GIJS

Chapter 141 Is this hell training?

The address Pael sent was for a villa located at the base of Jirisan Mountain.

The seven members were terrified by the term "hell training," but they couldn't ignore their senior's call.

"Are we going for mental training?"

"That's probably it! We'll overcome everything!"

"Why are you so excited..."

"It's a training camp! I hope we get some military-style training!"

"Ugh, I don't want that... I think such outdated practices should be abolished..."

"Yeah, sigh..."

"Oh, Gunja, you're surprisingly unenthusiastic."

"Isn't it a problem if it's not even a mountain fortress?"

"Why is only Gunja being so particular?"

"Hey guys, I think we've arrived."

The navigation system in the van announced their arrival in a clear voice. The members, peering out the window, looked puzzled.

"Eh?"

"Manager, is this the right place?"

"Yeah, if the navigation isn't malfunctioning, this is the place."

The members had expected a dilapidated building when they heard "hell training." However, the location was a clean, white, four-story villa with an exotic design.

"It's too pretty to be a training ground..."

"Hahaha, it's perfect as a filming location~"

The members momentarily thought they had mistaken the address. But seeing a handsome man slowly approaching with a red hat, their misunderstanding was quickly cleared.

"Look at his moves, look at his moves!"

"Pael-hyung!"

"Get out of the car, let's start!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

As they hurriedly gathered their personal belongings and got out of the car, the members looked at each other with worried expressions.

"What's with this concept from the start?"

"...I guess this is how it is... real hell training..."

"Yes! Training!"

"Crazy! Get a grip on the atmosphere!"

Amid the laughter, the only veteran among them, Manager Lee Yong-jung, stifled his own laughter.

The members lined up in front of Pael, who was wearing a red hat.

"Well, idols do align well in formation."

"Hehe."

"Show me your teeth! Are you here to play?"

"Gack-."

"No—!!"

Under the sharp command, everyone's shoulders tensed, but Pael, who had scolded them, grinned with a white smile.

"Oh? I'm here to play."

"?"

"Puhaha, you guys are really funny."

"??"

"Why are you so scared? Don't make things awkward!"

"Hyung...?"

Seeing the panicked members, Pael laughed heartily, holding his belly.

"Phew."

"That was really scary!"

"Sorry, sorry, hahaha."

Seeing Pael's hearty laugh, Gunja remembered his true character. Unlike the mature and kind Leon, Pael was known for being prickly and playing cruel pranks.

Gunja was familiar with Pael due to frequent contact, but his teammates were less accustomed to his personality.

"Friends, don't hate him too much. He's not a bad person."

"Hey, isn't that a weird way of phrasing it?"

"Haha, hyung. Taking good intentions as sarcasm is a sign of a petty person... Oops—"

This time, Taewoong quickly covered Gunja's mouth. Having been bombarded with petty jokes frequently, he could read the timing perfectly.

"Hm? Petty person?"

Pael tilted his head for a moment but then casually turned away and started guiding the members.

"Let's get inside and unpack."

"Yes! Hyung, but where are we?"

"This? It's a villa."

"Wow—."

"This, is all of it?"

"You've been an idol for years. Shouldn't there be something like this?"

"Wow..."

"Hyung, you're amazing!"

"Oh, but it's not mine."

"Eh?"

"Do you know the Lunatic's Leon? It's his."

"Leon-hyung?"

"Yeah. See that guy setting up the grill? That's Leon."

"Whoa, whoa—!!"

The members were greeted by the leaders of Lunatic and Velocé at the villa. Though the acquaintance was brief, 7IN had already become cherished juniors to both.

Leon, who was lighting charcoal with a torch, waved his gloved hand and welcomed the members.

"You all found the place well."

"Hyung, I missed you!"

"Haven't had lunch yet, right? Let's grill some meat."

Soon, Leon started placing top-grade pork on the grill. The members drooled as they watched the meat sizzle, but Gunja felt uncomfortable in this environment where seniority seemed disregarded.

"Hyung, if you give me the tongs, I can—."

"No. Today, I'm treating you."

"Even so, there's a thing called seniority..."

"Lunatic was worried when they had to drop out of [Dynasty], but thanks to you guys filling that spot, I can enlist with peace of mind. This is a token of my gratitude."

"Thank you, hyung!"

Meanwhile, Pael, eating grilled kimchi, teased Leon.

"Throwing your beloved juniors into a war and trying to make up with just a plate of meat? You'd better treat them well for life."

"I was going to do that anyway. Oh, and the hell training thing was all this friend's idea."

"Haha, the two hyungs always seem close."

"...That's not true."

"No way, we're not close~ I don't get along with him at all~"

"Hehe, when did you two get so close?"

"Oh, we're not close?"

Despite their words, when the stories about Leon and Pael began, the members listened intently while enjoying the delicious meat.

"But won't it sound old-fashioned if we talk about such things?"

"No way! It's really interesting!"

"Really?"

"Yes. We have a young guy like that in 7IN too."

"Ah, I think I know who you're talking about."

"He's not just a young guy... he's like someone who's lived since the Joseon Dynasty."

At Taewoong's comment about someone living since the Joseon Dynasty, Gunja felt a bit embarrassed and focused solely on eating the meat. Fortunately, no one seemed to take the comment seriously.

After a satisfying barbecue party, Leon and Pael guided the members inside the villa.

While Ri-on's villa was structurally similar to any luxurious villa, the top floor was somewhat unique.

