To understand this, we'll have to go back to 5 hours ago…
* * *
Ji Hwa-seong, who had been diligently distributing the parts, pushed up his glasses and spoke confidently.
"I think this is pretty good. Would you like to take a look at it together?"
There were two reasons why Ji Hwa-seong took on the role of leader.
Firstly, because he didn't want to give the hat to some ignorant person he didn't even know.
Ji Hwa-seong had great pride in being a pure-blooded trainee from August, a talented agency.
Well, I guess it's not an unreasonable pride to be proud of having passed an open audition at the young age of 12 and come this far.
And the second one. Because he believes that no one else can carry this team.
The glaring eyes of the Ji Hwa-seong fiercely scanned the members checking their parts.
"Gao Yan is okay with this. I'm better at rapping than singing. Gao Yan is rapping."
"Good. I like it too. Can I practice first? Ah, ah, ahem."
Two strange but kind foreigners. But foreigners are an exception to the rule.
"Oh, you gave me more than I expected? Thank you, Hwa-seong."
"---mmh."
13th and 11th places.
Seo Bin, ranked 13th, has a lot of experience as a trainee at another agency for a long time, but his personal abilities were too focused on vocals and he lacks confidence, which was a bit of a problem.
Not to mention the opportunist Kim Joo-an.
Ji Hwa-seong glanced at the quiet Kim Joo-an, and clicked his tongue without the camera noticing.
He had no intention of working hard, nor was he mindful of the camera.
'He's really the worst, thinking about sucking up viewer ratings by sticking beside Jae-ha hyung.'
And....
6th place. Kim Chunyong, checking the choreography video while warming up his shoulders.
Actually, Ji Hwa-seong's eyes almost popped out when he first saw Kim Chunyong's score. Seriously.
[Kim Chunyong
Min Si-young: 0 points
Na Ji-hyeok: 95 points
Moon Yoon-ha: 90 points
Jin Dasol: 100 points
Total score: 285 points (6th place)]
A score difficult to obtain even if you deliberately aim for it on stage, with both 0 and 100 points coexisting.
In any case, Kim Chun-yong himself was a person with many very attractive elements.
He was quite handsome, and his dancing skills were so good that Jin Daol even sent a love call.
"Oh, is it too old-fashioned? My grandmother gave it to me."
Things like being bold and not being nervous in front of mentors.
But from Ji Hwa-seong's perspective, no, from the perspective of most trainees, Kim Chunyong was nothing short of a time bomb.
Everyone who was there remembers.
Min Si-young's sharp critique, her disapproving gaze at Kim Chunyong.
And when she glared at Jin Dasol, who declared that he would give Kim Chunyong a high score.
A trainee targeted by Min Si-young, a senior from the same agency?
'He's a defective aspect, a defective aspect. That's why Jae-ha hyung and Liu Wei didn't pick him.'
Ji Hwa-seong looked at him quietly and shook his head.
So the conclusion is that there is no one worthy of being on this team other than Ji Hwa-seong.
'I have to do it. Whether it's standing out on my own or leading these idiots to a huge success. I have to be the center.'
Ji Hwa-seong jumped up from his seat and shouted loudly.
"Okay, so before we go to the recording studio, should we practice some choreography? I hope we all can do it...."
"Wait a minute. I have something to say."
A voice Ji Hwa-seong didn't particularly want to hear reached his ears.
He suppressed the tendon threatening to rise on his forehead and answered in a bright voice.
"---Haha, Joo-an hyung. What is it?"
"Why, Kim Chun- no, um can you just give the dance break position to someone just like that?"
Kim Joo-an finally realized the need to manage his image in front of the camera, and quickly corrected himself and smiled brightly.
But Kim Joo-an's eyes, seething with jealousy and anger, said his true thoughts.
'If Kim Chunyong can do that, I can too!'
"The dance break center position is definitely a very important position. Aren't you guys at least a little greedy? This is a survival program, after all."
'You didn't say a word when we were deciding, and now you're nitpicking after everything's finalized? Are you kidding me?'
Ji Hwa-seong felt a slight headache as he tried to reason with Kim Joo-an, who had his head down.
