The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 246 Dream Girl Literature
The stage featured a self-created one-minute impromptu performance by Lee Chae-yeon, a trainee from Class A. Wearing a pink Class A T-shirt and with her long, straight black hair tied in a high ponytail, she walked to the center of the stage and delivered a clean and crisp dance.

"Clap clap~"

Gong Cheng clapped his hands and quietly watched the trainees perform. Lee Chae-yeon, Jeon So-mi, and Lee Dae-hwi were all trainees at JYP and trained together. The difference is that Somi debuted with IOI in 16 and is now preparing to leave JYP.

Lee Dae-hwi participated in PRODUCE 101 Season 2 last year and debuted with WANNA ONE...

As for Lee Chae-yeon, she participated in the TWICE member selection program Mnet's "SIXTEEN" with Somi in 2015, but was ultimately not selected for the debut group. Last March, she left JYP Entertainment and joined WM Entertainment, restarting her trainee life…

But according to my younger brother Hwang Ye-ji, Lee Chae-yeon has a younger sister named Lee Chae-ryeong who trains at JYP Entertainment. He only caught a glimpse of her when he ran into Shin Ryu-jin and Shin Yuna in the cafeteria. She's preparing for the company's new girl group ITZY, which will be launched next year...

The one-minute performance passed quickly. To be fair, Lee Chae-yeon's dancing skills are quite good, and perhaps she really can debut in PRODUCE 48.

"Lee Chae-yeon is also a trainee from JYP, right?" Soyou asked, glancing sideways. In terms of dance skills alone, Lee Chae-yeon's strength is among the top in the 96 trainees. Jeon Somi, who debuted in IOI in 16, participated in the audition as a JYP trainee and debuted as the center of the group.

"Yes." Gong Cheng nodded with a smile...

Soyou looked up at Lee Chae-yeon, who was leaving the stage, and then Honda Hitomi, who had been promoted from Class C to Class A, was going to perform next. "You three have such distinct styles..."

"It's alright, different companies have different focuses when it comes to training artists," Gong Cheng said with a light laugh, stretching his neck. What Zhaoyou said wasn't wrong.

SM, JYP, and YG are the three major entertainment agencies in South Korea.

Artists have different development plans. SM artists have their own programs, good publicity plans, broadcast times, and frequent exposure. Simply put, they are good at marketing and hype...

Their overall music style leans towards dance music, incorporating elements of rock, jazz, and hip-hop. Their dance moves emphasize angles and pauses...

JYP focuses on the overall group dynamics, with Twice being the best example. Their dance style leans towards technique, emphasizing body rhythm and coordination. JYP is perhaps most famous for Park Jin-young's requirement that singing be "half air and half voice," resulting in a distinctive pronunciation in their boy group's singing.

YG Entertainment places a strong emphasis on the individual development of its artists, with a free and unrestrained dance style and a focus on R&B and hip hop in music... He even heard Jisoo talk about BLACKPINK the other day, and Jennie will be making her solo debut in the second half of this year...

"..."

When it was Miyawaki Sakura's turn to perform, she carefully walked from her seat in Class A to the stage, holding something that looked like a banner in her hand... Amidst the puzzled looks of the crowd, she squatted down, spread the banner on the floor, and then nervously looked at the camera.

"Are there any more props?" Gong Cheng raised an eyebrow curiously. Many of the A-class trainees in his line of sight were initially surprised, and then smiled somewhat awkwardly.

The accompaniment of a song blared from the speakers. He straightened his back and glanced at the white banner lying on the stage floor. Next to the pink heart was a string of Korean characters that read, "The center position is mine." He smiled, thinking, "She's really clever..."

While other trainees were busy choreographing and showcasing their individual performances, Miyawaki Sakura's cleverness, coupled with her popularity in Japan, ensured that the camera would linger on her more. Her ambition, however, did not provoke any negative reactions in the audition program.

Intense competition is what audiences and fans love to watch. After all, artists face competition all the time since they debut here, which is similar to the ranking competitions in the fan circle. If you don't win and compete, what's the point of ranking for you?

"Days when tears keep flowing~"

"But let's overcome this together!"

On stage, Miyawaki Sakura sang and danced, her breath unsteady, to the accompaniment; the song she was singing was in Korean…

"Did she change the lyrics herself?" Gong Cheng listened to the accompaniment of PRODUCE 48's title track. The lyrics sung by the girl were different from the original, but they sounded like encouragement to all the trainees present. The lyrics were simple and not very sophisticated...

