Chapter 120: 2nd Competition: Random Play Dance
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: 2nd Competition: Random Play Dance
The next day, Jeong Seong-bin really did show up with a massive trash bag stuffed full of white and beige button-down shirts.
Looking at the blue bag that looked ready to burst, I suspected Seong-bin might have raided the closets of everyone in his household.
"Does Jeong Seong-jun aspire to be a wholesaler or something?"
"He doesn't even have to wait for the future. He could open an online mall right now," Seong-bin said with a shrug.
Usually, Seong-bin spoke more gently than others his age, but he was merciless when it came to his own brother. He even let out a sigh, muttering, "How does he have so many clothes with the tags still on...?"
Still, he must have had a shred of decency left, as he made it clear that this was a loan, not a pillage, and that he’d gotten his brother's permission.
Thanks to him, I was able to prepare all the costumes and props without any additional spending.
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[SYSTEM] A work directive has arrived from the ‘Person in Charge.’
▶ Wow, Assistant Manager Kim is so competent. No one else will have anything to do. I don't know how this company would even run without our dear Assistant Manager Kim.
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The System was talking shit again, likely because it found my efficiency annoying.
I couldn't care less about the System’s sarcasm. If you’re not going to help, just get lost already.
The additional filming for Awangsil didn't end with the meeting scene.
"A sudden mission?"
"Yeah. They said they’re using a Random Play Dance to determine the performance order for the 2nd Competition."
I was absolutely flabbergasted when the manager suddenly brought us the news.
I knew Awangsil had suddenly gained popularity after other audition programs imploded, but I didn't expect them to try and pad the runtime so recklessly.
If it’s an interim mission, they should at least give us enough time so it doesn't interfere with stage preparations. Or if they’re going to decide the performance order, they should have coordinated the schedule to film it right before the 2nd Competition!
My stomach churned at the thought of being dragged out to perform some half-baked dance when we barely had enough time to prepare for the actual competition.
If they ever announce a Season 2 of Awangsil, I’m going to post on the viewer board and tell them to actually plan their projects in advance.
In the first place, I don't think just anyone can do a 'Random Play Dance.' There are so many K-pop songs out there; how are you supposed to know and perform all those choreographies?
But this is Korea, a place where the incompetent do not survive.
I clenched my fists, thinking of the Dance Proficiency I had diligently raised during my OJT period.
To survive in an industry where the bar is constantly rising, I needed to steel my resolve. Hadn't I even received special training from Kang Gi-yeon during my vacation for just such an occasion?
And yet, despite my firm resolve, I threw in the towel after just two songs. It seemed that raising my proficiency with a cheat code had resulted in "water stats"—inflated but hollow.
Fearing my fatigue level would spike again, I flopped straight onto the floor.
"I feel like my head is going to explode."
"Aren't you trying to dance too much with your head?" Kang Gi-yeon asked, looking down at me with his arms crossed.
"I can't help it. If I don't understand it, my body won't move. They say if your body is slow, your head has to work harder."
"Your body isn't slow, hyung. It's your sense that's bad."
"You're the meanest one here."
Despite his words, Kang Gi-yeon helped me heart and soul to prepare for the Random Play Dance filming.
However, this method was inefficient.
If they were going to gather all the contestants for a Random Play Dance to decide the order, the standard procedure would be to let the final survivor pick their desired slot first.
In Spark, we had me, who could quickly narrow down the variety shows Awangsil might have referenced; Jeong Seong-bin, who could list the songs I was looking for in real-time; and Kang Gi-yeon, a practice addict who had likely performed the choreography for all those songs at least once.
With this combination, we could produce the final survivor. The probability was very high.
But I shouldn't settle for just that. Winning first place on a music show isn't easy, after all.
Still lying down, I looked up at Kang Gi-yeon.
"Gi-yeon."
"What?"
"I just received a great revelation."
"If you're going to say something weird, just get up."
He didn't fall for it. Seong-bin usually humors me when I do this.
Anyway, since he told me to get up, I did. Though I was still going to say something weird.
I placed my hands on both of Gi-yeon's shoulders and said, "If we snag the very last slot this time, we can take first place again."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"I'm saying that no matter what, we have to win the Random Play Dance and take the sixth slot."
"…?"
"And I believe you can do it."
Our Gi-yeon is a fantastic dancer, isn't he?
Let's go out there, shoulder that heavy responsibility, and sweep the floor.
Immediately after their debut, Spark's recognition was largely split between Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon.
There was Choi Je-ho, who had debuted early through that bastard Jang Jun-hu’s music video and possessed an overwhelming presence as the center, and Lee Cheong-hyeon, who caused a stir during their first music show appearance with nothing but his face.
Most conversations regarding Spark started with these two.
Next to blow up was Park Ju-woo.
Ju-woo’s vocals commanded attention everywhere. Tone, technique, high notes, and stability—it was only natural that the kid who debuted as a complete vocalist would get the highlight parts, and videos of him nailing those parts live circulated under titles like "The Insane Skills of a Typical Rookie Boy Group."
As for Jeong Seong-bin, being the leader gave him many opportunities to speak at official events.
And I... well, I showed off some shocking fashion on the radio or appeared on The Hippo Who Drinks Alcohol.
So, what about Kang Gi-yeon?
