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ลำดับตอนที่ #36 : Chapter 34 : Among the Moons
Invisible Moon
Chapter 34
Among the Moons
"Of the many moons in the sky,
which moon would shine the brightest?"
#WINisWIND
I've been focused on my studies recently as I had to prepare for my final exam. I was also alternating my time with the UNISTAR contest workshop under P'Sea's guidance.
P'Sea was a fifth-year medical student. He would be at the ward or operating rooms in the hospital almost every day. P'Sea could only rest during his day off on weekends, but even then he sometimes needed to study. Both P'Sea and P'Leo were very busy with studying, so they had less time to participate in UNISTAR activities. Usually, P'Sea would only join fanmeets or important events, as his free time differed from other members.
P'Sea was my mentor, so I rarely met the other members. I've only met P'Leo during the TV programme he co-hosted with P'Sea, 'Diagnostics with the Medical Moons'. Several episodes of this programme would be pre-recorded per recording session to cover its release for the upcoming weeks, as they were afraid these two would be busy.
Studying as a medical student and working as a UNISTAR idol at the same time wasn't easy for P'Sea. Sometimes, the MW staff needed to come to the hospital to discuss work with P'Sea. They occasionally had to use a nearby place or studio to shoot photos or record interviews because P'Sea was so busy with studying and almost had no free time. If it was just a simple interview, sometimes the hospital would allow them to shoot videos. I salute the MW staff members for putting so much effort to include P'Sea in as many UNISTAR activities as possible. Although the time was limited, the result was still good. P'Sea was such an incredibly talented person with very good time management.
Even though P'Sea was busy, he still took good care of me. When I joined the workshop, a team of MWTV staff were assigned to follow me around to record my progress as I worked with my mentor.
"Hello, I'm Sea. And this is N'Archawin." P'Sea introduced me.
"He is here to learn and practice with me as part of the workshop conducted for the UNISTAR contest. So please feel free to teach and advise him."
I received a warm welcome from all the staff. I stayed in the dressing room with P'Sea as we were briefed about work. If I didn't understand something, P'Sea would help to explain it to me. However, if there was any content that was related to an advertising concept which couldn't be revealed, the cameraman who followed me wouldn't record it. So most of my recordings would only show P'Sea talking to me or teaching me some techniques about modelling.
I thought P'Sea was very professional. He was able to convey emotions through his facial expressions and could act them out perfectly. He only had to try a few times and it would be a perfect take. On the other hand, I was always stuck on emotional expressions. However, I did manage to impress many staff members when they realised I could memorise the scripts with 100% accuracy.
"How was it?" He asked me while we were in his manager's car. After we wrapped up, P'Sea would always send me home.
"It was fun. Thank you krub, P'Sea."
"Good. I'm sorry that my work schedule conflicts with my study hours, so we may not have a chance to meet other UNISTAR members."
P'Sea grinned. He moved his face closer to me, making me nervous.
"So you can't meet N'In often. Are you Sad?"
I blushed when he said that.
"No...I'm not." I had no idea what to answer.
P'Sea moved back and laughed.
"Well, well, this should be fun to watch."
P'Sea murmured, but I heard it.
What? How could he enjoy watching people's life drama so much?
My days as a fading college student seemed so far away now. I was recognised by many students because I was on-air in the UNISTAR Contest TV program. People were constantly asking me for photos, some also wanted to chat with me, especially DomNangnuan, as they wanted to ask about P'Sea. P'Noey was one of them. She usually screamed whenever we met.
The UNISTAR contest workshop became a routine for me. At first, I was both exhausted and excited. Afterwards, I slowly got used to it. As for P'Sea, I started to gain an understanding of his personality the more I saw him. He was sometimes playful, sometimes serious, but he was really friendly and ever willing to give me advice.
