Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Choreography, Chunhyang
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After downing that American drink and packing on some weight, the choreographer said what Kay Teacher had told him.
“Zenith! Long time no see!”
Ah, so that’s the choreographer.
I bowed my head and then lifted it.
“Wow, it’s only been a few months, but you guys have changed a ton. Especially you, Ambition Guy! Thank me later. You know I came up with that nickname for you, right?”
I forced back the grimace trying to form on my face.
*What’s so great about that?*
It was finally starting to fade from memory, and now I was worried it might come back to life.
“You’re the trendsetter these days, huh? Heh. See, I’ve got an eye for talent. Don’t forget I fixed up your joints for you.”
Well, that much was true.
*No one’s taught with as much passion as this guy.*
Not quite to the point of realigning joints, though.
Kay Teacher waggled his fingers as he spoke.
“Hmm, this song has that historical drama vibe, right? I saw it. That… Jaeyoon?”
“Yes! You saw the choreography? I handled a few of the connecting moves, and those…”
“Stop! Mouth!”
The choreographer swiveled his hips as he said it.
“I tweaked a few things.”
Oh.
“You did good, but it’s not enough! You can’t aim for the world with choreography like that!”
“Teacher, how can you say something so harsh!”
“I had a deep dis~cussion with Executive Director Joo yesterday!”
He meant a debate.
“And as a result, I pulled an all-nighter adding some highlight moves?”
Got it.
I quietly clapped my hands.
Clap clap clap—
Once I started, the other members followed. The practice room filled with applause.
I smiled brightly and said,
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Excited, Kay Teacher waggled his fingers even more.
“Thanks, Ambition! Thanks! Anyway, this is the result.”
The choreographer fetched something odd from the corner. I quietly gazed at it.
*I figured there’d be props since it’s Eastern-themed…*
It was pretty rare, though.
“An umbrella?”
“It’s called an oil-paper umbrella.”
It was made of wood and paper. Kay Teacher opened it.
Snap—
Seeing it unfurled, I was a bit surprised.
*The patterns are so intricate.*
Bamboo ribs coated in hanji paper, maybe. The colors were subtle but incredibly detailed.
“This was made by a holder of Intangible Cultural Heritage status. It’s precious.”
“I can tell.”
“It’s not super expensive or anything.”
Oh.
“Ambition Guy, come here.”
I let out a small sigh and said,
“I’m Cha Dowon.”
“Right. Ambition Guy. Put this on your shoulder.”
I rested the umbrella on my shoulder. The contrast of light and shadow was striking. Soft light filtered through the bamboo leaves pattern.
“Kids, what do you think?”
Kang Minje answered.
“Looks good. Dowon, act it out. Like in the music video.”
Did this fox pup think acting was something that popped out like from a vending machine?
*Well, he’s not wrong.*
I channeled the music video’s vibe, draping the umbrella over my shoulder and turning.
“Whoa! Perfect.”
“This smells nice too.”
“It’s made by soaking hanji in tung oil. It’s valuable, so treat it like gold and jade on stage.”
“You said it wasn’t that expensive.”
“It’s not that expensive, but it is expensive? It’s just ridiculously cheap compared to the craftsmanship and care put into it.”
I stroked the umbrella once.
Stepping onto the stage with this.
*I feel like I’ve gained a heavenly host.*
A laugh bubbled up naturally. And I knew something else.
“Stylist Noona’s gonna love this.”
“How’d you know? She went nuts ordering accessories. Her eyes were bulging at the thought of dressing you up cute.”
Grateful for her passion. I’d have to bring better snacks next time.
I twirled the umbrella once on my wrist and caught it.
“How are you planning to use this? Incorporating it into the dance?”
“Yeah.”
“It’ll make for a tough dance.”
Kay Teacher grinned slyly.
“That’s why I’m here. Zenithhhh. Say goodbye to your muscles today. Because tomorrow, your bodies are gonna change.”
We were in for it.
I opened the umbrella again. Soft light glowed through it.
