The Request (4): Love Me

"And that was the fantastic performance of Yuri!" Sedong exclaimed as the audience clapped. Yuri bowed and turned to face the judges. 

"Your technique was good," Jenna commented. "But your expressions were too stiff. Dancing is not simply about the movements but your facial expressions need to be aligned with your choreography."

Yuri nodded in understanding. 

"Your voice was shaky in a few parts," Jinhyun said. "You sounded out of breath. You need to work harder for a stable performance." 

The media personnel around them were scribbling on papers or typing on their phones, praising the professional behavior of the judges. They were not insulting the contestants but were rather analyzing the performances fairly. The social media users were also awed by the duo. Compared to other survival shows, this was more fair and was setting new standards in the idol industry. 

Yuri looked determined after the feedback. 

"I will improve more by the next episode," she promised. The judges nodded as she walked off the stage.

Semin, who was next, gave Yuri a small smile as the latter passed her. 

"All the best!" Yuri wished. 

"Thank you!" 

Semin took a deep breath. Sedong was cracking some jokes to keep the audience entertained. Finally, he called her name. 

With determination in her heart and head held high, Semin stepped on to the stage. She bowed to the judges and then to the audience. 

The onlookers watched curiously. The melody of Ed Sheeran's 'Love Me' began to play in the background. Slowly, Semin began to make small circular movements with her feet, each foot drawing a circle one after the other. Her heavenly voice began to sing. 

"Give me love like her

Cause lately I've been waking up alone" 

If Semin was an angel with her first performance, she was on a different level with her second one. Her movements were delicate yet sharp. She danced on tiptoes, not exerting too much or too less energy. It was just right. Her face was contorted with the agony of the song's emotions, portraying an angst within her which she never knew had existed. 

"Give a little time to me or burn this out

We'll play hide and seek to turn this around" 

Her dance moves were complicated but she made them look effortless. She added brisk steps during the high notes, which intimidated the audience. Her voice was stable and she did not sound out of breath even when she twirled around in an arabesque style. 

With every turn, Semin was more immersed into the song. Her mind blocked away everything else. Her focus was only on the strong feelings emitted by the song and a strange loneliness engulfed her. Tears fell from her eyes, as she kept on swaying to the tune of the song. 

"Love me! Love me!" 

Her high notes shattered through the minds of the watchers, as she kept on turning round and round, ending her performance with a timely fall on the ground. 

When she opened her eyes, Semin saw that both Jinhyun and Jenna were clapping loudly with the audience. They were standing up, proudly looking at her. 

The applause did not die off easily and went on for a good five minutes. Finally, the audience settled down. 

Semin bowed towards the judges. Jenna seemed to be struggling for words. 

"You…" she started. "Kid, you were amazing! It is hard for me to believe that you're dancing on a stage for the first time, but you were a pro!" 

Semin could feel tears welling up again. She looked at Jinhyun, waiting for his verdict. 

"You left me speechless, kid," he said with a smile. "I can't find a single flaw. Well done." 

Semin broke into tears and almost collapsed on the stage. Jinhyun got up from his seat and headed over to pat her head. 

"You did well," he said once again. Even though he kept up his professional attitude, inwardly, he was beaming with pride. The young girl came a long way within a few weeks. 

Semin hiccuped as Jinhyun helped her to get up. The stage assistant rushed forward to aid her. She thanked him and slowly walked off the stage. 

She did it. 

…. 

Cherry watched the performance on the TV from the backstage. Semin had just gotten off the stage, feeling breathless. She was in a daze as people congratulated her but she could barely register their words. 

Semin was so lost that she almost tripped but Cherry managed to catch her on time. 

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed in a panicked voice. 

"Be careful," Cherry said. "You were good today." 

"Thank you!" Semin replied, bowing deeply. She sniffed, unable to hold back her tears. 

"It's only a small victory," Cherry stated. "You have to win even bigger battles from now on." 

Semin nodded fervently. To her surprise, Cherry gave her a hug. 

"All the best," she wished. The young girl felt a warmth in that embrace as her emotions ran wild. 

Semin hugged her back tightly to which Cherry added, "I think that's enough hugging for now." 

"Oh!" Semin quickly let go. "I should be going to the green room." 

Cherry gave her a small smile as Semin left. She then turned her attention towards the screen once again. 

Yoona was now going on stage. Cherry frowned. Yoona's hand was bandaged. 

"What happened to you?" Jenna asked, pointing at the wound. 

"I was so nervous that I accidentally dug my nails in too hard," Yoona replied, feeling embarrassed. 

There was a ripple of laughter among the audience as Yoona flashed a shy smile. But Cherry narrowed her eyes. There was something disturbing brewing within Yoona. She tried to reason with herself that she was being biased since Yoona was Shuri's reincarnation. 

But her feeling of dislike was only increasing. Not simply because of the reincarnation. She got a vibe off Yoona which greatly disturbed her. As if there was more to her than meets the eye. 

Cherry glanced at Jinhyun. To her surprise, he also looked at her with suspicion. It was brief but she saw it clearly. He did not seem to trust her either. 

Seems like Cherry shared something common with Jinhyun after all.