Chapter 10
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 10
Chapter Title Proficiency Unlocked
I stared blankly at the message for a moment.
Then I immediately checked my stats.
Name Karis von Walden Han Jihyuk
Age 20 28
Vocal B 030
Dance C 020
Stamina B 030
Looks SSS nonvariable
Charisma B 030
Traits Prince of the Kingdom, Surpasser of the Demon King
Abnormal Status Otherworldly Being Possessor
Numbers in parentheses had appeared next to the alphabet grades.
These seemed to be the newly unlocked Proficiency.
Investing points was the only way to raise stats until now, but options have expandedyou can level them up by maxing out proficiency too.
It felt just like an RPG games experience bar.
I set down my water bottle and stood up from my seat.
Karis? Already practicing? We havent even rested three minutes.
Siyoon can rest. I only got up because something came up that I want to test.
I played the intro of Prism on my phone.
Then I ran through the full track while performing the choreography Id mostly memorized in my head.
Definitely feels different from before. Moving Kariss body is more comfortable now, and my muscles feel more flexible.
Siyoon. Could you play the song one more time, by any chance?
Huh? Yeah, yeah, hold on.
I played Prism two times, three times.
I even sensed my movements growing slightly lighter than the first attempt.
When I pulled up the status window to check the Dance proficiency, the number that had been at 0 had already risen to 2.
This should let me prepare to some degree.
It was a subtle difference, as Id said.
The stat grade itself hadnt increased, so there wasnt any dramatic technical leap.
But to me, it felt like my arm and leg movements were connecting more smoothly than before.
If I viewed it as a system where these tiny details gradually improved
Now I think I can give it another shot.
Huh?
Siyoon, that wink move you showed me earlier. Lets practice it from the top.
Kang Siyoon blinked a few times upon hearing the enthusiasm in my voice.
He soon flashed a goofy grin and got to his feet.
Nice, this practicebug attitude. Now thats what makes teaching worthwhile.
We ran through Prisms full choreography from start to finish once more.
In the bridge part, I tried the simple wink that Kang Siyoon had demonstrated.
Oh, Karis! You almost nailed it just now!
Really? Did my eye almost close perfectly?
So close! Sure, it still felt a bit forced, but this time your opposite eyebrow didnt twitch, and it was just the left eye moving!
Kang Siyoon got even more fired up seeing me nearly pull off the wink.
As the teacher, he seemed to be reveling in the direct sight of his students hardearned growth.
While he grabbed my shoulders and shook me excitedly, I kept mulling over the excellent card Id been dealt.
I wanted to save skill points for when I really needed them, but unlocking proficiency was a huge relief. If I keep practicing steadily like this, I should be able to handle the facial expressions Siyoon mentioned to some extent.
It was like gaining another weapon to use in Idol Training Simulation.
Man, Im seriously tearing up, Karis! At first, I thought you were some wooden puppet, but now you can blink like a normal person. Im gonna cry for real!
Then you dont need to cling to me and bawl like this!
So this is the thrill that gets our trainer instructors going!
Hey, Im getting dizzy! Stop shaking me already!
Thank you!
Good work, everyone!
Yeah, you all did great today.
See you tomorrow!
Bae Kangwoo waved once to the trainees offering their lively goodbyes, then closed the practice room door.
Whew Its exhausting, alright.
Even just supervising the trainees drained his stamina like this. How must it feel for those young kids, endlessly repeating the same choreography in that sweltering practice room?
Yet seeing them greet him with such boundless energy made his heart ache a little.
Survival programs didnt allow a single moment of letting their guard down. He could only imagine how tough it was for the trainees to stay polite and upbeat around the clock.
It hurts to watch, but looking at it objectively, its a bit disappointing.
The session Bae Kangwoo oversaw covered Cells 1 through 11.
With a good mix of Mainstream and Underground groups, hed expected at least some trainees to have the choreography down pat.
But having to memorize both dance and vocals seemed to slow their pickup speed across the board.
Just moments ago, hed laid into a few of them with some stern words.
Blunt as it is, nothing beats shock therapy for results.
In the end, theyd all come here because they wanted to debut.
And building skills worthy of viewer approval was a natural part of that.
As judge and trainer, his job was to solidify their fundamentals.
They might still fall short now, but he hoped theyd all show a stepup in skill at the final grading evaluation in a few days.
He swallowed his mounting fatigue and stepped out of the group practice corridor.
