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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: The Performance Day
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Even after Lee Ju-seon joined, our team flowed very smoothly.
Lee Ju-seon was definitely disheartened, but that was actually better.
Better than her stubbornness getting in the way.
The outfits Lee Ju-seon had chosen were, of course, completely revised.
Lee Ju-seon had worked hard to create choreography in her own way.
It wasn't perfect, but incorporating our feedback, a plausible choreography was created.
In particular, Yeon Ju-hong's role was surprisingly significant.
She wasn't an exceptionally good dancer, but what can I say? The kid had a knack for it.
It felt like she knew what people would like.
You can't buy that kind of intuition.
Matching the completed song and choreography, the four of us practiced seamlessly.
And so,
The day of the mid-term check arrived.
“Alright, Team A will start.”
“Yes!”
Not all the judges came today.
Only two trainers were present.
Do Hui-yeong and Director Kim Mo-gyeong seemed quite busy.
“I heard there was quite a bit of friction during practice. Did you resolve everything?”
Kang Sun-hwa, the vocal trainer, asked.
It seemed to have become quite an issue among the production staff already.
Of course, the question remained why PD O Baek-gyeong was letting such interesting material slide.
It was the kind of material that could make ratings explode, if handled well.
Though, it would probably come at the cost of ruining many people.
Anyway, it seemed they had roughly accepted that since Lee Ju-seon had returned to our team, things were smoothing over.
“Yes, everything has been resolved. There was a misunderstanding between us, which we worked out through conversation.”
“On the contrary, I think it became an opportunity for us to grow even closer!”
Kim Geum spoke, and Yeon Ju-hong supported her.
“It felt like a happening that occurred because we were all so desperate. But at the same time, we realized how precious we are to each other and resolved it immediately!”
I also did my best to smooth things over.
Closer? Precious? Of course not, but.
We couldn't say that on broadcast.
“That's good. Now all you have to do is perform well on stage, right?”
Jo Won-ho, the dance trainer, said with a sly smile.
There was a sting to his words.
Right.
No matter how well things were resolved, if the stage performance was a mess, it was all for nothing.
Conversely, even if things weren't resolved well, if the stage performance was perfect, it didn't matter.
What the public sees is us on stage.
What happens backstage is for us to handle ourselves.
“Then we'll start right away.”
At his words, we immediately took our positions according to the choreography formation.
We had practiced so much that I felt like I could stand there with my eyes closed.
As we instantly transformed into stage mode, the other trainees reacted with an "Oh~" and cheered.
…You guys should try practicing with Kim Geum.
See if you don’t end up like this.
I can guarantee that Kim Geum was more of a perfectionist than anyone I'd ever seen.
Her personality was also like a tiger, making her even scarier.
I definitely… I had much more experience, but Kim Geum felt like a far more senior figure.
Not that it was bad.
Thanks to her, all of us—
*I'll read your diary backward*
*It'll sound like a love spell*
*Rewind the tape*
*Reverse*
—were able to sharpen our skills.
***
“Tomorrow's already the day of the main performance.”
“I know, right?”
I truly don't know how time flew by.
As if possessed, we went through the mid-term check, and then a few more days passed.
Though none of us said it, all four of us were extremely nervous during the mid-term check.
Because we had to show ourselves at a disadvantage, having lost a day compared to the other teams.
However, the results weren't bad.
‘Geum-ah.’
‘Yes.’
The judges first praised Kim Geum.
‘You really seem to have a talent for being a leader. Well done.’
‘Thank you!’
‘But you still need to work harder. You know that, right?’
‘Yes!’
I liked how spirited Kim Geum was.
‘Cheong-ah.’
‘Yes.’
‘You know you have to push them harder, right? You're the oldest.’
‘…Yes.’
For a moment, I thought about just answering that and leaving it at that.
But I couldn't.
‘But they're already running well on their own, better than anyone else. I'll play the role of the carrot.’
Because I knew best how hard they had worked all this time.
They were all truly desperate.
Even Lee Ju-seon, who had once run away.
Everyone practiced for hours with only a few hours of sleep a day.
Skipping meals was just a daily routine.
It wasn't for dieting.
After a dance practice, we simply had no energy to eat.
