Rayen had no choice but to struggle to his feet while crying inside. He told them the song he had planned to perform first but had aborted. He then readied himself and stood straight.
'It's now or never. Oh, my good 'ol genius choreographer, please guide me through your soul.'
...
When the staff members from somewhere outside the dance studio started playing the song, Rayen moved his body. The Entities watching thought this first audition participant who had a godly voice would finally start dancing, but instead, he just stretched his body!
What is he doing?
Their minds seemed to resonate with each other. They couldn't understand why this fellow was stretching instead of dancing when the song had clearly started.
But there were a few Entities who were exceptions among them. These Entities stared at Rayen, and then gradually swept their gazes around the crowd surrounding them. They noticed the other Entities who shared the same expression as them and nodded to each other, seemingly communicating silently.
Those exceptions included Sophie. She knew that those Entities who were silently nodding with each other were from the same national jurisdiction.
Thinking about the song, she was even more excited with the outcome.
...
Rayen started stretching according to the choreography he had watched and practiced in the waiting room. Yes, it was part of the choreography.
This song... he had known it since he was in high school—and he despised it!
Back when he was still a junior high school student, during Physical Education, he would always skip classes because of this song. He almost got held back a year for failing his grade in this subject. Fortunately, the teacher took a pity on him and decided to give him a chance by performing it solo.
It was supposed to be a group dance, but because he cut classes, he was forced to dance it by himself.
Lesson learned number one: Do not cut classes!
After the prelude of the song, which didn't have any lyrics, the first stanza finally began.
"What is your health goal?
It's fitness!"
The dance also started. Rayen moved his body according to what he imagined, but the way he moved was like a rusty robot that couldn't function properly. He moved rigidly and lifelessly.
This was why he hated this during high school. He really couldn't dance well.
"Have you eaten yet?
Was your healthy goal met?
What is your health goal?
It's fitness!"
He had a deeply seething hatred for this song during his junior high days, but he had no choice right now. Aside from that TokTok song, "Chocolate Cake," which he danced to during the jukebox assessment, this was the only song he knew.
Although so many years had passed, and he already forgot most of the steps, he remembered that the dance steps were so basic that even people who didn't usually dance could do it if they practice well.
But what he didn't have was time, and so, he couldn't practice well or commit the dance steps to his memory fully. He had placed his fate in that Dance Fertilizer, but it failed him miserably when he realized it wasn't up to his expectations.
If he somehow managed to pass this audition, he will delete that Plotter system from Earth.
Lesson learned number two: Never place your fate in the hands of strange people!
He made a grave mistake. And he swore, he would never trust something magical to save his life again. His revival was the only exception.
"Always eat a balanced meal,
Fruits, veggies, meat, and you'll feel~
Your health goal—
It's fitness!"
Rayen danced according to the lyrics. When he sang the word "eat," he mimicked an eating movement with both hands. And when it was "health goal," he raised his arms and posed as if to flex his biceps. His feet also moved simultaneously left and right to make the dance lively—hopefully.
But his hope was shattered when he made a mistake. His feet shamefully misstepped the simple footwork, and he stumbled when the chorus of the song was just about to start.
'I'm dead...'
He knew he wouldn't pass. He might as well just find his final resting place and sleep in his coffin to hide from the shame of his mistake just now. He just messed up something so simple that even a kid from his neighborhood wouldn't make.
He felt like he didn't even deserve the D grade he got in his dance assessment. Wouldn't an F be more appropriate?
Surprisingly though, his joints and muscles started to move naturally. His limbs became fluid, almost as if he were an experienced dancer.
His mind was filled with the image of the genius choreographer jumping backwardly and flipping in the air.
It was because of the Dance Fertilizer!
With nothing left to rely on, Rayen let his body move accordingly to the image in his mind. To his surprise, he was able to do a backflip.
The epiphany didn't end there. Rayen was now able to follow the steps he had practiced in the waiting room earlier with more ease and fluidity. He looked like a person dancing, not a rusty robot begging for someone to oil its parts.
"Let's start your health goals now!"
Rayen sang with a happy smile. He hadn't expected he could do a backflip with his body! That was actually quite exciting.
When Rayen finished the song, the epiphany he'd experienced ended as well. His lungs was burning even more so when he just sang. His chest caved in and out that even the Entities who had been watching him from a different room could see it clearly on the screen.
They all felt complicated. No words could explain what they were feeling.
Was it good? Or was it bad?
This first participant gave them those thoughts. At first, when he sang, they were blown away by his voice. But, when he danced like a robot, they wanted to laugh. The song made it even more funny.
So, it was an exercise song... That was why he made a stretching movement at the start. Was it part of the choreography?
Those Entities who already guessed the song right from the start was silently laughing inwardly. Most of them were fairly young, probably close to the age of the first participant. Sophie was among them.
She really wanted to make sure Rayen passed. He even improvised a backflip. She liked gutsy people.
The staff finally announced the start of the voting.
As for Rayen, he was praying inwardly.
'Please pass. Please pass. Please pass...'
The voice from the speaker spoke, and the monitor finally displayed a number.
"5 sponsors, pass."
Rayen was unable to think clearly. The only thing in his mind was the word "pass".