He was the team's main dancer, but his impact didn't quite match Choi Je-ho’s dance breaks, and his rapping was usually limited to doubling with Lee Cheong-hyeon.
His vocal skills were decent, but his screen time had been slightly reduced because a certain mediocre Kim I-wol had joined the group.
In short, Kang Gi-yeon currently had the most ambiguous standing within Spark.
Those with a keen eye for talent had quickly stan-ed Gi-yeon, but the influx of other fans was slow. Even in the past, Gi-yeon wasn't the type to step into the spotlight quickly.
Furthermore, Gi-yeon still struggled with camera nerves.
He tried not to show it, but he had become even more sensitive after a slight pitch deviation during a music show rehearsal.
Given the situation, it was obvious how much his mental state would be fraying now that he was on a survival program.
In this context, forcing screen time on him to attract fans would be like poison.
But if it was through dancing, it might be different.
‘If Seong-bin hyung is a music vending machine, Kang Gyeon is a dance vending machine.’
‘True. Gi-yeon, don't you know the choreography for most title tracks?’
‘I learn new choreographies almost every day. If it’s a stage that’s been on a music show, I can probably dance to it. Most likely.’
‘I feel like you could dance even if music started playing while you were asleep.’
‘Probably.’
If what Gi-yeon had said in the past as a joke was true...
‘I don't really forget things once my body learns them.’
Even if his mind went blank from nerves, his hours of practice would take over reflexively.
Hoping his hard work would finally reward its master, I worked with Jeong Seong-bin to create a crash course titled "Everything You Need to Know to Become the King of Random Play Dance" and grilled Gi-yeon.
Since Gi-yeon already knew all the choreographies, it was ultimately meaningless, but Gi-yeon replied that he could see his hyungs were serious and promised to do his best.
On the day of the additional filming, we wore matching sets of thin sweatshirts and pants.
They were from a brand that had once appeared in a Spark dance practice video and received an explosive reaction from fans.
"Why does it have to be this brand?"
"You have to wear these clothes for the silhouette to look right when you dance."
The boys had never worn those clothes again after that.
But Sparklers, rejoice. I have fulfilled your wishes.
"Hyung, you look better in formal wear than casual... isn't this a bit of a shame?"
Park Ju-woo did raise an objection before we paid, but I didn't listen.
"I-wol-ssi, you're out!"
Because I had already predicted I’d be destined to drop out from the very first song. It was a choreography I’d seen while preparing for the "King of Random Play Dance" course, but I performed it exactly backward and was the only one eliminated.
Since I was going to be eliminated instantly anyway, what was the point of wearing something that suited me? It was enough for the guys who were actually good at dancing to look pretty.
Yur-ssi conducted an interview with me, the first one to be eliminated. I shouted words of encouragement to the members, saying I’d put all my faith in them.
To the point where my lightning-fast elimination felt embarrassing, the rest of the contestants showed incredible skill.
Thanks to the challenge craze, everyone seemed to know most of the songs. Groups specialized in performance even matched their formations for several tracks.
Aside from a few people like me who had exceptionally short trainee periods, people weren't being eliminated easily.
Spark, commendably, had all five members surviving. As expected, you guys shine brightest when you're five.
I was fervently praying for the prosperity of the five-member group Spark and for some social distancing between us when Yur-ssi intervened.
Since no one was getting eliminated and progress was slow, they decided to crank up the difficulty significantly.
From that point on, contestants began to drop like flies.
As the release dates of the songs went further back into the past, the younger idols fell one by one. Among them, only Kang Gi-yeon, who had received a special lecture from the "fossil" Jeong Seong-bin, survived.
As the numbers dwindled, Gi-yeon’s true value began to shine.
Having danced with a sense of "solitude in a crowd" from the back row, he gradually moved forward as the people in front of him were eliminated.
There was no need to wait for him to reach the very front. For Gi-yeon, just a step or two was enough.
"Gi-yeon-nim is a really good dancer, isn't he?"
Whether there were people in front of him or he was at the edge of the formation...
Gi-yeon had the kind of skill that, once noticed, kept drawing the eye.
If Choi Je-ho won people over with his dance lines, Gi-yeon’s strength lay in his dynamics—his control of power.
That magnificent strength didn't show up well on music shows. Cameras don't stay fixed on Gi-yeon long enough to capture the varying intensities of his movements.
Instead, Gi-yeon’s true worth was revealed in fancams.
If you followed Gi-yeon with your eyes, you could see how accurately he performed the movements, where he applied power, and how perfectly he hit every beat.
In a situation like this, where everyone was watching the accuracy of the movements to catch someone making a mistake, no one could surpass Kang Gi-yeon.
Even as the people around him dwindled, and even as the number of people watching him grew...
He just had to dance to what he heard, exactly as his body had learned it, just like when he practiced alone in an empty studio.
"Gi-yeon is doing well."
I muttered as I watched Gi-yeon face off against Berion for the title of the final survivor.
Choi Je-ho, a freshly eliminated contestant sitting next to me, replied.
"Well, that's just how he is."
Right. No need to waste words on how good your maknae is.
With Choi Je-ho’s trust backing him, Kang Gi-yeon truly seized first place.
Standing before the order board with a calm face—though unable to hide his slightly flushed ears—he shouted, "Hyung! I just have to pick the sixth one, right?"
I nodded with a smile.