buildings. It's clear that the first episode of the Song Festival was very popular and generated a lot of discussion among viewers who just finished watching it.This is still before the heat has spre..."I don't think Mina's style really matches the stage."

Pei Suzy's voice was clear and melodious with a smile, very ladylike as she brushed the left curl behind her ear.

With a admiring gaze, she parted her red lips and looked down at Namine: "Did you choose this song yourself, Mina"

"

“Inside.”

"

Minami immediately picked up the microphone and softly replied.

“The song choice wasn't quite right, this style of music is actually quite difficult to handle. If someone lacks talent or experience, in order to express the sexy style in the dance, they might focus too much on superficial things, like some of the expressions given during the performance just now felt a bit overdone and didn't quite match the overall temperament. It felt a bit deliberate. By focusing too much on these aspects, they ended up neglecting the true infectiousness of the stage.”

Pei Suzy's smile was bright, and her lips painted with pomegranate red lipstick were also very beautiful. It was just that her smile was beautiful, but the comments she made were somewhat different from her expression. There weren't many compliments, instead mostly negative comments, it seemed that Nani Minami's stage performance really didn't impress her.

"..."

Listening to listening, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but turn his head to look at her. Although from the beginning to now as a judge, Pei Suzy had said a lot every time, but this time he always felt that the other party seemed to have a hint of aggression towards Nami Minami.

And no matter how he looked at it, he thought Namie Amuro's stage presence was pretty good. Although there were many shortcomings, the key was to compare her to others. Compared to the original singer Beyoncé, and even many artists who debuted with a sexy style, of course she was far behind in every aspect. But among the trainees who haven't debuted yet at JYP, in his opinion, at least her stage presence and charm were already pretty good.

That's pretty interesting.

After a quick glance, he turned back and looked down, his gaze settling on Minami.

Back on stage, Nan Min-i, who wore a skin-tight waist-bearing outfit earlier, now has a black and white polka dot jacket over her. The jacket widens her shoulders and conceals her body lines. It's as if the garment is a seal, covering up the carefree and sexy aura she exuded while performing the "Yellow Song" on stage just moments ago. In an instant, the woman standing on stage now has returned to the soft and gentle image we are familiar with.

Her hands were tightly clasped in front of her, clutching the microphone. Her fingers trembled occasionally, and her lips parted slightly, with her upper lip habitually curling up and then pressing together, betraying her nervousness. Her eyes stared steadily at the judges seated before her. However, her expression still held a good deal of confidence, as if she was fairly pleased with her recent performance.

Upon hearing Bae Suzy's more direct critique, she subconsciously bit her lip. After a light bow, her expression visibly fell. The eyes that had just been sparkling dimmed abruptly, and the confidence she had moments ago vanished at an alarming rate.

Even without a smile and confidence, Nan looked up at Suzy with her head held high, waiting for what she had to say. Her slightly extended neck seemed to express the stubbornness hidden within this seemingly meek girl.

"Although there was a mistake, the choreography is more challenging and skillful. She dances hip-hop and ballet well, leaving a deep impression on me. So one mistake isn't decisive."

After giving her two cents about Kim Eun-seo, Bae Suzy naturally transitioned to Nana with a smile: "As for Mina, how long have you been practicing"

"...a year."

Minami Mei paused for a moment and picked up the microphone to reply.

"No wonder, it's a little short. But even though there are quite a few flaws, it... is really beautiful, wow I can't help but be moved by it."

Her expression was sincere, and she even smiled while speaking, covering her mouth as if she genuinely liked Na-na's appearance. She then looked at Park Jin-young beside her: "PD nim, the company's vision is still so good."

"Hee hee…" Park Ji-young laughed and waved her hand.

"Peace be with you."

Upon hearing Suzy Bae's words, Naomi Nonaka squeezed out a somewhat strained smile in thanks. Her voice was weak and slightly hoarse, though it didn't differ much from before. However, when she bowed her head, she gripped the microphone with significantly more force.

