Translator: Dreamscribe
The unexpected first evaluation. The task was to perform the dance for the first theme song, 'Produce'. The participants in Team 1 were filled with confusion.
'W-what, so suddenly??!'
'Not even a heads-up! This is way too abrupt!!'
They had only seen the 'Produce' dance a few days ago and, at most, had practiced it individually for about two days. Regardless of how much time they had spent on practice, the participants' mental states were shaken in an instant.
They didn't show it outwardly, but inside, it was chaos.
Perhaps it was because they had just seen people from the 'dance team' eliminated and sent home. The eyes of the Team 1 participants were riddled with anxiety, worry, nervousness, fear, and more. At this point, the choreographer Lee Han-na was looking directly at No. 1.
"..."
Her brows faintly furrowed.
'No reaction, why. Is it an act, or is he serious.'
Unlike the others who were restless, No. 1 was calm to the extreme. Lee Han-na found herself slightly annoyed without realizing it. She had hoped to see No. 1 flustered, but that calm yet overwhelmingly handsome face didn't show a single crack.
In fact, Lee Han-na had been slightly bruised by Kang Rojun a few days earlier.
It was because Rojun had simply evaluated the 'Produce' choreography Han-na had created.
'It doesn't look difficult.'
At the time, with many cameras around and her veteran status, she had brushed it off with a smile, but as a human being, she had been mildly irritated by Kang Rojun's villainous tone. At any rate, Lee Han-na had been keeping a close eye on Rojun. He was the only participant who had passed the training, and had showcased a jaw-dropping 'brake' dance during the second evaluation.
Moreover.
'He's truly a villain off stage.'
Even Kang Rojun's quirky demeanor. With a face like that of a god, he stood out even more. After shifting her gaze away from Rojun, Lee Han-na scanned the other participants. The remaining twelve all looked completely devastated. Seeing that, Lee Han-na regained her smile.
"Don't feel too pressured about the first evaluation. Just as the name says, it's a light evaluation. I asked the PD not to give advance notice. That way, we can see your real skills."
Sharing a glance with PD Woo Han-suk behind her, Lee Han-na continued her explanation.
"For Team 1, each person will come up on stage and perform the 'Produce' dance with those two dancers. That's the first evaluation. Just do what you can, perfection isn't required. We know you've only had about two days to practice individually, so don't worry."
Thanks to her briefing, the pressure seemed to ease slightly from the eyes of the Team 1 participants, and Lee Han-na wrapped it up.
"We're not doing the group dance version of 'Produce' that I showed in the practice room. It'll just be the solo 'Produce' dance. You don't have to worry about group formations."
As Lee Han-na sat down in the designated single chair, PD Woo Han-suk standing behind shouted out.
"Team 1, please move to the prepared waiting room for now!"
A short while later.
Team 1 entered the waiting room prepared in the hall where the stage was. Cameras were installed all around the waiting room with sofas, and the staff seated the participants on the sofa using No. 1, Kang Rojun, as the anchor point.
A familiar large monitor could be seen directly ahead.
It felt similar to the setup from the first and second evaluations.
This time, the staff who handled the seating collected the participants' cell phones. It was to prevent them from watching practice videos while waiting. About five minutes later, as soon as the staff left the waiting room, the Team 1 participants immediately began to speak.
"Ah- seriously, isn't a sudden evaluation a bit too much??"
"My point exactly. It's like showing up to school and suddenly being given a test."
"Did you practice a lot?"
"I did a bit yesterday, but only picked up the moves from the first verse, not the second at all..."
"Wow, that's a lot! I couldn't even get halfway through the first verse."
"Honestly... I didn't touch it at all because I thought there'd be a dedicated training for 'Produce'."
Complaints that may or may not have been sincere broke out here and there.
"But why are they suddenly doing the first evaluation?"
"Right, I thought there was only one evaluation. The one during group dance practice."
"What should we do?? It's even scarier now that there's filming."
Amidst the noisy waiting room, No. 15, sitting on the sofa to the right of Kang Rojun, was rather quiet. He was observing the atmosphere.
'Is everyone in a similar situation as me? Or maybe they practiced like crazy and are just pretending they didn't.'
Though he had yellow hair and strong facial features and was fairly composed in his own way, he was still worried. Would this evaluation negatively affect their future survival? The fact that it was being filmed meant it could directly impact the vote counts. Then he.
-Slide.
Glanced sideways at Kang Rojun, who had his legs crossed. No. 1, showing no reaction, was simply staring at the large monitor in front.
No. 15 was curious about what Rojun was thinking.
'He's always so calm no matter what happens. Even now. Is it because he practiced a lot?? No, I didn't see much of No. 1 in the practice room. Even if he did practice, what could he possibly have done with less than three days?'
So No. 15 decided to just ask.
"No. 1-nim, did you practice a lot? You seem really relaxed."
At this moment, a few nearby participants also turned their eyes toward Kang Rojun. Looking at No. 15 without much interest, Rojun's reply was simple.
"I don't know."
