TTIG Chapter 11

[Dance Training Class]

 

After Xu Baichuan left, Mo Xun and Fang Yinnian turned and headed into the practice room, closing the door behind them.

 

Fang Yinnian finally spoke softly, “It seemed like Director Xu was arguing with the higher-ups just now?”

 

“Shengyao Media is a publicly listed company—the management structure is pretty complicated. It’s normal for there to be disagreements,” Mo Xun replied casually, placing his backpack on a corner storage rack. “I think Old Xu wants us to spend more time building chemistry, but some executives are impatient and want us to debut as soon as possible.”

 

Fang Yinnian said worriedly, “But if we debut in August, we won’t have enough time. Tang Che and I can’t keep up with the dancing yet.”

 

Mo Xun reassured him, “Let’s just focus on practicing for now and see how Old Xu plans things.”

 

Fang Yinnian nodded and placed his bag on the storage rack.

 

Mo Xun turned around, pulled out his phone, and connected it to the room’s sound system. He played a track with a strong rhythm.

 

Stretching his arms a bit, he looked at Fang Yinnian and said, “Yinnian, I’ll start by teaching you some basic leg movements. Once you’ve got the fundamentals down solidly, it’ll be easier for you to keep up later.”

 

“Alright,” Fang Yinnian replied.

 

Today he was wearing simple athletic clothes paired with white sneakers, giving him a fresh and clean look.

 

Mo Xun said, “Alright—get ready.”

 

Hearing the word “ready,” Fang Yinnian instinctively rose onto his toes, stretched out his arms gracefully, and struck an elegant pose.

 

Seeing him looking like he was about to take off into a ballet routine, Mo Xun couldn’t help but tease him: “Are you about to do ballet? How about spinning around for me?”

 

Fang Yinnian quickly lowered his heels to the ground and apologized sheepishly: “Sorry—it’s just a habitual starting pose.”

 

Mo Xun chuckled and said, “Your training is different from what we’re doing now. These old habits will need to be gradually corrected starting today.”

 

Fang Yinnian nodded seriously. “Got it—I’ll work on changing them.”

 

As he demonstrated a move, Mo Xun explained: “I’ll teach you the simplest jump step first. Keep your feet together and jump upward quickly before rebounding back down—the movement needs to be clean and sharp. This step can be combined with various arm movements. When performed in sync during group choreography, it looks really impressive.”

 

He demonstrated the move twice in a row before turning back toward Fang Yinnian. “Did you catch that? Try it with me.”

 

“Got it.” Fang Yinnian nodded and followed behind him to practice.

 

When Mo Xun jumped, his movements were powerful, with a stylish and confident posture. In contrast, Fang Yinnian’s jumps remained light and graceful.

 

While Fang Yinnian’s airy jumps looked beautiful on their own, they didn’t fit the style of a boy band’s choreography and made it easy for him to fall out of sync with his teammates. The dance habits he had developed over many years couldn’t be changed overnight.

 

Mo Xun stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Fang Yinnian’s shoulder, saying, “Your shoulders are too relaxed—pull them in slightly.”

 

Mo Xun’s fingers were long and strong, and the warmth of his fingertips transferred through Fang Yinnian’s skin when he held his shoulder.

 

Fang Yinnian wasn’t used to such close physical contact.

 

However, Mo Xun’s expression was serious, and teaching dance step by step inevitably required some physical adjustments. They were both guys, and it wasn’t like he was touching anything private, so there was nothing inappropriate about it.

 

Fang Yinnian quickly adapted and tightened the muscles in his arms as instructed.

 

Next, Mo Xun gently pressed against Fang Yinnian’s lower back with his right hand. “Don’t keep your back so stiff—it’ll make you look rigid. Relax a bit… Yes, use your core strength from your abdomen.”

 

“Good. Try it again.”

 

Fang Yinnian followed Mo Xun’s instructions and repeated the move twice.

 

Watching the reflection in the mirror, Mo Xun frowned slightly and said, “Not quite yet—try again.”

 

Fang Yinnian continued practicing as directed.

 

After about ten consecutive jumps, Mo Xun finally smiled and said, “Alright, that’s passable. I’ll choreograph a short routine on the spot using side slides, forward-backward slides, and cross-steps. Practice linking these leg movements together—it’ll help you improve faster.”

 

Fang Yinnian nodded obediently. “Okay.”

 

Mo Xun quickly put together a simple routine consisting of four eight-count segments.

 

The choreography was deliberately kept basic, focusing solely on leg movements without incorporating arm movements to avoid overwhelming a beginner.

 

The sequence flowed smoothly when performed.

 

After demonstrating it once, Mo Xun began breaking it down for Fang Yinnian in detail: “For sliding steps, one foot steps out first while the other follows immediately to bring your body along. This creates the effect of ‘sliding’ across the floor. The same principle applies to sliding left or right as well as forward or backward.”

