Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The First Mission
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Only after the song had completely finished did the expressions of those watching me come into view.
“Ah. Hmm. That was a good performance. A very unexpected song choice.”
The female judge was trying her best to suppress a smile, her lips twitching.
The expression of the other judge sitting next to her wasn't much different.
He seemed to be holding back his laughter, blinking as he lowered his head.
“First off, that was very impressive.”
I was satisfied just knowing the feedback wasn't negative.
“I especially liked your facial expressions. They weren't over the top, but they also weren't comical. To be honest, I find it a little uncomfortable when men cover women's songs and intentionally overact. In that respect, I was very pleased.”
“You also managed your rhythm and dynamics very well throughout the performance. And through this stage, I saw a glimpse of your desperation, Yoon-seul.”
The positive feedback continued.
My heart began to pound pleasantly.
I was thrilled.
It was a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time.
It had truly been a while since I'd seen someone enjoy my performance.
I had wanted to feel this kind of excitement so much. It was the emotion I had longed for.
“This is how you express desperation. In a way that even makes the audience feel cheerful. Do you all understand?”
I could already picture how this part would be broadcast.
They would cut to the expression of the contestant who was just told his desperation was too much and made things uncomfortable.
To make the comparison even more stark.
But I wasn't particularly bothered or felt sorry for him.
In a survival show like this, getting even one extra second of screen time is a win.
“As for the grade... I don't think we need to confer. We can tell from each other's faces. We'll give you a comprehensive A.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
I was genuinely happy.
My body bowed on its own.
“I'll work hard.”
The moment I raised my upper body after bowing, I saw a white sketchbook being held up.
[Please take a seat in the empty spot behind the stage.]
I followed the instructions on the sketchbook and walked.
The seats were arranged in a pyramid formation, and as I got closer, I could see ranks written on the bottom of the chairs.
The higher the seat, the higher the rank.
Since the judges didn't tell me what rank to take, it seemed contestants were supposed to sit in the spot they predicted for themselves.
The only remaining seat was 51st, the very last one.
Since I was the last one to perform, I had no choice.
I didn't know how many people would be eliminated after the first mission, but 51st place would definitely be cut. It was last place, after all.
‘That's why everyone wanted to avoid it. It would have felt ominous.’
With a calm expression, I sat in the chair marked 51st.
It was fine, since this wouldn't be my final rank.
Just then, the lights on the stage suddenly came on.
Since there was no one left to perform, everyone looked around, bewildered, trying to figure out what the lights meant.
“Hello, contestants of RED CUBE.”
A man with a cheerful voice walked up the stairs and onto the stage.
The lights were focused on the center, so I couldn't see who it was clearly, but I already knew his identity.
Wi Yeo-jun, the MC of ‘RED CUBE’.
“Waaaaah!”
As Wi Yeo-jun stopped under the lights, cheers erupted.
“The winner of ‘The Actor’ and…”
‘The Actor’.
It was an acting survival show directed by the PD of RED CUBE.
As a beneficiary of a survival show, he was a very fitting choice for this program's MC.
The contestants gave Wi Yeo-jun a round of applause for his introduction.
I clapped enthusiastically along with them.
“I'm Wi Yeo-jun, and I'll be the MC for this season of RED CUBE.”
‘It's been a while.’
I had a personal connection with Wi Yeo-jun.
We had been quite close when we were trainees at Stunning.
But we naturally grew apart after Wi Yeo-jun suddenly quit being a trainee.
It wasn't uncommon for people to leave after getting worn out by the long trainee life, so at the time, I just assumed that was the case for him too.
I never imagined he would have switched to acting.
‘It seems like it was a wise decision. After all, I, who stubbornly stuck to being an idol, am here, while that guy is standing over there.’
Wi Yeo-jun was surrounded by countless lights and cameras, while I only had minimal lighting and a group camera.
It meant our treatment was completely different.
Wi Yeo-jun was a shining star.
And I was in the position of an aspiring contestant, no different from a regular person.
‘I guess it's true that the position makes the man.’
His expression was so dark when he left Stunning, saying he was quitting, but now he stood there with a bright face, as if he didn't have a care in the world.
Though, of course, makeup probably helped.
Maybe because we were once close, I felt good seeing him doing so well.
“I look forward to working with you all.”
Wi Yeo-jun gave a light wave toward where the contestants were seated.
In that moment, our eyes met, briefly but clearly.
Wi Yeo-jun gave me a small nod.
It seemed to be a gesture of support.
“Now, I will announce your first mission.”
