Chapter 164
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164
While Seo Ho-yun was running himself ragged, both mentally and physically, to set the stage for the Vocal Unit, Jeong Da-jun was suffering through his own ordeal.
“Alright~, let’s try to sync up one more time!”
“Jeong Da-jun-ssi, a little more to the side…”
“…Why can’t you get this right?”
Mistakes kept cropping up every time the Performance Unit practiced their group choreography. Part of it was because he wasn't used to working with people other than his usual members, but—
“This is really strange, isn't it?”
The territorial attitude from the others was no joke either.
Aside from High Five’s main dancer, who merely tilted his head with an ambiguous expression, the dancers from the other groups were prone to snickering whenever the cameras weren't rolling.
“Are you just not used to this? Is it because you’re not with your usual team?”
“…No, I’m fine.”
“Sigh……”
“I’m sorry.”
They were intentionally trying to break his spirit.
Unable to say anything more, Jeong Da-jun wiped the sweat from under his chin.
‘Seong-hyeon hyung, you said I had talent… You said I had something in me!’
Jeong Da-jun wasn't unaware of the public reaction after the 2nd Competition.
If Seo Ho-yun had known, he would have scolded him to spend that time practicing instead, but Da-jun was just an ordinary person who, despite his fear, wanted to see what people were saying about him.
[Jeong Da-jun is just average.]
[His hyungs coddle him way too much lol. Since they tell him everything he does is fine, he probably gets lazy with practice.]
‘Am I lazy?’
He had realized long ago that because he was the maknae, his mistakes were often overlooked by the others.
“Da-jun-ssi!”
Is this when I’m supposed to extend my right arm?
“Sigh… Jeong Da-jun-ssi.”
Wait, is it okay to turn my head now?
“Da-jun-ssi!!”
Was he currently holding his hyungs back?
Would The Dawn have been better off as a four-member group instead of five?
Whenever those thoughts tangled in his mind, Jeong Da-jun faltered. The reckless courage typical of his young age, which usually drove him forward, flickered out as he truly learned what it meant to be afraid.
“…….”
Seeing Jeong Da-jun biting his lip hard, High Five’s main dancer approached and tapped him on the shoulder.
“—Um, uh… do you want to go take a break?”
But.
“No.”
He couldn't stop here.
“I’ll keep going.”
If he stopped now, he felt like he would truly be left behind, isolated and obsolete.
It was better to practice incessantly.
He moved so relentlessly that even Ju Woo-seong, who later visited as a mentor, looked slightly taken aback.
“Jeong Da-jun-ssi, standby!”
At the staff member’s call, Jeong Da-jun took a deep breath and stood up from his chair. Kim Seong-hyeon, who was beside him, grabbed his arm.
“Jeong Da-jun. Do you want a Cheongsimhwan?”
“No, I’m okay.”
“…Really?”
“……Yes.”
His hands were still shaking.
He wanted to whine to his hyungs right this second that he wanted to quit.
But Jeong Da-jun didn't do that.
“Woo-seong hyung said… a little bit of nerves is good.”
“……!”
“I don’t want to go out there with a face that’s too relaxed.”
While Kim Seong-hyeon wore a complicated expression, Jeong Da-jun repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.
“Seong-hyeon hyung, I practiced really hard. …So, I’ll go and do a good job.”
“…….”
“And Yi-chae hyung, give me a spell for victory….”
Kang Yi-chae stepped closer, hooked his arm around Jeong Da-jun’s neck, and whispered into his ear.
“Jeong Da-jun, no matter how much you mess up.”
“Yeah.”
“You’ll never be as much of a public embarrassment as Ho-yun hyung.”
“…Is it really okay for you guys to be like this?”
Seeing Kim Seong-hyeon’s skeptical face, Jeong Da-jun let out a short laugh, his tension seemingly easing a bit.
Then, after making eye contact with Kim Seong-hyeon and Kang Yi-chae, he left the waiting room.
‘It’s a shame I have to go without seeing Ho-yun hyung and Ji-won hyung, but.’
“Jeong Da-jun-ssi, one last costume check.”
“Jeong Da-jun-ssi! Standby over here.”
After passing through the calls of many staff members, Jeong Da-jun stood in the dark backstage area.
Deep shadows covered his platinum blonde hair and cast a veil over his face.
“Da-jun-ssi.”
In the moment he was lowering his head to calm his heart, TEW’s main dancer approached him.
“Don’t be nervous! You can do this.”
“…….”
“Even without your members, you have to do well on your own, right?”
Jeong Da-jun couldn't tell if the interest people showed him was pure goodwill or beautifully packaged malice.
‘It’s a bit confusing….’
As an only child who grew up receiving an abundance of love from his parents and relatives, he never had to read the room. Even after entering the entertainment industry, he was still terrible at it.
He had learned a bit thanks to experiencing various incidents with Seo Ho-yun, but he couldn't always figure it out.
Besides, he had four hyungs who were pros at this sort of thing. They always covered for him before it was even his turn to deal with it.
But now, Jeong Da-jun was alone.
‘Is this person being sincere or not?’
