Chapter 67
Sowoon, who had just finished the main stage and come down, saw Hajun below and ran to him happily.
“Hyung, why are you here?”
“I wanted to watch from close up.”
“Who? Jungwoo hyung?”
Hajun patted Sowoon’s head and put his arm around his shoulders.
“I see Jungwoo every day.”
“Right. But I thought you wanted to see hyung because he’s doing something really cool this time.”
“Yeah. It’s cool… and difficult choreography.”
As Hajun’s last words flowed out quietly, Sowoon looked up at him. Even if it’s difficult, wouldn’t it be better since Jungwoo hyung does it well? But Hajun leaned on Sowoon and pointed ahead.
“I like it when the whole team does well.”
Sowoon, who turned his head following Hajun, discovered a welcome face.
“It’s Jaekyung hyung. You wanted to see Jaekyung hyung.”
“Right. To be precise, I wanted to see the stage of the team Jaekyung belongs to. Jaekyung has been doing really well so far.”
Hajun also knew that the team’s leader was trainee Lee Junghang. However, it was Jaekyung who had coordinated everything from the team’s atmosphere. Hajun wanted to see up close what kind of stage Jaekyung had created.
This contained meaning beyond simply wanting to see if Jaekyung’s team did well, but Sowoon didn’t notice because his attention was drawn elsewhere.
“But we have to watch from the waiting room after the stage ends. While giving big reactions too.”
Sowoon spoke while fidgeting with his hands, but Hajun only lifted his arm that was leaning on Sowoon to pat his head without answering.
“Let’s watch.”
“Still… oh, it’s starting.”
Afraid of missing it during the time it would take to get to the waiting room, Sowoon had already stuck close to Hajun’s side to watch the stage.
“Seeing that hyung is doing center this time, don’t you think he could do it next time too?”
“Probably not. In that team, it had to be Jaekyung. Such special cases don’t come around often.”
As Hajun said, since they were participating in an audition, there were plenty of people who wanted to be center. Plus, those interested in vocals would naturally try to be main vocal.
“So watch this well. When will Jaekyung be center again?”
“That’s true.”
Sowoon also started watching comfortably while leaning on Hajun.
* * *
‘What is this?’
Jaekyung, dancing to the music, felt like he was dreaming. His body remembered the choreography and moved on its own, while his mind floated hazily.
It wasn’t like this during rehearsal earlier. It was just time to dance to the music, check where he was lacking, and he thought he just needed to stand on stage like this. But when he actually started the main stage, it was flowing completely differently from rehearsal.
It didn’t look different to others, but Jaekyung’s inner self was greatly shaken.
The moment the formation changed, Jaekyung’s body automatically moved to where he needed to go. Then he immediately stretched out his arms to dance and expressed the song’s emotions with his body. When he thought ‘what kind of feeling am I having right now?’ and the lyrics came to mind, his body naturally moved to express them.
While dancing as he had practiced, Jaekyung felt everything he hadn’t been able to notice before. Not only the consistent distance he was maintaining with his teammates, but also the movements they synchronized like one body. The gazes they shared and the concentration that didn’t miss the beat until the end – all of it was an unforgettable moment for Jaekyung.
‘The stage I wanted.’
For a moment, Jaekyung forgot he had returned to the past. He forgot about the audition and just thought he had stepped onto a stage achieved after a long trainee period. This was the stage Jaekyung had wanted. His body moving as he wished, all team members moving like one team, and himself belonging within that.
It felt like he had endured all those difficult times for moments like this. He was getting more and more out of breath, but even that was coming to him pleasantly. Moving toward the end, Jaekyung naturally smiled at having performed this satisfying stage.
That dream-like time disappeared like bubbles as soon as the song ended.
“Wow, you did well.”
“You really did well.”
At the masters’ cheers, Jaekyung’s mind returned to reality. Jaekyung had debuted, that idol activity had been a complete mess, and when he was about to give up everything, he had returned to the past. And up to voluntarily coming to this audition to quit being an idol – his situation came to mind.
Jaekyung covered his mouth pretending to wipe sweat to hide his bitter smile. He felt pathetically foolish for being happy about dancing the stage he had dreamed of, forgetting his own situation. Whatever stage it was, it ultimately wouldn’t have any impact on Jaekyung’s future.
