As June held his gaze on the camera, a multitude of emotions swirled within him.

One. Why was the cameraman still focusing the camera on his face? It had already been too long!

Two. How could he fucking cry during a performance?

Three. He wanted to strangle Jisung for poking his eye with the rose as he passed it onto him for the outro of the song. And to add to that, the thorn part was the one that poked his eye! How could he miss that badly?

June's right eye was in pain for the entirety of the last chorus, and it must have been obvious in his voice too.

Of course, June didn't cry because of the song! He had already sung it way too many times for him to get overwhelmed by it. Sure, he admits that this particular performance was the most emotional one of all, but he definitely didn't cry.

It was because of that damn rose!

As the camera still focused on him, June pressed his lips together in what was meant to be annoyance, but the audience misinterpreted it into June fighting back even more intense emotions.

"I didn't expect to cry in an idol show!"

"Genius. This stage was genius. Whoever thought of their concept deserves those extra stars. But I guess we'll only find out on the next episodes."

"June's holding back his tears!"

"June's an emotional person."

June was definitely not an emotional person. He sighed in relief when the camera started panning to his other teammates. At this point, the audience was still enamored by the emotional performance.

Then, the stillness slowly transformed into a roar of cheers and admiration.

It was a similar reaction backstage. The camera panned to capture the reactions of the other trainees, and the scene was nothing short of chaotic. Most of them were wiping away tears, their expressions a mix of awe, surprise, and intense sadness.

Jaeyong, who was known for his cold and tough exterior, seemed to be fumbling something inside his pocket. Then, with careful movements, he hastily wiped the unshed tears from his eyes.

However, Akira's gaze was quick as he pointed at him. "Oh goodness. Jaeyong's crying!" he screamed, causing the other trainees to look his way.

Jaeyong's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly pocketed the wet tissue. "I am not," he defended. However, his shaky voice betrayed him, and some of the trainees burst into laughter.

Akira laughed the loudest out of them all. Jaeyong had always been a tough nut. When they disbanded, he didn't even cry in front of the members. However, he actually cried during this performance.

"Don't worry, leader," Akira said. "Their performance was really good. I can't deny that it was very emotional. June, that bastard, did it again," he shook his head. "How could their stage transform from an emotionless mess to this masterpiece?"

In the other corner of the room, C-Jay and Jangmoon held onto each other as they sobbed. Seungwoo, their teammate, looked at them with disgust as Jangmoon blew some mucus onto the bandana tied around C-Jay's bicep.

"My big brother!" he wailed. "How could his voice hold so much pain?"

"It's really unfair," C-Jay sniffed. "Why is he so good now?"

The scene of trainees crying and struggling to keep their composure backstage was both heartwarming and amusing. The profound impact of June's performance had caught them all off guard, shattering their expectations and leaving them genuinely moved.

Even those that underestimated Team Aces after seeing their interim evaluations quickly swallowed their words.

Compared to the noisy trainee's room, the mentor's room was filled with quiet stillness. Their jaws hung open, and they couldn't even give any commentary as the screen faded to black.

However, despite the screen going off, the audience's applause continued to resonate in the studio.

It was clear that none of them had moved on after the spectacular performance.

Then, a sniff broke the silence.

Hyerin and Jihyun, who had been mentoring the trainees, were now on the receiving end of their own medicine.

'I want to be mentored by him,' Jihyun thought.

"So. fucking. cool," Hyerin cursed, catching Jihyun off guard. It was a rare occurrence for Hyerin to curse since she was upholding a very pure reputation.

The two of them seemed to be in a silent agreement that they had somehow taken a liking toward June.

Nana, Hyerin's rival, was also amazed by their performance.

"The rehearsals were nothing compared to the actual stage!" Bone exclaimed. "These kids are insane."

Minho nodded in agreement. "I must say, I don't have anything negative to say."

Jay Kim chuckled out loud. "I can't believe trainees are putting out such high-caliber performances. I really thought the team that sang 'Beside Me' would win, but I guess not."

Even Gun, known for being an avid hater of June, was visibly impressed. "It's good, I guess," he quietly said.

The meek compliment from Mentor Gun brought smiles to Hyerin and Jihyun's faces, their eyes alight with pride and satisfaction.

"June's growing on you, isn't he?" Jihyun teased.

Gun looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Now, where did you get that idea? I'm complimenting the entire team. They all did a great job."

Hyerin and Jihyun turned to each other with knowing smiles.

Although Gun's compliment was surprising, the most surprising moment was yet to come. As the mentors discussed among themselves – Hwan, known for always wearing sunglasses and a straw fedora, stood up while slowly clapping his hands.

It was a standing ovation!

A singer of twenty years actually stood up for a bunch of trainees!

However, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

The most surprising thing of all was that his dark sunglasses were absent, revealing his eyes which were filled with tears.

The other mentors exchanged surprised glances, and some even gasped audibly at the unexpected sight. Hwan's eyes, which seemed to be a bit larger and rounder than anyone expected, held a mixture of emotions that caught everyone off guard.

The mentors, Hyerin and Jihyun, exchanged amused looks, their earlier fangirling now replaced with incredulous surprise. The sight of Hwan's teary eyes was so unexpected, and the particular way his eyes looked made the moment slightly comical.

So, that was the reason why he always wore sunglasses.

Hwan looked like a kicked dog without them.