"Yuha, are you okay?"
"...!"
I flinched at the sudden touch on my shoulder and lifted my head. Do Ji-hyuk had come close without me noticing and was looking at me with concern.
"You're not tired? You said you stayed up all night yesterday too."
"Ah, yes. I'm fine. I slept a little in the practice room."
I gave an appropriate answer and rolled my stiff neck.
Before I knew it, the day of the 2nd performance evaluation had arrived. I was sitting in the trainees' waiting room, hair and makeup already done, watching the earlier-order teams' stages with my teammates.
"Are you really? I haven't seen you sleep in your bed once during this whole evaluation."
"I mean it. Why would I lie?"
Even after hearing my answer, Do Ji-hyuk looked worried, but this time I truly didn't feel much fatigue.
Because today, my body was in the best condition it had been all week.
『Sudden Mission: Practice Is the Only Way to Survive – Success!』
Success Condition: Achieve 40 hours of personal practice (Clear)
Success Reward: Fatigue -400, Sleepless Night removed, +1 to the stat of your choice
'I barely made it.'
It had already been six days of training with the team during the day and doing solo practice through the sleepless nights. Only when the morning of the evaluation day finally arrived did I manage to complete the 40 personal practice hours.
Thanks to the disappearance of the crushing fatigue caused by the side effects of the BungBung Drink, which had been draining my stamina every moment, my condition today was by far the best of the entire week.
Sure, the pressure of not sleeping and practicing nonstop for a week must've piled up, but it didn't compare to the debuff.
'If I'd been even a little late, I probably would've ruined today's stage.'
No matter how effective the calming pills were, the ever-building fatigue would've dulled my body, and if the penalty of randomly lowered stats had been added on top of that, the stage's overall quality would've dropped significantly.
So although my condition was perfect, one person still didn't seem to believe me.
"What do you mean 'why would I lie,' I literally saw you practicing again this morning instead of sleeping. Hyung, are you some kind of robot? What kind of battery do you have?"
It was Yoo Chan-hee, who had run into me in the practice room every dawn this past week.
But unlike before, I didn't pay much attention to his sharp tone.
Ever since Yoo Chan-hee suddenly changed the way he treated me a few days ago, I'd gradually come to understand his behavioral pattern.
'So what he really means is…'
=Why are you pushing yourself instead of sleeping? Don't make me worry.
'…yeah.'
As if to confirm my guess, Yoo Chan-hee—after snapping at me—kept glancing sideways to gauge my reaction. I answered him casually.
"Okay, okay, my bad. But seriously, my body's fine."
"...! I never said it was your fault! It's just an expression! Why are you exaggerating my words like that…!"
"Oh dear, Chanhee~. Are you picking a fight with hyung again?"
Yoo Chan-hee tried to add something, flustered by my easygoing reply, but his words were cut off by Cheon Serim's playful interruption.
Pushing away Cheon Serim's arm draped over his shoulders, Chan-hee scowled irritably and muttered without thinking.
"Pick a fight? Who's picking a fight? I'm just worried—"
"Worried? Oooh. Chanhee, were you worried about Yuha hyung?"
"…Fix your smudged makeup or something."
After repeatedly getting swept up in Cheon Serim's pace these past few days, Chan-hee tried to quickly divert him elsewhere, but Serim wasn't someone who fell for such tricks.
"My makeup is perfect, sweetie. Chanhee, this isn't smudging—this is called smokey."
He pulled a small hand mirror from his pocket, checked his face, then gave Chan-hee a sly smile. Chan-hee grimaced in disgust.
"I know that much, okay? Ugh—go away! Why are you being annoying here?"
"We're on the same team, where would I go? Sob sob, Ji-hyuk hyung, Chanhee is bullying me again."
"Chanhee, that's not good. We're on the same team—you should get along."
Seeing Do Ji-hyuk immediately jump in to play along with Serim's joke, Chan-hee stared at them with his mouth open in disbelief, blinking blankly.
After Chan-hee's aggressive edge softened these past few days, Do Ji-hyuk and Cheon Serim no longer had to worry about useless conflict and were busy teasing him nonstop. It turned out that once his sharpness disappeared, he was surprisingly fun to tease.