 

“Sliding steps, jumping steps, and cross-steps are commonly used for quick repositioning in synchronized group dances.”

 

“Follow me from the first segment—focus on memorizing the movements first…”

 

Mo Xun moved slowly as he broke down each movement step by step, carefully demonstrating everything for Fang Yinnian.

 

Fang Yinnian had enough flexibility and agility in his body; his main issue was that his movements lacked strength due to his previous habits of dancing lightly.

 

After practicing with Mo Xun several times, he gradually began picking up some techniques and started to look more like he belonged in a boy band dance routine.

 

However, Mo Xun’s standards were very high.

 

If any part of Fang Yinnian’s movements was even slightly off, Mo Xun would step in to correct him: “Your step isn’t wide enough—move further to the left.” “Yes, stop exactly here…”

 

Mo Xun taught Fang Yinnian how to dance with the patience of someone teaching a child how to walk.

 

Fang Yinnian took the lessons very seriously as well.

 

He quickly got used to the occasional physical contact. Having Mo Xun physically adjust his posture was much faster than relying solely on verbal instructions.

The dance routine was simple and easy to remember. As Fang Yinnian practiced with Mo Xun, he gradually rediscovered the joy of learning dance from his childhood. Watching himself in the mirror as his movements became more precise and fluid gave him a sense of accomplishment.

 

Mo Xun’s one-on-one teaching method proved highly effective.

 

Before they knew it, it was 5:30 PM when they heard the sound of the door opening.

 

Both turned around at the same time—it was Tang Che entering the room.

 

Seeing them, Tang Che paused briefly before saying coolly, “You guys came here early?”

 

Fang Yinnian smiled and replied, “Neither of us had classes this afternoon, so we came to practice dancing in the studio. Did you just finish class?”

 

Tang Che nodded. “Yeah, I took the subway here right after school.”

 

A few minutes later, Fu Fei and Tan Junwen entered the practice room one after another.

 

Mo Xun waved them over. “Come on—Junwen and Xiao Fei, let’s dance through a routine together.”

 

Tan Junwen walked over and placed his backpack down. “Did you guys eat already? I haven’t had dinner yet.”

 

Fu Fei said, “I haven’t eaten either.”

 

Mo Xun replied, “Order your takeout first, and while we wait for it, come dance with me.”

 

Tan Junwen sighed. “You’re such a perfectionist, bro! You even want to dance during this short waiting time?”

 

Fu Fei scratched his head. “Isn’t the dance class scheduled for 7 PM?”

 

Mo Xun smiled. “This is extra practice. Let’s move quickly.”

 

Seeing their captain’s determination, the group exchanged glances and promptly pulled out their phones to order food.

 

Once they finished ordering, Tan Junwen and Fu Fei walked over to Mo Xun.

 

Fu Fei asked, “Mo-ge, what are we dancing?”

 

Mo Xun replied, “This is a routine I just choreographed. You two follow me—it’s simple.”

 

He performed the routine once in front of them, and the two followed along to learn.

 

Fu Fei quickly picked up the moves from Mo Xun, executing them with precision.

 

Initially, Fang Yinnian had thought Fu Fei was the least remarkable member of the group—always cheerful, playing games all day. But now he realized that this “all-rounder trainee who ranked first in every assessment” truly had skills.

 

Fu Fei learned incredibly fast.

 

The routine Mo Xun had just choreographed was mastered by Fu Fei in one go, with movements so clean they looked like a perfect “copy-paste.”

 

Tan Junwen missed the beat on his first attempt but caught up by the second round.

 

Mo Xun played music and instructed, “Alright, follow the rhythm and dance through it once. Step back a bit.”

 

Tan Junwen and Fu Fei stepped back into a triangular formation with Mo Xun in the center front (C-position).

 

As the three danced to the rhythm of the music, Mo Xun suddenly said, “Next segment—Xiao Fei switches to C.”

 

Fu Fei nodded immediately. “Got it.”

 

When the second segment of music began, Fu Fei effortlessly slid forward while Mo Xun slid backward simultaneously. Their quick positional swap was dazzling to watch—almost like teleportation.

 

Mo Xun then called out again: “Next segment—Junwen switches to C.”

 

Tan Junwen responded promptly. “Understood.”

 

Fu Fei and Tan Junwen swapped positions again, forming a new formation with Tan Junwen in front while Mo Xun and Fu Fei flanked him on either side.

 

Their movements remained perfectly synchronized as they smoothly executed positional changes mid-dance.

 

Tang Che and Fang Yinnian exchanged glances—there was no denying that their other three teammates were exceptionally skilled dancers. Mo Xun had unquestionable top-tier lead dancer abilities, Fu Fei’s solid foundation as an all-rounder trainee was evident, and Tan Junwen’s dancing was above average—not exceptional but definitely not a weak point.

