Chapter 44
Production Crew: How was the midterm evaluation?
[Baek-Young: ….]
Caption: Baek-Young can only give a hollow laugh
[Joo-Hong: We tanked it! We tanked it so hard, it was like we were running a gukbap (rice soup) restaurant.]
[Ryeo-Yoo: We realized that what we intended didn’t really come across to the judges. We need to make up for what’s lacking.]
Production Crew: Why did that happen?
[Joo-Hong: At first, we just recorded the original song as it was. Then we choreographed to it, but the song was just way too difficult. I mean, singing this song while showing off the charms of a dance position? But I thought, well, if we practice like crazy, there’s nothing we can’t do. That’s what I thought.]
[Baek-Young: We were all under a lot of pressure. Especially…]
[Ryeo-Yoo: It was so mentally exhausting. I had the highest rank among us, so I felt like I had to be the MVP of MVPs. The pressure was huge.]
[Baek-Young: Ryeo-Yoo was having such a hard time and losing confidence, so we discussed it among ourselves and told the producer.]
[Joo-Hong: At first, we just thought about making it a little easier. We figured that would be fine.]
Caption: But it wasn’t fine at all…
[Dan-Ha: I was baffled. It was the song they chose, so why?]
[Jae-Yi: They haven’t even debuted yet, and the pressure must be huge… Normally, we wouldn’t have agreed.]
[Dan-Ha: But once we made one change, they kept asking for more.]
[Jae-Yi: Hey, hey. Go easy.]
Caption: Dan-Ha’s disbelief reaches the heavens (22 years old, Burn Ash)
[Dan-Ha: I thought, “Let’s see how far they go,” so I just did everything they asked.]
[Jae-Yi: We knew the company would never approve that level of quality.]
[Dan-Ha: Even if the company approved, the public never would. The world’s not that easy.]
Production Crew: You could have refused from the start. Didn’t you know it’d become a hassle?
[Jae-Yi: Haha.]
Caption: Awkward moment overload
Caption: World star breaking into a sweat!
[Jae-Yi: We’ve been through it ourselves. You don’t really understand until you experience it firsthand.]
[Dan-Ha: I didn’t want them blaming me later, so I just gave them everything they asked for.]
[Jae-Yi: Dan-Ha, seriously, tone it down….]
Production Crew: How was the midterm evaluation?
[Soon-Hwa: Joo-Seon’s team—huge twist. I was proud.]
[Won-Ho: Agreed.]
[Won-Ho: It was like an underdog rebellion. The top ranks should be a little nervous.]
Caption: Looking forward to Dance Team B’s main stage!
[Soon-Hwa: Baek-Young’s team was a bit disappointing.]
[Won-Ho: That’s not how I raised Baek-Young. I just hope they get it together now.]
Production Crew: How about the rap position team?
[Soon-Hwa: Geum is… she’s a real gem.]
[Won-Ho: Totally agree.]
[Soon-Hwa: I hope Ha-Eun learns well from Geum. Their balance is way off… This isn’t a diss battle, they’re on the same team. They need harmony. If Ha-Eun can’t keep up, then Geum needs to tone herself down. Knowing how to adjust will make the team shine more. The question is whether Geum will accept that.]
[Won-Ho: No one can beat Kim Geum’s pride and stubbornness. Phew.]
[Soon-Hwa: Not even us. Geum thinks she’s better than we are.]
Caption: The two trainers burst out laughing
Caption: But it’s not really funny~
[Geum: I think I did pretty well, though?]
Caption: As expected, Geum is Geum
[Geum: ? Is there a problem?]
Caption: MenuCall’s “Geum” zone
Production Crew: How was the vocal position stage?
[Ha-Eun: Bora is… she’s just so pretty. I felt like I was watching a drama.]
BGM: “The me I’ve been hiding~”
[Joo-Hong: Bora unnie is… just… a legend.]
[Su-In: It wasn’t exactly the kind of vocal position stage I expected. There was more choreography than I thought.]
[Yu-Hyeon: The atmosphere wasn’t great. Hie-On unnie messed up…]
[Geum: Three pitch cracks. That’s not easy to pull off either.]
[Baek-Young: If Hie-On doesn’t fix those mistakes, that team’s in trouble. The whole thing felt unstable.]
Production Crew: What did the trainers think?
[Soon-Hwa: Bora’s a revelation. I didn’t know she could sing that well.]
[Won-Ho: I thought a vocal position would have no choreography at all, but they put in just the right amount. The members handled the moves and the concept really well. The stage itself was fine, but the problem was…]
“Hie-On-ah.”
Trainer Kang Soon-Hwa let out a deep sigh.
That look in her eyes could make anyone nervous.
