This scene sent the fans below the stage into a frenzy.
Fang Juexia lifted his eyes, raising an eyebrow. The crimson at the corners of his eyes blended with the arrogance in his gaze, creating a peculiar chemistry.
After releasing him, Pei Tingsong curved his lips and moved to Fang Juexia’s side. Amidst the roaring cheers, the remaining four members converged on stage from different directions. As lights flooded the grand set, the six members formed their group formation.
The BMA Annual Awards stood as one of music’s most prestigious events, boasting top-tier production values in both sound and stage design. This marked Kaleido’s first appearance on such a monumental stage since their debut.
They kicked off their performance with their new winter single, “Xmas&U.” This track diverged from the styles of their second album and summer single, embracing a distinctly wintry vibe. Crafted as a dance number infused with blues and jazz elements, it showcased Kaleido’s exceptional live vocals. Without pause, they seamlessly transitioned into remix versions of ‘Breakthrough’ and “Last Summer,” leaving no room for breath.
The fresh arrangement breathed new life into the hit track “Break the Array.” Kaleido’s charm lies in their live prowess and infectious energy. Whenever they take the stage, no matter how large the venue, they elevate the atmosphere as if it were their own concert. The audience instinctively follows their lead, waving arms, clapping, and even singing along.
The solo during the dance break in “Break the Array” remained, but this time the music wasn’t a simple guzheng solo. It was remixed electronic beats, and the dance wasn’t the classical choreography from the promotional stage—it was a newly created six-person synchronized routine.
After the musical variation, Fang Juexia removed the long black scarf tied to his sleeve, draped it over his eyes, and tied it at the back of his head.
Ever since everyone learned of his night blindness, many netizens wondered how he practiced to perform flawlessly. Others questioned whether his condition was merely mild, accusing him of exaggerating for publicity—pretending he truly couldn’t see on dimly lit stages.
Facts speak louder than words.
Fang Juexia decided to dance blindfolded on the BMA stage.
A year ago, he would never have made such a decision. Taking such a high-risk gamble on a stage watched by millions was simply too dangerous.
But he was no longer the same Fang Juexia.
The act of blindfolding himself once again ignited cheers and screams throughout the venue. No one had anticipated such a unique moment.
Darkness filled his vision—no stage, no teammates. Fang Juexia tuned out the waves of cheers crashing toward him, focusing all his attention on the music.
Closing his eyes beneath the black cloth, he returned to the familiar practice room.
Everyone’s clothes were drenched in sweat. They were talking, calling out Fang Juexia’s name.
“Remember my spot? Don’t bump into me.”
“Stop bothering Juexia.”
Each face gradually came into sharp focus as memories projected their images: Ling Yi, Lu Yuan, He Ziyan, Jiang Miao…
“He absolutely won’t mess this up.”
And Pei Tingsong, who had always stood by his side.
His heart settled in an instant. On stage, the blindfolded Fang Juexia moved with such precision it seemed he could see perfectly. Every action was powerfully controlled, his explosive strength astonishing. Even the complex choreography for six dancers was executed flawlessly.
At first, the audience chanted Kaleido’s name more often. Gradually, more and more voices called out Fang Juexia’s name, each shout louder than the last.
He proved to everyone with his actions that even without sight, he remained the center of this stage.
As the final bar of the dance break arrived, Pei Tingsong, positioned behind him, reached out and swiftly removed the black scarf. During the ensuing rap, he circled around to stand before Fang Juexia, facing the camera, while tucking the scarf into his front pocket. As was customary, the rebellious youngest led his brothers to the stage extensions. Six members, six distinct colors, each matching one of the six extensions. Together, they sang the final chorus.
“Listen to my song that shatters the formation.”
As the line concluded, an even more electrifying electronic drop than the original version erupted, instantly transforming the entire venue into a dance party.
Nearing the end, they converged from all sides of the stage to the center. Fang Juexia stood in the center position, dazzling lights cascading down, even the sweat beads on his temples glistening. In a spinning formation shift, he drew the black scarf from the front of Pei Tingsong’s suit jacket. Just as captain Jiang Miao finished his part, the camera zoomed in on Fang Juexia’s face.
“The path I walk is where no path exists.”
He raised his hand, using the black scarf to wipe away the “blood” from the corner of his mouth. His sweat-dampened hair held an inexplicable sensuality, yet his gaze remained cold. His fingers loosened, and the scarf drifted down.
“Let your ambushes come.”
What fell behind him was Fang Juexia’s dark past.
In the frame, he curved his lips into a faint smile.
The future would be nothing but light.
This exhilarating medley left the entire audience in awe. Even though many in the crowd weren’t fans of Kaleido, raw talent could convince anyone.