However, it expressed the hardships and exhaustion of practicing since participating in the program recording.

not bad.

As Miyako quietly watched the performance, Miyawaki Sakura's brown-red bangs became slightly disheveled as she danced, but she made a mistake during the interlude, freezing in place for a second or two.

Her face, hidden beneath her disheveled hair, looked somewhat embarrassed and awkward, as if she had forgotten her lines. Coincidentally, she was facing the camera directly in Gong Cheng's direction.

Under Miyawaki Sakura's awkward and nervous gaze, many of the trainees who were also participating in the program had different expressions on their faces. Some were surprised by her mistake, some were gloating, and some shook their heads with feigned regret. Then they picked up pens and scribbled something on the scoring sheet.

In this part of the recording, the judges who scored Class A and selected the center position weren't the mentors, but rather the trainees from all other classes. It was a brutal competition among them. After a short week together, Miyawaki Sakura knew very well that among the 96 trainees...

There was competition, there was mockery, there was warmth, and there was a wide variety of people...

The accompaniment of PRODUCE 48's theme song was still playing. Behind the camera, which was focused on Miyawaki Sakura, sat Makoto Miyamoto's tall figure. He was tilting his head and looking at him. He was wearing a pink and white striped shirt with a white T-shirt underneath, and wide-leg jeans in a sea salt color, paired with classic black and white Vans shoes. He sat there casually.

Unlike him, Instructor Zhaoyou stood to the side with a blank expression...

Miyawaki Sakura was flustered and embarrassed. The trainees' gazes were too dazzling, and she couldn't accept that she hadn't done her best. But in a fleeting glance, she saw that tall figure smiling at her, his eyebrows gently curving, radiating a warm smile like cherry blossoms...

She quickly reached out and looked at the cheat sheet in her hand, which contained her phonetic transcription of the adapted Korean lyrics. The performance mishap wasn't because she forgot the lyrics, but because she was a beginner in Korean and not proficient in it…

"A little tired~ These are tough days~"

"But we have to overcome this together~~~"

Upon seeing that encouraging smile, Miyawaki Sakura quickly sang the lyrics to salvage the situation, then clutched her cheat sheet and continued her performance...

Gong Cheng was completely unaware that a strange smile had encouraged the trainee. If Kim Ji-soo were here, she would definitely roll her eyes and purse her lips. This kind of person smiles at everyone, especially women; it's like a trap!
"Huh? There's a cheat sheet too?" Miyako opened his mouth in surprise, but he roughly guessed that Miyawaki Sakura might have prepared one because of her Korean language skills...

"The center position is mine!!!" After the performance, Miyawaki Sakura turned around and squatted down, hugging the banner that had been on the ground, and shouted loudly while swaying her waist at the camera!
A confident and ambitious smile radiated from her face, and applause broke out in the recording studio.

……

After Ahn Yoo-jin performed on stage, So-young introduced her to Gong Cheng, a trainee from their company, and then glanced at Jang Won-young sitting next to Gong Cheng, saying, "Yoo-jin and Won-young are both trainees in our company..."

As she introduced him, she leaned forward and gave the young man in the company a wink... She knew very well that if the younger generation in the company wanted to debut and get more screen time, then staying by Gong Cheng's side was the best choice.

“Teacher Tarot…” Zhang Yuanying’s innocent face curved into a smile as she whispered a few words, seemingly sensing the envious glances behind her, but her expression on camera remained pure and innocent…

Gong Cheng's smiling eyes took in Zhao You's subtle movements. He turned his head to look at Zhang Yuanying's pure face, with her chubby baby cheeks. "You've been to my fan meeting?"

He asked casually...

Zhang Yuanying stared at his pupils up close, and they instantly contracted. The innocent smile that had appeared on camera, like that of a certain "master," transformed into an undisguised joy and excitement. A blush appeared on her lightly made-up face, and she nodded nervously.
"Inside……"

She thought that Gong Cheng had never seen her on the fan meeting stage. She had only been there twice. The first time was at a fan meeting before Gong Cheng debuted, and she went with her sister Zhang Duoya.

Another time, she went with Ahn Yu-jin. It was in December last year, during the first snow season. Gong Cheng had just returned to Seoul from receiving an award in Hong Kong and held a fan meeting a few days later... Jang Won-young had a deep impression of that fan meeting because she was sitting next to two gossipy unnies she didn't know...

