Originally, Jay Leno and Anson were just joking around—the question of whether the band members would attend the "Spider-Man" premiere wasn't the main point at all. The real focus was how the topics of discussion became so intertwined, each one leading to the other.
However, Connor, with a serious expression, said, "Uh, I took a week off from the supermarket. I'm not sure if I can make it; I need to check with my manager."
Laughter, which had been bubbling up, slowly fizzled out, and the atmosphere suddenly grew cooler.
The entire studio fell silent.
At home, the supermarket manager, who was in the middle of eating a sandwich, choked and began coughing violently: "I... cough, cough... I'm innocent."
Jay Leno raised an eyebrow, voicing the question on everyone's mind, "Supermarket?"
Connor, unfazed, nodded calmly. "Yes, I work as a cashier at a supermarket. Sometimes I help with inventory and stocking; that's my job right now."
Jay Leno remarked, "Wow, so when Anson said there were two versions of the story, he wasn't joking?"
Anson threw up his hands in mock exasperation, looking to the heavens as if to say, "What happened to trust?"
Low laughter rippled through the audience, but it quickly quieted down.
Jay Leno pressed on, "So, what's your version of the story? Before that performance, before you met Anson, what was happening?"
Lily looked at Connor, who looked at Miles; their expressions were tinged with difficulty.
Even though time had passed and those memories should have lost their sting, the reality was different. The three of them were still scattered, standing in the long tunnel of chasing their dreams, searching for a glimmer of hope.
Two years had passed, but nothing had changed dramatically.
That was the harshest truth.
In the end, it was Miles who, with the most composure, gave the answer.
"Actually, by the time Anson showed up, the band was on the verge of breaking up."
"We had held on for a long time and tried a lot, but we couldn't find a way out."
"That day, we ended our performance early because yet another member decided to leave. He couldn't keep going, and we argued—it wasn't a pretty scene."
"We were trying to chase our dreams, but clearly, life had other lessons in store for us."
Miles, ever the straightforward one, narrated what was a tumultuous story in the tone of a simple, bland recounting—no dramatics, no tears.
Yet it was this calmness that made the truth feel even more brutal and cold.
As the studio atmosphere settled into a somber mood, Jay Leno once again displayed his knack for lightening the moment.
"Anson, so you just stood by and watched all this?"
All eyes turned to Anson.
Anson: Me???
Then Anson spoke, "Yes, like Hermes, I quietly observed everything from the sidelines and then swooped in to steal Apollo's cattle."
His quick wit and easy banter with Jay Leno sparked laughter again, lifting the mood in the studio.
Even though the topic had turned heavy, it was a late-night talk show, and there were always ways to present and dissect things differently.
This time, Jay Leno leaned back, satisfied, and said, "No, what I mean is, this must be where you got the inspiration for 'Wake Me Up,' right?"
His look and tone seemed to say: See? You misunderstood me.
A clever twist, and Anson hadn't expected to be "caught" by Jay Leno like this, but he didn't mind, nodding in confirmation.
"Actually, that's correct."
"As I mentioned earlier, I had just finished a movie audition that day. I thought I did well, but I wasn't sure if I would get the role. Clearly, Hollywood doesn't believe in tears."
This small, self-deprecating remark brought another round of soft laughter from the audience.
"Then, I saw their street performance, noticed their bold choice of including a cello, and also witnessed the emptiness and the struggles that had pushed one of the band members to his breaking point."
"I don't blame the person who left because chasing a dream is really hard, but I thought to myself, I'm willing to keep dreaming until the day someone wakes me up."
"In that moment, inspiration struck me."
In Anson's simple words, conveyed with a light smile, there was soul and color. Now, thinking back to their earlier performance, those words carried weight—more powerful than any slogan or declaration.
The audience erupted into thunderous applause.
This time, there were no cheers or whistles—just pure, simple applause that gradually built into an overwhelming force, reverberating through the entire studio. The energy was palpable, shaking the set of "The Tonight Show" in a way that was rare, if not unprecedented.
Perhaps "The Tonight Show" isn't like "The Oprah Winfrey Show," where the focus is often on heartwarming stories and emotional moments. But that doesn't mean it shies away from touching on the bitterness and pain that often lie beneath humor. In fact, the best comedy often springs from tragedy.
At this moment, no one was an exception.
Clap, clap, clap.
The applause, like a tidal wave, swept through the room.
The studio erupted in a way the crew hadn't seen in a long, long time—or maybe ever. There were laughs and applause, excitement and astonishment—a rollercoaster of emotions.
Some audience members got up from their seats, not to approach the stage, but to stand on tiptoes and get a better view of what was happening.
In the backstage area, Ivan noticed Hayden's distracted demeanor. "Hayden, are you okay?"
Hayden's heart skipped a beat. He quickly waved his hand to brush off the concern. "I'm fine, just a bit of a stomach ache. I just need some fresh air."
Despite his words, Hayden's gaze involuntarily drifted back toward the stage.
Even though he wasn't there to witness it, and couldn't hear what was happening, he had a strong intuition that all this commotion, all this energy, was because of Anson.
For a moment, his thoughts wandered, his focus dissolving into the air, carried away by the intensity of the atmosphere.
The excitement, the passion, the fire—it was almost too much to believe this was just a late-night talk show taping. But Hayden couldn't help thinking that with Anson, anything was possible.
Jay Leno wasn't immune to the moment either. His gaze fell on Anson once again. This young man kept surprising him, time after time.
But Jay didn't ask Anson another question. Instead, he turned to Miles. "So, when your video went viral on the forums, did those band members who left come back?"
Miles: ...
Miles' expression darkened. Despite his efforts to suppress it, he couldn't hide the anger brewing in his eyes. The emotions were raw and powerful.
He didn't want to answer—not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to. He didn't want to use those ugly, bitter words to describe those people, fearing it would taint his mouth. He had no desire to associate with them.
Call him naive, call him foolish, say he was out of touch with reality—it didn't matter. But he believed that:
One must have principles.
Without principles, one becomes nothing more than a worm or a hyena, and even if success is achieved, it can't hide the squalor and pettiness of the soul.
This was Miles' conviction.
So, he sat up straight, lifted his head, and held his chin high with a quiet dignity, refusing to speak. The silence hung in the air, creating a brief but palpable pause in the show.