Chapter 22: Power Up!
The trainees woke up with the sound of the signal song blasting through the speakers. They groggily got up, hair sticking in all directions and dried saliva on their cheeks. Among the tired trainees stood an enigmatic force.
June stood in the middle of the room, dressed in his neon orange shirt and bright pink cat mask.
Jisung screamed as he saw him, causing their two other roommates to jolt awake in their beds.
"Ahh!" Hoon screamed. "What the hell are you doing there?"
"I'm waiting for the song to finish," June said. In reality, he was trying to capture the notes of the song. The trainees had only heard it once, so he wanted to learn it as soon as possible to get a good night's sleep.
"I can't believe you're wearing that mask so early in the morning," Hoon grumbled, finally getting up.
Jaeyong clicked his tongue and sent him a small glare. June pursed his lips. His patience was slowly thinning for this kid. From what he recalled, he hasn't even done anything wrong to him! June was about to tell him off when Fu's screen appeared before him.
[Another side quest had opened! This time, you can earn a booster. The title is Power Up! Gain a boost of strength or motivation once activated. Good for one day. Affects close proximities.]
June frowned. Where the hell would he use this kind of booster? It would honestly be better to give him another set of missions since the current ones were too difficult.
[Do you accept this side quest or not?]
'No,' June responded. The last time he agreed, the consequence was a regression of skill. He didn't see the need for the booster, so he quickly denied it.
[Are you sure? Confirm to cancel the side quest. Side quest cannot be brought back once declined.]
June let out a long sigh. Now, he felt conflicted. The last thing he wanted was regretting not grabbing such a mission.
"Ah, heck," Hoon clicked his tongue as he bumped into June. "Why the hell are you standing there like an idiot? Get going, weirdo," he whispered.
'I accept,' June quickly said in his mind. He realized he might actually need a Power Up booster when people tested his patience. He was about to retaliate right then and there!
[Wise choice, host. Here is your quest: Be a helper! Help upgrade other people's skills. Inspire three trainees so they can increase their skills by one point. The deadline is 24 hours. Failure to complete the mission allows one point deduction from one skill. Your timer starts now!]
June was right. The consequence was the same. Although he felt more thankful since the deadline was in 24 hours.
After agreeing to the side quest, June realized he was the only one inside the room. He quickly placed on his shoes and ran after the sea of orange. The little oranges entered the training room meant for three-star trainees. As they entered, they saw Mentor Gun waiting for them inside.
Some of the three-star trainees immediately felt dreadful. June understood their fear. He had watched the previous seasons because of Mei Ling, and Gun was a mentor during the second season. He was known for being a strict dance mentor during his time. However, he must have changed in the span of two years, right?
"Move faster!" Gun said in a strict voice, causing the trainees to bump into each other as they tried to secure a spot.
Seems like he hasn't changed at all.
The trainees lined up in five rows, with June staying at the very back. He didn't want to bring much attention to himself since he knew he wasn't a good dancer.
However, that was practically impossible with his bright pink mask. Gun's eyes naturally gravitated toward him.
"Alright," Gun clapped his hands. "You only have less than three days. You'd be performing this song the day after tomorrow, so I expect you to learn fast," he set the tone. "I won't hesitate to call you out if you're lacking in any way. Three-stars should at least have dance fundamentals. If you don't have that, consider going to zero-stars instead."
June couldn't help but feel apprehensive. This was exactly what he didn't want to happen. He knew that the standards and expectations would only rise as the star levels increased. He was set up for failure since he was only a D- in dance and has no theoretical background in dancing.
"I will only show it to you once," Gun said. "Then, we'll go over the moves one by one. I expect you all to familiarize yourselves with the moves until noon. This is the only time you'd be learning the dance, so make sure to listen well."
Gun faced the mirror and started the music. He started with the first verse. It was relatively easy. It didn't require much vigor, but a sense of elegance was embedded in his movements.
It looked easy to the eyes of an amateur, but June knew that it took some skill to make it look good. Then, it only got worse after that. The chorus was filled with acrobatic movements and jumps, making it practically impossible to sing while executing the moves. It calmed down during the second verse but got even more difficult at the bridge. The dance break even involved some floorwork!
What did Azure think of the trainees? Some goddamn robots who could learn such choreography in less than three days' time?
The atmosphere in the different classes was all different. The five-stars wore bright smiles, excited to learn the new choreography. The four-stars, too, beamed with happiness as their vocal mentor asked them to sing one by one.
