"Sure enough!" Having regained his composure, Wyatt let out a meaningful sigh. He'd initially thought it would just be a regular interview, but now a genuine, albeit small, interest had sparked. "You really live up to the hype of being a genius band that could deliver such a fantastic performance for your debut in a massive venue."
Genius band?
Ronan almost burst out laughing. He held it in, but couldn't quite suppress the upward curve of his lips, and a smile completely filled his eyes. "That's gotta be sarcasm, right? We just got on stage and made a rookie mistake. We barely managed to pull it together at the end to avoid completely embarrassing ourselves and letting Bruno down. We're just a pretty ordinary indie band who are into music, that's all."
"Ordinary?" Wyatt raised an eyebrow slightly, then chuckled. "A band that makes it to the top of the Twitter global trending list after just two nights of opening acts and sparks a huge discussion on social media is 'ordinary'? If that's the case, I bet you're about to tell me you think you have an average American face."
Clearly, from Wyatt's perspective, Ronan had a unique and captivating charm that definitely made him stand out.
But Ronan had a different idea. "Isn't that true though? Maxim is the one in our band who's supposed to be the handsome one. Let's not get that wrong."
As he said this, Ronan gestured to introduce Maxim to Wyatt.
Maxim was completely bewildered: Was it really going to be this direct and blunt?
As soon as Wyatt started talking, he and Ronan immediately engaged in a back-and-forth, a subtle but sharp exchange that kept the other band members on their toes. Ollie, however, was still preoccupied with his game, his attention completely elsewhere as he sneakily tapped away at his phone screen.
In just a couple of exchanges, Maxim and Cliff hadn't even registered what was happening before the conversation unexpectedly shifted to Maxim?
Maxim was slightly taken aback, but then flashed Wyatt a charming smile. Without any exaggerated gestures, his handsome features still managed to radiate a captivating appeal.
Objectively speaking, among the four band members, Maxim's features were indeed classically handsome, like a figure from ancient Greek sculpture. His tall and well-built physique was an added bonus. Even though he was only 181 centimeters tall, shorter than Ronan and Ollie, his broad shoulders and narrow waist created an ideal V-shape that looked perfect in suits or shirts, giving off an immediate impression of a model's aura.
Wyatt was momentarily speechless.
Although Wyatt really wanted to argue against Ronan's subtle shift in the conversation, looking at Maxim standing before him, he swallowed his retort. He simply responded with a teasing remark, "Ordinary Ronan Cooper, I think I'll remember that." Then, without waiting for Ronan to reply, he smoothly continued, "This is Maxim, then. And this must be Cliff, and this is Ollie, right?"
Wait a minute.
The moment the words left his mouth, Wyatt immediately realized that the transition from "Wyatt versus Ronan" to introducing the band members had been so natural and seamless, without any awkwardness whatsoever. The confrontational tension had disappeared without a trace, and the focus had shifted to Maxim, simultaneously introducing the other band members. It was as if... it had all been prearranged.
Wyatt believed he was the one in control because all the reactions felt natural, like he was just going with the flow. But who had created that "flow" in the first place?
Wyatt's gaze couldn't help but fall back on Ronan.
Ronan gave Wyatt a bright smile, his clear eyes seeming to hold unspoken words, before proactively saying, "The journalist suddenly expressed interest in interviewing the band, and we were all a little flustered. We weren't sure what you'd want to know. It's an honor for us to be interviewed by 'Rolling Stone'."
His interest piqued a little more.
A hint of a smile also appeared in Wyatt's eyes. Thinking back to their first encounter at the Verizon Center, Wyatt suddenly realized he might have misjudged Ronan.
At this moment, Cliff finally found his voice. Although he was a bit nervous, social situations were his forte, and he quickly recovered. He gestured invitingly. "Why don't we all sit down to chat? Otherwise, we're going to become the center of attention for everyone here."
Wyatt nodded in agreement, placed his backpack down, opened it, and proceeded to take out a variety of equipment, including a voice recorder, a phone, and a camera, like a magical bag of tricks that broadened everyone's horizons.
He neatly arranged the equipment on the table, then picked up the voice recorder, pressed the start button, and spoke into the microphone, "August 26th, Wyatt, Hilton Hotel, Washington, interviewee, King for a Day." After saying this, he gestured to the members with the recorder before placing it in the center of the four of them.
"Is the band aware of the social media buzz on Twitter?"
For completely new interviewees like them, Wyatt needed an entry point. After considering his options, he chose the direct reason for this interview, which was also the topic readers were most concerned about: Who exactly is King for a Day? And how did they enter the public eye?
However, the band members exchanged confused glances, their eyes revealing their uncertainty. Finally, Cliff spoke.
"No, we... we're not really sure," Cliff said hesitantly, unsure if this was the right answer. "For the past week, we've been in intensive rehearsals, completely immersed in the world of the performance. It wasn't until after the tour ended that we finally had a chance to relax, so we haven't had time to think about anything else yet."
Wyatt slightly raised his chin, a little surprised but not exactly shocked. He looked at Ronan. "We're in the age of social media now, where everyone can express their opinions online. Isn't the band curious about the feedback after your performances? Isn't that a bit unusual?"
Ronan didn't answer immediately but glanced at Cliff, because he wasn't sure how band interviews were usually conducted—
Were they supposed to be interviewed individually, or as a group of four? If it was the latter, how should they divide the speaking time? They were complete novices and hadn't designated an "official spokesperson." So, Ronan wasn't sure if he should interrupt during what seemed like "Cliff's time."
But clearly, Cliff wasn't sure either. He gave Ronan an encouraging look, his eyes filled with trust. First, there was the Scooter incident, and then the John Marks and Bruno Mars situations. Now, the band members were increasingly trusting Ronan, believing he could handle tricky situations.
Like right now.
Ronan finally spoke, "I think, perhaps, we've consciously tried to forget about it."
"Because you're afraid of criticism?" Wyatt pressed.