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Translator: uly
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Debut Qualification Ability Evaluation (2)
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Dung-dung, dung-dung—
A powerful bass line and drum riff echoed through the room.
Dance judge Han Ji-yong nodded the moment he heard the intro.
'So this is the track they prepared.'
The dance song Hi Jae had chosen was by Blue Black, a track so famous that everyone in the practice room knew it.
Blue Black was a five-member boy group hailed as the ones who opened the door to the second generation of idols, rising to stardom with their conceptual songs and razor-sharp synchronized choreography.
Among them, this was their fifth title track, the one that got the biggest response.
It captured a man's heart trapped by a woman, unable to escape, expressed through intense rhythms and rapping, earning massive love from fans.
Thanks to this song, Blue Black swept the grand prize that year.
'Not a bad choice.'
Han Ji-yong lifted one corner of his mouth.
If what Manager Hong said was true—that due to the accident, he only had basic-level skills left—then picking this song was spot-on.
Because the choreography stuck faithfully to the fundamentals: not overly difficult, yet easy to make flashy thanks to the point dances scattered throughout.
When it first dropped, most high school dance clubs across the country practiced it for their club performances. That said it all.
But it wasn't just some easy song, either. No complex moves at first glance, but the beats were finely chopped, making it sneaky easy to mess up.
Hi Jae started with small movements syncing to the intro rhythm, flowing one after another. Quite fluid motions.
'Let's take a closer look.'
Then came the intro verse. No big expectations, but this might actually be worth watching. Han Ji-yong crossed his arms and began scrutinizing Hi Jae's movements.
- Trapped in an endless maze, it feels like
This maze called you that I can never escape
You chase me faster than light
Sticking right behind me, never letting go
'Good use of the body.'
Even during the evaluation a few months back, he'd thought the dance lines were pretty. And yeah, not bad this time either.
Even with amnesia, the dancing must've stuck in his body.
His footwork matched the heavy rhythm perfectly, right on beat.
- No matter how hard I try to run
You smile at me like it's pointless
That's when I finally realize
I can never escape from you
A dance strictly faithful to the choreography.
Solid basics made every move clean.
Han Ji-yong found himself subtly grooving along as he watched.
The song soon hit the chorus.
Hi Jae tilted his body slightly to the left, then snapped back into the next move.
- You better Chase Me Chase Me
Hold me tight, embrace me
You better Hold Me Hold Me
Never let me go
'Good point dance.'
The point choreography synced to the chorus lyrics.
Arms outstretched like grabbing someone, hands coming together, then wrapping around his own neck—a fluid sequence.
It could easily look choppy and stiff, but he'd connected it smoothly, suggesting plenty of practice on that point.
- Girl if you catch me like this, I
Promise I won't run forever
Chase Me 'til the end
And Never Set Me Free
Hi Jae dropped to his knees in a pose like his hands were bound.
With that, the first chorus wrapped up, and the interlude kicked into a dance break.
A part done purely with hand and arm movements from a kneeling position—easy to look half-assed.
'Nice?'
But Hi Jae nailed it cleanly.
This section's beats were so split up that any slip would show immediately. Must've practiced hard.
As the second verse began, Hi Jae extended his right leg straight and rose naturally to his feet, flowing into the choreography.
At this point, eyes couldn't look away.
No insane skills, but solid basics, confidence, and above all, that aura emanating from the guy...
'Sparkly.'
Then it built toward the climax.
- Even if it's a place I can never leave, I like it
Even tied up tight with no escape, I like it
So never let me go either
In your arms, I could die happy—Yeah!
The song's most passionate part.
Power was a bit lacking, but every move was precise.
'Weird. Didn't they say he couldn't do it?'
Far from couldn't—he was better than the last evaluation.
No huge skill jump, but... way more confident, maybe.
And the acting had improved a ton.
Even in overall vibe and expressions, there was a seasoned feel.
Like ten years of practice.
Hi Jae reached out toward the judges as the song ended.
He grabbed the water beside him, caught his breath, and picked up the mic.
"Next up, heuk. Vocal track, if you'll indulge me."
Han Ji-yong glanced at the other judges. Am I the only one shocked? Yeah, they all looked surprised too.
Then the intro to Hi Jae's vocal song flowed out.
The moment it started, CEO Oh stiffened.
'He's singing this?'
An unexpected pick.
The dance song matched his skills well and was pulled off nicely, but the vocal choice was bold from the start.
Hi Jae's vocal track was by Red Bee's main vocalist from UJ Entertainment, J.Na.
None other than the song CEO Oh had written for J.Na.
Composed as a drama OST under the condition of featuring J.Na as the singer, it was synthpop blending a refined acoustic guitar riff melody with sleek synths, with a pretty high vocal range.
It had been slightly rearranged, lowering the key from the original, but could this amnesiac Lee Jae handle it...? CEO Oh worried.
The intro ended, and Hi Jae opened his mouth.
- Cherry blossom petals scatter like snowflakes
Embroidering the whole world in beauty
Even the warm sunlight perfect
At this fragrant spring crossroads Oh—
'Huh?'
The voice slipping from slightly parted lips was sweet.
A unique falsetto timbre backed by solid vocalization.
Clean vocals, no frills, no wobbles.
Even after that intense dance, his breathing stayed steady.
CEO Oh's eyes widened in shock.
