[D-Block - Hot Trick Dance Proficiency 37%]
[Current Fatigue Level 69/100]
[Pay attention to fatigue management! Penalties will occur if fatigue exceeds 70.]
Sol’s fatigue level was already on the edge. Although it was written that a penalty would occur if the fatigue level exceeded 70, Sol was cautious as to what exactly that penalty might be. Even though Sol might not know at first that system shutdown equated to death, it was evident that a formidable penalty awaited. Sol decided to pay more attention to managing fatigue in the future.
Brief worries aside, Sol felt a sense of accomplishment, as the proficiency level had risen quite significantly. Despite cursing the system, there was a strange satisfaction in seeing the precise numerical representation of his actions.
Before things turned out like this, shortly after the accident happened. At that time, Sol also tried various efforts with his own determination. However, as everyone knew, there was no such system window in reality.
Sol was putting in an effort to overcome the situation, but he couldn’t tell if his efforts were yielding any results or progressing at all. Exhausted by the slow pace and feeling like he was getting nowhere, he eventually gave up.
It felt hopeless. No matter how hard Sol tried, nothing seemed to change. Even though he thought his efforts wouldn’t make a difference, as he observed, the clear increase in numbers gave him a different and distinct feeling.
With a vague sense of satisfaction, Sol closed the system window and closed his eyes once again. A dark world unfolded beneath his eyelids, and above it, a red light flickered. The living room’s light seeped into the dark room. Even with his eyes closed, Sol felt the light and subtly raised his head to gaze towards the doorway. Between the open door, a tall figure stood, backlit by the incoming light.
“Who’s there?”
“Haven’t slept yet? Did I wake you up?”
Squinting his eyes, Sol saw Tae-oh standing beneath the deep back light, his hair soaked. Since lying on the bed, Deuk-yong’s voice had been unusually loud, causing a brief disturbance. It seemed it was because Tae-oh had returned. After showering and tidying himself, Tae-oh grabbed a pillow and stood in front of the room that once belonged to him, looking at Sol.
Slightly surprised by the unfamiliar shadow, Sol looked at him with widened. Thanks to Ji-ho firmly tying his hair again, Sol’s face was clearly visible, and his changing expressions were revealed without any concealment.
“Is something wrong?”
“Can you wake up on time tomorrow?”
“Uh... yes.”
“If it’s too difficult, let’s sleep together. I’ll wake you up on time in the morning.”
Sol hesitated for a moment. While having the room to himself was more comfortable, repeating today’s events would not bring a positive response from Tae-oh or the other members. He didn’t want to go back to square one after finally making a small progress today. After a brief contemplation, Sol nodded towards Tae-oh.
As if already anticipating this answer, he brought a pillow and blanket, filling the room where Sol had been lying alone.
“I’ll wake you up at 9 AM tomorrow.”
With those words, Tae-oh didn’t say anything more. The only difference between being alone and having someone else was the occasional overlapping sound of breathing.
“Is your forehead okay?”
“Huh? Yes, yes.”
Breaking the slightly awkward silence, Tae-oh’s low voice echoed softly in the room. Startled by the sudden sound of Tae-oh’s voice, Sol responded nervously. Disliking his own reaction, Sol scrunched his face slightly in the darkness.
“I brought some medicine. I thought you might be sleeping... so I left it on the table. You can use it tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Should I bring it over? It might be better to apply it now.”
“No, I can... I’ll take care of it myself.”
“...Alright.”
It seemed that Tae-oh had been concerned about Sol’s forehead. Feeling a bit awkward and somewhat embarrassed, Sol touched his forehead. It looked rather unsightly. When Sol heard Tae-oh getting up from the bed, he hastily stopped him.
Sol didn’t want to bother someone who had just arrived with such matters, and he himself didn’t want to face Tae-oh amid this awkward atmosphere. Talking while hidden in the darkness, facing different directions, felt much more comfortable.
“By the way, I’ve been quite troublesome, but you keep taking care of me.”
Even though Tae-oh wasn’t exactly warm, Sol would be telling a bold-faced lie if he didn’t feel thankful for Tae-oh’s continued care. No matter how much one tried to be distant or reserved, the human heart tended to lean towards those who treated them kindly. Sol, looking towards the bed where Tae-oh lay, spoke almost as if talking to himself.
“I’ve mentioned it before. Your appearance is a big advantage, and I want to debut as soon as possible this time.”
“From now on, I’ll be careful, I promise.”
“If you continue on like this, there shouldn’t be any problems. Try to wake up early in the morning.”
“…Okay.”
However, the response that came back was a bit restrained. In response to Tae-oh’s answer, Sol instinctively nodded his head.