As he passed the area with the individual practice rooms, a light caught Bae Kangwoos eye.
One private practice room was lit up bright.
At this hour, pushing toward 1 a.m., he couldnt help but wonder who was practicing alone.
Bae Kangwoo glanced at the rooms window.
Even from afar, a trainee with an impressively striking physique was dancing up a sweat.
Ah, that kids name was Karis, right?
He remembered now.
The trainee from the level test whod exuded an overwhelming visual and aura.
His singing had seemed above average, but as for dance, it hadnt fully satisfied Bae Kangwoos expert eye.
Yeah, definitely. Solid basics, but no unique flair of his ownthat was the feedback.
Bae Kangwoo quietly watched Karis von Walden complete Prism.
The thought that hit him as the final move landed perfectly
You can tell how much practice hes put in over this short time.
It was an unexpected result.
Dance was far from a simple discipline.
How muscles were engaged, the scale of movements, body flexibilitycountless elements shaped the overall picture.
Subtle details might escape a normal eye, but Bae Kangwoos dynamic vision, honed from years as a choreographer in the idol industry, was another story.
He could spot exactly where differences arose between trainees on the same dance, how deeply their bodies and brains had internalized the choreography.
And his eyes picked it up right away.
A faint hint of individuality was emerging in Karis von Waldens dancing.
Bae Kangwoo found himself smiling contentedly without realizing it.
The moment he turned to leave, having confirmed Karis was practicing diligently
Their eyes met exactly as he wiped away his sweat.
!
Karis von Waldens pupils dilated wide. He flung open the door in a panic and bowed his head deeply.
Hello, Judge!
Uh, uh. No need to be that formal. Makes me the one who was peeking feel more awkward.
You saw my practice from the start?
Was heading out after my session and saw the light on, got curious. Looked like youd been at it a while?
Kariss lips curved upward automatically at Bae Kangwoos casual praise.
Ive been thinking nonstop about what you said at the level test, Judge Bae. What could build on top of basics? I figured out what my dancing was lacking and have been working on that.
Whatd you realize?
At first, I was so busy cramming the complex moves of Prism into my head. It hit me that I was just mechanically showing the stepsno personal feeling coming through at all.
Hm, so?
So I repeated it relentlessly until I had the full choreography memorized cold. After that, I started practicing more varied expressions.
That was the detail Bae Kangwoo had noticed.
Facial acting synced to the melody and lyrics.
Practice room cameras didnt always capture fullbody shots.
And the videos theyd film for music shows after the final grading would zoom in on faces even more than the dancing.
In short, even if the dance was still unfinished, solid expression work could radiate a whole new charm.
Great selfanalysis. He realized he didnt have time to build dance skills surpassing others, so he pivoted to expressions.
Bae Kangwoo felt something fresh.
On the surface, this seemed like a trainee with rocksolid pride, yet hed pinpointed his flaws so quickly and practiced without pause.
Commendable, even.
Okay, then let me give you a hand. Got more practice in you?
Ah, I can keep going solo! Its time for you to head to bed, Judge
Im feeling that passion after a long time myself. Dont sweat itjust think of it like this mornings session
Bae Kangwoo played the opening bars of Prism and eased into the moves.
I always say the intros the most crucial part. Hit em hard right out the gate to pull them in deep and seize their gaze.
Got it.
Alright, watch close. Lyrics go like this, so keep your gaze sharp, not soft. Lean into that masculine vibelike this.
Karis followed his demo with passionate focus, nailing the choreography.
Dialing in the expressions he wanted made Kariss cheatlevel physique shine even brighter.
Hes keeping right up.
And this is a tip I gave the kids in my session too. In the bridge, that moment where you raise both arms up over your face.
Yes.
When we designed the choreo, I figured trainees could really capitalize on it. Its like straightup screaming, Eyes on my face! right?
Now that you mention it, Judge, yeah.
So grab that one point, and youll stand out even morethats the idea.
For 30 minutes, Bae Kangwoo passed on a few tips to Karis von Walden.
Sticking to fairness, he only shared ones hed already given his session trainees.
Karis beamed like hed grasped some profound new truth and offered his thanks.
Thank you, Judge!
Yeah. Keep grinding, but dont push too hard. Rest is huge too.
Ill keep that in mind.
Bae Kangwoo said his good lucks and headed out.
A quick glance back showed Karis diving right back into Prism from the top, diligently working his expressions.
Now Im kinda looking forward to that final grading eval.