Chapter Fifty: Darkly Sexy

with each other.Chi Jingyuan put on his glasses and continued sitting there, starting to play games."Knock knock."After waiting for about ten minutes, the door of the waiting room suddenly creaked op..."I choose Tzuyu."

Qi Jingyuan's tone was natural and concise, without any foreshadowing. It sounded like choosing Zhou Tzuyu was a very normal and natural thing to do.

"Hmm... Ah"

Two completely different voices came one after another. Park Ji-young first nodded in agreement, meaning you chose Lim Nayoung, that's no problem, I approve, and a second later, she suddenly reacted with surprise, exclaimed in astonishment, her long eyes even widening slightly as she turned to look at Ji-seong, her eyes full of meaning: Did I hear wrong or did you say it wrong

Actually, there's no need to comment. At a glance, you can tell who performs better on stage between these two. Plus, you praised Lim Na-yeon for so long, but in the end, you chose Zhou Tzuyu, someone you barely even want to talk about.

You serious

Chou Tzu-yu, who was originally preoccupied and heartbroken, with her gaze slightly out of focus, suddenly heard her name. She paused abruptly, then quickly regained her composure and turned to look in the direction of Ji Jingyuan. The tightly held corners of her lips involuntarily parted slightly, revealing a pair of questioning eyes that blinked rapidly, appearing dazed.

“Yeah, I chose Tzuyu.”

Feeling different gazes from various directions, Ji Jingyuan seemed very normal and didn't respond to Park Jin-young's gaze. Instead, he looked at Zhou Tzuyu straight ahead. Seeing the stunned girl, he blinked lightly and casually twitched his mouth: "This show isn't about selecting idols, is it It's not about selecting singers."

There was a hint of evasion in Ji-young's response to Park Jin-young, which didn’t seem to bother him. Tzuyu's eyes met his across the room. Looking into Ji-young's clear and gentle gaze, Tzuyu seemed to instantly understand the true meaning behind his words, even without any verbal exchange or hints.

Your stage presence isn't great, your singing is average and you even went out of tune. Your performance was ordinary, your body was stiff, your expressions were tense, your stage manners were awkward, and you couldn't handle the style of this song at all. I'm embarrassed to lie and give you a good review, you're really far behind someone like Lim Na-yeon.

But, I chose you.

Who told you that you are Zhou Tzuyu

After understanding the other person's gaze, Zhou Tzuyu stared blankly at the figure on the judging panel for two seconds, her mouth slightly agape, not knowing what to say. Immediately afterward, a strong emotion burst forth in her body, like a warm current, or perhaps sweet spring water, flowing through her veins at an unimaginable speed. She could only feel that her entire body seemed to have softened considerably.

Just now, the feeling of loss and sadness in my heart melted away like thin snow under the warm sun, disappearing completely. Only a faint trace remained, something for her to cherish and savor later.

She really wanted to say something at this moment, or flash him a brilliant smile. Unfortunately, she was on stage right now.

“………”

Park Jin-young was clearly shaken by Ji-won's explanation. He gave Tzuyu another scrutinizing look, then tentatively asked, "Ji-won, do you think Tzuyu has the potential to be an idol"

"That's it."

He nodded and Chi Jingyuan didn't say much. Honestly, this kind of choice with obvious bias was actually not very suitable for a judge.

Look down below, just moments ago she was smiling so beautifully and confidently, her face flushed with anticipation after being praised by him. But in an instant, Lin Na-yeon's expression darkened. She licked her lips then forced a stiff smile. Her expression immediately became strained. Even though she quickly managed to regain composure, anyone could tell that something was wrong. Her mood clearly wasn't good; she must be angry and dissatisfied right now.

What do you mean by 'being an idol' Didn't you just say I have the aura of an idol and a star

Although the other trainees seated on both sides of the stage didn't speak, their expressions and eyes were also quite obvious, seeming to be astonished by Chi Jingyuan's choice. They appeared rather confused about Chi Jingyuan's criteria as a judge.

