While Jun and his teammates were receiving the worst scolding of their lives after a failed rehearsal, the other rap team was going through the same in the Barren Lands.
Drew checked on them personally. Compared to Keys, he was less cruel with his words. But the Landers were traumatized nonetheless, especially the two unlucky contestants with zero rap training.
Hours later, when the mentor had the other team take over the sole practice hall of the Barren Land, the rap team huddled to the side like wet chicks, looking extremely pitiful. Not long after, the mid-check ended.
All the Landers headed to the dining room for lunch. The first team that got evaluated still looked like deflated balloons.
"I wonder how the Inhabitants of the rap team are doing," Hanada murmured as he took his seat. The kitchen staff had prepared various dishes beforehand. He omitted, They must be as miserable as we are, right?
"Jun is back there," Jinho, the eldest, reminded him. His plate was already full. The young man lifted his spoon and scooped some soup into a small bowl.
"But they don't have rappers there. At least we have Sunyoul and Gwangseok. As long as we win the rap and dance category, we can secure overall victory."
The Landers were aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Jinho felt offended that these guys had already assumed the vocal group had lost. However, he was not childish enough to start a fight. His mood soured, though.
So there's a reason why Jun warned me about these people who got demoted.
One was depressed; two had slightly better skills than the average Landers, and the last three were talented but had uncontrollable mouths.
"The best dancer is with us. Neo is better than both Kato and Jun." Hanada began to speak like a know-it-all. "Rap is secured."
Gunwook, a friend of Hanada, timely added, "Of course, we also have trust in the vocal group. Leader Jinho is great at singing too."
…Well, maybe I need to be childish for once.
Jinho grinned meaningfully. "Thanks. Let's show the Inhabitants that if we can beat them once, we can beat them twice."
In an instant, the atmosphere turned weird. Half of the Landers had not fully moved on from being demoted. JO lightly elbowed Jinho. However, the young man kept an innocent smile as he lifted his spoon to his mouth.
"Ahaha," awkward laughter followed.
Jinho raised a fist and laughingly added, "We only need to secure two categories, right? Thankfully, two teams from our side seem to have satisfied Mentor Drew."
The rap team had been harshly scolded. So, the two who did well were obvious.
That day, the friendship between the new and original Landers fractured. Jinho decided not to care. Hanada's group had been constantly getting on his nerves for the past two days. Before the third mission was revealed, he hadn't been talking to Neo. Then, when the MC revealed it, Hanada made Neo assume leadership of the dance team without consulting him or the others.
The Japanese trainee meaningfully grinned. Neo, we have to win. Dance is your specialty, so you won't fail us this time, right?
Was that something to say to someone still visibly struggling to process his thoughts and emotions? Neo was just 14, younger than anyone else on the show. Even if it happened a while back, the scene stayed in Jinho's mind and left a horrible impression.
Today, the remaining thread of his patience snapped.
"Fighting." Jinho grinned and returned to eating.
The camera did not capture him badly. On the other hand, some people cannot control their facial muscles. But those with brains knew that the three idiots provoked him first, and even though he fought back, he did it subtly.
Age did not make Jinho stubborn.
He just learned through experience what should be done to blabbermouths and horrible people. They simply should not be tolerated.
…
Greenhouse.
Like the other camp, the vocal and dance groups were complimented, while the rap team failed to deliver a passable performance and earned terrifying berating from Keys and Mariam. It could not be helped.
Xavi had to rap while reading his lines on the monitor. When all his attention went to getting the pronunciation right, how else could he focus on other things? As a result, his movements were stiff and his expressions flat.
Daeho and Seth only focused on their chorus parts. They did well, but…
"Argghh. THIS. IS. SO FRICKIN'. EMBARRASSING! Is this what you plan to sing on stage? Are you really going on stage with a performance like this?"
One roar after another thundered through the practice room. The mentors' anger shook the contestants' hearts. Jun did not bow his head like his teammates. He stood straight, keeping his sight on the wall behind Keys, though he also felt afraid to meet the mentors' eyes.
"You two, even if it's not to enhance the listener's experience, can't you help your teammates cover up the lacking parts in their rap with harmonies? This section is perfect for a high note!" Mariam's fierce gaze made the chorus leaders bow their heads further.
"Xavi, memorize everything. TODAY. Do you hear me? Memorize everything today!"
"Daeho, your pitch could be better here!"
"Jun, you have flow and technique, but you don't know where to emphasize or how to play with the dynamics!"
Even Jun received a harsh barrage of words. It was the first time since he had traveled back in time.
Ahhh, my panda eyes… are not going away soon. he inwardly wailed.
Today, the word sorry resounded more than a dozen times.
The mentors' anger only subsided an hour later. The four bowed toward the door as the two left. Once they disappeared, the trainees slumped to the floor like deflated balloons.
"Everyone."
Jun clapped thrice to get their attention, then added, "We heard our mentors' evaluation today. But criticisms are not a reason to be discouraged. They should be our driving force. We still have a few days to perfect our parts. For now, let's take a break and be back here in 10 minutes."
Withstanding those two's outbursts had not been easy. Nobody liked being scolded. Or rather, it was an experience no one wanted to endure. If even he felt drained, his peers felt the same. Thinking of this, he announced a break.
"Seth, are you okay?" Jun worriedly approached their youngest member, noticing him remaining in the room instead of leaving.
Seth kept his eyes on the floor and asked in a low voice, "Brother, did I do that terribly?"