The unannounced first evaluation. The content: dancing the choreography to the first theme song, “Produce.” The members of Group 1 were streaked with panic.
‘Th-this suddenly??!’
‘Without even telling us beforehand! This is way too sudden!!’
They had first seen the “Produce” choreography only a few days ago, and at most, they had practiced it individually for about two days. Whether they had invested a lot of time into practice or not, the contestants’ minds were shaken in an instant.
They didn’t show it, but inside, it was pandemonium.
Perhaps it was even worse because they had recently seen people eliminated from the “Choreography Team” and sent home. In the eyes of the Group 1 contestants, anxiety, worry, impatience, fear, and more were thickly pooled. Around then, choreographer I Hanna was staring straight at “No. 1.”
“······”
Her brow narrowed faintly.
‘He isn’t even flinching. Why? Is it a concept, or is he serious?’
Unlike the others, who were restless, No. 1 was perfectly calm. Without realizing it, I Hanna felt slightly irritated. She had wanted to see No. 1 flustered, but not even the smallest crack appeared in that composed yet outrageously powerful visual.
In truth, I Hanna had been slightly scratched by Gang Rojun a few days ago.
Because Rojun had given a simple evaluation of the “Produce” choreography she had created.
‘It doesn’t look difficult.’
At the time, there had been many cameras, and because of her veteran composure, she had laughed it off. But she was human too, and Gang Rojun’s villain-like tone had faintly grated on her. In any case, I Hanna had her eye on Rojun. The fact that he was the only contestant who had passed training, and the jaw-dropping “brake” choreography he had shown in the second screening.
On top of that.
‘Offstage, he really is a proper villain.’
Even Gang Rojun’s eccentric behavior. Since his face was god-tier, he stood out even more. Then I Hanna withdrew her gaze from Rojun and swept her eyes over the other contestants. The remaining twelve all looked utterly miserable. Watching them, I Hanna regained her smile.
“Don’t feel pressured just because it’s the first evaluation. Like I said, it’s just a light evaluation. The reason there was no notice is because I asked PD U. That way, I can see your true ability.”
After exchanging a glance with PD U Hanseok, I Hanna continued explaining.
“For Group 1, each of you will go onstage one at a time and dance the ‘Produce’ choreography with those two dancers. That will be the first evaluation. Just do as much as you can. I’m not even hoping for perfection. I know you’ve only had about two days of individual practice, so you don’t have to worry.”
Perhaps thanks to her briefing, some of the pressure left the eyes of the Group 1 contestants, and I Hanna wrapped it up.
“We’re not doing the performance version of the ‘Produce’ group choreography I showed you in the practice room. We’ll just be doing the solo choreography for ‘Produce.’ You don’t need to worry about group formations.”
As I Hanna sat down in the single chair that had been set up, PD U Hanseok, standing behind her, shouted.
“Group 1 will move to the prepared waiting room for now!”
A moment later.
Group 1 entered the waiting room prepared outside the hall with the stage. Cameras had also been installed here and there in the waiting room with sofas, and the staff seated the contestants on the sofas using No. 1, Gang Rojun, as the reference point.
A familiar large monitor could be seen in front of them.
It felt similar to the filming for the first and second screenings.
The staff member in charge of seating arrangements now collected the contestants’ phones. It was to prevent them from watching practice videos while they waited. About five minutes later, as soon as the staff left the waiting room, the Group 1 contestants immediately opened their mouths.
“Ah—seriously, isn’t a sudden evaluation kind of over the top?”
“Tell me about it. It feels like coming to school and suddenly being told to take a test.”
“Did you practice a lot?”
“I did a little yesterday, but—I only picked up some of the movements for the first verse. The second verse, not at all······”
“Wow, that’s a lot! I didn’t even manage half of the first verse.”
“Honestly, I… heard there was training specifically for ‘Produce,’ so I trusted that and didn’t touch it at all.”
Complaints and grumbles, whether sincere or false, burst out from all over.
