Chapter 106
As expected since it was the final round, the final members were luxurious.
There were top-tier trainees such as Ji Yoon-chul, Karis, Chae Eun-gyu, and Yoo Min-ha, as well as Heo Yu-bin, who is praised as a confident main vocalist, and Kang Dong-hwi, who continues to maintain high rankings.
She decided to exclude Baek Si-hwa because he was such a thorn in the eye.
So, a practice process without any dissonance was automatically drawn into Pyo Joo-hyun's head.
[Heo Yu-bin: To be honest, when I first saw the two songs, I thought the dancing was too difficult. But no matter how much I watched, I didn't think I could keep up with the tempo, so I came here.... (unable to continue speaking)]
[Kang Dong-hwi: The dance was a lot harder than I thought. It should feel like the upper and lower bodies are moving separately, but I think it was hard because I kept failing that, so I think it was hard.]
[Heo Yu-bin: I'm just a little... I feel like I'm bothering the other team members, so I'm sorry.]
It was a song with choreography that was unexpectedly difficult.
As Heo Yu-bin and Kang Dong-hwi, whose main positions are not dance, struggled, the overall practice speed began to slow down.
Even with the help of those around them, when their learning speed of the choreography did not improve, both Heo Yu-bin and Kang Dong-hwi felt guilty and hung their heads.
And to make matters worse, the opposite situation occurred during vocal practice.
[Ji Yoon-chul: ... Since it was a position I hadn't thought of, I think I wasn't well prepared.]
Ji Yoon-chul, who kept up with others during dance practice, was struggling during vocal practice.
Now, the situation has come where Heo Yu-bin has to help him in return.
It felt like she could hear the gears shifting out of alignment right in her ears.
"What are they going to do? "
"Because the tempo of that song is slow, it seems like it's relatively more difficult to dance to than a song with a fast beat."
"Chae Eun-gyu is really pitiful. Look at his expression."
Chae Eun-gyu also suffered in the leader position in the last 3rd round because of Baek Si-hwa.
Chae Eun-gyu probably didn't know that he would have the same experience again.
Even the burden of the fact that this could truly be his last stage was clearly weighing on his shoulders.
Reactions posted on SNS also expressed sadness over the situation that Cha Eun-gyu was facing.
―I want to buy our Eun-gyu a chocolate cake and a cup of warm rosemary tea....
―Team Chae Eun-gyu, you're so lucky ㅠㅠ
└? Aren't the kids doing their best right now? ㅋㅋㅋ They're all good kids
└It's ok. Your life is more legendary than anything else
―My heart aches because I see you aging in real time ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└He is actually....
└#Excuse me !!!!!!!
Even after returning to the cell after practice, Chae Eun-gyu continued to sigh.
It was truly heartbreaking to see him sitting on the edge of the bed and just looking at the floor.
A moment when you wonder if there is anyone who can help you.
[Karis: Can I talk to you for a moment, Hyung-nim? ]
Karis, who uses the same cell as Chae Eun-gyu, appeared at an incredible time.
Pyo Joo-hyun clenched his fists and looked at Karis' face, which was filled with seriousness.
'Is Karis' confession opening again? '
Chae Eun-gyu confided in Karis the worries he had been harboring, as if he were used to them.
A third party might wonder why the team leader would reveal his true feelings to a single member without hesitation.
However, Karis already has a history of helping Chae Eun-gyu in the third round.
At that time, he also served as mental support for Chae Eun-gyu, who was having a hard time due to Baek Si-hwa's trolling.
Pyo Joo-hyun hoped that this time, too, the results would be similar.
Chae Eun-gyu, who was unable to hide his frustration as he looked back on the current situation, soon began to blame himself.
[... If I could have done better as a leader, I wouldn't have had these worries.]
Next to Chae Eun-gyu, who was blaming himself, Karis continued to tell him that it wasn't his fault.
It was an unavoidable situation that arose during practice, not because of his lack of ability.
[It will work out well. You know that too, hyung-nim. Practice never betrays.]
[Even if we get a bad review in the midterm evaluation, there is still time until the live broadcast. We can use that time to focus on the final practice.]
"How does he know all those difficult words? I'm always amazed when I see him. He has incredible mental strength."
After finishing the ice cream, Pyo Ji-hyun opened her eyes slightly wide and praised Karis' mentality.
