Chapter 67 |
The rehearsal day arrived sooner than expected, and without having time to resolve my uneasiness about Woo Kangwon, I found myself on stage.
“Thank you!”
As we bowed down after the finishing rehearsal, the trainers, beaming with pride, took the microphone.
“I’m amazed at how quickly you transformed.”
“This Marine Marine! team was the one I was most worried about during the mid-term evaluation. In fact, it was the team that received the most criticism from the trainers, wasn’t it? I was worried you might panic and just push through with it since you had to change so much in such a short time, but I’m really relieved.”
As the evaluation began with positive remarks, the anxious expressions on the members’ faces brightened. Kang Baeyoung, however, kept his gaze fixed on the floor, as if irritated by the trainers’ satisfaction with the current stage, where his part had been reduced.
“Should I say that it feels like everything has finally fallen into place? During the mid-term evaluation, the performance gave off a strong impression of being forced together, but now it feels completely natural.”
“This is really strange. I guess some people are just naturally meant to be the center. If you force them out of the spotlight, the stage falls apart, right? From the start, I didn’t like how they gave benefits from mini missions and stuff. Just because someone takes good pictures, does that mean they’re good at performing?”
“The trainees who received the benefits should have made wiser, long-term choices instead of just chasing immediate gains, but their thinking was too short-sighted.”
“Anyway, the center is Han Seungbeom, right?”
“I almost fainted when I saw Seungbeom with platinum blond hair. How could someone look like that?”
“Ah, director. Please don’t film me. I just want my voice to be on the show.”
“People are going to lose their minds when this airs. I heard this is the kind of thing that would make the kids nowadays become a fan.”
“…….”
I could only bow my head at the trainers’ excessive praise.
Because, Cha Woon’s gaze was so intense, it felt like it could burn.
“…….”
“…….”
‘My face is going to get pierced.’
It seemed like he had no intention of evaluating anything other than the Charisma Concept team’s performance, as he didn’t bother to grab the microphone, but his gaze was really fierce.
Does this beautiful, blond-haired boy with refreshing sailor look remind you of Seo Yutae?
If so, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible.
‘… Stop staring at me, please.’
As the saying said, ‘A guilty conscience needs no accuser‘1, I clutched my pounding heart and avoided his gaze. I was in an extremely tense state, worried that my usual habits might slip out.
“The evaluation is over. You can go in now.”
“Thank you!”
“Marine Marine! team rehearsal is over. Please come down.”
As Jay, representing the trainers, announced that the evaluation was over, the production staff gave us the order to come down. Then, the Chic Concept team, who had been waiting, took the stage.
‘Do well.’
I stared at them with words of encouragement, Lee Hwayoung turned his head with grumpily, while Woo Kangwon smiled warmly.
***
As we gathered in front of the screen in the waiting room, we watched the Chic Concept team’s performance. The screen showed not only the stage but also the trainers’ faces, alternating between them, and it was clear that their expressions didn’t look too favorable.
‘This is chaos.’
I didn’t really question them. I would have had the same reaction if I were sitting there.
‘I told you to do well, but you didn’t do anything well, you’re just making a mess.’
The Chic Concept team was shaking like a boat before a storm. They managed the live performance and formations well, but for some reason, it’s hard to focus on the stafe. It was just chaotic, to the point that it could be summarized as just plain messy.
I could see at a glance the exact reason for their current situation.
‘Except for Lee Hwayoung and Woo Kangwon, they all lack star quality.’
Until the mid-term evaluation, Lee Hwayoung’s team was definitely decent. Thanks to Lee Hwayoung and Woo Kangwon’s cool and strong image, they expressed the concept well, and even managed the rather difficult choreography. They received even more praise than my team, who had been criticized for the positions distribution.
But what about now?
‘Just because Lee Hwayoung is missing, all of the members’ weaknesses are being exposed.’