The moment they stepped offstage, the six boys who had radiated coolness and charisma moments before instantly reverted to their true selves. Cheng Qiang, who had been nervously watching over them backstage, finally let out a sigh of relief upon seeing them return safely. “You guys were amazing, absolutely incredible! I got goosebumps just listening from backstage.”
Ling Yi suddenly hugged Cheng Qiang, confessing he’d nearly cried from nerves. “Finally, I can relax and enjoy someone else’s performance!”
He Ziyan cracked his neck like an old man. “I almost wrenched my neck just now. That scared me.”
“Hahaha, who told you to sleep the whole ride?”
Fang Juexia, however, just exhaled a long breath. He felt a sense of complete relief wash over him. Even if they didn’t win any awards next, Fang Juexia felt it was worth it. At least he finally dared to show everyone the figure he’d been practicing alone in the dark all these years.
Taking the water from Wen, Pei Tingsong unscrewed the cap and handed it to Fang Juexia. “Have some water.”
Fang Juexia hummed in acknowledgment. Instead of drinking immediately, he looked up into Pei Tingsong’s eyes, his expression sincere to the point of being endearing.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Caring for Fang Juexia had become second nature to him. Being thanked out of the blue left Pei Tingsong feeling slightly unaccustomed. “It’s just a bottle of water.”
“No,” Fang Juexia replied with a smile. “I’m talking about your suggestion earlier—the one about letting me perform blindfolded.”
It was Pei Tingsong who had suggested it during the meeting with Cheng Qiang and Chen Zhengyun. Before that, Fang Juexia hadn’t even considered doing such a thing. But he heard Pei Tingsong say he truly could do it, that he wouldn’t mess up, and he heard the other members give him their complete trust.
So when Chen Zhengyun confirmed whether they should proceed with this plan, Fang Juexia gave his first confident and affirmative answer.
No problem, I can do it.
“Ah, this,” Pei Tingsong laughed. “You should thank yourself.”
Thank you for all these years of persistence and effort.
After saying that, he covered the slightly heavy topic with a joke, “Besides, I’m just indulging my own little quirk…”
Fang Juexia was taking a sip of water when he choked on those words. His previously quiet, obedient smile instantly changed. With water still in his mouth and a burst of air, he shoved him. “Mmmph!”
“Yeah, I’m a scoundrel.” Pei Tingsong understood perfectly what Fang Juexia was calling him, and laughed shamelessly.
After changing into a more formal suit at top speed, Kaleido emerged from backstage and took their seats in the VIP audience section below the stage. Other singers had already taken the stage to perform. They had only watched two performances before the awards segment began. One by one, the awards were presented, bringing joy to some and disappointment to others.
Fang Juexia didn’t really care whether he won this time. He was accustomed to lowering his expectations for everything while maximizing his initiative. This way, he could accept failure more calmly, and when success came unexpectedly, it brought an extra layer of surprise.
Kaleido received four nominations this year: Best Arrangement of the Year for “Last Summer,” Best Lyrics of the Year for “Breakthrough,” Album of the Year for “Last Summer,” and Best Group of the Year. They ranked third overall in nominations and first among groups. For a first-time BMA nominee, this was an exceptionally strong start.
After a long wait, the first award category featuring their nomination finally arrived: Best Arrangement of the Year.
“This category truly gathers many exceptionally outstanding arrangements, including works by some major international producers,” the presenter said, holding the envelope containing the result. “Let’s first see which works are nominated.”
Clips of the nominated works appeared on the big screen one by one. The music video for “Last Summer” was among them, and when it appeared, the fans in the audience erupted in a huge cheer.
He Ziyan was nervous, but he didn’t let it show. Ling Yi, however, was far from calm. He had even started tapping his foot. Jiang Miao pressed down on his knee and quietly reminded him to look at the camera and smile.
After reviewing the other nominated works, Fang Juexia had already formed a clear judgment. So when the presenter announced the other winners, he wasn’t particularly surprised. He simply said to He Ziyan, “It’s okay. Being nominated is already a huge achievement. You still have so much room to grow.”
He Ziyan nodded, showing no disappointment. Instead, he smiled lightly, “Of course.”
Soon, the presentation for their second nominated award—Album of the Year—began. Unfortunately, they narrowly missed out once again.
Fang Juexia remained composed, having anticipated this outcome. The award went to a veteran solo female artist with deep roots in the music industry. Her album featured top-tier producers from around the world—it would have been strange if she hadn’t won.
Though their album Last Summer had received excellent reviews, it was self-produced and self-distributed. Plus, it was only a four-song mini-album. Losing wasn’t entirely unexpected.
With two consecutive trophies slipping away, Ling Yi couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. “We won’t be getting up on stage at all tonight, will we?”
Lu Yuan countered, “That’s actually fine. I was afraid you’d start wailing on stage and embarrass us.”
Pei Tingsong nodded in agreement, “Seconded.”
As the camera panned over, all six members flashed their smiles again.
