บท 16: CHAPTER 16
Laughter filled the room as everyone joked and laughed together.
In the front row, Kendall closed her eyes and, when she opened them again, she saw the information panel from the system.
"Trial mission (1) completed."
"A new mission will be released tomorrow. Stay tuned."
Mr. Mathew appeared at the classroom door. "It's our turn for makeup. Hurry to the dressing room and get ready for the performance!"
"Wow!" Asher exclaimed, leading the students as they rushed out.
The classroom was now empty, with only Kendall flipping through her books.
"Kendall, why don't you go to the dressing room as well? See if you can help with anything," Mr. Mathew suggested with a smile.
He wanted Kendall to integrate into the group.
She was always so solitary.
Kendall nodded. There was nothing else for her to do anyway.
Watching Kendall's retreating figure, Mr. Mathew pursed his lips.
As he reflected on the transformation of these students in recent days, an idea slowly formed in his mind.
In the dressing room.
A professional makeup artist hired by the school was applying various cosmetics on the faces of Class 7 students.
Kendall leaned against the wall, arms crossed. There was no need for her to help in this area.
Occasionally, girls from other classes blushed as they approached the makeup artist, asking questions like, "Is my eye makeup smudged?" or "Can you touch up my makeup?" or even "Will I look prettier like this?"
Their cautious yet excited behavior had one reason: Damien Knight, the new trustee of Powell High School, would be attending the party.
Damien Knight was the dream man desired by countless girls worldwide!
If they caught Damien Knight's attention during this performance, they would instantly climb up the social ladder.
Any Rosemont corporation that stood before the Knight Family would have to bow down!
"If I were a girl, I'd want to marry Damien Knight too!" A boy from Class 7 exclaimed.
"Unlike you, I just want to marry Goddess Kendall!" the girls from Class 7 said, their voices filled with admiration.
Men couldn't hold a candle to Goddess Kendall!
They were completely conquered by her.
On the stage, the host began to liven up the atmosphere.
After an impassioned speech, the students took turns performing according to the order determined by the draw.
Regardless of the quality of their performances, everyone received a certain amount of applause.
When the host announced the names "Gloria" and "Austin," the applause reached its peak in the audience.
The students erupted in excited cheers.
"Gloria, Goddess Gloria!"
"Austin, Austin!"
These two people were the most popular students at Powell High School.
Even though Austin had his engagement with Kendall called off, and Gloria had been criticized for the library incident, their status at Powell High School remained unshakable.
On stage, Gloria wore a pure evening gown as she gracefully played the piano, her neck arched elegantly like a swan.
Austin, dressed in a tailcoat, accompanied her with his violin, his focused expression making him look even more handsome.
They created a harmonious scene with their instruments.
As the music concluded, the applause grew even more fervent.
Some bold boys shouted their love for Gloria, while others rested their chins in their hands, bored and pursing their lips.
"What's wrong? Wasn't Gloria's performance good?"
"It's wonderful. I've just heard it too many times."
It had been three years since Gloria played the piano at every celebration.
Although the pieces she played were different each time, the piano was always there, and he wasn't exactly a loyal fan of piano music. He had indeed grown a bit tired of it.
He wanted to see something new and exciting.
The students from Class 7 were getting ready, but just as they were about to perform on stage, the music teacher in charge of playing the drums came over, clutching his stomach.
"Ouch, my stomach hurts. I can't accompany you on the drums. You'll have to find someone else."
Then he quickly ran away.
The faces of the students changed.
"In the piece we chose, the drums are the main accompanying instrument. Without the drums, the entire style of the piece will change, right?"
"Why does it have to be this critical moment? Where can we find someone who can play the drums?"
"I'll do it," Kendall walked over and extended her hand. "Give me the metronome."
The drums, also known as the jazz drums, were rhythmic instruments.
Since the beats of the majority of songs were regular, drummers often didn't need to look at sheet music. Instead, they relied on a metronome pre–set in their headphones.
With fixed–frequency pulses, they could accurately control the rhythm of the entire piece.
"You can play the drums?" Asher widened his eyes and handed Kendall the headphones.
"A little bit," Kendall replied, putting on the headphones.
Playing the drums used to be her only outlet for releasing her emotions.
And she unexpectedly earned the title of "the greatest drummer of the century" according to media ranking.
On stage, the female host beamed with a smile and announced, "Next up, we have the students from Class 7 of the senior year. They will be performing a song called 'Natural.' Let's give it up for them!"
Applause erupted, filling the air with enthusiasm.
Class 7 students took the stage, and the lights dimmed, leaving only a spotlight on Asher.
He began singing softly:
"Will you hold the line
When every one of them is giving up or giving in tell me
In this house of mine
Nothing ever comes without a consequence or cost tell me…"
As the introductory singing came to an end, a second spotlight illuminated the pianist, and the deep and classical sound of the piano filled the air. The rhythm gradually intensified, and Asher's voice grew louder.
"That's the price you pay
Leave behind your heartache and cast away
Rather be the hunter than the prey
And you're standing on the edge face up
'Cause you're a…"
The third spotlight directly illuminated Kendall.
She struck the drums, driving the rhythm to a climax.
At that moment, Asher also sang out loudly:
"Natural!
A beating heart of stone
You gotta be so cold!
To make it in this world
Yeah, you're a natural!
Living your life cutthroat
You gotta be so cold
Yeah, you're a natural!
The piano retreated to a secondary role, and the main rhythm was controlled by the drums. The tight and orderly beats resonated like strikes to the core of one's heart.
Under the spotlight, Kendall's gaze appeared somewhat unfocused and fragmented. Her entire focus was on the metronome in her headphones.
This was an incredibly fiery song.
Despite its intensity, her beautiful face remained calm, creating a stark contrast with the passionate lead singer, Asher, in front of her.
This contrast perfectly aligned with the theme of the song itself:
No matter how cruel reality may be, one must be calm and powerful like a hunter, taking the initiative, because you are extraordinary by birth!
In the audience.
Damien leaned back in his chair, his long legs crossed, ignoring the flattery and small talk from other shareholders as he focused intently on the performance on stage.
In his deep, narrow eyes, the image of Kendall's solo under the lights was imprinted.
That girl had set the stage on fire.
If she spared a moment to observe the audience, she would see countless expressions of shock and admiration.
But she paid no attention to them.
And that only made her more captivating.
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