NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 29
Chapter 29. The First Monthly Evaluation (1)
Beep, beep―.
Thud, thud thud!
One, two, again!
The sound of shoe soles rubbing against the wooden floor repeated over and over. Without a single musical note, only the rough sound of breathing, footsteps, and the voice counting the beat filled the place. In the practice room, heated to the point of discomfort, someone soon lay down and cried out.
“Ah, please! Stop! Stop!”
Yoon Taehee, who had never lost in terms of stamina, flailed her arms and legs in protest. Others, too, seemed close to their limits, wiping sweat and catching their breaths while leaning on their knees or waists. Taehee’s gaze, filled with resentment, turned to the source of all this misery.
“You told us to trust you! You devil! You, you devil!”
“I go to church.”
Hajin, the culprit, cynically replied while roughly wiping his sweat with the towel around his neck. Taehee let out a scream and flopped back down on the floor, crying. Oh dear… How did I end up in this team…. But no one paid attention since she had been saying the same thing since the monthly evaluation practice began.
…So, how did all this happen?
* * *
“Sorry, but.”
“……?”
“We’re not going to use this song for our monthly evaluation.”
“What?”
“What did you say?”
Everyone looked at Hajin in disbelief at his firm declaration. The most shocked was Doha, who had never even imagined (although he always considered the possibility, it hadn’t happened in recent years, so he forgot such an option existed) that his song would be rejected.
Hajin’s following words were even more astonishing.
“We’re.”
“…….”
“Going to dance. Intensely.”
“…….”
“Group dance. You’ve heard of synchronized dance, right? We’re going to do that.”
At those words, Doha dropped his phone. Wonho bit his tongue, and Taehee choked on her water, prompting Gongseok to pat her back. Despite the chaos among the team members, Hajin remained unperturbed.
“Hyung, well, I mean, I’d love it if dance were the main focus, but can we really do it?”
Even as Wonho, who was pushing for a dance position, asked with a half-exposed numb tongue, Hajin remained resolute. His reason was clear.
‘Because we can do it.’
The system window floating in front of Hajin’s eyes supported that.
[Gongseok (Affiliation: Miro)]
Vocals: 92%
Dance: 53%
Expressiveness: 81%
Special: Wide vocal range (89%)
Appeal points:
‘Teacher, I have a question.’
– Scholarly enthusiasm, educational zeal
[Kim Wonho (Affiliation: Miro)]
Vocals: 89% (Rap 34%)
Dance: 62%
Expressiveness: 92%
Special: Choreography creation (86%)
Appeal points:
‘A TO Z’
– Quick learning ability
[Yoon Taehee (Affiliation: Miro)]
Vocals: 85% (Rap 49%)
Dance: 63%
Expressiveness: 75%
Special: Choreography creation (76%)
Appeal points:
‘Strong heart’
– Conveyance, stage coping ability, performance realization (91%)
There was one common trait among the three.
Their dance stats were significantly lower than their vocal stats.
‘Surprisingly, their vocal stats are high. It means they’ve honed their skills to the max.’
However, none of the three were particularly well regarded for their vocals. Even Gongseok, who was pushing for a vocal position, was only considered average among those who sing well in comparison to the top-tier members.
On the other hand.
‘They can improve their dance more than they currently do.’
The period was three weeks. If they could raise their dance stats by even 10% during that time.
The trainers, who watched the trainees’ progress daily, would soon notice.
The difference and the improvement.
‘Moreover, there’s someone reliable in the performance aspect.’
Hajin glanced at Wonho, who was still discussing with the other team members with a doubtful look. Watching his practice videos, there was always something awkward, but it was hard to take his eyes off him, and now he knew why—it was thanks to his 92% expressiveness.
“I don’t mind not using my song. …Honestly, I’m not confident about the dance part either. Of course, I’m trying, but it’s not easy to achieve the desired results in a short time.”
Doha, apparently quite anxious, spoke the most he ever had, even raising his hand.
‘He’s not shy about admitting what he can’t do.’
Knowing well how hard it is to admit one’s shortcomings, Hajin admired Doha for a moment before shaking his head at him.
“I’m not saying we have to do something extraordinary right away. But we can’t do it with this song. The song is good, but.”
“I’d appreciate more specific feedback.”
“The song makes it obvious. That you’re not confident in dancing.”
“……!”
“But, I think you can dance better than this. It’ll also be better for your rap.”
Hajin’s eyes saw Doha’s stats window again.
[Lee Doha (Affiliation: Miro)]
Vocals: 17% (Rap 64%)
Dance: 47%
Expressiveness: 35%
Special: Composition, producing (34%)
Appeal points:
‘Strong heart’
– Conveyance, stage coping ability, performance realization (80%)
‘Doha is the opposite of the others.’
His potential for improvement was much higher in vocals, but unless it suddenly jumped over 40%, it was hopeless.
