Chapter 9
The idol survival shows that people are familiar with are generally similar in outline.
From level tests and final ranking evaluations to on-site rounds played as team battles,.
But when you actually open the lid, you will realize that it was very different in many ways, even in the smallest details.
A good example of this is how training sessions, which are usually held with trainees of the same rank, have been twisted in this way.
'It's the same as it was when I first heard the news. Nothing has changed.'
The trainees who decided to appear on
This program will also follow the basic steps of idol survival.
But didn't they announce at the first meeting that they were taking away their names?
Are they saying that practice sessions are divided by cell rather than by level?
As variables exploded one after another, the mentality of young people could not be sound.
'There's a reason why other survival shows divide sessions by rank.'
Since their survival is at stake, trainees unconsciously compare themselves to others.
This is something that does not change, like the providence of nature.
What would happen if we divided boys with such habits not by skill level but in a way that allowed the top and bottom to meet?
"Turn right here! Five, six, seven, and eight."
"Ho, heok! "
"The movements are too fast―!"
"How do you follow that? "
It's been two days since we started practicing in cell-by-cell sessions.
I took a deep breath and wiped the beads of sweat running down my neck.
There were also quite a few cries of pain that went beyond simple gasps from the surrounding area.
The ones who made that scream were mostly underground trainees who had received Tiers 3 and 4.
It's hard to keep up with the choreography of the theme song
They are watching in real time the vastly different skills between themselves and the mainstream trainees sitting in the front of the large practice room.
As the choreography training progressed, the number of people kneeling and pulling their hair out at the back of the practice room increased.
Since they already have an underground status, they have to use numbers instead of names.
The mental state exploded even more as they watched the backs of people who were far superior to them.
As a result, the harsh criticism that inevitably appears in survival shows naturally followed.
"Shouldn't the kids who went underground be more desperate? If someone saw you, they'd think you got a higher grade, but you just dance like that."
"If you guys slip up even a little bit here, you're eliminated right away. You can just do one stage and go home, okay? Is that why you came out here? "
"Starting from the beginning again. Is this what you call dancing now? "
"At this point, I feel sorry. I feel like I made the choreography too difficult and caused you all this trouble."
The trainees were left in tatters from the dizzying, extreme attacks from all directions.
It seemed like they were only targeting the underground level each time, but on the third day, they even started giving one-on-one lessons.
And in this 1-on-1 training, even Tier 1 couldn't avoid the stinging whipping.
"What's with those movements? You need to be a little more energetic and make it bigger. Now read the lyrics here. It says, 'I'm the only one standing last!', but your movements are like someone who has already fallen."
"I didn't do this wrong, did I? I personally gave you Tier 1 with my own hands? With your skills like this? "
"... Did you really just dance to the song you prepared for the level test a hundred times? You can't do anything else at all."
Ha Sang-pil, who appeared as a dance expert judge along with Bae Kang-woo, turned on the machine gun and meticulously picked off each and every trainee.
Even Song Hyeong-bin, who boasts such amazing stats, couldn't escape his radar.
Of course, bullets rained down on me too.
"Karis. Karis.... Didn't you hear something similar during the level test? That you had no feeling for dancing."
"That's right."
"What you're showing me now isn't a dance. It's just movements. Dance should contain a charm that only you can express. The ultimate goal is to bring out that charm even more and capture the eyes of the viewer. To be honest, Karis seems to have a hard time just following the choreography. It's to the point where you don't have the energy to express your own feelings."
It was natural to hear such things.
I barely managed to raise my dance stat, which was originally a mess, to B level, and that's how it was.
It's still too early to show performance that surpasses the level test with an unchanged status window.
To be honest, it was annoying to hear it.
In order to write a more solid growth narrative, I must humbly accept moments like these.
Because it's a perfect scene that can be used for editing later.
In addition to the group sessions conducted by each cell, I went down with Kang Si-yoon and Heo Yu-bin to practice
Heo Yu-bin, who was very nervous when he saw the mainstream trainees, was gradually regaining his confidence when practicing with the two of us.
"Right, good job! Just move this leg quickly like that. Isn't that much easier? "
"Amazing, Siyoon hyung! You understand so well!"
Of course, the source of that confidence was Kang Si-yoon, who took on the role of an enthusiastic teacher.
I already knew he was a pretty nice guy, but this is the first time we've spent so much time together in such close quarters.
Even though it's not easy to take care of others in a survival show, I was quite impressed by the way he took such good care of me and Heo Yu-bin.
"Hmm. No matter how I look at it, something is missing."
Kang Si-yoon, who had been watching my dance, opened his eyes slightly and rested his chin on his hand.
"It's much better than it was three days ago. The dance moves are cleaner and feel more energetic. Ugh…..."
