Chapter 61
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 61
Chapter Title An Awkward Reunion
It was the same during the previous round, and the same during this one.
Id never witnessed Chae Eungyus expression change so drastically.
Always the diligent model student.
Owner of a gentle, affable personality.
The eldest brother his younger siblings thoroughly relied on and followed.
Who wouldve thought the evercalmly smiling merchant Chae Eungyu could make eyes like that.
It was incredibly surprising and refreshing.
Why would you not have time? Youre always telling me times the one thing you have plenty of.
The yellowhaired idol came into the waiting room with a beaming smile.
At that, Chae Eungyus foot twitched as he took a step back.
Since when did I last contact you?
Come on, you said that right before you went on the survival show. Oh, and your grades turned out pretty good, huh? Congrats, man.
For some reason, a vague sense of displeasure pricked at the tip of my nose.
Karis von Walden, who had lived among countless people and navigated the political arena.
The experience hed accumulated until now was sending a message that something felt ominous once again.
The idol turned his head and looked at us, who had been quietly listening to the conversation.
Eungyu, dont just stand there all stiff. Introduce me already. This is getting awkward.
Ah, uh, right. Guys, this is Bae Minseo, from the same agency as me. Hes been debuting for
Hello! Im Bae Minseo from Connex. Take good care of our Eungyu, okay.
Connex... That was the sevenmember boy group that debuted in the first half of last year.
When the active idol senior suddenly greeted them, the team members hastily stood up and bowed.
Hello, sunbaenim!
Weve been listening to your new song!
Hey, no need for such formal greetings. Im not the type to crack down on hierarchy.
Bae Minseo waved it off with a hearty laugh.
His eyes turned back toward Chae Eungyu.
Especially since youre friends who hang out with our Eungyu. Being too cold would be rude to an old friend, right?
Haha...
Hey, you gonna keep reacting like that? Youre making it seem like were not close at all.
I have a question!
Out of nowhere, Hashimoto Kens hand shot up.
Seeing Kens goofy grin, it felt like he hadnt noticed the weird tension between them at all.
Im curious what your relationship is with Eungyu hyung. And how you two got close.
Hahaha! Oh, did Eungyu not tell you guys?
Bae Minseos eyes flashed with something far from casual.
Chae Eungyu, standing beside him, kept making a starkly contrasting expression.
Seeing that, I sighed inwardly.
He poked exactly the topic that shouldnt be touched.
Thanks to my memories of the Idol Training Simulation, I had a rough grasp of Chae Eungyus past.
But someone like Hashimoto Ken, a foreign trainee with zero prior info, could easily not know.
The timing couldnt have been worse.
We were at the same agency two years ago. I even debuted, but unfortunately, the agency went bust. Thinking back on it really brings the memories, huh, Eungyu?
...Yeah, it does.
After the agency collapsed, the director there took us to a big agency. So luckily, we reorganized as a sevenmember group and redebuted successfully last year, haha. Ah, Eungyu got the short end of the stick. The director
Minseo.
Chae Eungyus voice dropped low.
He placed a hand on Bae Minseos shoulder and let out a brief groan.
Ah, is this too touchy a subject? I was just gonna say I felt bad you couldnt come with.
...Thats my business, so you dont need to bring it up.
True, I never understood why theyd leave behind someone as talented as you. I mustve overstepped.
I quietly snorted.
It was a spectaclelaying out the awkward topic and then pretending to be sorry after the fact.
It reminded me of the Brantz family, masters of high society whod clashed with me over army reorganization in Grand Quest Saga, souring my mood even more.
Anyway, Im happier than anyone that things are going well for you this time, Eungyu. You gotta debut before you get any older, man. Hang in there till the end.
Haha, thanks.
At this point, I thought we needed to reevaluate Chae Eungyus character.
To manage his expression even after hearing the sarcasm hidden under those encouraging words.
It was impressive.
Minseo, we have to go up on stage soon.
Oh, right, next up is your team for filming. I didnt hold you too long, did I?
Nah, it was perfect timing. Ill hit you up later.
Yeah, lets keep in touch more.
Bae Minseo patted Chae Eungyus shoulder a couple times before waving to us.
Nice meeting you, hoobaes. Hope we meet on stage next time.
Thank you, sunbaenim!
Thanks!
Oh, right! That reminds me!
Bae Minseo, who had been exchanging goodbyes with us, suddenly snapped his fingers.
His bright, eager gaze locked onto me.
I knew it. I wasnt sure at first glance during greetings earlier. Youre Karis von Walden the trainee, right?
Yes, thats me.
Man, youre even more insane in person. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you!
Bae Minseo grinned as he grabbed my hand.
Even as I endured the firm handshake, I wondered what this situation was.
I saw you in Bluebird, in that Jahicheol ad directorial video. Even on video, I thought you were ridiculously handsome, but seeing you up close? Next level.
Youre too kind.