"No, well, we all saw that Chunyong hyung was a good dancer, so I told him in advance that he could take that part..."
You should have just taken the part you're good at, why waste time on the dance break when you're not sure if you could handle it?
He just wanted to ruin this cheerful atmosphere.
Ji Hwa-seong felt something stirring in his heart.
'No way. You can never do that when I'm the leader, you crazy bastard!'
"Joo-an hyung, that's a bit... We've already divided up the parts."
"The dance break has nothing to do with the part, so why don't you just give it to me?"
"Uhm, Joo-an. Your vocal parts are not small, but if Chunyong takes over the dance break...."
As Seo Bin agreed with Ji Hwa-seong, Kim Joo-an glanced at the camera, ran his hand through his hair, and made a displeased face.
"...Are you saying I'm being unreasonable right now, then?"
"No, you know that's not what I meant, Joo-an hyung."
"Really? Because it seems you are… you guys are really going too far."
Kim Joo-an sniffled slightly and dabbed his eyes with his sleeve.
"Oh, God. Are you crying now?"
"I think so. It seems like he's crying for more parts."
Logan and Gao Yan, foreigners who were not accustomed to this kind of atmosphere, were unsure of what to do.
Then, Kim Joo-an raised his voice as if he had been waiting for just that.
"I just thought we all needed to stand out equally...."
'That kid is for real!'
Ji Hwa-seong opened his mouth, prepared to drag Kim Joo-an into the camera's blind spot if necessary.
"Hyung, if you keep doing this..."
"If you want to do it, then do it."
"---Huh?"
Ji Hwa-seong widened his eyes and looked at Kim Chunyong, who spoke up behind him.
Before he knew it, Kim Chunyong had put down the tablet he was holding on the floor and was stretching his long limbs.
'Did I hear that correctly?'
"Hey, C-Chunyong... What did you say?"
Kim Joo-an stuttered, perhaps not expecting to be handed the part so easily.
However, Kim Chunyong, who had dropped the actual bombshell, looked surprisingly unconcerned.
"You said you wanted to be the center. I just watched the choreography, and I think I'd be fine as a support. It's not like my role is completely insignificant."
Kim Chunyong chuckled heartily.
"If you want to do it, then do it well, okay?"
The moment Ji Hwa-seong saw Kim Chunyong's smile, he had an ominous feeling that this team might not go in the direction he wanted.
* * *
"Oh, good! Keep the formation the same, ta-ta-ta-ta, there's your turn!"
Still, thanks to Ji Hwa-seong's desperate efforts to fix the mood, the first choreography practice seemed to go smoothly.
Well, their dance was quite a mess if you looked closely, as it was their first time dancing together without prior practice.
But what was important was that the members were each taking the lead and practicing on their own.
'Okay. The best dancers here are me and Kim Chunyong hyung, so it'll still turn out good on TV. That's enough.'
In fact, Kim Joo-an was also quite good himself, befitting his position as center, but Ji Hwa-seong tried to not even think about him.
Because the more he did, the more frustrated he got.
But of course, he couldn't ignore the problem forever.
"Hmm, this is where the dance break starts...."
Ji Hwa-seong's face, which had been confident until then, hardened slightly.
His original plan was to go to the recording studio and do a rough recording first before the dance break, which was full of difficult moves…
"This team will continue individual practice a little more!"
"Huh? What?"
However, the previous team's recording was delayed for some reason, and naturally, their recording was also delayed.
'Oh, shit. He still can't do the dance break part... What should I do?'
The practice room was briefly silenced as Ji Hwa-seong's excited voice was cut off.
Individual trainees Gao Yan and Logan, as well as vocal member Seo Bin, were already panting and exhausted just from following this choreography.
'If this continues, we'll just be filmed resting!'
However,
"Joo-an, during the dance break, you should take the lead and just go for it."
Kim Chunyong, who was still energetic despite sweating a little, shattered Ji Hwa-seong's worries.
"What- what do you mean?"
Kim Joo-an, who was equally exhausted as the other members, asked Kim Chunyong with a look of bewilderment.
