Chapter 135: End-of-Year Stage (5)

The seniors couldn't help but love the cuteness of the adorable youngest—me. “Hyun-Woo, you are doing great!"

“Wow! More! More! More!"

“Shake it! Shake it!"

Perhaps because the dancers were all here, the atmosphere was buzzing with energy. But then, thinking about it, I actually was the main vocalist, not the main dancer.

At first, I felt like everyone was buzzing with energy except for me. However, as time went by, I found myself at the center of it all, slightly tipsy with excitement and owning the spotlight in the practice room. The seniors formed a circle around me and cheered me on enthusiastically. I knew this moment would become a playful topic for months once it aired on TV.

Embracing the moment, I let loose and moved to the rhythm as the seniors encouraged. The easiest way to blend in with them was by playing the role of the amiable, entertaining junior. In the vibrant atmosphere, any hint of shyness had vanished from me, replaced by pure, high-energy funness.

“Hahaha. Are you enjoying this?"

In the middle of this lively scene, Suh Ji-Hye, Justin, and his interpreter entered. Their arrival shifted the atmosphere, sparking concern about whether I was being hazed.

“You guys are not picking on the youngest, right?" they asked.

“No, not at all!" I said. Having anticipated that the hidden camera would change to a close-up of me, I quickly switched back to acting like Park Yoon-Chan and showed an awkward, embarrassed, yet incredibly endearing sheepishness.

‘How cute can the youngest member get?’

I silently praised myself, feeling at the top of my game. I was slowly but steadily breaking down barriers with the other idol members.

“As I said before, Justin will lead the choreography. Despite the language barrier, the dance practice would go smoothly, so don’t worry. Let's work hard for a flawless performance.”

“Okay!”

Suh Ji-Hye encouraged us and then left the room.

As Justin spoke, his words were translated for us. “Shall we start warming up?"

“Yep!”

The dance required high flexibility, so everyone started with simple wrist and ankle rotations, progressing to more intensive leg stretches and waist twists. I started modestly, just rotating my knees, watching everyone's serious expression.

“Need help with your warm-up, Hyun-Woo?" Lee Dong-Woo asked, coming over to press my upper body down.

“Huh?” My hands that were resting on my knees slipped, and my upper body bent further down while my legs stayed stretched.

I felt a sharp tug. "Senior... Se-, Senior..." I called out.

“Yeah? Is this hard for you?" Lee Dong-Woo asked in surprise. His surprise made sense, given that people in this group were typically much more flexible than the others.

“Ahh! Ouch!" It hurt more than I expected, so I couldn't help but yelp in pain. The seniors and Justin turned to see what was happening.

“Lee Dong-Woo, don't bully the youngest.”

“No, that’s not the problem. This dude is so stiff,” he replied.

“Stiff? He seemed flexible on TV. That’s odd.” They were naturals at creating engaging content, even during warm-ups, and they seized any chance to tease the youngest.

“Se... senior... Could you help me get up?" I asked Dong-Woo, half-joking, half in real need of assistance.

“Yeah, I thought for sure this kid had a ballet background when I saw him on the competition program.”

“Hyun-Woo, we can transform your stiff body into a flexible one in a week. Want the seniors to help?”

“Se...senior...”

‘

Can you just stop teasing and take your hands off my back? Ugh.’

I felt like I was going to cry from the strain.

I eventually collapsed. Sitting crouched with my knees bent, I was greeted with laughter all around. Yes, it was like this during my trainee days too, bullied by the seniors.

Now I appreciated how nice my fellow Chronos members were. I missed them. If Lee Jin-Sung was the one being bullied and teased in Chronos, then it was me in this team.

Before I knew it, I was spending a painful time warming up surrounded by my “kind” seniors. Justin stretched with his feet on a chair in the corner of the practice room and returned to his spot after all of us stood up.

“Now, let's start the real practice. Everyone, please spread out in front of me." Hearing the interpreter's words, everyone moved apart. Since the formation wasn't decided yet, it didn’t matter how and where we stood.

Soon, he assigned us the choreography. It definitely felt easier to follow after a proper warm-up, even if it was somewhat forced.

“Swing your right arm high above your head and kick back with your right leg. Try to bounce."

“A bounce? So, just spin around once?" another senior member asked, and the interpreter conversed with Justin before nodding.

“Yes, just spin around once."