Like a die-hard fan of this oppa, but also very good-looking, arrogant, and conceited... So arrogant that he sat in the audience and thought Irene's legs were too short, Jisoo was too pretentious, and Yoona was too old...

The two are practically an encyclopedia of female idols' flaws...

At the time, both she and Ahn Yu-jin were speechless, but they didn't dare to say anything; those two unnies didn't look like people to be trifled with...

"Oppa, do you remember me?" Zhang Yuanying quietly changed her address, her innocent and joyful face trying to close the distance between them and get closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the camera flipping upside down, and she knew very well that this scene was being recorded.

This is truly a triple celebration!
On Gong Cheng's first day of filming, Zhang Yuanying thought that the oppa in front of her wouldn't remember her, because many fans knew that this oppa had a very good memory, and most fans who had met him once could recognize him the next time they met...

I never expected him to actually remember... He really did glance at me at the meet-and-greet...

"You two know each other?" Zhaoyou asked in confusion, while also marveling at Zhang Yuanying's good luck, knowing that in a talent show, screen time is crucial.

Moreover, the three trainees sent by STARSHIP company to participate in the program—Ahn Yu-jin, Jang Won-young, and Jo Ga-hyun—were actually being promoted primarily by the company, a fact that all three trainees were well aware of…

"She came to my fan meeting." Gong Cheng said with a smile. He was well aware of Zhang Yuanying's dark eyes glancing at the camera just now, but he didn't say anything. The 14-year-old girl thought she was managing her expressions, but in fact, everything was written on her face.

Let's not talk about PRODUCE 48 anymore...

In the K-pop industry, or rather, in the entertainment industry around the world, it's common to seek attention and be the center of attention. Everyone wants to climb the ladder, so he didn't mind this little fan's actions. Trainees and artists aren't exactly naive and innocent...

"Two years ago, right? She was only this tall back then, wasn't she?" Gong Cheng said with a hint of reminiscence in his eyes. At the fan meeting before her debut, Zhang Yuanying came with another girl. She was nowhere near 168cm tall back then; she was only 14 years old this year.

As he spoke, he gestured in the air, then, fearing he might have misremembered, chuckled and asked, "You were about 1.5 meters tall back then, right? With a high ponytail? And a girl who looked a lot like you was with you? Holding my poster..."

In the production team's shots, Gong Cheng's eyes, beneath his black, tousled hair, held a look of reminiscence tinged with longing and emotion. His handsome face appeared somewhat lonely and weary at this moment. "Back then, I wasn't Tarot yet..."

"Yes, Oppa, I was only 159cm tall back then, and I went with Unnie." Zhang Yuanying was more and more moved as she listened. She didn't expect this Oppa to remember so clearly. She believed that Unnie would be very excited after the show aired.
"Back then, Oppa was just twenty years old and about to debut. He told us that the next time we met would be with 'Tarot'..." she whispered, recounting the scene from their first fan meeting. It was the first time she had ever seen an artist who hadn't even debuted yet, and yet he had garnered so much love from so many people...

But what happened next made her realize that a lot of love comes at a price. She had seen many times how, when this oppa was boycotted, insulted, and slandered in his early days, she would hide in her bedroom and curse loudly, but at the same time, she would be in tears...

Fortunately, the boy sitting next to her still became "Tarot," and walked on steadfastly, becoming a symbol standing on the Mount Rushmore of entertainers, "Tarot."

Gong Cheng smiled and said nothing more. Another trainee, who was already prepared on stage, began his performance…

Zhang Yuanying, with a smile on her face, watched the other trainees' performances on stage, occasionally opening her mouth slightly and making expressions of surprise, shock, and applause. In reality, however, she desperately wanted to get her phone back…

He told the author of the Tarot Dream Girl novel on a private website everything that had just happened. It turned out that every fan remained deep in his memory...

Compared to other novels on the website related to "Tarot," such as "The Wind of '96," "Minty Rain," "Amber Eyes," and "Parrot," which sound like an overabundance of pretentious literary types just from their titles, this one is a far cry from the typical Tarot novels.

Her favorite book is "The Parrot," a romance novel where the female protagonist becomes the sister of "Tarot"—a parrot that mimics speech, and falls in love at first sight.

"The first word my brother taught me was 'brother'..."

"The best thing I can say is 'I love my brother'..."

