Chapter 68 |
[LEE HWAYOUNG’S POV]
After watching Han Seungbeom’s performance during the trainer mid-term evaluation, I started to feel a sense of crisis.
I couldn’t believe it.
It was the first time I felt completely defeated.
Before, I simply wanted to be on the same stage as Han Seungbeom, but after watching that, I lost my confidence. I forced myself to over-practice to shake off that feeling, and the consequences soon reflected in my body.
“What kind of an idiot are you?!”
It was right then that Han Seungbeom, who had never shown any interest in me, suddenly started paying attention to me. I thought I’d hidden it well, but in the end, I got caught. He had such a violent reaction, it was almost like he had a trauma related to injuries.
‘But he didn’t look like he’d ever been injured.’
Han Seungbeom was only 20 years old, the same age as me. I couldn’t imagine that he had ever gotten injured during practice, especially considering his short trainee period.
For most part, our practice involved him demonstrating first, pointing out the problems, and then me finding ways to improve and correcting them myself, repeatedly.
It might sound like something anyone could do, but the demonstration Han Seungbeom showed me was so shocking, it instantly pierced through all the frustration I’d been feeling. Was he really someone who was around my age and had similar experience?
“The Chic Concept’s team will enter! 3, 2, 1!”
Just as I was replaying these questions in my mind, the staff started counting and pushed me from behind. I followed the cue, and stepped on the stage alone.
Since I couldn’t perform the choreography, the best option to handle my part was to split the stage into two and proceed that way.
The fans’ murmurs grew louder when they realized I wasn’t on the main stage.
“It looks like he really got injured….”
“Does that mean he’ll only sing? What should we do….?”
Before the fans’ confusion had even fully settled, the accompaniment began with the sound of the piano, and a white light shone above my head.”
Amidst the chaotic atmosphere, for some reason, Han Seungbeom’s words came to mind.
“I have no idea how the story leaked, but everyone was talking about how The Lee Hwayoung is finally going to be broken. And your team members are saying the same thing.”
Han Seungbeom was right.
“At least Nicholas won’t steal our votes, so it’s a relief.”
“Yeah, he needs to be knocked down a bit so we can shine too. I’m not gonna lie, during the mid-term evaluation, when the trainers only praised Nicholas, I wished he would just leave.”
“Isn’t it like God helped out by having Nicholas get hurt? Haha!”
I knew. I knew what the members standing on the main stage were thinking right now.
As I tightly gripped the microphone, I could feel the leather of my gloves rubbing and making a stiff, squeaking sound.
My insides felt like burning.
Am I angry now?
“…….”
Han Seungbeom’s grim face flashed through my mind.
“Aren’t you angry?”
Ding, ding, ding.
The instrumental began to play. The pleasant tension made my fingertips tingle.
“Show them, what kind of guy you are.”
It was a familiar feeling. It felt exactly the same as when Han Seungbeom had demonstrated it to me.
“You already know how, don’t you?”
Thump, thump, thump.
As the sound of the heartbeat filled my ears, I started to move.
I took out the mic and held it in my hand to the beat, and as I moved the stand horizontally in a large circle, the white jacket draped over my shoulders fluttered like a cape.
I could feel my movements perfectly aligning with Han Seungbeom’s movements in my memory. The choreography, built around the standing mic, was designed to fill the empty stage completely while keeping the movement of my waist to a minimum.
“Your flaw is that your style is so distinct that no matter what song you sing, it gives off a similar vibe. It might be fine now, but someday you could fall into a rut.”
‘I already know that much. That I can’t go on like this.’
“Don’t sing in a way that’s comfortable for you. Think about how you can make the audience immerse themselves more in the concept.”
Han Seungbeom’s simple suggestion to abandon my existing style didn’t scare me.
The fear of stagnation. That fear was what scared me much more.
From today onward, I will move towards that high place.
“Under the moonlight that illuminates the darkness
I stole something more precious than a diamond.“
As soon as I opened my mouth, I could tell that the voice flowing through the in-ear was flawless.
It wasn’t just a matter of beat or pitch.
‘I can’t believe I didn’t realize this until now….’
I understood what kind of image the composer had in mind when he created this song, and what he wanted from me.
The lyrics of this song were about stealing a woman’s heart and running away. So, the image I would convey to the audience was that of a phantom thief under the moonlight.
My voice would sound like a whisper, like I was enjoying a secret rendezvous. It was a completely different than my usual singing style, but I didn’t mind.
Because the composer was watching me with a bright face that I had never seen before.
“The more you try to get it back The more you try to chase after me The more you will be unable to escape Because,”
The lighting turned blue and shone on my face like the moonlight streaming through the window. Then, rose petals were scattered around me as if surrounding me through the strong fan.
As I spread my hand out in front of me to appeal to the camera, at some point, a rose petal had landed on my palm. I blew it away and whispered,
“You already love me, don’t you?”
Screech.
As I finished my part, a scream-like cheer erupted, and the sound of the violin announcing the start of the full song rang out, while the light that had been shining on me disappeared.
The main stage lights came up and the stage had switched.
I perfectly performed the opening.
From then on, it was the members’ turn.