Of course, whenever that happened, I'd practically drag them by the collar and make them eat.
“Guys.”
“Yes.”
All four of us lay on the practice room floor, barely breathing.
“Let's just hold out until tomorrow.”
“Yep.”
“Just do what we've been doing.”
“Yep!”
Seriously.
If we just did what we'd been doing, we'd be perfect.
Ah, but…
“I just want to lie here and sleep…”
“Me too…”
***
*Love me or Hate me*
*Tic toc, your heart is a metronome*
*Love me or Hate me*
*Ping pong, how long are you going to be like this?*
“They're doing well.”
On the day of the main competition.
We were watching Team B's performance.
First of all… there was basically no one who couldn't perform.
Everyone sang live well, and their dancing was at least average.
However, the only person who stood out in Team B was Kim Ryeo-yu.
It couldn't be helped.
“Ryeo-yu Unnie sings half the song by herself. She's really amazing. How does she have such lung capacity?”
“Distributing parts like that must mean she was really confident.”
Yeon Ju-hong and Kim Geum tried to sugarcoat Kim Ryeo-yu's outrageous behavior.
It wasn't like the other team members lacked skill, so taking all the parts like that was disrespectful.
Was it like, as long as I debut, that's all that matters?
How the parts were distributed would only be known once the broadcast aired, but it was clear Director Kim Mo-gyeong had influenced it.
It was just… incredible.
“…Originally, there were even more. Ryeo-yu Unnie's parts.”
Lee Ju-seon, who had briefly joined that team, said.
…Even more than that?
To think she reduced her parts because she was afraid of being criticized—I'm speechless.
I subtly muted my microphone and whispered to Lee Ju-seon.
“Ju-seon-ah.”
“Yes…?”
“When you were there, did you really think you could be the center?”
“…No.”
“Right?”
I patted Lee Ju-seon's shoulder.
Lee Ju-seon seemed to be thinking something similar, as her expression wasn't good.
It seemed she was starting to get a sense of what might have happened if she had stayed on Kim Ryeo-yu's team.
It really seems people only understand after experiencing it for themselves.
“Fortunately, it doesn't seem like any team has a concept that overlaps with ours.”
“True. Team C was cute, and Team B was sexy.”
Yeon Ju-hong subtly patted her chest, as if she had been secretly worried about concept overlap.
And for good reason, because after the mid-term check, Kim Ryeo-yu had openly said something behind our backs.
‘That's not bad. Should we do that too?’
When the cameras weren't around, I really wanted to pinch that person's mouth.
But thankfully, it seemed she knew she'd get criticized, so she didn't put it into action.
Besides, even if she had tried, Director Kim Mo-gyeong would have stopped her.
[Team B's dazzling and captivating performance! Did everyone enjoy it?!]
After Team B's performance concluded, Do Hui-yeong continued her hosting.
It was our turn last.
After Team B.
It was now.
***
“Hello, Team Four Seasons! Why did you choose this team name?”
We couldn't possibly say it was because all four of us had such different personalities and images.
Because all four of us had weird personalities, each in our own way.
“It's because all four of us possess different charms, like the four seasons!”
Fortunately, Kim Geum, who was in charge of the leader role, packaged it well.
“Excellent. Could you explain your concept and song?”
“This time, we were truly serious about our concept! Ju-hong had a cute idea, and we all worked together to create the song and choreography to match it.”
“Oh, what kind of concept is it?”
“That…! We'll show you on stage!”
Kim Geum showed a strong determination not to spoil anything.
She didn't need to be so resolute.
When she acted like that, she really seemed like a rookie.
“Then at least the song title?”
“Ah, yes! Our song title is !”
“Oh, means a reversal, right?”
“Yep! Our stage also has a reversal…!”
The moment Yeon Ju-hong excitedly spoke, Kim Geum covered Yeon Ju-hong's mouth.
“Okay. Great. Then shall we watch the performance right away!”
Do Hui-yeong, true to her status as a veteran idol, continued her introduction without any fluster.
I tightly clasped the hands of my teammates on either side.
Trembling hands, hands sweaty from tension.
And me, barely maintaining my composure amidst them.
We were all of one mind.
