บท 37: Roomies (13)

In their Team One stage costumes, Ryeo Hyun, Bo Jaesang, Mi Yong, and Jung Hyun-Ok sat, across from the large stage as if to watch. They were in the midst of practicing their expressions.

"No– Jaesang-ah!" Mi Yong scolded, "Your face is reacting too much. People will know that it's fake…" He said.

"Hyung…" Bo Jaesang groaned, "Then how do I react convincingly?"

"Like this." Mi Yong began, looking at Ryeo Hyun, "You too– listen. You're just too dull with your reactions …"

Ryeo Hyun huffed, "I have a hard time expressing my emotions with my face, Hyung…" He leaned on Mi Yong's shoulder for a moment, as if to ease himself out of the lesson.

Mi Yong shoved Ryeo Hyun off of him with some struggle. Jung Hyun-Ok watched the sight, amused and a seat down. His face was hardened with pity.

"Just look at me– Hyun-Ok-ah, please do something cute." Mi Yong instructed.

Jung Hyun-Ok sighed and did a finger-heart ending pose with low effort. Mi Yong's mouth opened just a little and looked left and right, as if looking for reactions.

"Do something else." Mi Yong instructed.

Jung Hyun-Ok, with slow motions, did a heart aegyo with an expressive smile. Ryeo Hyun and Bo Jaesang physically cringed. Mi Yong's mouth went slightly agape and he nodded.

"–And that's how you do reactions…" Mi Yong finished, crossing his arms and looked up with lightly shut eyes. As if waiting, he opened his eyes and looked at the unimpressed faces of his peers. "Clap, please!"

Jung Hyun-Ok chuckled and did a slow clap, while Ryeo Hyun side-eyed Mi Yong and exchanged an 'are you serious?' glance with Bo Jaesang.

"As your Hyung–!" Mi Yong began to scold, when the lights illuminating the room were cut. He shut up and looked around. Was it now time?

Just then, as conversations died, a familiar voice rang from the floor.

"Stand by! Team Ten's on in T-one minute!" Producer Jang-soo informed with his classic red megaphone.

Bo Jaesang's face lit up, "That's Joon-woo's team…" He whispered, arms stimming by his sides. "I really, really wanted to hear him sing live, you know. Because, no offense, he didn't place 13th place for his dance. So his singing has to be– be incredible–" Jaesang began to rant, Ryeo Hyun lightly knocked at his thigh as if to tell him to stay silent. "Oh– sorry." Jaesang apologized.

Jung Hyun-Ok just put a finger to his own lip and signaled towards the stage that was now illuminated with blue and green lights.

On it were four microphone stands and four people, one behind each. Joon-woo stood to the right-most side, his mic significantly lower set than Baek Du-Ho, rank ten that stood beside him at his own mic.

They were dressed in cutesy colorful– school uniform concept clothing. Joon-woo in particular wore beige oversized shorts that ran just above his knees and a large dress shirt with a striped tie. A uniform jacket, also oversized for some odd reason, was draped onto him. The sight brought a smile on Hyun-Ok's and Mi Yong's faces, a natural smile.

"Joon-woo looks cute…" Bo Jaesang commented with a nod.

Mi Yong was proud at how his reaction tips were being utilized. After all, he had been stressing about such, as his team had the most eyes, the most camera, the most expectations, and he was the only idol-experienced member. The performance began, then.

"Mirror, mirror please tell her

Scale, please tell her too

That she doesn't need to change anything

That she's pretty and perfect just as she is right now

Just be happy, don't worry

Don't look for your flaws"

Baek Du-Ho, Rank 10 and the leader, rapped. Mi Yong nodded along, he wouldn't be mad if he made the debut team. His rap, less stable than the original, was good, better than average. Mi Yong found his part a bit long, but of course, compensation would surely be paid in the others' parts…

Mi Yong got a look at Joon-woo who had nodded along to his teammates rap, as if counting beats to start his own. Hi bit his cheek in anticipation, he was excited to hear how Joon-woo sung, as to Bo Jaesang's comment. He knew the shorter man was good, to be ranked top 20 with poor dance skills and FYP in the judges chair?

Joon-woo placed his hands on the microphone stand and began.

"No matter how much I take you apart

And look and look at you

I can't find that part of yourself

That you think isn't pretty…"

Mi Yong's eyes lit up and he found his rehearsed gestures of admiration being replaced with actual, real admiration. Joon-woo's voice, no– even his breath control was nothing short of perfect.

Even in the original song, did the verse get a bit breath-y, but Joon-woo? His first words were anything but. He had even raised the higher notes in the verse up an octave, but jumped down all the same, as if to show his vocal control.

