Chapter 26
They were now in the midst of practice before the actual live broadcast. They danced until it became second nature and continued practicing within the range that wouldn’t damage their voices. While everyone tried to control their excitement before the live broadcast, there was also a trainee who wasn’t like that.
‘This is serious.’
Jaekyung put on his hood and looked around pretending not to notice. Because they came in last place in the mission, their position for the live broadcast wasn’t good. That was only good for Jaekyung, but not for others. Because of this, all the team members except Jaekyung had poor expressions.
Of course, Jungwoo, whose thoughts were unreadable, was the same as usual, but even Hajun was wearing a deflated smile. For them, this live broadcast stage was no different from the first impression they would show to the nation.
Jaekyung considered comforting them by saying they didn’t know where the cameras would film, but stopped. That was an area even Jaekyung, who knew the future, couldn’t know. And usually filming the center was basic. Unless they had actually watched that program, but Jaekyung only knew the results.
…Actually, he didn’t know the other final successful candidates besides JT either.
‘I really don’t know anything.’
If I had known I’d come in here, I would have watched it carefully.
“Hyung, could you look at me once?”
At Sowoon’s question, Jaekyung looked at him. Though he had no energy, Sowoon, who was trying to practice even once more, gave a weak smile. Jaekyung looked at Sowoon with a seemingly surprised feeling. It looked admirable that the 17-year-old youngest was the first to pull himself together.
One by one, gazes gathered hearing the conversation between Sowoon and Jaekyung. Everyone watched Sowoon’s solo dance. The trainees’ expressions changed seeing him trying not to carelessly skip over each movement. Thinking they couldn’t give up here, some sat down and tried to match Sowoon’s dance. When the song ended, Sowoon said to Jaekyung without even calming his rough breathing.
“How was it?”
“Hmm…”
Jaekyung gently scratched his cheek. He was troubled about what to answer. It was better than the first time, but it wasn’t noticeably pretty dancing.
Just adequate?
Normally he should say it was good, but the words didn’t come out easily. He couldn’t take lightly the effort of a kid who was trying to do well somehow. Jaekyung recalled Sowoon’s dance with serious eyes. Other trainees also became tense and looked at Jaekyung’s mouth.
“Sowoon.”
“Yes.”
“You really have to debut here, right?”
“…I want to.”
Sowoon lowered his head dejectedly.
“But I don’t know if I can even pass the first round.”
“How many missions did you get?”
“2.”
Including the basic 1 minute given, that’s a total of 3 minutes. Jaekyung couldn’t even get 1 minute because he didn’t actively respond to missions, but Sowoon didn’t have much either.
“Sigh.”
Jaekyung let out a deep sigh. He couldn’t see Sowoon’s expression because he was lowering his head, but his restless movements kept catching his eye.
“How much time do we have left?”
“About ten days.”
Jaekyung looked at Sowoon again. And he saw trainees with similar expressions to Sowoon.
‘Should I step forward?’
It wasn’t like any grand method came to mind, but he wondered why he felt responsibility for no reason. But he hesitated to step forward himself. Even if he had experience as an idol, it didn’t mean the method he thought of was the answer.
Lost in thought, Jaekyung unconsciously raised his head and looked at the half-open door with a questioning gaze. Jeon Sanguk, who was passing by, stopped for a moment, looked Jaekyung up and down, then smiled mockingly. He disappeared with an openly mocking and swaggering attitude that wasn’t caught on camera, but Jaekyung saw it clearly.
Jaekyung looked at where Jeon Sanguk had just passed and asked Sowoon.
“…Where is Group B’s position?”
“Center.”
“Ha.”
Thinking that Jeon Sanguk would dance in the center, Jaekyung let out a hollow laugh. He swept back his bangs to calm his excitement, then erased his expression frighteningly fast.
I’m pissed. I’m really pissed. Thinking that he had been flattened as Jeon Sanguk said, anger boiled up. Jaekyung opened his mouth while coldly settling down.
“What I’m thinking isn’t anything special. Honestly, there’s no guarantee it’ll work either.”
“Huh?”
Hajun asked back in surprise. The other trainees were the same. They didn’t expect Jaekyung to step forward actively first.
“But will you still do as I say?”
“Huh? Yeah, sure, it doesn’t matter. You’re not a god or anything.”
“Right. Unless Jaekyung hyung came from the future, I don’t have any expectations.”
Jaekyung flinched at Sowoon’s joke.
‘Sorry.’
I did come from the future, but I don’t know anything. Jungwoo acted like anything was fine, and Sowoon also clenched his fist tightly.
“I could go without sleeping for ten days if you told me to.”
“…Then you’d die, Sowoon.”
“I’ll work that hard.”
Jaekyung laughed as if he’d lost. His anger that had been boiling because of Jeon Sanguk calmed down at Sowoon’s bright determination. Jaekyung’s gaze turned to the other trainees.
“First, since the song is a group song, it won’t be noticeable. So we’re allocating a lot of practice time to dancing relatively…”
That was a fact everyone here knew.
“But that doesn’t mean singing won’t work. Even if our voices work, singing powerfully will show on our faces, so don’t reduce singing practice time.”
Jaekyung added that they should learn earnestly even by seeking out lesson trainers within reasonable limits.