How does someone give off this kind of aura? You all think so too, right?
He tossed the question to the other trainees.
A normal person might give an awkward agreement, but the team members enthusiastically nodded.
Face genius.
So cool!
Karisnim is always handsome!
See, my eyes arent weird after all.
After staring at my face for a while, Bae Minseo lifted the corner of his mouth slightly.
Truth is, theres this super handsome guy in the team debuting soon at our agency. The moment I saw your video, he gave off total littlebro vibes, so that made me even happier.
Really? A trainee as handsome as Karis?
Cant believe it.
For real?
Haha, I see you all cant believe it. Youll see when the time comes.
Bae Minseo let out a big laugh.
Alright, gotta head out for real now. It was fun meeting you.
Take care, sunbaenim!
See you.
Yeah, Eungyu. Hit me up!
It felt like a storm had swept through.
Once Bae Minseo left the room, Chae Eungyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Hyung, you okay?
Yeah, Im fine. No need to worry.
Chae Eungyu answered Song Hyeongbins worried question with a faint smile.
Then he clenched his fist toward us.
Ill nail the stage. See you guys later.
Go get em, hyung.
Make it awesome!
Well be cheering.
I nodded and added my own words, and Chae Eungyus expression softened a bit.
But an inexplicable shadow still lingered on his face.
Feels like something massive just blew through.
With just the team members left again, Song Hyeongbin stretched as he spoke.
The other dongsaengs glanced at the door Chae Eungyu had exited through and nodded.
But Eungyu hyung will do great, so lets watch the stage with peace of mind.
Yeah!
With Park Jaehoons words, the matter was settled for now.
I leaned back on the sofa and slowly exhaled.
First off, glad we got through the stage more smoothly than expected.
No one messed up.
That was the most important part.
Truth be told, I was in a more precarious spot than Heo Yubin, who had been trembling with anxiety.
My Vocal stat had dropped due to the penalty, so of course it would affect the live performance.
Aware of that, Id made a big decision right before going on stage.
Id invested the 30 skill points Id been saving to restore my Vocal stat to its original state.
Maintaining B is crucial. From experience, at B or so, I can handle most parts without strain, as long as its not super high notes.
Id been saving points anticipating some emergency like this, and it paid off big time.
Sure, it hurt to spend them, but objectively, not using them now couldve cracked the reputation Id built up.
It was the best call I could make.
Please let this live stage spark even more buzz.
The day after the Music K Showdown aired.
Homma was tapping away at her keyboard while looking at a post on the YouTube channel Dance in the Box community.
Its coming soon!
Like with Idol Production 101, groups that earned music show benefits would appear on the Kpop dance specialist channel Dance in the Box afterward.
Backed by average views in the millions, it was the ultimate promo.
She prayed the Dance in the Box video would turn out amazingly and spread Kariss name far and wide.
And then 7 PM arrived as promised.
Team Pathfinder Mayday Labyrinth Dance in the Box X Idol Producing Simulation
The thumbnail showed the team in full uniforms.
Homma felt infinite awe seeing Karis front and center.
What visual would he slay the stage with this time.
She clicked the video, brimming with anticipation.
And a few seconds in.
She realized something was off.
Hold up. This is a Dance in the Box video? Why are they all wearing inear mics?
Dance in the Box was all about pure dance.
But no backing track voices came from the team members.
It was live, with even the faint breaths audible.
A slight chill ran down her spine.
She knew from watching the live stage in person.
How flawlessly the team had pulled off the live vocals.
Theyd proven it on Music K Showdown too, mixing live over AR.
She never dreamed theyd do the same on Dance in the Box.
...These guys are collectively insane.
After blankly watching the roughly 3minute video, Homma immediately checked the comments.
Even though it had been up less than ten minutes, comments were already over a thousand.
??? They did live on Dance in the Box???
So freaking charming???
OMG WHAT?? They are singing live in Dance in the Box?? I cant believe it
Dancing alone is hard enough, but live? Insane.... wow
Singing in a dance choreography channel is just next level. Never seen this kind of video in a long, long time
0012 Karis serving charisma center
0024 Universes top hamtori Hyeongbini
0111 Insane volume and stability from Heo Yubin
0158 Ken trying to be deadly cute
0230 Koreas hiphop top dog Park Jaehoon
Not dubbed, actual live?? How did they pull this off?
Its my first time watching them and now Im addicted to their vocals SO AMAZING
The total lack of expectation amplified the shock.
Homma checked other teams Dance in the Box videos just in case.
But they were just dance, no live.
Wondering what was up, she clicked the video description.
Maze breakthrough to find us! Pathfinder teams Labyrinth
Exclusive 4K full live performance only on Dance in the Box
PD Youre the first to say live is easier.
Their passion was unreal.
Watching the realtime comments pour in, Homma felt one certainty.
With just days left until the second global vote ends.
Karis was definitely making the list of trainees whod hit fever time.