However, I've always felt like he had built walls around him. I couldn't be sure whether the P'Sea I had come to know was the real him or not. I realised he was very nice and easy to socialise with, but it was somehow difficult to read his mind. P'Sea was the only UNISTAR member who seemed approachable, but in truth, he was hard to understand. I personally thought that he was even more complicated than P'In.
Recently, I spent most of my time preparing for my final exam and the UNISTAR contest. I didn't have much time to hang out with my friends. I only chat with them via text messaging. I hadn't talked to P'In for a while either. I occasionally saw him at the faculty, but we still didn't talk. I felt a bit lonely, but somehow I could concentrate more on what I had to do.
Once my final exam was over, it was time for the most exciting thing, which was...The UNISTAR Contest.
I couldn't believe that it was finally time for the contest finals. I didn't realise how much time had flown.
I heard that the tickets were sold out within ten minutes. I was lucky to have two additional tickets as a reward for the nine finalists on top of the two that were given to me. I gave the tickets to P'Wun, my mom and dad. I decided to give the last one to Boss. He was hesitant at first, but I told him I wanted him to be there and cheer for me, so he took it. Moreover, P'Neoy and Parn had also successfully bought the tickets. So I had my little support group consisting of family, friends, and seniors. I felt very encouraged.
I had prepared a lot for my performance. P'Sea told me that P'In and P'Wayu wouldn't be allowed to ask me any questions nor to give me any scores as they were also from my university. So, only P'Sea, P'Leo, P'Natee, and PD Kwang who would be asking me questions during my general knowledge performance. I read up on medical facts for P'Leo, design profession for PD Kwang and music for P'Natee.
P'Sea said P'Natee would definitely be more interested in music rather than his major. So without a doubt, most of the questions would be about music. P'Sea even said that P'Natee might not even have learned anything from his engineering classes.
Mr. Chana said that my talent would be less exciting compared to others, as the audience wouldn't be surprised anymore. But he offered me some ideas on how to make it more interesting. He told me that I could add more details to my answers to show that I had a deeper understanding of the topics or subject matter. He also said that I could add a time limit of 10 seconds to answer just to spice it up.
Most of the universities were already having their semester break on the day of the contest. I gathered with the rest of the candidates in the gigantic hall for rehearsals. The venue was like last years' and an estimated ten thousand people would be in the audience during the show.
I've already spent a lot of time practising and getting ready for the contest day. I just came early in the morning to be prepared. I could see fans waiting outside the halls. Even those who were unable to buy tickets came. They were just happy to experience the atmosphere of the contest. MWTV also provided a big screen to let them watch the contest live from outside.
My parents drove us here. P'Wun prepared the huge light sign for me and said that I should be able to see them from the stage.
Once I got to the dressing room, most candidates were already there.
"Hi Win! Are you excited?" Oat greeted me.
"Yes. Very. I can't believe how fast time flew." I said.
"Yeah, me too! I can't wait to see who will win. We've been together for a few months, and soon one of us will debut as an idol."
"Yes. It seems unbelievable." I nodded.
Oat and I sat together, and the stylists came over to help us with our hair and makeup. I heard that the UNISTAR members had arrived, but they were in another dressing room. They wouldn't be able to come and see us, as they would be occupied with interviews with various journalists.
"If we become a UNISTAR, we will be super busy. Even as candidates, we're already so busy." Oat said and I agreed.
After we finished dressing up. We rehearsed on the real stage thrice before the staff allowed us to prepare for our own performances. We had a lunch break and I memorised all the notes for my general knowledge performance.
"Win...the audience is starting to fill the hall." Oat informed me.
"Oh! Great!" I got excited and wanted to take a peek at the audience myself. It was my first time joining a big UNISTAR event. Numerous fans were seated and they were holding various colours of light sticks belonging to each fandom; white, yellow, blue, purple and grey. I saw the 'WIN must WIN' and 'WIND MOON' signs, which was obviously from P'Wun.
I also saw other cheering signs for the rest of the candidates but those still couldn't be compared to the ones for UNISTAR members. Based on what I'm seeing, I think Sun, who was already popular, came rather close.