As usual, overwhelmed by the two, Chan-hee puffed up in frustration and tried to redirect the situation.
"Ugh, bullying? Who's bullying? Yoo Minseong, you tell them. Who's wrong, him or me?"
"You're both wrong…"
"You guys, keep it down…"
What a lively bunch.
Leaving behind Yoo Minseong and Hwang Young-oh being dragged into the chaos, and Cheon Serim, Do Ji-hyuk, and the fuming Yoo Chan-hee bickering away, I turned my attention back to the monitor.
On the stage, Kang Hyunjin and Aiden Lee were introducing each other's teams as leaders.
'A battle between Kang Hyunjin and Aiden Lee, huh.'
The unusual matchup left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I couldn't help feeling heavy inside.
Because that confrontation had never happened before my regression.
'Those two never faced each other in a battle.'
I didn't know every detail of all the performances or team compositions on
They were trainees who had never once hit a crisis, consistently holding stable ranks, and eventually debuting in the group AIDIN.
So as I watched their stages beyond the monitor, I realized the future was shifting drastically.
And that I was the one who triggered it.
"Who do you think will win?"
At that moment, Do Ji-hyuk asked from beside me. He had moved away from the bickering four and sat next to me, watching Kang Hyunjin dance brilliantly on the screen.
"…Group 5, maybe?"
I hesitated before naming Kang Hyunjin's group. Aiden Lee was exceptional too, but Hyunjin had never once lost first place since the initial vote.
He had been the same before regression.
He never missed 1st place, and he would continue that streak. He would debut cleanly and become AIDIN's center.
But Do Ji-hyuk seemed to think differently.
"Really? I'm guessing Group 10."
That was unexpected. I'd assumed he would choose Kang Hyunjin.
"Aiden's team?"
"Yeah. Aiden's team has something Hyunjin's team doesn't."
He smiled and nudged me lightly. When I looked at him, Do Ji-hyuk flicked his gaze toward the mic clipped to his collar and mouthed silently:
'Alliance votes.'
"...!"
"A lot of the Roommates' fans came to watch today. Must be reassuring."
Us too.
Saying that, Do Ji-hyuk turned back to the monitor. Aiden Lee was already stepping confidently onto the stage.
[Waaaaaaaah!!]
Hearing the massive cheer flooding the waiting room through the monitor, I suddenly realized something.
The future I knew no longer existed anywhere, and there was nothing I could be certain of from here on.
"Groups 4 and 6, please move!"
At that moment, the staff called us, and I rose from my seat. At the staff's shout, Yoo Chan-hee, Cheon Serim, and the dragged-along Hwang Young-oh and Yoo Minseong all instantly shifted into tense expressions.
"Alright, let's go."
Even as he soothed the nervous teammates and led us out of the waiting room, Do Ji-hyuk kept a full smile on his face.
As we stepped out, we came face-to-face with Group 6.
"…Do your best~!"
"Fighting!"
After a brief moment of standoff, the first to speak was Cheon Serim. Conscious of the cameras, he smiled warmly and encouraged them, and Group 6 answered with bright smiles of their own, as if unwilling to lose in friendliness.
As we passed each other, I briefly made eye contact with Joo Dan-woo.
"...."
"...?"
I looked at him, puzzled, as he quietly mouthed something at me.
'…What is he saying.'
After mimicking his lip movement, I could only sigh.
[Hang in there, Yuha.]
Even in a situation where we had become battle opponents, he hadn't changed at all.
'One team wins and one team loses, but he still cheers for me?'
It's both Dan-woo's strength and his flaw—but still, in a situation like this, you'd expect a little competitive spirit.
"At least half of Chanhee would be nice."
"Hyung, did practice go well? You're not gonna lose, right?"
Still watching Group 6 walk ahead with a sharp gaze, I lowered my voice and answered Yoo Chan-hee.
"As much as I can do."
"As much as you can isn't enough—you have to crush them."
"…How am I supposed to beat Dan-woo hyung? He's originally a rapper."
"Exactly! This is basically a penalty for our team, it sucks. Shouldn't we be getting some extra points or something?"
Chan-hee was still fuming from the sudden notice we'd received yesterday.
Well… understandable.
'Because Group 6's positions changed.'