Posts on SNS were also praising Karis, who this time claimed to be Chae Eun-gyu's spiritual assistant.
―Karis: Departments that surprisingly suit him well: Psychology, Social Welfare
└A cold face with a bad attitude
―Karis is always like a strong right arm when he was with Eun-gyu, Chae Eun-gyu's guardian, and Chae Eun-gyu's exclusive potion, and it's so funnyㅜㅜㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└That's what I'm saying. I didn't know it since when he was together with Siyoon and Yubin, the three of them would always joke around and play ㅋㅋㅋㅋ How can a 20-year-old be so deep in thought ㅠㅠ
└I wish there was someone who would talk to me like that every time I feel mentally devastated
└I'm here Cream....
└My own Karis cream ♥♥♥♥
-It seems like Karis is always the mainstay of the team?
Even if he is not necessarily a leader
He is close with all the members
He is calm and can judge situations well.
He speaks well and takes care of the kids' mental health.
This is the type of talent that every company would want.
└Why on earth did such a precious guest come all the way to Korea?
└ㅇㅇㅇ I've felt it since the personal labyrinth days too
└Oh right, he helped Hyungbin too ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ At this level, he's a teacher
└If he debuts, might as well consider becoming a leader??
└Let's go K-dol, the first ever foreign leader
As people said, Karis did his best to keep Chae Eun-gyu's wavering mind.
But despite his efforts, Chae Eun-gyu still kept his gaze fixed on the floor.
So the day of the midterm evaluation arrived.
There was a scene where the team received a lot of criticism from the judges.
[The choreography is generally well-rehearsed. But it doesn't feel alive at all, and the formations that are set up somehow don't look cool. The reason for this is that all the movements are messed up. Especially Yubin and Donghwi.]
[The dance is great, but the vocals are also too unstable. This is a song that you can't just rely on one main vocalist to carry through. Each person's role is clearly stated. Especially right before the chorus starts. The pre-chorus is too unstable. Do you know what I mean, Yoon-chul?]
Heo Yu-bin and Kang Dong-hwi made a lot of mistakes while dancing.
In the singing, Ji Yoon-chul and Baek Si-hwa were specifically criticized for producing unstable pitches.
And Chae Eun-gyu, who was listening to all of this, kept biting his lips tightly.
[Cha Eun-gyu: It's just.... I feel so sorry. I think I was very disappointed in myself.]
[Cha Eun-gyu: As a leader, I had to do my best.... I felt really bad because I couldn't do that. Also, my team members trusted me, but I couldn't solve this problem, so I felt bad.]
"I think this guy's lost his mind? He seems a little crazy."
"Eun-gyu seems to be mentally very broken. Well, he's still young...."
The two sisters did not take their eyes off the screen, which seemed to have an uneasy air about it.
The camera was focused on Chae Eun-gyu's gaze, which was lowered down, as much as possible.
Again, his interview scene was inserted.
[Cha Eun-gyu: ... No matter what, I should have kept that regret to myself.]
[Chae Eun-gyu: (wiping away tears)]
After the midterm evaluations were over, the team walked down the practice hallway in a depressed mood.
Then, Yoo Min-ha hesitated for a moment and then spoke in a lively voice.
[It's okay! There's still time left until the main broadcast, so just practice more while saving time, like the judges said. Cheer up, Eun-gyu Hyung-nim! Don't worry too much; we'll do better next time.]
[... next time?]
Yoo Min-ha's bright words were interrupted by a cold tone.
[This is the midterm evaluation, and now all that's left is the final live broadcast. When on earth are you talking about the next time?]
All the other trainees looked visibly flustered at Chae Eun-gyu's way of speaking, which they were hearing for the first time.
The screen then showed the back of Chae Eun-gyu hurriedly leaving the hallway alone.
The remaining trainees stood speechless for a moment.
"He finally blew up."
"How crazy must he have been to do that? "
Pyo Joo-hyun looked at the TV with worried eyes.
The practice process was not smooth, and even the leader, Chae Eun-gyu, was extremely shaken.
At this point, she had absolutely no idea how to find a breakthrough.
[Karis: I definitely thought that Eun-gyu Hyung-nim wasn't sincere when he said that. Because I know very well that Eun-gyu Hyung-nim thinks of his teammates more than anyone else.]
