dkrc Chapter 1524 Clam System
Chapter 1524 Clam System
Chapter 1524 Clam System
After being bluntly told by Chi Jingyuan, the trainees were all somewhat terrified, and the entire D-class practice room instantly fell into a deathly silence.
The trainees fell silent, their shoulders drooping. They knew their own situation and their own level. Apart from a very few who didn't perform well on the evaluation stage, the vast majority of them ultimately lacked solid skills and had too weak a foundation.
I could still comfort myself in private, but now that even Chi Jingyuan has said it so bluntly, it's really a big blow.
"so……"
Chi Jingyuan glanced around, seeing that the atmosphere was right, and didn't want to hurt anyone's pride any further. His voice was clear and strong, penetrating the quiet of the room.
We need to work even harder.
"Nei~"
The crowd responded weakly, almost instinctively.
"The sound is so soft?"
Chi Jingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly: "Is this your determination?"
One sentence instantly enlightened everyone.
The next second, all the trainees in Class D raised their heads in unison, straightened their backs, and shouted with all their might, "Yes!!"
"OK, let's jump it one more time."
Chi Jingyuan stood at the front of the group, personally demonstrating the standard movements and breaking down every detail of the force exertion.
"When dancing, don't use all your strength; hold back a little. When you do use strength, keep your core engaged, as a lot of power comes from your core."
"You must keep your eyes on the camera. This is the most important thing for an idol. Even if you are standing at the back, you must keep your eyes on the camera."
After teaching for a while, Chi Jingyuan divided everyone into two groups because there were too many people and it was difficult to pay attention to the details.
He provided meticulous guidance, correcting each student's footwork, arm arc, and turning rhythm one by one. He also generously shared several of his own dance tips as an idol, such as how to memorize movements and follow the beat.
The mentors' dedicated guidance was very valuable, especially for someone like Chi Jingyuan, who is a top idol who has worked his way up from the bottom. Soon, the performance of both groups of trainees improved noticeably.
Soon it was the second group's turn to play, and Kim Min-joo was among them.
The music started again... but after watching for a short while, Chi Jingyuan frowned.
Her steps were unsteady, her center of gravity was always unstable, and every movement seemed hesitant.
The most problematic thing was that her eyes kept darting around throughout, and she frequently glanced unconsciously at her teammates.
It's that feeling of being completely unsure whether the next move will be like this.
It's worth noting that Chi Kyung-won just emphasized the importance of eye contact.
Halfway through the jump, Chi Jingyuan suddenly raised his hand and called for a stop.
He stared straight at Kim Min-joo.
“Kim Min-joo…”
"Nei~"
Kim Min-joo immediately tilted her head back, forcing a stiff smile, and straightened her back as if to appear calm, but the pretense on her face was obvious.
"What are you doing?"
Chi Jingyuan looked at her and asked the question again.
"..."
These five simple words made Kim Min-joo pause instantly, unsure of what to say. Her smile appeared awkward, and she stood there helplessly.
"Why don't you look at the camera or me while dancing? You keep looking to the side the whole time."
Chi Jingyuan's voice was somewhat deep as he pointed to her teammate beside her: "Is she that attractive to you?"
Although it seemed like a joke, no one around dared to laugh.
"..."
Kim Min-joo's fingertips curled slightly, feeling utterly embarrassed.
Ji Kyung-won is a very experienced dancer, and he can tell at a glance that Kim Min-joo is always looking at others for no other reason than that she hasn't memorized the moves, lacks confidence when dancing, and wants to copy others.
Not only did he not remember the moves, but he also didn't jump well.
"Again."
Chi Jingyuan didn't say anything more, only uttering two words to indicate that the drill should continue.
The music started again...
However, Kim Min-joo's condition not only did not improve, but worsened.
Excessive tension, embarrassment, and anxiety completely disrupted her rhythm. Her mind went blank, and the movements she had barely memorized became chaotic. She missed and mis-beated more and more frequently, and her actions of peeking at her teammates became more and more obvious. Her overall performance was even worse than last time.
