Kim Jinwoo, team leader of the talent development team at a major entertainment agency that, while not counted among the "Big Four," was well-known enough that most had heard of it at least once.
He visited a practical music academy in Seoul with a subordinate.
Practical music academies all across the country regularly held on-site auditions where agencies visited.
He too had attended today's on-site audition as a judge to find talent.
“There isn't really anyone worth picking this time either.”
“Isn't that kid over there pretty decent?”
A sigh escaped him toward his subordinate, Yeongho, who was pointing at a participant.
“Yeongho, being 'decent' means nothing. They have to grab you by the eyes. An idol needs to give you that love-at-first-sight feeling.”
“Come on, your standards are already as high as they can get. Do you really think someone will catch your eye?”
“There are kids like that. Ones who make you gasp with visceral admiration. When you see them, you just know. 'Wow, damn, this kid has it.'”
“If she's like that, she's probably already been cast somewhere.”
“That's true... sigh.”
Once all the participants' auditions had ended.
As he was getting ready to leave after packing up, the academy's director approached to greet him.
“Team Leader, you've worked hard. Our kids did well, didn't they?”
“Yes... well.”
“Please look upon them favorably. These kids are all brimming with talent. They'll learn well once they're at a company, won't they?”
They were kids who clearly had practiced diligently.
Their looks weren't bad either.
But there was plenty of time until the next girl group launch.
There was no need to rush and pick a mediocre candidate.
What mattered was finding a core member.
“Yes. I'll go back to the company, speak positively with the Director, and let you know about the results.”
“Understood. Thank you for your hard work today.”
As he was leaving after the formal exchange with the music academy director.
“Hey. Yeongho, let's grab some food.”
It was his greatest pleasure to go out on business under the pretext of casting, stop by famous restaurants and cafes, and pay with the corporate card.
Stopping by a famous nearby gukbap restaurant, Team Leader Kim Jinwoo spoke while eating.
“Yeongho, when exactly does Pastel Love's contract expire?”
“Hey, let's not talk about work while we're eating. I'll get indigestion.”
“Even so, you're stuffing your face with the corporate card. Least you could do is talk work. Sigh.”
Subordinate Yeongho said with a chuckle.
“They probably have about three years and five months left?”
“So if we're being generous, we've got about six years until the next girl group launch.”
“Rather than that, Team Leader, there's a cafe near here I've been to a few times with my girlfriend. It's pretty nice. Let's go.”
“Is food with the corporate card all you ever think about? Get a hold of yourself, man.”
“Come on, Team Leader, you blow company money all the time too.”
“Forget it. I'll tell the Director I'm leaving directly from the field, so let's go to the cafe and shoot the breeze.”
“Yes, sir!”
Although the talent development team's performance bonuses were small, it was nice that they got to leave work straight from the field so often.
After eating, they walked to a cafe to aid digestion.
“Team Leader, can I get some cake too?”
“Stop stuffing your face, damn it.”
Kim Jinwoo looked around the cafe while his subordinate was ordering.
'The interior is certainly nice. Looks like the kind of place girls would come to take pictures, going on about vibes and aesthetics...'
While looking around the cafe, Kim Jinwoo's eyes were glued to one spot.
Kim Jinwoo tapped his subordinate, who was ordering, and spoke.
“Hey, Yeongho. It's our performance bonus.”
“Huh?”
“Hey. Look at her.”
What Kim Jinwoo pointed at was a female student.
Barring an adverse change, she had the looks to be a visual member in any girl group.
And above all, an aura unique to her.
How to put it... a unique atmosphere that was at once youthful and playfully mature?
She was a sure thing.
“Oh...”
“See? You feel that visceral awe, don't you?”
“Yes... I do.”
“We absolutely have to cast her. Wait here.”
“Yes, sir!”
.
.
.
“Hello there, student.”
Opening my eyes at the voice directed at me, an unfamiliar man was staring at me.
“Me?”
'What, is he a lolicon?'
“Yes, student. Are you interested in dancing or singing by any chance?”
Ah. I thought he was a lolicon.
Turned out it was just an ordinary street casting.
Keh... As expected, with my looks, I couldn't not get street-cast.
I'd fall for me too; what can you expect from others?
“I'm not.”
“That's fine even if you aren't. Then, have you ever thought about becoming an entertainer?”
“I haven't...”
Since I had been confident that I'd get scouted on the street at least once someday, despite my elated mood, I could speak in a calm tone.
Meanwhile, the engaged couple beside me exclaimed even more excitedly than I did.
“Wow, I've never seen anything like this!”
“Teacher, you knew Dohui would get street-cast! She's so pretty and cute that even if you were a casting manager, you'd have cast her, right?”
Anyone watching would think they were the ones getting cast.
“I thought I'd get scouted too.”
“Haha.”
Teacher laughed, thinking I was joking.
I wasn't joking.
This is called self-objective evaluation.
I was, in name and reality, an S-class beauty in the province.
“So are you going to be a celebrity now?”
“If I were going to, I would've kept being a child actor.”
The casting manager asked while listening to my conversation with Teacher.
“You were a child actor?”
“I just shot a commercial once a long time ago, that's all.”
That memory was precisely why I didn't want to be a celebrity.
My dark history...
“Oh, you don't have an agency?”
“No, and I don't really have any intention of becoming one.”
“How old are you, if you don't mind?”
The casting manager kept saying whatever he wanted.
“I'm eleven. But I really don't have any intention—”
“For now, take my business card.”
I took the business card the casting manager handed me.
