Chapter 379: Choose (22)

I already knew the basic information about the members of Sequence. Aeon was the member with the shortest trainee period among them, and he was the same age as Jin-Sung. Before becoming a trainee, he had never danced before, so he was slow to learn and not very good at it.

However, his singing skills were outstanding, giving him a significant role in their performances. This added a lot of pressure and lowered his confidence. He was known to be hardworking since he was often seen practicing late into the night, trying to catch up to the others.

“When he heard the seniors were coming, he even prepared a new phone case to get your autograph.” Il-Seong pointed out Aeon’s white phone case on the table.

Aeon had been fidgeting and looking embarrassed, and he seemed to be in the same league as Yoon-Chan in terms of shyness. His big eyes darted nervously between us, and his fingers played with the hem of his shirt.

“Oh, Hyun-Woo~ He says he admires you~” Goh Yoo-Joon nudged my leg. The new phone case and that earnest expression showed this wasn’t just flattery. It was genuine admiration. I understood that feeling well, and receiving such a gaze made me unsure of how to respond.

Aeon appeared to have felt just as awkward, and averted his gaze. This allowed me to bow my head in gratitude. “Ah~ Thank you very much.”

“Hyun-Woo hyung gets really shy when he hears things like this.” Jin-Sung chimed in, teasingly.

“Why do you like Hyun-Woo? What do you respect about him?”

“Stop it. You’re embarrassing him.” I tried to brush off the attention, but it was futile. My group members loved to tease someone mercilessly once they found a target, just like Sequence members teased Aeon. He looked cornered. His eyes widened when he tried to formulate a response.

Aeon, cornered by the questions, stammered out a response, clearly flustered. “I think he looks really cool on stage. His expressions and dance interpretations are amazing. I watch his focus videos all the time and try to mimic his expressions and dancing...”

He trailed off and looked at me for reassurance. Still at a loss for words, I bowed again. I felt my cheeks heat up. “Thank you. This is really embarrassing... Haha.”

“Is Aeon also shy like Hyun-Woo? Watching you two talk makes me feel awkward too,” Goh Yoo-Joon joked and placed his hand on my shoulder, helping me sit down. I appreciated the gesture, unsure whether to keep standing or sit.

From the conversation, I learned that Aeon had decorated his room at the dorm with my photos. His constant gaze throughout the talk made me even more self-conscious. I was not on the talkative side among members, so I got quieter due to the pressure.

After Aeon finished his introduction, the rest of the Sequence members introduced themselves. Sequence consisted of seven members. Il-Seong and Jae-Seok had been trainees for a long time. Han Jun was Goh Yoo-Joon and my friend, and On-Sae joined YMM after

Pick We Up One

. Last but not least, there were Aeon, Hyo-Joon, and Byeong-Kwan, who joined as trainees after Chronos debuted.

With more familiar faces than strangers, the awkward atmosphere quickly dissipated. We comfortably continued our conversation. The familiarity brought a warm, almost familial feeling to the room.

“So, should we see you practice now? What’s the theme for this round?” I asked, eager to see their progress.

“The theme for this round is cover songs. We chose Chronos’ ‘Joy’ and would love to get your feedback.” Il-Seong’s tone slightly stiffened from saying practiced lines. The choice was ambitious, considering the song’s complexity. I remembered how I asked Allure members for feedback back in the day when we competed in

Pick We Up.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

I smiled at the memory. “Ah, ‘Joy’ is a really challenging song to perform live.”

“Right. We still need to catch our breath after performing it completely,” Goh Yoo-Joon added.

Though the energetic song fit Sequence’s concept, the song was known for its high difficulty level since it featured fast choreography and even some back flips. It was a challenge for a newly formed rookie group to master in just a week. I couldn’t help but admire their determination.

A brief concern crossed my mind, but Goh Yoo-Joon raised his hand with a grin. “It’s great. We know Sequence’s skills well, so we are sure you will perform ‘Joy’ with no issues.”

“Thank you!” the Sequence members responded loudly, though Han Jun’s expression shifted slightly. I shared a look with Han Jun because I recognized the playful glint in Goh Yoo-Joon’s eyes.