His laughter sounded to her full of irony and mockery.

She knows how she looks, of course, but now is the time for stage performance and skill assessment. First, they point out so many flaws in her performance, making her seem like a complete failure, and then they praise her appearance, clearly implying that this stage has nothing else going for it besides being visually appealing.

And this is coming from Suzy Bae's mouth, the other party although smiling and praising, but Namin immediately saw what she meant.

Mingming had seen himself many times before, even purposely looking for trouble. Now he was pretending not to know her and asking about her practice time...

Thinking about how all the time and effort she'd put into practicing, her stage presence and abilities being completely ignored, and this woman who clearly looked down on her openly criticizing her, Nami just felt a tightness in her chest, it was really hard to take.

To be honest, if someone else said that, she wouldn't have this feeling. They might not understand but they would definitely accept it humbly. But it had to be Park Soo-ji, and in front of Ji-won... making her feel so embarrassed....

But she was utterly unable to refute it, and instead had to sincerely bow in gratitude for the compliment.

This feeling of grievance and unease grew increasingly intense, a nameless tide of tears welling up in my chest.

"Indeed, she's quite pretty."

Loss, sadness, grievance, anger, all these emotions were swirling inside Naminai, chaotically intertwined, dragging her down. She was engulfed by negative grief but couldn't find an outlet for it. Suddenly, a voice, incredibly familiar, reached her ears.

She couldn't help but bite her lip and look over. She found that Ji Jingyuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up. He didn't seem to notice the subtle interaction between Pei Suzy and Nami at all. Instead, he tilted his head and looked at Pei Suzy with approval, nodding in agreement as if agreeing with the other party's idea: "I think Minaxi shouldn't be in JYP. Why not consider ** Even if you don't write songs, I guess Mr. Lee Soo-man would definitely arrange for your debut."

}]

"Hahaha..." It could be heard that Chi Jingyuan was arranging himself again, but Park Jin-young didn't seem bothered at all. After laughing twice, he pointed at Chi Jingyuan as if somewhat helpless.

"This is actually a big advantage, after all, we are choosing idols, right" Park Jin-young said with a smile. After saying two sentences, Ji Kyeong-won turned his head to look at Nami Min below, squinting his eyes and looking straight into the other's eyes. Holding the microphone, he said in a gentle and smiling tone: "As Xiu Zhi xi said, there are indeed some flaws on stage, such as the hip hop part of this song's choreography is a bit awkward, the rhythm is not enough, and it feels like ballet. But the ballet part is really good, giving people a lot of enjoyment... Mini xi, how long have you practiced ballet"

"Well, I've been practicing for ten years."

Namie raised the microphone and answered softly, looking at Ji-yeong with her lips pursed.

Two judges each asked her a question, but the intent and impact on her mindset were completely different.

"That's quite a while No wonder."

Pool Jingyuan's expression was a little surprised when he heard this, he blinked his eyes and said with admiration, "It's like knowing it for the first time."

But actually, JYP had already put this information on his data sheet. He had seen it a long time ago.

"The ballet part was really nice to watch. And as for the song selection..." Park Jin-young beside him also nodded in agreement, and Ji Kyeong-won chuckled twice before turning his gaze to Naminori.

"Choosing this song is indeed bold, and the sexy style of dancing is definitely not easy to master. If it's not controlled well, it can look very strange. However, I think minaxi digested it quite well. Although there are obvious flaws in the dance, her stage presence and infectivity are both excellent, especially in terms of facial expressions. Some seductive and charming expressions are done very naturally without being pretentious, which is really rare."

Finally, Ji Jingyuan smiled and nodded at her.

"You did a great job."

"..."

