Chapter 30

While sitting in the car, Moon Jung-woo couldn't help but summarize his intuitive experience and understanding of dance. Closing the book on dance that Kang Jun-yong had given him, he turned his head to look out the window. His summary was correct, as it had already been confirmed by dance teacher Kang Jun-yong. Understanding dance starts with categorization, and to understand and learn dance, one must talk about the application of force.

Popping is what people call mechanical dance. It is a dance that achieves visual effects and rhythm through the relaxation and contraction of muscles. This dance embodies a sense of power, allowing the audience to feel a clean, crisp, and refreshing sensation.

Hip-hop is a dance composed of free steps and movements, based on up-down and basic steps. It emphasizes spontaneity and the natural movement of various body parts in rhythm with the music.

Jazz, now generally referring to New Jazz, is characterized by sensual movements. It is mostly performed by women. The body structures of men and women are different, and many movements can only be interpreted by women, such as wave, hip twist, chest shake, and waist turn. The movements are not about exaggerated difficulty but about precision and the appropriate use of force.

Locking is a dance of quick and sudden stops, like a wound-up toy suddenly stopping. It is based on hand movements and emphasizes the reaction and control of force.

Breaking, which we call technique, requires strength and balance to perform high-difficulty moves. This is what Kang Jun-yong demonstrated to Moon Jung-woo. It shares similarities with Popping but has fundamental differences. It requires flexible joints and is the most injury-prone dance.

The key to applying force is a method of learning and a way to better interpret dance. However, when presented to the audience, it has another layer of meaning. Dance is for people to appreciate. Especially for idols, it's not just for personal enjoyment. Therefore, how you apply your strength and create visual effects is also a crucial standard.

However, while summarizing these points, Moon Jung-woo was thinking about something else. Lee Soon-gyu, that girl, had shown off after dancing. Her smug look made him want to spank her. Of course, Moon Jung-woo wouldn't do that. Although he knew many types of dance, he wasn't proficient in all of them. He mainly focused on New Jazz, and while he could do the others, he didn't fully understand the techniques of force application. His highest achievement was in New Jazz, which is widely used by female idols.

However, during the demonstration, she might have been too excited and intentionally showed off her senior trainee skills in front of Moon Jung-woo. She did N waves, with extremely precise expressions, as if she were a real debut idol. She even spontaneously danced up to him for an interaction. But Moon Jung-woo looked at her expressionlessly, giving no response. This made Lee Soon-gyu instantly switch to Popping, venting her frustration, which made Kang Jun-yong laugh heartily.

However, Moon Jung-woo also admitted that Lee Soon-gyu's skills were really good. When she was truly focused, she wasn't the temperamental girl she usually was. She had a certain presence that radiated around her, which helped Moon Jung-woo find a similar sense of charm. That was what he had left home to find. But now, he was still far from it and knew too little.

While thinking about these things, the car slowly entered the city of Jeonju. It wasn't the most bustling, but it wasn't quiet either. Any city famous in Korea generally had some history and strength. It was filled with tall buildings, and Moon Jung-woo, who hadn't slept all night and had been practicing dance, had only slept for an hour in the car and wasn't feeling sleepy now.

Today was his first visit, and although he had to handle all the procedures and communications himself, for the first time, Lee Soo-young had sent his driver to pick him up. In the future, he would probably have to come by himself. The driver was the one who almost hit him at SW. Seeing Moon Jung-woo looking at the surroundings with interest, the driver, who had been familiar with him for two months, liked this young adult whom the CEO had taken in and valued. He was a child in age but seemed mature in his speech and behavior.

"Jung-woo, not going to sleep a bit more?"

Moon Jung-woo turned his head and smiled at the driver: "No, we should be arriving soon. Besides, I'm not sleepy."

The driver shook his head: "Looks like you really like this line of work, reading the materials the CEO gave you even in the car."

Moon Jung-woo was taken aback: "What I have isn't..." Before he could finish, he looked puzzled: "Uncle, you know the CEO gave me materials?"