“That one’s expensive, so we’ll only use it for showcases and comebacks. Regular stages will use the factory-bought ones, kiddo.”
“Well, you have to match the outfits.”
I nodded.
I felt great. Back at my spot, I picked up my smartphone.
*Chunhyang was already appraised.*
It had come out to 200% or something then.
So, what about the choreography? Perfect timing with the oil-paper umbrella here.
I started appraising the choreography with the cheat.
[Cheat Mode 0/3]
[Zenith’s Chunhyang Choreography Appraisal (Before Changes)]
[222%]
[Cheat Mode 1/3]
So that’s how it was.
I scanned Ki Jaeyoon up and down.
*This kid’s got more talent than I thought?*
Should I coach him a bit?
I tapped the screen again.
[Cheat Mode 1/3]
[Zenith’s Chunhyang Choreography Appraisal (After Changes)]
[288%]
[Cheat Mode 2/3]
Whoa.
*That’s a solid boost.*
He might act like that, but Kay Teacher must really be one of the top five in the field.
No helping it. I looked at the oil-paper umbrella. It was definitely a foreign element.
*Use it right, and it’s a hit. Mess it up, and it’s a flop.*
Of course, we’d use it right.
I smiled brightly and said,
“Then let’s get started.”
“Yeah, Ambition Guy. Alright, let’s begin!”
Kay Teacher clapped his hands.
Clap clap—
Hellish applause, but no choice. I quietly stood from my spot. Choreography practice began soon after.
***
“You alive? Dowon?”
Lee Seungjun asked. I crawled over and grabbed my smartphone. My hands trembled.
“Yeah. Still alive.”
“You okay? Ugh, I feel like I’m dying.”
A bitter smile came unbidden. It had been ten minutes since we’d learned the full choreography. Zenith was sprawled across the practice room floor. With my shaking arms, I tapped the screen to reset cheat mode.
Leader Hyung chewed and swallowed bread from Jeong Ji-seok as he said,
“Felt like it got dark after he came in the evening, but the sun’s already setting. I was starving, but thank goodness. At least we have this.”
Ki Jaeyoon muttered from the floor,
“Wow, I’ve never learned a dance this tough before.”
Kang Minje weakly extended his arm, then dropped it like trash.
“My body doesn’t even feel like mine anymore.”
I desperately tapped the screen.
[Cheat Mode 2/3]
[Recover Zenith’s Condition]
[Changed.]
[Side effect: Dizzy for 3 minutes starting 3 seconds from now]
[Cheat Mode 3/3]
Condition recovery usually had minor side effects, but three minutes of dizziness?
I quietly closed my eyes. Three seconds later, the world spun honestly before me.
“Huh?”
I heard Ki Jaeyoon bolt up from the floor.
“My body suddenly feels fine?”
Wind brushed from the side. Probably Lee Seungjun standing.
“Really?”
Kang Minje said softly.
“It gets like this sometimes. Condition just snaps back.”
“What’s the reason? Maybe from resting a few hours?”
As if.
I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry. Forcing focus made it worse.
“Good thing. It’s showcase day today.”
“Let’s wash up first. Huh, Dowon?”
Eyes closed, I mumbled,
“I’ll be there in two minutes.”
“No way. No time.”
“I’ll sprint over in two.”
I waved them on, but firm arms lifted me. I knew without looking.
*Lee Seungjun.*
I whispered softly,
“I’ll be fine soon.”
“Yeah. Sure. Let’s go together.”
“No need to support me.”
“Yeah. Got it. Still, let’s go together.”
Was he haunted by a clingy ghost?
I sighed.
*What a weirdo.*
I felt Lee Seungjun smiling beside me. What’s so funny, you?
With his condition recovered, Ki Jaeyoon fluttered in front of me and said,
“But our teaser’s out, right?”
“Oh, we haven’t even seen ours yet.”
“Just play it now.”
Kang Minje pulled up the video site on the choreography tablet PC.
“How’re the views?”
“Seems high?”
Suppressing dizziness, I peered at the screen.
A zither strummed. The screen went white, revealing a snow-covered palace.