Alright.
Let's go, to the stage.
***
Prism, perhaps thanks to her long career as a fansite master, was well-versed in information.
When she heard that applications for the team mission audience were open, she immediately applied as soon as the application page opened.
And luckily, she won the lottery.
Although she wouldn't be able to bring equipment and take photos, she was still happy just to be able to witness the performance firsthand.
If it weren't for the reviews from the last audience recording, which said fansite masters were aggressively caught… She suppressed her regret and headed to the broadcasting station with a fluttering heart.
Yun Cheong's first team mission!
It would feel different from the individual mission.
Naturally, there probably wouldn't be as many parts as in the individual mission.
But she was looking forward to the synergy with the other members.
‘All familiar faces, huh.’
Looking around, everyone was a familiar face.
Indeed, once a fan, always a fan.
She had heard the order for today was Team C, B, then A.
And her hopeful, Yun Cheong, was last!
After watching the performances of Team C and Team B, her assessment was one thing:
‘They're good.’
Team C was much better than Team B.
“Did you see our Bo-ra, Prism-nim?”
“Of course. She's my second favorite.”
Prism had come with a fellow fansite master.
The fellow fansite master was already a well-known name among Ryu Bo-ra's fans.
She had apparently been a fan since Ryu Bo-ra's child actor days.
“No, our kid's face was always incredibly stunning, but today was truly legendary…”
“She really was incredibly beautiful. She used her expressions so well that she really stood out on stage.”
She wasn't her second favorite for no reason.
Prism had been wavering between Yeon Ju-hong and Ryu Bo-ra as her second favorite.
However, the moment she saw Team C's performance, her heart leaned towards Ryu Bo-ra.
An incredibly beautiful face that shone like light itself…!
“But Team B was a bit… too focused on Kim Ryeo-yu, so it wasn't very interesting.”
“I know, right? I thought it was a solo song.”
The two nodded, evaluating the previous performances.
“Gasp, they're coming out!”
At that moment, Team A came onto the stage.
“Crazy.”
Prism's eyes started to widen.
“Be… beret? Yun Cheong's beret? Beret?!”
Yun Cheong, wearing a light purple beret, was the epitome of a high school teen.
Their outfits were all baggy black baseball jackets, so they weren't clearly visible.
“Huh. Their concept, surely…?”
“What on earth is it?”
Yeon Ju-hong was in charge of the concept, but…!
What could it be?
“But why those ugly baseball jackets…? At least unbutton them.”
“I know, right?”
Why those outfits, of all things?
Their hair and makeup were perfectly done, so why those outfits?
“Even Cheong-i is the only one not wearing glasses; the rest of them are.”
“She's pretty, but I wish she'd take those off…”
Don't cover your face, kids.
“No, glasses are usually awesome, but they just don't go with the baseball jackets.”
“Exactly. It's not easy for glasses to look this bad.”
Prism swallowed her tears inwardly.
She somehow started to feel worried.
The previous teams had come out sparkling and putting in a lot of effort, but our kids were wearing something so dull.
[That…! We'll show you on stage!]
…Still, since Kim Geum said it like that, let's trust her!
Ultimately, the fans suppressed their anxiety and waited for the performance.
However.
A much more sophisticated yet kitschy intro played.
*Suffocating, fake yourself*
*Aren't you tired of it?*
Yeon Ju-hong's opening.
*A misaligned diamond button*
*The moment you press Pop*
Everything,
Lee Ju-seon's next lead.
*Reverse*
And Kim Geum's single word.
At that single word, the four of them threw off their dull baseball jackets.
Then, a kitschy, preppy look that clearly screamed "high-teen concept" was revealed.
“Crazy.”
It was precisely the concept Prism had wanted.
Only then did she understand. Why they had worn glasses that didn't even match the baseball jackets.
It was all just part of the big picture Yeon Ju-hong had drawn.
I'm sorry, Ju-hong.
I didn't understand your great vision…!
Prism swallowed her tears.
Ah, truly… everyone was so beautiful.
And—
*As for us, nightmare*
*Fireworks in a monotonous daily life*
*Flip it over*
*Reverse*
Right down to Yun Cheong.
There was nothing more she could wish for.
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