Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Even as a Villain, I Want to Debut
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After the song assignments were done, each team gathered in their respective areas for a meeting.
Compared to the other teams already buzzing with discussion, ours was relatively quiet. With such a tough song assigned to us, the team members' faces were inevitably grim.
"Everyone, let's cheer up! Let's become vampires ourselves."
Only Na Jae-hyun was the one trying to amp up the energy.
Thanks to his efforts, the atmosphere lightened up quickly.
"So, should we pick a leader first?"
Kwon Hak-jin said.
In truth, everyone already knew who the leader should be, even without deciding formally.
Kwon Hak-jin was the oldest among us, and his personality made him the most suitable for the role anyway.
"I'd like Hak-jin hyung to do it."
"Me too."
And just like that, Kwon Hak-jin became the leader.
"Yes~ Thank you. I'll work hard for the team, just as you've entrusted me."
Kwon Hak-jin flashed his usual warm, friendly smile as he stuck on the leader sticker.
"Alright, then let's decide on the center next."
Time to call for center volunteers. Almost every participant raised their hand.
The only ones who didn't were Kwon Hak-jin and Hyeon Si-woo.
"Hyung, you're not going for it?"
"Me? I'm the leader."
"What about Si-woo hyung?"
Hyeon Si-woo gave a resigned smile and shook his head. It seemed like his confidence had plummeted.
'It can't be helped. Hyeon Si-woo's still slow at picking up choreography, and his body's not back to its former condition.'
Even so, he'd been a D-rank center before—shouldn't he at least raise his hand?
The thought crossed my mind, but I decided to respect Hyeon Si-woo's choice for now.
One by one, the center hopefuls stepped forward and performed the point choreography.
"Hmm..."
Kwon Hak-jin and Hyeon Si-woo sat side by side, watching the trainees.
And finally, it was my turn. I straightened my clothes and stood in front of everyone.
This time, I focused not just on expressions but on making my movements as dynamic as possible. Hoping that earnest effort would come across, I looked at the two judges.
"We'll discuss it among ourselves."
Soon, Kwon Hak-jin and Hyeon Si-woo turned away and whispered to each other.
They weren't far, so I could faintly hear what they said.
"Who do you think should do it?"
"I'd say... Won-woo."
"Same here."
The two turned back to us and announced the result.
"Our chosen center is..."
Kwon Hak-jin glanced at Hyeon Si-woo, signaling to say it together.
"Won-woo!"
"Do... Won-woo!"
Their timing was off, but everyone clearly said my name.
Amid the congratulations, I stuck on the center sticker—except for one trainee in the corner, watching with a blank expression.
'What's with that look?'
Lee Won-jun. As a minor extra, I had no read on his personality.
But one thing was clear: he wasn't thrilled about me getting center.
'Not much I can do about it.'
There are always people who don't like you, wherever you go.
In my past life, there were so many it wasn't even surprising.
"I'll do my best as center!"
Next up was dividing the parts. We'd each sing a verse and decide the main vocal based on that.
'Hyeon Si-woo's volunteering this time.'
His dancing wasn't back in form yet, but his singing was supposed to be solid.
When Hyeon Si-woo sang, gasps of admiration erupted from everywhere. It was a clear step above the previous participants.
'His long trainee period really shows in how he brings parts to life.'
Amid the applause, Hyeon Si-woo took on main vocal.
A faint smile crossed Hyeon Si-woo's face, while Lee Won-jun's expression soured rapidly beside him.
'What's his deal since earlier?'
Had he applied for both center and main vocal but got neither?
I got it, but did he have to show it so openly? At least try to hide it.
'He better not be a bomb.'
I'd thought with Choi Young-hoon gone, there'd be no more villains.
Was that too naive?
'I'll watch for now.'
With parts assigned, we had another meeting.
A heavy silence hung over the trainees sitting in a circle.
"I heard we can get help with arrangements and stuff."
Kwon Hak-jin looked around at us.
"Any ideas?"
Yes. To salvage this song somehow, the best approach was an artistic arrangement or reinterpreting the concept.
Sticking to the original would just lead to a pure skill comparison, so we needed something fresh to draw eyes.
"Hmm..."
"It's a vampire concept—anything we could change there?"
I pondered for a moment.
'Vampire, horror...'
Those two keywords brought obvious imagery to mind.
Plus, the lyrics were about craving a lover's love and blood, making it tricky to lean into horror vibes.
"First off, the sound needs a chillier atmosphere, I think."
The trainees nodded at my words.
'That's obvious, though.'
We needed something special, different from the original...
'What could it be?'