"Wow... This top floor is all a practice room?"

"Wow—."

The top floor of the villa was equipped with state-of-the-art training facilities. Without a moment to marvel, Pael put his red hat back on.

"Now that you've eaten well, it's time to digest it."

"Excuse me?"

"Hyun-su, do you have all your tracks?"

"Yes? Oh, yes."

"Do you have the MR too?"

"Yes, I have it."

"Good, let's connect it to the amplifier and run through everything from the start."

The members of 7IN, who had started their performance by accident, saw the seriousness in Pael and Leon's eyes. It seemed the hell training was not 100% a joke. Taewoong's eyes sparkled with anticipation for the training.

"I've been waiting for this moment!"

Starting with their first original song [Unmannered Ones] and the duet competition songs with Yeonguijeong.

7IN performed for the two leaders as if they were at a concert.

Thump, thump—.

The sound of the members' footwork echoed loudly on the top floor. Despite Leon and Pael's serious expressions, they couldn't hide their pleased smiles when everything harmonized beautifully.

"You're really doing great."

"Yeah, it's the best."

"Better than Lunatic going out, right?"

"...That's a bit..."

Even while watching the performance with a fatherly smile, the two leaders gave constructive feedback after each song.

"At this point, making the front foot align at this angle creates more impact."

"Oh, yes!"

"Like this, hyung?"

"Yeah. This angle might not be visible to the person performing, but it shows up clearly in the footage. Do you want to watch the footage too?"

Thanks to the system that filmed the choreography from various angles, the members could check and adjust their performance details immediately.

"Oh, doing it this way makes it feel much better!"

"Right? Want to see after the next 8-count? Especially the part where you open your chest. The timing is good, but each member opens their chest a bit differently."

After fine-tuning the group movements, individual training began. First up was the youngest, Yuchan, guided by Pael.

"Yuchan, your dance lines are really pretty, and your vocals are delicate, perfect for the first verse."

"...Ah, um, yes, thank you..."

"But I'd like you to be a bit more confident with your gaze."

"...Ah, okay..."

"A delicate charm and a shy appearance are just a paper-thin difference. At the very least, don't bow your head too much. When you want to lower your gaze, lift your head slightly. Show off that proud nose of yours to convey the right emotion."

"...Um, wait a moment..."

"Hm? What?"

"...Can I record this...?"

"Puhaha, everything here is automatically recorded, so just ask this rich guy for the file later."

"...Ah, yes!"

The individual feedback continued with Yuchan, followed by Hyunjae, Taewoong, Hyunsu, Inhyuk, Si-woo, and Gunja.

"Hyunjae, you're doing well, especially with that charisma of yours. Even I, as a guy, am impressed."

"Hehe, thank you."

"But if you're all charisma from start to finish, it might get overwhelming for the audience. You need to focus on the lyrics more. When expressing loveliness, it's fine to use some aegyo, but not all lyrics are like that."

"Yes, I understand."

"Try to dial back your charisma a bit and show a more serious and reserved expression when needed. It'll add more dynamism to your performance."

"I'll give it a try!"

Next was Taewoong's turn.

"Taewoong, you have great strength, but sometimes it's too much."

"Should I just tone it down then?"

"No, you should use that strength to your advantage. However, sometimes you look more like a gorilla than a dancer."

"Ha ha ha—"

"Don't laugh! So, what should I do?"

"First, try to fix your habit of using your shoulder blades too much during spins."

Hyun-su received feedback focused on his lyrics rather than his performance.

"Hyun-su, you're not really a member known for strong choreography, right?"

"Ah, you're right..."

"Don't be down. You do your part well. I'm suggesting you focus more on highlighting your strengths rather than fixing weaknesses."

"Yes, I'll listen to whatever feedback you have!"

"Hyun-su, your lyrics have a lot of wit, but sometimes there are too many syllables. Most of your songs are written by you, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Even with a great beat, if the syllables overwhelm it, it's a shame. Try designing your rap to let the beat shine through a bit more."

"I hadn't thought about it that way."

"Give it a try. Sometimes leaving gaps can be harder."

"Yes, I'll do that!"

Inhyuk received feedback on his expressions, which surprisingly included cute and refreshing ones that shocked everyone.

"Inhyuk, what's with that cuteness! Why haven't you shown this before?"

"Well, I'm the oldest..."

"Wow, you're like a plum! But a plum as big as a watermelon!"

"Please lower your voice, Pael sunbaenim..."

"Seriously, you're bursting with freshness! Why haven't you shown this side before?"

"Sunbaenim, it's okay if you speak informally, since I'm younger..."

"Absolutely not!"

Finally, Si-woo, known for being a well-rounded idol, received minimal feedback.

"Si-woo, you're really doing great. You know when to put in effort and when to hold back. You're delicate in appearance but fly high on stage."

"Hehe, thank you~"

"But every time you speak with that smile... is it really necessary?"

"Oh, is it?"

"Since you'll be appearing on TV more often, it might make you look a bit scatterbrained..."

"Ahaha, I can try not to smile~"

"Alright, just try to reduce the smiling a bit. By the way, Si-woo, I heard you like web novels?"

"Yes, I do~"

"Imagine if your favorite web novel had a character who smiled like that in every line. What would you think?"

"Oh, the author made a mistake with the character's setting~"

"Exactly. So, you can correct it now."

"Got it~"

As all the members received their feedback, it was finally Gunja's turn.