Chapter 7
"We'll start the freestyle dance right away."
At Kim Na-hee's words, the expressions of the Boo brothers and Kang Ah-jin rapidly stiffened with tension.
Even for the three who had lived a fairly long trainee life, freestyle dancing was not an easy task.
"Everyone's expressions are dark. Do you not want to do it?"
"No!"
Boo Ji-seok and Boo Ji-hoon looked at each other's faces and nodded, then came out to the center of the stage together and took their places.
"What, are you two going to do it together?"
"Yes, we plan to do it together."
"I don't mind, but that'll be harder, you know? Alright. Let's watch the dance first and then talk. Music please."
Along with Kim Na-hee's words, a pop song that sounded vaguely familiar flowed out.
The Boo brothers glanced sideways at each other, then immediately began to dance with identical movements without any signal.
Whoa-
At the two's naturally synchronized dance, the trainees burst into cheers mixed with admiration.
As they danced, the two brothers seemed to gradually let go of their tension, slowly showing off their strength: a pleasant, mischievous charm.
The timing when the song transitioned.
Boo Ji-hoon naturally leaned his body toward Boo Ji-seok to the rhythm of the song, and Boo Ji-seok naturally supported Boo Ji-hoon's back, taking over his ad-lib.
At the two's playful charm, most of the judges looked at them with smiles.
Finally, holding hands and bumping shoulders, the two's stage ended.
Quiet applause was heard.
Judge Kim Na-hee, whose expression was hard to read, picked up the microphone.
"Young-joon, do you want to speak first?"
At Kim Na-hee's words, dance trainer Song Young-joon shook his head and gestured for her to go first.
At his gesture, Kim Na-hee spoke with her gaze focused on the Boo brothers.
"Well done."
"Thank you!"
Kim Na-hee said with a grin.
At the simple words of praise, the Boo brothers, who had been a bit stiff after dancing, came back to life as if they had never been stiff.
"Because the two of you are together, it feels like multiplication rather than addition. However."
Kim Na-hee, who was continuing her praise, suddenly hardened her expression and said.
"In this audition, the two of you can't always be a team. You know that, right?"
"Yes, we know."
"I look forward to seeing what kind of performance you'll show next time when the two of you are separated."
When Kim Na-hee finished speaking, the twins hurriedly bowed their heads and walked back behind the stage.
Thinking of the harsh words Kim Na-hee had said in the previous season, the words she just said to the twins were very positive expressions for Kim Na-hee.
Perhaps the twins knew that too, as the expressions of the two walking this way were extremely bright.
"Hoo-ha. Hoo-haa."
At that moment, someone's rough breathing was heard beside me.
Looking to the side, I saw Kang Ah-jin, whose face looked noticeably pale.
'He wasn't this nervous during the group stage earlier.'
Seeing Kang Ah-jin looking like he would collapse at the slightest touch, I quietly called his name.
"Ah-jin."
"Y-yes?"
"Snap out of it."
At my words, Kang Ah-jin made a blank expression for a moment, then heavily nodded his head.
"Now, high five."
I held out my hand to Kang Ah-jin and said, and the moment Kang Ah-jin raised his right hand at my words.
Smack-
"Ugh..."
"Don't chicken out, go do it."
Kang Ah-jin looked at his reddened hand once, then looked back at me with an unfair face, making an expression that said, 'No, not again...!'
I forcefully pushed Kang Ah-jin's back.
I was a bit worried, but there was nothing more I could do here.
Since Kang Ah-jin had the trait 'Perfect Match', even if he messed up the stage here, he was someone I had to take with me anyway.
'Still, I hope he does well.'
Knowing how hard Kang Ah-jin had worked, I looked at him with eyes full of support.
Kang Ah-jin, who was looking at me with a slightly dissatisfied expression, eventually sighed and slowly walked out to the center of the stage.
And.
"You look less confident than when you were on stage together earlier."