After several awards were presented, two performances were interspersed, including one by Zhai Ying’s group. Interestingly, they seemed to have done a new arrangement, mixing in hits from several popular groups and even cueing the chorus of Kaleido’s “Last Summer.”
Kaleido, seated in the audience, enthusiastically mimicked their dance moves. When Zhai Ying made her comeback, Fang Juexia had watched their music video and memorized the signature choreography. Though seated among the spectators, he synchronized his hand gestures with the performers on stage.
“You’re dancing pretty well,” Pei Tingsong tilted his head, leaning closer to tease him. “You could go on stage.”
Fang Juexia shot him a glance but didn’t respond.
“If I win the Lyrics Award, will you dance this for me?”
“We’ll see when you win it,” Fang Juexia replied, unable to hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.
All this was captured by his dedicated fan girl, who was focused on filming him.
The awards ceremony resumed as the hosts took the stage to deliver their opening remarks.
“Next up is an extremely prestigious award.”
“Indeed, such a prestigious award deserves a prestigious presenter,” the female host teased with a smile.
The male host chimed in, “His name truly resonates throughout the Chinese music industry.”
“Though he might not belong to the music industry anymore,” the female host chuckled, “but rather the business world. Let’s welcome our award presenter—Li Luo! Welcome, Mr. Li!”
It was him. This did catch Fang Juexia somewhat off guard.
Li Luo wore a crisp white suit, his face not much changed from his peak years of fame, though now carrying added maturity and composure. Smiling, he walked to the podium and greeted the audience, “Good evening, everyone. I’m Li Luo. Long time no see.”
Cheers and applause erupted from the audience, especially from the Astar Entertainment artist section.
“It’s an honor to be invited as an award presenter at the BMAs today. Ten years ago, right here, I received the first major award of my career. So I understand exactly how you all feel right now. Pretty nervous, huh?”
Everyone laughed.
Fang Juexia also smiled, eyes lowered. After some pleasantries, Li Luo took a letter from the host, glancing at the cover. “The award I’m presenting tonight is—”
“Best Group of the Year.”
A thunderous cheer erupted from the audience, especially from the long-awaited fans. Unlike many less authoritative music award ceremonies, the BMAs did not distinguish between genders for group categories. Historically, this award was often won by bands, with male or female groups rarely taking the prize.
“So, let’s see which groups are nominated?”
The big screen began displaying music video clips of the nominees: four groups in total—two bands, one mixed-gender vocal duo, and finally, Kaleido.
When Kaleido appeared, the fan section erupted, screams echoing relentlessly.
He Ziyan and Lu Yuan had already started a new round of betting. Fang Juexia, worried Ling Yi might be nervous, quietly reached out and patted his hand. Ling Yi grabbed Fang Juexia’s hand tightly, clutching it with one hand while gripping the captain’s hand with the other. It seemed as if holding onto the two calmest members of the group would help ease his own nerves.
Noticing Fang Juexia still trying to ease Ling Yi’s nerves, Pei Tingsong leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “Why aren’t you nervous at all?”
Fang Juexia looked at him, only to hear him say, “You’re so calm, it leaves me no room to perform.”
What the heck. He couldn’t help but laugh, about to say something, when a voice from the stage drew his attention back.
“And so…”
Li Luo on stage opened the envelope, smiling at the audience below. “The winner of the Best Group of the Year award is—”
After a three-second pause, he looked toward Fang Juexia’s direction. “Kaleido, congratulations!”
The entire venue erupted in the loudest cheers of the night. It was a historic moment—the BMA’s Best Group Award had been presented to a male idol group.
Hearing their group name, Fang Juexia was still a bit dazed. He’d spent the entire evening convinced they wouldn’t be called up, never expecting to wait for such a significant award. Bae Ting Song, seated on the outer edge, rose first. Fang Juexia and the other members followed him as they made their way from the audience seats to the stage.
He heard Ling Yi whisper encouragement from behind, “I can’t cry, I can’t cry, I absolutely mustn’t cry…”
Fang Juexia couldn’t help but laugh.
The short stretch of red carpet, barely over ten meters long, felt like a journey through time with every step.
He recalled their humble beginnings as a six-member group, pouring their hearts into performances on small commercial stages.
They laughed together, pulled all-nighters in the practice room, stayed up late writing and recording songs.
Together they weathered every storm, big and small.
Vivid memories intertwined with their present splendor. Fang Juexia and his teammates now stood upon this stage once deemed unreachable, facing the very talent scout who had discovered them.
Li Luo smiled as he handed the trophy to Captain Jiang Miao, then embraced each of the six members in turn. Finally, when he held Fang Juexia, he whispered a quiet “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Fang Juexia replied before turning to face the audience with the rest of the group. They opened with their signature greeting: “Hello everyone, we are Kaleido!”