To be honest, he still wasn't confident he could do well in the Performance Unit. A person doesn't just change in a single day.
“Jeong Da-jun, do you feel wronged?”
Jeong Da-jun sometimes thought back to the moment the double contract scandal broke.
A man who always had a grumpy expression and a foul mouth, but who would ultimately stand by his side no matter what path they took.
He had said something back then.
“If you feel wronged, just ignore everyone talking shit and live as confidently as you are innocent. Then eventually, it’ll either be forgotten, or things will actually work out.”
At the time, Jeong Da-jun felt like he was suffocating.
What’s the point of me living confidently on my own? In the end, nothing was solved.
“But when you’re still upset, when enough time has passed but you still feel so wronged and shitty just thinking about it in bed… there’s exactly one way to settle it and feel refreshed.”
But Seo Ho-yun had tossed out the answer lightly, as if talking about something very simple.
“You just have to prove that you were right. Simple, isn't it?”
And he had truly proven it through his own actions.
The image of Seo Ho-yun walking through the doors of Daepasung with the contract in hand was a memory that would remain deeply embedded in Jeong Da-jun’s heart for the rest of his life.
So,
“Whew……”
“……?”
Just as Seo Ho-yun had shown him, Jeong Da-jun wanted to prove it too.
That he truly deserved to be a member of The Dawn.
That the hyungs who were proud of him were right.
And therefore, that he, whom the hyungs acknowledged, was also a person who belonged.
‘Right.’
Jeong Da-jun stopped trying to read the expression on the face of TEW’s main dancer standing next to him.
‘I’ll just take it at face value.’
Jeong Da-jun nodded.
“Right?”
The man in front of him wore a puzzled look, but Jeong Da-jun didn't care.
“To be honest, I’m a bit worried without my hyungs.”
“……?”
“But my hyungs said I have talent. More than anyone else here. And… I believe whatever my hyungs say, no matter what.”
“Well…”
“So!”
Jeong Da-jun snapped his head up. Then, he let out a long breath and gave a bright smile.
“So, I’m going to do great.”
Jeong Da-jun winked at TEW’s main dancer, who stood there stunned and unable to say anything, overwhelmed by his aura.
“Wahaha! Thanks for the support. Fighting!!”
“……??”
“Jeong Da-jun! Let’s go out there and tear up the stage!! No matter how bad I am, I’ll never be as much of a public embarrassment as Ho-yun hyung!!!”
He felt the gaze of TEW’s main dancer on him, but Jeong Da-jun turned his head away sharply. It was something he didn't need to think about anymore.
And so, he took a step forward that he wouldn't regret.
“Let’s go, Da-jun!!”
Onto the stage.
* * *
“Hey, did the maknae already leave??”
The first thing I noticed upon returning was Jeong Da-jun’s empty seat. He was nowhere to be seen, likely having already gone out to standby.
As I flopped onto the waiting room sofa to drink some water, Kim Seong-hyeon was groaning.
“…Ugh.”
He had tried to act composed in front of Jeong Da-jun, but he couldn't hide his anxiety.
Staring intensely at the TV in the waiting room, Kim Seong-hyeon squeezed his eyes shut, resting his face against his clasped hands.
“…Maybe I should have gone instead.”
“What are you talking about?”
I answered like that, but I wasn't exactly calm either.
‘It would be great if the Performance Unit took 1st place.’
But I was more concerned about Jeong Da-jun’s mental state.
Swallowing a sigh, I turned my gaze and made eye contact with Kang Yi-chae, who was whispering with Seong Ji-won.
“What?”
“Nothing, I just think you guys are being overprotective.”
“…What did you say?”
As Kim Seong-hyeon and I glared at Kang Yi-chae in disbelief, Seong Ji-won gestured with his head.
“Ah. It’s starting.”
A famous, fast-tempo pop song with a chopped-up beat perfect for a performance unit began to play.
【Whatever you say
Nothing can stop this feeling now!】
The anxiety intensified as High Five’s main dancer started flying across the stage from the very beginning.
‘…He’s good.’
If a hundred years were a single day, twenty years old was a time when the sun hadn't even risen yet. Naturally, one is bound to be clumsy and immature.
I had thought it was only natural to lead him from the side.
“Da-jun’s coming out!”
However, that thought was completely blown away during Jeong Da-jun’s solo performance.
Boom, ba-boom, boom….
Jeong Da-jun stood alone on a stage drenched in black, under a pouring white spotlight.
Ripped light blue jeans, a sleeveless white T-shirt, and a black rider jacket. It was simple, as if it were his everyday clothes rather than a stage costume, but that actually made his dance lines clearer and more focused.
As the fans' cheers slowly died down, Jeong Da-jun, who had been standing still with a ball cap pulled low, slowly raised his head to the beat.
Boom, ba-boom.
An unfamiliar gaze shone piercingly.
In a way, it seemed to hold Kim Seong-hyeon’s intimidation, and his calmly settled eyes also seemed to resemble Seong Ji-won. The slight sense of ease felt very Kang Yi-chae-esque.
“……What the?”
Moving to the rhythm, Jeong Da-jun raised his right arm and tapped the brim of his cap. Then, he let his lips curl up playfully.
