The night sky was draped in clouds that drifted gently around the bright full moon. Its luminance was comforting, almost as if it was watching over someone.
Aiden pulled his coat tighter around himself. Winter was nearly over, but the chill still lingered.
He sat on a familiar bench just outside the stadium, a bench tied to a certain memory. He didn't have to come tonight, but something about being here , even if he couldn't go inside, felt right. Like a truest fan's quiet duty.
He stood and took a few steps forward. All he could see were bright, colorful lights spilling out from the stadium, accompanied by muffled voices and cheers. The sound wasn't clear, but it was enough. Enough to sing along. Enough to feel connected. Around him stood a few other fans, just like him, united by love and distance. This was all they could afford.
The feeling of not being able to attend your favorite group's concert, it stings. But standing outside the venue, separated by a barrier… maybe, just maybe, that alone is enough for someone like Aiden.
He turned his gaze upward, finally meeting the full moon that had been quietly watching him all this time.
He sighed.
"I'll stay here until I feel okay," he muttered, voice soft and bittersweet, then sat back down on the bench.
Inside the stadium, awe lingered in the air. The performance by the maknae line, Nari and Mirae left an emotional impact on every Lunar in attendance. No one saw it coming, and yet, anyone who knew LUNAE well enough wasn't surprised. They never disappoint.
The finale was near. The anticipation was building, but with it came a quiet sadness. No one wanted this night to end.
Backstage, the energy was completely different, intense, focused, and rushing with purpose.
"Is everything ready?" the director asked quickly.
"Yes, director. Everything's set."
Without missing a beat, he turned to the members. "Positions, now! Let's finish strong so I can finally go home," he joked, trying to ease the tension. The members laughed, all except Minji.
She was lost in thought.
Yuna noticed immediately and pinched her cheek. "Hey. Focus. You're the leader. Don't set a bad example."
Minji blinked and finally snapped back. "Sorry," she said with a bow.
But then, like a switch, she became the Minji everyone relied on. Confident. Steady. The leader.
She turned to her members and smiled. "This is the finale, everyone. Let's break a leg."
The arena went completely dark. All background music faded. The only thing left was the deafening silence of anticipation, and the collective energy of thousands of Lunars.
This was it. The moment every concert lives or dies by. The finale.
A beat later, a melody began, and the crowd erupted.
Every Lunar knew it from the first note. LUNAE's most popular song. A song about friendship, youth, and the idea that even if you're alone, LUNAE can be your group of friends too.
Smoke burst from the stage. A platform lifted from the far left side. Rising with it was Yuna, dressed in an ethereal blue outfit with silver-dyed hair that glowed under the moonlike stage lights.
"Running through the city lights, chasing stars in open skies," she sang with effortless clarity. "Midnight laughs and 2AM dreams, time is ours tonight."
Another explosion of smoke. Another platform rising from the right side. Sera emerged, mirroring Yuna's look with a style of her own.
"Holding onto every smile, like polaroids that never fade…" "We're a mess but we're alive, and that's okay." She smiled as she sang.
The crowd went wild.
From the inner left, another lift. Mirae. Same concept. Same sparkle in her presence.
"Hands held out, we pulled each other…" "Out from shadows into color."
Then from the inner right, another lift. Nari, graceful and calm.
"Even on my quiet days…" "You always stayed."
Their voices were pure, their harmony like velvet. The four girls stood in position — but there was still one missing.
Minji.
The music halted.
All four closed their eyes and placed one hand over their hearts.
The lights shifted to deep, ocean blue like the night sky. The cameras panned to the center of the stage. The big screen projected the empty space where everyone knew she would appear.
The crowd held its breath.
Then, a final platform began to rise.
Minji.
Her silhouette emerged slowly from the center.
Silver-white hair flowed gently in the wind.Blue contact lenses caught the reflection of the stage lights.Her outfit , regal and moonlit, shimmered with every movement.The winds howled softly, like the night was singing just for her.
She was dazzling.
The crowd didn't scream. They couldn't. It wasn't silence out of obedience, it was reverence. As if they were witnessing a celestial being descend.
A goddess.
Later, many would describe the moment as love at first sight.
Minji opened her arms as if to embrace the entire arena. That alone shattered the silence.
The crowd roared.
She smiled out of bitterness.
"They really love me," she thought.
But deep down, she also felt it, a sting of sadness. Her life felt predestined. A straight line from trainee to idol. No detours. No moments to pause and live. People loved her… but she didn't know if she loved herself.
Still, she raised the mic.
"You can be with us, when it gets too much…" "Like stars above, we'll light you up."
Her voice soared.
The voice of Minji is spectacle. This concept suits her voice the best and every lunar on stadium is there to witness it.
The vocals
The visuals
The blinding lights
The cheers
The staffs working behind the scene
The emotion
Everything is perfect, working in a perfect harmony, this is what you can call a great concert. Emotion surges in to every single one in the stadium.
Idols
Lunars
Staffs
Director
Fans outside
In that moment, under the night sky lit by a full, glowing moon and scattered stars, they became one, idols and fans alike. It felt like paradise.
And if there's one thing certain,
this a perfect ending to a perfect concert.