She gently pressed her lips together, which she didn't know when they had parted slightly. Minami Nan looked up, listening to the other person's comments and encouragement. Throughout the whole process, her eyes were locked with those of Ji Jingyuan. By the end, she only felt that his gaze was gentle and brilliant, like the warm sunlight of spring, directly shining into her heart, dispelling all the unspoken worries. She enjoyed it so much that she didn't want to look away.

"But just the scene around her made her react quickly, she hurriedly raised the microphone and thanked: "Konnichiwa."

It's still the same voice, just a little faster. It sounds much more lively now.

"Although there were some mistakes on stage, En Shu's overall performance was quite good."

After finishing his statement, Chi Jingyuan's gaze lingered for a second before shifting to Jin Enshu beside him. He gave a brief evaluation and then cracked a joke:

"Mistakes sometimes happen. Even if you practice very well, you might draw a blank and forget the choreography when on stage. I make mistakes often too, they've even been compiled into a highlight reel."

It's possible that because they find them so annoying, some black fans spent a lot of time looking through EXO's performances and edited together clips of their mistakes, such as vocal cracks, missed steps, collisions during choreography, and awkward moments. They compiled these into playlists and uploaded them to YouTube. Every member has one, and even Park Chanyeol has watched his own.

I can only say, that's truly impressive, and... the cut is excellent.

"Haha..."

"Hello."

After Jin Eun-seo gave her thanks, Park Zhen-young began his professional appraisal. From his words, it was clear that he was also optimistic about Na Myeong-nan.

"I choose Mina."

"I chose En Shu, it's a real pity, I want to give her another chance."

After Park Bo-young gave her evaluation, she directly made a choice. Then, Bae Suzy chose Kim Eun-seo. In a one-on-one situation, the final decision was left to Ji Chang-wook.

Feeling all eyes on him, Chi Jingyuan didn't hesitate to tease, glancing at Ming Jingnan:

"I choose Mina."

This time, I don't want to hype one candidate over another. Ji Jingyuan's choice has returned to objectivity and normalcy since the second round of competition. Everyone else actually expected this.

This also includes Minami Namiki herself.

"That's Mina winning, Eunseo's challenge failed." Park Jin-young made the judgment: "Both contestants, please return to your positions."

Minami and Kim Eun-seo each returned in opposite directions, but their gaze followed her gaze to a pool scene. As Minami walked back, the clearly delighted Mizusaki Sasa who sat in the 'major group' position waved at her with a smile and playfully raised an eyebrow, both expressing happiness for the other and hinting at something.

But Nanami Minase's expression was not visible because she had her back to us. When she sat back in her seat, there was only a sweet smile left.

The following matchup left Jiyuan with a deep impression. Both trainees, Park Ji-hyo and Son Caiying, performed exceptionally well. Their stage presence, charisma, and skills were all at a high level. Unlike the previous matchups where there was either a noticeable disparity in skill or a stark contrast between strong and weak performers, these two showcased a balanced and impressive performance.

These two are pretty evenly matched this round.

Park Jihyo's singing and stage presence are no worse than that of Lim Nayeon.池 looking at the information shows that she has been a trainee at JYP for ten years, so it is not surprising that she has this level of ability. She was originally one of the members of 6mix last year. With this strength plus Park Jin-young's expression, it is estimated that she will be another internally determined member to debut.

She's just a little bit heavier. Seeing her gave Pool Jingyuan the feeling he had when he first debuted 12 years ago and saw those Apink members.

Sun Caiying is actually really good. Ji Jingyuan previously thought this girl was just a pretty face, but unexpectedly, her stage presence was surprisingly good. She's also mainly focused on singing rap.

It can only be said that as both belonging to the 99th percentile, there are still differences.

When it came to the last group, Ji-yeong and Park Jin-young's choices showed a clear divergence.

"The stage Natty presented was a huge impact, making me reflect on myself again..."

"But I think Momo danced better, both in terms of strength and performance. She was excellent." Ji-seong looked down at the clearly disappointed expression on Momoko's face, then turned his head in surprise to look at Park Jin-young, feeling a little confused about what he meant.

