𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 ―𝐝.𝐨.𝐝

Chapter 13

[ Park Moondae's POV ]

It was the day of the performance. The people of Leti's agency group were to perform last out of all the other agencies.

It was a day we were all looking forward to ending after such hard work.

With such time-consuming practices, I didn't see Seungmin again after that night.

"Hopefully, his animosity meter didn't rise more."

He didn't seem like the type to rage all of a sudden, so to some extent, I believed his meter should still be in the 10s.

I'd check after he finishes performing. After we, October 31, finished our performance with heavy encores, Mountain Hero would perform. I felt like I couldstill hear the audience's cheers.

Thinking about our stage, I felt a surge of adrenaline rush through my chest. My heartbeat wouldn't stop being so loud. The fact that the stage was actually fun to perform made me proud and excited at the same time.

The encores didn't stop even after we entered the waiting room. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the mood of the group was excellent--even the child actor ended up saying "Good job" to us.

So, the happy chattering of the members didn't die down until the screen in front of us started playing music.

"Oh, it's time for VTIC's song!" Gold 2 beamed.

"I'm so excited~"

Team B was now performing.

In the dark stage, a slow spotlight dimly lit the center, showing the members. Ryu Chungwoo stood at the center with his eyes closed. Already, there were a few cheers.

Then, when a brighter light suddenly flashed on, he looked up with a solemn expression. He started with the introduction, and soon enough, the tempo picked up as the group spread out for the choreography.

Other members sang their parts well enough.

"Oh dear...the lyrics," Ha Iljoon murmured. 

The team would miss some lyrics or movements, showcasing their lack of confidence with small voices and weak steps.

This kind of thought wafted in the air until, jumping out from behind Ryu Chungwoo, Seungmin centered the stage.

Rather than his usual soft smiles, he, too, had a solemn expression.

"Like I thought. His face would be good for darker concepts," I conceded.

Beside me, Ahyun was trying to cheer for Seungmin as his hyung, but his voice didn't carry far.

On the screen, the camera focused on Seungmin as he continued to dance and rap his part. His voice fit VTIC's song rather well, and the way he moved effortlessly only highlighted that fact. Right as his part was about to end, he stared into the camera and pulled on the collar of his hanbok with a suggestive smirk.

I could hear the cheering even from the waiting room.

"Wow!" Keun Sejin gasped. "Is that really Seungminnie? He became cooler than me even though he's younger~"

I almost rolled my eyes and continued to watch the stage, but the rest of it was mediocre.

Objectively, they didn't do badly. Their stage was better than average compared to the stages of the other teams.

However, in the audience's head, the target of comparison for that team wasn't us--it was VTIC. Because the song was the latest hit on the charts, the original stage was heavily ingrained into people's minds. And as trainees, there was no way this performance stood against their expectations.