Dreams (Justin Huang x OC)

Chapter 8

"Next, we will start the ranking evaluation. Who will be the first one to perform?" Zhang PD said through the mic as he flipped through some files. My heart pounded as he called out the name. "Now let's see, the trainees from Mavericks Entertainment." He said. 

The group of trainees walked out. "Hello everybody, we are maverick trainees!" They chanted as they were doing the 666 gesture. "Okay you can start your performance now." Zhang PD said as they quickly got into formation.

Once they were done, we all clapped for them. "I think there will be at least one person that will get a B, don't you think?" Yan Chen said. "No, judging by the face of the judges, at most a "C". But I think they will get "D"s." I said. 

Then Yu Ming Jun performed a solo dance. "It's a good dance, I think he will be able to get a 'C'." I whispered to Yan Chen as he nodded.

Halfway throughout Yu Ming Jun's dance, Zhang PD stopped him. "Okay, that's enough. When you were doing that rolling move, you can't use all of your strength, otherwise you can't roll that well. There's another problem, you keep restricting yourself in your own frame. If it's a bigger stage, your balance would be better and your moves would look nicer." Yu Ming Jun nodded. "Now that  we are done watching your performance, please give us some time to discuss your ranking."

Everybody was murmuring about the previous performance. "It must be stressful to be first." I pondered. "Yes, but you get it out of the way quicker." Yan Chen mused. "But you will feel horrible or overjoyed much longer." I added. "It must also be stressful to be last." Yan Chen said as I tried to wrap that thought around my mind. "Why?" I asked. "Because you are more stressed than others and you would compare others' dance to yours and that nervousness might cause someone to make mistakes." He said. "Okay Mr. Philosopher." I said as he playfully pushed me. 

"Now announcing the Maverick's trainees evaluation." Lay said as I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees, hands intertwining. "Trainees who got rank 'A' are... no one." Lay said as the trainees who performed got more nervous. "Trainees who got rank 'B' are... no one." At that point some people were shocked. "Trainees who got rank 'C' are... no one." Most of the trainees that performed cast their eyes to the ground in utter disappointment that they couldn't get at least a 'C'. Then they lift their heads up to hear the next rank, hoping that they will receive it.

"Damn, they couldn't even get a 'C'?! Wow I'm nervous now. If they can't get a 'C' then I will probably get an 'F'." I rested my chin on my hand. "Nah, don't put yourself down like that. You'll do fine." Yan Chen patted my shoulder. "Trainees who got rank 'D' are... Li Xi Kan, Lu Chen Yu, and Yu Ming Jun. There are no more trainees. Trainees who got rank 'F' are Sun Fan Jie, Deng Lang Yi, and Luo Zheng." They all bowed. "Wait, I know that guy!" I said as I remembered something Ashvi told me. "I have a friend whose friend is friends with Li Xi Kan." 

"That sounds confusing, but okay. It must be hard to degrade from your self evaluation." Yan Chen replied. "Yeah..." I said as my eyes trailed down to my self evaluation. "You'll do fine. Just tell them what your real self evaluation is, which is..." He trailed off, waiting for me to answer. "A "D". I don't think my skills are well based on my training." I said as I sighed. "Well, how did you teach yourself?" Yan Chen asked. "I followed some dance tutorials and dance covers, then I copied the movement. I also posted it on WeiBo for people to critique my work. I wrote song lyrics and I choreographed some of my own dances. I tried learning some instruments in school and I can play the guitar and the piano pretty well." 

"Dayum, you are so talented. I bet you'll get at least a 'B'." Yan Chen said in shock. "Maybe." I chuckled at his expression. Then Lay spoke up. "There have been murmurs behind me saying that the ranking may have been incorrect. I want to tell everybody that the rankings have not been marked wrong. Averaging every mentor's assessment and mine, they are this way." He said, eyeing the people behind him. "Wow, that scared me. Those people down there must've been scared to death." Yan Chen said as I rolled my eyes at him. "How would that even scare you?" I asked. "Oh shush."

"I will give the trainees who go up next some advice. Because you are on the stage for only a few minutes, you have limited time to show us your strongest talent. This is what I hope you guys can accomplish and make sure to make us notice you. This is the ambition and effort you need to make. Another  thing is passion." Zhang PD said as he looked back at the crowd. "Let's welcome the next trainee." He said as CiWen Media showed up on the screen.

Out walked in flower boy. Or Dong Yan Lei, whatever. "Hello everybody, I am from CiWen Media, Dong YanLei." He said as he bowed. "20 years old, total training period of 10 days..." Zhang PD muttered as he looked through his profile card and chuckled in disbelief. Everybody was shocked at this and I looked around at their expression. "Oh god, I am so dead. Imagine what everybody would look like if they heard what my training experience was." I muttered as fear crowded my eyes.

"Dude, relax. A fourth of them know already so what the heck, you know?" Yan Chen said as I took a deep breath. "Ten days? Oh that must've been rounded up from four to five days then." Dong Yan Lei said as everybody laughed. "Um... I might be a little bit different from other trainees. I'm not in a group and I didn't have fundamental dancing or singing practice." He said. "Hey, same." I mumbled. "It might be a little awkward in a bit. Everyone, please don't make fun of me." He added as the mentors shook their head in denial. "Awkward is my middle name." I mumbled.

Everybody clapped for him and shouted "Jia you!" Then Jackson added, "There is no right or wrong answer for music. Don't be afraid." "Really?" Dong Yan Lei said. "Then if I go off key, it's right?" Then Jackson pulled out a (jung)shook face. Everybody laughed again. "Confidence." Jackson said as he pointed to him. "Yes, confidence." Yan Lei nodded. "Something I do not have." I muttered as Yan Chen sighed. 

"Are you ready?" Zhang PD asked. "Yes." He said and then he started. Just so you know, he got rank "F" by the end of his whole performance. 

After that performance, out came a familiar face. "Oh, Locking Jack!" I said. "You know him?" Yan Chen asked. "Not personally but he is known on Instagram and WeiBo, he also got 3rd in world champion for locking I think in Seoul." I said with excitement as he nodded. When Xu Kai Hao (locking jack) started his performance, he got us all hyped up by the end of it. "WOOO!" I hooted and he smiled at me.

"Woah, that was awesome. No wonder he got third." Yan Chen said. "Yeah, I think he'll be able to get like a 'B'. Only because he only showed the dance part and no vocals nor rapping." I said. When the mentors started critiquing, they said he was really good and what not, to which I concur. But then Zhang PD mentioned "balance" again and how it wasn't good. "I can tell this is gonna be a meme someday." I whispered. "What? The balance thing?" Yan Chen asked as I nodded. "Only if he says it a few more times." He said. In the end he got a 'B'. "I can see the future." I said as I put my index fingers on the sides of my head. "Yeah and I'm Queen Elizabeth." He said as he rolled his eyes. "I know!" I retorted. He laughed and pushed me away.