Why can you look back on yourself from a mediocre stage performance by a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl

Are you also jumping on this launch

“Don't you think Natty's performance conveyed a lot of emotion It was a stage that 'explained what being a singer is,' and it made us feel like 'we could meet those people again in our lives.' " Park Jin-young even explained to Ji-seong a few things out of the ordinary, as if he wanted the other person to understand the excellence of this stage.

“...”

After hearing his rambling, stream-of-consciousness evaluation, Ji Jingyuan looked at Natty below for a few glances, recalled the two stages he had just seen, and turned his gaze to the right to meet the anxious Pingmei Momo who was looking at him. He shrugged and insisted: "I still think Momo is better, her dance skills are really great, I choose Momo."

When Pingjingyuan saw the grateful look in Taomei's eyes, he smiled and didn't mind. He wasn't favoring her because he had seen or known her before, but because he truly felt that Taomei's stage performance deserved to be more outstanding.

It's a pity that Suzy doesn't know if she was successfully recommended by Park Jin-young or if she chose natty out of face for her CEO. Momo ended up in the average group, which is unfortunate.

…………

"Jǐngyuán, what do you think minor should eliminate"

"How can I say that This kind of thing, you have to decide for yourself, bro." Facing Park Jin-yeong's question, Ji Kyoung-won hurriedly waved his hand, indicating he was not involved and did not want to participate.

After the final round of competition, recording was paused. All trainees returned backstage to rest for a while, some crying, some comforting each other, some celebrating their successes, while Park Jin-young had to decide who would be eliminated this week.

However, there was no need for two judges to be involved in this. Bae Suzy had already left earlier, and when Ji Kyeong-won was leaving, Park Jin-young stopped him to chat for a few words.

"Park Jin-young nodded, understanding what the other person meant and didn't press further. But looking at the photos and data in his hand, after thinking for a moment, he asked seriously again: "You really believe in Tzuyu"

"In my opinion, the most important thing about an idol is their personal charm. This includes factors like appearance, physique, talent, and even personality."

When it came to this question, Ji Jingyuan didn't dodge it. He nodded seriously and then suddenly laughed: “Actually, brother, you see, Tzuyu and I have known each other before, we're friends.”

He could tell that Park Jin-young didn't understand, but this kind of thing is easily understood once you know a little about it and there's nothing to hide.

And, this week Tzuyu has dropped to the bottom group, he's a little worried that this girl might be eliminated this episode. Right now what he's saying, in the future it might be unknown, but Ji Kyung-won still has confidence that at least this episode she will definitely stay.

"Jin-jia How did the two of you meet" Park was very surprised.

"Just coincidentally." Chi Jingyuan chuckled twice without further explanation, then picked up something and waved his hand: "Brother, you choose. I'll go back to the backstage first."

Park Jin-young watched as Ji-won returned to the backstage after leaving the broadcasting room, he couldn't help but pull out Tzuyu's photo from the 'deficit group' files in front of him and looked at it silently.

……

"Jiyuan, what do you think of the trainee level and quality at JYP How does it compare to **"

Having passed through the narrow corridor, Ji Jingyuan returned to his own resting room and sat on the sofa. While Park Jaehyun entered the room after him, he quickly handed over a bottle of drink while curiously asking.

We can't leave just yet, PD just said that they might need to do some more shots or voice-overs later, so we have to stay for a while longer.

“You’ve been watching the whole time, haven't you Just judge for yourself.” Ji Jingyuan twisted open the lid and took a couple of sips. He leaned back on the sofa with a tired sigh, then recalled something and began to speak, “There are fifteen trainees in total, and their overall quality is pretty good. A few stand out particularly, debuting should be no problem at all.”

"As for our company, ever since Red Velvet debuted, I haven't really paid much attention to the trainees. Last year, a large number of them even left. It's hard to compare without knowing more."