“But why are they suddenly doing a first evaluation?”
“Right, I thought there was only one evaluation. The one they said would happen when we practiced the group choreography.”
“What should I do?? Since the cameras are on too, I’m even more nervous.”
Amid the noisy waiting room, No. 15, sitting on the sofa to Gang Rojun’s right, was quiet. He was gauging the mood.
‘Is everyone in a similar situation to me? No, they might’ve practiced insanely hard and be pretending they didn’t.’
With his yellow hair and sharp facial features, he was fairly calm in his own way, but he was worried. Would this evaluation have a negative effect on his survival later? Since it was being filmed, that meant it was directly connected to vote counts. Then he—
—swish.
Glanced at Gang Rojun, who had his legs crossed. Without any reaction, No. 1 simply stared at the large monitor in front of him.
No. 15 was curious about Rojun’s true thoughts.
‘Whether something happens or not, this guy is always quiet. He’s calm even now. Is it because he practiced a lot?? No, I didn’t see No. 1 much in the practice room. Even if he did practice, what could he have done in less than three days?’
No. 15 decided to just ask.
“No. 1, you must’ve practiced a lot? You seem really relaxed.”
At that moment, a few contestants nearby also turned their eyes to Gang Rojun, and Rojun, looking at No. 15 as if it were nothing, gave a simple answer.
“I don’t know.”
“Pardon?”
He didn’t know? What kind of answer was that? No. 15, blinking his eyes, turned his gaze away.
‘Right, this is different from “brake.” “brake” was a hit song, and there were videos to practice from everywhere. There was tons of choreography information and tips online too. Or maybe he already knew the “brake” choreography before coming to “Geubaekpeu.”’
Then he reached a conclusion.
‘But “Produce” is the first theme song, and the choreography was only made a few days ago. The moves and formations are unfamiliar to everyone. Even I spent half a day just getting the key points. No matter how much of a No. 1 he is, it’ll be difficult.’
He was a monster, but No. 1 was still the same human as them. He must be struggling to learn the choreography too. The villain act he had shown I Hanna was simply maintaining his concept, or bravado. Compared to “brake,” there had been practically no time to practice.
In the end, No. 15 and the nearby contestants took comfort from looking at Gang Rojun.
It was fine if they made mistakes. It was fine if they stumbled.
Because everyone would be the same.
At that moment.
—swish.
The staff member who had left the waiting room came back in and requested,
“We’ll begin the evaluation from the last number!”
This time, Gang Rojun was not the first batter.
Meanwhile, in the hall with the stage.
Two dancers were talking onstage, while their leader, I Hanna, was seated alone in front of the stage. On her desk were a tablet and contestant profiles.
Soon, the song “Produce” was turned on and off repeatedly throughout the hall.
They were doing a sound rehearsal. The lighting was the same. Around then, PD U Hanseok finished the final filming check. He sent an OK sign to I Hanna, who was seated.
“We’ll start now.”
“Yes, PD.”
He and several staff members moved behind the cameras, and the two dancers who had been talking also changed their expressions and took their places. The cameras were all positioned throughout the space. I Hanna, who had been tapping on her tablet, lifted her head and recited,
“Contestant, please come in.”
The contestant with the highest number in Group 1, who had been trembling backstage, awkwardly moved onto the stage. Perhaps because of the dazzling lights and countless gazes, he froze. It was No. 94, whose chin was slightly pointed. The two dancers, smiling faintly, designated the contestant’s spot.
“This way.”
“Huh? Ah, yes, yes.”
No. 94 was in the center, with the two dancers on either side. Since the two dancers were not the main focus, they stood slightly behind him. As soon as they formed a triangular shape, I Hanna spoke to the contestant onstage in a businesslike tone.
“As I said earlier, it’s fine to do only as much as you can. Just don’t give up.”
“Y-yes, understood!!”
