Dreams Alike (Daejae Fanfiction)

Chapter 5

" In my class, please try to speak as much Japanese as possible. Conversing is the best way to learn a language. " Ms Kobayashi said, as she set-up her laptop.

Ms Kobayashi showed them powerpoint slides with words and related pictures, telling her students to take down notes before explaining how to use them in a sentence. After that, she minimized the powerpoint window.

" Now I will test you guys to see if you were paying attention. Youngjae-san, can you please try? " Ms Kobayashi said. She presented a fake menu with drinks on it.

" Watashi wa sake no botoru o motte imasu, soreha subetedesu. "
( " I will have a bottle of sake, that's all. " )

Youngjae rejoiced internally when he witnessed Ms Kobayashi's eyes widen at his fluency, as well as the other trainees'.

" Sumimasen, basutei wa doko ni arimasu ka? " Ms Kobayashi decided to test Youngjae more.
( "Excuse me, do you know where is the bus stop?" )

" Hai, dori no mashita ni arimasu. "
( " Yes, it is just down the street. " )
Youngjae replied back confidently, gaining looks of approval from his fellow trainees. Himchan was already clapping.

" Wow... Where did you learn the language before? And how long? " Ms Kobayashi asked Youngjae in Korean.

" I learned it for about a year in my previous company. " Youngjae explained.

" No wonder! Keep up the good work. " Ms Kobayashi smiled at him, before continuing her lesson.
...

After the Japanese language class which lasted one and a half hour, it was dance class. Youngjae walked there following Himchan and Daeho. Seizing this as a chance to get information, Youngjae asked a few questions.

" How many male trainees does this company have? "

Himchan started using his fingers.

" I think there should be exactly twenty-four, including you. "

Himchan's words caused Youngjae's eyes to nearly pop out of its sockets.

They had way more male trainees than JYP!

They were already outside one of the dance studios but Youngjae was still in a state of bewilderment.

How could a small company have so many trainees?

" Usually all the male trainees present gather together for dance class... You will be meeting all of them. " Daeho added.

Just hours ago he had been looking forward to meeting all of the trainees but he wasn't so hyped up anymore. Would his abilities allow him to shine amongst twenty-four other boys? Youngjae could practically feel a lump form in his throat as he looked into the room.

Himchan was the one who opened the door. Inside, there were many male trainees. Some switching their shoes, some stretching and dancing, and some interacting with one another.

The other trainees' eyes were all on him as soon as he entered and it made Youngjae feel a bit uneasy. But he wasn't going to let them think he did not have any sort of confidence.

Youngjae put his bagpack on the floor, taking out his training clothes. Were was still sufficient time to change. Being all of the same gender, some of the trainees changed in the room directly. Youngjae went to the toilet with Himchan to change. Some other trainees happened to be going to the same place. On the way, Himchan introduced Youngjae to the other trainees, which Youngjae was grateful for.

" What year are you born in? "

" 1994. You? "

" 1990. So I'm your hyung. " The duo talked about themselves on the way. When they stepped into the toilet, they were greeted by the presence of none other than the boy with the really deep voice.

" Ah Yongguk! How did the test recording go? "

" Great, thanks... And this is? " Yongguk's eyes landed on Youngjae.

" This is the newest trainee, Yoo Youngjae. " Himchan gave Youngjae a sideways glance. Youngjae nodded.

" Hello. " He mouthed, his voice softer than he had intended. Yongguk just nodded back in acknowledgment, before leaving the toilet.

" Don't worry about him. He may seem scary, but he's a nice person. " Himchan assured Youngjae.
...

" Hello all! I heard we have a new trainee. Where is he? " The alleged dance instructor called out, with one hand relaxed on his hips. Youngjae raised his hand.

" Welcome newbie. You can call me Eugene. When you're in my class... or any other class, don't waste time. Latecoming is the worst mistake you can make. " Eugene said sternly, before clapping his hands, signalling the start of the lesson.

" Okay all of you in your rows. " Everyone practically ran to form rows.

Wow, everyone listens to this teacher well. He must be really strict then.

To Youngjae's relief, there were other trainees who didn't dance quite well and he was the ' decent dancer '.

After that, Youngjae made his way to the music room where his vocal abilities was being put to the test by the music teacher, in front of some other trainees. Faring quite well, he had realised that the trainees look on at him with approval. His natural dark baritone voice was unique with a soothing quality.

They must be acknowledging me as their rival now...

Youngjae tried to converse with Daeho. But Daeho blatantly ignored him. Youngjae's heart sank. Daeho seemed to be the same age as him and Youngjae just wanted to befriend someone of the same age. But his friendly attitude at the start had completely transformed into a cold one. He had started treating him as a rival to the extreme of ignoring him when they had only just met on the first day.
...

" Good job everyone! " A team leader at Nataraja Academy exclaimed. The team had been practicing the ' Mirotic ' dance routine for their upcoming concert. Daehyun took a big sip from his water bottle. He had finally perfected his dance steps. Now the challenging part would be singing whilst singing.

I wasn't given many lines to sing anyway...

Despite his vocal talents, Jung Daehyun wasn't given the lines that were clearly more suitable for him to sing. Knowing that it would anger his hyungs if he brought up his dissatisfaction, he kept quiet and decided to shift his focus to managing his ability to sing whilst dancing.

The concert was scheduled next month, and there wasn't much time left. The last thing Daehyun wanted to do was to argue with his teammates and spoil the concert. He was doing more than one performance, and he was a little stressed.

But he shook all his negative thoughts off.

" Jung Daehyun, you're doing fine. Just do your part. " He muttered to himself under his breath.

The academy's concert was a team effort, and he was determined to give it his best shot. After all, the talented singer wasn't going to let himself down.