"Sorry?"
'I don't know?' What kind of answer is that. No. 15 blinked and turned his gaze away.
'Yeah, this isn't like when it was 'brake'. 'Brake' was a hit song and had practice videos available. There were tons of tips and dancing information on the internet. Maybe he even knew the 'brake' dance before coming to 'Produce That 100!'.'
Then he came to a conclusion.
'But 'Produce' is the first theme song and the choreography was only just created a few days ago. The movements and formations are unfamiliar to everyone. Even I took half a day just to identify the key points. No matter how great No. 1 is, it's got to be difficult.'
He may be a monster, but No. 1 is still human. He must be struggling to learn the dance too. That villain act he put on for Lee Han-na was just maintaining a concept or showing off. Compared to 'brake', the practice time for this was virtually non-existent.
In the end, No. 15 and the other participants found comfort in watching Kang Rojun.
It's okay to make mistakes. It's okay to mess up.
Everyone would be the same.
At that moment.
-Slide.
The staff member who had left the waiting room re-entered with a request.
"We'll begin the evaluation starting from the last number!"
This time, Kang Rojun wasn't going to be the first up.
Meanwhile, over at the hall with the stage.
Two dancers were talking on stage, and their leader, Lee Han-na, was seated in the front single chair. On her desk lay a tablet and participant profiles.
Soon, the song 'Produce' played and stopped repeatedly throughout the hall.
It was a sound check. The lighting was also being tested. At this point, PD Woo Han-suk completed his final filming check. He gave an OK signal to Lee Han-na who was seated.
"We'll start now."
"Yes, PD-nim."
He and several staff members moved behind the cameras, and the two dancers who had been chatting changed their expressions and took their positions. The cameras were already set in place all around. Tapping the tablet, Lee Han-na raised her head and muttered.
"Participant, please come in."
From behind the stage, the last number from Team 1, who had been trembling, awkwardly moved onto the stage. Probably due to the blinding lights and numerous eyes on him, he froze. It was No. 94, whose chin was slightly pointed. The two dancers smirked and guided him into position.
"This way."
"Huh? Ah, yes, yes."
No. 94 at center, the two dancers on each side. Since the dancers weren't the focus, they stepped slightly back. As soon as the formation took the shape of a ㅅ, Lee Han-na spoke flatly to the participant on stage.
"Like I said earlier, just do as much as you can. Just don't give up."
"Ah, understood!!"
A loud reply. Lee Han-na gave PD Woo Han-suk a look, and after he nodded, five seconds later.
-♬♪
The theme song 'Produce' rang throughout the hall. As the powerful drums kicked in, the two dancers on stage.
-Swish.
Maintained composed expressions and, without a moment's hesitation, began the dance. Their energy was professional. In contrast, No. 94 crumbled from the very start.
"Ah, ah."
It was because he was flustered that he got confused about the dance's starting point. Thanks to the two dancers, he managed to keep going somehow, but his already off-beat body kept stopping and moving again repeatedly. Being on stage with professionals only made his mistakes stand out even more.
Seated alone in front of the stage, Lee Han-na.
"..."
Watched No. 94 with a serious expression and let out a small sigh.
'He's messing up now, how am I supposed to bring him up to a performance-ready level? This is hopeless, completely hopeless.'
Additionally, even though No. 94 was trying hard, he forgot the seriousness of his situation. Out of embarrassment over his mistakes, he smiled occasionally during the performance. Though it was labeled a light evaluation, it wasn't a joke. The cameras were rolling. Lee Han-na subtly shook her head.
'He's the lowest.'
It was truly at the level of child's play. Eventually, before even reaching the middle of the first verse, Han-na raised her hand.
"That's enough, I've seen enough."
The music cut off abruptly, and No. 94 stood blankly on stage, staring at Lee Han-na. Wondering if there would be any feedback. But she, jotting something down on her tablet, said to him simply.
"What are you doing? You can return to the waiting room."
That was it? No. 94 awkwardly exited the stage from the back and returned to the waiting room. Then the next participant took the stage. 'Produce' started playing again. This performance, too, wasn't much different from No. 94's.
Although the timing at the start was correct, the dance didn't match the dancers at all.
"That's enough-"
Lee Han-na raised her hand again before the middle of the first verse. This pattern repeated through the fifth participant. All of them either messed up the start or fell apart in the following moves.
'Dancing next to professionals makes them look even more foolish.'
A cold judgment from Lee Han-na. Up to now, they were nothing more than wooden dolls. Calling in the next participant, she tried to console herself.
'It's fine, this was expected. It's only been a few days since they saw the dance. It's hard to pull it off. Besides, they're closer to regular people than amateurs.'
She had a faint hope, but that little spark had just been snuffed out.
'This evaluation is only to determine the potential, practice amount, movement line, atmosphere, and grade of Team 1.'
Muttering internally, Lee Han-na wrote an alphabet next to the participant's face on the tablet display. She had been doing this from the beginning. It started with D, and this time it was C.
The grades she had set ranged from A to D.
