Chaotic Mid-Check

It was a mid-check of pure chaos.

Clearly, given Seo Yujin's personality, she would have been the first to declare that she would take ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on both leader and center.

She had done the same during the first team performance, after all.

But the other members accepted that? With Yu Seol there?

I couldn't easily picture that scene, so I asked the two of them.

"…Team 2 has not only Yujin but Seol unni too, right? Did she agree to that as well?"

"Hmm…, well, I suppose so? It seems like Yujin taking both leader and center was officially decided."

"We don't know the exact details either."

But since they were on a different team, the two of them didn't seem to know the precise reasons why Seo Yujin had ended up as both leader and center.

Is it… going to be okay…?

Just as our Team 1 was struggling with a song that didn't match our color like Magical Love☆, Team 2 would surely not have it easy with their difficult song either. That meant the burden on Seo Yujin, who was handling both leader and center, would only grow heavier.

I fretted over Seo Yujin for a moment….

What am I even thinking? I've got my own problems to deal with, why am I worrying about another team… even the one we have to compete against?

Realizing it was pointless worry, I shook my head. We'd finished learning the choreography by yesterday, and starting today it was practice till we dropped. As the leader and center of our team, I clearly had a lot of work ahead of me. I decided to stop fretting about the other team and focus on myself and our own team instead, finishing up my breakfast.

Once the direction was set and practice began in earnest, time flew by. This time was no different. Time raced ahead until, before we knew it, it was the third day since the second team performance had started….

"Alright, today is mid-check day. Each team, please wait in the practice rooms that were announced in advance!"

…And at last, the day of the mid-check arrived.

Compared to the first team performance, the one change was that the mid-check, originally held on the fourth day, had been moved up by a day. The difference of a single day of practice time was enormous. With only three days since the second team performance began, there was a high chance many teams hadn't yet reached a quality they could show for the mid-check.

The production team must have pulled it forward on purpose to capture those dramatic scenes.

Still, the silver lining was that our Team 1 had quickly settled on a concept and learned the choreography fast enough to raise our stage to a level that wouldn't get us roasted.

But….

It's literally just a level that won't get us roasted… not that we've done well….

I was certain our Team 1's current stage was nowhere near impressive. The more I watched our performance, the more I couldn't shake the unease welling up from within. The more we practiced, the more it felt like wearing clothes that didn't fit our bodies. The other members probably felt the same.

Today… we're definitely going to get scolded at the mid-check.

And so, I and the rest of Team 1 waited tensely for the trainer who would conduct the mid-check.

Please, just don't let it be Han Siwoo.

Han Siwoo was a born sharp-tongued critic. I prayed he wouldn't come.

Creak-.

With my prayer, the practice room door opened….

"…Huh?"

"…Eh?"

Seeing the face of the person who opened the door, Team 1 couldn't help but be flustered. Because the ones who opened the door and entered the practice room were none other than… Seo Yujin, Yu Seol, and the rest of our opposing Team 2.

"……Why is Team 1 here?"

But it seemed we weren't the only ones flustered. When Seo Yujin, the leader of Team 2, asked with an incredulous expression, I, as the leader of Team 1, answered.

"That's… what we want to say…? This is our Team 1 practice room. Why is Team 2 here…."

"We… were told by the production staff to come here?"

"…What?"

There was no way the production staff would make such a trivial mistake all of a sudden. As Team 1 and Team 2 stood in an awkward standoff for a moment, that was when it happened.

"Oh my, why is everyone standing around here? Come on in quickly."

"…Han Siwoo."

Contrary to my wish that Han Siwoo wouldn't come, the trainer assigned to our mid-check was, of course, Han Siwoo. He pushed the Team ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠2 members standing at the entrance inside and entered the practice room.

And behind him….

"Hey kids, hello!"

"Whew, it's packed in here!"

…Two more trainers appeared in addition to Han Siwoo.

"…Huh? Why are the teachers…."

As Team 1 and Team 2 tilted their heads in confusion, Han Siwoo explained.

"Ah, for this mid-check, we've decided to have a total of three trainers. And…."

A small smile hung on his lips as he continued.

"Since this second team performance is a team match, we've decided to conduct the mid-check with both teams together as well."

"……!!"

Well now….

They're already stoking the rivalry between both teams before the actual performance even starts.

At Han Siwoo's words, Team 1 and Team 2 realized the competition had already begun and their expressions hardened. The atmosphere grew heavy in an instant.

And what poured oil on that fire was….

"Sorry I'm late~ Let me squeeze in~"

"……!!"

…None other than the late arrival of Shin PD, the main PD of My Idol Academia. Shin PD was the highest-ranking person among the My Idol Academia production staff participating on site. The fact that someone like him had come to observe a mere mid-check showed just how much the My Idol Academia production team was focusing on the rivalry between our Team 1 and Team 2.

"Aigoo~ I went and interrupted the flow for nothing. Siwoo! Don't mind me and continue the filming!"

"Yes, then…."

As expected, within My Idol Academia, Shin PD ranked a step above Han Siwoo. At Shin PD's words, Han Siwoo nodded and….

"Then, from now on, we will begin the mid-check for Team 1 and Team 2."

He declared the start of the mid-check. It was the beginning of a mid-check that included the current top 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ranks of My Idol Academia… truly something that could be called a preview of the finals.

"Since it's a mid-check, don't feel pressured…, and we'll start with Team 1 first."

He said not to feel pressured, but with three trainers present and far more production staff than usual, I and the rest of Team 1 had no choice but to step forward with even greater tension.

Of course….

"Haaam…."

Na Hanna was the exception. Whether her sleepiness and indifference weren't just a concept, she had her usual sleepy eyes even in such an important setting. Truly an incredible level of composure.

Still, looking at her face, it feels like the tension is easing a bit….

