Chapter 17
"How is it, have you all practiced a lot?"
"I did my best!"
"Yeah, judging by the dark circles under your eyes, it looks like you didn't get any sleep. It's important to take care of your condition, so don't overdo it."
"yes!"
While Baek Kang-woo greeted the trainees, Baek Chae-hyun organized the data on her clipboard.
She was flipping through profiles without thinking, and when she happened to see a photo of Karis von Walden, her heart started pounding without warning.
'Wake up, he isn't a webtoon character; he is a real person, a human! And a trainee at that!'
She never imagined that she would ever meet someone in her life who had the exact same vibe as her favorite character.
One of the people gathered for the midterm evaluation was giving Ashley looks that could put her to shame.
Baek Chae-hyun took a deep breath and calmed her mind.
"Then,
The first round is held live in front of 300 national managers.
On the fourth day of practice, the judges conduct a mid-term check-up to ensure that the trainees are fully prepared.
A special chance to see the vocalist and dancer pair up to watch the entire stage and then receive one-on-one guidance on any areas they are lacking.
How well you capture that feeling will be the main point.
"Then which team will go first? Should we start with Blue, who is in the front?"
"Ye, yes!"
The Blue Team, who had stepped into the middle of the practice room, were quite stiff.
Baek Chae-hyun looked at the members' training suits.
Seeing so many blacks and browns, she can understand why they seem to lack confidence.
'They are feeling a little intimidated because they know that their ranks are lower.'
A twist can always happen, so she hopes they don't get nervous and show it properly.
But it went too cliche.
"Honestly, I don't think it's time to talk about dancing right now. First of all, it seems like the basic posture isn't right. Don't you all know what song this is?"
"Yes...."
"If all six members are just showing their powerless expressions when confidence is supposed to be their main weapon, will the flavor of
When it came to harsh criticism, it was Bae Kang-woo who volunteered to draw his sword first.
In fact, it wasn't even a harsh criticism because it was an obvious flaw that anyone could see.
The parts that were pointed out in the vocals were also similar.
"You're not good at vocalizing, but I think you need to start over by memorizing the lyrics, guys. If you keep doing this, you're going to be in big trouble. Seriously."
The Blue Team, who had been repeatedly criticized for being wrong from the start, lowered their heads. The gloomy atmosphere showed no sign of breaking.
Baek Chae-hyun held back a sigh and encouraged the trainees.
"But there's still a lot of time left, and I think the division of parts is okay. Don't think too hard about it; just think simply. I'm sure you can do well. Okay?"
"Thank you!"
Still, it was good that they worked hard to answer one question.
Next was the mid-term inspection of the
"Are these kids worthy of being called Avengers too?"
Bae Kang-woo, who was looking at the profile, said it with a sly smile.
Golden balance of 3 Tier 1 and 3 Tier 2.
To be honest, the final Avengers were a group of four Tier 1 members gathered in one place, and even that wasn't easy.
'So that's why the opposing team's kids were less confident.'
Because they ended up using the same group practice room.
They must have seen it reflexively because it was a condition that allowed them to compare progress in real time.
How well the red team is doing.
It was Baek Chae-hyun who called out the Red Team with such faint expectations.
"Was practice easy?"
"We had good agreement with each other, and the choreography was easy to follow, so it was okay."
"Sehan is the leader. Siyoon is the center?"
"Yes! Siyoon taught us a lot about choreography, which was a huge help."
It seemed like the member with the best overall familiarity with the choreography was chosen as the center.
Baek Kang-woo exchanged glances with her and nodded briefly.
That doesn't mean it's a bad decision.
'You chose the direction of increasing perfection.'
She thinks Kang Si-yoon would do well because he had received a lot of favorable reviews regarding his dancing during the final evaluation.
"Let me see the stage."
The groovy bass beat of
Kang Si-yoon, who was in the center, walked out, showing off his brisk movements, and the other team members followed suit, forming a formation while maintaining a certain distance between themselves.
It felt so different from the blue team earlier.
Everyone expressed the lyrics as they were, with confident smiles on their faces.
Baek Chae-hyun was able to put aside her worries and look into more details.
'hmm.'
The stage, which lasted just under 3 minutes, ended quickly.
The overall sum was good and there were no obvious mistakes.
But somehow, she feels a sense of regret.
'Why? What's missing?'
Is it possible to feel this way after watching a highly accomplished stage?
Baek Chae-hyun glanced at Bae Kang-woo, wondering if she was the only one who felt this way.