The less skilled the trainees were, the more crucial the center’s existence became. The center’s presence should cover up the members’ inexperience and mistakes. There was a reason why survival trainee programs excessively emphasized the ‘center‘ position.
‘They were relying too much on Lee Hwayoung until then.’
Lee Hwayoung was not even the official center. Since Lee Hwayoung was in second-from-last place in the mini mission, another trainee took the center position, and the position he took was the main vocalist. However, the song for the Chic Concept had few individual parts, and vocal ability wasn’t particularly important, so the main vocalist part was relatively small.
Nevertheless, Lee Hwayoung positioned himself like the center and helped complete the team’s performance.
‘If it had been a different member who was missing instead of Lee Hwayoung, it probably wouldn’t have been a big problem.’
It was common for a member to get injured or miss a schedule, causing the performance to be adjusted when actual activities began. However, that didn’t mean that all of them would be shaken like this.
In the end, the problem wasn’t that one member was missing, but that Lee Hwayoung was missing.
If Lee Hwayoung couldn’t take the lead, then Woo Kangwon should have stepped up and taken on that role, but Woo Kangwon strangely seemed unable to focus on the performance starting from this mission.
[“What’s going on with this team today? You did well during the mid-term evaluation. Is this because there was a change in the performance members? You need to focus.”]
[“Does it make sense that the team is this shaken just because one member is missing? Get it together, you guys!”]
[“Has Trainee Nicholas hit a slump along with his injury? He seems really different from usual.”]
As soon as the stage was over, the trainers’ harsh evaluation came down. The members of the Chic Concept team, perhaps feeling something themselves during the performance, had their heads deeply bowed.
[“Overall, it feels like you’re pushing the responsibility onto each other. When the camera comes on or when you stand at the center, you should be captivating the audience’s attention during that moment and delivering you part, but all of you seem so scared that it’s obvious you’re just thinking ‘I hope I don’t make a mistake‘. This has nothing to do with Trainee Nicholas’ absence. It’s a matter of the members’ lacking individual skills.”]
Jay cut off the trainers’ vague criticism and objectively pointed out the problems. It was a criticism that anyone would nod along to in agreement. As I listened to his trainer evaluation, I felt like the itch in my chest was finally relieved.
‘As expected. I taught you well. And?’
I swallowed my admiration and waited for Jay’s next words.
Because that wasn’t the only problem I found.
[“And the part where Trainee Nicholas sings separately feels very out of place. It’s as if you’re performing in different stages. This happened because the members’ chemistry isn’t in sync. In my opinion, this is the issue that needs to be addressed first, and it’s also the one you can solve the quickest.”]
That was the right answer.
‘Since the relationship between Lee Hwayoung and the other members isn’t good, every time Lee Hwayoung sings on a different stage, it feels disconnected. It seems like the other members are intentionally preventing him from joining in.’
The audience was more perceptive than performers realized. Even if they couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, they could sense when something is off.
Ruining a performance over something as trivial as personal feelings? That’s ridiculous.
I felt like my insides were boiling. I also didn’t understand why Lee Hwayoung, unlike his usual self, was hesitating without saying anything like that.
“Seeing that team’s failure, it’s a given that our team will win first place.”
“We can relax and go into the competition with less nerves.”
“Nicholas was the one we were most wary of, but he ended up like that.”
Amid the continuous harsh criticism, the members of the other teams and my team were almost in a festive mood. In that situation, the only ones not smiling were Do Yuda and I.
“The hyungs will be okay, right?”
“…I don’t know.”
“Uh.”
Do Yuda was concerned about the hardships of the people he knew well, while I had a lingering unease towards Lee Hwayoung.
I was the one who forcefully dragged Lee Hwayoung, who was determined to participate in the performance until the end, out of it. He would be grateful for my actions someday, but that someday wasn’t going to happen now.
‘It’s not my fault. So why do I feel so uneasy?’
Seeing Lee Hwayoung’s team getting beaten up completely, I clicked my tongue because I felt like I was getting beaten up too. At that, Do Yuda, who had been biting his lip at my indifferent reaction, brightened his eyes. Then, glancing at me from the corner of his eye, he muttered.