Our current stage level wasn't perfect. If anything, it was lacking. So thinking we might as well get scolded quickly if we were going to, I forced myself to relax.

"Then, we'll begin."

With that, I gave the cue sign to the production staff, and the intro began to play.

♬♬♬♩-!

The intro of Magical Love☆. A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠unique, bouncy techno-pop beat different from typical girl group songs filled our ears. But what set it apart from the original Magical Love☆ was that the key was lower than the original, making the cheerful feel a bit less pronounced.

The stage began with me, the center, singing the intro. At least we hadn't just been slacking off all this time; we continued the choreography without any particular mistakes, smoothly.

But….

"……."

"……."

There was no particular reaction visible on the trainers' faces as they watched our stage.

Damn….

Even accounting for it being a mid-check, there wasn't a shred of interest in the stage reflected in the trainers' eyes. It felt like they were watching something boring.

Nothing I can do about it, I guess.

I'd planned to save it only for the actual performance, but at this rate, it was clear we'd only get bad evaluations. So I prepared the first skill of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Heavenly Demon Illusion, right away….

Now.

And used it timed with my solo dance break.

But then….

……Huh?

The moment I used Heavenly Demon Illusion, I was faced with a Status Window notification I'd never seen before.

It failed to cast…?

A question mark immediately popped up in my head, but there was no time to stand around dazed. The mid-check stage was still ongoing, so I continued the performance while minimizing any signs of fluster as much as possible.

"That's… all."

"……."

"……."

And so, after finishing the stage… a brief silence filled the practice room.

The first to pick up the mic was Han Siwoo.

"Hmm…, well done. In the short time, the choreography was well-structured…, and overall, it was a decent stage. But…."

"……."

"The fact that it was just 'decent' is the biggest flaw, I suppose. This stage felt like it was put together from the start just to be decent. Magical Love☆ is absolutely not a song with a 'decent' vibe. It's a very unique and bouncy song mixed with Strawberry Filter's distinctive color."

Han Siwoo slowly pointed out the shortcomings of our stage. We simply listened in silence.

"I thought Team 1 would be more than capable of filling this song with your own individuality…, but you couldn't. It felt like redrawing a picture whose strength is vibrant colors using only achromatic tones… that kind of feeling. More than anything…."

Swoosh-.

Han Siwoo looked at me as he spoke.

"…If the people performing the stage themselves can't enjoy it, how can the audience enjoy it? Looking at all of you presenting this stage…, I couldn't feel any affection for the stage at all, which was disappointing."

"……."

The moment I heard those words, I understood why Heavenly Demon Illusion had failed to cast. Indeed…, while preparing this stage, I hadn't enjoyed it at all. And the first skill of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Heavenly Demon Illusion, is cast using my emotions as a medium.

There simply weren't enough emotions to amplify in the first place, so the cast failed….

Knowing the reason for the Heavenly Demon Illusion cast failure only made me feel more bitter. This might mean… I might not even be able to use Heavenly Demon Illusion in the actual performance either.

"Definitely, lowering the key from the original makes the original's lively feel not come through."

"It was overall okay…, but it felt a bit like bibimbap without the gochujang."

Following Han Siwoo, the other two judges also gave somewhat disappointing evaluations, and Team 1's mid-check came to an end. Even accounting for how hard it is to get praise at a mid-check…, it was inevitably a bit disappointing.

And so, after our Team 1 finished the mid-check and returned to our seats….

"Alright, now Team 2, please come out."

It was Team 2's turn for the mid-check.

"Team 2's song was Twenty-Second Night's Black Swan, right? This is really something to look forward to."

There was a genuine hint of anticipation on Han Siwoo's face as he said that.

Han Siwoo is quite close with the members of Twenty-Second Night. That's probably why.

Han Siwoo had freely mentioned on the show that he was close with his former colleagues, the members of Twenty-Second Night. Black Swan was also a popular hit song of Twenty-Second Night…. And with Team 2's members being who they were, he must have felt anticipation.

It's not an easy song to pull off, so I wonder how they did….

I also watched Team 2 with interest. Team 2 with Seo Yujin as leader and center instead of Yu Seol…. I was curious what the content would be like.

♪♪♩-!

And so the intro played as Team 2's stage began….

……Huh?

…I immediately spotted something strange.

"……?"

"……Hmm?"

It wasn't just me who felt something off; the other members of our Team 1 also started tilting their heads. Even the production staff's eyes widened as they watched the stage, so that said it all.

To that extent….

…What is this?

…Team 2's stage was a mess. Whether the parts weren't distributed well, the audio overlapped like they were doubling, and the formations were irregular. Most of the members seemed not to have fully memorized the choreography either….

…What are they even trying to show?

The song continued in an ambiguous stance that neither followed the original's atmosphere nor reinterpreted it.

"……."

"……."

Han Siwoo watched the stage with colder eyes than ever, and the other trainers, unable to hold back their reactions, covered their mouths or glared with angry eyes respectively.

And the finishing touch was….

"Um…."

"……."

"Um, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this is as far as the stage we've prepared goes…."

"……!"

Seo Yujin's appearance declaring the stage stop before even the first verse had finished. She who always wore a confident expression….

"……."

But now, with her head bowed deeply as if embarrassed, tears were welling up in Seo Yujin's eyes. As Team 2 dithered, unable to do this or that, the music cut off….

♪♪♩-!

Thud.

"Haa…."

Han Siwoo picked up the mic with a deep sigh. Normally, Han Siwoo was a sharp-tongued critic but at the same time a rational person. Until now, even while delivering harsh critiques, he had never once shown an emotional side. But now, after holding the mic and unable to speak for a long while before finally managing to open his mouth, his face was….

"…What the hell is this?"

…Twisted enough that anyone could tell he was angry.