He felt bad for Rank 21 and 26, who took their mics into their hands as if about to sing.

"If you just stay the way you are now

I want nothing more

So don't change anything, don't worry about anything

Because I like everything about you

Don't change anything about yourself…"

Rank 26 sang the forefront, Rank 21 taking a more backing vocal tone. Mi Yong winced a bit at their singing, it wasn't bad– Rank 21's voice at least, but Rank 26 was breath-y as if just a beginner singer.

Mi Yong missed Joon-woo's voice, and found himself in luck when Joon-woo took his microphone in hand, Rank 21 alike.

It was at this point, Mi Yong was at the edge of his seat. This part was high, and based off of what Joon-woo had previously displayed, Mi Yong was excited as could be.

"Just as you are, oh,

oh, just stay as you are–"

Joon-woo sang, as if blessed with years of experience, backed by short sayings of Rank 21 that Mi Yong only half registered. Joon-woo's highnote was cleaner than the day. Cleaner than a leave-less tree in the winter, cleaner than Mi Yong had ever, ever expected for Joon-woo despite his initial expectations being high.

Mi Yong, too curious to not, looked around to see how others' had reacted. The all-stoic Ryeo Hyun wore a smile, the first one that Mi Yong had seen, that held for a few seconds. Bo Jaesang's eyes were widened, like a fanboy in the making, and Jung Hyun-Ok with his usually calm demeanor nodded with his eyes slightly shut.

They opened, Hyun-Ok's eyes, when Baek Du-Ho began to continue his rap.

"Everything about you is just right

So relax, stop worrying

You can believe what I'm saying 100%

So you can erase all of your worries 100%"

And as Baek Du-Ho rapping came to an end, Mi Yong expected Joon-woo to take over, as the part he had sung so well was coming up next. But Joon-woo didn't grab the mic, in fact, he looked bored as he stood, hands behind his back.

But then, Baek Du-Ho continued? To cover a singing part?

"No matter how much I take you apart

And look and look at you

I can't find that part of yourself

That you think isn't pretty"

He sang and Mi Yong almost pursed his lips on camera, Mi Yong almost showed physical annoyance on camera. Du-Ho wasn't bad, hell– he was better than Rank 21 and by proxy, Rank 26. He just wasn't Joon-woo. His voice wasn't as clean and it didn't go as high.

And even in the next verse, Rank 26 and Rank 21 sang it just as they had the first time. Rank 26 in front, Rank 21 behind him. That confused Mi Yong. Just Wrong by GOT6 was already rap-heavy, but Du-Ho had singing parts too?

And so, Mi Yong waited. He waited through the next verse, the one of high notes that Joon-woo had destroyed like a first language, that Joon-woo had grown goosebumps on Mi Yong's skin with. The verse was done by Rank 21… Then Baek Du-Ho with the following rap verse.

Surely, Mi Yong thought, surely Joon-woo would lead the last verse. It was only fair, as his parts were fairly short and he hadn't done many backing vocals like Rank 21. It was only fair, is what the faces of Ryeo Hyun and Bo Jaesang said. It was only fair, is what Reggie probably thought wherever he was with his team.

And Mi Yong sat back, relieved as Joon-woo stepped up to his mic. He had missed Joon-woo's vocals in a string of impressive rap and less-than-impressive vocals. So he closed his eyes in anticipation…

"If you just stay

The way you are now

I want nothing more…"

A voice that wasn't Joon-woo sang.

"So don't change anything, don't worry about anything

Because I like everything about you

Don't change anything about yourself…"

Joon-woo was backing vocals in the shadow of Rank 21.

And as the song came to an end, claps engulfed the room. Mi Yong slowly clapped along, controlling his expression as best he could. He watched as the group did their short bows and gathered to exit the stage.

Mi Yong watched as they didn't even congratulate each other, only Rank 21 and 26 exchanging short smiles. Baek Du-Ho and Joon-woo just strutted off behind the lower ranked members, silent and blank-faced. He grimaced, was Joon-woo ever going to escape controversy?

"Joon-woo is really, really good at singing…" Bo Jaesang said, "I want to hear him sing more–" He paused, looking at the group. "We should go to karaoke with him, make him sing more…" He said through his rambles.

Ryeo Hyun shrugged Jaesang off with his normal stoic expression. "Did he and his team fight?" He asked in a whisper, trying to recall the last few days.

Jung Hyun-Ok spoke up, then, "Let's ask him later…"

They nodded in agreement, ignoring Mi Yong's visible confusion. But their emotions had to pause, as they looked up to see Team Nine set up at microphones.