Coming down from the stage after a few masters’ impressions, Jaekyung clenched his fists and made a resolution. Never to lose focus like this again next time.
“Jaekyung hyung.”
Sowoon waved happily toward Jaekyung. Wondering why he was here instead of in the waiting room, Jaekyung just greeted him lightly. He also waved to Hajun who was next to him.
“This is Lee Sowoon, right?”
Lee Junghang, who was next to him, asked. Now that the numbers had clearly decreased, everyone knew each other’s names, but trainees who hadn’t been on the same team were still awkward with each other.
“Yes.”
“He has a cute face and doesn’t seem to have a particularly long training period, but you can see he works hard.”
At Lee Junghang’s story about Lee Sowoon that he had observed, Jaekyung nodded. Sowoon certainly overflowed with brighter energy than anyone. Whether that was captured well on camera, his popularity was gradually rising.
As other team members were also saying a word or two about Sowoon, Jaekyung, whose interest had moved away, followed silently. For Jaekyung, shaking off the emotions he had just felt was more important than how Sowoon was doing.
“Let’s go quickly. We can’t rest much. The results will be announced soon.”
At Jaekyung’s subdued expression, Lee Junghang grabbed his shoulder and pulled him along. It was to ensure Jaekyung could rest well without feeling burdened. At Lee Junghang’s words, the team members hurried back to the waiting room. And among them, Jaekyung suddenly looked back at the people he had performed on stage with this time.
They were all trainees he was seeing for the first time. He had formed a team with people he had never greeted or exchanged words with, even in passing. Despite the potentially awkward first meeting, they had shown kindness and approached Jaekyung. Perhaps that’s why Jaekyung could easily fit in among them. Especially, not having past connections like with JT was what put Jaekyung’s mind at ease. Encountering the past of someone he already knew like Jungwoo was tiring work for Jaekyung, having to recall and match up that person’s past and future.
On a blank canvas, he had drawn the picture Jaekyung wanted to draw from beginning to end. Since everyone listened to Jaekyung’s story and supported and encouraged each other, Jaekyung could do this round without comparing himself to his past self.
‘So that was it.’
Was this why he was able to focus particularly well on the stage, and consequently his mind floated more than any other stage?
‘There won’t be another stage like this next time, right?’
Entering the waiting room, Jaekyung tried to shake off his longing for the stage.
* * *
“Everyone please gather in front of the stage.”
At the staff’s call, everyone rose busily. Even Jaekyung, who had been sitting in a corner, got up following Lee Junghang and followed behind him.
When they stood in lines by team in the same spot where Sowoon and Hajun had been standing earlier below the stage, PD Choi came out.
“We’ve safely finished up to the 3rd round. Everyone worked hard.”
The 3rd round felt particularly long because there was an announcement ceremony in the middle. Perhaps that’s why the trainees’ expressions looked complicated.
“Next time you come, we’ll proceed with the announcement ceremony and then form teams again focusing on those who passed to prepare for the stage.”
This meant that at least the number of trainees wouldn’t decrease in the middle. Most trainees were happy that they didn’t have to practice with the anxious feeling of not knowing whether they would stay or leave.
“Then I’ll announce the 1st place of this 3rd round. The team that places 1st will be given the benefit of priority in choosing the next round’s song as well as having a promotional video uploaded separately on YouTube.”
For them who were desperate for promotion more than anyone, it was quite an attractive benefit, but there was only one exception – Jaekyung. He was just standing there thinking things like ‘I wonder who will be 1st place.’
“Then I’ll announce the 1st place team.”
As soon as PD Choi finished speaking, all the trainees shut their mouths and the chaotic space was quietly organized.
“We’ll reveal it on screen.”
Even though he wasn’t interested in rankings, Jaekyung looked up at the screen, curious about who would place 1st. Since he had only briefly seen other teams practicing in passing, he had no idea who might be 1st.
“The 1st place team of Choose Nine 3rd round is… Congratulations. It’s the ‘Because of You’ team that perfectly made a girl group song their own.”
As PD Choi’s announcement was made and a familiar face appeared on screen, Jaekyung’s face went blank with shock.
…Who placed 1st?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
