The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 44

After finishing my talk with Seong-hwi, I returned to the dormitory used by Team 5 members.

And I told them about the changes that would be coming.

“Hwi’s ankle isn’t in such a serious condition. If he just rests sufficiently for about 3 days, there should be no problem performing on the main stage.”

“Thank goodness……”

“We can breathe a sigh of relief now.”

Everyone finally seemed relieved as they patted their chests.

“But changing the choreography is unavoidable. Especially the dance break. Hwi created a really explosive style of choreography, but with that injured ankle, there’s absolutely no way he can handle it.”

“So we have to create completely new choreography……”

“Yeah. And during the time Hwi is resting, there’s the midterm evaluation, right? I talked with the judges, and they said it’s okay to perform at the midterm evaluation without Hwi. Since the injury can’t be helped. Still, we need to show the changed choreography and get a passing grade, so let’s quickly put our heads together over the next two days and plan it out. Everyone understands, right?”

“Yes!”

Fortunately, even in this sudden situation, the Team 5 members were keeping their spirits up.

I nodded once while listening to their spirited responses.

“The arrangement work is somewhat finished, right? We’ll listen to the overall song while going through the choreography we’ve created so far. If there are sections where the footwork comes out too intensely, we’ll stop there and change it. While listening to the song again, if there are parts that need changing, we’ll change them. Let’s try it that way.”

“Yes!”

I simultaneously played the completed remix version of 〈Back in the Time〉 and the choreography video that Seong-hwi had recorded.

Ma Si-hyeok, sitting next to me, stared at the screen with the intensity of someone about to be sucked into it.

‘If this guy could just unleash a little of his potential here, it would be perfect.’

I feel like I’m emphasizing this repeatedly, but Ma Si-hyeok’s dancing skills are the real deal.

From the level test, he had immediately caught attention with his dance moves.

During the final grade evaluation too, thanks to his overwhelming dance skills, he covered his relatively lacking vocal abilities and earned an A grade.

Knowing he’s a guy with that kind of potential, I had hopes that this time too he might present something brilliant.

“This jumping motion in this part probably won’t be too much strain, right?”

“Oh, this part in the bridge where the legs cross too.”

“Here too!”

Fortunately, the other team members were also burning with passion while finding parts that needed modification.

If the choreography that Seong-hwi had initially created was centered around individual skills, the changed choreography gave a strong feeling of group dance that everyone could handle together.

Since the difficulty level of the movements had dropped, we needed to find points that would satisfy the audience’s eyes.

In times like this, there’s no choice but to take advantage of having more members.

About 4 hours of heated discussion continued.

“Now only the dance break is left.”

“……”

Everyone wiped their sweat while looking at the process up to now.

Ma Si-hyeok, who had been silently devising choreography, continued to seem like he was in another world.

‘Should I give him a push at this point.’

“I’ve thought of one thing.”

When I raised my hand and spoke, four pairs of eyes focused on me.

“There’s a beat drop in this break, right?”

“That’s right?”

“Hwi probably tried to fit movements to each changed beat with complex animations and footwork. But just looking at the tempo, even with the beat drop, you might not feel it got that much faster.”

The team members who listened to the dance break accompaniment playing from the laptop nodded.

“So even if it’s not choreography with beat killing, wow factor choreography that satisfies this song’s purpose that we emphasized in the beginning would also be good. Restrained sexiness. I think slow choreography that fulfills this also suits it.”

“Definitely since it’s not dubstep or anything, you don’t really feel tremendous speed, so slow point choreography would be fine too.”

Ma Si-hyeok, who had been silently listening to Ha Sang-hun’s words, muttered something to himself that we couldn’t hear.

Then, as if he thought it was okay to speak loudly.

“……Props.”

“Huh?”

“Si-hyeok, what did you say?”

“How about utilizing props.”

Ma Si-hyeok’s eyes were sparkling.

“I think that no matter how many people dance in a group, slow tempo choreography might not have much flavor when you think about it. Then as Brother Si-hwan mentioned, we need a wow factor—something to capture the public’s eye. For something that injured Seong-hwi can learn in a short time while also creating a fresh point, I think there’s nothing better than props.”

“Props like what?”

“Of course not big props. Something that can express restrained sexiness well, fits medium tempo choreography well, and can be appropriately mixed with 〈Back in the Time〉’s lyrics.”