"Hmm, the instantaneous feel and properly utilizing your body was really good. It's just as Kim Na-hee-teacher said, a lack of confidence? That was a bit of a snag. Good work."
A stage that was slightly lacking compared to Kang Ah-jin's usual skills.
And slightly disappointing judge evaluations.
However, as if glad that he finished the stage without making a mistake, Kang Ah-jin bowed deeply at 90 degrees and returned to his seat.
'Then, the only one left is...'
"Now, lastly, trainee Seon Woo-rin?"
Trainer Kim Na-hee was looking at me with a strange anticipation in her eyes.
"I will start from here."
I said after walking to the very back of the stage.
"You're starting from there? Well, there's nothing wrong with that. Alright."
As Kim Na-hee's permission fell, the hall instantly fell quiet.
Freestyle dance.
Actually, it wasn't that I hadn't thought of this situation at all.
Even in last year's Season 1, Kim Na-hee made many trainees cry with freestyle dance.
Predicting that such a situation wouldn't come to me was too complacent.
I thought about various possible scenarios.
Actually, there was no way I could dance freestyle to a given song right now.
Then what I could do was, random dancing? Or I could show that I'm working this hard with basic moves.
Both had pros and cons. And they were both too obvious.
'It's a pattern that already appeared in Season 1.'
Still, I couldn't show a sniveling appearance saying I couldn't do it like a participant named Song Si-yeon who debuted last year.
Song Si-yeon bought sympathy with that pitiful scene and her hard work in the next mission. But if I showed such an appearance.
'It would be an immediate ticket off the show.'
I had to find a new way.
A way that wasn't obvious, could secure broadcast screen time, and wouldn't make me disliked.
It was a difficult task just thinking about it, but I believed I could do it.
What I learned in the military.
First. Nothing is impossible.
Second. If you don't have teeth, chew with your gums.
At that moment, a new thought suddenly occurred to me.
'If you don't have teeth, chew with your gums. If I can't dance, I'll cover it with physicality.'
I took my place at the very edge of the stage with my back to the judges.
The only thing left was what song would be selected.
'Fast and exciting song, as long as it's not a slow song, anything is fine.'
As if matching my wish. A fast-tempo EDM song flowed out.
And as soon as I heard the music, I immediately did a back handspring.
Two back handsprings to the center of the stage and finally two rotations in the air.
'Landing.'
After landing, I looked at the judges' table.
Judges with surprised expressions, but Kim Na-hee was still glaring at me with an interested look in her eyes.
Trying not to care about Kim Na-hee's gaze, I stepped basic steps to the music in the center of the stage.
As I, who made a flashy entrance with back handsprings, started stepping basic steps, the judges immediately looked at me with 'as expected' eyes.
However, without caring about their gazes, I was waiting for the music to flow to a greater climax.
And finally.
'Now!'
I widened my step in an instant, then placed one hand on the floor.
With my body floating in the air, I alternately supported my body with each hand, rotating my body in a circle.
A skill used by b-boys, the Thomas flare.
That skill I practiced, referencing YouTube videos, dragged along by a senior who said he was bored in the military.
Compared to when I practiced back then, my body was much lighter now.
'Is this the power of an S-rank body?'
Because it wasn't difficult at all, I used the skill for a much longer time than I usually practiced.
One spin, two spins in the air, around the time I forgot to count how many spins I did.
I smoothly prepared for the next move following the Thomas flare.
I pushed the floor hard with my arm once, then dropped onto my back first and swung my legs widely.
Windmill following the Thomas flare.
I increased the speed even more than the Thomas flare. At this speed, even a skilled b-boy would feel dizzy, but.
'Using my body is so much fun.'
I was thrilled by my body condition, which showed better performance than I had thought.
Excited, I pondered whether to increase the speed even more, but soon gathered my wits.
Now finally.
Even a headspin, spinning at a fast speed with my head on the floor.
The skills I practiced on the marble floor of the military barracks corridor were successfully displayed on this stage.
