The day of the unveiling and performance event of “Jump” was finally set.
On the last performance day of the Riana Orchestra, a collaborative performance with the Irene School was organized, stirring up excitement by dropping hints about a secret game announcement.
With a 500-year tradition, the flourishing Riana Orchestra and the legal dopamine factory, Irene School’s collaboration was an event no one wanted to miss.
Yeah… things went exactly as expected.
“Two tickets here, please!”
“Three tickets here!!”
“Line up!! Line up!!!!”
People flocked from beyond the Southern Region to get tickets, and soon the crowd exceeded the venue’s capacity.
We had to hold an emergency meeting.
“We need to rent another venue,” suggested Sylvia.
“Let’s just not let anyone in,” argued the director Olsson.
“How about we cram everyone into an empty space for the performance?” Jiren chipped in while standing outside.
Anyway, after all the discussions, I arrived at the conclusion.
“Let’s just do it outside.”
“Outside!?”
The only venue that could accommodate tens of thousands of people was Zers Coliseum.
However, it was too late to shift everything and rent out that place, so performing in an open area outdoors seemed like a viable plan.
“Is there space for that?”
“There’s a huge plain in the northwest of Irene Land. We could use that.”
The other world had yet to experience an outdoor concert like a rock festival, so it was unfamiliar territory.
But on the flip side, it was also our chance to be the pioneers.
It was the moment a world-first game reveal and outdoor concert was decided.
*
Preparing for the performance was no ordinary task.
We needed to set up the stage, arrange the instruments, and even use sound magic to ensure everyone in the northwest plain could hear us.
There was a lot to do, but with everyone from Edward Consortium pitching in, we wrapped up just before the brisk early winter in the southern region set in.
The weather was perfect for an outdoor event, not too humid or cold, and tens of thousands of people gathered at the outdoor venue.
[“Riana! Riana! Riana!”]
[“Game! Game!! Game!!!”]
In the waiting room behind the stage, Riana quietly gazed at the audience beyond the tent.
I hadn’t spoken to Riana since the last incident.
She seemed to need time to think.
“It’s starting now.”
“Yes… Yuren.”
I cautiously approached her.
She continued to gaze through the tent’s gap, unchanging.
What would it feel like to sing in front of thousands?
Honestly, just imagining it terrified me.
“Are you not scared performing in front of so many people?”
“People don’t scare me. I never really paid much attention to them anyway.”
Her eyes, as cold as ice, spoke as they had when I first met her.
Dressed and adorned for the performance, she looked like an ice goddess.
She stared at me with her icy eyes and said,
“What frightens me is the ‘me’ inside. If I make even the slightest mistake, it’s the ‘me’ staring back, ready to devour me.”
Was it not enough…
Feeling pity for her unchanged self, she continued.
“But it’s strange. Today, I’m oddly… a little scared of people.”
I recalled something my instructor had once told me while learning presentation skills.
“To avoid trembling while presenting, see the audience as puppets.”
That calms the heart.
She must have unconsciously done that all along.
But now, she was starting to see the audience as people, even just a little.
“That’s all it takes.”
Still, I felt relieved that she was beginning to change, even slightly.
Suddenly, she turned to look at me and said,
“Sophie…”
“Sophie?”
“My only friend. The only one from Riana Orchestra who approaches me to talk and shares meals.”
Riana pointed to a green-haired pianist with glasses preparing to play.
She seemed cute and kind-hearted.
“And sometimes at night, I dream of her disappearing into that burning village.”
I felt I knew what dream she was talking about.
And I understood what she feared.
“I was scared of that. If Sophie were to be unhappy in any way, I think I could never forgive myself.”
Survivors bear no guilt.
But what if the survivor faced disaster again?
Some might say,
“That person caused it.”
“That person carries misfortunes.”
“So, I told no one. I didn’t speak about this to anyone. I thought it was a punishment I had to bear for being alive.”