A booming answer. I Hanna sent a look to PD U Hanseok, and five seconds after U Hanseok nodded—
—♬♪
The theme song “Produce” rang out through the entire hall. As the intense drums spread, the two dancers onstage—
—swish.
With their expressions controlled, and without the slightest hesitation, immediately began the choreography. A professional momentum. On the other hand, No. 94 crumbled from the start.
“Ah, ah.”
Because he was flustered, he confused the starting point of the choreography. Thanks to the two dancers, he somehow muddled through, but his body, already offbeat, continued to stop and move again over and over. Since he was together with professionals, his mistakes stood out several times more.
Sitting alone in front of the stage, I Hanna—
“······”
Watched No. 94 with a serious expression, then let out a small sigh.
‘It’s hopeless. How am I supposed to drag that up to a level fit for a performance? This is bleak. Really bleak.’
On top of that, though No. 94 was working hard, he had even forgotten his own situation. Because he was embarrassed about making mistakes and smiled from time to time. It might be a light evaluation, but this wasn’t a joke. The cameras were even rolling. I Hanna shook her head slightly.
‘He’s at the bottom.’
It was truly at the level of children playing around. In the end, before even reaching the middle of the first verse, I Hanna raised her hand.
“That’s enough. I think I’ve seen enough.”
The song cut off abruptly, and onstage, No. 94 stood blankly, looking at I Hanna. As if wondering whether there would be some feedback. But after writing something on her tablet, she simply said to No. 94,
“What are you doing? You can go back to the waiting room.”
It ended just like this? No. 94, awkwardly hesitating, returned to the waiting room through the back of the stage. Then the next contestant came up onstage. “Produce” played again. This stage was not much different from No. 94’s.
He got the starting timing right, but his choreography did not match the dancers’ at all.
“That’s enough—”
I Hanna raised her hand before the middle of the first verse just the same. This repeated up to the fifth contestant, and all of the contestants either got it wrong from the start or collapsed at the next move.
‘Because they’re dancing with the dancers, they look even stupider.’
I Hanna’s evaluation was cold. So far, they had been nothing but wooden dolls. After calling the next contestant, she tried to console herself.
‘It’s fine. This was what I expected. It’s only been a few days since they saw the choreography, so of course it’s hard to digest. On top of that, they’re not even amateurs, they’re closer to ordinary people.’
She had had a faint expectation, but that ember had just gone out.
‘This evaluation is simply to determine the Group 1 kids’ potential, practice amount, dance lines, atmosphere, and grade.’
As I Hanna murmured inwardly, she wrote a letter of the alphabet beside the contestant’s face displayed on her tablet. She had been continuing this work since earlier. It had started with D, and this time it was C.
The grades she had set were from A to D.
D meant there were serious problems, C was better than D but still subject to management, B was not bad, and A was immediately performance-ready. Among the various underlying meanings of these grades was how intensely they would be trained during the “Produce”-specific training.
Those with D would have to practice like they were going to die.
Soon, the next contestant went up.
—swish.
Lowering her gaze to the tablet, I Hanna gave him a D. Of the six who had gone onstage, three were the worst level, D. I Hanna’s head was hurting more and more.
‘No, did he really come here to become an idol? How can he not match the rhythm even once? Did he even practice??’
The creases between her brows deepened.
‘This is a sight. That kid doesn’t seem to know even thirty percent of the moves.’
Some of the staff saw I Hanna’s expression and whispered to PD U Hanseok.
“Hanna’s face has gotten really bad.”
U Hanseok shrugged.
“No wonder. The kids are in terrible shape.”
“True······ They’re worse than I expected.”
“But that level might be normal. Well, it’s good that there are plenty of scenes to use for the broadcast. Still, I should help I Hanna feel a little better.”
The seventh contestant went up onstage, and he even slipped and fell. As I Hanna laughed faintly in disbelief, U Hanseok approached her.
“How is it?”
With her eyes on the tablet, I Hanna opened her mouth.