"Greetings all Unity! Welcome to the National Moon Final Stage — UNISTAR Contest: the fifth generation!"
The male host appeared and was welcomed by the overwhelming cheer from the audience. If I wasn't mistaken, he was the second runner-up of the third generation UNISTAR contest, the same year as P'In. He was now active as a famous MC.
"Such a warm welcome from all the fans. Make some noise...!" The host was leading the crowd to cheer out loud for their favourites.
"Today is another historic date for all Unity! Everyone in here and watching the live channel will be welcoming a new member to the UNISTAR project together tonight....Who will be the winner? Of course, the result depends on you..."
The staff prompted us to standby on a lowered stage lift. This area of the stage would lift us straight to the centre of the stage, directly under the spotlight.
"The judgment score of this final contest would be divided into three parts — 20% from the producer, 30% from UNISTAR members and 50% from the audience, which will hold the largest weightage."
"Online voting is still open. Normally, each account can only vote once a day, except for those who are registered as Unity, getting double the chance to vote. Even though you've already voted today, you will gain 2 additional votes at the end of the question and answer session."
"Which means, no matter what the current vote looks like now, the performance on the stage today can still overturn the final result. And without further ado, please welcome...our finalists!"
Once the host cued us in, the hydraulic lift lifted us and all nine of us appeared at the centre of the stage.
As rehearsed, we then started to walk around the stage to greet the fans. I was very nervous, but when I saw P'Wun cheering from the special zone, I couldn't help but smile and felt so encouraged. P'Wun was shouting 'Win fighting!' so loudly I could hear from here.
After we finished our part, it was time for the judging panel to appear.
"And next...please welcome...all the judges..."
This announcement immediately triggered a roar of cheering from the audience.
"Our first judge, the backbone of our UNISTAR project...Producer Nattakorn, or as we all know him — PD Kwang!"
PD Kwang walked in from one side of the stage. The audience cheered for him. Evidently, even the PD had his own fans.
"And now, please welcome...The UNISTAR members!"
Here it goes — the real screaming from the audience.
P'Sea, P'Leo, P'In, P'Natee and P'Wayu then entered from the other side of the stage, wearing their UNISTAR uniforms. They stopped in the middle of the hall and sat on the seats prepared for the judging panel. All members were styled with perfect hair and makeup, they looked as if they were glowing.
I glanced at P'In. Probably because I hadn't seen him in so long, but he looked thinner than before. I was worried. Was he too busy to take care of his own diet?
Our eyes met. His expression was strange. Normally, he was always emotionless, but today he looked so gloomy. I wondered if something was bothering him.
All the candidates then went backstage. The next part was the presentation of our short introduction video and talent performance. We were given 5 minutes each to perform.
My queue was in the middle, while Oat and Sun were the very last ones.
I was waiting, feeling both nervous and panicked. All the candidates would be performing the same type of performances they did during their University's Moon contest. And most of their performances were singing, dancing, or martial arts.
Until it was my turn...
"Hello everyone! My name is Archawin. I'm the Wind Moon..."
I was startled when I realised that my video was being played.
In this video, I talked about myself, my life and my studies. The MW staff had recorded it at my university.
"I used to be a fading person. Before, I was barely noticeable. The security guard always ignored me. Even the cashier couldn't see me..."
The audience laughed at my story.
"But my life changed, because I met so many good friends and seniors and I got the opportunity to become the University Moon, and now I'm here, at the UNISTAR contest."
Then, the video cut to scenes where I participated in the events and activities during the workshop of the UNISTAR contest.
"I wish to be the Wind Moon, because I feel that the wind would blow away the mist and clouds, allowing the light to shine through on a bright future. I want to be an inspiration for everyone to pursue their dreams. If even a fading person like me has the chance of becoming the Moon, I believe that anything is possible. I'd like to pass my aspirations to everyone. To encourage them to keep fighting for their dreams and never give up!"