He casually said a few words, and then felt his phone vibrate. Ji Jingyuan took it out to see that Pei Suzy had sent him a message: "Could there actually be a connection Pfft, you're even covering for them now."

With a playful tone laced with sarcasm, he immediately knew he was referring to his earlier comment about Nakanishi Mai. He shook his head and said, "Why are you bullying a little girl She's just a trainee trying to make her debut."

"Ugh, when was the last time we had a meal together"

I'm free these two days, call you.

"Bang bang."

Just then, the door to the break room was gently knocked on. Park Jae-hyun quickly walked over and opened it. There stood Minami Namiki, who he had just seen, even mentioned a second ago, staring curiously inside. Upon seeing Ji-won on the sofa, she seemed to have achieved her goal, settling down and blinking with her lips pursed.

Park Jae-hyun glanced back at Ji Jeong-won, exchanged a look with him, and nodded. He then stepped aside to let Nami enter, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Being in the major group is good, you don't have to worry about being eliminated and still being able to hang around."

Chi Jingyuan saw that the other party was obviously nervous and hesitant, so he smiled and jokingly broke the ice.

"Oh, I meant to say I had to use the restroom before coming here."

Seeing the other person's expression and tone, Nanami seemed to relax as well, shaking her head with a slight smile playing on her lips.

Chi Jingyuan looked at her, dressed the same as on stage just now. The black and white polka-dot coat complemented her delicate makeup, making her stand out. At this moment, her eyes, like black gemstones, sparkled as she looked at Chi Jingyuan. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, as if expressing the master's emotions. A hint of pink gum and cute little teeth peeked out from beneath her slightly parted lips, and her hands clasped together in front of her still seemed a little nervous.

His eyes were filled with a mixture of joy and anticipation.

"Went to the restroom again, didn't you team up with your friends"

When he saw Nami, Ji Jingyuan immediately knew the other party's intention. He chuckled and asked, "Still want to exchange contact information"

Actually, he'd been keeping the small promise we made at our last meeting in mind. He just hadn't had a chance to bring it up until now.

I didn't expect this girl to really find an opportunity to come over. Her appearance, temperament, even her voice and surface personality were all gentle with a touch of vivacity. Unexpectedly, sometimes she is so assertive, and has some strength and stubbornness.

"Hee hee, indeed." Minami Nami also laughed and nodded in response. Seeing the other's expression, she immediately felt much more relaxed inside.

But the next second, she froze.

"Mi ah nei." Chi Jingyuan tilted his head and smiled at her.

This déjà vu answer echoed in her ears, causing Nami Minami to be momentarily stunned. Not-so-distant memories surged through her mind, and countless nights before sleep when she had silently recalled the rejected paintings reappeared.

Then, she froze as if encased in ice. Her smile vanished instantly, the joy in her heart dissipated, and her eyes gazed at him with a hint of confusion. A profound sense of loss surged within her, mingled with complaints tinged with dissatisfaction.

You said it yourself, remember

But before she could get angry or sad, Chi Jingyuan turned his head and picked up the phone he had just placed on the sofa. He lowered his head to unlock it: "Mi Aine, it was my idea to meet again and exchange contact information, so I should be the one to take the initiative. It's embarrassing for you to make excuses to come out...

Saying that, Chi Jingyuan looked back at her, gazing into her eyes. A smile spread across his face, like time flowing through his heart:

"Minaxi, what's your number Can we exchange"

Staring at his clear smile, Minami seemed to not react at all. Her eyes were locked, her expression slightly dazed, almost as if she was infatuated.

And after a brief moment of stunned silence, she suddenly smiled softly, like the cherry blossoms of April.

This novel is first published on the website of Traditional Chinese Novels.i is part of one of the largest and most powerful fanbases in the Korean music scene today. Among them, Ji-sung alone accounts for one-third of the entire team's fanbase, surpassing the combined fando...