Chapter 16

He was the center of the group now—and the one to open the show.

He had no choice.

As the stage lights came on, Fang Juexia raised his head to the beat, wearing a flawless expression, stepping into the spotlight like nothing was wrong. He kept telling himself not to panic—as long as the internal clock in his mind stayed precise, there was nothing to fear. They had rehearsed this song countless times. For him, the accompaniment was already second nature.

“Never born for survival of the fittest,
Bound by no law,
I write my own rules—
Breaking open the door to life.”

As soon as he finished his part, Ling Yi and Jiang Miao picked it up seamlessly, continuing the performance. Their rhythm felt right, but Fang Juexia wasn’t sure—was it just him and Lu Yuan whose in-ears were malfunctioning?

“Life’s an adventure game; rewards and consequences always balance out.”

The static in his ear monitor grew louder. While dancing, he glanced back toward the stage wing and pointed to his in-ear, trying to signal for help.

“Cold as reality may be,
My dreams burn just as true.”

Jiang Miao finished the line and instinctively looked over at He Ziyan, who gave him a subtle nod. Fang Juexia caught the cue—it told him everything he needed to know.

The worst-case scenario had happened: all their in-ears were likely down.

If this were a pre-recorded show, they could’ve stopped right then and reshot after fixing the issue. But this was a live broadcast airing nationwide. Cutting the performance now would be career suicide.

Fang Juexia knew too well how ruthless the internet could be. If they quit now, the clips would be edited and spread across every social media platform. Regardless of the cause, the narrative would be simple: they choked. And the public—few of whom understood how vital in-ear monitors were on stage—would brand them incompetent.

So they silently reached a mutual understanding:

The show must go on.

The transition between verse and chorus was marked by Pei Tingsong’s distorted spoken English segment—edited to sound like it came through a megaphone.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to flight KALEIDO.
Next station is—
Future.”

And then things got worse.

The spoken line suddenly stuttered and crackled with interference. But this distortion was part of the backing track’s design—electronic noise meant to add style. Or… was it now the sound system breaking down too?

Fang Juexia wasn’t sure. Still, he kept his composure and moved through the choreography cleanly and sharply. Even though he couldn’t hear the music, his steps landed on point. He moved to the front of the formation—it was nearly time for the chorus. As soon as Ling Yi wrapped up, it’d be his turn again.

But the sound system was failing—badly. The music was cutting in and out like a broken cassette tape. The audience was starting to murmur in confusion. Ling Yi kept singing, but his voice was starting to waver. He was losing confidence—Fang Juexia could hear it in his breath.

“Unwilling to fade into mediocrity,
My heart’s pulse,
Fought endlessly to defend this dream.”

Suddenly, their in-ears blared with the director’s panicked shouting—but still no music.

“Cut to the wide shot! What’s the sound team doing!? If it doesn’t work, switch the audio feed!”
“We should cut the stream!”
“Cut the stream?! Are you insane? This is a national live broadcast!”
“Tell the audio engineer to fix it NOW!”

He Ziyan was just about to jump in with a backup rap for Ling Yi when—the music cut out completely.

The audience’s light sticks and glow wands froze midair. Whispers spread rapidly through the crowd. The entire venue was abuzz with confusion—except the stage itself, which had gone silent. And even though it lasted just one second, that single second of dead air could erase all those sleepless nights spent in the practice room.

Everyone thought it was over.

That the group’s big moment had collapsed right there on the stage.

And then—
Fang Juexia’s voice cut through the silence.

“My soul once burned with scorching desire,”

Fang Juexia pulled out his in-ear monitor and gripped the handheld mic they’d brought themselves. Without any backing track, he still executed every move with flawless precision.

“And now, in this moment—it ignites into fire.”

He understood the value of the stage better than anyone else in the world.

Even if everyone else chose to give up, he couldn’t end it like this.

He never had the option to quit—not from the start.

His voice was steady and pitch-perfect. Without the music, the raw purity of his vocals only made his unique tone shine brighter. The sheer power of his voice quickly silenced the crowd’s restlessness and confusion. Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience—not just their own fans, but fans of other groups too.

“Holy shit, that’s live vocals! He’s killing it!”
“That voice is insane!”
“No wonder they all had handheld mics!”

But even so, if he was the only one continuing, this stage wouldn’t last.
Fang Juexia kept his expression calm, every movement precise, every emotion delivered flawlessly—but inside, anxiety churned violently.

He was terrified he was standing there completely alone.

“Say hello to my ego.”

As he spun with the choreography, Fang Juexia was stunned to see Pei Tingsong had also removed his in-ears. He hadn’t expected it. But as soon as Fang’s high note ended, Pei Tingsong had jumped in—rapping right on cue.