On the phone he confidently held out toward us, a large image was displayed.

“An eye mask?”

“It also looks kind of like a necktie.”

“Lace……?”

“It’s just simple fabric that can be changed into everything that just came up.”

Everyone seemed surprised by the unexpectedly simple answer.

In contrast, Ma Si-hyeok added his explanation with a confident tone.

“This type of fabric can be used in really various ways if you use it short, about necktie length. For example, first use it tied like a necktie, then during the verse before entering the first chorus, you can untie it from the neck and use it as an eye mask.”

“Wait, the lyrics there are—”

One of the team members hurriedly found the lyric sheet and read the last part of the first verse.

“Even if it’s a night where I can’t see ahead, I’ll find you and return like this. This is it.”

“Wow, if we take off the eye masks right here while the formation splits—”

“That would be amazing.”

Is he finally hatching from his shell?

I smiled at Ma Si-hyeok and threw him one more question.

“How would you use it during the dance break?”

“Actually, this requires getting permission from everyone else, but I have one choreography style in mind. I actually have some experience learning contemporary dance, so since it’s medium tempo choreography, I think mixing contemporary dance style would create a good picture. I think if we utilize this fabric during contemporary dance choreography, we can definitely create a stage that other teams can’t copy. Ah, if I show you a little of what kind of feeling—”

We carefully watched the two videos Ma Si-hyeok recommended while collecting all the ideas that had come up.

“……This would be really good.”

“The contemporary dance movements give restrained appeal, and this fabric combination choreography handles the sexiness too!”

“Completely amazing.”

Everyone showed reactions that ‘we absolutely have to go with this.’

I calculated the situation as quickly as possible.

‘If we use props like fabric, we can drastically reduce the proportion of choreography that’s difficult to master. Most importantly, if we avoid movements that strain the ankle as much as possible, Seong-hwi can also prepare sufficiently by the main stage.’

“Good. Si-hyeok, if we go with this idea, how long do you think it would take to create the choreography?”

“If we start as soon as the fabric is prepared…… I can probably finish it within at least 4 hours.”

Finishing in 4 hours despite the overall choreography of a song over 3 minutes changing while adding props.

At first listen, it sounds like an impossible schedule, but Ma Si-hyeok’s earnest eyes were strongly insisting he could do it.

I laughed briefly and gave clearance for takeoff.

“Alright, let’s go show them what we can do at the midterm evaluation.”

* * *

And so days of adding our lives to practice continued.

Fortunately, Ma Si-hyeok completed the dance break choreography in an instant, making his confident ambitions feel natural.

He had even filmed a solo video so that Seong-hwi, who was resting at the hospital, could first watch and learn the choreography with his eyes.

“Ah, so you decided to use fabric like this.”

“Yeah. When we all tried it once and watched it on video, we thought this sequence was most effective. It shouldn’t strain your ankle either.”

“Definitely, since it’s not complex connecting movements but has a big feel to it.”

“How does it look to you?”

Seong-hwi, who had been continuously watching the video Ma Si-hyeok filmed, unconsciously burst into laughter.

“I’m in no position to say the choreography should be changed when I’m the one who took this unauthorized leave by not listening.”

“That’s true, but we still need to confirm if it looks okay to you too.”

“You should listen to Korean all the way to the end, Brother Si-hwan. Even without considering that point, I was going to add that the choreography looks sufficiently good to my eyes.”

Cheeky guy.

Still, whether it wasn’t just empty words but he really liked it, Seong-hwi replayed the video three times from his sitting position.

While wriggling his feet as if he wanted to immediately remove his cast and dance.

“……I’ll watch it as much as possible with my eyes and input it into my head. So I can immediately join group practice when I get discharged.”

“Yeah, that would be great for me.”

“What more can I do when I’m the one who caused the accident. Tomorrow is the midterm evaluation, right?”

“Yeah.”

Though it was a short time, the teamwork among Team 5 members was coming out very well.

We practiced sweating every moment, enough that the center’s absence didn’t feel awkward.

Seong-hwi put down his phone and gave a slight smile.

“Do well for my part too.”

“Of course. We’ll get a passing grade and come back, so you rest well and recover quickly.”

* * *

“Shall we see what you’ve prepared?”

“Yes!”

The dormitory where 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉 filming was in full swing was filled with hot energy.

Because the day of midterm evaluation had dawned.

