Chapter 10
I stared blankly at the message for a moment.
Then I immediately checked my stats.
Name: Karis von Walden (Han Ji-hyeok)
Age: 20 (28)
Singing ability: B+ (0/30)
Dancing: C+ (0/20)
Stamina: B+ (0/30)
Appearance: SSS (cannot be changed)
Talent: B- (0/30)
Trait: Crown Prince of the Kingdom, One Who Subdued the Demon King
Abnormal Status: Otherworldly Being (Possessed)
Parentheses and numbers have been added next to stats written in alphabetical order.
It seemed like this was the 'proficiency' that was just unlocked.
'Investing points to increase stats used to be the only way, but now there are more options to increase them if I max out my proficiency.'
It's a concept similar to the experience gauge in RPG games.
I put down the water bottle and stood up.
"Karis? You're already practicing? We haven't even rested for 3 minutes."
"It's okay if Siyoon is resting. I just stood up because I wanted to try something."
I played the intro of
And I tried to complete the song while dancing to the choreography that I had memorized in my head.
'... It definitely feels different than before. It feels more comfortable to move Karis's body, and my muscles feel more flexible.'
"Siyoon. Could you play the song again? "
"Huh? Yeah, just a moment."
I danced
I even felt like my movements were slightly lighter than when I first tried it.
I brought up the status window and checked the proficiency of the dance stat, and the number that was 0 had risen to 2.
'I guess I can prepare for this to some extent.'
It's literally a subtle difference.
Since the stat grade itself has not increased, there is no significant increase curve in terms of technology.
But I feel like the movements of my arms and legs are more fluid than before.
If you think of it as a system where small details develop in this way....
"I think I can try again now."
"Huh?"
"Siyoon, that wink gesture you showed me earlier. Let's practice it again from the beginning."
Kang Si-yoon blinks several times when he hears my slightly excited voice.
Soon, he got up with a mischievous smile.
"Okay, this kind of practice bug attitude. I told you this is how I can enjoy teaching."
I once again danced the entire choreography of
Here, I tried the simple wink gesture that Kang Si-yoon demonstrated in the chorus part.
"Oh, Karis! You almost did it just now."
"Really? Were my eyes really almost completely closed? "
"It was such a shame! Of course, it felt like it was forced, but this time, your other eyebrow didn't even go up, and only your left eye moved! "
Kang Si-yoon became even more excited at the sight of me almost winking.
From a teaching perspective, it felt like a thrill to witness the tearful growth of students.
As the guy grabbed my shoulders and shook me vigorously, I kept thinking about the wonderful card I had in my hand.
'I wanted to use my skill points whenever I needed them, so I'm very glad that I've unlocked proficiency. If I keep practicing like this, I think I'll be able to pull off the facial expressions that Kang Si-yoon mentioned to some extent.'
This means that there is now one more weapon to utilize in the
"Oh, I'm really crying, Karis! At first, I thought I was looking at some kind of wooden doll, but now I see him blinking normally. I'm really crying, crying!"
"I hope you don't hold onto my body and cry like this—!"
"So this is how the trainers felt when they taught us! "
"Oh, I'm dizzy! Stop shaking me! "
* * *
"Thank you!"
"Thank you for your hard work! "
"Yeah, everyone worked hard today."
"See you tomorrow!"
Baek Kang-woo waved once to the trainees who were giving him a lively greeting and closed the practice room door.
"Whew... It's really hard."
Just looking after the trainees is so exhausting, so how much more so must it be for the young people who keep repeating the same choreography in that hot practice room.
But seeing them greet him so energetically made him feel a little sad.
Since you can't relax even an inch on a survival program, he could imagine how hard it must be for the trainees to maintain polite and bright attitudes the whole time.
'It's salty, but when you think about it objectively, it's a little disappointing.'
The sessions that Bae Kang-woo was in charge of were cells 1 through 11.
Since there is a good mix of mainstream and underground, he expected that there would be trainees who were somewhat familiar with the
Because they had to memorize the dance and the song at the same time, it seemed like everyone was learning it slowly.
Just now, Baek Kang-woo came out with a sharp whip and gave some trainees a sharp warning.
'Because nothing is as effective as shock therapy, even if it's straightforward.'
After all, everyone came here because they wanted to make their debut.
It goes without saying that in order to debut, you need to build up skills that viewers will recognize.
His role as a judge and trainer is to lay a solid foundation for the trainees.
Although they may still feel regretful now, he hopes that in the final evaluation in a few days, they will all show a level of improvement in their skills.
He left the group practice room hallway, swallowing the fatigue that was creeping up on him.
As he passed the area where private practice rooms were concentrated, a light caught Bae Kang-woo's eye.
