Under the Umbrella // A WooSan Story ✔

Chapter 18

The next day was no different than the previous one. Wooyoung didn't join his friends for lunch as he was still thinking about what he should do and he didn't want to bother them with his foul mood. So, he wandered around the grounds, chewing on his sandwich he didn't really like and watched other students as they had fun and were talking loudly. They didn't have problems like he did. They only worried about their curriculums and which collage they'd go to after they were done with high school. None of them knew how it felt to think about quitting the one thing that they always did. The only constant in their life.

During practise Wooyoung tried to forget about everything. Synchronizing himself with San was the most important thing at the moment and learning all the new moves he proposed for the changed choreography.

Only after he was back at home, he realized that he hadn't actually talked to any of his friends since Saturday and decided it was time for him to get back to his old self. Since he didn't plan on deciding anything for now, he should still enjoy the time with his friends and the time he spent dancing. He thought back to his trainee years at KQ Entertainment and all the trainees he had met there. A few were touring the world. Some of his friends even debuted as idols already but some were still taking classes, trying to make themselves noticed by the trainers and finally end up on stage.

And as he thought of the endless hours of training with everyone he held dear to his heart, he suddenly had an idea for their performance.

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The next day at lunch break Wooyoung ran to his friends in a hurry, since he was late again. He didn't even stop in the cafeteria to get himself some food.

"Guys!", Wooyoung screamed from afar and sat himself between Yunho and Mingi where little to no space was left. They complained about it, but he ignored them. "I have an idea!" He told them what he thought about and asked if they agreed to it. "I really think this could work. And didn't Yixing Sunbaenim say we could use everything that the agency has to offer? So, it means this too, doesn't it?"

"You are right!", Yeosang said. "Why didn't we think of this earlier?"

"San, what about you?", Seonghwa asked their choreographer. "Do you think you could make this work?"

"Yeah, I think so. Especially since Yixing Sunbaenim told us yesterday, that we would perform in front of a camera crew and if the performance is good, they'd upload it.", San answered and they could already see that his brain worked on the choreography for the proposed part. "Do you think they are up for it?"

"I'll see if I can finish work earlier today and ask them", Wooyoung said and bit from the sandwich Yeosang was offering. "I know a few of them from last year."

"Okay. But we'd need at least ...", San thought about it for a moment. "Eight. We need at least eight. Can you do that?"

"No problem! You know how many there are at KQ!", Wooyoung answered and Yunho nodded.

"I'll help you!", Yunho said and everybody agreed that they would give it a try.

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Later that day, Wooyoung was able to persuade one of his co-workers to cover for him and let him leave 30 minutes earlier so he was able to get to the agency while everybody else was still there. As he arrived, he called out for Yunho and he stopped practising and went with him to the room next door. As they went in, they saw the trainees from a different class in the middle of their practise. Someone noticed them and greeted them with a deep bow. Soon everyone followed suit and the music was shut off. Since Wooyoung and Yunho were in the highest class this agency provided everyone knew the candidates for the live stages and they had some respect for them.

"Changbinni!", Wooyoung yelled out and greeted his friend.

"Haven't seen you in a while", he answered and they hugged each other.

"Yeah, I've been busy", Wooyoung admitted. "A lot of training, and other stuff."

"We heard about your missions", another trainee said. Wooyoung recognized him as Hwanwoong. They were in a dancing class a few years ago. "Seems to be hell."

"You have no idea", Yunho answered. "Which is why we are here."

"We need your help", Wooyoung said to everyone. "Yixing Sunbaenim said we could use everything available at KQ, so we thought of getting us a few back dancers."

"Back dancers?", Changbin asked. "What for?"

Yunho explained their situation and that their performance lacked of impact. If they could use some back dancers, they'd be able to pull the choreography out and put more focus on the main dancers. This way they'd not only use up more space on the stage but it would also look really good on camera.

"Does anyone what to help us?", Wooyoung asked them. The trainees looked at each other for a second before they made their choice.

"Me and Changbin can help you", Hwanwoong said. "But the others are in the middle of preparing for evaluations as well."

"Thank you!", Yunho said and shook both their hands. "And don't worry. We'll ask in other classes as well. Your own evaluations are more important!"

With that Wooyoung and Yunho left the practise room and went to the next one. Here they could convince three more trainees and in the last one there was only one who would join them. That left them with two from the eight San wanted them to get.

"We'll figure something out", Seonghwa said as they got back.

The trainees would start training with the team as soon as San changed the choreo for it. That's why they were scheduled to come in for Saturday afternoon. The day Wooyoung was here for their practise as well.

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The team immediately started a meeting on Saturday, when Wooyoung arrived. San explained the changes and everyone put in some ideas.

"I had another idea the other day", Jongho said. "Wouldn't it be nice if we'd act as if we were the singers of the song? Like some are assigned as rappers, some as singers and these people stick to their parts?"

"That would make it seem more like a performance", Mingi nodded. "As if we were singing live."

"Exactly what I thought", Jongho answered.

"Okay, then we need to single some of us out, when their part is up", San said and turned the page to a fresh paper. "How about Jongho poses as main vocalists and does this part here." He skipped to the part of the song he meant and then showed them the paper again. "He'll walk to the front and the back dancers come in as well. We on the other hand can prepare for the next picture behind them while the focus is on Jongho and the high notes."

"Seems pretty good to me", Wooyoung said.

"Can I be a rapper?", Mingi asked. "I always wanted to spit fire on stage and this song is so cool!" No one had objections, so Mingi was assigned one of the rapper's parts. They went through the song part by part and everyone received their respective role.

They had about 30 minutes left, until the training session with Yixing started, so they tried out the changes and the new formations. Without the back dancers it still looked empty and nothing like they imagined, but if everything went as they wanted it to, this would be a really amazing performance. They all agreed to that.

Yixing was on board about the changes as well. He said he could see their passion and what they imagined and gave them green light to move forward with it.

But soon the topic changed and Yixing wanted to see their cover dances. He called them out one by one and the groups performed what they finished in only 7 days. San and Wooyoung were satisfied with their cover dances and had a good feeling about it. Yixing didn't say anything between the performances but his face didn't show any reaction as well.