Of course, besides that, there's another novel that was serialized most popular this year, with a simple, direct, and satisfying title—"Falling in Love with Tarot in Hancheng," and a synopsis: "He became 'Tarot' and stood under the spotlight, while I stood with him under the moonlight..."

Childhood sweethearts & tragic love...

When Tarot was a child, she left Philadelphia after her parents passed away, and the female protagonist lost contact with Makoto Miyazaki. Then, when Makoto was 16 years old, at his most helpless and confused, and about to fall into the abyss of depravity, she saw him again in the ring of an underground boxing ring in Gangnam District, which was full of smoke and alcohol...

The author's pen name is Seoul Daegiji.

Zhang Yuanying believes that the reason why this book is so popular on the website is because the oppa next to her shows fans too little and too fragmented private life, making people want to know more but not know where to start.

This book, however, begins with Gong Cheng's childhood, and then follows his journey through the "scandals" that many fans feel sorry for, including his days with debt collectors and boxing rings, and the companionship they shared...

The author also collected a lot of information about "Tarot," bringing to life the fragmented childhood memories that Gong Cheng's adoptive parents had revealed in interviews, such as "the little tyrant of Yeongdeungpo District" and "the big star of Yeongdeungpo District"...

"In the trainee voting for the BCDF class..." Zhaoyou stood in the center of the stage with the script containing the vote count, holding a microphone, and announced, "The center member of '(PICK ME)' is Miyawaki Sakura."

Miyako clapped his hands, and in his line of sight, Miyawaki Sakura covered her face and burst into tears of emotion...

After Soyou informed them of the rehearsal and performance time for "(PICK ME)," the recording for the day ended.

Gong Cheng glanced at director Li Huanzhi, who was sitting behind the camera not far away. Li Huanzhi was waving at him and making a gesture to have a drink... Gong Cheng stood up, smiled, nodded, and walked over with his pink and white striped casual shirt open...

……

The next day, PRODUCE 48 continued recording...

Gong Cheng got up early and sat in a Maybach, following the production team in a bus to the rehearsal site of "(PICK ME)," the M COUNTDOWN stage.

The production team had already completed the stage setup for the trainees' first performance a few days ago. The overall stage design combines a sense of technology and fashion, with purple lighting as the main tone, creating a mysterious and cool atmosphere.

At the center of the venue is a diamond-shaped white stage area, which looks like a geometric diamond from above, making it quite eye-catching. The floor under the main stage is outlined with geometric patterns and colorful light strips, enhancing the visual sense of layering. The PRODUCE 48 logo is lit up at the edge.

Trainees from classes A, B, C, D, and F followed the staff as they pulled back the curtain and walked onto the stage. They gasped in surprise as the staff adjusted the rotating light tubes and light strips…

"Oh no~"

"Great fortune..."

Gong Cheng surveyed the surrounding open-air performance area. The stage design was decent, but the lighting effects would have to wait until night; after all, the colorful lights wouldn't really do anything special during the day...

Urged on by dance instructor Choi Young-jun, "Trainees of Class A, go on stage first."

They need to confirm the stage positions of the trainees from the four classes (A, B, C, and D). The various trainee ranking systems implemented previously, including yesterday's competition for the center position, highlight the significance of the competition between high-ranking trainees and those vying for the center position.

The diamond-shaped white stage had a lift switch in the center that raised it up by one level. Ahn Yoo-jin and a dozen other A-level trainees walked onto the stage under the envious gazes of other classes. The raised stage made them even more eye-catching.

"The center position chosen yesterday, Miyawaki Sakura, stand here." Choi Young-joon smiled and pointed to the stage. On the original A-class trainees' rising platform, a T-stage had risen in the center. This was the exclusive position for the center position, and only one person could stand here.

"Oh my..."

Many trainees watched as Miyawaki Sakura excitedly stepped forward, their eyes filled with deep envy.

"..."

Gong Cheng wasn't interested in the positions of the different classes on stage. He stood upright next to the trainees of Class F, looking at the dozen or so trainees squatting in the corner with a complicated expression.

According to the rules, Class F cannot go on stage; they can only watch other classes rehearse and perform.

"Ah, we're just backup options~"

"I'm so envious..."

In the program's footage, the trainees from Class F expressed their disappointment at not being able to perform on stage.

On stage, under Cui Yongjun's direction, the four classes A, B, C, and D lined up in their positions and began a flowing, linear rehearsal.

