence, like they'd be all over the place.] [Unni, you said we should use nice words, didn’t you? All over the place, seriously?] Luca resorted to subtle revenge for the earlier comment she received. [Anyway, turns out she was truly just completely introverted! So it was quite unexpected for me. Now, Luca, your turn.] Luca scanned the faces of the nearby members and then cleared her throat. [For me, I picked our Rover unni.] [Right! Why pick me? Was I really that different from the first impression?] [It's not that it changed drastically?] [She’s generally gentle, like a teacher, taking good care, but what I found unexpected about her was that she's just...] The quickest way to irritate people is to leave sentences unfinished. As Luca paused, Clover turned her expression dark, glaring at her. [Really what! Hurry up and say it!] [A klutz, unni.] [Hey, why am I a klutz?] [As many of you viewers probably know, our Rover unni is quite clumsy, despite how she talks or appears.] Viewers in the chat mostly responded with, ‘We know~ we know~’ vibe. [Don’t you remember? When you were preparing for that solo concert?] [Ahhhh! Luca! We promised that was off the record!] The first impression talk quickly turned into a revelation session. For the fans, it must have felt like a feast filled with ‘now we can reveal!’ kind of talk show. [Then, shall we each name our favorite song?] [Based on what? The ones we sang? Or including covers?] [Hmm... Since today is special, just the songs released under the name Closer.] As soon as it was Luca’s turn, she promptly mentioned my song, Summer Records. [Among the songs we participated in, I think Summer Records was my favorite! I still listen to it at home every day.] Members who knew the story looked exasperated. The other two members, unaware of our romantic involvement, had a ‘that’s relatable’ reaction. [Summer Records was great. But I liked the third album the most. Being the last one… it felt like the most loved one?] [Me too.] That Jennifer and Lea's favorite song was one I made... Even without the "girlfriend buff," it was an immensely moving occasion. They weren't offering any particular content, just chatting, yet people stayed, spending these final moments with them. As the clock ticked past 11 PM, each member of Closer began to share their parting words with fans one by one. The order of speaking was decided by drawing lots. The first to be chosen was Lea, whose image gradually zoomed in on the screen. [Hello, everyone... goodbye? We were just chatting and having fun until a moment ago... um... being asked to say farewell feels... strange. Very strange. Probably more than you all think.] [If it weren't for all of you, I... probably wouldn't have been able to continue with music.] [Since I wasn't popular, just another aspiring artist in this industry... but... you gave someone like me so much attention and love beyond what I deserve... it's overwhelming...] Gosh, my throat tightened just watching. [The past year as part of Closer has been like a miracle for me.] With a voice full of suppressed tears, she delivered her final message. [I'll keep working hard as an individual, too. Please remember only the good times, and in some other place... us members will continue...] Deemed unable to continue, she bowed out. Next were Jennifer and Humoring. Everyone was so emotional that their time speaking wasn’t lengthy. [Ah ah... I love you all... I really love you so much...] After Humoring’s tearful farewell, it was finally my girlfriend Luca's turn. [Hello. It's Luca.] She started with a calm voice. [I was really thinking a lot about what I should say when standing here today.] [The past year running alongside the members was truly happy.] [To you viewers, I might appear as a popular VTuber and idol, but in reality... I'm just... a normal girl who likes games...] [I'm so grateful I could be in this shining place with such wonderful people.] [I have so many stories I want to share right now. And there are countless things I still want to try with the members.] [Not being able to do it all is... more than a little... it's very disappointing.] In the end, Doa also couldn't hold back her tears. [Nevertheless... thank you so much for cherishing us all this time.] [Thank you... everyone... uh-huh-huh...] [Really... thank you so much...] The chat filled with thousands of messages, a virtual sea of tears. When each member finally managed to convey their thoughts, midnight arrived. The screen faded to black, and the members of Closer moved to a map reminiscent of a common podium. [Hello, Closer members.] The same avatar as when they first appeared at the audition. With a wizard-like white beard flowing, the representative began to speak from the platform. [First of all, I sincerely congratulate you on your one-year anniversary.] [You’ve exceeded all expectations with your splendid activities, and YM Entertainment is immensely grateful.] Each member’s face was shown in close-up. [And so... we have prepared a small gift for all of you who have worked so hard.] [A gift?] Clover, who had been bowing her head, looked up. [Yes. And that gift is...] With a press of a button on the remote, the entire map began to crumble. [We’re canceling the graduation. It never happened, folks.] The old wizard-like representative grinned as if he'd been waiting to say just that. No way... Wait a minute... seriously...? Are they seriously doing this... You little—!