Chapter 5
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 5
Chapter Title Dont Stop My Flow
Karis von Walden gave a short nod and fiddled with the inear monitor plugged into his ear.
Even in those small movements, an inexplicable nobility shone through, drawing eyes inevitably.
I was intensely curious what song a trainee like him had chosen.
Baek Chaehyun was slightly startled upon hearing the melody flowing from the speakers.
He knows this song? And hes a trainee from Europe?
There was a reason for her surprise.
Chrome, the sixmember boy group that had been active in the same era as her old group Flore.
After over ten years, as they began pursuing the music they truly wanted, Chrome experimented with various genres on their 11th regular repackage album.
Though they no longer commanded the massive public attention of their heyday, they earned praise for elevating their skills even further.
One of the tracks on that album was a fresh attempt from Chrome, who had stubbornly stuck to hard dance genres.
A mediumtempo dance track based on easytolistento pop sounds.
Not widely known among most Kpop fans, it was unthinkable that a bside from this album would appear in the first evaluation stage of Idol Training Simulation.
Baek Chaehyun pressed her earphones firmly into her ears, a mix of subtle tension and anticipation building.
Heavy air sinking down
Breaths slowly rising within it
My body trembling ever so faintly
Craving you as if enchanted
As the first verse began, Kariss clear falsetto filled her eardrums.
Holding her breath and focusing all her nerves on her ears, Baek Chaehyun unwittingly drew in a short gasp.
Huh? I thought itd be low tones, but surprisingly highpitched?
The intro flowed plainly.
A part that could pass without notice from an ordinary voice.
But Kariss falsetto, contrasting his image, made Baek Chaehyun shift in her seat unconsciously.
Oh I love this feeling
This sensation wrapping around me anew
Our time connecting like this
Dont hold on, just let it be
Let it all flow just like this
The pitch held steady without dropping.
One misstep in breath control could flatten the notes or throw them off entirely.
Even a trainee with solid vocals on the previous stage had faltered from nerves, voice trembling.
Karis, however, exuded confident expressions and gestures, avoiding any such pitfalls.
Listening intently, Baek Chaehyun felt a peculiar sentiment.
Technically, its not fully polished yet, but his natural volume and tone create such a pleasant sound.
No fancy techniquesthe socalled embellishmentswere present.
Many ruined stages by overreaching with skills to show off.
Karis sang with all tension released from his throat, focusing purely on the basics.
Whether intentional or not, she couldnt tell.
Baek Chaehyun sensed herself sinking deeper into an intriguing well.
An individual trainee, no less one from Europe, emanated an indescribable aura hard to ignore.
Please dont stop my flow
No one can control
Like waves sprinkling water
Like leaves flying in the wind
Just enjoy it honestly
Let it flow as it will, yeah
This flow weve created together
The prechorus unfolded in free tempo.
The pop sound rang out more refreshingly, and Karis ramped up his energy, moving his body accordingly.
Baek Chaehyuns expert eye pierced right through.
Kariss singing and dancing werent leaps ahead of the other trainees.
His dance stuck faithfully to basics, and his vocals lacked enough to crown him an undisputed main vocalist.
Yet the extraordinary aura settling in her mind since earlier seemed to fill those gaps.
Compared to the nervous displays from prior trainees, it made Kariss stable performance stand out even more.
Wondering if she alone felt this, Baek Chaehyun glanced around.
At that moment, her eyes met another vocal expert judge, Seo Inhwan, who flashed a grin and murmured.
Chaehyun, what do you think? If we polish him up there, he could be really something, right?
He doesnt seem to know techniques or styles yet... But his tone and breathing make it easy on the ears.
Oh, same as me. Above all, it just feels good to listen to. Tone goes without saying. First time on a stage like this, yet no shaking, those eyes staring straight aheadits innate.
Seo Inhwan was a true senior in the music industry, a selfproclaimed and widely acknowledged vocal professor with decades of experience.
For him, always coolly analytical, to give such direct praise meant he saw immense potential in Karis.
The performance continued.
Entering the second verse, the soaring pop sound shifted to a gentle melody.
Watching Karis sweat through the choreography to the end, Baek Chaehyun felt a tingling emotion.
Seniors right. Plenty to refine, but if he grows in the direction we want, he could deliver something massive.
Innate basics and tone.
Plus the aura infiltrating her mind.
Like filling puzzle pieces, it made his seemingly lacking stage feel complete.
His dance didnt pop visually or boast particularly graceful lines compared to others.
Like vocals, just solidly foundational.
Yet it didnt feel dry or bland.
