"Pay attention to your breathing." Teacher Zheng's voice pierced the air like a sword. Ouyang Guang realized that his breathing had become disordered and his chest was rising and falling violently. He immediately adjusted and perfectly synchronized his breathing and movements in the next eight beats.
As he spun, his sneakers made a short friction sound on the floor. Although his axis was slightly offset, he cleverly made up for the mistake with a small jump step. Sweat slid down his temple, stayed briefly at his jawline, and finally dripped into the depression of his collarbone.
The music suddenly went into an empty beat, and Ouyang Guang was still as if he had been cast into a spell. The only sound in the practice room was the rising and falling breathing. When the drums started again, he took three steps back and then did a cartwheel. When the hem of his training suit was lifted, a small patch of skin on his waist was revealed, which had turned red due to the intense exercise.
In the ending pose, he knelt on one knee, with his right fist pressed against his violently heaving chest. His bangs, soaked in sweat, stuck to his forehead, reflecting a tiny halo under the spotlight. His eyes were unusually bright, and his gaze towards the judges was like two dancing flames.
When Mr. Zheng put down his pen, the tip of the pen left a tiny dot of ink on the paper. "7.5 points."
She paused and said, "As a newcomer who has only been training for a month, this performance deserves recognition."
She flipped the score sheet lightly, but the sound of the paper rubbing against each other was particularly clear in the quiet practice room. "The breathing control in the third set of transitional movements was too obvious, but..." She paused, "The stage performance was the strongest among everyone today."
When the score sheet was circulated, the edge of the paper was slightly curled due to repeated flipping. Ouyang Guang's name was followed by a bright red "A", and her ranking at the top was particularly eye-catching. Teacher Zheng's comments were written in her unique sharp handwriting: "Body control needs to be improved, but the stage charm is natural. It is recommended to focus on observing the team's compatibility."
There were a few deliberately suppressed discussions from the other end of the practice room, but Ouyang Guang's attention was completely focused on the score sheet.
His fingertips lightly brushed over the "A", the ink blurred by the sweat.
The other trainees looked at him with complicated expressions, but Ouyang Guang just looked at the score, his chest still rising and falling violently. When Teacher Zheng passed by him, he only said: "Keep it up."
At the same time, Zhang Yixing, Kim Jong-in, Kim Junmyeon and Oh Eun-hoon also achieved excellent results in their respective assessments.
After the end-of-month assessment, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the corridor of the trainee building. Ouyang Guang, Zhang Yixing, Kim Jong-in, Kim Junmyeon and Wu Yuxun gathered together, their faces filled with joyful smiles.
“Xiaoguang! You’re awesome!” Zhang Yixing patted Ouyang Guang’s shoulder with a smile.
"That's great, Yangguang! You're a genius for winning three events!" Wu Xun jumped up excitedly and hugged Ouyangguang's shoulders.
"Thank you very much for your usual help and guidance." Ouyang Guang thanked.
"No matter what, today's results are worth celebrating!" Jin Zhongren said with sparkling eyes, "I haven't eaten barbecue for a long time, and I'm drooling just thinking about it."
"What are you waiting for? Let's go eat barbecue tonight!" Jin Junmyeon said with a smile, "I know a super delicious barbecue restaurant with very fresh ingredients."
"Let's go, I'm starving!" Wu Xun urged impatiently.
The two walked out of the trainee building side by side, laughing and talking all the way. The rain had stopped at some point, and a gorgeous rainbow hung in the sky. Wu Yuxun pointed at the rainbow and joked, "This is God celebrating for us!"
Arriving at the barbecue restaurant, the warm lights and rich aroma of meat hit them. They chose a seat by the window and Kim Junmyeon skillfully ordered various meats and side dishes. Soon, the waiter brought the sizzling barbecue, and the aroma instantly filled the entire box.
“Come on, let’s toast to Xiaoguang for his great achievement today!” Zhang Yixing raised his drink, his eyes full of satisfaction.
"Cheers!" People clinked their glasses, the crisp sound filled with joy and anticipation.
Ouyang Guang picked up a piece of golden roasted pork belly and put it in his mouth. The tender and juicy taste made him exclaim: "It's so delicious!"
"Eat slowly, no one is going to snatch it from you." Jin Zhongren smiled and handed him a piece of lettuce, "It's more delicious to wrap the meat in lettuce."
While grilling meat, Wu Yuxun said playfully, "Yangguang, you looked so handsome on the stage today. I was almost outshined by you."
"Your solo is also great!" Ouyang Guang replied to him.
“Yixing, Junmyeon, Jongin, and Hoon, if it weren’t for you, my dance wouldn’t have gone so smoothly today.” Ouyang Guang looked at them seriously and said.
"By the way," Kim Junmyeon suddenly said, "the evaluation results this time are so good, maybe we are one step closer to debuting."
This made everyone quiet down, with a twinkle of longing in their eyes. Debuting is the dream of every trainee, and they have put in countless sweat and effort for this goal.
“No matter how long it takes, we must persevere together.” Zhang Yixing said seriously, “Just like today, we will help each other and make progress together.”
"That's right!" Wu Yuxun raised his drink, "Cheers to our dream of debuting!"
"cheers!"
Amidst the laughter and joy, the aroma of barbecue and the warm friendship intertwined. Outside the window, the lights of the city gradually lit up, and the shadows of the people swayed under the lights, looking particularly warm. At this moment, they temporarily forgot the hard work of practice and the pressure of competition, and only enjoyed this rare beautiful time.
However, in addition to this joyful atmosphere, there were some discordant voices in the trainee building. Park Junhao looked at the backs of Ouyang Guang and others as they walked away, his eyes full of jealousy and unwillingness. "It's just luck. I will show you the next evaluation." He gritted his teeth and said, and several trainees beside him echoed him.
Meanwhile, Ouyang Guang and the others were enjoying the delicious barbecue and each other's company. They talked about future plans, shared interesting things during practice, and laughed constantly. Wu Yuxun also performed an impromptu dance, which made everyone laugh.
As the night deepened, the customers of the barbecue restaurant gradually dispersed. The people walked out of the store with satisfied smiles. The breeze blew, bringing a little coolness, but it could not blow away the warmth in their hearts.
"I'm really happy today." Ouyang Guang looked at the night sky and said with emotion.
“There will be many more days like this in the future.” Zhang Yixing patted him on the shoulder, “If we work hard together, we will definitely stand on a bigger stage.”
"Then let's make a pinky promise. No one of us is allowed to give up!" Wu Xun stretched out his little finger.
The little fingers of the two people are tightly hooked together. At this moment, their friendship is even deeper. On the road to pursuing their dreams, they may encounter more difficulties and challenges, but with each other's company, there is nothing that cannot be overcome.
Seoul's night is still bustling, and the figures of the people gradually blend into the crowd. They know that tomorrow will be a new beginning, and they will continue to move towards their dreams with today's joy and confidence.
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