Only a few who knew the inside story had more perceptive eyes, like Yu Deok Yeon, who looked at Lim Na-yeon with pity, as if feeling sorry for his good friend being treated unfairly.

Like Minan, she first glanced at Tzuyu, then her gaze looked a little complicatedly at Ji-gyeong up above. This kind of obvious preference should have made people unhappy, but she didn't feel that way. Instead, there was a strange and inexplicable sense of envy.

"Is that so"

After observing Zhou Tzuyu below for a while, Park Jin-young lightly nodded and didn't dwell on it any further. Anyway, as a judge, it was Ji Kyeongwon's freedom to choose whoever he wanted. Maybe this would even spark more discussion if aired like this. After all, the final decision was in his hands.

"Two judges chose Nayeon and Tzuyu, as for me…"

Picking up the phone, Park Jin-young started with a very professional critique, but the focus was still on Im Nayoung. He both criticized and praised her, clearly pointing out her strengths and weaknesses, saying it very accurately. It was evident that he had high expectations for her.

Chou Tzu-yu's words were just two sentences following along, mainly focusing on her lack of strength.

There's really nothing much to say. Her song choice and stage performance exposed her weaknesses, especially her lack of singing ability, flawlessly.

As expected, Park Jin-young's final vote went to Lim Na-yeon. Just moments ago, she had become anxious and worried that she might be unexpectedly eliminated, but now the first person to lose was suddenly relieved. She quickly bowed and thanked PDni for his fairness before, under everyone’s gaze, taking off the nametag from Zhou Ziyu's neck, which symbolized her "major" status.

The two switched places, strutting in high heels to the 'Morcha Seung' side and sat down. Zhou Tzuyu noticed the numerous stares coming from the side but didn't mind too much. After sitting quietly for a few seconds, she suddenly realized that even if she fell into the 'Chae Seong Group' and risked being eliminated, she didn't feel much loss or sadness.

Perhaps the initial anxieties and sorrows were overshadowed by another kind of emotion. For some reason, her heart felt surprisingly calm, mingled with a touch of emotion and even joy.

She couldn't help but look up at Ji-yeong, who was laughing and chatting with Park Jin-young, completely ignoring her. She lightly wrinkled her nose.

What are you doing like this...

……

"The singing was really good, but the stage presence and charisma were much weaker compared to the vocal skills. The contrast made it a little awkward. The overall performance lacked some individuality... Why did I feel so unconfident You have such strong talent, I think you could smile more, or add some hand gestures or expressions, it would be more lively."

Facing the two people who had just performed, Ji Jingyuan looked at Park Ji-won on his right and spoke with a slight regret.

The two performers in this group are Park Chil-won and Yu Deon-yeon. The latter is known to Chik-yeong, the younger sister of Kong Seung-yeon, but the two aren't familiar with each other at most they can exchange greetings. So he immediately lost his previous bias and became more serious and objective.

This Park Jimin's singing voice is pretty good, but perhaps because of his appearance or other reasons, he always gives off a timid and reserved feeling. Compared to the confident and bright Lin Na Yeon just now, even with some exaggerated expressions and gestures, they are simply two extremes.

As for this stage, the singing is good, but it's not suitable to be an idol.

After Park Ji-won politely bowed to express his gratitude, Ji-yeong turned to Yu Jung-yeon beside him: “Did that just become a comedy moment”

"Well then." Yu Dingyan chuckled suddenly and nodded generously.

"Ding Yan's stage presence is quite good, she has a star quality... However, her imitation of the original singer's expressions wasn't very good, and it looked a bit exaggerated when compared to you. But because she was confident, it actually added some stage charm. Sometimes, confidence determines victory or defeat."

Chi Jingyuan looked at her and simply said a few words. After finishing, he pointed to Yu Dingyan and suddenly laughed: "By the way, your hairstyle looks good."

"Haha, congratulations, Misato." Upon hearing this praise, Yu Dingyan couldn't help but laugh out loud and bow in thanks.

