THE ZOO [FF NCT AESPA]
Part 7's

The bright atmosphere of summer the turn from spring is felt in the Dongdaemun area. Cherry flowers have been seen falling and changing into green leaves. The outer area of the region was filled with young couples who were spending time together. Sehun looked at every couple walking past in front of him. Kai sometimes nudges Sehun's arm to keep him focused on their activities today.

Taeil's done connecting the mic with the speakers. Today, Kai, Taeil and Sehun are busking in the crowd of Dongdaemun region. Taeil plays guitar and sings, Sehun plays guitar, and Kai sits on a kajon. Lately, busking activities on weekends they often do. Taeil opened his guitar bag wide and placed it in front of them as a money shelter.

Taeil began to sing, the interested visitors, began to stand quietly in front of them while occasionally someone recorded the actions of the three of them. Sehun can clearly see the visitors putting his money into Taeil's guitar bag. Sehun could not help but smile happily, he just lowered his grateful head as he exchanged glances with the money giver.

PLOK PLOK….

“Wooh!”

The sound of applause and exclamations rang out as Taeil finished singing his first song. Taeil looks down to thank you and starts greeting visitors who choose to stay in place and wait for the three of them to perform the next song.

That's the activity of the three 3rd graders on the weekend. They decide to do busking together to raise funds so they can go to Paju to take part in the final match of the high school band race. In addition, their weekend is not only spent on busking, but when it is late afternoon, they will go to the city library to study with Taeil who became their mentor of course. Like the promise they made to Wendy and the school, they try to raise their scores so that the band club is not closed and the school again participates in every activity that the band club does.

...****************...

The day changed, did not feel the race that the band would follow was in sight. The distance between Seoul City and Paju City which is quite far will take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Today's trip is certainly different from previous band club trips. Usually on the day of the race, all the band members will gather at the school to meet some teachers who took them off. The school also provides a mini bus complete with a driver. Kim Ssaem, the band's club's coach, has always been faithful in their travels. The carefree atmosphere inside the mini bus is always reflected in their memories.

But now, they have spent extra energy to rent a car with a driver who will take them to Paju City. Unbeknownst to the 2nd class members, Kai, Taeil and Sehun manage to raise funds to travel today through busking that they do on weekends. The six band members also did not gather at the school as they did before, the six decided to gather at the bus stop they had promised the driver. Taeyoung and Kai bring the band's club guitar, while Kun, Sehun and Hansol will use the event's keyboard, bass and drums.

Hansol's large tall body required him to sit in the front. After greeting the driver politely, they sat sweetly in the car with Taeyoung and Kai having to keep hugging their guitar the whole way, because the car does not have enough space to lay the two guitars. The trip to Paju City today was quite quiet, unlike when they went by the school mini bus, which was a quiet one, they only chatted regularly while occasionally staring at the view of summer that was reaching its peak in August.

Before long, they finally arrived at a big event that was always held every year. ‘Gyeonggi-do Senior High School Band Festival’, such is the writing on the banner installed at the gate. Sehun walked ahead while sweeping the view on the vast expanse of grass at the end of the path they passed. This year's festival is also held in the outdoor in one of the green hills in the city of Paju which is quite famous.

“We are contestants, we are from Seo Seoul High School, Seoul,” Sehun said when a committee stopped him to see tickets that should have been booked through the internet.

“Oh,” the man looks surprised. He then took a ticket bracelet for then he pasangkan one by one to all the band members. “kakan us first photo yes,” the door after being approached by another committee carrying a polaroid camera.

“Oh, ne. good,” replied Sehun.

The six of them immediately arranged a line to take a picture in front of the gate. Sehun, Kai, Taeil, Taeyoung, Kun and Hansol stood parallel while in style with their fists brandishing their excited marks at today's race. It is not just one camera that takes pictures of them. Two other pantia came along with a DSLR camera which they also used to document one of the participants in front of him.

“Please,” a committee gives the results of his polaroid camera shots. “for you,” he said.

Taeyoung received the photo with both hands while slightly bowing her body. “Gamsahamnida,” said. Instantly the six of them saw the results of the Polaroid camera shots that were getting clearer and clearer. Not to forget they also read the writing that the committee wrote on the polaroid photo sheet. “At Paju, Summer Band Festival,” read Taeyoung slowly.

Taeyoung then listened carefully to the direction of the festival committee. He asked Taeyoung's band to walk through the path and immediately headed backstage and occupied a table bearing their school name. As a vocalist of the band, the committee will also attach stickers bearing the sequence number and school name on Taeil's clothes so that the judges and the audience will be able to easily recognize them.

