Day two of practice.
The day the team would decide on the center through consensus.
Seha had a premonition he wouldn't be chosen as the center, but...
"So, it's unanimous then? Youngjae-hyung is the center?"
While Seha had gone to get water, the center had already been decided. They didn't even ask for his opinion, yet they claimed it was unanimous. When he returned to the practice room, all they asked was, "You're okay with this, right?"
Seha vaguely nodded, knowing that objecting wouldn't make him the center anyway. More than anything, he felt awkward around them. After witnessing them badmouthing him behind his back, he couldn't pretend everything was normal.
"Seha looks a bit sulky. If you're not happy, we can decide again now."
"...I'm just not feeling well today."
"Really? We don't have time to rest. Can we practice?"
Yoon Youngjae led the situation with his affable smile. His bright complexion showed his joy at being the center.
There wasn't even time for arguments. Amidst the group's chatter, Seha started the music. The instrumental track for their competition song, "X_X (Love is a Virus)," began to play.
"I'll keep track of the formations. Everyone, perform as if it's the real stage."
The team members shuffled into their positions, following the formations. After a moment of hesitation, they began singing their parts one by one.
[I believed you were the answer]
[I'm fading, just fading...]
The formations and choreography were... well, passable. It helped that everyone already knew the dance roughly, given the song's popularity.
"The problem is..."
Trying to sing while dancing made the vocals waver badly. Even though the broadcast version will be post-processed, the audience watching the live performance will hear the raw, unedited version.
This won't do.
A wave of panic washed over Seha. A chill ran down his spine as he approached the practice room door.
"No one's leaving today. Let's practice until we drop so we don't get scolded."
Blocking the door, Seha forced a faint smile, trying to appear calm.
"Until the live performance is stable."
The moment he finished speaking, exhausted sighs erupted from all corners of the room. The midterm evaluation was tomorrow, yet only On Seha seemed to be panicking.
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The second day of hellish training proved utterly futile.
Though they seemed to have improved during practice, their teamwork crumbled like a sandcastle the moment judge Seo Mihee arrived for the mid-term evaluation.
Desperate to impress her, they pushed themselves too hard, their movements clashing and disrupting their choreography. Some even attempted ad-libs without basic vocal training. The grim expression after the performance spoke volumes: they had failed miserably.
"If I had more parts, I could have shown you more..."
"Enough!"
Yu Minhyung, oblivious to the disaster, blurted out excuses when he should have kept his mouth shut.
The judge isn't your homeroom teacher...
Seha couldn't believe his ears. Complaining about part distribution to the judge? At the very least, they should have shown they could resolve such issues within the team. He had trusted them to maintain that basic level of professionalism.
Seha's pupils darted wildly. Seo Mihee's face was flushed crimson as she spoke in a sharp, scolding tone. After a moment of tense silence, as if carefully choosing her words, she spoke into the tense atmosphere.
"Minhyung-ah, you said you were disappointed with your part distribution, right?"
"Well, it just didn't feel like the right fit for me..."
"You can't even handle a short part. What would you have done with more? Completely ruin the stage?" Seo Mihee snapped. Yu Minhyung, instantly deflated by her words, hung his head low.
"Youngjae, maybe it's because you're the center, but you're overdoing it. Junhyun, stop sticking your tongue out. Jinwoo, put some more power into your voice."
She systematically called out each member, delivering harsh feedback as constructive criticism. Finally, her gaze settled on Seha. Gulp. Seha swallowed hard.
"Seha's vocals are solid, even hitting high notes while dancing. He doesn't try too hard to stand out, which is good."
Seo Mihee scanned the group members as she spoke, her intentional gaze making them flinch.
"But Seha," she added, dropping her pen with a thud. "Why did you take on the leader role if you can't even lead properly?"
Seha remained silent.
"The team isn't united yet."
Seha instinctively opened his mouth to explain, but he caught himself and lowered his head. Anything he said now would sound like an excuse.
No, to be precise, it was an excuse.
Even if they don't listen, a leader has to act like one.
Even though he hadn't wanted the position, he still had to take responsibility.
"...I'll lead more diligently," he finally said.
Seo Mihee seemed pleased that Seha hadn't made excuses and refrained from further scolding. Instead, she listed her overall feedback on the performance.
"The problem is you're all trying to stand out instead of blending together. It's too obvious, especially since it's such a well-known song."
This was exactly the vague concern Seha had harbored since they decided to cover Nexus's hit song.
"And this is just my personal opinion... but with the concept being identical, it feels like a high school dance club performance."