The contest between these two stood out. Park Ji-won has a decent voice and can hit the high notes, but unfortunately, due to various reasons, there's always a sense of dejection about her. She doesn't look like an idol or celebrity at all, coming across as very amateurish. Yoon Jin-seo didn't sing particularly well this time either, however, her performance was full of confidence and she let loose, immediately establishing a stronger presence.

I can only say that for idols, strength is really not the most important thing, charm is.

I have chosen Yeon.

"I choose Yeon."

After Park Bo-young's evaluation, the three people unanimously chose Yu Dingyan. The 'underachievers group' Park Ji-won's challenge failed.

The next round will be interesting, it's not a solo between two people, but three people playing 1v1v1.

When Li Cai issued a challenge to Minazuki Sashina, Kim Dohyun, another member of the 'Underachievers' group, also chose Minazuki Sashina as his opponent, and the three ended up bumping into each other.

Among them, Minazuki Sanya is the idol trainee from Neon Genesis that Kejing Yuan met once at CB. Kim Dohyun is a high school student who had an interaction with him once during last month's program recording. Although they aren't close, they have met before.

The 'Major Group' inherently has one fewer person than the 'Minor Group', so there was bound to be a clash. What piqued Ji Jingyuan's interest was why both of them chose to target Kasaki Sashana as their opponent. It felt like this girl was an easy target, and they were all vying for her.

Tzuyu's skills are so good that no one can take her spot. Could it be that Sagara Sakika is weaker than Tzuyu

Ki Jingyuan gazed at Mizuki Asahina, who was wearing overalls and a hat, standing on the stage, grinning ear to ear as if she'd won something. He felt a flicker of anticipation stir within him.

The pants seem a little small and a bit tight.

The first performer, Kim Doyeon, is reportedly a popular influencer trainee. Park Chan-yeol had mentioned before that she has a famous "eagle dance", but Ji Sung-yoon hasn't seen it.

Her stage presence, how do I say... I don't know if it's a problem with her skill or the choreography. A solo song performance, watching the whole thing, didn't have much to offer. The movements weren't smooth and the force wasn't powerful. It looked like she was doing gymnastics on broadcast. Emphasizing vitality and health.

The highlight is that regardless of how the dance moves, the expression is pretty good, looking confident and infectious. Although the skills are average, the atmosphere is good, making it memorable.

Next up was Li Cai, and her dancing had noticeably improved. She danced with stability and good power. However, because of her young appearance and the choice of the song "Losentrol," she wasn't able to fully showcase her mature charm.

Ji Jingyuan lowered her head and looked at the data. It showed that she was born in 2001, two years younger than Zhou Tzuyu.

Looking at this, Ji Jingyuan suddenly felt that although he had only debuted for three years, the updating speed of the Peninsula music scene was a bit too fast. He had previously thought he was quite young, but first it was Zhou Tzuyu, and then these 00s trainees, making him feel like being born in 1994 was almost like belonging to the previous generation.

Finally, Minazuki Shizuka's stage was a bit eye-catching. Her performance of "Heartburn" was okay, though her one-wheel moves and strength weren't particularly outstanding compared to Li Cai Ling. However, her expressiveness and confidence were really great. Whether it was a smile or a serious expression, every facial expression she gave was just right, her emotional control was excellent.

Looking at Sana, Ji-won suddenly had a memory. He recalled seeing her perform on stage at a showcase hosted by two companies. Back then, he thought she had a lot of charisma but it was natural and not overwhelming.

Overall, he feels that Komatsu Sazanami, or sana's stage presence is very unique and has the most star quality.

As Sana took out her earpiece backstage, Park Jinyoung turned to her and asked, "How is it"

"Why doesn't this group sing, only dance" Ji Jingyuan didn't comment, but asked back with a puzzled tone.

These three trainees all danced solo, none of them had a shared microphone.

"It's also okay to simply showcase your dancing skills, you don't necessarily have to sing."