“Fuuuhhh... fuuuhhh...” Kun was still pacing back and forth, while the five friends were already seen sitting sweetly on the chairs surrounding the rectangular table. Kun continued to swipe his hands while occasionally adjusting his breathing that was coming in and out through his mouth.

Taeyoung took out the drink he had brought from the beginning of the journey. He shared it with his six friends who looked nervous. “Kun ah,” Taeyoung looks back because Kun is standing and walking back and forth behind him. “drink first,”

“Oh, gomawo.” Kun grabbed the bottle from Taeyoung's hand. Immediately, he gulped down water in it. “Aaaah..I was nervous once,” he said honestly.

“O. Me too, hehe,” Kai said with an awkward laugh.

Mata Sehun glanced back and forth watching the other tables containing their competitors. “Hya, many participants who came from music school,” whispered Sehun by leaning forward.

Suddenly, Sehun's friends looked around. True to what he said, almost all of the participants who advanced to the final round came from music schools, while they, they were, he comes from a school with a mixed major that even only has two members who come from music majors in their band, namely Taeil and Kun. That fact makes them a little discouraged, because usually in music schools, besides they are trained to play music, they are taught about the appearance of the stage and how to attract the audience by conveying feelings through their appearance. As for them, even the two months of training they could not do with the maximum because they also had to focus on learning and practicing the band without direction from Kim Ssaem.

“Ey, done.” Taeil said casually while leaning his back.

From backstage, the sound of the MC opening the event was accompanied by enthusiastic shouts from festival goers. Kun firmer and calmed his breath and tried to calm down, Taeil occasionally came to calm Kun who complained because his palms did not stop sweating. He was afraid that it would affect him in his keyboard game later.

Taeyoung's band has the number 5 sequence to perform on stage. Each participant will perform two songs that must be performed live. The sound of the audience still excited in the heat of this summer made Taeyoung more excited, in contrast to Kun, he felt more excited when he heard the crowded cheers from the audience.

Finally the awaited time arrived, the two festival MCs called out the name of their school. Taeyoung and the six band members then gathered their helping hands in the middle and stood in a circle.

“Hwaiting!” exclaim them excitedly before they walk down the back stage area and finally arrive on stage.

The six of them stood in their respective positions. Taeil as the vocalist who stood at the very front, greeted the audience with his high voice. He could clearly see the 3 judges sitting at the very front with the audience standing behind them.

“Woooo!!”

The sound of exclamations and applause welcomed Taeil's greeting. All the band members smiled and sometimes blushed embarrassed to see the attention that was fixed on them. Hansol begins drumming signs Seo Seoul High School's band's show is starting. Today they covered Ft's pop-rock song. Island is titled ‘I Hope’ and followed by a second song, they chose a song that makes audiences of all ages sing, namely a song from Kim Jong Kook entitled ‘Loveable’.

Taeil gets more excited about singing when he sees the audience singing and even dancing small to follow the strains of songs he performs. The applause and cheers of the audience also still sounded crowded even though the band from Seo Seoul High School had finished performing both songs of their choice.

The six of them returned backstage with smiles still engraved on the faces of each member. Unceasingly they discussed the audience that they did not expect would welcome them this well. The reaction of the judges was far different from the audience because they had to seriously observe the music game of each member, but without the burden of winning the race, Taeyoung and the members were already quite satisfied with their performance today.

I don't think the time the band's judging starts. All participants were asked to stand backstage to hear the MC mention the first, second and third winners. Like other participants, Taeyoung waited for the MC to name a band that came out as the main winner who would get a big enough trophy that he could show off to all the teachers at his school.

The third champion was already called, the band members cheered backstage and jumped up happily. They come from one of the music schools in Seoul, a school that comes from the same city as Taeyoung. The third winners then immediately took the stage to receive prizes in the form of cash and trophies.

Sehun and Kai clenched their hands in front of his face like they were praying. They closed their eyes hoping the MCs would name their school. The bustling cheers from the audience and the supporters of the other schools were increasingly heard clearly. Nobody shouts the name of the band from their school, of course, because no one knows that this band from Seo Seoul school is taking part in a prestigious race held every year.

The MCs have already mentioned the second winner. Unfortunately, it wasn't from Seo Seoul school. Again from the music school that this time came from the Provincial Capital of Gyeonggi, namely Suwon City. The members of the Suwon music school band looked surprised and pecked until they cried out in delight. Other participants backstage also applauded and congratulated those who came away from Paju City. The five band members then went on stage with the accompaniment of cheers coming from the audience who apparently were the school and students of Suwon music school.