Seha nodded, listening intently to her words.
Seo Mihee was a founding member of Seid Entertainment. Taking her advice to heart would undoubtedly be beneficial.
"Anyway, work on these areas and let's see what you've got at the rehearsal. Seha, you need to step up as leader."
She patted Seha on the back, gave him a final word of encouragement, and left the practice room. The atmosphere in the room felt oppressively bleak after the dressing-down.
Everyone looked dazed, as if they hadn't expected to be criticized so harshly.
Maybe they'll listen better now, Seha thought.
He knew this bleak atmosphere all too well. Back when he was the leader of Trainee A Group in ON, these situations were common. Some trainees, overconfident in their skills, would slack off during practice, only to be scolded and left shell-shocked. Others, driven by ambition but lacking the talent to match, would hit a wall and lose momentum.
Usually, acting like a leader in these moments made them more compliant than usual. Recalling this experience, Seha clapped twice to grab their attention.
"I'll go grab everyone a canned drink. Take a moment to compose yourselves, everyone."
He wasn't thrilled with how things had gone so far, but what choice did he have? It was better to manage them properly and get through the competition safely than to ruin the performance, fail to recoup their investment, and get eliminated.
"We're standardizing everything to zero for management purposes," Seo Mihee said.
Seha bowed deeply and strode down the hallway. As he passed another practice room, he saw his opposing team also getting scolded by Seo Mihee. He felt a pang of sympathy for them, but also a slight sense of relief.
The cafeteria was deserted during the mid-practice break. Seha bought canned drinks without waiting in line and walked away, clutching the ice-cold can to his chest. He replayed Seo Mihee's feedback in his mind.
We need to change the concept.
They need to incorporate elements distinct from Nexus's "wandering youth" concept. Ideas began to surface in Seha's mind, one by one.
"...This might actually work."
"What might work?"
Ryu Dohyuk suddenly appeared, answering Seha's muttered thought. Taking advantage of Seha's startled reaction, Dohyuk blocked his path and continued, "Someone else is the center, right?"
"The team decided it."
"You gave up your spot, didn't you?"
Seha nodded. Dohyuk had expected this, but his expression soured as if he didn't like it. Is this his default expression? Seha wondered.
"That's not like you, hyung," Dohyuk said. "You used to act like you'd do anything just to debut."
"When did I ever—"
"Come on, it's true. You were the one who kicked away someone trembling, then later asked to say hello."
Startled, Seha glanced around and reached for Dohyuk's mouth. If anyone overheard, it would be a disaster. But Dohyuk easily dodged Seha's hand, shrugging his shoulders as if to show off.
"Ryu Dohyuk."
"Does it bother you now that you're hearing this?"
"Back then, I was..."
Seha opened his mouth as if to say something, but stopped abruptly. He shook his head vigorously from side to side and sighed.
"Forget it, Dohyuk-ah. Think whatever you want."
"Finish what you were going to say."
"There's no need to hear more. Just keep hating me like you do now."
"Why are you brushing it off like that?"
Condensation beaded on the canned drink in Seha's arms, soaking through his T-shirt.
"I was just... I'm sorry about back then."
"On Seha."
"I'm sorry."
"Do you think I want some pathetic apology from you now...?"
Dohyuk trailed off, his usually composed expression momentarily blank.
"I'm leaving now. Hyung needs to prepare for the competition."
There was nothing more to say. Seha wiped the water from his arm, glanced at Dohyuk's dazed expression, and left.
What else could I say besides 'I'm sorry' anyway?
He understood why Dohyuk had dismissed it as "just an apology." It would be ridiculous to apologize now.
Still, he felt sorry. Dohyuk, whom he'd thought had forgotten everything and moved on, seemed to still carry those old emotions.
He must hate even seeing my face.
So even Dohyuk's harsh words felt like his own karma. They had vowed to never see each other again, yet this chance encounter alone must be stressful for him.
Seha shook his head repeatedly, trying to clear his mind of thoughts about Dohyuk. To regain his focus, he pressed a freezing cold canned drink against his cheek.
First... let's concentrate on the competition.
With only two days left until the competition, there was a mountain of work to be done under an impossibly tight schedule. When Seha returned to the practice room, the team members, now noticeably more disciplined, turned to look at him in unison.
As the leader of the only team to receive praise during the midterm evaluation, Seha held a unique position within the group.
And he intended to use that position, even at this late stage, to whip the ragtag team into shape.
"About our concept," Seha began, "I just had an idea..."
Whether it will work or not remained to be seen.
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