“I have a question. This popped up in my mind out of nowhere, but...” Goh Yoo-Joon said.

“Yes?” Il-Seong replied, slightly hesitant.

“In ‘Joy,’ there’s that part...” Goh Yoo-Joon paused dramatically.

“That part?”

“The part where the leaves roll and you have to giggle super cutely. Who is doing that? Personally, I think Il-Seong hyung would be perfect for it.”

“...Pfft!”

I couldn't help but burst into laughter at Il-Seong’s expression. It was as if his eyes were saying, ‘Are you out of your mind, Goh Yoo-Joon?’ The thought of the hulking, gym-obsessed Il-Seong singing that part was enough to have even our fans rolling on the floor laughing.

“Me? Really?” Il-Seong asked, disbelief written all over his face.

“Yes. You, hyung.”

This was possible because our Rings were well aware of the long-standing friendship between the members of Chronos and Sequence. They knew our dynamics inside out, and even those who didn’t would catch on quickly thanks to subtitles or past "History" preparation videos on UNET. They’d find Goh Yoo-Joon's chaotic role assignments hilarious.

Given that Goh Yoo-Joon, a member of Chronos and our senior, clearly wanted this, it made sense for Il-Seong to take on the giggling part whether he liked it or not. Since he understood this, he pursed his lips and looked uncomfortable. The rest of us struggled to suppress our laughter.

As the awkwardness persisted, Joo-Han clapped his hands to change the subject. “We will decide on the giggling part later. For now, let’s see what you’ve prepared."

Right. There was no point in discussing it further. Seeing it in action would be best. We moved our chairs toward the mirror and took our seats. Sequence members stood in formation before us, their expressions a mix of tension and determination. Watching their focused faces, my palms grew sweaty with anticipation.

I hoped they would perform well. I wanted the trainees who had practiced with me to showcase their unique style and avoid unfavorable comparisons. Unlike us who had covered Allure’s hidden gem, “Joy” was a popular song that would likely lead to more direct comparisons during the performance.

“Alright, I will start the song," Jin-Sung announced and played the instrumental of “Joy.”

“Huh?”

We murmured as the music began. It was “Joy,” but the intro was noticeably different from the original. The arrangement had been significantly altered and showed a lot of thought and effort.

It seemed Sequence had anticipated comparisons and wisely decided to re-arrange the song to set it apart. The difficulty remained high, but the choreography was new. They executed it well, showing how hard they had worked. However, our smiles faded when the live singing began.

The first part featured Aeon, who was known to be weak at dancing. While his vocal skills were impressive and he sang stably despite the intense choreography, the previously well-synchronized group dance faltered as soon as Aeon stepped forward.

His lack of experience in eye contact and gestures while singing, combined with his poor dancing, stood out starkly. To put it bluntly, Aeon’s appearance disrupted the entire performance.

But that wasn’t the only problem. On-Sae performed confidently with his experience, but his proficiency only highlighted the lack of it in the others. Instead of looking like a cohesive group, it seemed like On-Sae was the only one delivering a proper performance, while the others appeared to be merely practicing in a rehearsal room.

In other words, only On-Sae looked like an idol.

Il-Seong and Han Jun struggled with their eye contact, and Jae-Seok kept glancing back as he moved along the set pathways. Hyo-Joon and Byeong-Kwan failed to maintain composure after making mistakes by frequently checking our reactions. As the performance continued, the synchronization faltered, and their vocal strength wavered.

I hadn’t expected their shortcomings to be so glaring. From a trainer’s perspective, Sequence lacked the stage experience and polish that Chronos had gained through numerous performances. It was only natural that their flaws would be apparent.

Even Goh Yoo-Joon, who had been grinning, and Jin-Sung, who was excited to be a senior, grew serious. Yoon-Chan and Joo-Han, who usually lacked confidence on stage, became increasingly solemn as the live performance went on.

“...Hmm, I see,” Joo-Han murmured. He watched Sequence intently before nodding and jotting down feedback in his notebook.