Six trainees swiftly took their positions.
Blue and yellow lights alternated, flashing over the trainees on stage.
The costumes consisted of crisp white T-shirts with a large dart board design on the back of black baseball jackets, and slightly shiny leather pants. Their makeup was heavily set to withstand the bright stage lights.
Each one had a simple but distinct look, with personal touches like belts or bandanas, or even a handkerchief wrapped around their wrists for a bit of flair.
Perhaps this was Moon Yun Ha’s masterpiece, having directed the visuals herself.
Until then, Min Si Young had only observed the stage with a keen eye, her demeanor strict.
‘This stage is what matters now? The kid who knows how to play tricks talks eloquently.’
No matter how hard she tried, Min Si Young couldn’t look at Kim Chunyong favorably.
She thought of him as just another trainee who managed to attract favorable responses from the audience merely by catching the PD’s eye.
‘Even when I was giving vocal lessons, he was just okay. His tone was good, but nothing extraordinary.’
Having been in the entertainment industry from a very young age, Min Si Young believed in the realms of effort and talent.
To her, it was far more important how much one had worked and how they showcased their talent than momentarily catching the camera’s attention.
‘No matter the order, Jae Ha’s team will win. He’s the best.’
While the team ranking for this performance wasn’t directly tied to the next stage, which would start to influence debut decisions, it offered the benefit of securing a better position for the performance video to be released early.
Considering this, along with their image on broadcast, making a strong impression was crucial.
“I’m a bit concerned about Hwa Sung. This was meant to be a stage of the less adept, picked for their lower rankings, but to suffer in stage positioning as well… Still, he’s likely to secure the MVP, hmm.”
Min Si Young, no matter how fair she wanted to be, couldn’t help but feel a certain attachment to the trainees she had watched from a tender age.
And in Hwa Sung’s team was that particular trainee causing issues.
As Min Si Young dwelled in her preconceptions about Hwa Sung’s team before even witnessing their stage performance,
Brrrrrr―
The unmistakable sound of a motorcycle exhaust she’d heard over 500 times signaled the beginning of the performance.
– Shining city, noisy crowds,
Yet here, it’s only you and I,
You & I
Gao Yan opened the song as the sub-rapper.
He had caused Min Si Young considerable difficulty during recordings, as he was very difficult to direct. He had little input, and didn’t understand enough about the idol industry.
Unable to dance, barely able to sing, and his rap was like he was reading from a textbook, Min Si Young had nearly resigned to the idea of him being nothing but a burden to Hwa Sung.
But…
“…What’s this improvement in just a week?”
Surprisingly, he showed significant progress from his last ranking evaluation.
From not being able to keep a beat, now he was starting his rap on time and syncing his moves.
Min Si Young tried to conceal her amazement.
After all, Gao Yan was originally ranked 18th. From the bottom, one usually grows rapidly.
“As the stage goes on, performers tend to lose energy. The real evaluation begins towards the end.”
However, as the three-minute stage continued, her thoughts were constantly disproven.
Na Ji Hyuk, sitting beside her, whispered in a low voice.
“Is this team, Ms. Si Young, the one you directed…?”
So good?
Min Si Young bit her lower lip tightly in response to Na Ji Hyuk’s question.
Were they always this good?
– A gun pointing at me
To me, it’s just a round of applause
I’m already prepared, Ready to shoot
With you by my side, it’s fever time
Fear only raises us
Hwa Sung rapping now was, needless to say, good.
He seemed a bit lost during the directing, but he was a pureblood trainee from August Entertainment, after all.
He couldn’t be bad. However, Min Si Young knew that Na Ji Hyuk wasn’t referring to Hwa Sung.
YOU ARE READING
TMMIB!
Random**Story not mine** Title: The Malicious Member is Back! Nicknamed the worst malicious member in idol history, called 'Trash-Rex.' Stage name Rex, real name Kim Chunyong. As he was urgently arrested, with only the entertainment world waiting for him...