She must have worked harder than anyone in Riana Orchestra.
She would have earned recognition and come to this place.
She had fun in that process, and perhaps that’s what made her fearful.
What if that burning day came again because of me?
So she must have locked herself away in ice to survive until now.
“But seeing you, Yuren, was fascinating. You’re like me. It’s hard for you to be happy, yet you still bring joy to others. That shines brightly.”
She spoke to me as if she’d just been birthed into the world, with vulnerability.
“Yuren… aren’t you scared?”
It’s ironic.
Those who have suffered should be happier than anyone else, yet they often recall the pain of losing happiness as they grasp it.
This was a truth I had to discover for myself, not something even the Master or anyone else could tell me.
And I…
“I’m human, too. Of course, I’m scared. But… the world is filled with joy.”
Yeah, the world overflowed with joy too much to let fear stop me.
Moments shared drinking with the priests, moments loved by them, moments gazing at the sky with the Master, every fragment sparkled with joy and comforted me.
I was joyful because everyone was there.
So, this time, I wanted to bring joy to everyone.
By becoming a game developer, the one who creates fun.
“If that punishment ever comes knocking and you need help… just tell me anytime. I’ll help you.”
“Can you really help anytime?”
She asked, her eyes sparkling like a sister’s.
I answered with a voice full of confidence.
“Yes, game developers on live service are on standby 24/7, so don’t hesitate to ask.”
At my words, she seemed to initially not understand but then chuckled lightly.
The first smile I saw from her was far more beautiful than the ice princess she used to be.
“Yuren, that sounded very flirtatious.”
“R-Really…?”
In that moment, it felt like three or maybe four gazes stabbed at my heart from behind.
Oh no…
As I broke into a cold sweat, she said,
“I still don’t really get what that enjoyment you mentioned is. But… I’ll try to enjoy it once.”
At that moment, her eyes were no longer icy.
They resembled a beautiful sea of sapphire.
Loud noises erupted outside the tent, and she stepped out with the orchestra members.
The moment of the performance’s beginning was upon us.
*
The moment of the performance’s beginning was at hand.
The wide plain was filled with tens of thousands of people, all eyes on the stage.
The lights dimmed, and then the sounds of the performers walking on stage echoed, followed by the lights turning on.
“Wow!!!!”
“Riana!!!”
As the lights came on, Riana and the musicians revealed themselves on stage.
In a dress resembling the beautiful water goddess, her appearance drew applause and cheers from everyone.
And with the tranquil sounds of strings, the performance began.
“Florae in vento♫ cantant, Stellae in caelo fulgent”
“Beautiful…”
“So pretty…”
The performance started just like any other.
To the enchanting melodies from the instruments and Riana’s vocals, the audience began to lose themselves in the music.
However, at the same time, many began to think.
“This is too ordinary?”
Those who had anticipated the shocking excitement they felt when interacting with the Irene School’s games began to feel an indescribable sense of boredom with the routine performance.
“Mare tranquillo sibilat♫ Terra quietem celebrat♫”
As Riana’s song reached its climax, an unusual event occurred.
-Thud!-
“What!?”
“The lights!?”
Suddenly, the lights and music went out in the venue.
The crowd thought a performance accident had happened.
And ten seconds later, the lights came back on.
Then there they were…
“What!?”
“Look at that!!!”
On stage stood four dancers dressed in flamboyant styles with protruding arms and legs.
Below them was a diagonal arrow panel.
And among them was Riana.
With fluttering attire and a fan in one hand, her stunning appearance left the audience in awe.
But the surprises weren’t finished yet.
Dan-da-dan♫ Dan-da-dan♫ Dan-da-dan-dan♫
With a light music resembling game soundtracks rather than an elegant performance from the Riana Orchestra, arrows began to descend on top of the dancers, who started dancing on cue, and a song never heard before began.
It was the moment K-Pop resonated throughout the other world.