The lights in one of the private practice rooms were brightly turned on.
As it was approaching 1 a.m., he suddenly became curious as to who was practicing alone.
Baek Kang-woo glanced out the practice room window.
Then, a trainee with a physique that was impressive even when viewed from afar was dancing while sweating profusely.
'Oh, that guy's name is.... Was it Karis?'
He remembered.
A trainee who showed off overwhelming visuals and aura during the level test.
Although he seemed to be above average in singing, he was not able to completely satisfy Bae Kang-woo's professional eye when it came to dancing.
Of course, yes. He commented that it has the basics, but it doesn't feel like it has its own unique characteristics.
Baek Kang-woo quietly watched as Karis von Walden performed
What did he think as he watched him finish his last move?
'It shows how much practice you've had in a short period of time.'
It was an unexpected result.
Dancing is not a simple sport at all.
There are countless factors that affect the overall outline of a dance: how the muscles are used, the size of the movements, the flexibility of the body, etc.
Minor details are not easily distinguishable to the average person's eyes, but Bae Kang-woo's visual acuity, having been active as a choreographer in the idol industry for a very long time, was different.
Even when dancing the same dance, he was able to see where the differences between the trainees occurred and to what extent their bodies and brains understood the choreography.
His eyes recognized it right away.
That a little 'personality' is emerging in the dance of Karis von Walden.
Baek Kang-woo found himself smiling happily without realizing it.
The moment he was about to move his feet after confirming that Karis was practicing well.
Their eyes met as he was wiping away the sweat.
"... !"
Immediately, Karis von Walden pupils dilated, hurriedly opened the door, and nodded.
"Hello, trainer! "
"Oh, oh, oh. You don't have to be so formal when you greet me. I feel even more embarrassed watching you practice."
"Have you been watching my practice… from the beginning? "
"I saw the lights on on my way out after the session, so I looked. It looks like you've been practicing a lot."
When Bae Kang-woo gave him a light compliment, the corners of Karis' mouth automatically went up.
"I kept thinking about what trainer Bae Kang-woo said during the level test. I was thinking about what I could do to cover the basics, and I found something that was lacking in my dancing, so I'm practicing that."
"What did you realize? "
"At first, I was just busy memorizing the complex movements of
"Well, so? "
"So, through consistent repetition, I first succeeded in completely memorizing the choreography of
The detail that Bae Kang-woo felt was right here.
Facial expressions that match the melody and lyrics.
The cameras that film trainees don't always show their entire bodies.
Moreover, the
In short, it means that even if the dance is not yet perfect, if you can skillfully show facial expressions, you can show off another charm.
'You did a pretty good job of analyzing yourself. You realized that you still didn't have enough time to develop dancing skills that surpass others, so you shifted your focus to expressing yourself.'
Baek Kang-woo felt something different.
A trainee who seemed to have strong self-esteem on the outside was able to quickly identify his weaknesses and practice without rest.
... It was so special.
"Okay, then I'll help you out a little bit. Can you practice some more? "
"Oh, I can practice by myself! Then, trainer, it's time to go and rest now―"
"I feel passionate for the first time in a long time, too. Don't feel pressured; just think of it as a practice session you had in the morning."
Baek Kang-woo slowly moved his body while playing the first verse of
"I always say that the introduction is the most important. If you overwhelm the audience at the beginning of the song, you can create more immersion and capture their attention."
"Okay."
"Okay, then look carefully. The lyrics are like this: Then, instead of relaxing the gaze, make it a little stronger. Like this to give off a masculine feel."
Following his example, Karis danced the choreography with passion.
As he made his expression exactly as he wanted, Karis's deceptive physique seemed to shine even brighter.
'You've been following along well.'
"And this is a tip I give to people who listen to my sessions. There's a moment in the middle of the chorus part where you raise both arms up and down your face."
"Yes."
"When we were creating the choreography, we thought it would be good if the trainees actively utilized this part. It seems to send the message, 'Please look at my face,' right? "
"After hearing what the trainer said, yes, that is true."
"Then, if you grab one point here, it will stand out even more; that's what I'm saying."
Baek Kang-woo gave some tips to Karis von Walden for 30 minutes.
For the sake of fairness, he only brought out tips that he gave to trainees who attended his sessions.
Karis smiled brightly, as if he had discovered something new, and expressed his gratitude.
"Thank you, trainer! "
"Yeah. It's good to work hard, but don't overdo it. Rest is also very important."
"I will keep that in mind."
Baek Kang-woo left the room after telling them to work hard.
When he glanced back, he saw that Karis was dancing to
'I'm a little excited for the final rating evaluation.'
—