In that split second, Pei Tingsong caught his eye and smirked.

That bold, unwavering smile gripped Fang Juexia’s heart like a lifeline. He couldn’t even explain the feeling—like standing on a crumbling suspension bridge and suddenly, someone grabbed his hand and held on tight.

Don’t worry—I’ve got your back.

His heart finally settled.

Right on cue, Ling Yi’s voice joined in. His vocal control and tone were crystal clear, even without accompaniment. The missing music track hadn’t stopped them. Their facial expressions, movement control, the intensity and timing of each step—none of it faltered.

Fans at the edge of the stage sang their hearts out to support them. Sixty or seventy girls somehow created the energy of a crowd of hundreds.

Even just for these kids, they couldn’t give up.

“Ever-changing, that’s who I am—
Unpredictable and free,
A kaleidoscope of dazzling dreams,
Shaping this world of color.”

The razor-sharp choreography in the chorus hit hard, clean and crisp, made even more striking by the fans harmonizing with the lead vocals. The song’s formation was complex and ever-shifting. While their timing and strength were on point, the absence of the backing track still made everything feel slightly off.

Pei Tingsong, now moving to the rear of the formation, took that brief moment to cover the top of his mic with his left palm and signaled to He Ziyan, who was about to start his rap. He Ziyan nodded in understanding.

And right then—
a beat dropped into the sound system.

A strong, driving rhythm, produced by Pei Tingsong’s beatboxing.

The crowd exploded.

That sudden return of rhythm hit like thunder in a clear sky. The chaos of the earlier tech failure, their seamless reaction, and now this incredible show of skill and nerve—it all became rocket fuel for adrenaline. Every heart in the venue surged with that powerful improvised beat.

They didn’t just salvage a disaster.

They turned it into legend.

The boys on stage had gone from tense and rigid to gradually accepting the reality—that this stage wouldn’t be perfect.

And that was okay.
It’s the imperfect moments that hold the biggest surprises.

With Pei Tingsong backing him up, He Ziyan jumped into his rap with full swagger:

“Never once hid my ambition. Don’t care to explain where I’m from.
You can hit the highest notes you want,
But you’ll never top the beat I wrote.”

Ling Yi played right into it, adding a dramatic sound effect and striking a pose with his hands on his hips, demanding:

“What?!”

Everyone was starting to have fun. The fluid, ever-shifting rhythm gave them space to play and improvise.

He Ziyan threw an arm out, blocking Ling Yi with a grin.

“Sorry pal, this lane’s one-way.
Doesn’t matter if you’re down or not—
From now on, you move to my orders,
And your heartbeat? That’s mine to command.”

He spun smoothly and leaned into Jiang Miao, the two of them switching places in sync. He raised his right hand toward the sky.

“Hey baby, remember our name.
This world’s got no surprises left.
The sky, the earth—they’re all boring.
So why not stick around and witness a miracle?”

As his part ended, he joined Pei Tingsong’s beatbox, while the rest of the group launched into the explosive chorus together. The rhythm was tight and powerful, every hit syncing perfectly with Kaleido’s complex group choreo. They moved with sharp precision, eyes naturally finding every camera angle. The performance was going so well, it exceeded the director’s expectations by a mile.

“Group choreo! Camera 4, wide shot—NOW!”
“Camera 1, zoom in—get their faces!”

[We gonna fight! Fight! Fight!
With the face in the mirror
Yes, we’ll fight! Fight! Fight!
Side by side, we’ll never back down!]

The lyrics hit harder than ever—not just your typical high-energy boy group anthem anymore, but now a battle cry born of adversity, filled with fire and defiance.

[Fight! Fight! Fight!]

The repeated chant sounded like war drums, pounding with urgency and strength. Jiang Miao raised his hand to lead the audience in clapping along with the beat.

[Fall into the storm with no regrets]

Ling Yi’s high notes soared effortlessly. He was a high-performance vocalist by nature—his resonance, his natural vocal mix—everything hit clean. Even with only beatboxing behind him, his voice stayed crisp and powerful.

[Fight! Fight! Fight!]

Fang Juexia gripped his mic tight. The two lead vocalists traded high notes on the spot.

“After the storm, you’ll remember me.”

Kaleido wasn’t a well-known group. Most people in the audience had probably never even heard of them. On top of that, they were scheduled after a long lineup of lip-synced performances that had drained the room’s energy. It was nearly 11 PM—a death slot. A massive stage, multiple streaming platforms, a nationwide live broadcast… and now, ear monitors and backing tracks had completely failed.

This was the worst possible setup.