"Hmm? I'm just saying that as the center, it'll be easier for the others to adjust behind you if you lead at the front."
"No, I haven't gotten the dance break choreography yet...."
"Huh? You said you were going to be the center. Didn't you say that you wanted to do the dance break?"
"..."
"Ah, oh my. I was short-sighted. You might not have gotten it yet! I'll help you, come here..."
Kim Chunyong, smiling cheerfully with his fangs barred like a rascal, dragged Kim Joo-an to sit in front of the mirror in the practice room.
Kim Joo-an struggled a bit, but it was useless due to the noticeable height difference between the two of them.
"Look at me. Aimed at your Heart, from this part onwards...."
Steady your toes on the ground and then turn your upper body once.
Quick steps. Left foot first, then right foot. Repeat twice.
Lightly brush your shoulders with your hands, then isolate your head.
Turn your upper and lower bodies to different sides, and acrobatically do a backflip once.
Even while bending your body, pay attention to your fingertips, hold your center, and turn once.
Sweep the floor once with your knees, and rise naturally with the gravity-
"...look straight ahead."
Someone standing by the practice room door clapped his hands and spoke in a low voice.
Ten pairs of eyes fixed on Kim Chunyong, who was dancing as if possessed, turned towards the newcomer.
Unlike when he was judging, he was wearing a comfortable training suit, a stylish rider jacket, and silver piercings…
"M-Mentor Jin Dasol!?"
…was standing there.
"Yes."
Jin Dasol, who had responded dryly to someone's exclamation, walked towards them without hesitation and spoke.
"The team ahead said the recording would take a while... so they asked if I could watch the choreography first... so now I'm here."
Jin Dasol placed his hand on Kim Chunyong's shoulder, who was trying to catch his breath after dancing so hard.
"...What should I be looking at?"
Ji Hwa-seong struggled to shut his gaping mouth, his eyes shaking wildly.
Right, now wasn't the time to be surprised by Jin Dasol's sudden appearance.
Kim Chun-yong's dance came first.
'...It's his first time and yet it's like that?'
The incredibly detailed movements and facial expressions during the difficult dance break part.
No one could copy the choreography so perfectly after a brief watch. Kim Chunyong's dance was almost perfect, already enough to be taken to the stage.
While Ji Hwa-seong was still shocked by the fact, Kim Chunyong greeted Jin Dasol with a bright smile.
"Hello, Mentor Dasol!"
"You can call me 'hyung'."
"Haha, how could I call you that? You're good at joking!"
"When my crew comes... you'll have to call me hyung."
"Haha! This is seriously so funny! Oh, my stomach hurts. Excuse me, just a moment. Haha!"
"..."
The conversation paused briefly because Kim Chunyong suddenly burst into laughter.
Soon, all six members stood quietly in front of their dance mentor, Jin Dasol.
"So, Kim Chunyong is the dance break center... right?"
At Jin Dasol's question, the other members glanced at Kim Joo-an.
From the moment Kim Chunyong showed off his dance break choreography, Kim Joo-an had kept his mouth shut with a pale face.
The trainees knew at what moment that expression would appear.
...when he was intimidated by overwhelming power.
Ji Hwa-seong looked at Kim Joo-an just once, smiled brightly, and answered Jin Dasol.
"Ah, no, our dance break center is Joo-an hyung-"
"No!"
Kim Joo-an hurriedly interrupted Ji Hwa-seong, who looked at him strangely and spoke.
"Huh? But hyung clearly said earlier that he wanted to be the center..."
That was when Kim Joo-an knew that Ji Hwa-seong's attitude was like a trap.
"Oh, no, I was mistaken. I think it'd be better if Chunyong did it."
He couldn't say a word in rebuttal.
Because it was clear that he would lose if he continued like that.
"Then... I'll take a look first."
Jin Dasol, unaware of the situation, nodded once and asked them to stand in formation, and they soon began to move their bodies to the beat he counted in a small voice.
[Skill Activation:
Kim Chunyong's cell phone, which was shining brightly in the corner of the practice room, was turned over.