Gong Cheng took a sip of water, feeling utterly bored, and sat down on the sofa. Kim Daewoo was chatting and laughing with Cha Qianhao nearby... He glanced at the trainees from Class F, some of the Japanese members who hadn't been able to go on stage, and started crying...

The other trainees were busy comforting her, but "First-Class Innocent" just stared blankly at the rehearsal on stage, smiling like a loyal audience member.

A short while later, in the camera's view, a dozen or so trainees from Class F gathered together, chanting, "FFFF, Class F, stay strong!"

Then, they spontaneously went to a corner and practiced the theme song dance along with the stage.

"Hey, Jaebeom hyung." Gong Cheng sat motionless on the sofa, watching the rehearsal on stage, and casually answered a phone call from Kim Daewoo. It was Park Jaebeom calling, and the camera discreetly moved away...

“Ani, I’m not in Gyeonggi Province, I’m in Mapo-gu, at the CJ E&M Center where I’m recording.”

Gong Cheng explained his current location, and that the rehearsal recording site for M! Countdown today was at 66 Sangamsan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul. "Alas, how about this, bro, when you arrive this afternoon, call Daewoo hyung, and I'll have him pick you up."

"..." "Jay Park?" Pei Yunjing asked after Gong Cheng hung up the phone.

Gong Cheng nodded. "Yes, he's coming over this afternoon. We have to take a flight to Taipei for our tour tomorrow."

Jay Park and he returned to Seoul together. They have been dealing with company affairs for the past two days. The two booked the same flight. After his recording ends tonight, the two will go to the airport together to fly to Taipei to start the last stop of the domestic tour tomorrow.

Immediately afterward, amidst Gong Cheng and Pei Yunjing's conversation, Cui Yongjun called the trainees of Class F to the area below the diamond-shaped stage. The production team decided that Class F would rehearse on the floor below the stage, and the performance would also take place on the floor...

After Jiang Huiyuan and the others stood there, Gong Cheng couldn't bear to look at them. They were practically indistinguishable from backup dancers... Some of the trainees weren't even as tall as the stage when it was raised...

However, given the aerial and long-distance angles, the recorded video will likely include footage of them.

Even though they were only going up to be backup dancers, the trainees from Class F were still very excited and ran over to rehearse with the dozens of girls on stage wearing pink, yellow, green, and orange practice t-shirts...

……

In the afternoon, as night fell, the hazy sky shimmered.

In the rehearsal venue, dazzling spotlights began to flash and intertwine, like a purple-pink light show. Ninety-six trainees on and off the stage changed their colorful practice short-sleeved shirts into the costumes they would be wearing for the performance: white shirts with pink PRODUCE 48 logos embroidered on the collar, pink and white pleated skirts with a grid pattern, white calf socks and matching canvas shoes that covered their knees.

Despite rehearsing all day long, jumping around on stage, the excitement of performing overshadowed her exhaustion...

In the production team's shots, Gong Cheng, holding a microphone, stood not far from the stage with the other mentors, watching the trainees rehearse on stage. He pursed his lips, then walked towards the stage, calling out, "Everyone on stage, come over here..."

ABCD, including the trainees from class F in the audience, stopped their dance moves and gathered at the edge of the stage to the still accompaniment.

Gong Cheng, tall and slender, held the microphone and frowned. "Why does everyone look so unhappy?"

"I know you're tired, but at least try to look as refreshed as possible? Try to match the song's tone?"

His furrowed brow startled the trainees. Gong Cheng pointed to Miyawaki Sakura in the center of the crowd, "Put more power into your dance." Then, he pointed to a few other trainees, "Make your expressions brighter, that Kim Minju..."

"Yes..." the trainees responded in unison.

"Try to keep your facial expressions as natural as possible, okay? Some of you are dancing too listlessly, and some of you are smiling too brightly, but for a large-scale performance of this song, the focus is on the overall harmony..."

"Sakura, you're the center, do you even know what the center position is supposed to do?"

"The opening part needs to be eye-catching. Be more confident in your expression. You were a bit awkward during the rehearsal, and the effect wasn't good..."

Gong Cheng didn't hold back his advice, pointing out their problems. On this type of stage, others can make some minor mistakes, but the center position cannot, because the center position is magnified by the camera.

"..." Following that, the other mentors also pointed out some issues regarding their performance.