I racked my brain. We had to make this mission work somehow.
'What, what could it be...'
I had a good head for studying, but creative stuff like this was unfamiliar territory.
'The most efficient stage utilizing our members' strengths.'
After agonizing, something clicked.
"Hyeok-jin hyung."
"Yeah?"
"You majored in Korean traditional dance, right?"
Kwon Hak-jin nodded slightly.
"How about twisting this song into a Korean style?"
I blurted out the sudden idea, and the mood shifted.
"Korean style?"
"Oh, that's good."
"Not bad."
Na Jae-hyun shrugged with a grin.
"Like, Joseon vampires or something? Sounds unique."
The trainees' reactions were positive—all but one.
"Feels... like a stretch."
Lee Won-jun muttered softly.
The conversation halted, and all eyes turned to him.
"Won-jun-ah, why?"
"Just..."
"It's okay, speak up."
His voice too quiet? Kwon Hak-jin leaned forward.
"I just... don't think it'll work."
"Why? What's wrong with it?"
"Vampires in the Joseon era? It'd be weird."
The lively meeting vibe sank.
'What's his problem?'
Sure, he might not like it, but did he need that tone?
It looked like he was just venting his bad mood everywhere.
"Hey, if we're nitpicking that much, real vampires don't exist either, right? Haha."
Na Jae-hyun playfully patted Lee Won-jun's shoulder as he said it.
The others chuckled along, and Lee Won-jun's face stiffened.
"Um... Won-woo's idea might feel like a stretch to you, Won-jun, but honestly, I think it's worth trying. If we pull it off right, we can nail it. Right?"
The other trainees chimed in.
"Yeah, exactly. I like it."
"Me too."
Lee Won-jun hung his head and clutched at his hair.
Everyone saw it but pretended not to and resumed the meeting.
"Then, Hak-jin hyung, maybe a creative performance for the intro using Korean traditional dance choreography?"
"No reason not to. I'll give it a shot."
Since Korean dance choreography would be novel, it promised a striking visual.
'Next, a creative bit here too...'
We were brainstorming when a sigh came from the side.
Lee Won-jun huddled in the corner, sighing heavily over and over.
'What's up with him?'
His face full of discontent, alone.
I didn't want to believe it, but the vibe was there: Lee Won-jun might be the new villain replacing Choi Young-hoon.
With the overall meeting wrapped, we dove into practice.
The issue I'd anticipated was Lee Won-jun's attitude. Sure enough, he wore the same expression as during the meeting.
"Won-jun-ah?"
"......"
"Won-jun-ah, you're a beat fast there."
Kwon Hak-jin was leading, teaching us the choreography first.
As leader, he tried to push Lee Won-jun along, but Lee Won-jun's face screamed reluctance.
'His skills are one thing, but that attitude...'
Irritation built, but Kwon Hak-jin couldn't bring himself to snap.
His obsession with keeping the mood bright held him back from being harsh, so Lee Won-jun pushed further.
"Can't we take a break?"
"Huh?"
Before an answer, Lee Won-jun slumped into the corner, claiming exhaustion.
'Why ask if you're just gonna bail?'
He chugged water and sprawled on the floor in a big X.
The other trainees were visibly wearing down from his antics.
'Even Hyeon Si-woo, with his bad shape, is enduring—how much have we even done?'
With mid-evals tomorrow, this would surely earn harsh critiques.
Kwon Hak-jin went to Lee Won-jun's side, trying to get him up.
'This isn't babysitting.'
I'd never thought it before, but right now, I desperately missed Han I-jae.
'Unless he drops out like Choi Young-hoon, this'll tank our stage quality.'
Unable to win against Lee Won-jun's "just 10 minutes" plea, Kwon Hak-jin returned.
He smiled, but his face was dark. A flicker of anxiety: was he failing as leader?
'I figured we'd just quietly weather it on camera...'
Time to decide.
"Lee Won-jun."
"Yes?"
"Step out for a talk."
Lee Won-jun lifted his head slightly from the floor to look at me.
"Got it. I'll practice."
"No, let's talk."
With a stiff face and sigh, Lee Won-jun got up.
Ignoring the worried glances from the team, I led him to the hallway. No cameras here—we could speak freely.
So I went straight to the point.
"What's your problem?"
"Pardon?"
"The meeting earlier, and now in practice—you seem totally unmotivated."
Lee Won-jun avoided my eyes, staring at the ceiling with sighs.
"What's bothering you?"
Finally, he met my gaze.
"Hyung must be thrilled, of course."
"...What?"
"You're the center."
For the first time, Lee Won-jun revealed his true feelings.