While waiting for it to start, the people bought street foods from the marketplace next door. Combined with the food from people who sold things on foot, everyone had more or less something on their hands to chew before the program even began.
Soon, the gong ended and old Harold went out looking like the amicable old man that he was.
"Thank you for coming, everyone!" He said, extending his arms in welcome. "Our Gaea Food Stores has now officially opened a Supermarket!
"We welcome you to our very own Gaea Supermarket!!"
Harold smiled and waited for the applause to stop. "This is inseparable from your patronage, so thank you everyone!
"We promise to offer you a wider variety of products, many of which will surely please you. Perhaps, our products may even improve… everyone's lives. How, you ask? You will see very soon…"
Harold smiled as everyone cheered and clapped their hands again. There were also some hoots and playful boos, asking him to stop being mysterious already.
In response though, with a mysterious smile, he raised his hand, asking for their silence.
"Before we enter though, we would like to give you a little… surprise." He said, stepping down the temporary stage without another word, and everyone just looked at each other in bafflement.
For a while, there was silence, until—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Didi! Bangbangbang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several men with beat boxes came out, and they artistically (with shaking hips) hit beat after beat to create a background song of sorts.
The young women and the girls could feel their hearts thumping at the familiar beat.
They used to listen to it back in Terran and used to dance with it wildly in clubs or in the privacy of their rooms.
"Could it be…?"
Sure enough, a handsome man with clear eyes and great shape jumped out and stood in the middle of the beat-boxers.
The women went absolutely insane.
"Fableeee!!!!"
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
"Look here, Fable!! AhhhhhhhHHH!"
The singing star happened to be Fable, one of the more famous singers in Eden.
As for how he hadn't been drowned by fans after being in the territory after so many days of staying, it was a long story.
Fable entered the territory a few days prior but, because he looked absolutely unsightly when he entered, no one recognized him at all.
He didn't bother to arrange himself either because, in his last territory, he was almost raped by the female lord.
There was also the fact he entered the Eastern gate, which had very very few people at the time, so he thought no one actually saw him.
Anyway, after entering the safety of the walls, he wasn't able to last long. He fell unconscious somewhere there in hunger.
He was found by the soft-hearted Gru, who had been making rounds in the farmlands. Through him, Fable found a place to stay.
Through Gru, Fable eventually met Harold.
Gru and Harold had become good friends due to their similar interests and age group, and he somehow managed to join in the circle as if he were their grandson.
A few days ago, Harold mentioned his problem with the opening program. Fable, who was extremely grateful to Gru and liked Harold as an elder, volunteered to help them out.
He organized the entire program.
Anyway, after spending the past few days in the territory, he had come to understand the atmosphere here.
Here, he believed he could finally be himself, and he decided to announce his return in the grandest way possible—like the star that he was.
He lifted his head and his bangs flew to the back of his head, eyes staring intimately at the crowd, making a couple of hearts stop.
/I am here, I am here, I am here…/
He started singing, moving his body and hips along the beat. He performed his characteristic choreography and there were even background dancers behind him.
Even Althea had to admit this guy was really talented. He had no conventional musical instruments, but he had the crowd at the palm of his hands.
/Finally! Yeah! I have you with me, so dance with me—oh! Oh, Dance with me./
Not far away the group of NPCs had also joined in the fun. At first, they were flabbergasted by the wild screams, but then the handsome young man started singing and dancing and they couldn't help but be pulled into the atmosphere.
"This song is amazing! I don't understand the words, but I feel my body just following the rhythm on its own." Clutch was hilariously moving along with the beat with his stiff body.
"What novel movements," Brenda added, nodding to the music. Troy who was beside him smiled and low-key taught her the moves. "One hip left, arm up, then lift your feet… yeah, like that."
"It's so interesting…" Betty said, looking at the stage with stars in her eyes. "It is very attractive."
Lenny nodded quietly, looking stiff, but internally she was already making clothes for the young man with uncharacteristically sparkling eyes.
At the end of his opening songs, Fable's movements went faster and quicker, raising the energy to an all-time high.
He moved so quickly, movements in sync with his background dancers, belting it out at the same time.
He even backflipped at the end, earning him boisterous applause and even the NPCs had joined in.
Even Clutch had his hand raised with a lot of the fans, as if waving his hand for Fable to notice him. It was quite funny to look at.
Ansel caught all this in his eyes. Since Althea told him of the NPCs and where they were, he had occasionally found his sights on them.
He watched their interest and eventual fascination, and then their blending in with the crowd's love for the person performing.
His beautifully shaped eyebrows rose in interest, a certain money-making idea brewing inside his head.
Should he develop the entertainment industry?
Well...?
He knew that it would definitely be a hit with the Terrans, but it looked like he could make a killing with the aborgines too.
His eyes sparkled; he could already see the gold raking in.