Kyaaaaaaaaak!
A thunderous scream erupted, reaching all the way to the waiting room.
Simultaneously, a fierce rock beat began, as if to swallow everything whole.
Without a single off-beat, Jeong Da-jun synced his movements perfectly and swung his left arm wide with a sharp expression.
【The moment you saw me, it was like a lightning strike!
You won't be able to do anything
You've never seen something like this】
It had been surprising when he did rock with Kang Yi-chae in our self-produced content before, but Jeong Da-jun’s pre-recorded voice suited the song so well it was as if he had been born to sing it.
【I know, stop pretending
That you’ve been waiting for me all along】
A staff member assigned to the waiting room approached with a camera to capture our reactions, but we weren't in the right mind to give broadcast-ready reactions.
【I will give you a ride!
You can’t hide your fluster
I know, Nothing can stop me now】
We were staring at Jeong Da-jun as if possessed. Because he was just too good.
“What is up with him?”
Even if I took off my 'proud hyung' filters and completely ignored his face, it was still the same.
【Hey babe! I will give you a ride
You can’t even get off, just gripping the handle tight?】
There were still some unrefined, rough edges, but his sense and instinct for dance were peerless.
【Breathe in and out, in and out
Don’t be afraid, you wanted to ride】
Just then, Jeong Da-jun threw the hat he was wearing high into the air, kicked his leg forward, fell backward, and then sprang back up with the momentum to catch the hat.
Then, he smirked and tossed the hat into the audience.
【Honestly, I was scared
That everything would end just like this
But once you told me】
Du-du-du-doom!
【You are with me now!】
His platinum blonde hair swayed, soaked in blue light.
【I will give you a ride, babe!】
The drums raced wildly, signaling the song was heading toward its climax. Jeong Da-jun kicked his right foot powerfully toward the camera and ran toward the center stage.
Uwaaaaak!
Someone in the audience was excitedly waving Jeong Da-jun’s hat. The screen captured Jeong Da-jun passing by with a grin.
【Or else, Give me your kiss,
that also works!】
Backup dancers wearing clothes similar to Jeong Da-jun’s swarmed in from both sides of the stage. Even so, the one who shone the brightest was undoubtedly Jeong Da-jun.
As the large group divided their movements and showcased perfectly controlled crumping, it felt overwhelming.
【What are you waiting for?
You’re here with me
What are you waiting for?
Ooh Please, don’t be afraid】
“……Wow.”
The electric guitar melody was dazzling.
Swinging his arm as if slamming his fist into the floor, Jeong Da-jun lowered his waist, looked at the camera, and swept his tongue over his lips.
【I will give you
Ah what?】
With Jeong Da-jun in the center, the backup dancers surrounded him, and a perfectly synchronized choreography followed.
【Tell me one more time
I will give you Ah what?】
When Jeong Da-jun, his eyes covered by the backup dancers' hands, mouthed the lyrics, the Noeuls' screams exploded.
【Yes, that's right!】
Jeong Da-jun curved his lips, met the gaze of the approaching camera, and thrust his hips with one hand on his thigh.
Following the rock melody that pounded as if about to explode, he showcased powerful movements that were both disciplined and forceful. He then raised his head and smiled brightly, revealing his particularly prominent canines.
“……Wow.”
【♫♪♩♬】
The music stopped and the lights went out the moment Jeong Da-jun’s intense movements ceased.
Afterward, following the performance of the fifth performer, TEW’s main dancer, a group performance began to the song of a currently trending, famous overseas boy band.
Even there, Jeong Da-jun was the most radiant.
【Believe me, won't regret!】
After the Performance Unit’s group stage ended, the camera zoomed in on each group member’s ending pose one by one.
When it was the turn of Jeong Da-jun, who was sitting down, he held up four fingers with his thumb tucked in. It was as if he were encouraging people to vote for his number, 4.
Then, he playfully kissed each of those fingers, blew a hand kiss, and even winked.
“…….”
The waiting room was simply silent.
Only a heavy stillness lingered among the members who had watched the entire stage. Everyone seemed to be choosing their words carefully for a long time.
The sound of fans chanting their favorite idols' names could be heard.
It wasn't just my imagination that Jeong Da-jun’s name sounded particularly loud.
“…Hey. That kid—”
But in the end.
“—He must have practiced that ending to death.”
Only awkward, roundabout words came out.
“Right? Yi-chae must have taught him.”
“The student has surpassed the master~.”
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been silent the whole time, scratched his head in disbelief and then laughed for a long while as if his tension had finally snapped. Then, wiping his mouth, he muttered.
“There was no need to worry.”
I leaned back deeply into the sofa with a slightly hollow expression.
“How is it, hyung?”
Kang Yi-chae leaned toward me with a playful grin.
“Admit you were being overprotective, right?”
“I was not!”
——And,
“Ta-da!!”
It was thirty minutes later when Jeong Da-jun, his face a mess of tears and snot, returned with a bright smile, holding the Unit’s 1st place trophy high in one hand.
“The fully-grown, cool adult Jeong Da-jun is here!!”