And yet—
this overlooked, under-the-radar little group had just pulled the hell difficulty card… and flipped it.

To everyone’s surprise—especially the jaded, half-checked-out audience—this trainwreck of a situation birthed a miracle.
People no longer saw it as a performance.

The venue had transformed into a wild, electrified live house.
The cheers were deafening, overwhelming even the fans’ coordinated chants.

He Ziyan took over the beatbox, switching it up. The six of them moved in formation to the rhythm, each beat sharp and intentional. Pei Tingsong, one hand in his pocket, swaggered toward the camera through waves of screams. With a raise of his brow, he kicked off his solo with a cocky grin:

“Welcome to the kaleidoscope,
Don’t rush to leave—why be afraid?
This is an auction of value,
And haters?
You don’t even qualify to raise your hand.
Baby, focus on my voice—
All my money rising tall.”

He slid off his gold-rimmed glasses and tucked them into his suit pocket. Then, off-script, he tweaked the lyrics with a smirk:

“I am rich, oh, I am fresh.
Your little bitches love me so.”

Fang Juexia nearly lost his composure at the word “bitches,” but he caught himself just in time. It lasted only a second.

Pei Tingsong’s writing style had always leaned heavily toward Black hip-hop aesthetics. But because of company standards and public image concerns, his lyrics usually had to be revised before official release. That’s why spontaneous lyric swaps were a regular part of his live stages.

It had become a running joke among fans: Kaleido sounded like they swallowed a CD, and Pei was the ultimate mic check.

“China swag, China dope. Watch us turn an audio meltdown into a perfect show.
So-called ‘originals’ ghostwritten all over—
Still proud to lip-sync with that mic, huh?”

They all hit their sharp kick in sync, clean and powerful.
Only Pei Tingsong stood at the very front, yanking at the collar of his shirt with a cocky tilt of his head.

“Fakers? Kicked off my stage with one move.
Please—if you wanna pick a rival, at least aim higher.”

“Next stop—my universe.”
Pei stretched out his right arm, energy relaxed but full of challenge.
“You’ve got one second left to run.”

As he spun around, he locked eyes with Fang Juexia once again.
To his surprise, right before his next part, Fang lifted his hand and slapped Pei’s palm in passing.

A quick, solid clap.
Like a passing of the torch between comrades in battle.

The lead vocal line rose again in the chorus, a soaring three-part harmony that held the entire audience captive.
But this time, after those belted high notes, they didn’t return to the sharp, unified choreo.

Pei Tingsong led the way, walking with swagger and a roguish edge, his steps full of confidence. He scattered the members across the massive stage, inviting the audience to join them:

“We gonna fight! Fight! Fight! Sing it with us!”

“Fight! Fight! Fight!”

The studio exploded.
The crowd—completely swept up in the moment—chanted and clapped in sync with the repeating hook.
What had started as a technical disaster had now transformed into a full-blown concert singalong.

Thousands of light sticks waved wildly—
For the first time, all for them.

They ended the last set of choreo on a high, their final group moves clean and explosive. They spun into their closing formation, holding it steady as the two lead vocals prepared to deliver the final line.

Everyone thought this was the end.

And then—
A crackle.

The backing track, which had vanished the entire performance, suddenly buzzed back in—and began playing the last few seconds of the original instrumental.

And somehow, Kaleido’s final pose landed perfectly on beat.

Even Fang Juexia’s last line—

“Born for passion.”

—landed squarely on the final military drumbeat.

Dead silence.

Then—

The crowd burst into wild cheers, roaring like a tidal wave.
Applause. Shouts. Screams. Chants of their name—Kaleido! Kaleido! Encore! Encore!—over and over, louder and louder, crashing over Fang Juexia’s ragged breaths.

They’d finally made it.

They finally earned the right to have their name shouted with pride.

It all felt like a dream.

A long, glorious, exhausting dream.

“Thank you! Thank you, Kaleido, for that incredible performance! Absolutely electrifying!”

The tension in their bodies finally began to release as the host took over.

All six of them bowed low toward the crowd, holding the pose for a long time—none of them wanting to rise too soon.

Pei Tingsong’s hand was tightly clasped with Fang Juexia’s, their fingers locked like survivors of a miracle.

He didn’t even realize how tightly he was holding on until they finally stood up.

He didn’t know why he felt so overwhelmed—only that this moment felt like the peak of his life.
It was the first time he’d ever truly felt fulfilled by a performance as an idol.

He wanted to hug every one of his teammates.
Especially Fang Juexia.

And just as emotion began flooding his chest,
He heard Fang Juexia whisper softly beside him—so quiet it was almost drowned by the cheers.