‘On the other hand, he can get his dance above 50% with just a little more effort.’
Anyway, what’s the use of raising the vocals of someone who can already crush all Miro trainees with just rap? His current dance skills weren’t so terrible that it would be better to emphasize that side.
“…….”
Doha, taken aback by Hajin’s words, fell silent for a moment. He seemed lost in thought. The straightforward yet precise feedback rendered the other team members speechless as well.
Seeing the shattered atmosphere, Hajin instinctively knew it was time to offer a carrot.
“I’m not saying we should scrap everything. But I want it to be bolder than it is now. You need to be sure that you can pour all your rap skills into it. You’re the only rapper among us.”
“Then….”
“Since we don’t have much time, and the melody is really good, can you develop it further? Wonho has the lowest vocal range, so we need to set the key to the highest note he can comfortably hit. Seok can handle almost any key.”
“Ah, no. I’m not really that….”
Unexpected praise made the timid Gongseok’s ears turn red. But to Kang Hajin, who had already seen the “wide vocal range” trait, it wasn’t praise but a fact.
Doha, who had been listening quietly, tapped the floor with his fingers a couple of times before speaking.
“Three days.”
“……!”
“I need three days. To rearrange it as you said.”
“That’s enough.”
The deal was made. Doha immediately started packing up, signaling his intent to begin working on the rearrangement. Everyone in the room understood that this monthly evaluation would unfold as Hajin envisioned.
“What, so we can’t do anything until the song is done?”
With a clear attitude, Taehee quickly accepted the situation and asked with wide eyes. Her eyes gleamed with a cunning look of, “A break?” But Hajin, calculating the time needed for the arrangement, gave his characteristic ‘work smile.’
“Of course not.”
“……? But we don’t have a song….”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“……?”
“Even with a song, we can’t match it with our current skills. You all know that, right?”
“Th-Then…?”
As Doha left the practice room, Hajin stood up. The hopeless trio then realized that Hajin’s outfit today was unusual.
A black short-sleeved T-shirt that wouldn’t bother him even if drenched in sweat, thin training pants that ventilated well, practice shoes that didn’t slip on the wooden floor, and a hairband with good elasticity to keep his hair in place despite the sweat.
“Have you heard of Hell’s Boost Camp?”
“…….”
“We’re going to dance until we throw up, so be prepared.”
Thus began the hellish prelude. Welcome to Dance Hell!
* * *
“…Hajin, are we really okay?”
During a break, threatened by Taehee’s insistence that she would really throw up if they continued, they stopped training (or rather, practicing) for a moment. While stretching and relaxing his body, Gongseok cautiously approached Hajin, who was lying down, and asked. Hajin sat up and looked at Gongseok.
“Well, it’s not that I don’t trust you… I just wondered if we’re doing okay like this.”
“Hmm…. It’d be better if you could be more specific about what exactly makes you uneasy.”
Hajin shifted to make room for Gongseok to sit, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. After all, he was the only adult in the team and the oldest hyung, and Hajin was doing his best to keep him motivated, knowing he had confidence issues.
“I mean… anyway, we decided to focus more on dance than singing, right? Doha is working hard on the rearrangement because of that.”
“…….”
“So I’m just wondering if it’s okay for us to be focusing only on basics like this.”
Hajin’s Boost Camp.
The main content was ‘basic choreography.’ The basics everyone learns first when
they start dancing at an agency.
– Do you know what’s most important when dancing? Angles. And lines.
– Angles! Match the angles! More!
– Your gaze should follow your fingertips. Make sure your eyes are focused.
– You need to extend your arms straight. Not obtuse, right angles!
It was no wonder the team members, who were bracing themselves for intense choreography practice, were puzzled. Hajin nodded enthusiastically at Gongseok’s words.
‘It’s about time to get anxious, spending a precious week out of three just on basics.’
Even Doha, who was pulling all-nighters for the rearrangement, took time out to make the others do the routines 300 times. Seo Taehyun, who shared a room with Doha in the dorm, was now so scared that he fixed his gaze on his fingertips and stretched his arm at a right angle whenever Doha opened the door.
“I was thinking of moving on to the next step soon.”
“Ah… really? The next step is….”
“Should we talk when everyone’s here?”
Just then, Taehee and Wonho returned to the practice room from their break. Hajin called them over and had them sit down. The four, excluding Doha, formed a circle in the center of the practice room.
“First, thanks for working hard this week.”
“At least you know, hyung.”
“Shh, Taehee, be quiet.”
“Well, it was a hard week. Especially for Taehee and Wonho.”
Hajin’s glib tone eased the slightly tense atmosphere with some laughter. Sensing the mood, Hajin smiled and took out his phone.
“Now, I’ll make a big announcement.”
“……? Oh, no way?”
“The song is ready. Finally.”
A week after the first meeting for the monthly evaluation.
Finally, the song was decided.