Ling Yi couldn’t hold back his tears—they were the kind that just wouldn’t stop. But his position was right beside the captain, who was about to speak, meaning he’d definitely be caught on camera. Feeling embarrassed, he ducked behind Fang Juexia.
Jiang Miao held the microphone, maintaining the group’s usual composure, yet his words lacked their usual formality. “Honestly, we never expected to win. Especially after seeing the list of nominees—so many outstanding senior bands and talented creative groups. We felt incredibly fortunate just to be nominated alongside them.”
The other nominated bands led the applause for them. Jiang Miao glanced down at the trophy in his hands. “Because we competed alongside such talented individuals, this trophy feels especially precious.” Kaleido isn’t just the six of us—it’s the culmination of so many people’s efforts. We must thank Star Map Entertainment for their unwavering support, our boss Mr. Chen Zhengyun, our amazing manager Brother Qiang, Xiao Wen, and all the Domino members who’ve given us courage and confidence. This trophy belongs to all of you.”
With that, he bowed deeply, and the other five members bowed alongside him. As he rose, Jiang Miao passed the microphone to Fang Juexia, who was completely unprepared, with Ling Yi hiding behind him, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing the microphone and camera handed over, Ling Yi darted back behind Jiang Miao like a mouse caught in the light.
Fang Juexia paused briefly before addressing the microphone. “We are deeply grateful to the BMA judges for awarding us the Group of the Year honor.”
He organized his thoughts as quickly as possible, yet his tone remained calm and his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant. “This year has been exceptionally special for our entire team. From being overlooked to standing here today, there was a pivotal turning point: each member transitioning from performer to creator.”
“Music is both precise and free, governed by patterns yet endlessly transformative. It serves as the smoothest bridge connecting consciousness and matter. It is also a small universe we are willing to spend our entire lives exploring. This recognition marks a beginning, one that will make our future steps more assured and give us greater courage to face what lies ahead.”
Pei Tingsong stood beside Fang Juexia, one hand behind his back, the picture of a gentleman. Just as during their first magazine interview, every insight Fang Juexia shared struck a chord within him—clear-headed, rational, yet brimming with romantic idealism.
“Thank you to everyone. Thank you to music and dreams.”
After speaking, they bowed once more. Seizing the moment as they bent, Lu Yuan slipped a tissue from his pocket through Jiang Miao to Ling Yi, allowing him to wipe his own face.
As they straightened, the host smiled and said, “Congratulations to Kaleido! Does the company have any celebration planned for this award?”
Fang Juexia handed the microphone to Ling Yi. His face flushed crimson from crying, reluctant to take it but too late to refuse. “Um… I don’t know.”
Laughter rippled through the audience below the stage.
“Probably not,” Ling Yi sniffed, his honesty palpable. “Just now, Brother Qiang said we’d help him move after this, then grab a bite afterward. “
Truly the most pathetic Male Group of the Year in history.
Author’s Note: (There’s one more award. PS: They won’t come out publicly at the awards ceremony. This is the group’s rising phase, and it’s the Divine Ascension Awards—coming out now isn’t realistic. They’ll come out in the extra story.)
————Long-Awaited Mini-Drama—————
During the awards livestream, Kaleido fandom’s Weibo:
[@Kaleido Chinese Official: Today’s intro and live performance were absolutely killer! [Video]]
[Ahhhhh the boys! Our Xiao Hu and this stage are made for each other!]
[Holy crap, full live vocals? This level of skill is insane. No wonder I’m obsessed with this group!]
[Waaah our Juexia danced blindfolded! So beautiful and powerful!]
[Blindfolded dance trending for sure—not a single step off. Who else in Chinese entertainment can pull this off??]
[Xiao Pei’s vampire makeup is so freaking hot! Shan Shui and Yuan Yuan’s duet was killer too!]
[Whether they win awards or not, this stage alone was worth it. Seriously.]
[@SpringSnowPrison: Some kids pretending not to understand girl group dance requests were happily dancing in the audience themselves, with Grapevine whispering in their ears. Hurry up and convince your brother to dance for everyone! [Video]]
[5555 Is there anyone cuter than Pretty Baby?]
[If I were Grapevine, I’d grab my brother’s flailing hands and shake them—how do you even handle this cuteness?!]
[Holy crap, did you see that glance Juexia shot Grapevine? That reproachful look…]
[Alright, here comes Auditory to torment me again. Can’t I just eat this dog food?]
[Huh? At 1:21 when Xiao Pei raises his hand, what’s that black thing on his hand? Is it drawn on?]
——————-——————
Award Ceremony Begins
When not winning—Quiet and Graceful Domino
[It’s okay, it’s okay! A nomination is recognition!]
[No worries! We’ll have plenty more chances after we close our accounts!]
[Congrats to the seniors! You all did amazing!]
After winning—Going crazy
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