He was twirling his pen with an inscrutable expression on his face.
The red team bowed, breathing hard.
"Thank you for watching!"
"Oh, right. I forgot because I was thinking about it. Everyone did a great job. Didn't you say that it was Siyoon who choreographed it?"
"Yes."
"Four days may be long if it's long, but it's short if it's short. Seeing how everyone's movements are flawless, I think you must have had a hard time. Sehan, the leader, also worked hard."
"Thank you!"
"Thank you."
As Baek Kang-woo trailed off while praising, the Red Team members looked at each other.
"Everything is good, but if there's one thing that's disappointing, it's this."
"Yes."
"The center is okay. He is really good and dances well, but it tastes too ordinary."
Kang Si-yoon's expression darkened suddenly as he wiped away the sweat.
Baek Kang-woo, who caught it, hurriedly waved his hand and continued speaking.
"That's not to say it's bad! Siyoon danced really well. But since it went with a very classic feel, I felt like it was a little disappointing by my standards."
"aha...."
"In the original song, there were a lot of parts where the center gave off a unique vibe rather than just dancing well. I think that's the difference."
The physical strength of each member of the Perish Boyz may have played a part, but the power and sexiness that come from their large dance lines also coexist.
There is also a behind-the-scenes story in which the member who best captured that feeling was chosen as the center.
Considering that, it is likely that Bae Kang-woo expressed his regret.
"So, I was watching closely, and I had a thought."
Up until this point, Bae Kang-woo had similar thoughts to Baek Chae-hyun.
But he wanted to go one step further and pursue direct change.
"I thought it would be a good idea for Karis to come to the center."
"Me, me?"
"Yeah. You really stand out."
The real culprit was pointing at himself in surprise and asking, "Me?"
On both sides, other trainees clapped their hands and agreed with Bae Kang-woo's suggestion.
"Actually, there was a time when I recommended Mr. Karis as the center during the training process."
"Oh, really?"
"Because the expression and visuals themselves were so good. But Mr. Karis kept denying it. He said his dancing was lacking."
Ken Hashimoto, a Japanese trainee, nodded enthusiastically.
Next to Karis von Walden, Heo Yu-bin also pulled his arm with sparkling eyes.
Baek Chae-hyun was worried that Kang Si-yoon might be in a bad mood, but on the outside, he looked relieved.
"Actually, when the center vote was held, I got 3 votes and Karis got 2 votes."
"How's it going, Karis? Have you gotten used to the center choreography yet?"
"Are you sure it's okay for me to take the center position?"
"It seems like the other kids are all okay."
Karis von Walden glanced around.
Only after seeing his colleagues still nodding towards him did he accept Bae Kang-woo's proposal.
"Let me give it a try."
The
If you think about it, she wondered if it was okay to just change the center part without any prior preparation.
It's amazing how much time they must have spent practicing together to be able to give the signal that it's okay to change places right now.
Baek Chae-hyun looked at Karis, who was waiting for the intro with his head down.
'... That's true. Just like Kang-woo oppa said, the weight has changed since Karis came to the center.'
The bass riff started.
Karis von Walden immediately got up and turned his head once, looking somewhere with a slightly dazed look in his eyes.
As other team members gathered around him and stood on either side of him, he used them as a springboard to jump up.
And the moment he landed, the blank look in his eyes was nowhere to be found.
'You have improved your facial expressions?'
Even in the final evaluation, it was his use of facial expressions that compensated for his lack of dance technique.
Karis, who had already been given the title of perfect visuals since the level test, had found a way to maximize his charm.
The acting was more colorful than it had been a few weeks ago.
The moment the formation changed into an arrow shape, Baek Chae-hyun noticed.
That aura and gaze that surge like waves are most noticeable when standing in the center.
The more she looked at it, the more amazing it became.
Kang Si-yoon's dancing was flawless and smooth.
The dynamics were perfect, and the footsteps and animation movements were brisk.
However, the overwhelming charisma felt from the relatively unskilled Karis von Walden was not seen.
'This is why people say that visuals are the answer, even if they freeze to death.'
It's not just about having a handsome face.
The noble aura that could not be described in words was shining more intensely than before.
An unknown aura that fills up even other flaws.
Baek Chae-hyun felt like the tingling sensation she had felt when she first saw him was coming back to her.
"Okay, that's it."
Baek Kang-woo ended the stage by clapping twice.
The trainees stood in a line, breathing heavily.
