The next week had arrived quickly.
Damien pressed the back of his hand against his neck, trying to wipe away at the sweat that had formed during the walk from school. Summers in Korea were a different breed compared to Germany. It was way more hot, humid, and unbearable. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the sidewalk as he hurried towards the company building.
He suddenly regretted rejecting the ride to and from school. Luckily, the building was only a few minutes away.
He paused outside the entrance of the company, a sleek eight story building of glass and steel tucked between taller office towers beside it. The lobby beyond the glass doors looked modern and bright with a polished marble floor. For a second, he saw himself in the reflection in the glass: a thin teenage boy with oak brown hair and deer-like green eyes.
Why am I getting nervous now? I forgot my skills can't take away all of my nerves. Relax... You got this.
Still, his hands trembled faintly as he pulled the door open.
Inside, the air was cool and carried a faint scent of floor polish and something citrusy. He quickly pulled out his trainee ID and scanned in, rushing to the second floor.
Finally, the doors opened to a corridor lined with posters of Starlite Media's idol groups and random advertisements. He followed the signs to 'Practice Room C'.
Outside the practice room, other trainees peeked inside, muttering excitedly amongst themselves.
"Look it's him!" One trainee whispered.
The other grinned. "It's Li Xingyuan! It's great that we get to see him today."
Li Xingyuan? Isn't he the number one ranked trainee in the monthly evaluations?
System: [Host is correct. Li Xingyuan is the number one ranked trainee in the 'Overall' and 'Dance' category.]
Great... He groaned inwardly.
Suddenly, he felt a tug on the hem of his shirt. Looking behind him, he saw the boy from the orientation. The boy glanced up at Damien and said softly, "Are you in this dance class too?"
Damien nodded. "Yeah." Then he saw the boy's nervous expression and blurted out, "You want to head inside together?"
The boy's eyes immediately brightened. "Sure!"
"My name is Damien." He held out his hand.
"Ah… I'm Song Yejun." Yejun took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you."
Glancing back at the door, a few other nervous newcomers were also gathered. They exchanged anxious glances with Damien and Yejun before sliding the door open together.
The chatter inside the room died almost instantly as Damien and the other new trainees stepped in. He felt a dozen pairs of eyes land on him and the others. He hesitated by the doorway, unsure whether to step fully inside.
Damien examined the room and realized that it was similar to the practice room used for the auditions. One wall was completely covered with floor to ceiling windows while at the ceiling, big stereo speakers hung. On the other side of the room, the other trainees—about ten or twelve—were scattered around, stretching or chatting in small cliques. Some sat against the wall of bags and water bottles.
One by one, the trainees inside the room got to their feet. They formed a loose semi-circle facing the newcomers. The air felt thick with expectation.
He noticed a couple of them eyeing him up and down, their expressions unreadable. Was that curiosity? Judgement? Perhaps they were eyeing their new opponent. Whatever it was, it was hard to tell.
A lean boy with fiery red hair stepped forward from the group and broke the silence. He looked a bit younger, perhaps a year or two younger, and wore a black t-shirt and sweatpants. His posture was relaxed but confident, like someone who owned the space. Damien instantly knew this was the guy—Li Xingyuan. Who else could be so confident?
Li Xingyuan's lips curved into a smile. "Hi there," he greeted, speaking Korean with a soft accent. "You guys must be the new trainees. Come in. We won't bite."
What a relaxed guy...
"Thanks," Damien and the others mumbled, voices overlapping.
"Line up, everyone!" A sharp voice cut through the murmurs. At the front of the room stood a woman with long hair and baggy attire. She was petite, but had an air of authority that commanded attention. The dance instructor, Damien had guessed. "We're slightly behind schedule already, so let's get this rolling! Start with warm-ups, let's go!"
There was a scramble as everyone—new and old trainees alike—moved to form rows facing the mirror. Damien decided that he'd watch and observe for now and follow the crowd before placing himself out there.
Li Xingyuan saw the newer trainees' hesitation and beckoned them to join in the back row for now. Damien dropped his bag by the wall and slipped into the back row with the others.
The instructor clapped her hands briskly. "Start stretching! I want to see some deep stretches, don't slack and don't half ass it, either. You don't want any injuries, now do you? And, new trainees," she added, "follow along and do your best. Watch the person in front of you." Her tone wasn't unkind. But it was certainly not coddling.
A mellow beat started playing from the speakers, and the instructor began counting. "One, two, three, four..."
Damien fell into a hamstring stretch, trying to mimic the flow of the more experienced trainee in front of him. His fingers barely brushed his toes; the boy ahead easily flattened his palms to the floor. Damien's legs trembled as he pushed himself a little further. He heard someone else grunting quietly, clearly struggling with flexibility too. That made Damien feel a tad better that he wasn't the only stiff one.
Sh*t... I really regret stopping my dance classes back at Fujimori Acadamy. After sitting and staying still all day in my art classes, my flexibility worsened.
System: [It's okay, host. You can always build your flexibility again. And with the help of the shop, I'm sure you'll gain it back quickly.]
At the system's comfort, he smiled.
Thanks.
When they switched to side lunges, Damien noticed a figure a couple of spots over pivot gracefully into the stretch with perfect form. It was Li Xingyuan. Even doing something as simple as stretches, he moved with practiced ease, back straight, arms extended gracefully... For a split second, Xingyuan's eyes flicked over and met Damien's in the mirror.
Damien did not avert his gaze. He held his gaze—an obvious challenge.
Li Xingyuan's brows raised and a smirk formed on his face.
But something was poking at Damien's conscious...
Li Xingyuan looked... familiar.
But where had he seen him before?
That bright red hair...
Then, it clicked.
That rude brat! It was him!