Min Si-hyeon entered the large practice room while organizing the clipboard containing each team’s information.

The trainees, with clearly tense expressions, sent welcoming applause.

The teams she was in charge of were Teams 4 through 8.

“Since it’s the 2nd team battle, everyone seems to have stronger will to work harder.”

“That said, you can’t overdo it. Managing your condition for the day is most important.”

Rap specialist trainer Haas and dance trainer Shin Jae-hoon tried to lighten the atmosphere while giving various advice.

‘Still, these are kids who survived the 1st ranking announcement, so they should do reasonably well.’

With that thought, she started checking from Team 4’s stage.

“Here you need to come in with more punch! The feeling isn’t quite there, you know?”

“Who choreographed this? The kids’ movement lines don’t match well either.”

“Is this rap part something you guys added yourselves?”

There were more issues to point out than expected.

Some criticisms felt like they wouldn’t make much difference if left alone, but she still conveyed loving words to create a more perfect stage.

The trainees, who thought they had seen the end of harsh evaluations during the previous 1st group battle round, seemed slightly dazed by the straight-shooting comments flying their way.

“Still, there are 3 more days left. There’s enough time to fix things, so let’s work harder. We’ll keep helping too. Got it?”

“Yes……!”

Team 4 exited barely holding their mental state together.

Min Si-hyeon sighed while flipping through the papers on her clipboard.

‘I always think this, but this villain role doesn’t suit my personality.’

She, who had always taken the position of comforting members as a group leader, had always felt mismatched with the judge position that required shooting harsh criticism without hesitation.

Still, it was naturally something she had to do for her idol juniors.

At least Shin Jae-hoon trainer next to her took most of the share, so she could breathe, but she didn’t want to do this draining role much.

“It’s Team 5’s turn.”

“This team had a pretty solid member lineup, right?”

At Haas and Shin Jae-hoon’s interested tone, Min Si-hyeon looked over Team 5’s composition again.

Ryu Si-hwan, whom she had marked as main vocal since the early days of 〈ISL 2〉.

Seong-hwi, who took 1st place in the last ranking announcement.

Plus two more participants in the top 20, making it a team with considerable competitiveness.

Not quite Avengers level, but still a team that could be called semi-Avengers.

Min Si-hyeon looked at Ryu Si-hwan’s profile, who had again taken the leader and main vocal positions, while raising her internal expectations.

But then she slightly shook her head, recalling the nightmare from last season.

‘No, it hasn’t always been the case that teams with high individual rankings clustered together do well. I shouldn’t raise my expectations too high or I’ll be more disappointed. Let’s not be careless.’

Team 5 had even faced unexpected bad luck.

“Hwi still can’t participate in practice, right?”

“Yes, the doctor said it’s okay to move around gradually starting tomorrow.”

“How did his ankle get injured?”

“While trying to create a perfect stage……”

When Ryu Si-hwan trailed off, Min Si-hyeon became even more anxious.

Team 5’s center was Seong-hwi.

She worried whether they could show a properly quality stage.

But Shin Jae-hoon twirled his pen with a quite different expression than usual.

“Well, this team has a clear focal point at least. How was practice for everyone? Was it difficult because it’s a girl group song?”

“It was…… difficult, but still, discussing arrangement directions and choreography modifications together was quite fun.”

“Ho. Fun, is it. Good, good.”

“Ah, we need to use props, so could we prepare a little?”

Min Si-hyeon watched Team 5 members systematically put black fabric around their necks.

‘They definitely seem to have prepared something.’

What kind of stage composition had they changed the high-difficulty song 〈Back in the Time〉 into?

“We’re ready.”

“Okay, music please.”

Starting with the trendy sound’s impressive intro, Team 5’s arranged 〈Back in the Time〉 played through the speakers.

Team 5, who had shown about 3 minutes of everything they had practiced, took ending poses while breathing heavily.

“……”

“……”

“……Wow.”

Shin Jae-hoon’s unconscious exclamation broke the silence.

Min Si-hyeon was frozen with her mouth slightly open.

With only one thought repeating in her head.

‘How are they this good?’

Was this really a stage performed without the center who should hold the group together?

It looked completely full, to the point where Seong-hwi’s absence wasn’t felt at all.

She naturally felt that both the group’s teamwork and part distribution were perfect.

Has, the rap trainer next to her, whispered quietly.

“These guys are going to cause trouble.”