In the passageway not far away, there stood a figure wearing a baseball cap. Jay Park was dressed in a very hip-hop style, with ripped jeans, a white vest, and a leather jacket. His neck tattoo and profile appeared in the production crew's shot.

He was smiling broadly as he used a VJ's handheld camera to film Gong Cheng, who was instructing the trainees not far away, and laughed heartily.

A cameraman from the PRODUCE 48 crew smiled and said, "Welcome to PRODUCE 48, Jay Park."

"Ani, I'm here to visit the maknae (youngest member) on set. We're leaving for Taipei soon." The production team didn't object to Jay Park filming Gong Cheng as a mentor, because he had just revealed that it was behind-the-scenes footage from Bombardment Meteor.

The production team certainly wouldn't refuse; wouldn't this be another chance to ride the wave of Bombardment Meteor's popularity? Moreover, these short behind-the-scenes clips and filming sessions wouldn't reveal much about the show's content, but would instead pique the curiosity of fans and viewers.

"Aigoo, I have to admit, the maknae is really strict when he's working." Jay Park smiled as he put away his camera, not taking any more pictures, except for a shot of Gong Cheng participating in a program. "However, the maknae's skills have always been pretty good, he's really amazing."

On stage, many sharp-eyed trainees spotted Park Jae-beom standing not far away, and covered their mouths in surprise. Then they looked at Gong Cheng, who had no expression on his face, and quickly shut their mouths again.

"Ten-minute break, everyone..." Director Li Huanzhi said with a smile.

Immediately, a familiar voice reached Gong Cheng's ears, "Maknae..."

Gong Cheng turned around and glanced at him. Just from the voice, he knew it was "Piao Chang Fan". "Brother, are you done with the company's business?" he greeted him and asked. Park Jae-beom was accompanied by his manager and Kim Dae-woo.

"That's about it." Jay Park stepped forward and playfully punched the maknae (youngest member), then greeted the trainees on stage with a smile, hugged a few familiar mentors, and then the group went to a rest area to chat. "How late will the recording end?"

"It'll be 11 o'clock by the time I get off work. Alas, with this level of skill, it's hard to get on stage." Gong Cheng said, glancing at the time. It was only 8 o'clock, and there were still 3 hours until they got off work. Their flight was at 1 a.m.

It's not that the mentors are being harsh; the recording of the trainees' theme song will officially begin tomorrow night, and there's not much time left for rehearsals. That's why tonight's recording and rehearsals are going to be so long.

……

During the break, the trainees on stage came off the stage one after another, drinking water and panting, occasionally looking at Gong Cheng and Park Jae-beom with envy.

What defines a top-tier celebrity?

These two are definitely rising stars...

After taking a sip of water, Miyawaki Sakura silently left the crowd, parted the curtain of the passage, and walked out. The production crew's cameraman, seeing this, followed her. She was in the center position, and given her existing popularity in Japan…

Since the show started filming, this trainee has had a lot of screen time.

"Dilili~"

Gong Cheng took out his phone, saw the caller's name, and greeted Park Jae-beom and the others, saying, "I'm going to take this call." He then removed the microphone and other equipment installed by the production team...

The Shiba Inu's mother's phone call.

He gradually realized that, compared to making his Shiba Inu girlfriend angry, not answering her calls was the most terrifying thing.

When they first started dating, Sana Minatozaki told him that there were four rules for their relationship.

1. Only thinking of me.

2. They only worry about me.

3. You only miss me.

4. Call me.

Makoto Miyamoto knew these rules, which Sana Minatozaki had posted on the headboard of his bed in his dorm room, by heart, and he abided by them. He'd only subtly changed "worrying about you," "thinking of you," and "missing you" to "for you all"...

"What's wrong, Sana-chan~"

"What do you say?"

"Miss me?"

"Hum..."

The rehearsal recording site for M! Countdown was an empty area with few people, except for fans gathered on the perimeter waiting to finish get off work.

Gong Cheng stood in the open space below the building and chatted quietly with Minatozaki Sana on the phone. It sounded like TWICE was also recording outside at the moment. Minatozaki Sana said that she was recording the latest group variety show and was talking on the phone in the night wind, just like him.

After exchanging a few sweet words, the two hung up the phone...

Gong Cheng walked back to the recording site, and suddenly heard crying and whimpering coming from a makeshift interview room in the corridor.

He glanced to the side and saw Miyawaki Sakura squatting on the floor in a small room next door, her white shirt against the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head covered, sobbing softly. The photographer standing at the door saw Miyawaki Makoto and looked embarrassed. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how.