When the video ended, the host invited me to the stage.
"Please welcome N'Archawin Deshsakul, XU Moon. And today, he will perform a 'general knowledge' performance."
"Three judges, PD Kwang, Leo and Natee, will be asking him various questions. N'Archawin will have 10 seconds to answer each question. After a judge asks a question, they will press the button on the table to start the timer."
The audience applauded as I walked to the stage.
"Sawaddee krub. I'm Archawin from XU University. I'd like to present my general knowledge as a special talent performance. The judges can ask me any general questions about any topic. I'll answer each question within 10 seconds."
I delivered the script I had practised more than ten times. I was very nervous. This stage was way bigger than the one I stood on during the University Moon contest. My heart was beating so fast due to both excitement and nervousness.
"Let me start first..." P'Leo said, with the cheering from DomPrince — his fan club.
"Which type of diet influences a good balance for our health?"
After he had asked, the countdown started. I recalled all the knowledge in my head and I remembered him mentioning this topic on his TV program 'Diagnostics with the Medical Moons'.
"Macrobiotic diet," I answered and added more details.
"Macrobiotic is a word of Greek origin. Macro means big, and bios means life. The Macrobiotic diet uses organic ingredients to cook and avoids using processed food and equipment, such as a microwave, that could cause harm to the body. The diet is based on whole grains, local vegetables, beans and others. The key is to maintain the original taste by not adding any seasoning. This diet can help us stay healthy as well as strengthen our immune system."
I spoke for too long, and almost didn't even breathe. Some of the audience applauded me. As Mr. Chana said, my performance wouldn't be attractive the second time, but I could still prove I had deeper knowledge on certain matters.
P'Leo asked some more questions, mostly related to health care, which I managed to answer without a hitch. Then, it was P'Natee's turn, and his method of asking was a bit unique.
"What's the name of this song...?" He said and hummed a melody without its lyrics.
I was stunned for a few seconds and then I answered him. I didn't listen to much music, but luckily for me, P'Natee only chose famous Thai songs, so I managed to recognise them. And if I knew more about the singer or composer, I would also include them in my answer.
"What's a Human-Centered Design?" It was PD Kwang's turn to ask.
"Human-Centered Design is the method of design which focuses on human need. All products and services are designed to solve problems by adding human perspective into the equation..."
PD Kwang nodded and continued asking.
"Do you think the UNISTAR project has also applied this method?"
His question tested my understanding of the subject instead of what I memorised. So I took a few seconds to think. Fortunately, Mr. Chana had already covered marketing analysis in class and he often used the UNISTAR project as a case study.
"Since the UNISTAR project prioritises the fans and develops products based on fans' feedback. I think this method is applied to the project. The selling point of the UNISTAR project is 'Experience Design' by creating the brand, event and products to meet the fans' needs, and provide them with a unique experience. The UNISTAR project isn't just selling an idol or brand, but it's also selling customer experience."
"Excellent understanding." PD Kwang nodded.
Then, P'Leo and P'Natee also added a few more questions until the time was up. I felt so relieved that I could answer all the questions smoothly.
Next was Oat's performance. He performed a drum solo with a complex and fast song. He also swung and threw the sticks up in the air to show his skills. Such perfect rhythm and amazing technique. His performance was simply brilliant.
The show went on until it reached the last performance, which was Sun's. He was the only person who didn't even come to practice with us. So I had no idea what he had prepared.
"Please welcome N'Suriyaphat Leng, XYU Moon. He will be performing 24K Magic by Bruno Mars."
Just hearing his name, the audience screamed loudly. Then, the lights on the stage faded before the music started playing.
...Tonight
I just want to take you higher...
He just started singing, but the fans were already ecstatic.
...Throw your hands up in the sky
Let's set this party off right...
Then, Sun appeared in the centre of the stage under the spotlight. He wore a suit with a headset — absolutely like an idol.