Miscommunication was common when working with foreign choreographers. After all, they explained in their own way, and if the interpreter was not deeply versed in dance, they simply translated verbatim. As a result, we had to keep asking to understand and learn.

As I silently swung my right arm and spun around, Justin didn't miss a beat, shouting “Okay!” and “Right!” while giving me a thumbs up.

“Jump and gather your hands preciously at your chest as you land, then bend your waist. From there, take five steps back." We managed to practice reasonably well, following Justin's movements and the interpreter's explanations.

In the midst of talented dancers, certain idol members stood out. There was Yoo Jeon-Hwa from All The Time, who was a real contemporary dance major; Rain from Blue Paper, who was known for his innate sexiness; and me, who was praised by Justin for expressive facial acting and elegant dance lines. He then decided that the three of us would lead the formation.

“The formation is set, so we need to decide who will start in the center next. Of course, everyone will dance in the center at some point, but starting in the center plays a crucial role in setting the mood. Let's take time with the decision." As the interpreter conveyed Justin's words, the seniors shrugged nonchalantly.

“Our youngest should start in the center."

“...Pardon?” I asked.

“End of discussion! Yay!” After Yoo Jeon-Hwa and Rain spoke, Lee Dong-Woo and Cho Min-Seong, who were standing behind them, readily agreed and cheered. It might have seemed like they were too casually passing on the central role to me, but in reality, it wasn't that strange. This was why I had worked hard to break down their barriers with my crazy antics and charm.

Unlike the

Pick We Up

trainees who competed fiercely for center positions, the popular idols with experience and popularity were on different levels. These seniors didn't need to be as aggressive, as they already had plenty of opportunities to be on stage and could easily get broadcast time just by talking well.

“Anyway, we all take turns in the center, so let's give our youngest the chance to start." They seemed to understand that giving a slightly more significant role to the cute junior would make for a better picture.

“Uh... Really? Can I do that?" I rejoiced inwardly, determined to seize this opportunity and make a strong impression. My reaction was full of uncontrollable joy, which made the seniors laugh and pat me on the back.

As a newcomer who had to be mindful of the seniors, I had no choice but to secure a good position in the formation, even if it meant that I had to headbang nonstop.

Yoo Jeon-Hwa, who was standing in the center, pulled me to his position and moved to the side himself. Standing awkwardly among the seniors, I bit my lip and stared intently at the mirror. Soon enough, the practice resumed.

“Hyun-Woo will start with a solo dance, and he will make an entrance alone. Then, in sequence, Jeon-Hwa, Rain, Dong-Woo, and Min-Seong will take over."

“Take over? Does that mean each person comes in one at a time?" Rain asked.

After a brief conversation with Justin, the interpreter clarified, "No, everyone will have a solo dance. The stage is huge, so each area will have one person. Starting with Hyun-Woo's solo, each of you will follow in sequence."

The plan was as follows: starting with my solo, each member would present their dance. Following that, during Cho Min-Seong's solo, the rest of the members would move toward the main stage where Min-Seong was.

Then, the choreography would start with me in the center, and each member would take a turn in the center before transitioning to the second part. The stage layout facilitated this, as the number of members in the second part was significantly fewer, and each of them had a distinct characteristic.

Justin spoke in a serious tone, and the interpreter relayed his words. “Our rivals are not each other but the members of the second part. Let's work together in the first part to create an artistic stage."

“Okay!"

“Hyun-Woo, your solo is from zero to forty seconds of the video I sent you."

“Ah, I wondered why some parts suddenly felt different.”

I then started practicing my solo, which allowed my unique style to emerge more vividly than in group practice.

“Wow, our youngest is amazing!"

“I knew it from the competition. He is really good."

During the dance, I could hear the seniors' voices and the interpreter's as well. “Hyun-Woo's concept is madness. Make sure your facial expressions are spot on. There can be no clumsiness."

“Okay!"

Thankfully, I didn't have to sing. If this was a live performance, I would run out of energy before even starting the stage, considering the intensity of my movements and headbanging.

“Move a bit more flexibly, but don't lose your strength. Keep the heaviness that's unique to you Hyun-Woo."

There were many demands, but the practice paid off. I focused on maintaining my facial expressions and the dynamics of the dance, just as Justin instructed.

The forty seconds started to feel incredibly long...

“All right! That's good!"

Justin's satisfied applause signaled the end of my part.