[Karis: So I wasn't frustrated. I thought we could somehow resolve this situation.]
An interview scene with Karis' calm words was shown.
A calm tone appeared amidst the dizzying situations that unfolded one after another.
She's just seeing Karis through the screen.
'Why do I feel relieved too? '
Once again, the screen showed Chae Eun-gyu's cell, shrouded in darkness.
Then Karis came in and turned on all the lights.
[Are you feeling a little better?]
Karis started talking to Chae Eun-gyu again.
Before the midterm evaluation, he had comforted him with hopeful words, but this time he said that he knew that Chae Eun-gyu's careless words were not sincere.
[No matter how much of a leader you are, you are all the same. (If you experience trauma) anyone's judgment will be clouded momentarily. Just as I cannot remain calm in all situations, today was just the same for you, hyung-nim.]
[I understand how much determination you had to put into appearing on
Chae Eun-gyu, who was listening to Karis, slightly sat up and nodded.
[Really.... I really did something I shouldn't have done. Because I was the eldest brother, the leader, but I couldn't control my emotions properly.]
[It means to free yourself from such guilt.]
Karis' expression was calm yet determined.
As if he was determined to get Chae Eun-gyu out of the hole, no matter what happened.
The words that Karis spoke next were direct and warm.
Don't carry the burden of being a leader alone.
The team members trust Chae Eun-gyu, so they want to know the hardships he feels as well.
Let's have a heart-to-heart talk with the team about what puts so much pressure on him.
[... Let's say that we trust our team members enough to tell them everything we wanted to hide, such as why you got upset and why you felt so pressured. If we do that, the team will become closer together.]
Pyo Joo-hyun and Pyo Ji-hyun were listening to Karis without saying anything.
Their silence continued until Chae Eun-gyu answered with a slight smile.
[Thank you. Thanks to you, I think I have some idea of what to do.]
"Is he majoring in psychology by any chance? Isn't he Dr. Woo Eun-young?"
[Dr.Woo Eun-young = A South Korean psychiatrist and former university professor. She became famous as a child expert after appearing on ' My Child Has Changed '. Along with Baek Jong-won , she is a professional with both experience and knowledge who has a great position as a broadcaster .]
"It's not for nothing that they say he speaks Korean better than us."
"No, really, it's perfect. How can he speak so well?"
Pyo Ji-hyun stuck out his tongue again.
SNS platforms were also putting up a huge fuss about Karis' actions and elegant vocabulary.
―Ours is a "real" man with a face, personality, character, and skills...
└Estonia Karis Party is also the best
└Even I was moved when I heard it, so how much more moved would Geung Gyu be?
└This isn't a joke, it really looks good that Karis is the leader... in every way.
└Karis ya is amazing
―Fr This team would have been in big trouble without Suma.
└There is no one who can fix Geung Gyu's mental state other than Suma... Will YB fix him? Or will YC fix him?
└Looking at it like this, Suma looks three times more beautiful
└But Suma is always at the center of the relationship. He has a face and skills, but there are few people who are as friendly as Suma.
└Isn't it actually a robot smuggled from Estonia to extract information? What the f*ck, there's no way a person can be this perfect
―I had a drink... If your debut doesn't go well, no , it shouldn't be like that. Just remember Karis. I'm telling you with all my heart.
└Okay, I understand, so stop drinking.
└Ah, crazy, this is a meme ㅠㅠㅠ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Chae Eun-gyu, whose thoughts seemed to have been sorted out after the interview with Karis, went down to the practice room the next day and called the team members together because he had something to tell them.
And in front of everyone listening, he poured out all the emotions he had been holding back inside.
The team members gathered around Chae Eun-gyu and strengthened their resolve.
[I will work harder. Let's share the burden on your shoulders.]
[I want to prove it. That we are trainees who can advance to the finals. I really want to show that we have the power to turn around the things we heard during the midterm evaluations in an instant.]
[We too!]
[Let's practice harder!]
It was a heartwarming scene.
Pyo Ji-hyun stretched out her crouching body and threw out a comment.
"Yeah, survival shows should end on a musical note like this. If they're always chaotic and exhausted, the viewers will get tired of it."
"I need to write 'It was summer' as a subtitle right there right now."
"With just that one sentence, no matter what comes before, a youth drama can be completed in no time."
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