"stop."
Halfway through the jump, Chi Jingyuan called for a stop again.
This time, the call to halt was noticeably stronger.
The assistant immediately and tacitly turned off the background music.
In an instant, the huge practice room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
After stopping, Kim Min-joo sensed something was wrong. Her heart sank, and she keenly noticed that the atmosphere was off.
She hurriedly raised her hand and awkwardly smoothed her hair.
"He kept glancing to the side."
Chi Jingyuan frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on her.
"..."
Kim Min-joo's forced smile completely crumbled, her lips drooped slightly, and she looked extremely miserable.
"besides……"
Chi Jingyuan tilted his head slightly, quietly observing her expression, his tone tinged with confusion: "Why do I always get this feeling that 'my life is so miserable' whenever I see your expression?"
"It makes people feel very depressed and burdened."
"Are you really that insecure?"
Ji Jingyuan spoke to Kim Min-joo with a serious expression, and Kim Min-joo was indeed feeling very bitter and distressed.
I thought she didn't actually intend to participate in PD48 this time. Although she was a trainee, she was in the acting department and had been working hard to become an actress.
But the company doesn't have any long-term plans; they just pull her in to participate as an idol whenever they see an opportunity.
When I finally got here, my skill level was far inferior to others. I had prepared diligently for my first performance, but my lack of skill was something I couldn't make up for. When I stood up to dance, I felt very awkward. Being looked at by those trainees and mentors felt like I was being publicly executed.
He was criticized harshly by the mentors. I thought that because of our previous collaboration, Chi Jingyuan would be a little more lenient and give him a smile.
I never expected to receive such a hurtful response: "What are you doing?"
The days after moving into the dormitory were even more difficult. She was surrounded by trainees who were all incredibly competitive and competitive. The trainees in her D group were all of average skill, and the atmosphere wasn't very good. She didn't know any friends, and after a few days, she felt completely lonely and lost.
Today, Chi Jingyuan publicly called her out again, and all her suppressed emotions finally broke down.
A few simple questions seemed to be the last straw that broke her spirit.
"Even if your foundation is weak, you can make up for it in other ways. The first thing is to be confident..."
As Ji Jingyuan was still speaking, he suddenly saw tears falling unexpectedly from Kim Min-joo's face.
It wasn't a hysterical breakdown or sobbing; it was a look of bewilderment, bitterness, and helplessness as she shed tears. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and she kept wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, but the more she wiped, the more tears she shed.
When Ji Kyung-won saw Kim Min-joo suddenly burst into tears, he was speechless for a moment.
The reason he paid attention to Kim Min-joo was primarily because the girl's appearance was outstanding, which contrasted sharply with her abilities, making her stand out.
Secondly, we had worked together before, and although we weren't close, we still had a connection, so it was natural for me to want to help him out.
He felt he hadn't said anything, and he didn't know if the girl was under a lot of pressure, but she just burst into tears.
The VJ and the on-site PD saw Ji Kyung-won cry while training Kim Min-joo, but instead of finding it strange, their eyes lit up with surprise and delight. They thought it was great material for the show, much more interesting than the mundane practice scenes.
The trainees standing nearby felt a pang of pity as they watched Kim Min-joo shed tears, but also a subtle envy.
Everyone knows that being personally selected and given individual guidance by Chi Jingyuan is a rare opportunity.
...Not to mention being scolded to tears.
Many people secretly wished they could take Chi Kyung-won's place and have him teach them a lesson.
Kim Min-joo was still crying, not in a way that signified a complete breakdown, but rather a feeling of grievance, bitterness, and helplessness, constantly wiping away tears.
Chi Jingyuan watched her wipe away her tears silently, without feeling any pity. Instead, he frowned slightly and asked, "Do you really feel wronged?"
He stood there with his hands on his hips, looking at Kim Min-joo. He wanted to say something more, but then he looked at her short face, slightly high cheekbones, and that dark green dress...
And his face was full of bitter and aggrieved expression, listless and helpless.