It starts crumbling in the three-star room. Of course, some trainees were still excited as they watched the choreography. Jisung was practically peeing himself in excitement. Trainees like Jaeyong, on the other hand, were more serious than ever.
He had already started memorizing the moves when Gun performed them. The trainees at the back, those in June's row, seemed to be the least confident.
"Poor kids," June muttered.
[You should worry more about yourself, host.]
'Shut up, Fu.'
It's not even worth mentioning the zero-star and two-star trainees. The mentors assigned to their classes already wanted to give up because of the trainees' lack of enthusiasm and skill.
"There," Gun said after finishing the routine, only mildly out of breath. "Now, it's your turn. I would expect you to pick up the chorus part, at least."
"Yes, mentor," the trainees in the first few rows said. June frowned. He doesn't have a clue about what the first move even was.
"Trainees at the last row," Mentor Gun suddenly said. "I only want to see your row standing up."
The trainees in the last row looked at each other with confusion.
"The first four rows, sit down," he instructed. "Let's monitor your learning skills. The last row, all of you shall dance to the chorus."
NEW BOOK IS OUT!
Check 'I Accidentally Became A Superstar' on my profile!
Chapter 23: Unluckiest Idol
This was bad. June surveyed the room and found the other trainees and cameras focused on them. He glanced at the trainees by his side and saw they weren't any better. What the hell? Is that one kid crying?
'Fu, help me,' he said in his mind.
[System is resting. Please try again later.]
He pursed his lips. Why would a system even rest? It's not like Fu's a real person or something!
"I'll be playing the chorus part," Gun said, starting the music. The pre-chorus played, and some of the trainees started moving shyly, recalling some of the movements.
June had already memorized the dance—that was certain. He had quite a good memory, so remembering what the movements looked like was not much of a problem. The problem is he doesn't know how to translate the movements to his body.
He knew the first move of the chorus involved a pop-and-lock movement, but he didn't know how to do that. The chorus approached fast, and the trainees started moving to the beat.
It was a mess. None of their movements matched, and the crying trainee only made them look pathetic. June stood still, playing the movements in his mind. If only he could level up his skill, he'd know how to do them.
He was sure that if he had Joon-ho's passion for dance, he could have at least done a mediocre job. However, being a thug, he never had the opportunity to dance. Aside from Little Meow Meow songs, he had never tried dancing before joining Rising Stars. So, it's as if he's learning how to walk for the first time.
Gun stopped the music halfway through the song, clicking his tongue and looking at them disappointingly. "I expected more from the three-star trainees. And you, mask boy," he pointed at June.
June turned to him.
"I would have put you in zero stars if I knew you would be like this. You're lucky the other mentors liked your voice," he scolded.
June bowed his head, not bothering to say anything. He had to look remorseful somehow if he didn't want to become evil-edited.
"Those at the first row, stand up," Gun instructed.
This time, it was Jaeyong's and Jisung's turn to be evaluated. Along with them are trainees who have decent dancing skills, too. The music started, and they executed the dance pretty well for people who had only seen the movements twice.
Jaeyong and Jisung stood out among them. Their movements were precise, powerful, with the right amount of fluidity. It showed their natural talent and prowess in dance.
June couldn't help but let out a sigh.
He already wants this day to end.
***
After lunch, the trainees were back to their rooms for the second part of the training. This time, it would be for their vocals.
Mentor Jihyun entered the room, causing most of the trainees to sigh in relief. If Mentor Gun was a terror, Jihyun was the complete opposite. She had a very welcoming aura to her. She's strict but tolerates mistakes as long as you're willing to improve them.
"Good afternoon, mentor," the trainees said in unison.
"Ah, three stars," she said. "I'm so glad to be here. I was in the zero-stars room earlier and wanted to scream out loud. I hope you won't do that to me this time, alright?"
The trainees chuckled. "Yes, mentor!"
"Alright. Did you familiarize yourselves with the song?" she asked.
An ambiguous grumble resonated in the room.
"I'll take that as a yes. Grab your lyric sheets, and let's start. I'm sure most of you already know the song since you've had your dance lessons earlier on. Sing it together, alright?"
The music started, and the three-star trainees started singing in unison. When they sang the first verse, it sounded quite good. However, it became harder for them to sing as it reached the chorus part. Most of the three-star trainees lacked vocal skills, so they were placed at that level.