"What's wrong?" Gong Cheng asked.

“She came over to practice by herself right after coming off stage, but I guess she was under too much pressure…” He said, “In the past three days, she has only slept for a few hours at most and has been practicing the whole time.”

Upon hearing Makoto Miyawaki's voice, Sakura Miyawaki raised her tear-filled face, her long, brownish-red hair glistening with tears. Then, when she saw Makoto Miyawaki's gaze sweep over her, she leaned against the wall, wiped away her tears with her delicate white hands, and buried her face in her knees.

Gong Cheng was speechless...

How many times?

The show has only been filming for a short time, but he's already seen Miyawaki Sakura cry countless times. She cried during the mentor evaluation on the first day of filming, and he heard she cried during the backstage interview as well. She cried again yesterday when she won the center position, and she's still crying now...

It's not even as good as that stupid F-class.

"Do you feel you didn't do well enough, or do you find the criticism you just received hard to accept?" Miyako walked into the interview room, followed by the cameraman. The camera was pointed at Miyawaki Sakura, who was curled up in place, and then patted Miyako, as if conducting an interview.

Gong Cheng waved his hand helplessly, refusing, "Let's take pictures of them instead..."

"I didn't cry because of the criticism. I felt that I wasn't doing well enough. Trainees who had been practicing for less than a year were doing better than me. I've been active for 7 years since my debut, but during rehearsals, my body just couldn't keep up with the rhythm. I just thought that I still didn't have the skills..."

"I keep thinking about what I've been doing for the past seven years. I'm angry and dissatisfied with myself." Miyawaki Sakura lifted her face, her eyes red and swollen, wiping away tears with the back of her hand, which kept streaming down her face... She looked disheveled and unsightly...

"Did you only sleep a few hours in three days?" Gong Cheng asked, then pulled a piece of filled gummy candy wrapped in purple plastic from his pocket and tossed it over. This candy was given to him by that F-rank "first-class innocence" during the rehearsal earlier.

Despite being a "first-class pure" girl who's terrible at both singing and dancing, she has a great attitude. Apart from that day when she hurt their self-esteem with her words, she's almost never been seen crying. She's always smiling, a little dazed, and occasionally pulls something out of her pocket and stuffs it in her mouth...

It's like coming here as a tourist; there's food and drink to enjoy.

"Be careful of low blood sugar," he said with a smile. Miyawaki Sakura was so thin, and she'd only slept a few hours in three days; no wonder she looked pale. He hoped she wouldn't collapse...

Just like the woman in Daegu two years ago...

Miyawaki Sakura carefully peeled off the candy wrapper and put the transparent candy with a red filling into her mouth. There was a salty and bitter taste on her pink lips, which was from tears, followed by a burst of cloyingly sweet filling.

"There are only a few minutes left before the break ends. Do you want to continue crying until you stand on the center stage and face another round of criticism, or do you want to stand up now, ask me for advice on any dance moves you can't do well?" Gong Cheng smiled and offered two options...

You can cry when you're sad, moved, or happy, but why cry when you blame yourself?
Prince Jue
Sakura Miyawaki immediately stood up, dusted off the back of her pink and white pleated skirt, and stood in front of Makoto Miyawaki, her swollen eyes and bright red lips matching each other. She then quickly re-enacted the opening part that Makoto Miyawaki had previously criticized.

She turned around and looked back, but the dance part that followed was always stiff and unnatural. She had practiced it several times, and that's why she broke down.

"Lower your shoulders a little, and slow down the movements at the back, or you'll be rushing the beat." Gong Cheng patiently pointed out the problems she was making, and then pointed to her fair legs, "Most importantly, use your core muscles in this movement, and don't bend your legs so stiffly, relax a bit."

The photographer's lens captured Miyawaki Sakura dancing the part three times in a row under Miyomaru's guidance. She did dance better and better, but she still obediently followed Miyomaru's advice and did not capture Miyomaru's figure in the video, leaving only his warm voice.

“Hey, isn’t this a great dance?” Miyako said with a smile. Miyawaki Sakura also realized that the parts she couldn’t keep up with before were becoming more and more familiar. “So, sometimes instead of shedding tears, it’s better to just come to me or other instructors and ask what to do.”

Are you afraid we'll keep things to ourselves?