***
Tae-oh was diligent. If Sol were to pick someone to represent the word ‘diligent’ in his life, it would be Tae-oh. During the past three days they spent together, Tae-oh woke Sol up promptly at 9 AM, even when the alarm didn’t ring. Naturally, Sol didn’t get up right away, even when Tae-oh woke him up.
Despite making some effort and thinking, ‘This isn’t home,’ and ‘Tae-oh isn’t Yoo-han,’ there hadn’t been a single day when he woke up on time.
Honestly, he could’ve been scolded at least once, but Tae-oh seemed to have judged that there was no potential for improvement in Sol, and so he didn’t even try to get angry. Even though Tae-oh started waking Sol up at 9, it took Sol about 20 minutes to groggily get up. To compensate, Tae-oh finished all preparations and even got Sol’s bag and breakfast ready, waking Sol up before 9.
From time to time, Deuk-yong and Ji-ho would shake their heads while observing Tae-oh’s efforts, and witnessing Sol’s persistent difficulty in getting up, they would similarly shake their heads. Deuk-yong wasn’t much different from Sol, so he didn’t feel the need to add any words. Naturally, there was no opportunity for Tae-oh to apply the ointment he bought.
Despite having spent just a few days together, Sol had become quite accustomed to going to the practice room. At least, he had become accustomed to walking to the practice room on his own without feeling like he’s being dragged like a cow to the slaughterhouse, as it had been in the beginning.
Another comforting aspect was that when Sol began practicing in earnest, there was a noticeable change in how the other members treated him. While it wasn’t an exceptionally close or dramatic bond, but at least they seemed relieved that he wasn’t the complete bottom of the barrel in terms of personality and skill as they probably thought at the beginning.
Occasionally, when picking up bits of information from Ga-ram or Deuk-yong, it seemed that the people who came before Sol would either insult them or blatantly ignore them. Internally, Sol nodded his head. If those people had also faced a situation similar to his, the members, including Tae-oh, would have likely appeared as characters in a game for them.
Sol wasn’t as extreme, but he had some thoughts like that, so he felt a bit bitter. Sol looked around at the four people finishing their practice. It was vividly clear that they were sweating, to the point where it seemed excessive. As they spent all day together in the same dormitory, having such thoughts felt like committing a sin.
Ga-ram actually had little talent in dancing. It took him a long time to learn even one movement, and it didn’t come easily, so he practiced the same movements repeatedly dozens of times. Even then, if things didn’t progress, he would occasionally get frustrated.
Ji-ho, with a puppy-like appearance, was as cunning as a fox. And yet, he carefully looked after the younger members. Rumor had it that he had a lot of siblings. Perhaps that’s why he seemed to show particular favoritism towards Deuk-yong. Despite his scolding and teasing, he took care of the younger members like a true caring sibling. And above all, he sang exceptionally well.
Tae-oh had advised Sol to talk to Ji-ho when he seemed to struggle with vocal practice, but in reality, the gap in skill between them was so significant that it felt awkward to even ask.
Deuk-yong may seem blunt, but unlike his rough attitude, he was innocent, like his name. Perhaps because he was young, he followed everything easily. And he was someone who carried confidence along with those traits. He was so lively that sometimes, just by being around him, even Sol, who lacked enthusiasm, felt like he should be bouncing around with energy.
Tae-oh... Sol paused for a moment. Even though he spent the most time with Tae-oh, trying to summarize his thoughts about him left Sol somewhat speechless. It had only been three days, no, even less, but Tae-oh was always the last person to return to the dormitory. Every day, he stayed alone in the practice room, and the members didn’t even bother to ask if he would stay today, as if they were used to it.
As Sol briefly organized what he had gathered, Jiho clapped his hands, saying that everyone had worked hard. Suddenly, the familiar system window appeared before his eyes.
[D-Block - Hot Trick Dance Proficiency 81%]
[Current Fatigue Level 58/100]
Today, he was able to manage his fatigue level by taking breaks here and there. He had never exceeded 70 before. There had been close calls, though. His proficiency level had also risen considerably.
It wasn’t obvious, but Sol had made a lot of progress. At least in front of the four people who had seen him stumble several times, he had become somewhat adept at dancing. It seemed trivial, but it was a significant change.
Naturally, the members were the first to notice the changes in Sol. They didn’t show it, but the sharp and uncomfortable emotions that surfaced during practice had disappeared.
“Great job.”
Although other things still didn’t quite fit, the closing greetings were as precise as a well-sharpened knife. Like a chorus of unique voices, it resonated simultaneously.