D meant serious problems, C was better than D but still required supervision, B meant not bad, and A meant performance-ready. Among the deeper meanings behind these grades was determining the level of intensity needed during the 'Produce'-exclusive training.
D would have to practice like crazy.
Soon the next participant came up.
-Slide.
Looking down at the tablet, Lee Han-na gave him a D. Among the six who had gone up so far, three were graded D, the worst level. Lee Han-na was beginning to get a headache.
'Wait, did he really come here to become an idol? How is he so completely off rhythm? Did he even practice??'
Her brow furrowed even deeper.
'Unbelievable. He doesn't seem to know even 30% of the moves.'
A few staff members noticed Lee Han-na's expression and whispered to PD Woo Han-suk.
"Han-na-nim doesn't look very pleased."
PD Woo Han-suk shrugged.
"Well, no wonder. The kids are a mess."
"True... it's a bit worse than expected."
"Still, that might actually be the norm. I mean, it's good we're getting a lot of usable footage for the show. But we should try to lift Han-na's mood a bit, no?"
The seventh participant stepped onto the stage, and even slipped and fell. Lee Han-na gave a small, ridiculous laugh, and PD Woo Han-suk approached her.
"How are you holding up?"
Still focused on the tablet, Lee Han-na spoke.
"You saw it, right? They're all comedians, honestly."
"Ha-ha, let's take a short five-minute break."
Signaling the staff, PD Woo Han-suk took an interest in Han-na's tablet.
"Wow, lots of Ds, huh."
"Let's be real, both you and I expected this, PD-nim. But now that I'm seeing it firsthand, these kids are seriously lacking in sense."
"Well, it's their first time learning dance for a brand-new song. That's probably why."
"I know that. Even current idols fumble the first time they learn dance. But they have good instincts, so they can copy fast."
"Do you think it'll be possible to get them performance-ready in time?"
"Well-"
As she was talking, Lee Han-na turned her head.
"If all of them fall below the standard, are you really not going to put on the performance?"
"No, I won't."
"Everyone eliminated?"
"No. If it comes to that, we'll have to change direction. We'll go with a storyline about not being able to stage the performance, proceed with voting, and later try again for a performance or whatever we can."
Letting out a sigh, Lee Han-na gave a weak smile.
"Hmph- well, I'll try to make it work somehow. Though the kids will suffer. But why is No. 1 going last this time?"
"Just to crank up his tension a bit. But Han-na ssi, you're not still upset because No. 1 showed off a little, right?"
"Of course not? Still, No. 1 should be better than the others, even if he struggles. From the start, his sense has been on another level."
"Hmm."
Soon turning her eyes toward the stage, Lee Han-na continued.
"No. 1 in the 'brake' performance was more than professional, but this time won't be easy. Even if the newly made dance is on the simpler side, a few days of fumbling around isn't enough to master it. Even those two dancers took more than half a day."
"I get the feeling No. 1 will pass training again this time."
"Well, it's up to him, isn't it? If he doesn't want it, he doesn't have to take it. Whatever the case, if he doesn't meet my standards, he's not getting on that stage."
With those final words of continued trust, PD Woo Han-suk walked away, and the evaluation resumed as soon as the break ended. However, the participants' level had not improved. A parade of Cs and Ds.
The only glimmer.
'No. 15? His form's not bad. Should I keep watching?'
No. 15, who took the stage as the 12th participant, was the only one who completed the dance through the end of the first verse. Of course, even so, he still looked like he was struggling to keep up with the dancers.
Soon after.
"Last participant!"
The black-haired No. 1 took the stage. The expressionless face of Kang Rojun. As soon as he appeared, PD Woo Han-suk, dozens of staff members, and Lee Han-na each showed different reactions on their faces.
Some were watching intently, others with anticipation.
In any case, all camera angles focused on Rojun, and Lee Han-na, closely watching him on stage, thought.
'Didn't he say it didn't look difficult? Let's see how "not difficult" his mistakes are.'
She nodded.
The theme song 'Produce' rang powerfully throughout the hall, and the two dancers shrugged their shoulders. They had begun the dance. At that moment, Lee Han-na narrowed her eyes.
'Oh- he entered right on time. As expected of No. 1, his instinct is sharp.'
Because Kang Rojun was moving exactly like the dancers. Up to this point, he was no different from them. But the moves were still simple. With a serious expression, Lee Han-na continued to observe Kang Rojun. The hall soon filled with upbeat rhythms.
The dancers switched to dazzling movements.
And then.
"...?"
Lee Han-na's eyes filled with question marks. Before she even realized it, she had stood up from her seat. And understandably so.
'...What, what is this?!'
Kang Rojun was performing the dance with the exact same poise as the two dancers. Not a millisecond out of sync.
-♬♪
'And he's even handling eye direction and detailed motions?'
He stood out several times more than the dancers.
Lee Han-na's eyes widened rapidly in disbelief.
'He copied the entire dance in that short time??!!'
'Villain No. 1' was on the rampage once again.
*****
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