Even Jaeyong, who had some idol experience, struggled since he was originally a rapper.
Only June was the trainee who had been placed in three-stars purely because of his vocal skill, and it projected well when they sang the chorus parts. With a soft yet enchanting voice, June sang the notes effortlessly. The other trainees turned around to look at him, envious that he could hit the notes.
Mentor Jihyun, too, focused her gaze on the back. She was initially unsure who was singing since June had a mask on. But she couldn't be mistaken. It was the trainee she liked the most during the auditions!
She smiled. He was the very first one out of the two classes she handled who hit the notes precisely.
The chorus ended, and Jihyun turned off the music.
"Hmm," she hummed, a small smile playing on her lips. "There are a lot of voices that stand out. Overall, you guys aren't too bad. But the chorus part is a problem. It's good to have a fellow trainee who can help you with this. Trainee June," she said.
June lifted his head. He was memorizing the words of the song, so he didn't hear much of what she just said.
"Yes, mentor?"
"You did a good job," she said. "Can you sing it one more time?"
June nodded and sang the song. Now that he was singing all alone, the people around became even more in awe. His vocal tune sounded clear, and the lyrics of the song were projected well.
"Good job," Jihyun commented. "I would expect you all to do the same, alright?"
June bowed his head in gratitude.
Their vocal training continued, and June wondered if he should have done a worse job at it. For the entire duration, he was asked to sing by himself more than six times! He barely had enough time to practice for himself since Mentor Jihyun would always call him out to demonstrate.
Now that it was over, he plopped down on the cold and hard floor, his throat sore from all the singing. He wanted to get some rest before heading back to his room when Jisung suddenly approached him.
"Brother," he said. "I'm worried. I don't think I can sing the chorus part well. You did so good just now. Could you teach me?"
June reluctantly sat up. He really doesn't want to sing anymore. But Jisung's one of the people who could help him with his dancing.
"I can teach you this part, but you have to teach me the dance tomorrow."
Jisung beamed and nodded. "Of course, brother."
"Okay," June said. "Sing this part for me," he pointed to the lyric sheet.
"Dreams come true when we're together,
Hand in hand, in stormy weather.
With the people around, we'll reach for the sky,
United as one, our spirits flying high."
"Hmm," June thought for a bit. "It doesn't sound bad, but it's definitely not in your range. I think you can sing it an octave lower—just as long as it's still on the pitch."
Jisung's eyes widened in surprise. "Why didn't I think of that?" he asked. "Let me try again."
He sang the chorus part once more, and it significantly got better. June nodded in approval.
"I think that could work. But watch out for your pitch at this part—our spirits flying high. It's a bit out of tune. Let me show you."
June continued teaching Jisung, which attracted some of the trainees' attention.
Four other trainees approached June, and he saw that one of them was the crying trainee earlier.
"Could you teach us too, brother?" they asked.
June sighed and was about to decline. His voice was already raw, so he wanted to rest. However, Fu showed up before him.
[Congratulations! You have increased one aspect of trainee Jisung's skill: Vocal. Remaining trainees to inspire: 2. Deadline of side quest: 16 hours.]
He suddenly remembered he had a side quest to finish. June reluctantly nodded.
"I'll be heading first, then," Jisung said. "See you in the room, brother."
The four young trainees looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "Alright. What do ya have a problem with?"
After three long hours, June finally succeeded in his side quest.
[Congratulations! You have completed a side quest. You have now acquired a booster: Power Up! Gain a boost of strength or motivation once activated. Good for one day. Affects close proximities. To use, just summon the system and ask for a "Power Up!"]
June groaned and trudged toward their room. He doesn't even know if teaching those trainees was worth it. It took him two hours to raise their vocal aspect! He also sang a countless number of times, so his throat felt even worse than before.
As he entered the room, he saw his roommates already sleeping.
"Good for them," he muttered but stopped when he felt that something was wrong.
'Was that my voice just now? Why does it sound so husky?'
"Hello," he tested it out, his throat getting scratchy.
His voice sounded like the Sahara desert! It was dry and croaky, like that one time he watched a sparring event between Bo Wen and a new bald-headed recruit! It took him three days to get his voice back.
However, this is Choi Joon-ho's body.
His voice is probably going to come back tomorrow, right?
NEW BOOK IS OUT!
Check 'I Accidentally Became A Superstar' on my profile!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
32 Power
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