The driver laughed: "I've been with him for about ten years, so I know a bit. Those who really understand this industry generally don't listen. Only someone like me, who understands a little but not much, can listen to his rambling. But I don't fully understand his thoughts. The CEO of a Korean entertainment company actually admires foreign stars. Don't we have plenty of excellent artists in our own country?"

Moon Jung-woo didn't comment. After learning about Leslie Cheung, his view of artists was different. The entertainment industry itself wasn't something Korea owned. It was imported from abroad, and its history is hard to trace. But after recent research, he realized that due to the diverse and passive influences, the current Korean wave emphasizes its own industry and excludes others.

Moon Jung-woo didn't have this mindset. Even if they were once leading, there were still things worth learning and emulating. Absorbing, changing, and improving while rejecting other ideas and cultures was a bit extreme. At least, he didn't fully support it. But it didn't have a profound impact, so he didn't dwell on it.

After a few more casual chats, the car entered a school. The gate read "Yangji Middle School" in large letters. After greeting the security guard, the car drove in. When the car stopped, the driver unbuckled his seatbelt to get out, but Moon Jung-woo waved him off: "Uncle, you go back first. The CEO might need the car. I'll take the bus home after school; it's very convenient."

The driver hesitated: "Can you manage on your own? It will be dark by the time school ends."

Moon Jung-woo smiled: "Not necessarily that late. Besides, I'm just a kid, and I don't have much money. What could happen? And don't forget, I know Taekwondo."

The driver thought for a moment and took out his phone: "I'll call the CEO to see what he thinks. You go ahead, and I'll text you if I go back first."

Moon Jung-woo didn't say anything more and walked toward the teaching building. It was class time, and the playground was mostly empty except for a few classes having physical education. Moon Jung-woo, with his backpack, looked around. This was where he would be attending school for the next two years. The environment was nice, without the fast-paced atmosphere and cold, modern facilities of Seoul. He could even see mountains and trees in the distance.

He stepped into the teaching building, which had four floors. It was quite long, with about twenty windows on each floor. There were side buildings on either side of the main building, and clothes were hanging on the balconies, suggesting they were dormitories. Inside, he heard reading voices and looked at the room indicators by the door, heading toward the principal's office.

It was on the fourth floor, at the end of the corridor, with a sign on the door. Moon Jung-woo stopped, knocked, but got no response. He instinctively turned the doorknob and found it locked. It seemed no one was there.

"Who are you looking for?" Moon Jung-woo turned his head to see a man in his late twenties with glasses coming out of a nearby room.

Moon Jung-woo walked up, bowed slightly: "Hello, my name is Moon Jung-woo. I'm a transfer student from Seoul National Middle School."

The man with glasses was taken aback and gestured for Moon Jung-woo to come in: "Come in, the principal isn't here."

Moon Jung-woo followed him inside, where five or six teachers were sitting at their desks. Some were writing, and a few were chatting.

The man led Moon Jung-woo to a desk and gestured for him to sit: "Seoul National Middle School? That's an elite school, isn't it? How did you end up here?"

Looking at the file, the man suddenly slapped his head: "I remember now. You're Moon Jung-woo, currently a trainee at a company, right?"

Moon Jung-woo nodded: "SW Entertainment... How did you know?"

The man chuckled: "I handle student transfers. My name is Liu. You can call me Mr. Liu. Give me the file, and I'll pass it on to the principal."

Moon Jung-woo called him Mr. Liu and handed over the file: "Our CEO contacted you, right?"

Mr. Liu waved his hand: "Not me, the principal... Why did you transfer here? Seoul National Middle School is very famous, much better than Yangji Middle School, and it's in Seoul."

Looking at Moon Jung-woo, Mr. Liu couldn't help but smile: "You're so handsome and have such good manners. Elite schools are indeed different."

Moon Jung-woo smiled: "My family's financial situation has declined, and I can't afford the tuition... Can you please not describe me as handsome?"

Mr. Liu looked at Moon Jung-woo in surprise. Is your family's financial decline less important than your appearance? You actually... care about this?