“Weren't the first two groups at a bit of a disadvantage” He glanced at Zhou Tzuyu and the others sitting beside him. Ji Jingyuan looked somewhat indignant.

"Haha…" Park Jin-young chuckled and shook his head, looking at the three people already standing on stage. "As long as you can showcase your skills and style."

Still, it was Suzy who spoke first. She seemed to appreciate Lee Chae-yeong more and gave her a lot of praise. She didn't have much praise for the other two, just simple comments.

It was Pool Jingyuan's turn. He looked at the camera with a very natural and expressive look, as if he had practiced it beforehand. Was he prepared "

"

"Ah, no," Minazuki Sashana hurriedly shook her head, her voice a bit sweet.

"That's natural, born talent," Pool Jingyuan spread his hands and looked at the bottom. He couldn't help but smile embarrassedly at the relentlessly waving Mimaki Sahana. After a pause, he continued, "Although the force of dancing isn't the best, it's very charming, especially the expressions and eyes..."

As he spoke, Pool Jingyuan stopped. He found that under the stage, Mizuki Sashana was pursing her lips, her jet-black eyes sparkling with anticipation as she stared straight at him. It felt like there was a fishhook hidden inside, just waiting to be caught.

Her eyes are really great, very expressive.

Isn't this a bit too straightforward

Ki Jingyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud, tilting his head slightly and blinking. He looked back without shying away, and the two pairs of eyes met in mid-air as if a battle had erupted, sparks flying between them. But after less than two seconds, Mizusaki Sashu declared her defeat, unable to contain herself and bursting into laughter before quickly covering her mouth and lowering her head.

"Heh heh."

With a chuckle, he turned to Li Cailing: "Cailing, your skills are impressive. Your strength and footwork really caught my eye. I even took a look at your age – it's amazing how good you are at dancing at such a young age..."

"May peace be with you."

I chose the colored collar.

"I chose Sana."

After commenting on the other two girls, Chik Jingyuan and Bae Suzy quickly made their choices.

If we talk about skills, Ji Jingyuan would choose Li Cai Ling. Her dancing is really good, I feel she's not inferior to Bian Berhyen.

But when it comes to overall evaluation targeting an idol, he still thinks Minatsuki Sazuki is better.

While Kim Do-hyun seemed to be a bit weaker on this stage.

"...After careful consideration, I've chosen Sana." Park Jin-young spoke at length, finally concluding with a summary: "The 'OR team' challenge has failed. Please return to your respective positions."

Three trainees walked back and forth, either with joy or disappointment. Interestingly, Mimazuku Sazanami even turned around to bow towards the judges' table, glanced at Kyeongwon Park, then turned and returned.

After the solo showdown between SOI and Song Min-young, recording paused for a short break.

The two performers on stage presented a stark contrast. One, though lacking in vocal ability, was undeniably attractive with a great figure. Even when singing poorly, their performance felt natural and infectious, clearly displaying the potential of a successful idol. The other possessed strong vocals but an average stage presence. They chose a high-difficulty song to showcase their talent, yet due to nervousness and a lack of confidence, they hit several off notes during the high pitches.

Song Min-young, who couldn't hold back her tears even before entering the backstage after resting, left Park Jung-won sighing with a heavy heart.

Although it's just a JYP trainee competition, it also reflects the reality of the music industry. Skill and effort can't always beat talent and luck; it's truly a cruel world.

Many teachers said that Min-young has a great talent for singing, and her singing skills are among the best in all the trainees. Park Jin-young also looked at the group of trainees walking backstage with a hint of regret, and briefly explained to Ji-seongwon.

"Well, it sounds like you know," Chi Jingyuan didn't deny it, he just nodded.

It's a pity that the strength couldn't be exerted, it's as if there was no strength at all.

“The amount recorded at the beginning was very good, Jingyuan your evaluation was very accurate. Just continue like this in the back… Actually, I think you can say a little more. You and Xiuzhi can also interact with each other. Don't have one person speak the entire thing and then the other person respond. I think that would make the effect even better.” After mentioning Song Min-ah, Park Jin-young proactively changed the subject.