Just yesterday, due to the Reverse Position rule, Joo Dan-woo—who had moved to vocal—ended up taking the main rapper position because of a teammate's dropout.
—What? You can't do it?
Yesterday afternoon, after finishing our rehearsal, we had to stop in our tracks because of a loud outburst backstage.
Surrounded by staff were the members of Group 6, who were supposed to go on stage after us, and at the center, a trainee stood with his head lowered, facing a furious Park Woo-jae.
—I… I really can't do it. I keep tripping over the rap, how am I supposed to dance and rap onstage? And after rearranging the song, the rap changed too. I can't. I'll just embarrass myself onstage.
—X—, say it properly. So you're backing out now? The day before the performance? At rehearsal?
—I've already talked to my agency…
—You selfish bastard, if the main rapper drops out now, what happens to the stage…!
When Woo-jae grabbed the trainee by the collar, chaos erupted backstage. Even the mentors in the audience hurried up to see what was happening.
Despite Woo-jae's threats, the team's pleading, and the staff's persuasion, the trainee ultimately announced his departure from
Still, the performance had to go up, so the staff urgently asked Group 6:
—Group 6, can anyone cover the main rapper part by tomorrow?
—How?! That guy didn't even write proper lyrics, and who here has them memorized…!
—…I'd like to do it.
While the remaining Group 6 members, including Park Woo-jae, looked helplessly away from the staff, the one who raised his hand was—unexpectedly—Joo Dan-woo.
He had memorized the dropped trainee's rap and even added his own adjustments. He volunteered to master it all before tomorrow.
The sudden offer brightened the staff's faces, and since the vacancy was filled, Group 6 also seemed relieved.
Only one person wasn't.
—Hyung, who are you to step up? What do you think you can do? If you ruin the stage, are you going to take responsibility?
Maybe he wanted to block Dan-woo's path like he used to do in SEAS, or maybe he simply didn't want Dan-woo gaining a bigger part. Park Woo-jae once again stood in his way.
Even under the sharp hostility, Joo Dan-woo answered calmly.
—I won't ruin the stage.
—Anyone can say that. How am I supposed to trust someone who messed up every monthly evaluation back in SEAS? Don't embarrass yourself onstage—just say clearly whether you can or can't—
—I can.
Woo-jae's attempt to cut him down with his past failed with that single sentence.
Dan-woo spoke with a quiet face, but with a clarity he had never once shown since joining
—I won't make you regret it.
At that firm declaration, Woo-jae couldn't stop him anymore.
That's how Joo Dan-woo ended up taking both the sub-vocal and main rapper positions.
'He'll do well.'
He rearranged the song; he took the rapper role; he knows the song best. He'll bring the most out of it. Chan-hee and the others were worried about that too.
Their concern was valid.
Since we're performing the same song, people will compare each position directly. And since I was never originally a rapper, nothing I do will beat Dan-woo's technique.
But even so, I had no intention of staying still.
I recalled the detailed stats I checked this morning after lifting the debuff.
『Detailed Stats』
Specialty (Vocals): A-
Specialty (Dance): B
Charm (Appearance): A-
Charm (Aura): B
Talent (Expression): B-
Talent (Focus): A+ (Unlocked)
Stamina (Physical): C
Stamina (Mental): D-
For this evaluation, continuous synchronization and repetitive group practice helped me raise my dance stat by one grade.
From B- to B might seem small, but I could tell the difference.
'My body moves differently.'
The faster reaction time allowed me to sharpen the details. Thanks to that, I could roughly keep up with the members of our group who were all strong dancers except Hwang Young-oh.
But I already knew this wouldn't be enough. Not today. Not with this opponent.
I don't have Dan-woo's technique or instinct. So all I could do was somehow bring the best out of the rap.
That's why this morning, I chose one stat and raised its grade. I don't know what effect it will have, but I've done everything I can.
Now, the result would be decided on stage.
And even if defeat was predetermined, I intended to give everything I had on that stage.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Team 'Nemaumyeolsoe,' fighting!"
"Fighting!"
It was something I said for Joo Dan-woo too, but for myself as well—I didn't intend to leave behind any regrets.
READ MORE CHAPTERS ON PAHYIP: https://payhip.com/pokemon1920
OR ON KOFI: https://ko-fi.com/ripper1920