An idol sets themselves apart from other performers by not only singing but also dancing. Some specialized in one skill, while others were called all-rounders. Jun belonged to the latter.
"Fate compelled me…To step forward…To stand before the door of my long-awaited dream."
Curious looks flickered across everyone's eyes when Jun not only sang but also danced. Their curiosity turned into focus when he started again from the top—this time moving with the music, never stopping even before the chorus. His movements were sharp, precise, and, most importantly, natural.
"...There's a little flame inside me,And it has brought me here with you."
"His singing is stable so far," Xavi commented.
Kato, watching intently, muttered, "I thought Neo was the only dance monster here. Jun hasn't said a word. I didn't even see him practice, yet he's memorized the steps!"
"Not just the steps. Everything."
If Jun had heard him, he would've died of embarrassment. He only pulled it off so fluidly because he already knew the choreography by heart. His body simply remembered it. The song had been a staple in ETM's concerts, beloved by fans who wanted to relive the group's BOI days.
Jun's performance continued—he danced through the entire song. As for singing, he only sang the lines from Part One. When the chorus came, he pushed his vocals into the high notes without sounding strained.
He didn't forget gestures or expressions either—skills every idol needed, but which Jun delivered with striking ease. To those watching, his ability to pair the right expression with each moment of the song left the deepest impression.
His turn ended quickly. Among the Part One candidates, he was the only one who performed from verse one all the way to the chorus, showing a complete stage.
But nobody complained or called it cheating.
"Wow.""Amazing!"
Instead, the others clapped in amazement, some with their mouths still slightly open.
Juwon nudged Jun's calf playfully. "Hey, you learned the song and dance after listening to it just a few times today. You were cool just now."
Jun smiled awkwardly. "I just… really like the song."
Panting, he sank into his seat and lowered his head. "I… and the other candidates will close our eyes. Please cast your votes by pointing at your pick at the count of three."
He shut his eyes.
"Just a moment." Sujin suddenly raised his hand before the count began. "I decided to concede this part."
The others stared in shock, but quickly understood when they followed Sujin's gaze. One after another, the rest gave up as well.
Jun opened his eyes and blinked in disbelief. This outcome had never crossed his mind. He thought his actions might change some responses, but he never expected his competitors to surrender outright.
I still feel like this isn't real.
In the past, Sujin had held this part. But when he simplified some moves for the others, the choreography lost its cohesiveness. Neo, a dance fanatic, had been dissatisfied and openly questioned him. Kato soon joined in, and others who didn't understand Sujin's intentions followed. Sujin had ended up isolated and doubtful. Because of that unrest, the part was reassigned to Neo, who impressed everyone with his dance.
Later, another issue surfaced. At the mid-term check, where contestants had to sing and dance simultaneously, Neo's underdeveloped vocals became glaringly obvious. Honestly, "underdeveloped" was euphemistic—his singing was so weak that many considered giving the part back to Sujin.
Jun tried to recall the details, but his memory was fuzzy. What he did remember was that three days later, at the actual evaluation, Neo remained at the center. The performance scored poorly, and six people were sent to the Barren Land. He had been one of them.
Shaking off the thought, Jun took a deep breath to ground himself in the present.
"Thank you, everyone." He bowed deeply, hands pressed together in a prayer pose.
This time, he wouldn't be remembered as the desperate guy who shamelessly raised his hand eight times. The thought thrilled him.
"Then let's proceed with Part Two. Please raise your hands if you're interested."
When Sujin raised his hand, everyone else who had considered competing instantly backed down. Without a fight, he got Part Two.
Part Three went to Min, who fought hard before claiming it. Part Four went to another strong vocalist. Kato claimed Part Five, which surprised Jun—Kato usually went for Part Two. Juwon took Part Six, while Part Seven went to another vocally trained participant.
Jun continued overseeing the part distribution. Neo and Xavi, as expected, aimed for the one-liner parts. Having spent over three years with them in his past life, Jun wasn't worried. Both had natural charisma that would catch eyes regardless. He wasn't worried about Hyeon-ju either, though the boy was currently in the Barren Land. Once Hyeon-ju's face and personality became known, he would soar to popularity.
"Now we're done." Jun clapped with a faint smile, and the others followed. "We can begin in earnest. First and foremost—and the hardest of all—the choreography."
Everyone moved to the practice room on the first floor, the largest space and closest to the pantry.
Nobody brought up electing a leader that day. Jun naturally assumed the role through his actions. Instead of rehearsing his own part, he went around teaching the others. Juwon looked surprised but wisely chose not to ask questions.
The Greenhouse Inhabitants spent the day pouring every ounce of strength and focus into learning the steps and formations.
"Let's call it a day, everyone." Jun clapped twice to grab their attention.
Several boys immediately dropped to the floor like puppets with their strings cut. Jun shook his head and went to fetch a towel, wiping the sweat from his face and arms before tossing bottles of water to the others.
"Go wash up and rest. But before you sleep, make sure to memorize your lines."
"Okay," three managed to reply. The rest only lifted tired hands in an "okay" sign.
A few days later, in an interview, Jun stumbled.
"So how old are you this year?"
"I'm 21." Exhausted from juggling so many roles, he blurted the answer without thinking.
Confused glances snapped him awake. Cold sweat prickled down his back as he scrambled to recover.
"I mean… 81, if reversed, haha…"
Awkward, fake laughter escaped his throat.
"It seems like our young friend here has a sense of humor." The interviewer chuckled at his stiff peace sign and grinned at him.
Jun prayed fervently that the producers would edit it out.
"So, Jun. You were a trainee from the same agency as Juwon and Sujin, right?"
"Yes."
"Your fellow contestants unanimously elected you as their leader. How have you been managing so far?"
Jun paused, then answered, "I'm happy with the progress everyone is making. Because we want to show a perfect performance, we're all pouring time and effort into practice and cooperating well."
"No difficulties? Especially with mastering the song and choreography?"
A shy but proud smile crossed Jun's face. "Everyone is so talented. Some are ahead, others a bit behind, but by the end of the second day, we could all sing and dance the song fluidly."
The interviewer raised his brows. "That sounds impressive. Do you mean all of you memorized everything already?"
"Yes! Everything!" Jun answered confidently—while in his head, a flashback played.
The eleven Greenhouse contestants had endured rigorous training under his guidance. Of course, he wasn't the only one teaching. Neo was a monster at dance, while Kato and Sujin were great at memorization. Splitting the group into four, Jun had led one team. Together, they drilled the choreography until it was ingrained into their bodies in just two days.
The rest of the time had been spent on singing—or singing while dancing.
Actually, at the end of practice, I'm pretty sure I saw some trainees pale at the sight of me. He smirked inwardly. But I'm certain they'll thank me tomorrow.
The interview wrapped up after more questions about his relationships with the others.
That morning, some trainees had worn worried, restless expressions after the uneven line distribution. But Jun's hellish yet calculated schedule, paired with his reminders about the ever-present cameras, left no room for slacking.
The next day dawned. Then came the afternoon of the fourth day.
Without warning, three people appeared in the training hall.
"Hi, Greenhouse Inhabitants!"
The boys, Jun included, gasped and covered their mouths in disbelief.
"Drew! It's Drew!"