Chapter 8
Tap… tap tap…
As soon as User A posted on the community, comments started pouring in.
[Title: No-spoiler review of Fight for DI-World 1st Evaluation (live audience)]
No, Jua and Moon Hayan absolutely killed it.
- Moon… Hayan?
- The C-grade girl…?
- No, Jua was pretty good too, maybe because she’s experienced.
A had attended the live recording two days ago.
They weren’t a fan of anyone in particular—just went out of curiosity.
So there was no reason to get overly emotional about some random evaluation.
But A was furiously replying anyway.
└ Moon Hayan was seriously insane; I’m dying that I can’t say more. you can look forward to it for real ㅠ;;;;;;
└└ Sure, next delusional Hayan fan.
“I’m not even her fan (yet), you idiots.”
A threw their phone.
Onto the bed, not the floor.
Thu d. It landed harmlessly on the blanket.
It was frustrating not being able to describe anything before the broadcast aired.
I thought back to that day.
* * *
“Team 3 doesn’t seem that exciting. Maybe Tak Ji-eum? The song choice is meh…”
A fiddled with their audience wristband.
A message popped up.
Are you going to RayOn’s busking tomorrow? Just try it once.
[Who the hell is RayOn, you nerd.]
[They’re a flop group but… please just come once.]
[…] I’ll think about it after watching Fight for DI-World.
A covered their phone screen and replied.
They’d applied for the recording because life lacked dopamine.
But now that they were there, expectations were low.
Maybe stanning a flop idol group with guaranteed fan service would be better than watching this corrupt survival show.
Still—
You need your heart to race to truly stan someone.
A was tired of wandering around K-pop aimlessly.
The MC began quickly.
“Next, Team 3 will take the stage. Moon Hayan, Jeon Minsu, No Jua, Tak Ji-eum, and Chen Xiaojing, please come forward.”
“Hello, we’re Team 3. Please enjoy!”
“—Huh?”
A held their breath.
Where did that girl from the first evaluation go?
Back then, Hayan had cute, ash-blonde, short hair.
Now—
Platinum blonde.
A flashy scarf blouse. White riding pants. A cape draped over her shoulders.
Where did that girl go?!
While the other members wore simple school uniforms, she looked completely different.
Why is she the only one dressed like a prince?
“What would you like to say before the performance?”
“We prepared like a letter to someone we once loved from afar. We hope you enjoy it.”
The lights went out.
The audience was still slightly noisy.
Click.
A spotlight turned on.
A slow flute melody began.
On stage were a bed, bookshelf, and desk.
A library? Or a bedroom?
Minsu and Xiaojing organized books.
Ji-eum lay on the bed.
Jua flipped through pages in a chair.
A tilted their head.
Wait… isn’t someone missing?
Hayan wasn’t on stage.
Only four members began singing.
Maybe
Just maybe
From long ago
From somewhere far away
I’ve been watching you
The melancholy flute faded, replaced by vibrant synth sounds.
Between the cracks of repetitive days
This emptiness remains
The music shifted, gaining energy.
Island-style rhythm layered over the synth, creating a strange mix of calm and excitement.
Still—
No, Hayan.
What? She doesn’t even appear until the end of verse one?
Then—
Silence.
Suddenly, glockenspiel notes rang out.
Hayan walked slowly from the back of the stage.
She placed her hands behind her back and bowed toward the members.
The audience went still.
Holy…
Without lyrics, she began a solo dance during the instrumental bridge.
She spun—
Her cape flared dramatically under the spotlight.
Wait. How many spins is that?
One.
Two.
Three.
Four consecutive spins.
The cape swirled beautifully, like a music box doll under bright lights.
The members slowly gathered around her.
What should I do with this loneliness
Like a child sitting down
Jua hugged the book she held.
Her lips trembled slightly as she sang.
Was she always this good?
The emotion in her face pulled the audience in.
Because I’m a fool
I always thought
You’d stay by my side
The music felt warm, like a fairy tale.
Fairy tale?
The books were visible now:
The Little Prince. The Frog Prince. The Swan Prince.
It clicked.
Hayan was the prince from their childhood stories.
Was Moon Hayan always this …?
Her makeup was bold.
Sharp brows.
Defined shadow.
Platinum hair.
She looked exactly like a storybook prince.
Though her lines were fewer than others, her presence was the strongest.
I wish she had more parts.
Just then—
Maybe
Just maybe
From long ago
From somewhere far away
I’ve been watching you
It repeated.
Hayan’s part.
The audience gasped.
She danced to each member one by one.
Spun Ji-eum by the waist.
Turned Xiaojing’s chair.
Knelt before Jua and spun with her.
Finally—
She lifted Minsu from the bed and stepped into a dance.
Am I allowed to see something this intense?
Minsu’s long skirt and Hayan’s cape filled the stage.
Then—
Rustle.
Rustle.
A page-turning sound echoed every time they stepped.
The choreography tightened into perfect synchronization.
I can only wish
For more than just your happiness
The killing part.
Hayan hit the high note.
Jua took the ending harmony.
This is insane.
Was this a trainee stage?
It felt like the intro and final chorus were conversing across time.
The storm of high notes settled.
The members gathered in the center.
I’ll always wish
For your happiness
Hayan spun once more—
And walked off stage without looking back.
Where are you going, Hayan?!
Somehow, she had become “Hayan-ie” in A’s mind.
The members, once somber, now smiled brightly.
***
Backstage
Hayan collapsed onto all fours the moment she entered.
I almost died.
Staff rushed over.
She barely held herself together.
Was this exhausting me that much?
She had even held her breath at the end to avoid heavy breathing noises.
No time to recover.
They were called back out.
Moosung flipped through his papers.
“Team 3… hmm.”
The members stiffened.
“You’re completely different from two days ago.”
Their hearts dropped—
Then returned.
“Is that praise or what?”
It was praise.
Another trainer asked,
“Did you all decide on this concept together?”
“Hayan suggested most of it.”
Minsu answered.
The trainer’s face lit up.
Good thing I remembered that challenge video.
She had once filmed a viral challenge in a huge dress.
The flowing fabric had hidden her stiff dancing lines.
She couldn’t wear a dress here—
So she reinterpreted it into a prince concept with a cape.
Simple strategy.
Effective.
“In two days, this is amazing. The song was disadvantageous to you.”
Then why give it to us?
She nodded enthusiastically.
“You overcame all the disadvantages—time, skill gaps—and delivered both creativity and completion. And changing the center? Good choice.”
Even Jua received praise.
“And I never imagined this song interpreted with a performance like that. My eyes were drawn naturally.”
Tango elements helped.
Unfamiliar for idols.
Risky—
But it worked.
Then—
“Last time, only Ji-eum’s vocals stood out. But this time… Hayan too. Though her pitch goes up and gets unpleasant, and she struggles to reach.”
Hayan had used the item “Break Through the Ceiling.”
Two-day buff.
Up to 3-octave G.
That’s how she hit the high note.
“But—”
She swallowed.
“Even if you can reach high notes, your vocal technique is unstable. You rely too much on nasal tone. You need to find a safer foundation.”
“…Yes.”
“You should abandon that unstable technique.”
Her eyes trembled slightly.
Abandon it?
She had used that vocal tone her entire trainee and idol career.
It matched her image.
It was part of her identity.
The evaluation shook her foundation.
After all performances ended—
The final grades for the second evaluation were announced.
