TDOCD Chapter 81

​Chapter 81

Ji-Ye & Ra-Eun ​

Jain always knew U&DA were talented, but after watching their performance on the dorm VCR, the difference felt even more pronounced.

Next to Jia, Young Il-rin, who had been perched on the armrest, smoothly rose and circled around the sofa.

I'll whisper to you

Hide in the shadows

No more seeking light

Then Young Il-rin and Jia began their pair dance, using the sofa as a prop between them. Their choreography was essentially U&DA - filled with seductive movements and sensual appeal.

"Woohoo!"

Exclamations and loud cheers erupted from the judges' panel.

"Whew, now that's mature. So mature. They're incredible as expected."

Lee Si-a, the only judge who knew about this stage beforehand, let out a satisfied exclamation and gave a thumbs up to the camera.

"Absolutely fantastic. They nailed it."

That's U&DA for you. Among all the groups in Start Plan, they were probably the only ones who could pull off such bold choreography.

Young Il-rin and Jia's back-and-forth continued for quite a while. It seemed like U&DA was performing an entire section of the song.

I'm a nightmare that captures you when you're weak,

Let's get deeper tangled

Just as U&DA finished their section of the song, there was a sharp click - like an old fuse burning out - and the stage lighting shifted. The music's atmosphere transformed naturally as the lights over U&DA's position went dark.

The camera swiftly panned to reveal props in another location. This time, it was an antique mahogany desk that looked like it belonged in a vintage shop. Under a single spotlight, Flora's Ryu Jiye made her appearance.

***

"That's her, right? The one Director Lee gave his business card to today?"

"Yes."

A faint smile crossed Kim Ja-in's lips as she watched Ryu Jiye on stage. Once again, this performance confirmed that her eye for talent hadn't failed her.

As the rapidly swirling beat slowed down, the lighting shifted to a green hue. The atmosphere in the venue, which had been heated up by U&DA's performance, suddenly turned chilly, as if doused with cold water.

Breathing in sweet confusion

We dive into our deepest fears

The scattered focus instantly snapped back at the sound of Ryu Ji-ye's voice. Wearing a fitted black dress and elaborate makeup, she sang in a whispering tone while perched on the desk.

Without hesitation, she began her choreography. The dance was far more dynamic and structured than U&DA's section.

"Oh... she's doing a solo dance here."

The employee who came with Kim Ja-in murmured, then spoke with widened eyes.

"But isn't Ryu Ji-ye a vocalist, not a dancer?"

"Yes, Ji-ye focus on the vocals. But she can dance quite well too. That's why I've got my eye on her."

However, even as Kim Ja-in spoke casually, she was actually quite surprised. Sure, she knew Ji-ye was an excellent vocalist who could dance fairly well, but...

She was handling the solo dance with remarkable skill.

Her graceful dance lines were obvious from previous competitions, and her talent had never been in question since Kim Ja-in first noticed her.

But being talented and being able to command a stage alone while keeping the audience captivated were two different things entirely.

'Where did someone like her come from...'

How had she missed someone like this who dreamed of being a singer?

She seamlessly changed her expressions and movements in sync with the music and camera angles.

This wasn't the awkward performance of a rookie trainee who had only been on stage a few times - she was creating an atmosphere entirely different from U&DA's section.

She was radiating star power with her entire being.

Kim Ja-in let out a short sigh. If only she could recruit her, she'd develop her into something extraordinary.

'She seemed rather uninterested at the time though.'

Just then, after successfully completing her solo part, Ryu Ji-ye briefly moved away from the desk before being drawn back, lowering her gaze.

The camera followed her line of sight to reveal another member, Seo Ra-eun, who had appeared without notice.

Ra-eun naturally took over the camera's attention as she performed her part.

You doubt me now

But you'll fall completely in the end

As Ra-eun sat on the desk, the music's beat quickened again.

Then began her pair dance with Ryu Ji-ye.

The choreography was less sensual than U&DA's but significantly more technically challenging.

While U&DA's dance was about mutual seduction, Flora's choreography depicted Ji-ye trying to seduce Ra-eun.

With a powerful movement, Ji-ye stepped onto the desk and leaped to the other side, positioning herself in front of Ra-eun.

Then they naturally fell into their synchronized dance.

You'll forget who you are

Just take my hand

Into endless darkness

The two alternated singing while performing their choreography, sometimes mirroring each other as if looking into a reflection, then separating again.

Since Ji-ye was playing the seducer, her choreography involved considerably more movement around the stage.

'Oh, this is interesting.'

The employee who came with Kim Ja-in let out a small exclamation before quickly checking Kim Ja-in's expression and closing their mouth.

Though they couldn't groove to the rhythm with Kim Ja-in watching so seriously, as someone who loved music and performance, they couldn't help but be impressed.

At first, when they heard the group would perform "Dolce," they couldn't imagine what the performance would be like.

They had wondered if this was some kind of risky all-or-nothing attempt at a mix-match performance outside their group's style.

But watching this stage made them realize how limited their perspective had been.

They never dreamed the group would extract just the melody and add just a hint of jazz.

The sense to speed up the beat and make it trendy was impressive.

It was shocking that this song could even become trendy with such changes.

They hadn't expected much from a trainee performance, but...

The one-take musical-style presentation is worthy of an artist's comeback show.

The perfectly matching choreography, and above all, the facial expressions.

It felt like watching a well-produced special stage performance.

Without exaggeration, it was so engaging that one could forget these were trainees on stage.

'Oho...'

Meanwhile, Kim Ja-in was impressed by something else.

'Ra-eun's quite good too.'

Until the last round, she had been a completely unremarkable member.

While her beauty was arguably unmatched among not just Start Plan but all MN trainees, her skills and presence had been dimmed in comparison.

Beauty, talent, and star quality were distinctly different gifts.

Among these, Kim Ja-in valued star quality above all else.

To have such beauty yet so little presence meant a lack of that special something - star quality.

That's why she had been stubbornly watching only Ryu Ji-ye during the pair dance, but...

Somehow today, her gaze kept drifting to Seo Ra-eun as well.

Clearly, in this pair choreography, it was Ji-ye who commanded attention with her dynamic movements.

Yet the fact that Ra-eun still drew her attention meant her performance had improved significantly.

'I thought she had no room for growth.'

She had seemed so lacking in confidence before.

But the fact that she could draw attention away from Ji-ye, who had the audience mesmerized, meant Ra-eun was worth keeping an eye on.

'Though Jiye is still my pick.'

I really hope she contacts me!

Just as Kim Ja-in was organizing her thoughts about the two performers, Flora's extended section finally came to an end.

Ryu Ji-ye, facing Ra-eun, flashed a grin before scowling at the approaching camera as if annoyed, swatting it away with a fierce expression.

Once again, the mood of the song shifted.

This time, red lights flooded the stage.

Someone was approaching the camera that had been pushed away by Ji-ye's hand.

It was FloU&I’s final member, Young-ju