“Did you even practice?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“You don’t owe me an apology—you owe one to your teammates.”
Since it was the vocal position stage, the vocal trainer’s critique was bound to be harsher.
“You’re standing out way too much right now—and not in a good way. You’re not usually like this. I always thought your biggest strength was a solid foundation.”
Under the two trainers’ questioning, Jo Hie-On eventually began to cry.
Standing next to her like we were being punished, we honestly felt like crying too.
Even in practice she’d been borderline risky, and in the end… she made every mistake we’d warned her to avoid—right there on stage.
Lee Kyung-Ah looked like she wanted to die.
And the ironic thing? She had actually done her personal best that day.
“What exactly is the problem?”
And that… was the spark.
“I just… don’t think this song suits me at all.”
“?!”
The other trainees’ eyes widened—except ours.
Their expressions clearly said: Oh, she’s done for.
“It’s been so hard from the very beginning…”
Once Jo Hie-On started talking, she couldn’t stop.
“I found the concept too overwhelming… and even the part distribution… I felt like my opinion wasn’t really reflected.”
Her words dropped like a bucket of cold water over the room.
The trainers’ expressions, especially, turned icy.
Jo Hie-On blinked at the sudden change in atmosphere.
“Hie-On.”
“Yes…”
“You think once you debut, you’ll always get the concept, part, and song you want?”
Kang Soon-Hwa’s tone was much colder than usual.
“It’s possible, I guess—”
Jo Won-Ho cut in.
“If you’re more popular and acknowledged than any other idol.”
“But if you were that kind of person, you wouldn’t be whining like this in the first place.”
We exchanged quiet glances.
The trainers’ vibe had shifted.
That leniency they used to show—listening, at least outwardly, to what people like Kim Ryeo-Yoo or Jo Hie-On had to say—was gone.
Even Kim Ryeo-Yoo seemed to notice, judging by her stiff expression.
…Maybe something’s changed inside Colors.
I remembered the alert that Cotton Ball sent me recently:
[Hong Yeon-Seo, coming back with Colors? Breaking her long hiatus, posts cryptic message on SNS]
Could President Hong have done something?
Cotton Ball wouldn’t have sent that for nothing.
“With that attitude, do you think you can debut? The public isn’t stupid. No one’s going to love someone who can’t even handle the role they were given—especially when it’s a role you agreed to with your teammates.”
Jo Hie-On stopped crying.
But the fear in her eyes didn’t stop.
I could tell she was thinking, This isn’t what I meant.
“If you have a problem with your teammates, learn to work it out with them—if you want to be a professional.”
…Sigh.
So many mountains left to climb.
Production Crew: Then, who’s the most likely candidate for MVP of MVP?
[Ha-Eun: That’s tough. I’d say Geum. If it’s not her, I’ll look pathetic. Better to go down in a blaze of glory…]
[Geum: Ha-Eun picked me?]
Caption: Relaxed smile
[Geum: Well, I am kind of…]
Caption: Geum zone…
[Geum: Honestly, this time it’s more Bora than me. The concept fits her perfectly. That team’s strong—especially with Cheong unnie. The two of them together are amazing.]
[Yu-Hyeon: Our team got a lot of praise this time… I think Joo-Seon might have a shot.]
[Joo-Seon: It’d be nice if it were me, but realistically it’ll probably come from the vocal position. Cheong unnie did really well.]
[Baek-Young: Cheong has the kind of skill that can cover for other people’s mistakes. There’s a strange sense of trust in her.]
Production Crew: Didn’t you mention trainee Ryu Bora earlier?
[Baek-Young: Bora exceeded expectations by several dozen times. Cheong was… the song itself.]
[Kyung-Ah: Can I pick someone from my own team?]
Production Crew: Of course.
[Kyung-Ah: I’ll pick Cheong.]
Production Crew: Why?
[Kyung-Ah: Honestly, I thought Bora had the biggest advantage in this concept. But the more we practiced, the more I realized—Cheong is just… The people watching the main stage will not be disappointed.]
[Su-In: Cheong unnie is terrifying. I’ve never seen her make a mistake.]
[Bora: Cheong unnie.]
Production Crew: Why?
[Bora: Just… it’s obvious she’s good.]
Production Crew: How does it feel to get the most nominations?
[Cheong: Haha.]
[Cheong: I’d like it to be me, but I actually think it’ll be Bora. And I want it to be her.]
Production Crew: Why?
[Cheong: I keep thinking—can someone work that hard? Every time I see Bora, I’m amazed. I want everyone to recognize her. I want to see proof that the world is fair—that those who work hard are rewarded. That kind of hope.]
Production Crew: Hear that?
[Bora: ….]
[Bora: That unnie, seriously…]
[Bora: I’d better work hard.]
