Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Dance Midterm Evaluation (12)
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Sleep when you're dead.
Don't friends sometimes joke around with lines like that?
But right now, I was feeling it in my bones—that it might actually come true.
"Hey, Kang Chae-rin! How many times have you messed up that part now? You messing with me? Trying to screw us over on purpose? Or did you take a bullet to the head and blow your brains out? Huh? Say something! Don't try to weasel out—speak up!"
"Seol Su-bin, you're just as bad! Why are you dancing like you're somehow different? I told you, we're a team. We shine as a team, or we don't pass. So why are you still thinking so selfishly? Huh? You think you'll pass just by dancing well yourself? Or do you want to debut solo?"
"Unnie Hyun-ah, obviously you're the worst. If you're going to crash and burn like that, shouldn't you at least take some responsibility? Where'd you leave the talent you've been practicing for three days? Did you toss it in the dirt? Or are you just settling for this? Let's do it right! Huh? Is that thing on your neck just for show?"
...I was starting to get why Kang Chae-rin took Han Nam-do's sexual harassment and cursing without batting an eye.
Someone even scarier than Han Nam-do was right there beside her.
She didn't curse at all—in fact, I almost wished she would.
Her criticisms were so sharp and direct, they could give you PTSD even if you didn't have it. But she wasn't wrong about any of it.
In fact, every time Han Ji-woo pointed something out, our skills improved noticeably.
"Argh... I'm such an idiot. Sorry, that was my mistake. I'll focus properly. I should at least cause a reasonable amount of trouble..."
Above all, she was the strictest with herself.
Even while we were taking a quick bathroom break, she kept practicing alone.
While drinking water, while eating.
You could see with your own eyes how hard she was working—not just on herself, but analyzing the whole team's movements and fixing issues.
That's why, even though we were all exhausted, no one dared complain in front of Han Ji-woo.
If anything, we were grateful.
"Ji-woo unnie's amazing, right?"
"Yeah. Incredible."
"It's because of Ji-woo unnie that Su-bin unnie hasn't quit. And I can still enjoy trainee life here. Hehe. If I'd been teamed with anyone else, I wouldn't have lasted."
Ever since joining Luminous.
We didn't need team-building events or recreation.
Under Han Ji-woo's tough shouts, day and night blurring together.
Sleep when you're dead.
...With that mindset, the four of us synced up for the dance midterm evaluation, and affection for each other grew naturally.
'Ah, so that's why corporate employees from big companies always seemed so tight-knit back then.'
They weren't messing around.
New hire training events from private firms back then had quality that rivaled today's pros.
And why was that?
'They probably did exactly what we're doing.'
Burning the candle at both ends, day and night.
Grinding their bodies to dust.
I finally understood when people say effort doesn't lie.
"Su-bin-ah, Su-bin-ah! Get up!"
"Ughhh... ugh... wuu."
On the second day without sleep, Seol Su-bin had turned into a full zombie.
During breaks, she'd collapse on the hard practice room floor, barely breathing, like she'd lost the power of human speech.
You could feel her determination to sleep even if it killed her.
But.
"Break's over. Back to practice!"
The moment Han Ji-woo shouted and the music for our midterm evaluation started playing.
"...!"
She'd spring up like she'd never been dead, eyes sparkling, perfectly controlling her expressions and every detail.
Being young and fresh made it possible, sure.
But Seol Su-bin was tougher than that.
'You really have to be like this to make it as an idol.'
I lost count of how many times I marveled while grinding through these final practices with them.
Even hunters get cranky and irritable from all-nighters, their performance tanking, so they camp out to recover.
These mana-less civilians were pulling off this level of performance.
'Amazing. Truly amazing.'
Even I, who'd been sucking Han Nam-do's essence dry for three days straight, was struggling to keep up.
And I get permanent boosts to stamina and mana every time I absorb a man's essence.
'Not because I'm getting old... right?'
Nah, no way.
How big could the age gap even be?
I'm 25—still young.
Plus, I'm a succubus.
Internet said succubi have longer peak appeal for seducing men.
"Hey, Kim Hyun-ah! Focus!"
"Gah! Sorry!"
That's when it hit.
Han Ji-woo's shout pierced like a ghost, and I moved like I'd re-enlisted in the army.
'If I'd known I'd become a succubus, I should've dodged the draft at 20. Would've gotten an exemption.'
The more I thought about it, the more it pissed me off.
Who could've predicted?
Climbing the tower, getting cursed and changing gender—not enough, turning into a full succubus...
"Daydreaming again! I can tell!"
"Sor... sorry!"
At some point, her casual speech to me felt totally natural.
So natural, no resistance.
Comfortable, even.
'Focus. Focus.'
Lack of sleep must be making me scatterbrained.
A bit anxious, too.
Not knowing the results, fear of that.