“Absolutely not, the teachers are all very nice…” Miyawaki Sakura quickly shook her head and said, the tears that had fallen on her cheeks earlier beginning to dry. “Don’t teachers like students who cry?”

She mustered her courage and asked, wanting to chat a bit more with this warm, cherry blossom-like boy. His warm smile had been a great encouragement to her yesterday. Although his criticism during rehearsal was quite blunt, it was all correct.

The problem does exist...

“Oh, crying is a way to release stress,” Gong Cheng shook his head in denial, then said with a smile, “But since you’ve participated in the show and become my mentor, I’d much rather see your tears of joy on debut night, not like this…”

"Why?" Miyawaki Sakura asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Because that’s the moment you achieve your dreams, it’s worth crying your eyes out.” Gong Cheng glanced at the time, stood up, shrugged, and replied, “Okay, break over, let’s continue rehearsing, Sakura.”

"Hi!" Miyawaki Sakura followed behind his tall figure, quickly bowed and said hi, but then added, "Yes."

The photographer followed behind the two, capturing the nonchalant figure and Miyawaki Sakura behind him, who kept raising her arm to cheer him on.

He felt that this kind of content absolutely had to be included in the broadcast. It not only showed the immense pressure faced by the trainees, but also the mentors' careful guidance and encouragement, especially Gong Cheng's final words...

"Because that is the moment you achieve your dream, and it is worth crying your eyes out."

If Miyawaki Sakura really debuts on the show, then he can't even imagine how amazing the recording of her debut night will be...

……

With the mentors' constant adjustments, the rehearsal stage gradually reached the standard, and Miyawaki Sakura, in the center position, performed more and more brilliantly, gradually finding the point that could catch the audience's eye.

At 10:30 p.m., the recording for the day ended. The trainees walked off the stage, panting heavily. The production team staff also prepared to lead the trainees back to their dormitories at the resort to rest and prepare for the official recording of the theme song tomorrow.

"First-class innocence" walked behind Gong Cheng and Park Jae-beom. After the recording ended, Kang Hye-won took out a can of potato chips from her backpack and started chewing...

"Teacher, are you unable to come to our official recording tomorrow?" Jiang Huiyuan walked up to him with potato chips and asked, while handing him the can of chips, looking very generous.

Although the question, "Is all you have is innocence?" made her feel very embarrassed and haunted her like a nightmare, after getting to know the teacher, who was only a few years older than her, she found that he was very easygoing. He was strict during class, but during breaks, he would chat with the trainees and was very approachable.

She felt that if it were any other artist, they would have become arrogant and conceited long ago.

Sharing snacks with Gong Cheng was also a way of hoping he would stop saying things like, "Is all you have is innocence?" or "The atmosphere in Class F is so great, you don't want to leave, do you?"

"Hey, what's wrong?" Gong Cheng refused the potato chips she offered and asked with a smile, "Are you happy?"

“Oh no, how could that be…” Jiang Huiyuan quickly shook her head, but Gong Cheng felt that her face, which was chewing potato chips, was somewhat beaming with excitement. “Of course I hope the teacher can come to see our performance, after all, the teacher has given our F class a lot of extra help…”

Gong Cheng nodded with a hint of relief, but when he glanced down at Jiang Huiyuan's innocent face, he pouted, "But you're still in Class F."

Jiang Huiyuan's beaming face froze... What she feared most had come to pass...

When the other trainees heard that Gong Cheng wouldn't be able to watch their performance the next day, they were still somewhat disappointed, even though they had expected it.

Miyawaki Sakura's eyes dimmed, but she let out a long sigh. She thought about it and realized that this teacher had given her a lot of extra help, both encouragement and instruction. She couldn't possibly disappoint the teacher like that F-rank student.
Jiang Huiyuan stopped trying to strike up a conversation, popped a potato chip into her mouth, and chewed away, completely unaware that the photographer had secretly turned on the camera to record...

Outside the recording venue, the trainees boarded the bus. Zhang Yuanying sat by the window, watching a Maybach drive by in the night. The long, glaring headlights made the darkness shine brightly.

Gong Cheng's tall figure and Park Jae-beom sat in the back seat, and then Kim Dae-woo got into the passenger seat. The car started and disappeared into the night in Mapo District...

Ahn Yoo-jin smacked her lips enviously, "That's the aura of a top star. Just standing there, he's on a completely different level from everyone else. This guy is amazing... Won-young, what were you talking about today, sitting next to Oppa?"

(End of this chapter)