After showing a freeze move. I lightly lifted my body into the air and landed on the floor.
Whoa-
The trainees' cheers and applause were heard.
Seeing that most of the judges' expressions were positive, I was sure that it was at least not a minus.
However, Kim Na-hee's expression looked ominous.
As soon as the song ended, Kim Na-hee glared at me and picked up the microphone.
"Trainee Seon Woo-rin."
"Yes."
"I asked you to show me a dance, I never asked you to show me acrobatics. Did I say it wrong?"
"No. You clearly asked me to show you a dance."
"But do you think what you just showed matches my intention?"
The good atmosphere froze in an instant.
'How should I answer?'
I hadn't even thought of this reaction.
Is there an answer that can satisfy Kim Na-hee while also managing my image?
While I was spinning my head thinking about what the appropriate answer would be in that fleeting moment.
"Na-hee-teacher, can I say just one word?"
Song Young-joon trainer, who had only been listening to Kim Na-hee's words until now, suddenly opened his mouth.
Kim Na-hee made a briefly surprised expression at Song Young-joon's sudden words, then nodded.
"My opinion is completely opposite to Na-hee-teacher's this time. I really liked it."
At Song Young-joon's words, Kim Na-hee's expression hardened even more.
"Of course, Na-hee-teacher's words make sense too. What trainee Seon Woo-rin showed is closer to just showing b-boying skills rather than freestyle dance. But I think that through that stage, trainee Seon Woo-rin fully showed his own charm."
Song Young-joon, who was speaking, briefly made eye contact with Kim Na-hee.
The writers outside the stage were making a fuss over the appearance of the two and writing something down.
A conflict structure between judges that doesn't easily appear.
If I had seen another trainee go through something like this, it would have been just fun, but since I was going through it, I couldn't just rejoice like the writers.
'If this gets edited wrong, it's going to look completely weird.'
While I was worrying inwardly, Song Young-joon continued speaking.
"Trainee Seon Woo-rin showed what only he could do here. The moves he just showed are difficult for even me to follow. It's not like you only have to show dance and singing skills on this stage. It's a stage to appeal your own individuality and charm. In that sense, I highly value what he just showed."
When Song Young-joon finished speaking, Kim Na-hee tried to grab the microphone and speak again. But Ria, who had only been watching until then, organized the situation first.
"Now, the talk about the freestyle dance will end here."
At Ria's words, Kim Na-hee put the microphone back down as if it was a shame.
'But why is she glaring at me like that.'
I struggled to ignore Kim Na-hee's intense gaze and returned to the seat where Kang Ah-jin and the Boo brothers were.
Boo Ji-seok, who had approached without me realizing, patted my shoulder and whispered softly.
"Rin, were you nervous earlier?"
"No, not at all."
Actually, I was a little nervous.
You guys should experience Kim Na-hee's glare too.
I've been marked, and marked solidly.
I don't know how this result will come back to bite me later.
Time passed and now only the grade announcement remained.
While we were waiting, the conversation at the judges' table continued without stopping.
"Why is the talk getting so long?"
"Just wait quietly."
As Boo Ji-hoon grumbled, the discussion time for us was relatively too long compared to the previous turns.
After enough time passed to feel a little anxious,
As if the decision was made, Ria looked at us and spoke.
"Then I will announce the grades of the individual trainees."
At this moment, all surrounding noise disappeared.
Through that silence, Ria's voice was heard again.
"Kang Ah-jin."
"Boo Ji-seok."
"Boo Ji-hoon."
Three names were called.
Kang Ah-jin, perhaps having relieved his tension now, made a calm expression. Boo Ji-seok and Boo Ji-hoon had expressions that were hard to read.
"The three are B-grade."
Phew...
A sigh of relief was heard from somewhere.
But the evaluation wasn't over yet.
"Trainee Seon Woo-rin."
Ria's gaze headed toward me.
No, everyone's gaze, including Ria's, headed toward me.
"Trainee Seon Woo-rin is..."