...Players only, come on
Put your pinky rings up to the moon...
The song he was singing was an international song called '24K Magic' by Bruno Mars. But Sun had apparently rearranged the song to sound like a dance number. The way he danced and sang was really eye-catching. His style, acting, rhythm, emotion, expression, and audience engagement were all in harmony and powerful. I couldn't even take my eyes off him.
...Girls, what y'all trying to do?
24 karat magic in the air
Head to toe soul player
Uh, look out!...
Not only was he incredible at dancing and singing. He had also made good use of the stage's backdrop LED screen. Since all the contest performances must be solo, he couldn't invite any other dancers. So, he utilised the LED screen to project dancing silhouettes. He ensured that the silhouette matched his dance moves to create the desired effect.
It was an absolutely marvellous and creative performance.
"I heard he choreographed the dance and rearranged the song on his own. He also designed the graphics he used." Oat said.
I felt so amazed. He was such a capably talented person.
His show was only three minutes long, but those three minutes were magical. Even the UNISTAR members seemed to have their eyes glued on his performance.
I didn't know much about his personality, whether it was good or bad. However, I must admit that his looks and talents were real. He was absolutely born to be an idol.
The crowd was still hyped up when his performance came to an end. There were echoes of 'encore!' from the audience, but unfortunately, there was no extension. Once this performance video was published online, the views would definitely hit a million in a week. Viewers would definitely not stop at a single view for such an exciting performance.
I was concerned. There's a high chance that Sun would win this year's UNISTAR contest. His performance had single-handedly outshined the rest of the performances tonight.
"That concludes the performances from all 9 finalists. How were they? Amazing, right?"
"And the next part will be the interview session. Very exciting, isn't it?"
"Each candidate will step on the stage and randomly pick the name of the judge who will ask them their interview questions. If the candidate happens to pick a judge who came from the same university, the candidate would need to pick another name. The PD and UNISTAR members can ask any questions as part of the evaluation to select the new UNISTAR member, and your answer will affect their judgment."
"Each candidate will have 5 minutes each."
The contest prepared a lottery jar for the candidates. Oat was the first one up for this round. He walked up to the stage and picked a name from the jar — the name of the judge who would ask him the fateful question.
"P'Sea krub." Oat read the name. Along with the cheering from DomNangnuan.
P'Sea asked him a basic question; 'Why do you want to be a UNISTAR?' Oat said because he enjoyed playing music, he wanted to play music for everyone. So P'Sea continued to ask.
"Then you can just be a musician. Why do you think being a UNISTAR is better?" P'Sea was very strict. Even Oat was a bit stunned.
"Because I like the UNISTAR project. UNISTAR is more than just an idol project. It can be an inspiration for young people. And we can do so many things for our society. If I'm a musician, I can only play music. But if I'm a UNISTAR, I can do much more."
He answered quite well. P'Sea asked more about what he planned to do as a UNISTAR member, and Oat gave him a pretty good answer.
After Oat was done, other candidates went up the stage, one by one. It wasn't my turn yet. Those who got P'Sea's or P'Kwang's name were asked very difficult questions. They had to think a lot, and couldn't just give a neutral answer.
If the candidates got P'In's or P'Natee's name, it was quite easy. Because P'In and P'Natee didn't seem as concerned as P'Sea or P'Kwang, so they only asked basic questions such as 'what do you want to do as a UNISTAR?', 'why do you think you are suited to become a UNISTAR?', 'what is the strongest point of the UNISTAR project?' or 'do you have any ideas on how to improve the UNISTAR project?'. Sun had also picked P'Natee, so his questions weren't that difficult.
For P'Wayu, well, at least he didn't make any lame jokes. However, he did still go off topic, asking things like 'which brand do you want to represent?', or 'have you ever watched this advertisement from UNISTAR? Do you like it?'