And guilt—if we fail, is it my fault? Responsibility weighing on me.
The closer evaluation day got, the faster time flew.
"After evaluation, we all hit the baths, wash up, and crash like the dead. Just today. Just once. Got it?"
"Okay!"
"Luminous!"
"Fighting!"
And just like that, midterm evaluation day arrived.
One hour before the midterm evaluation.
We finished our final practice and took a short break for personal primping. Makeup time, basically.
It was a dance evaluation, sure.
But looks are unavoidable.
For a girl, makeup is like a soldier grabbing a gun for battle.
"Ah, unnie, let me help with your makeup."
"Thanks, Chae-rin-ah... Sorry, I'm hopeless at this stuff."
"No way. I love doing your makeup, unnie. Stay hopeless forever. Hehe."
What was that—praise, insult... curse or blessing...?
"How about underwear size? I'm the bustiest in the team..."
"...Kinda, really tight..."
"Oh my god. As expected..."
Expected what?
Glancing over, Chae-rin was eyeing my chest and licking her lips lewdly.
"Argh, let me wake you up, unnie!"
"Kyaa! W-what are you doing?!"
I was genuinely startled.
Kang Chae-rin lunged and kneaded my breasts like dough.
Her touch was lewder than most guys'.
For a split second, I wondered if she got cursed and swapped genders like me...
"Ooh... whoa! Wide awake now, right?"
"...Yeah, but. Damn."
You look more awake than me.
"Hehe, you can grope mine anytime for fairness. In return, I get to enjoy Hyun-ah unnie's whenever! Breasts like these are national treasures! Letting them go to waste is a crime against the country."
Where does she pick up words like that...?
But she wasn't wrong.
'My boobs are kinda national treasure level.'
I nearly blurted that my pussy was even better, but swallowed it.
"Noisy as hell in the bathroom, fuck. Did you rent the place out?"
Turning at the thorny voice.
A blonde just like Seol Su-bin and a woman with hair down to her waist glared at us sullenly.
'Who?'
Chae-rin whispered the answer.
"That's the Mercedes team competing with us... Fellow trainees. They've been here a year ahead."
She bowed low—hair nearly sweeping the floor.
"Sorry for the noise."
"Bullshit. You don't mean it. Acting all innocent is gross."
"..."
I couldn't help but admire the blonde's curtness.
Purem Entertainment lives up to its name?
Shit draws shit.
Stick around here long enough, and even aspiring idols turn foul-mouthed.
Made me re-evaluate Han Ji-woo—her value skyrocketed.
Ji-woo really was something else.
"Unnie, don't get dragged in. Let's go."
"Where you running? Hey, we're your seniors by a long shot. Fuck, no manners—just bolting? Rude bitch."
"..."
No thug like these thugs.
Stunned, I pulled Chae-rin behind me and spoke up.
"What if we don't run?"
"Unnie...!"
Ignoring her flinch, I faced the blonde head-on.
After facing scarier tower monsters and cheating death multiple times, this was a joke.
"Ha, you're that bitch? The total noob who just joined Luminous. Look at those narrowed eyes? Got some fire in ya."
"Wanna test it?"
"Bring it."
This damn girl knew how to grate nerves.
I was this close to slapping her senseless.
"Yu-jeong-ah, enough. Got outsiders here for the evaluation preview. Word is, choreographer Wang Im-hwan's coming too."
"...That guy's huge. Why here?"
"Beats me."
Han Ji-woo appeared, and the heated mood cooled instantly.
"Unnie, calm down. Fighting here gains us nothing. Anyway... if we flunk the midterm, no fight needed."
The blonde—Hong Yu-jeong—smirked at the loaded words.
"Hey, Han Ji-woo. You've always acted so mature. Can you afford the chill? Saw you locked in the practice room every night, no sleep. Can you even dance? Gonna pass out mid-routine?"
"We gave it our all. Don't worry about us."
"All my ass. You no-talent types always cram last minute. Go on, try hard. Don't embarrass yourself."
"..."
"Oh, right. Other teams are thrilled they got a stepping stone."
"That wouldn't be you guys, would it?"
"...!"
Critical hit!
Classic Han Ji-woo.
Quiet, but she lands her blows.
"You, you...!"
"Whatever. Like you said, no sleep's got me foggy. Taking Chae-rin and Hyun-ah unnie. Keep bothering us... and I'll come at you like we're both done for. Back off."
Before I kill you for real.
...That's what her voice seemed to say.
"..."
Even I, who'd felt killing intent in the tower, shivered for a second.
"Let's go."
Han Ji-woo left frozen Hong Yu-jeong behind and led us out.
Right after leaving the bathroom, she added:
"We're passing, no matter what."
Her burning voice made me nod firmly as I thought:
What kind of company has this many enemies?