Rather, his blankcanvas choreography amplified Kariss unique vibe.
What to call this... Why do I keep wanting to bow my knee?
Finally, the last verse.
Tell me youll remember
That youll remember today
That you wont forget this beautiful night
Let your body go as it pleases
Let me live as myself tonight
Dont mess up my flow
Karis nailed every note meticulously to the end.
Panting roughly while holding the final pose, he then greeted the judges table in his signature stance.
...That concludes my performance. Thank you for listening.
A momentary silence fell.
As all eyes turned to the judges.
Clap, clap clap.
Breaking it was none other than Choi Sia.
...It was a moment that reaffirmed it. Not getting nervous in a spot like this is key. Every second felt like that. This is my stage, and no matter who watches, Ill perform as I practiced. It let him focus even more, which was great to see.
I bowed again to Choi Sia, who had given glowing feedback.
No, why does the Grand Quest Saga greeting keep slipping out automatically when I dont mean it to.
Upper body leaning forward, one foot slightly back.
Worried it might look like some mentally off kid, but it effectively built my character, so all good.
Prepping for the level test meant juggling tons of practice.
Song and dance, of course, plus reining in Karis von Waldens crown prince speech patterns that leaked out naturally.
Casual excuse of solo Korean study abroad might fly normally, but with Idol Training Simulation judgesuntouchable authoritiesI had to show absolute respect.
Possession aftereffects from returning via Karis von Waldens body played a part too.
Practically, Id lived a decade as the crown prince.
Breaking ten years of habits wasnt easy, but I managed to refine my speech.
Without mental prep, crown prince mode defaulted, but foreigner fantasyromance novel fanatic backstory lent plausibility.
Relief washed over me recalling the judges Id targeted with prestage questions.
Good thing I maximized the returned as Karis angle.
Oh, and I must mention this. Karis.
Yes.
Choi Sia leaned forward with a grave expression.
Do you know you have a truly godgiven mask?
Godgiven maskwhat exactly do you mean?
Frankly, white trainees in Korean agencies are rare. Even foreigners are mostly from China or Japan, about 90.
Spot on.
Just look at Idol Training Simulations cast.
So in todays Kpop market, a trainee from a unique country like you might face a tough road... But personally, that visual alone could end all debates.
I think I get it.
Me too.
No sooner had Choi Sia finished than the other judges nodded.
Watching the stage, I realized after ages how much raw powera trainees innate visualscan wield. Cant achieve this with effort alone. Its an untouchable talent realm Karis possesses. Any concept, any outfithed pull it off with that face.
Such undeserved praise leaves me at a loss.
Karis, have confidence. Fresh characters and images like this? Cant buy them. Got it?
I expressed endless thanks while listening to Choi Sia.
Hearing it from others made my stats feel real.
SSS Looks, toptier by any measure.
Beyond mirrorgazing handsometranscending racelevel acclaim.
Truly my most usable weapon right now.
After Choi Sia, whod roasted prior trainees, praised my image against type, others chimed in positively.
As you all know, this songs no easy feat. Starts high, risks breath shortages or pitch slips, but his solid volume made it comfortable. Not perfect vocalsno vibrato or styles we know. Technical fixes needed, but grow his strengths right, and those gaps close quick.
I listened with interest as Seo Inhwan, the eldest Idol Training Simulation judge, delivered sharp analysisbased feedback.
Veteran of entertainment for ages.
He nailed exactly what Id felt prepping my level test stage.
Using not Han Jihyuks idol trainee body, but Karis von Waldenslived solely for demon king slayingproved challenging.
Even with Status Window help, pregame start limited farmable skill points.
Higher stats meant steeper levelup costsnot smooth sailing.
Still, scraping points through relentless practice let me bump Vocal to B last night.
Decent breathing and tone, but no advanced styles or techniques yet.
Recognizing limits, I pivoted plans.
Cant crush with raw stats? Pivot to eyecatching growthtype character.
Key here song selection.
A track highlighting potential.
Manageable for current Karis body, yet special enough for judges.
Elimination whittled it to this one.
Prioritizing my usable tone.
Basicscentered stage teasing future potential.
Hitting as intended so far.
...Anyway, cant wait for whats next. Delivering lyrics this well in a nonnative tongue? Peak for me. Prep hard for the next one, show us more!
Ill etch those words deep in my heart.
Capping my level test eval dance expert judge Bae Kangwoo.
Seeing him grip the mic, faint tension instinctively stirred in my veins.
Because in Han Jihyuks body on this show, this exact stage.
My first level testI got utterly shredded by Bae Kangwoo.