WALK THROUGH WALLS

EIGHTY SIX

Just knowing that we were going to be performing this songs that my members were not enthusiastic about just gives me a bad feeling. I can’t imagine the horror of being position last and yet we are still topping the ranking for this long. I think fate is playing jokes on me or we are just really joking. Have you ever been in a situation where you know very well that you are about to fail and you are sure about the failure but you don’t know what to do. My mind had just one person in mind, Woozi of Seventeen. The guy never knows how to sugar coat his words. I think he can be the best option now…

“Well well well! If it isn’t my dear beloved girlfriend who has at last decided to announce his presence or if I am not wrong, you need my help with something, yes?”
“Like seriously dear beloved Woo, can your girlfriend not miss you to the point of calling you to know how the going is?”
“Then I must not know this so called friend of mine, because the famous Lensah is too, underline the word too good, to just have the courtesy of calling this boyfriend of hers is there is no problem, but come to think of it, wait, did you win a talk time lottery much that you have free minutes to waste on me?”
“Seriously Woo, I missed you that is why I called you.”“Ok, I will pretend that I believe you. So how is the competition taking you?”
“  It’s really draining me dry, but oh well, I have you guys to look up to being that some of you went through the same and even much worse than me, that is always the assurance that I need.”
“Oh’ wow, you got me there. As if I don’t know that you are pretending to be strong yet you are struggling inside. "
“Who said that I was struggling? I should strangle the idiot.”
“Please do it, it was your dear beloved Chinese kid. By then, the boy has become even more handsome than when he was a baby.”
“Yes he has. Anyway, as much as I would want to disagree with the statement that I am struggling, he is one of the contributors. Especially with this weeks’ challenge.”
"What is the challenge all about?”
“V- Pop.”
“Damn that is hard. Especially the language. What is your team’s plan of action?”
“We decided to learn the lyrics but their Vietnamese is really wanting”
“I understand the torture especially coming from a multilinguistic like you.”
“I tried teaching them but it was like teaching my daughter.”
“By the way, how is that bundle of joy of the family doing?”
“She is fine thank you. I try not to communicate with them that often so that they miss me. After grandpa passed on, they have been really careful with whatever they do. The corona pandemics is truly taking a toll on them. I was told that the government even banned night travel. Schools have been closed down. My dad is working from home and just goes out when it is seriously necessary.
”I understand the feeling. We are also not able to go round freely. Most of our concerts have been made digital or we perform in empty halls. It is boring but better prevent than cure.”
“True, anyway, my teammates have just decided to throw away this week’s competition.”
“That’s a very risky venture especially when the judges know your strength. They might even penalize you”
“Now, what can I do? The performance is tomorrow and we are truly not really. You know, some groups have decided to go with the already sung version, there is just dancing, but as for me team, even the dancing is a disaster.”
“Wow, now that is thought. Do this, tell them to go and sing it as if it is an acoustic performance. Start with the song that at least is presentable and then you sing the most parts while telling the others to sing the bridge and chorus hoping that they will try to be audible and they should enjoy themselves.”
“It is easily said than done dear Woo! But it is possible and crazy to work. Thank you for the idea. I will sell it to the members.”
“You see, you just needed my help. You are always welcomed. Now, don’t be a stranger and then come to me just when you need my advice”
“I heard you. Thank you, I owe you…”
“A froyo... I will hold you to that. Bye girlfriend. LOVE YOU!”
“Love you to boyfriend.”

****
Woozi’s plan was so crazy to work but it did the trick. The boys were so happy about it that they officially decided to forgo any more practice.
“Lensah, are we not really pushing our luck with this?” that was Korn asking.
I had seen his frustration especially because he volunteered to follow up the performance of tomorrow night.
“What can we do, we are the only ones who know the Vietnamese language. The others are literary struggling with it. Let as just take it as it comes, as long as they are ready for the outcome, we will just have to cross the bridge when we reach it.” I said and then lay on the couch now that the rest decided to go and eat, leaving me with Korn.
“It is ok, as long as they will be really for the earful from Judge Rain.”
“True, that is the only judge that I am afraid of...”I said as I closed my eyes thinking of the long day ahead and also the face that judge Rain will give us with this already pathetic performance we will be displaying tomorrow.

***************
This dreaded day had to just arrive at last. To say the truth, my members have not mastered the Vietnamese songs and the dance is not even attempted. I foresee a disaster in the making. Now what is worrying me even more is this wierd attitude of don't care that they all have. Among all of us I think Eujin is the most tensed being that  he is the leader.

Korn gave up the idea of teaching them the language. The concept we were going with was to pronounce the odds well. I remember Tem even making a joke that were we going for a spelling bee competition or a dance competition. The songs are not that.... And the language is also not leaner friendly especially if the learners are these teammates of mine. I can remember how these guys were envying

Yellow
Zero 9 - why
The girls - come back to me
Gas - talk to me

Black
365 da band - get on the floor
PSS - Sac mau moi
Uni 5 - Sai

Blue
HAT - Yēu lam chi
Lip B - Jingle bell rock
The air - Chò yēu

Brown
Juun Dang Dung & R.Tee - Anh Ghet em
5 dong Ke- Roi
Tas - waiting for you

Green
Nobb - Anh Trai Quoc Dan
Novas Band - Tinh Yēu
Younq - be my honey

Orange
OPLUS - Follow me
M4N - No pain no gain

Purple
Usagi - Meo con
Party girls - lime

Violet
Nhom Angel - Angel
La Thãng - Ai ai ai

Red
S Girls - Tu tin (wake up)
B. Silly - Bat Knõc

Grey
JP Girls - Higher
Bee. T - Buong Tay

I don’t know if you have ever seen yourself dying and then attending your own funeral? Well this was the feeling I had when the Mc announced that it was our turn. We had it all planned but the idiotic boys forgot even the simple lyrics when we were on stage and they froze. It was up to Korn and I to sing the whole songs alone. The curtains were also closed before we finished our performance. If this was Africa, I could have tried to retrace my steps to see if I met a black cat on my way to the venue.

Everything went bad from the start but who am I to complain. We went back to our studio to wait for the results. No one spoke to each other, we reached and everyone went and threw themselves on the couches, waiting for the earful from the judges.