Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Mid-Point Evaluation
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It was time for the teams to have their practice progress checked.
Since there were three judges, we were informed that we'd be evaluated in groups of four, four, and two teams.
Our team was waiting in the practice room, scheduled to be evaluated alongside the team led by Choi Young-jun, a B-rank, which also included Park Ji-ham, the only F-rank among the final debut members of 'RE-V'.
Perhaps because of the team-based competition system, a heavy silence had fallen over us after a brief exchange of greetings.
Tick-tock.
The only sound echoing in my ears was the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock.
After some time had passed, So-jeong, one of the female judges, opened the door and walked in.
She was known as the strictest among the judges, so my body tensed up.
"Have you guys decided on team names?"
"Yes!"
Everyone answered with military-like discipline.
Seeing us, So-jeong laughed and waved her hand as if to tell us to relax.
The key was how long that smile would last.
"Alright, let's start with this side. What's your team name? I need to know your names to call you properly."
Choi Young-jun, whom So-jeong had pointed to, blinked rapidly and answered.
"Our team name is Friendly!"
So-jeong nodded and then immediately looked our way.
"We've decided on the team name Villain."
"What? Friendliness and villains? Sounds like a showdown."
So-jeong's playful comment ignited the competitive spirit between the teams.
And the one burning with the most intensity was, without a doubt, Choi Jeong-un.
The same guy who, despite being an A-rank like me, had picked a fight, asking if I could really hit a 3-octave note.
Choi Jeong-un was glaring at me with fiery eyes, as if he wanted to eat me alive.
'Looks like I've been on his bad side ever since then.'
"Alright, shall we see Friendly's performance first? Are you ready?"
"Yes."
Choi Young-jun answered in a confident voice.
The thought of getting a glimpse of our competitors' performance made me unnecessarily nervous.
So-jeong briefly looked over the papers she was holding.
"Oh? It's a GANGSTER-M song? You must be nervous performing it in front of the original artist."
The song they had chosen was my song.
They hadn't told us the title, but I had a feeling I knew which one it was.
"Okay, get into your formation."
'Friendly' formed a W-shape.
The intro began to play.
Just as I expected, it was my debut song, 'PUMP'.
'It is the most well-known song by GANGSTER-M, after all.'
My body started moving to the beat before I even realized it.
Even when I tried to stay still, my body couldn't help but move on its own.
It was a conditioned reflex from practicing this one song for about six months.
It was a song we never skipped, even at events.
Even during our second-generation promotions.
—My quickening footsteps
PUMP PUMP
ROLL UP
The performance was clean.
It looked like they had copied the formations and choreography details well, without missing anything.
Right before the high-note ad-lib section, Choi Jeong-un shot me a sideways glance and then belted out a flashy high note as if to show off.
His skill was good, but there was one problem.
Everyone had clear vocal tones that didn't match the song at all.
'The key to this song is to sing with a raspy voice.'
'PUMP' is a song about mischievous kids having a blast at an arcade.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say our group name was decided as 'GANGSTER-M' specifically to pull off this concept.
But singing it with such clear, beautiful voices killed the vibe.
It might have been a little better if they'd arranged it differently, but since it was identical to the original, the comparison was inevitable.
Their facial expressions were overly flirtatious, perhaps in an attempt to differentiate themselves from the original.
The performance ended, but silence enveloped us.
"Hmm..."
So-jeong crossed her arms tightly and tapped her forearm.
She seemed to be organizing her thoughts.
"What do you think you're doing right now?"
That was all she said at first.
There was no evaluation, no mention of whether it was good or bad.
Flustered, Choi Young-jun couldn't even manage an excuse and kept his mouth shut.
"I'm genuinely baffled. Someone, say something."
So-jeong's voice was unusually low.
It was scarier than when she yelled in anger.
"Did you guys just not understand the song? What kind of song is this? The leader can answer."
"...A song about playing happily at an arcade."
"Right? You know it well. So, in an arcade, would you see a model student playing, or kids who know how to have fun?"
"Kids who know how to have fun."
Hearing Choi Young-jun's answer, So-jeong pounded her chest with her fist in frustration.
"And you guys did *that*, knowing this? Do you know what you look like right now? You look like a bunch of top students who went to the arcade after an exam. Like nerds desperate to imitate the cool kids. It's embarrassing to watch. It's like someone who can't sing pretending they can. It's almost pitiful."
As the scathing critique continued, the members of 'Friendly' lowered their heads.
"Seo Yoon-seul."
"Yes?"
Caught off guard by my name being called, I answered in a slightly flustered voice.
"Come forward."
I cautiously stepped forward in front of So-jeong.
"It's your song, so you can do it well, right?"
Before I could even answer, the intro started playing again.