“I’m the one who stole your heart
Catch me Until the moon goes down No matter how hard you try, I’ll run away.“
They seemed taken aback by the overly excited reaction of the audience.
But their bewilderment didn’t matter to me.
‘All you have to do is follow the game that I’ve laid out for you.’
.
.
.
As the song reached its latter half, I soon anticipated the future that awaited me.
“…….”
‘The same thing as the mid-term evaluation will happen again.’
Knock, thump thump! Knock!
After this dance break, which started with a powerful beat, it would be my turn. And this part was the one I had been pointed out for by Trainer Jay.
The reason my performance felt awkward, as if it was disconnected from the other members, was because they didn’t give me any space to join them. I knew that, but I thought there was no way to fix it. It wasn’t intentional, but I already knew that my teammates disliked me a lot.
But Han Seungbeom was different.
“You have no social skills, no way with words, and no ability to teach others, so what can you possibly do? Persuade the members? That’s nonsense. Since when have you ever cared about what others think?”
“.…Then what am I supposed to do?”
He pointed out my attitude, as if he could see through the my heart, which was momentarily discouraged by the memory of losing a good song because I was rejected by the other trainees on the day of concept assignment.
Then, he said this with a relaxed smile.
“Just eat them. It’s what you do best, isn’t it?”
Those words echoed in my ears again, and in an instant, my vision expanded. My skin tingled, and the sounds became crystal clear, as if I had just emerged from the water.
“Haven’t you already seen what it means to do it ‘properly’?”
The camera that captured my face in close-up, the audience watching the stage I was standing on instead of the main stage, the MR that was flowing through the in-ear.
Every element of the stage was perceived as if it was part of my body.
During the mid-evaluation, Han Seungbeom captured everyone’s attention with even the smallest movement. In his movement, there was a sense of expertise, and a kind of talent that I could not follow.
‘That’s not something I can keep up with right now.’
Han Seungbeom had his dancing skill as weapon. But what about me?
What was my weapon?
I reached for the microphone in front of me.
“Um…….”
Starting with a very small whisper, my voice grew louder as the width of vibrato gradually increased, eventually reaching a powerful crescendo. Then, the audience that had been excited by the fast-tempo dance break became completely silent without a sound.
‘Even without Han Seungbeom’s choreography, my singing is enough.’
With just that short humming, everyone was watching me.
As I felt that, I realized that I had finally found my pace.
Because the song had already reached its ending, yet the audience was looking at me as if they had forgotten the entire previous performance.
“…….”
1, 2, 3.
There was silence, not a single sound to be heard.
This was the perfect moment to take full advantage of the echo of the venue.
“To be shown to this mundane world You are too beautiful I wish parting would never come”
The microphone stand, decorated with roses and laces, reminded me of a woman wearing a white dress. I grabbed the thickest lace, as if squeezing my partner’s hand.
Then, like a scene from a ball, I whispered while tilting the stand,
“This is our Last Dance Just close your eyes and feel me
Thud.
As the curtain fell like in an opera, the sound of the lights turning off was heard, and the curtain swiftly covered the stage.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAA!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
“Nicholas!”
“Lee Hwayoung! Lee Hwayoung! Lee Hwayoung!”
Although my figure was hidden by the curtain and could not be seen, the voices of the audience chanting my name echoed endlessly. I lifted my head and looked toward the main stage, where my teammates were staring at me, holding their breath.
Their empty eyes seemed to know exactly what their future would be.
I turned my gaze away from them and moved to the main stage.
I didn’t feel any sympathy. This was the result of their own negligence.
“Phew…..”
While adjusting my outfit for the final greeting, I caught sight of Han Seungbeom. He seemed to be waiting in the passageway beside the stage for his performance turn.
Han Seungbeom’s large eyes were wide open as he looked at me.
Watching surprise dawn on his consistently expressionless face sent a shiver down my spine. The thrill of finally earning Han Seungbeom’s recognition, coupled with the joy of my own growth, left me feeling a whirlwind of emotions.
The curtains opened, and the audience began to come into view. But my eyes were still fixed on him.
“Han Seungbeom.”
When I called his name, his body flinched. His face was colored with shock, as if he couldn’t believe his name was being called on stage.
I deliberately sent a satisfied smile towards him. Then, I raised my finger and pointed at him.
If it’s Han Seungbeom, he would know.
What I was thinking right now.
“WAAAAAAAH!”
“Lee Hwayoung! Lee Hwayoung!”
Admit it.
That there is no one better suited to stand by your side than me.
See.
That the one you have to tame is not only Do Yuda.
“My performance, did you see it?”
I curled the finger that had been pointing at Han Seungbeom into a fist and raised it above my head. Then, according to my intent, the cheer of the crowd grew louder, creating a resonance that made my skin tingle.
Smiling at him once more, I silently mouthed the words to him,
I will never be broken.
[END OF LEE HWAYOUNG’S POV]
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Translator’s Corner:
I had such a whiplash doing Nicholas’ POV likeeee THIS MAN IS FILMING DIFFERENT GENRE BY HIMSEEELF. KID, THIS IS SURVIVAL SHOW!!!