Chapter 239: DANCE REHEARSAL
AFTER the two groups for [Crown the March] finished their performance, Haneul nearly clapped out of reflex. They were that good. And judging by the silence that hung over the rest of the teams, he knew he wasn’t the only one who thought so. He had expected something like this, honestly. Anyone who picked that song knew they had to be confident in their dancing. Otherwise, it would only backfire on them.
But even with both groups being good, Haneul could tell that one was just much better. And that was Taeyang’s group. In terms of skill, the two groups were almost on par. That was, if Haru wasn’t there. And because he was there, he elevated his group. Not just in skill, but in choreography as well. Haneul was sure Haru was very involved in making their choreo.
Dyna gave little feedback, just a few general positive comments. That made sense, though. With the live performance happening tomorrow, she wouldn’t want to overpraise one group over the other. It was the responsible thing to do as a mentor.
From where he sat, Haneul watched as Taeyang’s group walked toward the backstage area. Taeyang’s gaze landed on him, and a small smile touched his lips before he gave a brief nod in Haneul’s direction. Haneul’s own smile appeared on his face before he could stop it.
"You and Jung Taeyang seem really close."
Jeon Hyunsik’s voice came from his left, and Haneul nearly jolted in his seat. He’d forgotten the other was sitting there. Eunwoo was on his right, with Suho on the other side of Eunwoo. Haneul had meant to sit between Eunwoo and Suho, but when they took their seats after the costume fitting, he’d been too slow and ended up stuck between Eunwoo and Hyunsik instead.
Haneul did his best to keep his expression normal as he answered. "We ended up sitting next to each other on the bus during the first day. I guess we just got along from there."
He didn’t really want to explain himself, but he knew that if his answer wasn’t convincing enough, Jeon Hyunsik would keep pushing. And what he’d said wasn’t a lie, which made it easier to believe.
"Oh? Now I’m kind of wishing we’d sat together that day," Jeon Hyunsik said, his voice dropping into a slow and smooth tone. "Then maybe we’d be as close as you two are now."
I doubt that, Haneul thought, forcing himself not to react to the way Jeon Hyunsik had pitched his voice low on purpose. He said nothing. He just let the fake smile he’d been wearing for days find its way back onto his face.
Thankfully, the two teams dancing to [Heart Skip!] made their way to the stage just then. He could shift his attention to them without making it too obvious he was ignoring Jeon Hyunsik.
Park Mirae was in one of those two teams. If he could help it, Haneul would rather not pay attention to him at all. He still couldn’t figure out why Park Mirae seemed to treat him like some kind of rival. It probably had something to do with them both being Omegas. But honestly, he didn’t understand it at all.
The first team for [Heart Skip!] started dancing as the music played. The song had a light, bubbly feel, so naturally the choreography followed that tone. Their choreo fit the song well. The second team, the one with Park Mirae, went for a similarly cute approach. And as much as Haneul didn’t want to admit it, Park Mirae did a solid job as the center. If the guy weren’t so irritating, Haneul might have even enjoyed watching him perform.
Just like with the first group, Dyna praised both teams evenly. Then she pointed out a few minor things each group could clean up before the live performance tomorrow.
The two teams performing [Starlight Fever] went up next. Most of them were contestants with lower rankings, with Seojun and Li Wei being the only ones in the top ranks.
Seojun was in the first team. Their choreography was simple, but it matched the song well enough. With Seojun as the center, even when some movements got a little messy, the performance still looked cohesive. The other team wasn’t as lucky. Li Wei was talented, but he didn’t have the same stage presence that Seojun had. He couldn’t hold the performance together the same way. Without that steady anchor, the flaws in their choreo stood out more. The timing was off in a few places, and some of the formations looked uneven. Not that they were bad, but next to the other team, you could see where they fell short.
Dyna waited until both teams had returned to their spots before she gave her feedback. She kept her voice calm, but there was a clear edge of disappointment in it. She pointed out that the first team’s transitions were too slow, that they were losing momentum between sections. For the second team, she noted that their timing had been off for most of the performance. She told Li Wei that he was pushing ahead of the others and pulling the formation apart. Her tone was professional, but it was obvious she had expected more from both of them.
The two teams left the stage looking visibly disappointed. After they cleared out, the teams performing [Right on Time] made their way up. Robin was part of the first team. This time, Haneul’s attention was fully on the stage. He hadn’t seen Robin practice their choreo, so this would be his first time watching their performance.
[Right on Time] was bubblegum pop with a hint of electro pop mixed in. So while it had a cute sound, it also had a more relaxed, laid back feel. Not like [Heart Skip!], which was jumpy and packed with energy the whole way through.
Robin had always loved dancing to girl group songs, and it showed in the way he moved with his team. Their performance was probably the second best Haneul had seen today. The choreography was great, and their energy matched it perfectly. Haneul didn’t even notice he was tapping his foot along.