 

However, with Tang Che and Fang Yinnian—the two weaker links—the “dance barrel” of FTM risked springing leaks.

 

When the music stopped, Fu Fei scratched his head with a grin. “Mo-ge, isn’t this choreography way too simple? Feels like something from an elementary school dance class!”

 

Mo Xun replied calmly, “This is a leg movement combo designed specifically for teaching Yinnian and Tang Che. The goal is to help them build a solid foundation first. I’ve already coordinated with the dance teacher—what I’m teaching won’t overlap or conflict with his lessons.”

 

Tan Junwen and Fu Fei exchanged glances—so that’s why.

 

Mo Xun continued, “From now on, I’ll take responsibility for Yinnian. The three of you should coordinate your schedules—whoever has time can teach Tang Che. Any objections?”

 

The three nodded simultaneously: “No problem.”

 

The basic teaching choreography created by the captain was actually very beneficial for the entire team. By teaching each other, they could better understand their teammates’ habits and develop stronger chemistry.

 

Once the leg movements were mastered, adding visually appealing arm movements would gradually lead to a synchronized and polished group performance.

 

Mo Xun added, “By the way, Yinnian and I ran into Old Xu here earlier. The company higher-ups have decided that we’ll perform at the mash-up concert in August, marking our official debut.”

 

The three froze simultaneously. “August?!”

 

Fu Fei nearly bit his tongue. “Whoa, weren’t we supposed to spend three months building chemistry? Why the sudden change to August?”

 

Tan Junwen looked exasperated. “We just formed a group—what’s the rush?”

 

Tang Che said coldly, “Forcing ducks onto a perch without checking if they’ve grown up yet.”

 

Everyone: “…”

 

Tang Che’s sharp tongue was relentless—first comparing himself to a zombie performing a ritual, and now saying they were all immature ducks being forced onto a perch.

 

Fang Yinnian chuckled lightly and said, “It does feel pretty rushed.”

 

Mo Xun sighed helplessly. “I don’t know the full details either. Old Xu asked us to meet him in the conference room after dance class—he’ll explain everything then.”

 

The five exchanged glances and sighed silently.

 

This world really felt like one big makeshift operation.

 

FTM had two members who couldn’t dance, and now they were expected to debut after just one month of training—it felt like a joke.

 

—

 

Originally, their weeknight schedule included two hours of dance practice followed by one hour of vocal training. However, tonight’s vocal class was canceled. After finishing their dance class, the five headed straight to the conference room.

 

Old Xu was already there waiting for them with a serious expression.

 

“Director Xu,” they greeted in unison before quickly finding seats.

 

Xu Baichuan’s gaze swept across their faces before he spoke directly: “After discussions among the company higher-ups, it’s been decided that you’ll officially debut on August 18th at Shengyao Media’s 10th Anniversary Mash-Up Concert.”

 

Mo Xun had already informed them of this earlier, so no one was particularly surprised.

 

A hint of helplessness appeared in Xu Baichuan’s eyes as he continued: “My original plan was for you to spend three months building chemistry as a group, then record songs and shoot an MV before officially debuting at Christmas. But now everything has been disrupted, and there isn’t enough time to prepare properly. I’ll do my best to coordinate things so your first appearance goes smoothly.”

 

He turned to Tang Che and Fang Yinnian. “How’s your dance practice coming along? Can you manage singing and dancing on stage?”

 

The two exchanged glances before Fang Yinnian answered honestly: “We’re just beginners.”

 

Xu Baichuan raised an eyebrow. “I figured as much.”

 

He then looked at Mo Xun. “At this point, forget about singing and dancing simultaneously—can you even manage a clean group dance?”

 

Mo Xun replied, “The timeline is tight. If the choreography is kept simple and we practice intensely, we might be able to synchronize within a month. But if we’re expected to sing live while dancing… that’ll be tough.”

 

Xu Baichuan nodded firmly. “Of course—the concert will require fully live performances. Since Tang Che and Fang Yinnian can’t keep up with the dancing for now, you’ll debut by focusing solely on singing.”

 

“Focus on perfecting your singing first.”

 

“After all—you’re a vocal group.”

 

FTM was not the typical dance-focused boy band composed entirely of trainees.

 

For the music, born for music—the foundation of their group was their five distinct vocal tones, each highly recognizable, and the beautiful harmonies they created together.

 

They were a vocal group. If they couldn’t dance well yet, they could start by singing.

 

However…

 

Their harmonies at the moment were still terrible.

 

The five exchanged glances. What else could they do? Forced onto the stage like ducks being rushed onto a perch, these five little ducks had no choice but to buckle down and practice hard.

 

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