 

He turned his head and caught a glimpse—
that face, drenched in sweat, still smiling.
Panting, smiling at him.

“Right now… I really think your lyrics are amazing.”

After the storm, you’ll remember me.

###《Kaleido》

Composer: XXX / XXX / XXX
Lyrics: Pei Tingsong / XXX / XXX
Performer: Kaleido
Final Interpretation Rights: zc

Opening Verse

Jue Xia:
I was never made to obey—survival’s not my chain.
I rewrite the rules, punch through fate’s gate.

Ling Yi:
Life’s an adventure game,
what you win, you gotta pay.

Jiang Miao:
Reality cuts cold and deep,
but our dreams, we keep them fierce and sweet.

Lu Yuan:
I was born for nothing but passion.

(Pei Tingsong – megaphone effect)

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to flight Kaleido,
Next station is…
FUTURE.

1st Chorus

Ling Yi:
I won’t settle for average—
This heart, this beat,
they’ve argued for more with every breath I breathe.

He Ziyan:
(Welcome to my dream.)

Jue Xia:
My soul once burned like fire—
That hunger, that heat, now explodes in this very hour.

Pei Tingsong:
(Say hello to my ego.)

Ling Yi & Jue Xia:
I am the ever-shifting form,
freedom in every storm.

Ling Yi & Jue Xia:
These dreams in technicolor,
built this living kaleidoscope.

Jiang Miao:
Been quiet for too long,
lost—
but who says we have to stay small?
Who says fear gets to rule at all?

Lu Yuan:
From now on, you’re gonna see the real me.

Pei Tingsong:
Ready?

He Ziyan (rap):
I’ve never hidden my ambition, don’t need to explain my origin.
Your highest note can’t touch the heat of my beat you’re singin’.
(Ling Yi: What?!)
Sorry, it’s a one-way lane—like it or not, you’re in my game.
Now follow my command, my voice, your heartbeat—mine to claim.

Hey baby, remember the name,
This world’s too dull, too lame.
Skies and lands got nothin’ to see,
So how about a front row seat—watch a miracle star in me.

He Ziyan (echo):
(We are Kaleido.)

All:
We gonna fight! Fight! Fight!

Lu Yuan:
With the face in the mirror,

All:
Yes we will fight! Fight! Fight!

Jiang Miao:
Never backing down, not when we stand together.

All:
Fight! Fight! Fight!

Ling Yi:
Falling fast, but I’m loving the wind.

All:
Fight! Fight! Fight!

Jue Xia:
After the storm—you will remember me.

Pei Tingsong (rap):
Welcome to the spinning Kaleido scope,
Don’t leave yet—buckle up and hope.
This auction of value—haters ain’t even allowed to vote.

(In English within rap):
Baby focus on my voice,
All my money rising tall,
I am rich, oh I am fresh,
Your little bitches love me so.
China swag, China dope,
This is Chinese heat, Chinese hope,
Sound system breaking? Nah, that’s the perfect show.
“Original” lyrics? Ghostwriters everywhere—
Hot mic in your hand, can you even bear?

Fakers? Kicked out with one swift blow—
Next time, pick real rivals, don’t settle for low.

Next stop: my universe—
You’ve got one second left to run in reverse.

Ling Yi:
I refuse to settle for mediocrity,
Every heartbeat once fought for my identity.

He Ziyan:
(Welcome to my dream.)

Jue Xia:
My soul once burned with wild desire—
Now it explodes into untamed fire.

Pei Tingsong:
(Say hello to my ego.)

Ling Yi & Jue Xia:
Ever-changing, that’s who I am—
Unpredictable, boundlessly unchained.

Ling Yi & Jue Xia:
A dream in full kaleidoscope hue,
This shifting light, we forged it true.

Jiang Miao:
I stayed quiet, held back too long—
No one wants to lose or admit they’re wrong.

Lu Yuan:
From now on, you’ll see the real me.

Pei Tingsong:
Ready!

All:
We gonna fight! Fight! Fight!

Lu Yuan:
With the face in the mirror—

All:
Yes, we’ll fight! Fight! Fight!

Jiang Miao:
Together, we never retreat, never shiver.

All:
Fight! Fight! Fight!

Ling Yi:
I fall through the storm, and feel the thrill—

All (cut off):
Fight! Fight! Fight!

Ling Yi & Jue Xia:
When the storm clears, you’ll remember me still.

Jue Xia:
I don’t survive just ‘cause I must—
I break the rules that trap and rust.

Ling Yi:
I make the rules, I rewrite the game—
I carve my path, set hearts aflame.

Jue Xia:
I was born to love, not to be the same.