“You saw them, didn’t you? They’re all comedians, every last one.”
“Haha, let’s take a quick five-minute break.”
After sending a signal, U Hanseok took interest in I Hanna’s tablet.
“Wow, there are a lot of Ds.”
“Honestly, both you and I expected this, PD. But now that I’m actually watching them, the kids are seriously lacking in sense.”
“It’s probably because this is their first time learning and performing choreography they’ve never seen before, for a new song.”
“I know that too. Even active idols fumble around when they first encounter new choreography. Though they copy it quickly because they have sense.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to put the performance onstage within the time limit?”
“Well—”
I Hanna, drawing out her words, turned her head.
“If all of them fall short of the standard, will you really not put on the performance?”
“Yes, I won’t.”
“All of them eliminated?”
“No. When that happens, we’ll just have to veer onto another path. Change it into a storyline where they can’t put on the performance, hold a vote, and then have them try again at performing or whatever.”
Lee Hanna let out a sigh and smiled weakly.
“Hmm—I’ll try to make it work somehow, though the kids are going to be run ragged. But why is No. 1 last this time?”
“Just to raise his tension a bit. But Hanna, you’re not upset or anything because No. 1 was acting a little cocky, are you?”
“I am not. Still, No. 1 should be a little better than the other kids. He’ll probably be stiff, but he’s always had a different sense for this from the start.”
“Mm.”
Lee Hanna soon turned her gaze back to the stage and continued.
“No. 1 on the ‘brake’ stage was practically a pro, but this time won’t be easy. Even if the new choreography is on the simpler side, it’s not something you can pick up just by fumbling with it for a few days. Even those two dancers over there took more than half a day.”
“I have a feeling No. 1 will skip training again this time.”
“Well, he’s free to do that, isn’t he? If he doesn’t want it, he doesn’t have to take it. Whatever happens, if he doesn’t meet my standards, he’s not going up onstage.”
After saying he’d be counting on her, Producer Woo Hanseok left, and as soon as the break ended, the evaluations continued. However, the contestants’ level did not improve. It was a parade of Cs and Ds.
At least—
‘No. 15? His form isn’t bad. Should I keep an eye on him?’
No. 15, the twelfth to take the stage, was the only one who made it through the choreography to the end of the first verse. Of course, even he looked hard-pressed just to follow the two dancers.
Before long—
“This is the final contestant!”
The black-haired Contestant No. 1 appeared onstage. Kang Rojun, his face calm. The moment he came out, Producer Woo Hanseok, the dozens of staff members, and Lee Hanna all had different expressions on their faces.
Some looked as if they had been waiting for this; others watched with interest.
Either way, the camera angles focused on Rojun, and Lee Hanna, who was watching Kang Rojun onstage closely—
‘Did he say it didn’t look difficult? Let’s see just how undifficult his mistakes are.’
—nodded.
The theme song, “Produce,” rang powerfully through the hall, and the two dancers lifted their shoulders. The choreography had begun. At that moment, Lee Hanna narrowed her brow.
‘Oh—the timing was exactly right. As expected of No. 1, his instincts are good.’
Because Kang Rojun was moving exactly like the dancers. Up to this point, there was almost no difference between Rojun and the dancers. But those were only simple movements. Lee Hanna watched Kang Rojun with a serious expression. Soon, a lively rhythm spread through the hall.
The two dancers immediately switched into dazzling movements.
And there—
“......?”
Lee Hanna’s eyes filled with question marks. Before she knew it, she had risen from her seat. She had every reason to.
‘...W-what?!’
Because Kang Rojun was performing the choreography in the exact same form as the two dancers. There was not a single inch of error in his movements.
-♬♪
‘And on top of that, he’s even handling his gaze and the detailed motions?’
He stood out several times more than the dancers.
Lee Hanna’s eyes widened rapidly in disbelief.
‘He copied the entire choreography in that short time??!!’
The “No. 1 Villain” had begun to run rampant once again.