Taeyoung still clapped to hear the MC encouraging and slightly teased the band members of Suwon City because they were all crying. Taeyoung lowered his head, he didn't expect much to see the entire contender that came with him was a formidable enough opponent to beat. The anticipated announcement arrived, all the band participants backstage were seen praying and some even formed a circle while holding hands with their teacher.

“Chukahamnida! Seo Seoul High School!!” exclaim the MC read out the main winner of the race today.

Taeyoung and the rest of Seo Seoul's school band are sculpting. Their eyes were round while exchanging confused looks.

The clerk backstage was confused to see their reaction, “Anu... Seo Seoul High School?” he said trying to break the silence of the winners. “welcome, you are the main winners,” he continued in a soft tone.

“N..ne?!” Kai just reacted.

“Mwoya?! Jinjja?!” He looked at one of his friends.

“J..jinjja?” Taeyoung shut his mouth in disbelief.

Instantly Hansol who realized what was happening, immediately cheered cheerfully. His large body made all his friends realize that they had just heard good news. The entire Seo Seoul school band finally cheered happily while occasionally jumping up and down. They then went up on stage while bowing their bodies thanking the audience who were still there until the end of the event. No one knew them at the event, Paju City was a city far enough away to be visited by their friends from Seoul. However, the cheers from the audience they didn't even know made them want to cry even more. Finally they won the race they had prepared with great difficulty. The physical and mental exhaustion they had gone through bore fruit. Now the big trophies and some cash are in their hands. They are the winners of the inter-School band race in Gyeonggi Province.

Kun was still crying even on the way home. He did not expect this grueling race to be won by their school. The atmosphere of haru enveloped the car that drove back to Seoul City in the middle of the night. Without having to be reminded, they have realized that this is the last race of the six-member band. In September, they will be entering second semester, which means, the 3rd year students, Kai, will be, Taeil and Sehun are not allowed to attend any clubs and are required to focus on studying for the college entrance exam. Taeyoung is happy that his band won this important race, although it feels impossible, but he knows that every member of his band hopes to win the race and win the big enough prize.

Hansol sat in front while hugging the huge trophy they obtained. The driver also congratulated the six of them. On the way home, they were quite noisy and still told how exciting the race was. Sometimes they laughed crisply with Sehun's joke at Kun's nervous expression that was clearly visible.

“Hyung.” Kun wiped his tears and laughed at him. “hya, mwoya,”.

“Hahaha!” Hasol laughed loudly while turning his face back to be able to see the expressions of his friends.

“The first is very big yes,” comments the driver glanced at the cup in Hansol's embrace.

“Ne,” nods Hansol while looking at the cup which is quite heavy because of the marble foundation and made of heavy aluminum. “piala belongs to the first champion is indeed this big, ahjussi. Others are smaller and lighter,” explains Hansol proudly.

“Aa..” the driver nodded in listening. He then focused his gaze again on the dark night of Paju City. The city really looks different from Seoul which certainly looks still bright even though it is this late. The clock on his wrist shows at 11 p.m. It took another hour to arrive in Seoul and drop off the students at the stop where they met earlier this morning.

WUSSHS….

A black car suddenly drove very fast towards the car that was driven by the group from Seoul. All eyes immediately focused on the car that just passed them. The sound of the car was so loud that they thought it was a race car.

The sound of the car was heard again. This time the sound was quite loud. It doesn't seem to be from a single car. Sehun, who was sitting in the back, turned his gaze to the scene that was happening behind the car.

“Mwoya!” Exclaims. Make all his friends look back.

“A..ada what?” The driver asked as he extended his neck trying to see from the rearview inside.

Sehun pointed to the cars far away behind them. The car is quite a lot with a variety of colors. The whole car was traveling so fast that they didn't know how many cars were there.

“Wild racing, yes?” Hansol followed the red car that had just passed his car again. The red car also drove so fast that it instantly disappeared from his sight.

On the quiet road it was clearly visible more than 10 luxury cars with striking colors drove very fast and made noise.

BRUAKK!

“Omo!” Sehun exclaimed again. He pointed far behind, there were 2 cars colliding with each other. One of the cars seemed to be unable to control the speed of his car and continued to spin rapidly. Sehun could see the car was spinning faster and closer to the car he was riding. “Ahjussi, beware!!”

THE BRUAKK!!

A luxury car crashes into the back of the car Taeyoung and his friends are riding in. The collision was then followed by another luxury car that lost control also to hit the left side of the rental black car. The collision was so violent that the driver had difficulty controlling his car.

“AAAAAA!!”

The noise from inside the car sounded loud. The car they were riding in crashed to the left and was driven by the third collision of another luxury car. They closed their eyes as the car's glass began to break and the car did not stop rolling.

...****************...