"Bro, if you say so, I can give it a try later."

After a brief chat, Park Jin-young led the two away from their spot to check with the PD on the footage just shot. They discussed any issues or flaws in the recording and planned out the next steps.

After a while, the trainees all came back. Everyone returned to their positions and continued recording.

Seeing the two people on stage, Ji Jingyuan let out a soft breath and blinked.

I happened to meet Mingnan before, and I ran into him again this time.

Once, she was just an ordinary trainee who was considered somewhat sociable. Every time they met, he didn't pay much attention. But now, sitting in the judges' seat, after taking a good look at this girl, Chi Jingyuan suddenly felt something different in his heart.

He wasn't sure if it was the makeup, or just that he was comparing her to the people around her, but he realized that Nanami Minami was really pretty. She had a gentle and elegant air about her, and she stood out even among the idols he had seen before. She was definitely one of the more striking ones.

He also noticed that Minami Nan was glancing at him unintentionally when she stood on the stage, clearly not as calm as she appeared on the surface.

"Are you ready"

"Inside."

As the music began, the performance started. Ji Jingyuan changed his posture and looked forward with some anticipation, but after just a few words, a strange feeling arose in his heart.

This song selection…

Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love"

Isn't this a little suggestive song He remembers the lyrics describing some pretty edgy, embarrassing things. The word doesn't have an 18 rating but it could easily be a 15 .

> So this girl is wild too

Under the accompaniment, Nami Minami immediately changed her gentle smile and soft temperament just now. Her whole person became unrestrained and sexy, coupled with that face and the short impression she left before, a sense of contrast emerged on her body.

She wore a black dance costume with a midriff-baring design on both sides. Her movements were crisp and stretched, somewhat similar to the previous Mitama Sazanami, she wasn't particularly good at dancing, but her expressiveness was what stood out. Both her movements and expressions seemed to blend well with the atmosphere of the song.

Watching, watching, Chi Jingyuan suddenly chuckled softly. On stage, Nami Minami just made a very seductive movement. She squatted on the stage, her body's curves outlined, looking at the judges with alluring eyes, and even provocatively beckoned them with her hand, boldly displaying her sexiness and charm. Although slightly immature, paired with her appearance and gaze, it looked quite appealing.

From other people's perspectives, she might have just glanced at the judges' table formally. However, Ji Jingyuan knew in his heart that when Mingweinan's part came, her eyes were on him. When their gazes met, the other party casually hooked a finger towards him.

In his heart, Chi Jingyuan secretly smacked his lips. He felt that this stage, or perhaps the current Meiyuan Nan, was a bit subversive to his own impression of her.

Although she seemed a bit shy when facing herself at MissA's showcase last time, remembering her as a young girl who liked to keep her hands tucked in her sleeves and had a slightly stubborn attitude, I didn't expect that she could pull off this style of music and performance so well.

Every person is complex and of course, not simply one kind of personality.

Being a little more versatile is actually pretty good.

As the music ended, Naminori placed a confident End pose and bowed before leaving the stage. Park Ji-young also seemed somewhat surprised by the performance, exchanging glances with Ji Kyung-won and breaking into a smile before clapping.

After Naomi's performance, it was her opponent Jin Eun-seo's turn to perform.

Unfortunately, she had the same problem as Song Min-young earlier. Her jumps were good and the choreography was difficult, but she was too nervous and lacked confidence. As a result, she forgot some of the choreography in the middle.

This mistake is enormous.

Soon, Nami and Kim Eun-soo stood on the stage again. After a brief silence, Suzy took the microphone first. She smoothed her side curls and smiled at Nami who was standing straight.

"I don't think a and the stage style really match."

(The End)

First published by Chinese Traditional Novels Networkof June, almost a month has passed since the Dream concert.A half month ago, the production team of "Reply 1997" was already assembled. They first held a script reading session to get acquainted with...