'No way, you only remember basics, Jae.'
As CEO Oh who remembered the songs Lee Jae sang after three months of casting and full basic training, he couldn't help but be stunned.
- Amid the pouring cherry blossom rain
Like a scene from a movie
This moment that'll stay most beautifully
I want to share it with you
Past the first verse into the pre-chorus.
The Lee Jae he knew would've started shaking by now.
But Lee Jae sang on with overflowing confidence.
'Lee Jae singing like this in front of an audience?'
The always timid Lee Jae, despite his natural tone, was gone.
The guy who'd tense up and show half his potential at best was smiling as he sang.
- Cherry Blossom
Falling slowly like a rain drop
In the heart of spring stretching awake
Spending a brilliant day with you Ooh—
In this falling cherry blossom rain
This moment feeling like forever
Hoping it's etched in our time
The chorus part he'd instructed J.Na to sing like whispering sweetly to a loved one, subtle and enticing.
Even J.Na had struggled with it, but Lee Jae—of all people—nailed it perfectly.
Gliding naturally between falsetto and chest voice, so subtly it tickled the listener.
CEO Oh checked Park Jin-ah's reaction.
Her eyes sparkled, lost in Lee Jae's song.
Past the second verse—similar to the first but with slightly different rhythm—into another bridge, building toward the peak.
Finally, the climax.
- This spring day with you
These warm moments
Feels just like a dream oh oh
Even if these petals fall
Forever
I want to be
With you Oh—!
The high note pierced straight through the roof.
Not just belted raw or forced up—a clean high note.
In a word, perfect.
A shiver ran up his spine.
Manager Hong, who'd watched the stage with a shocked face the whole time, dropped his pen.
'How is this possible?'
Was Hi Jae a kid who could pull off this level?
No, how, exactly?
Questions flooded his mind, but one thing was clear.
- This moment feeling like forever,
Hoping it's etched in our time...
Right now, Hi Jae's singing was perfect.
Debut-ready on the spot.
Manager Hong had to admit that much.
"Thank you."
Finishing the song, Lee Jae bowed, set the mic down, and returned to his seat.
Everyone in the practice room wore faces full of fresh shock.
* * *
After the performance, trainees went in one by one to hear feedback and do individual interviews.
I sat in my spot, savoring the afterglow.
Hm, even I thought it was solid. No, actually good.
Still adapting to this body, so not perfect, but a damn fine stage.
Worth holing up for three days.
I pictured Manager Hong's dazed face during my singing and chuckled despite myself.
Didn't expect me to do this well, huh?
Wanted to laugh right in that face, but held back. Good restraint, me.
Then a staffer came out from the practice room and called me.
"Trainee Hi Jae, come in."
"Yes."
Inside, the five judges sat as before.
This time, a chair waited in front. I sat calmly.
Park Jin-ah grabbed the mic first, a bright smile on her face.
"Trainee Hi Jae. Heard you lost all memories of practicing."
"Yes, that's right."
"But how'd you put on such a great show? Especially the singing—I loved it. Already thought your tone was amazing last time, but now the singing technique shone, and the emotional delivery was so good. It was really pleasant to listen to. Like a different person."
"Thank you."
"The dancing was solid too. Great song choice to begin with. Felt like you picked the perfect track to showcase your practiced skills. Power's a bit lacking still, and technique needs polishing, but I think you're more than qualified to keep up with the debut group. Looking forward to more from you."
Han Ji-yong gave positive feedback too. I bowed in thanks.
"Ahem. Uh, well... Didn't you lose your memory?"
"Yes."
"But this... isn't the skill level of someone with amnesia?"
Right. Not that he lost his memory—just that I don't have Hi Jae's memories.
But I eyed the throat-clearing Manager Hong squarely and replied.
"I just... practiced as hard as I could to show you my best. I don't even remember what my original skill level was..."
"I was thinking... maybe you even lost the memories of getting nervous on stage, so no tension means your true skills come out. Making emotions more natural, expressions better. Something like that?"
Pretty reasonable take.
I decided to roll with the unnamed critic's theory.
"Not sure, but probably."
"Yeah, anyway, overall it was great. Honestly, you were already debut material... I liked you last time too... Just lock it in, boss?"
He glanced at CEO Oh, who smiled faintly.
A smile laced with approval.
The judges tossed a few more questions after.
Specialty to push, position in a group, my own charms...
I leaned on not remembering much and gave safe answers. Conversational English, great communicator, kinda cute... College interview vibes.
Reactions were good. Except one—Manager Hong.
Questions and answers flew back and forth,
"One last question to wrap up."
Park Jin-ah, who'd been the most engaged, paused before dropping it.
"Why do you want to be an idol, trainee Hi Jae?"
Why be an idol...
A classic final question.
I pondered briefly.
Why did I want to be an idol? What was it?
Then I recalled the day I first wanted to become one—the feelings from back then.
And let it flow straight off my tongue.
"Because it's happy."
Standing on stage is just so happy.
Smiles bloomed on the judges' faces at my answer.
All but one—Manager Hong, looking like he bit something sour.
In that moment, a small firework effect popped up with a blue window in my view.
[SUB QUEST [Debut Qualification Ability Evaluation] completed.]
[Click the button to claim your reward. Click!]
And with that, the debut qualification ability evaluation came to a close.
A successful wrap-up.