“And one more thing. Everyone is clinging to dance practice, but cutting sleep time doesn’t mean only we advance. We should use something else instead.”
Jaekyung looked at each team member’s face one by one. All 8 trainees were listening to his words.
“Synchronized dancing.”
Jungwoo understood right away. But since there were people who didn’t understand, Jaekyung explained gently.
“Let’s focus on dancing as if we’re all one. Of course, it could be a loss for those who dance well individually. Because you’re killing yourself and matching with others. Still, since it’s a song made as a complete group song, there are no movements where individuals will stand out exceptionally. It’s better to blend into the group dance more than anyone else.”
Here, the person who danced best individually was Jaekyung. But since he spoke first without caring about his own loss, everyone looked at him with emotion. Jaekyung continued speaking without knowing the gazes that suddenly looked at him pitifully.
“We’re already all practicing the same choreography, so it’s no different from group dancing. As I said earlier, this isn’t the correct answer. But it’s a way to improve further from here, can you do it?”
Hajun, who had been listening quietly, said.
“That’s enough.”
The rest was Hajun’s responsibility. Hajun first synchronized the schedules of team members who had been doing individual activities within the same team. After allocating time so they could now practice singing and dancing together, Hajun called Jaekyung.
“Jaekyung.”
“Yes.”
“Sorry, but since you’re the best at singing and dancing here, can you help? Especially for synchronized dancing, it seems like you need to oversee everything.”
Hajun led with Jaekyung, who had never stepped forward and only did his part, at the center. Jaekyung looked at Hajun with a fresh gaze. He readily accepted his words and had good momentum to match.
“I understand.”
Jaekyung walked to the center of the practice room. There was a reason Jeon Sanguk had mocked and left like that. He must have been happy knowing he would dance in the corner.
‘Not yet.’
Jaekyung burned with unnecessary competitive spirit. He just needed to dance better than center. As other trainees lined up behind him, Jaekyung looked at the camera reflected in the mirror. He had entered a position where his appearance would be filmed nakedly. He knew this, but now wasn’t the time to distinguish between shit and soybean paste.
‘1 minute.’
The only thing he could trust was that nothing should come out except the 1 minute that would be broadcast.
“I’ll make sure everyone falls on the exact beat from beginning to end.”
When Jaekyung took his position, Hajun automatically played the song. All the trainees looked in the mirror and solemnly raised their arms.
“Ah, just in case, I’m saying this, but I’ve never taught anyone before. So please understand even if it’s awkward.”
Since the situation was different from giving simple advice to Sowoon, he would also stumble.
Hajun told him not to worry and not to mind such things.
* * *
“Didn’t I do pretty well?”
“Yeah. Where? Which part? Not the part where you just swayed, did you dance anything else?”
“…No.”
Sowoon dejectedly lowered his hand. He had been kind when first looking, but his eyebrows curved downward at the merciless evaluation. However, Jaekyung was busy looking at the next person and abandoned Sowoon.
“Chanhyung, from here to here, don’t think you’re just dancing, you need to put strength into each movement.”
“I am putting in strength though?”
“Yeah.”
Though he said yeah, his tone was completely unconvinced.
“…How should I put in strength?”
“Everywhere except your face.”
Han Chanhyung’s expression distorted. He was told to put strength everywhere except his face, but he didn’t know why only his eyes, nose, and mouth were getting tense. Jaekyung immediately went to another person.
“I think it would be good if just a little detail went in here.”
“Like this?”
“Mm. Bend your wrist a little more, don’t keep spreading your toes, don’t bend your knees, and don’t open your mouth.”
“…”
“You just need to change a little, so after looking once, we can move on to the next choreography.”
The sound of a KO bell could be heard from somewhere.
“Don’t I have anything to look at?”
“Hyung, you’re already good.”
“But, still pay some attention.”
Hajun reached out toward Jaekyung who had already left. Jungwoo’s situation wasn’t much different. Jaekyung positioned himself next to Jungwoo without even looking at his dance.
“Don’t I have anything to say?”
“You just do moderately.”
“Because I dance well?”
“Because you’re handsome.”
“…”
“You should stand out considerably. We’re talking about synchronized dancing, but what if you stand out alone with your face? Why are you so…”
“Is it my fault?”
Hearing their conversation, Hajun stopped dancing and fell to the side holding his stomach.
“Hajun hyung, if you’re not going to dance, could you please turn off the music?”
Unable to stand seeing Hajun playing around, Jaekyung immediately went after him.
“Oh, okay.”
Hajun, who had fallen from laughing, got up pouting his lips at the role given to him. He had let his guard down for a moment and became a jukebox that had to play songs for each section.
“Everyone needs to match down to your fingertips and time when you raise your arms.”
Since even the angle of arms can’t be wrong, don’t get excited while dancing and don’t add unnecessary seasoning.
Jaekyung laid out nagging for everyone with a calm voice.
“The moment anyone stands out trying to do well, it’s over. Hajun hyung, please play from 1 minute 33 seconds.”
As Hajun hurriedly went to the middle of the song, the trainees followed without being able to cry or laugh. It’s good that it’s helpful, but strangely they resent Hajun?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