However, no one could be as epic as P'Leo. Even during last year's contest, whoever got P'Leo's name must prepare their hearts to give up and go home. Because he didn't ask general questions. Instead, it was more like a psychological question. Seemingly, he wanted to test the candidates to see how they would answer under pressure. I had a feeling that P'Leo had researched all candidates' backgrounds.
During the contest, there were two candidates who got P'Leo's name. P'Leo asked one candidate about how his parents didn't agree for him to become an idol, and how he would solve the issue if he came out as the winner tonight. That guy said he would prove his parents wrong with his success. However, P'Leo kept asking what if his parents still wouldn't acknowledge it? Was there any guarantee that his personal problem wouldn't trouble other members and staff? And that candidate almost cried on the stage as a result.
Another candidate was even worse. P'Leo just directly brought up the fact that he used to bully a classmate during middle school and even caused that classmate to be admitted to the hospital. P'Leo asked him "why do we need to accept someone like you in the UNISTAR project?" Consequently, that candidate just stood frozen without saying a word until time was up. I figured he received zero points for the interview part.
Once all the other candidates were done with their interviews, it was now my turn.
"And now for the last candidate, please welcome Archawin Deshsakul, XU Moon!"
I took a deep breath and walked up to the stage. I would need to pick the name of the judge who would ask me my question.
I held my breath and picked a name. Who would it be?
'Please not P'Leo...not P'Leo'
I begged. It was too scary. Even if I got P'Sea or PD Kwang, it would still be better. I wouldn't mind being asked a very difficult one, but I didn't want to face a psychological question from P'Leo.
Nevertheless, the name in my hand was...
'Leo UNISTAR'
"It's P'Leo." I said.
'Oh no, I'm done. Why am I so unlucky?' I cried in my heart.
"Hello, N'Archawin. Are you ready?" P'Leo spoke through the microphone. And other judges' microphones were turned off, in order not to interrupt or help the candidate.
"I'm ready." I nodded.
The timer was started.
"First, I'd like to tell you not to think too much about what I'm going to ask. It's only a test, just like the other candidates."
I felt myself sweating as he said that.
"I saw your introduction video. You said you wanted to be a UNISTAR because you wanted to be an inspiration for people..."
He paused for a while and continued with a serious tone.
"Really? Is that the real reason? Or..."
P'Leo looked curious.
"Or do you just want to be a UNISTAR because you want to be with N'In?"
I was so shocked. The audience broke into noisy murmurs. Even PD Kwang and other UNISTAR members looked at him in surprise. P'In as well.
No one expected P'Leo to ask this sort of question. The question should be cleared since MW had given the public interview.
"Tell me. Since I asked you directly, I hope you'll be honest."
P'Leo said with a smile. His smile implied so many things.
He had already told me that it was just a test. I quickly got a hold of myself.
Right. It was just an evaluation question for the UNISTAR contest.
Although I didn't understand why he asked this, I knew that my answer would determine whether I could be a UNISTAR or not.
There was no right or wrong answer, it just depended on how the judging panel would judge it.
I had no idea what kind of answer P'Leo was expecting from me.
As for me, I thought deeply.
'What is my answer?'
☽------------☽
Translator's Note:
Finally! A new chapter after a month~
Thank you for being patient with our updates. We'll try to work harder to share the final few chapters as fast as we can!
In case you missed my announcement post, we recently welcomed a new translation editor to our team last month! (^_^)/ We're excited about this addition because it'll help us deliver a better reading experience for you~
Apart from editing the new chapters, we've also started reworking all previous chapters. It's taking a little longer than our initial target to re-edit all the chapters due to our real-life commitments, but we're trying our best to release them as soon as possible. Together with this chapter (Chapter 34), we've also updated chapters 0 - 10 with the re-edited version (for anyone interested to reread them)! ^_^
We'll keep you posted on all future releases via announcement posts & twitter, so you can follow us for our latest updates. Please look forward to our final chapters (and the 9 extras too). See you in the next one!
LOVE~ // Team
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