For some reason, the image of the 'Sad Frog' that I had seen before and that was quite popular online suddenly appeared in my mind's eye.
The same somber undertone, the same bitter expression and downcast brows, the same clam-shaped face, the same wronged and innocent look...
In that instant, the image of the sad frog in his mind perfectly overlapped with the image of Kim Min-joo in front of him, causing his thoughts to suddenly veer off course and a strong sense of absurdity to well up inside him.
Just a second ago, Chi Jingyuan was frowning and about to scold someone, but he paused for a moment, and the next second he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Pfft..."
The crisp laughter sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet practice room.
All the trainees and staff were stunned, looking completely bewildered and unable to figure out what was going on.
Why did you suddenly start laughing when you were giving a serious lecture?
Kim Min-joo was still wiping away tears.
Upon hearing this, Jin Min felt even more aggrieved and looked up at him with teary eyes.
"no……"
Sensing the strange looks coming from those around him, Chi Jingyuan waved his hand to suppress his embarrassment.
He looked at Kim Min-joo, suppressing a laugh, and said quickly, "Tell me, how is there any difference between you looking like this now, wearing these clothes, with this miserable look on your face?"
As he spoke, Chi Jingyuan took out his phone, quickly searched for a picture of a sad frog, and shoved it in front of Kim Min-joo.
"See for yourself."
Kim Min-joo looked down, her eyes blurry with tears.
On the screen, the dark green frog had droopy eyelids and downturned mouth, looking bitter, resentful, and aggrieved.
Looking at myself again, in my dark green training uniform and with a miserable face... it's more than just a resemblance.
A surge of extreme absurdity and shame instantly overwhelmed me.
The tears that had been flowing endlessly suddenly stopped, caught in her eyes.
"I...uh, pfft..."
She habitually pursed her lips, her voice trembling with tears, her eyes still glistening with moisture, yet she couldn't help but find the scene hilarious. Her lips twitched uncontrollably, a mixture of crying and laughing, a wry smile, and a touch of embarrassment and awkwardness, making her expression appear distorted and strange.
It looks even more like it!
When the trainees around saw Ji Kyung-won's actions, and saw him show Kim Min-joo his phone, Kim Min-joo's expression changed instantly, and they all couldn't help but go over to look out of curiosity.
After seeing the sad frog on Ji Kyung-won's phone, she immediately turned to look at Kim Min-joo for comparison. Both had similarly sorrowful faces, and their short faces and big eyes already gave them a somewhat frog-like appearance, coupled with their dark green clothes...
Instantly, everyone broke into a frenzy, and low laughter rose and fell.
The originally oppressive and heavy atmosphere was completely broken by this sudden reversal, and suddenly became comical and lighthearted.
Upon seeing this, the VJ immediately carried the camera closer and accurately captured the phone screen and Kim Min-joo's expression of mixed emotions of crying and laughing.
"Do you think it looks like it?"
After laughing, Ji Kyung-won looked at Kim Min-joo, who was wiping away her tears with a tissue.
"..."
Kim Min-joo actually felt a bit like it too, feeling both embarrassed and awkward. She could only habitually wear a bitter expression, but after just a second, she thought of the sad frog from earlier, and her expression instantly relaxed. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"If you cry again, I'll show you this."
Chi Jingyuan made a threat.
He ended the conversation with a joke, his previous playfulness vanished, and he looked up and glanced around, his gaze slowly sweeping over all the D-class trainees.
They are all kids with very average basic skills, whose level can't keep up with the others, and who don't seem to have much confidence.
After thinking for a moment, he took a breath, softened his tone, and stopped asking them to continue dancing. He was also less serious than before, showing more gentleness and patience.
"Did you all feel burdened and sad after being assigned to Group D?"
"Do you feel that you are far behind the trainees in the previous groups, with a significant gap in skill? Looking at the outstanding trainees in Class A and Class B, whose skills and foundations far surpass yours, the gap is obvious, and you feel a lot of pressure?"