"If there are still areas that need improvement, what are they? "
"I'm also wondering what exactly that is right now. Ah! "
Kang Si-yoon's fingers snapped cheerfully.
I felt uneasy inside when I saw those eyes shining brighter than usual.
"Expression. Yeah, this is it. Anyone can see that Karis is handsome. Right? "
Next to him, Heo Yu-bin nodded vigorously like a bobblehead doll.
"As the judges said, you have to put your own charm into dancing to be effective. Karis has a deceptive visual, so if you use your expressions more diversely, it will naturally bring out the flavor of the dance."
"So you're saying to use facial expressions?"
"Yeah, yeah. But you shouldn't overdo it. How about starting with a light wink? "
Certainly, as I was trying to memorize the considerably difficult choreography of
Now that the choreography has become somewhat familiar to me, wouldn't it be okay to move on to the next step?
"Go higher. Yes, I am the Winner."
Following Kang Si-yoon's advice, I tried to do the point move and wink while dancing to the chorus part.
I thought I could do it this time too, since I had done it countless times during my time as an idol trainee.
'uh?'
Karis von Walden's facial muscles could not properly read the orders my brain was giving me.
No, it wasn't like he was reading it; it was like he was rejecting it altogether.
One eye was not completely closed, but the eyelid was drooping slightly.
'what's this.'
While I was feeling very embarrassed inside, Heo Yu-bin, who was sitting on the floor of the practice room and looking at me, dropped the bottle of water he was holding.
"Ka, ka, Karis Hyung nim. Karis Hyung nim, why are you lagging just like me? "
"I, I don't know either. Why can't I wink?"
"You can't do this, hyung nim! Where did you hear that you shouldn't use your face like that? This is an insult to your face, an insult!"
"Okay, okay. That's possible, since it was your first try. Karis, let's try again."
Kang Si-yoon played the highlights of
In subsequent attempts, my facial muscles would only tremble like an aspen tree, failing to produce a proper wink.
At the end, even Kang Si-yoon burst out laughing when he saw the other eyebrow go up comically.
"Hahaha! Oh, I shouldn't be laughing. I really wanted to take a picture of that expression just now."
"... I wish you would stop saying such irreverent things."
"No, Karis, you should have seen your expression too. I never knew your eyebrows could move so freely."
"Karis hyung nim, your eyelids were vibrating dozens of times earlier, but this time it's your eyebrows!"
"I'm also quite embarrassed, so please stop explaining things in detail. I beg you, please."
I sighed, caressing my cheeks that were flushed with shame.
As expected, the crown prince's body does not disappoint expectations.
Well, even when I played Grand Quest Saga, I never once encountered a situation where Karis von Walden would wink.
Who would the crown prince of an empire with the duty to defeat the Demon King wink at?
"Siyoon."
"Oh, the tone has become incredibly serious."
"Can we stay up late tonight? "
"I don't mind it because staying up until dawn has become a daily routine for me these days."
"Then, can you help me practice my miserable facial expressions? "
There is no time to blame the limitations of Karis von Walden's body.
In order to advance to higher rounds and perform well in the future, it is important to have the will to overcome rather than lament the abilities of this body.
'Above all, I'm okay with being persistent and hanging on because I've done it many times. It's a familiar situation for me.'
When I first fell into the world of
Of course, there were many moments when I wanted to give up, but I knew better than anyone that if I stopped there, I wouldn't be able to draw a picture of the future.
The current situation is the same. The roles have just been reversed.
If I grit my teeth and keep working hard, progress will definitely come to me.
And so the relentless practice resumed.
"I also had a hard time winking at first. Here's a tip: Don't try to close your eyes too tightly… ."
Kang Si-yoon tried to help me by even demonstrating it himself.
I took in the sight and input the method and movements into my head.
Just like when I first joined the company as a trainee.
I started from zero, step by step, under the hypnosis that I had returned to the days when I was a chick who knew nothing.
The clock on the wall of the personal practice room was already approaching 11 o'clock at night.
"Whew! Do you want to take a break and then do it again?"
"That would be good."
I sat down on the floor, wiping away the sweat that was pouring down like rain.
My whole body feels hot.
My arms and legs were extremely sore from using my muscles nonstop.
But I felt like I was becoming more and more accustomed to Karis von Walden's body, to the point where I could forget all about those discomforts.
Even in parts where the dance line was completely dead, the angles began to come alive.
Even the facial muscles that had not listened to commands at all at first were gradually loosening.
The moment when I gulped down the water.
A status window appears with a golden effect.
[Congratulations! You have adapted to Karis von Walden's physical abilities by over 70%.]
[
[As the skill level set for each level increases, the possessor-nim's abilities will gradually increase.]
[Stats will definitely increase when you reach MAX proficiency without investing skill points.]
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