Chapter Four: The Concert

As the unique intro of "LUV" began to play, the six members of A Pink, fully prepared, commenced their performance.

"Do you remember the times we spent together?" With the rhythm of the drums, Jung Eun-ji, the group's powerhouse vocalist, sang the opening line. Her warm and resonant voice followed the melody that emerged after the drumbeat.

"LOVE LUV." Jung Eun-ji's enchanting voice and the signature dance moves of "LUV" immediately captivated the audience.

"Do you still feel your heart flutter? Those were the moments that meant everything." Though the song blended lighthearted hip-hop elements, a subtle sorrow permeated the melody. Eun-ji’s exceptional vocal prowess evoked emotions that seemed to resonate with everyone present.

"LOVE LUV." The entire A Pink group performed their choreography beautifully, the iconic LUV hand gesture tugging at the audience’s heartstrings.

"Do you still sometimes think of those days?" With elegant hand movements and a shift in formation, Yoon Bo-mi’s distinctive voice rang out.

While A Pink poured their souls into the performance, Chen Zhe, who had returned backstage, encountered another set of guests he’d invited.

"Hey, you little rascal, long time no see!" Just as Chen Zhe passed the door of a lounge, someone suddenly hooked their arm around his neck and spoke in a deliberately lowered female voice.

"Who are you? Do I know you?" Though the voice was intentionally disguised, Chen Zhe instantly recognized it. Still, he decided to tease her by pretending not to.

"I'm your nuna!" The woman was at first delighted, believing her disguise was effective, but quickly grew annoyed. How could he not recognize her? She leaned in close to his ear and spoke loudly.

"Which nuna? Sooyoung nuna? Sohyun nuna? Taeyeon nuna? Or Sooyeon nuna?" Though he already knew who was behind him, Chen Zhe continued to feign ignorance, deliberately listing other Girls' Generation members to provoke her.

"None of them, I'm your Yoona nuna!" As expected, his words stirred her up. The woman—no, Lin Yoona—tightened her grip around his neck, her voice tinged with frustration and barely concealed annoyance.

"No wonder you’re behind me and I didn’t feel a thing. I thought Heechul and the others were playing tricks on me! Damn it, let go, let go, you strong Yoona, are you trying to strangle me?" Mischief rising in his heart, Chen Zhe teased Yoona, but was surprised when she actually squeezed harder, nearly cutting off his breath.

"Hmph!" Yoona, her cheeks flushed, released him, turning her head away in a pout. To Chen Zhe, she looked adorably displeased.

"I was wrong, Yoona nuna!" Freed from her grasp, Chen Zhe rubbed his neck and put his hands together in a practiced bow, offering a sincere apology.

"Tell me what you did wrong!" Seeing his familiar gesture, Yoona couldn’t help but laugh. How many times had he done this to be so adept?

"I shouldn’t have said you’re flat and that I couldn’t feel anything?" He sneaked a glance at Yoona, testing his luck.

"You dare repeat it!" Hearing him say it again, Yoona felt her blood pressure spike, glaring at him as if she might strike him then and there.

——— Time divider ———

"Our performance has ended, so now we’ll return the stage to our forever friends. Please welcome Chen Zhe and his partners!" Finishing their performance, Jung Eun-ji, representing A Pink, picked up the microphone. She caught her breath and waved with a smile to the audience below.

As Eun-ji’s words faded, all the lights in the venue went out. The audience fell silent, and only the wave of lightsticks formed a sea of stars, gently swaying below.

On the dark stage, music with a strong, driving drumbeat began to play. The audience murmured, recognizing the tune.

"This intro sounds so familiar!" With several magnetic "hey" interspersed among the drumbeats, the crowd suddenly realized.

"This is AOA's 'Miniskirt'! No wonder it sounds so familiar!" As the intro was recognized, anticipation grew. A Pink had just finished; now AOA was coming? It was a clash of innocence and sensuality.

"I can feel the way you look at me is different now." As the intro ended, the stage lights flashed on, and a young, somewhat delicate male voice rang out.

The audience saw seven men on stage, wearing classic white shirts and red skirts—the iconic "Miniskirt" outfits. They struck the opening pose, with one man imitating Shin Hye-jeong’s move, lying on the ground and swinging his legs, his expression tinged with blush.

The audience rubbed their eyes in disbelief, thinking, How did my angel group become a bunch of eye-searing guys?

"I still have so many strengths, so many virtues. Why do you look at me like you’re seeing an old shoe? Hey." Chen Zhe, standing at the center, struck a seductive pose, performing the part of ChoA.

After Chen Zhe’s voice echoed, the audience realized—Chen Zhe was standing center stage. With a wig and makeup, his appearance was almost too androgynous; his fans didn’t recognize him at first, until he sang.

"How much did you guys make Xu Yu drink? We only brought seventeen bottles of beer, so how did that fool end up like this?" From the moment they went onstage, Chen Zhe had smelled the alcohol on Xu Yu. Seeing his face flushed and enthusiastically dancing Shin Hye-jeong’s part, Chen Zhe couldn’t help but want to cover his face.

"How much did you make Xu Yu drink?" After finishing his lines and passing Lin Yu-zhe, Chen Zhe glanced at Yi Zi-yuan, who came beside him, silently asking.

"Not much. He wanted some courage, and with encouragement from Uncle, Yu-zhe’s provocation, and Guang-yu and Bai Fan’s assistance, he drank all seventeen bottles himself." Yi Zi-yuan, receiving Chen Zhe’s questioning look, continued the dance while exchanging glances.

"No way, is his tolerance that bad? Are you sure he only drank seventeen bottles?" Chen Zhe’s eyes betrayed his doubt; he clearly didn’t trust this group of troublemakers.

"Absolutely, Zhe. We really didn’t trick you this time. He drank only seventeen beers, and ended up like this. None of us expected it!" As the formation shifted, Li Zhuxian and Bai Fan moved beside Chen Zhe, Bai Fan—the eldest—also joined in the eye-contact conversation.

"His alcohol tolerance is really this awful? Looks like I’ll have to train him more. With this tolerance, he dreams of chasing Soon-gyu nuna." That Xu Yu became like this after just seventeen beers was beyond Chen Zhe’s expectations. But on reflection, he’d always shielded Xu Yu from drinking in the past, so it made sense that he hadn’t developed any tolerance.

It seemed Xu Yu’s plan to pursue Soon-gyu nuna would have to be postponed. Chen Zhe resolved to train him first, then help him create opportunities to chase her.

"Put on the miniskirt!" After the group exchanged glances behind the now fully tipsy Xu Yu, the song and dance reached the most iconic part—the scene where they pull up the miniskirt’s zipper.