"Chae-Hyun, what do you think? Do you feel a little different?"
"It definitely felt like the center had more weight. Oh, and Siyoon too."
"Yes!"
Kang Si-yoon stared at her, biting his lips slightly.
She gave him a faint smile.
"Even when you were in the center, you danced well, but it felt like you were using too much strength. But now that the part has changed, I can see Siyoon's movements much better, and it's like you are wearing better clothes."
"Thank you!"
"Well, we're just giving our opinions. I think you guys can slowly discuss and decide the rest among yourselves."
"Yes!"
* * *
I was worried that I might have broken the friendly atmosphere for no reason.
Fortunately, Kang Si-yoon also seemed to think that this was the right direction to go.
"To be honest, it was exactly as the judges said. I felt pressured without realizing it, so I put unnecessary effort into my movements. Because I was so focused on that, I didn't pay much attention to the song. But when I changed parts, I felt much more comfortable."
"But this was originally Siyoon's part―"
"Hey, it's okay! Our primary goal is to create a good stage, right? Even from my perspective, it seemed right for you to go to the center."
Kang Si-yoon slyly accepted my worried tone.
"And there's the senior from the Ferris Boyz that I said I looked like?"
"Yeah."
"That senior wasn't the center for
"If you don't mind...."
"I'm telling you, I'm fine with anything as long as our team wins. Oh, but instead, you have to be so good that they don't even think about the opposing team's center. You can do that, right?"
"I will practice to my best."
We decided to follow the judges' advice as is.
After the midterm review, we had a few more group practices, and everyone said that I had a much more distinct presence when I was in the center.
Since the original candidate was also suitable, the part swap was carried out in no time.
'It was effective to distribute the saved stats appropriately.'
I quietly brought up my status window.
Name: Karis von Walden (Han Ji-hyeok)
Age: 20 (28)
Singing ability: B+ (16/30)
Dance: B (3/30)
Stamina: B+ (27/30)
Appearance: SSS (cannot be changed)
Talent: B (3/30)
Trait: Crown Prince of the Kingdom, One Who Subdued the Demon King
Abnormal Status: Otherworldly Being (Possessed)
Thanks to my proficiency, I was able to raise my dance stat from B- to another level.
The Talent stat has also been increased to allow for a variety of facial expression changes.
It was a gamble.
If the judges hadn't recognized me during the midterm evaluation, the center position would have naturally been fixed to Kang Si-yoon.
However, it was worth practicing
A competition song where the main points are 'concept' and 'atmosphere' more than anything else.
I focused on that and analyzed the choreography video nonstop.
After memorizing the original singer's facial expressions as much as possible and changing them to suit Karis von Walden.
The plan to show off one's presence by using this SSS-grade appearance, which was like a blessing, was effective.
'I am lucky.'
Thanks to bringing the crown sticker, I got 15 skill points that will come in handy later.
Outside the practice room window, the deepening night sky was visible.
I took a deep breath and wiped the sweat away.
'If only I had more stamina, I would have practiced more than I do now. If I had, it would have definitely been much easier to take the center position.'
I have experienced numerous battles in
If the Crown Prince's body was transferred to the real world as is, shouldn't his physical strength also be the same?
As I was thinking about this, the system, with good timing, gave me an additional explanation.
[I wanted to preserve all the features of
I swallowed my regret.
In the game, special settings called mana and magic power helped in battle.
And the body of Karis von Walden, who focused on magical power... In short, does that mean that it has become a reality patch?
'It's unfortunate, but there's nothing I can do about it. If the stats I can raise through practice before the competition are limited, I have no choice but to use the methods I've been saving.'
'My teammates trusted me and even changed the center. It was for the sole purpose of winning the rivalry match.'
Then I too must prove myself worthy of those expectations.
In front of 300 people watching the first live stage of
I clicked on the Lucky Draw Shop displayed at the bottom of the status window.
[Welcome to the Lucky Draw Shop.]
[The number of lucky draw coins held by possessor-nim is 2.]
[Would you like to participate in the lucky draw?]
"... Yes."
The moment I clicked the Yes button, the gacha machine spun around with a loud sound effect.
The spinning contents slowly stopped, and a purple capsule rolled out of the gacha machine exit.
[Check out the results!]
I slowly clicked on the purple capsule.
Then a fanfare erupted with golden effects.
[Congratulations! You have obtained an S-rank item.]
"...."
I smiled as I read the instructions on the bottom of the item.
'The gacha was a success.'
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