Chi Jingyuan looked at them and asked softly.
"..."
The trainees all lowered their heads, silently pursed their lips, and no one responded.
"And you, sadness... Kim Min-joo."
Chi Kyung-won's gaze returned to Kim Min-joo, and he almost blurted out "Sad Frog".
"You really have no confidence when you dance. Are you insecure about dancing, or are you insecure about yourself as a whole?"
"..."
"If it's the latter, there's nothing I can do, but... actually, when it comes to dancing, if you find the right method and rhythm, even if you just memorize the moves and practice more, you can improve a lot in a short time."
These words instantly captured the attention of all the girls, who all looked up and listened attentively.
He didn't mince words, slightly raising his eyes and speaking with a reminiscent expression:
“When I first joined SM and entered EXO’s debut group, I also encountered a similar situation. Although I had professional teachers to teach me dancing before, my level was still far behind that of the other members who had practiced for many years.”
"It's not modesty, it's true that I'm far behind."
Seeing the disbelieving looks on Kim Min-joo's and others' faces, Ji Kyung-won nodded seriously and repeated, "I won't talk about you guys, the gap is even bigger than between Group F and Group A."
"So, mentor, what happened to you later...?" someone asked tentatively.
"Let's practice."
Chi Jingyuan smiled faintly.
“I am also a very competitive person. When I see that I am far behind others, I feel very uncomfortable, burdened, and under a lot of pressure.”
"At that time, there were still more than two months before my debut. I was determined. For the first month, I was in the practice room almost day and night. Of course, the teachers at the company also took good care of me and guided my dance every day."
"Besides that, there's also the living environment. Because I'm about to debut, I moved into SM's trainee dorms. My previous living conditions... well, they were pretty good. But the dorm environment... well, let's just say it's not great..."
Chi Jingyuan suddenly chuckled and shook his head: "Anyway, it's really not something I'm used to all of this all of a sudden."
"But it's for debuting, after all."
At this point, Chi Jingyuan didn't go on to recount the hardships, but simply shrugged and laughed, "Since I've chosen this path, I have to give it my all."
All the girls present were stunned, staring blankly at Chi Jingyuan in front of them.
In particular, Kim Min-joo had personally visited his private villa and witnessed his extremely luxurious lifestyle, and was well aware of his affluent family background and top-notch talent.
Such a person, born with an aura and starting point far exceeding that of ordinary people, is still willing to lower his status, endure extreme hardship, and face huge gaps and disparities in order to debut and for the stage.
Compared to that, their current pressure and sense of loss seem insignificant.
"Alright, I've said so much just to give you more confidence and to encourage you to work harder."
Chi Jingyuan didn't chat much. He finished his conversation, looked around again, and briefly exchanged glances with each trainee: "Confidence is about letting you know that the gap can be closed, and working harder means practicing with even more dedication."
“I’m not saying you didn’t work hard before, but we are already much worse than those in Class A and Class B. They also worked very hard, so we need to work even harder.”
"Is it possible?"
"Inside!"
The encouragement was very effective; a thunderous, unison response echoed throughout the practice room, completely dispelling their previous listlessness and timidity.
Even Kim Min-joo, whose eyes were still red just moments before, straightened her back, raised her head and puffed out her chest, and spoke loudly with all her might for the first time.
"Of course, hard work is one aspect, but some guidance or tips are also needed."
Chi Jingyuan clapped his hands, signaling the staff to play the accompaniment again: "Come on, let's get into a good mood and continue practicing..."
A new round of practice has officially begun.
……
A VJ, carrying a camera, meticulously recorded the entire scene.
Watching the D-class trainees, who were clearly more dedicated, confident, and motivated, and seeing Ji Kyung-won earnestly correcting their movements, patiently guiding them, and sharing his own dance experience, the VJ in charge of filming couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The results of this shoot are sure to be great.
especially……
VJ looked at Kim Min-joo.
This trainee is definitely going to be a hit.
...Even now, when he looks at this face, he can't help but think of that thing, the Sad Frog.