The next day, Nian and Xuanye woke up at 6 a.m., excited and determined to reach the concert venue — even though they didn't have tickets.
When they arrived, both of them stood frozen, jaws dropping in shock.
"We thought we were early…" Nian muttered.
The entire street was packed with Carats lined up like a never-ending sea.
Xuanye turned to Nian slowly, eyes wide.
"We should've come last night. No, wait—we should've brought dinner, a blanket, and just slept here."
Nian groaned.
"You're right. What were we thinking?"
Xuanye added dramatically,
"Actually, we shouldn't have attended class yesterday. That was our real mistake!"
Nian gave her a light slap on the arm.
"I was just being realistic — but you? Are you auditioning for an Oscar or what?"
She sighed.
"Also, let's not forget… we don't even have tickets. So maybe act normal?"
Xuanye nodded and asked,
"Then what should we do now?"
"We wait. Once the crowd clears, we'll figure out our next move."
---
An hour passed. The lines began to thin out, and they slowly strolled around the venue. Banners of SEVENTEEN were everywhere — colorful, bright, and full of energy.
Then they spotted a merch stand full of SEVENTEEN plushies.
Nian immediately grabbed Xuanye's arm.
"We're going there. Now."
Each plushie was cuter than the last. Nian melted the second she saw DK's plushie. She picked it up, hugged it tightly, and pampered it like a baby.
Meanwhile, Xuanye stood in front of the stand, overwhelmed.
"I don't know what to pick... I want all of them," she whispered.
She turned to the shopkeeper, eyes shining.
"Ma'am, can I get one of each?"
The shopkeeper chuckled and nodded.
Nian looked at her in disbelief.
"Do you even have the money for that?"
Xuanye proudly opened her purse and flashed a thick wad of cash.
Nian's jaw dropped.
"Where did you get that?"
"I saved it!" Xuanye beamed.
"Every time my parents gave me money, I didn't spend it. Not on food, not on clothes, not even on makeup."
Nian raised a brow.
"Ahhh~ so that's why you didn't buy anything for months. I thought you finally came to your senses — turns out, you were on a SEVENTEEN savings plan."
The shopkeeper laughed softly at their exchange.
Xuanye smacked Nian's arm playfully, handed over the money, and walked away with a bag full of plushies.
---
They continued exploring. There were photo booths, banners, and standees of the members — Carats were taking selfies with everything.
By 9 a.m., the ticket holders were allowed into the venue. Within an hour, the area outside became quiet.
Nian and Xuanye stood alone near the entrance.
A security guard approached them.
"Why haven't you two gone in?"
They replied honestly,
"We don't have tickets, sir. We just came to enjoy the atmosphere."
He nodded kindly.
"Alright. Just make sure to leave after walking around."
---
The concert started at 11 a.m.
Carats inside the venue screamed with joy. Nian and Xuanye turned toward the sound, listening closely, their hearts pounding.
They took out their phones to record the muffled audio.
SEVENTEEN was talking to the crowd — and then the music hit.
The intro to HOT started playing. The crowd inside went wild.
Nian gasped and started tapping Xuanye's hand.
"They're singing HOT! They're really singing HOT!"
Xuanye was bouncing in place.
Nian started to dance and did the hook step for HOT, and when The8 sang, Nian and Xuanye hugged each other and jumped happily.
They sang along from outside the gate — voices soft but hearts loud.
They heard April Shower, Spell, Thunder, Aju Nice, Maestro, and Mansae.
But when SEVENTEEN sang THUNDER, they both lost it.
When Vernon's part came, Nian was vibing with him. And when "Alo...Alo T.H.U.N.D.E.R" hit, Scoups and Hoshi's parts made them go feral.
And Aju Nice? No words.
When Boo sang the high notes, they were lost in him.
Nian turned to Xuanye with wide eyes.
"It's like they read our playlist."
Xuanye nodded, her eyes shining. They were melting in happiness, even if they couldn't see the stage.
Nian suddenly pulled something from her bag.
"What's that?" Xuanye asked.
Nian stretched it out — a small foldable chair.
Xuanye gasped.
"I'm proud of you, my child. That's brilliant."
They both sat down, listening peacefully, feeling every beat, every note.
---
At 4 p.m., the concert ended.
The crowd poured out of the venue, full of laughter, tears, and joy.
Nian watched them, a soft sadness in her eyes.
"Xuanye… we missed it."
Xuanye gently patted her shoulder.
"But we heard it, Nian. We felt it. Even if we didn't see them, it was still beautiful."
Nian gave a small smile, but her eyes drifted to the ground.
Xuanye leaned closer.
"I know why you're sad. You didn't get to see DK, did you?"
Nian nodded slowly.
Just then, a scream echoed through the crowd.
They turned quickly — the Carats had started shouting again.
SEVENTEEN's vans were passing by, the members waving from inside.
"Nian~!! LOOK!" Xuanye squealed, waving like crazy.
"It's them!"
The cars rolled past slowly, each member smiling and waving at fans.
Xuanye jumped excitedly, waving her Hoshi plushie with both hands.
Then… DK's car passed.
Nian's eyes locked onto him — and in that second, he looked back.
He waved gently, his smile as bright as sunlight. His eyes sparkled with energy.
Nian froze.
She couldn't breathe.
He waved... at her.
The car passed, and the moment was gone — but Nian stayed rooted in place.
Xuanye, still hugging her Hoshi plushie, turned around and saw her.
"Nian?" she called.
No response.
"Nian!" she said again.
Still nothing.
She walked up, smacked her lightly on the head.
"What happened to you?"
Nian blinked, slowly turning.
"Xuanye… he waved at me."
"Who? DK?"
Nian nodded like a child, tapping Xuanye's arm over and over.
"He smiled at me. I saw him. He looked right at me!"
Xuanye winced.
"Stop tapping me. That hurts!"
Nian gasped.
"It hurts? I'm so sorry!"
Xuanye shot her a look.
"No no — it's sweet pain, clearly."
Nian gave her a pout.
"Don't joke!"
Xuanye crossed her arms.
"Who's joking? Hoshi waved too, but you don't see me going crazy saying he looked into my soul. They're idols, Nian. They wave and smile when they see fans — that's what they do. Don't start dreaming."
Nian didn't respond.
She looked down at her DK plushie... and gently rubbed its cheeks with a wide, glowing smile.