Unsure whether I was supposed to just sing or dance as well, I looked at So-jeong.
But So-jeong just nodded her head, gesturing for me to hurry up.
'I guess I have to do both.'
I figured if she only wanted me to sing, she would have asked for it a cappella like last time, so I started to move.
I sang with a completely raspy voice, shrugging my shoulders with a swagger.
I could feel the eyes of the 'Friendly' team on me.
Choi Jeong-un was staring at me so intensely his eyes were bloodshot.
It was blatant hatred.
'His glare is piercing.'
But since she didn't tell me to stop, I had to continue singing and dancing.
I was only able to stop after the song ended.
"It's definitely his song."
So-jeong said with a pleased smile playing on her lips.
"You can go back now."
"Yes."
I bowed and returned to my original spot.
"You all saw that, right? How the original artist does it."
"Yes."
The reply came back, completely devoid of energy.
"To survive here, you have to be at least as good as the original artist. To do well, you have to surpass them. But you guys failed at both. On top of that, your team name and song don't even match. A team name is supposed to be your identity... You're at a point where you need to scrap everything and start over from scratch. What were your plans for the arrangement?"
"W-well..."
Choi Young-jun stammered, unable to answer.
"Don't tell me you were planning to perform it just like that? Without any arrangement?"
"Yes."
When Choi Young-jun answered in a barely audible voice, So-jeong gestured for them to step aside as if there was nothing more to see.
She pressed her palm to her forehead as if she had a headache and clicked her tongue.
"Now, Villain, let's see your performance."
Making even a small mistake in this situation would be disastrous.
Normally, we might have gotten away with a few comments, but right now, we could face a complete rejection of our evaluation.
I was worried about Hwang Jae-hyeon.
He had a weak mentality and had repeatedly made mistakes during the theme song mission.
Kang Ju-hyeok must have been thinking the same thing, as I saw him patting Hwang Jae-hyeon's back and murmuring something to him.
"...It's okay. Just do what we've been doing. And even if you make a mistake, we'll cover for you, so don't worry. This isn't the main stage, anyway. Got it?"
Kang Ju-hyeok's words seemed to have an effect, as I saw Hwang Jae-hyeon nod.
"Alright, let's start right away."
"Yes."
As we took our starting positions, the intro began to play.
Contrary to my worries, it was going very smoothly.
Our timing was perfect, without a single small mistake.
I could see So-jeong nodding her head to the rhythm.
After the song ended, we quickly lined up in a single file.
"Who took the lead in learning this choreography?"
"We all did it together."
I answered immediately.
While our contributions varied, we really did learn it together, so it wasn't just a sugar-coated response.
"That's impressive. For only a few days of practice, you've already got the details down. Not bad. Should I say I'm looking forward to the main performance?"
Hearing praise from So-jeong, my teammates' shoulders started to puff up with pride.
"The song seems to suit you well, too. Each member stands out. I think you guys will be fine if you just keep this up."
"Thank you!"
As if on cue, we all bowed to So-jeong.
"What are you thinking for the concept?"
"We're planning to go with a bad boy style, just like the title. We're thinking of starting with a lyrical feel by emphasizing the piano part in the intro, then gradually making it more intense."
"That's good. It fits your team name well, too. I'm curious to see how the arrangement turns out. I'll be looking forward to it. To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for your team."
It was a very frank comment.
But that's what made the praise all the more welcome.
"But you're doing well. Especially Kang Ju-hyeok and Seo Yoon-seul. It feels like you two are balancing the team well. That's not to say the other three are bad. I can see you've all worked hard. I really want to give you a round of applause."
So-jeong gave us a bright smile.
And with that, the evaluation was over.
"Alright, keep up the good work. I'll be expecting great things."
So-jeong gave a light farewell and left the practice room.
"That went well."
"Let's work really hard."
I shared in the joy with my teammates.
I could feel a dejected aura from the side, but my joy was too great to stop.
"Now we just need the arrangement to turn out well."
"That's right."
"Should we go practice?"
So-jeong's praise was creating a very positive synergy.
"Hah. Don't you think we need a meeting?"
"I think that's a good idea."
The members of Friendly trudged out of the practice room first.
"I do feel a little bad for them. They only got scolded."
Choi Seon-il said, lightly licking the corner of his lip.
Having experienced the risk of elimination once, he seemed to feel more sympathy.
"It's just a mid-point check, so they'll be fine. They just went to have a meeting. Let's just focus on our own work."
Kang Ju-hyeok quickly changed the subject.
"You're right. I need to do my part. I can't get eliminated like this."
"Exactly."
"So, shall we continue practicing here until the next session?"
"Sounds good."
Even though it was break time, we decided to continue practicing and did some light stretches.
Until that moment, I never could have imagined things would turn out the way they did.