The area quickly grew noisy.
“What?”
“A mission already?”
No one had been told there would be a mission on the first day, so it was a perfectly natural reaction.
‘What was the first mission again?’
I hadn't watched every episode of RED CUBE, so I had to slowly rack my brain.
‘I should have paid more attention if I knew this would happen.’
All I could remember now were the fans' over-the-top comments and the major incidents.
[I really didn't expect them to get a mission right after their grades. All the guys looked so shocked, their eyes were huge. Can't believe they hit them with the theme song right away.]
↳LMAO but doesn't this song have a totally different vibe? They're usually upbeat and easy to follow, but this time they went all out and made a masterpiece. It's good enough for a special performance at a national event.
↳They totally made it to stir up national pride.
↳The comment above is right. It's totally a song for national pride. And it was a fitting choice for a re-debut survival show. They aren't trainees, they've debuted before, so their skills are insane. I don't think anyone's gonna get eliminated for lack of skill this season. They messed up in the first evaluation, but they're still more skilled than most active idols. That's why it was a shame.
In that moment, a post I'd seen before came to mind.
‘Right. The theme song. It was the theme song mission.’
Just as I recalled the answer, Wi Yeo-jun began to speak.
“The first mission is the theme song. From this moment on, you must learn the choreography and lyrics to the theme song. You will be given exactly three hours.”
“Three hours?”
“Isn't that too harsh?”
“That's too short.”
The difficulty was indeed extreme.
To give them only three hours to practice a song they'd never seen before and then evaluate them.
“The performances you all showed today were your most confident songs and dances, correct? You must have practiced for a very long time. Therefore, we've determined that it's difficult to judge your objective skills based on that alone.”
Wi Yeo-jun's words silenced the contestants.
Because what he said was true.
Hadn't I myself sung the same song I used for my first entertainment company audition?
Since it was a survival audition, everyone had no choice but to pick what they were most confident in.
Because a single grade could change so much.
“This is to verify your true abilities, so please do your best. Now, let's check out the mission song together.”
All the lights in the room went out, and a large screen appeared before us.
The screen slowly brightened to reveal the dancer who had judged the dance portion.
It seemed he had choreographed the dance himself.
—My heart, stained red
It was a lyrical song.
It wouldn't have been out of place as an OST for a historical drama.
The dancer raised his arms high and did a light turn.
The choreography was beautiful, with lines that looked like a mix of Korean traditional dance and contemporary dance.
—That did not shine beautifully
The days of my past
It was clear that one's natural dance lines and vocal tone would have a huge impact on the judging.
—Leaving them behind, I take a step
The dancer knelt on one knee.
Then, he raised his right arm, drew a circle, and gently turned his head.
—Fly away
From that point, the mood shifted, and the choreography became a whirlwind.
While still on one knee, the dancer swept the floor with his other leg in a semi-circle and stood up.
He then immediately jumped in place, stopped, and stretched both arms toward the sky.
—Fly farther away
Bringing his arms back down, the dancer executed a slow turn, like a ballet dancer.
It was a turn so technical that it would be difficult for anyone but a professional to perform.
“They want us to do that in three hours?”
“Can I even do that?”
I could hear the worried voices of the other contestants.
It certainly seemed impossible to master in just three hours.
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that I already knew this song. I knew the entire choreography as well.
It was because after this song became popular, I had uploaded a cover video to try and ride its coattails.
The reaction back then was terrible.
[Ugh. Seo Yoon-seul is really ruining our boys' song. Just stay out of it! You're tainting their song.]
↳And it looks like he filmed it with dark lighting on purpose.
↳He's good, but... his personality is so bad. I just can't bring myself to like anything he does.
I practiced hard and uploaded the video, but it was filled with nothing but ridicule, so I ended up taking it down.
‘I never thought I'd get to use it like this.’
My mom once told me something.
“Yoon-seul. Just because your efforts didn't lead to good results doesn't mean they were all useless. They might be useful somewhere else someday. The memory of you working so hard will help you overcome your fear when you try to take on a new challenge.”
Her words didn't resonate with me back then, but my mom was right.
Her words about it being useful somewhere else someday.
—I can’t embrace the me of back then
Fortunately, the mission wasn't to learn the entire song. The screen went dark as soon as the first verse ended.
When the lights came back on, the darkened expressions of the contestants were clearly visible.
“The countdown has not started yet. The clock will begin after you are assigned practice rooms and outfits according to your grades, so you don't need to be too anxious. I wish all the contestants the best of luck.”