Although talk shows aren't live radio, where three seconds of silence would be a broadcast disaster, even a brief audio gap during a recorded talk show can still be disastrous.
Yet, Miles didn't care.
Facing Jay Leno's question, Miles stood tall with clear eyes but refused to speak, letting the silence linger in the air.
It was a bit awkward.
This time, Anson didn't interject—
This was their story, their life, and he was just an observer, not in a position to comment or interfere.
Lily glanced at Connor, whose jaw was slightly clenched, clearly struggling to control his anger. In the end, it was Lily who sighed softly and spoke.
"Yes, they did reach out to us again."
"But after some probing, once they realized we hadn't signed with any record label, they hung up."
Just two short sentences, but they carried the weight of much bloodshed and scars.
No one else could imagine what they had felt, the conversations and emotional turns they went through with their former bandmates, leading to final disappointment and pain.
Lily was also trying her best, trying to keep her emotions in check, stating the facts as plainly as possible, avoiding too much personal emotion.
Jay Leno glanced at Anson, who now had his eyes downcast, deep in thought, his presence quietly subdued, with no intention of making a joke.
Jay Leno spread his hands, "Once this show airs, they might regret hanging up too soon."
A small joke lightened the mood again.
It wasn't that Jay Leno was being flippant, but "The Tonight Show" wasn't the place for deep, heartfelt conversations; they needed to maintain the overall tone of the show.
As for deeper thoughts, those were for the audience to ponder.
Blair and Karen exchanged glances, clearly not having anticipated that such a story lay behind that performance.
But thinking about it, Blair wasn't surprised.
Why do people love music?
Because music carries emotions, those things that can't be expressed in words are poured into the notes, creating sparks during the performance.
No wonder.
No wonder that performance was full of passion and fervor, while today's performance carried a different feeling, because back then, they were truly at the brink of giving up, standing at the edge of despair. If it weren't for Anson, there wouldn't have been anything afterward.
Of course, even now, the band's future remains uncertain.
Thinking of this, a mix of sweetness and bitterness welled up.
Quietly, Blair just quietly watched the three in front of her, seeing the glow of dreams and the wreckage of life on their faces.
Lily let out a long sigh, "Maybe we should change our phone numbers."
For once, Lily made a joke herself, earning a round of applause.
Jay Leno breathed a silent sigh of relief, "So, I have a curious question. Now that you've found each other, and I imagine record labels have noticed you as well, if—just hypothetically, if you had the opportunity, would you want to become a band and record an album?"
He paused for a moment, "Oh, I guess this is something you should discuss privately."
Even as he said this, Jay Leno looked at Anson with interest.
On the other side, Miles and the others quickly exchanged glances. If they said they hadn't thought about it, that would be a lie; but the key point was, the decision wasn't up to them, was it?
Anson, however, looked relaxed. He wasn't about to discuss his career plans in public, especially not on a talk show.
Anson believed Jay Leno was joking as well; they shouldn't treat the show as a therapy session, spilling out their truths.
"Jay, I'm very expensive, you know?"
A little quip was enough.
Jay Leno got the hint, turning to the three young and innocent band members, "You really shouldn't have praised this guy so much earlier."
—Look, the band isn't even formed yet, and someone's already thinking of going solo.
The callback joke brought the studio into laughter, including Connor and the others, who couldn't help but pick up on the underlying message.
Jay Leno regained control of the situation, "So, can I assume that the band doesn't have a name yet?"
Anson turned to look at the three, making a gesture inviting them to speak:
Although they didn't have a band yet, naturally, no name; but the three of them did have their own band, and this was a good chance to promote it.
Unexpectedly, Connor shook his head, "Our previous band is already history; there's no need to revive it in the future."
Saying goodbye to the past.
This essentially closed the door on the possibility of reuniting the band. Even if the former members watched "The Tonight Show," there was no reason for them to try to reconnect.
Here, a chapter was closed.
Before coming on the show, Connor and the others had their own considerations.
They could have easily taken the opportunity to promote the band and keep it going. With the popularity of "The Tonight Show," once the episode aired, they could have booked commercial gigs, and maybe even found new opportunities for growth.
However, they chose to let it go.
If the past fifteen months had taught the three of them anything, it was to see the harsh and bloody reality of the world of fame early on. They shouldn't cling to unrealistic hopes but instead stay true to themselves and their values.
Otherwise, they might one day fail to recognize the person staring back at them in the mirror.
Though it was tough, and despite their reluctance, the three reached a consensus.
Jay Leno was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected that answer.
He turned to the first camera, "So, can someone tell me, what exactly did we record today?"
"A singer promoting a movie."
"A band that came to perform a song but has already disbanded."
"Wait, did we miss something?"
Haha, hahaha.
Jay Leno's sarcastic and teasing tone easily brought the energy back up again.
Indeed, it was a rare sight: neither promoting a movie nor an album, going round and round without a clear focus for the entire show.
It felt almost surreal.
Then he looked back at Miles and the others.
"Does this mean that if the opportunity arises, you're ready to start fresh?"
Miles, the honest one, instinctively looked at Anson, the unspoken message being: the decision lies with Anson.
Anson was caught off guard.
Connor quickly jumped in to stop Miles, "Yes, if we were to continue pursuing a music career, we'd probably start fresh with a new approach."
As for whether they would form a band with Anson, that was a different story altogether.
Outside the show, they would discuss it with Anson, rather than use the show to pressure him into a decision.
However, despite Connor's efforts to steer the conversation, the eyes in the studio still subtly turned to Anson. Even without Miles' reaction, everyone understood that the decision ultimately rested with Anson.
Once again, Anson found himself in the spotlight.
The pressure was immense.