On the card was written:
Kim Jinwoo, Team Leader, Talent Development Team, Top East Entertainment.
'First time hearing of it.'
“Dohui, let Teacher see too.”
Teacher tilted her head and leaned toward me.
I turned the card and showed it to Teacher, and she looked like she recognized it.
“Oh, Dohui, I think I've heard of this place?”
“That's right, we're quite a well-known agency. First, your name is Dohui, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Dohui, do you know whose song is playing right now?”
In the cafe, a song that had been frequently heard on the streets lately was playing.
“I've heard it a few times while walking around, but whose is it?”
“It even hit number one on the charts, so you really have no interest, huh? It's by a group called Pastel Love under our company.”
“Ah, Pastel Love. I've heard of them...”
I'd watched them a few times on YouTube.
“We don't only have girl groups at our company. We have boy groups too, and not just idols but many top actors.”
“Ah, yes.”
“For example, Kim Dongjun, who's famous as a handsome actor, or a ten-million-view actor...”
The man passionately introduced the celebrities at his agency.
I could tell it was definitely an agency with scale and recognition.
“It's a big company.”
“That's right. If you join our company, we can definitely support you.”
“Hmm...”
“At eleven years old, you're at the perfect age to become a trainee and debut.”
“I'll think about it.”
“Then could you tell me your phone number?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
I called the number written on the man's business card and gave him my phone number.
“Anyway, I'd really love for you to come visit sometime. You can even come to hang out with friends. If you do, I'll give you a tour of the headquarters and introduce you to celebrities.”
“Yes. I'll consider it.”
“Please be sure to contact me!”
The casting manager left,
and Teacher spoke to me.
“So, Dohui, are you going to go check it out?”
“I'll have to talk to Mom about it. I've been curious what an entertainment agency's headquarters looks like.”
“If Dohui becomes a celebrity, then Teacher will have a celebrity student, right?”
The man beside her said.
“Yeonji, should we delay our wedding a bit?”
“What?”
“Let's get married after Dohui becomes a celebrity. We'll have her sing the congratulatory song.”
“Ah, come on~”
...Damn it.
All of a sudden, they were being all lovey-dovey.
Back home, Mom and Dad were like that too, which was an eyesore.
The whole world was couples.
“Sigh... But Teacher, are you okay with me becoming a celebrity?”
“Why?”
“You wanted me to become a pianist.”
“Ah~ I didn't want it per se. I just said it'd be a waste of your talent.”
“Isn't that basically the same thing?”
“But if you become a pianist and can't become a celebrity because of it, that would be a waste too.”
“I'll give you that.”
“Haha, so go home and talk it over well with your family.”
“Understood.”
More than that, I felt I should wrap up the celebrity talk and offer my congratulations to Teacher on her marriage.
Though I was in a child's body and acting like a child, not congratulating her on her marriage wouldn't be gentlemanly.
“And Teacher.”
“Hmm?”
“Congratulations on your marriage. You too, sir.”
“Thank you, Dohui.” “Yes, thank you.”
I tried to offer my congratulations with a smile, but I couldn't manage my expression well.
Teacher hugged me like that and said.
“I'm sorry I can't have lessons with you anymore. But you know Teacher loves you very much, right?”
“Yes. Me too, which is why I hope you'll be happy.”
“Yes, I love you, our Dohui.”
“...Yes.”
.
.
.
After parting with Teacher and her fiancé, I returned home.
“I'm home~”
Mom came out to greet me.
“Is our princess home?”
“Mhm.”
“Did you have fun?”
“It was okay. Anyway, Mom, look at this.”
With a chic expression, I handed the business card to Mom.
“What, you got street-cast?”
“Aah. This is what you call a street casting that Mom has never experienced.”
As soon as I cracked that joke, I got a flick to the forehead.
“Aang, that hurts.”
“You're really asking for it.”
“But... if I don't joke around with Mom, how can I forget this melancholy of sending Teacher away?”
“Sigh... so tell me about this street casting. Mom's curious.”
“Heh heh... Very well... This body was resting in a cafe.”
“Speak properly before you get hit again.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
I didn't want to get hit.
After telling Mom,
“So what do you want to do?”
“I'm not really sure either.”
Truthfully, I had wanted to try being an idol in my previous life too.
Why does everyone write “celebrity” as their future dream when they're young?
I had felt the same way.
However, I didn't want to be an actor.
I didn't want to be an actor performing statically behind a screen; I wanted to be seen by the audience and hear their cheers.
I really must have been an attention seeker since my previous life.
But idols aren't something just anyone can become.
Now that I was a girl, I could become an idol, but a girl group idol... I wasn't sure.
“What do you want to do about piano?”
“What do you mean, what do I want to do? I have to keep entering competitions. I don't want to break my record.”
Come to think of it, what disappointed me about piano competitions when I was eight was that there was no applause.
What was the point of winning the grand prize if I couldn't even receive applause after my performance?
They said that starting from middle and high school divisions, unlike the elementary divisions that proceeded rapidly, you could perform complete pieces and receive applause, but.
But would it really be as loud as the cheers idols received on stage?
Now that I acknowledged I was an attention seeker, I understood why I hadn't actively stopped Mom from posting me on SNS.
Deep down, I liked it too.
Still, a girl group idol...
“Ah~ I don't know.”
“Dohui, then shall Mom and you go visit the headquarters?”
“Sure, why not.”
“Yes, you can try everything and then decide.”
“Yeah.”
Still, I was grateful to Mom, who always worried seriously about her daughter's future.
“Heh heh, I gotta get Kim Dongjun's autograph~”
Ah.