*Just like a historical drama.*
As I opened my eyes, Kang Minje smiled. Lee Seungjun performed a sword dance, Brother Hajin painted calligraphy.
When Ki Jaeyoon did a light aerial kick, I poured liquor into a miniature garden with my eyes closed.
The screen went black.
Chunhyang—
Spring without you has no fragrance.
Wow.
It was pretty good. I quietly looked at Kang Minje. He was grinning like he was truly thrilled.
*Fox pup…*
He’d been uncharacteristically worried earlier, but now he was fine?
*Always so annoying.*
I shook off Lee Seungjun’s arm, still holding me.
“I’m good now.”
Yoo Hajin turned and smiled faintly.
*Why’s he smiling?*
You big bear, always so goofy.
“Wow, it turned out awesome. They said they invested a ton, and it shows.”
Kang Minje said it with a creepy flush.
“It came out just like I envisioned. I’m thrilled.”
Damn.
*Well, it’s true.*
If they made it this good, high views were natural.
*Preview screening helped too, probably.*
Not a bad start. But something needed addressing.
“Brother Hajin, how’s VIP’s?”
“Oh, wanna see? Theirs dropped an hour before ours.”
No need to search. Right as ours ended, VIP’s teaser flowed in.
Boom—boom—
Intense beats pulsed. Under club lights, VIP struck awkward poses everywhere.
*Club concept? Plays into a party image?*
I crossed my arms.
VIP members got kissed by various women. Later, they stuck out their tongues and shouted “Psychopath.”
It felt oddly crude. Even kinda dirty.
*Did VIP ever release something like this?*
I racked my brain for past memories. In my recollection, VIP didn’t comeback at this time at all.
*These guys really came back because of us?*
Their company’s scheduling must be a mess.
A smirk escaped me.
“Looks great.”
“You like this?”
“Yeah. It’s great for us.”
I uncrossed my arms and hit play. The bizarre teaser restarted.
“It’s lame, right?”
Kang Minje replied,
“Yeah. Weird. Executive Director Joo would never approve a concept like this.”
“Don’t even wanna do it. It’s like…”
The video itself was top-notch.
“It only appeals to a specific crowd.”
Yoo Hajin nodded.
“Definitely not all-ages. If I did something like that, our sunflower fans would cry.”
Why sunflowers all of a sudden? Oh, right—Brother Hajin hosted that kids’ show.
“Gotta hit the sweet spot. Who’s gonna like this?”
Nailing all-ages appeal was tougher than it seemed.
“Compared to that, ours is more artistic. I think we should stick with this. Not sure about general tastes, though.”
That could work short-term. But not forever.
“Anyway, leave that to the experts. Plenty of good analysts out there.”
Yoo Hajin nodded.
“Let’s prep for the showcase.”
“Oh, right. Gotta shower. Salon too.”
“Stylist Noona must’ve obsessed over the outfits.”
Wonder how many reporters showed up.
*Wanna look good, but can I pull it off?*
Stretching, I stepped forward. Each step confirmed it.
*This fight’s winnable.*
If they showed weakness, counterattack chances abounded.
*Pre-regression, it wasn’t that song.*
They must’ve rushed because of us.
My mind blazed. Amid the pleasant heat, a smirk rose.
***
Stylist Noona had indeed obsessed over the outfits. I tugged the black hanbok sleeve, adjusting the angle. It was dance-friendly—no snags.
*Wasn’t this warrior attire originally?*
Some specific term escaped me. All I remembered was the silver tassel they’d agonized over.
Then the host’s voice rang out.
“Alright, please welcome Zenith!”
We climbed the stairs. Camera flashes popped. I smiled at the reporters.
*Huh?*
A few familiar faces.
*Everyone from the preview screening’s here.*
Entertainment desk? Or…
*Came to see me?*
Oh.
Blood boiled again. I smiled with all my heart and soul.
*Gotta look pretty. Reporters are scary.*
Their eyes already weren’t friendly.
*Reporters are the real problem in this country.*