Gary was puzzled.
'You're good at dancing?'
While eating at a meat restaurant yesterday, Raj briefly told his trainee story.
"In the end, I wasn't good at dancing so I gave up."
He was concerned when he heard that.
Vocals can be roughly covered with the help of AR, so it doesn't matter, but dancing is something that is clearly different to the naked eye.
So he was confused at first, but soon decided to trust Director Jack Reed insight.
'If Director Jack chose him, there must be a reason.'
To those affiliated with Rising Idol Entertainment, Jack Reed's casts were guaranteed box office hit.
The trainees trusted the genius composer's eyes.
But apart from that, it was true that Gary was anxious.
Another problem is that even after 6 years of dancing, he quit because his dancing wasn't improving, and having to take a trainee who had been practicing for 2 years and bring him up to debut level in just half a year is a problem.
The road ahead was just daunting.
At that time, an unexpected scene unfolded before the trainees.
"uh?"
The youngest group member, Avi, made an 'o' shape with his mouth.
It was a clean dance line.
Although there were no fancy techniques, it was a clean dance without any unnecessary elements.
'Does this make sense?'
Gary put his hand to his mouth.
'It's not a movement that can come from someone who has rested for three years.'
It feels like a famous dancer is dancing right in front of him.
Everyone let out the same exclamation when Raj's body moved dynamically to the R&B beat.
The younges group member, Avi, whispered to Sunny.
"Wow, don't you think he dance better than you Sunny?"
"Be quiet, Avi."
"Let the facts be true-"
Sunny, who was frowning, watched quietly and realized something was strange.
Two quiet group members, Both Gary and Samuel were quite and head all their attaintion to Raj dance.
Sunny frowned at those who were speechless.
"What, Why are you so quite?"
The two of the smile awkwardly at the words of Sunny.
Both of them wanted to say something but decided to keep themselves whatever they want to say.
Eventually, when the dance ended, Raj, who had been moving gis body like a person possessed by a ghost, stopped and smiled.
Meanwhile, the smiles of the applauding trainees were awkward.
'I was an Idiot.'
Gary remembered what he said earlier and writhed in shame.
He tried to assured Raj because he thought that he would quit again because of his dancing skills but it seems that there is no need to worry about that anymore.
Gary was Feeling empty.
On the other hand, He also felt relieved.
Because it was one less thing to worry about.
"Come on, let's finish looking around and get to the lesson now."
Kara clapped his hands and started the lesson.
It was a lesson like usual.
But the trainees' eyes turned elsewhere.
'What!!'
Raj absorbs every movement the trainer shows him.
And that too in one go.
The trainees who saw him copying the choreography at the level of a human copier seemed amazed at first, but later they were shocked, as if they were seeing a monster.
When the lesson ended, Sunny asked something to Raj, feeling that his position was in jeopardy.
"Hey, are you good at singing too?"
"No."
However Raj said 'no' but Sunny heard him laughing and muttering,
'Maybe?'
'I bet he can sing well too.'
However, the main vocalist's premonition became a reality.
* * *
5pm. Vocal lesson time.
The trainees sitting around the vocal trainer looked at one place.
Raj is calmly singing a ballad song.
"His facial expressions are amazing. Don't you think guys?"
"He sing better than Samuel."
"Hey, Gary. I'm a rapper, not a singer did you forget that?"
"Anyway, let's stop all this and let's go and eat something at the restaurant after today traning is done."
"Yeah"
"Oh! Let's go get something to eat later."
What kind of conversation is this?
Gary, who laughed out of bewilderment, smiled as he caught a glimpse of Raj singing in the middle of the lesson room.
It was absurd at first, but now all he could see was an admiration.
'He took a break for three years, so how good was he originally?'
It was the first day when misunderstandings between Raj and rest of group members unintentionally deepened.
All of them have their own theory about Raj skills.
***
After the first day's lesson, daily life went on as usual.
The group members attitude toward me seemed to have changed somehow, but it was clear that the change was for the better.
What should I say?
At first, it felt like I was a complete outsider waiting in front of a sign that said 'No trespassing!', but now it feels like I'm being allowed inside the fence.
I was lucky that the they were nice.
However, the peace of daily life, which seemed to be smooth, was broken when a new incident occurred.
Early December.
While we were in the middle of practicing our choreography, the practice room door opened.
As soon as Director Jack Reed face was seen, the youngest group member, Avi, quickly turned off the MR.
"Hello, Director!"
"Uh, hello."
Director Jack Reed smiled as he received a light greeting.
"Ugh, the smell of sweat. It looks like you were practicing really hard. I came down because I had one thing to tell you. It's no big deal, so just relax."
He held out a piece of paper.
"Your end-of-year evaluation assignment has come out."
"Really?"
Everyone gathered around Gary, who took the paper.
There was a notice written on paper printed in a neat official format.
[ 2013 Joint Year-End Evaluation Guide ]
-Location: Barretto High School Auditorium
-Date: December 28, 2013 (Sat)
-Participating agencies: DNS Media, Idol Rising Entertainment, Loca Entertainment, Big Brother Company, Oullim Entertainment
-Task: A performance that combines two different songs under one theme.
-Traffic conditions may be confusing on the day, so please provide advance notice to trainee parents.
Unlike the people who looked at the notice with nervous expressions, I stayed calm.
What is the end-of-year evaluation?
I know the end-of-month evaluation.
While ordinary high school students take mock exams every month, idol trainees take tests called end-of-month evaluations.
It's not a national investigation, but it's still a test.
The same goes for feeling stressed depending on your grades.
The only difference is that students are not fired from high school jobs for failing mock exams, but trainees' contracts are immediately terminated if their skills stagnate for 2 to 3 months, depending on the results of the end-of-month evaluation.
If he/she don't get better, the life of a trainee is abandoned.
When I was at MJ Entertainment, there were more than three or four reviews like this per month. A small evaluation every two weeks and a big evaluation every Thursday.
Events vary from time to time.
There are cases where each individual is told, 'You have a weak high note, so master this song,' and there are also cases where teams are told to compete with each other, saying, 'You must create a choreography among yourselves.'
Perhaps the 'performance combining two different songs under one theme' written on paper is one of those test items.
What I don't understand is that the end-of-month evaluation is conducted publicly.
And that too with other agencies.
Can I just think of it as a showcase?
A showcase is a promotional stage.
As the word 'showcase' means, showing something in advance and seeing the reaction.
I heard that MOP, one of the four major entertainment companies, opens trainee performances to the general public in this way.
What. First of all, that wasn't important, I just needed information.
What is the end-of-year evaluation?
As I looked at the trainees looking through the notices, I chose the one who was the quietest among them.