Hollywood Zenith



After the initial excitement died, fans wondered if the new addition would be on par with Siwon's vocals. Putting an unknown artist like this was unheard of in the music industry, especially in Korean entertainment, where they would spend months, if not years, fleshing out the debut member.

But soon, their worries were erased when Samuel opened his mouth again.

The song was 'Night' and was the first single of the KR Juniors to top the charts a few years ago; it climbed to the top ten within a week and was acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Because of its history, it was a particular song, and Siwon's vocals were immaculate throughout.

In verse one, Samuel opened the song with a mesmerizing line.

~ In the starlit night, you are my guiding light~

Following his step, other members started singing like they practiced countless times before.

~ Every moment with you feels so right~ Leeteuk came to the center and delivered his lines.

~ Your laughter is the melody of my days~

~ In your arms, I have found my place!~

It was a soothing verse with little instrumental building up in the background. The crowd cheered once again, immersing themselves in the music they were so familiar with.

" Isn't he good?"

" Right! I thought they would mess up but his voice is not inferior to Siwon Oppa!"

" Hah, you don't know but he seems better."

" What?"

" Have you forgot that this is live? Have you seen anyone deliver such perfect pitch without any voice filter? "

" You are right! Hyunsaeng is so talented! How come we never heard about him before?"

" Hyunsaeng!"

Everyone began chanting his name and occasional praises for the other group members.

Verse two was opened by Eunhyuk ~ Underneath the moon's soft embrace, ~

~I see forever in your gaze. ~

~Your touch is like a gentle breeze, ~

~In your heart, I've found my peace. ~

The pre-chorus was entirely sung by Samuel as him being the lead vocalist.

~Two souls entwined, a love divine,

In this symphony, forever, we'll shine.

No distance or time can tear us apart,

You're the music of my soul, the beat of my heart.~

Leeteuk and others joined to provide some integrity, but his talent was shown further in delivering this verse. He was like a master idol weaving through the stage with the microphone, dancing synchronistically with everyone.

Leeteuk, along with other members, was surprised by his performance; it was one thing he was good at singing and could memorize the lyrics with decent memory, but how could one explain his proficiency in dancing?

This level of mastery could only be achieved with years of hard work and talking to Samuel. They were sure he was not a day older than twenty, but he was keeping up with them. What's outrageous is his synergy with the group.

Samuel was a tall person, so he could easily overshadow some of the members like Yesung and Leeteuk, but he was mindful of their presence as he was performing, and there was not a single mistake in his steps. It was like Siwon was right there beside them, performing like usual. How was that even possible?

But it was not time to be distracted; they began giving it their best as they approached the Chorus.

~So let's dance through the rain,

Overcoming every pain.

Hand in hand, we'll face the fight,

Our love, a beacon of light.~

Their voice reverberated throughout the venue as Samuel stretched his voice, hitting those high notes perfectly like Siwon used to as they entered the next part of the song. The cheers were constant, and they started singing along as they felt the group's performance resonating.

~Through the highs and lows, we'll stand firm,

In your eyes, I know I belong.

With you, every day's a sweet serenade,

In your embrace, all fears fade.~

" Fade! Fade! Fade!"

~In the pages of time, our story's told,

A love so pure, a bond to unfold.

You're the lyrics to my silent song,

In your love, I feel I belong. ~

Samuel sang the pre-chorus again.

~Two souls entwined, a love divine,

In this symphony, forever, we'll shine.

No distance or time can tear us apart,

You're the music of my soul, the beat of my heart.~

Changing the flow to suit his style, he already knew the song inside out, so a little improvisation was nothing for him. He wanted to show his unique spin regarding the song; he could copy Siwon through the whole verse, but that would be his natural creativity.

Thankfully, it was received favorably, met with thunderous claps and cheers. He had to admit it was much more fun than anticipated; he could see why musicians wanted to do these events.

He could feel the crowd's appreciation; their applause was a huge adrenaline rush. Performing in front of thousands of people had its own type of charm, one had to do it to know it! He was smiling, and his face was frequently displayed on the big screen behind them.

The mask he wore only hid the top half of his face; his hair was still flowing as he jerked his body to the flow, but a significant change was his smile. He danced without a care in the world, forgetting that he was performing for a huge crowd!

~ So let's dance through the rain,

Overcoming every pain.

Hand in hand, we'll face the fight,

Our love, a beacon of light.~

After the second Chorus was Bridge, which was sung with a low-frequency voice. It again showed groups' mastery over their vocal chords as everyone sang their part perfectly without any beats suppressing their vocals.

Bridge 

~ When the world's a storm and skies turn gray,~

~We'll find shelter in each other's embrace.~

~With every note and every chord,~

~Our love's a melody that can't be ignored.~

The shindong voice was more prevalent, like a mellow vibration accompanied by soothing lyrics. If Siwon was a genius, then Shindong relied on hard work to achieve this level of mastery.

~So let's dance through the rain,

Overcoming every pain.

Hand in hand, we'll face the fight,

Our love, a beacon of light.~

After repeating the Chorus once again, they delved into the Outro. The music suddenly stopped as Samuel delivered his lines first.

~Forevermore, our spirits entwine,~

It was almost a scream, but with his skill, that sounded pleasant. It was one of the most challenging parts of the song as he had to hold his tone for ten seconds while others sang over it.

~In this duet of love, forever, we'll shine.~

~With you by my side, everything's right,~

~Together, we'll conquer any night.~

It was the end of the first song, but the crowd almost went silent during the last part. They finished the first song with a hinch, but seeing no one cheering for them, the members looked at the stunned crowd. Their eyes were glued on the stage, so they were at least not sleeping!

" Woooah! What was that? I can't even move my body hearing the last part."

" I got goosebumps all over me! It was like magic!"

" Me too, his voice was like a lion but simultaneously I felt happy inside hearing his voice."

Everyone was confused for a few seconds before forgetting about it. As a fan, it was blasphemous not to cheer for their Oppas when they did such an impressive opening song! They didn't know Samuel got a little too into it and used his powers involuntarily.

It was like a stun skill that would confuse others when he screamed loudly. It was fortunate that no one paid much attention to it. With his titles, it was hard for him to be mindful of every little thing; if the microphone was more powerful, it could be serious trouble for even people hundreds of meters away from here.

Seeing strong momentum, Leeteuk glanced at Samuel to ask if he was ready. Samuel only nodded to make his intentions known. They jumped into the next song without further complication and successfully finished their singles.

Their performance was way better than anyone's expectation. With the sudden injury of Siwon and the group almost canceling their part with the help of someone unexpected like Samuel, they managed to do the impossible!

After thanking their fans and saying a few words, Leeteuk and others' descended from the stage with their heads held high. There was only a duet performance, but it was a fifteen-minute break because it was the finale of tonight's event.

They went backstage to find everyone waiting for them. Their faces were brimming with happiness, but everyone focused on Samuel, who casually took off his mask and looked like he had done some chores around the house.

" Thank you...*sniff* *sniff* Thank you for keeping your word." Before anyone could say anything, Siwon was the one who came forward with his head bowing; he expressed his deepest gratitude toward the man of the hour.

" As I told you before, just believe in me!" Samuel ruffled his hair, chuckling; despite Siwon being older than him, he looked like a pitiful kid on the verge of crying. He was also a lot shorter than him, so he ended up doing something that he immediately regretted!