“Ah, Nicholas-hyung is really hurt.”
“…….”
“Kangwon-hyung, he seems to be having a hard time lately.”
“…….”
‘What is it?’
“I’m worried about them. I want to help. I think Seungbum-hyung could help too. It seems like you’re concerned too, right?”
“…….”
‘Ah, damn it.’
“Hyung, your eyes are shaking. Wow.”
Do Yuda’s face, which had come uncomfortably close, stared at mine intently. There was madness in his eyes. I swallowed hard as I looked at him.
‘This brat, he already figured out that I was weak to him!’
“You’re going to help me, right? We’re roommates.”
“Uh…..” I looked away from Do Yuda’s unfocused eyes and finally sighed heavily, “Okay, so get away from me.”
“Wow! As expected, hyung, you’re the best!”
“Instead, you take care of Woo Kangwon. I’ll take Lee Hwayoung and make him practice.”
“Huh? Okay. If you tell me to do it, I’ll do it. Fighting!”
And just like that, Do Yuda and I started our Heart-pounding Operation to Help the Enemy Team.
***
When I returned to the dorm, the atmosphere was really the worst.
Lee Hwayoung seemed quite hurt after hearing the harsh criticism from Jay, who had worked with Seo Yutae. Woo Kangwon looked most depressed ever since the third mission began.
“Hyung?”
‘Ha…..’
I broke out in cold sweat at the sigh of Do Yuda’s pitch-black eyes and subtle smile. Then, I stood in front of Lee Hwayoung.
“Hey, show me your face for a moment.”
“…….”
Lee Hwayoung pondered my words for a moment, then poked his face out towards me.
‘Ugh, this British brat.’
It seemed he thought I was literally telling him to show his face. This wasn’t some kind of dog training. My blood pressure shot up so fast I had to grab my neck, then I shook my head.
“Not that. Follow me for a moment.”
“Ah.”
I led Lee Hwayoung, who had a puzzled look on his face, out of the room. Then, we took the elevator and went to the free practice room that had been allocated for the trainees.
“Why did you come here at this hour?”
“To practice.”
“With me?”
”Yeah. Your performance today was terrible.”
I deliberately threw a provocative remark to scratch his pride. As expected, Lee Hwayoung immediately furrowed his brows, showing an expression of displeasure.
“Are you trying to tell me that it’s all my fault?”
“No? That disgrace happened because of your team’s members’ poor skills and pettiness.”
“Then!”
I ignored Lee Hwayoung’s shout, stood in the center of the practice room wall, and pressed the switch on the remote.
Buzz. The sound of the machine operating echoed loudly in the practice room as the fluorescent lights turned off. Then, like a monologue scene in a musical, a light fell above my head.
“You…….”
Lee Hwayoung, who had guessed what I was about to do, froze in place.
An empty stage, a light illuminating only one person. This was very similar to Lee Hwayoung’s stage setting.
And from now on, what would be given to Lee Hwayoung was….
“But if it was Seo Yutae, the senior you respect so much, would he have just left this situation alone like you did?”
….The coaching from Lee Hwayoung’s idol, Seo Yutae.
“…No.”
I smiled faintly as I saw Lee Hwayoung’s eyes light up with anticipation, and then grabbed the standing microphone.
“I’ll show you how it’s done.”
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Translator’s Corner:
- A guilty conscience needs no accuser (도둑이 제 발 저리다), lit. translated: a thief’s legs go numb. Usually used for when a person who has committed a crime is so afraid that it will be revealed that he or she will reveal the fact without even realized it. Since someone is bound to feel anxious if they’re involved in misdeeds.
(The state in which someone is automatically feeling uncomfortable if he/she has done something wrong) ↩︎
At this point please pay Han Seungbeom with trainer’s wage…..
Jay doing his job right because he’s scared of getting scolded again lol