It was already September.
Before summer vacation, I had gone back and forth between school and the company, and during summer vacation I had even entered piano competitions. I would arrive at work at ten in the morning and get dragged around all day according to a fixed schedule, so before I knew it, time had flown by.
Top East Entertainment’s public auditions, which had started in July, had finished their third round two weeks ago and finally announced the final successful candidates last week.
There were five successful candidates in total.
Of them, four had signed trainee contracts and would start coming to the company from today.
"I wonder who’ll come~ How old will they be? They’ll be pretty, right?"
My unni, whose head was a field of flowers, didn’t seem to spare a single thought for the fact that they were competitors.
"They’ll probably be here with the Team Leader soon. Wait patiently."
"But I’m so excited. It’s been a year and a half since you joined, Dohee."
"They’re rivals in the end, Unni. You should worry a little."
"Hmph... Dohee, you’re so cold."
"That’s reality. This is the first time trainees have come in, but from now on, they’ll keep coming in endlessly."
"But I’m confident I’ll debut with Dohee! These days the teachers only praise me."
"The people who come in later might be even better than you, Unni."
"Hmph..."
Of course, both my unni and I had improved a lot in skill.
Since there had been only my unni and me as trainees, the structure had been practically one-on-one lessons, so there was no way our skills wouldn’t improve.
Not long after we had talked about the trainees who would be joining us, Team Leader Jeong entered the dance practice room where we were, together with four young-looking girls.
""Hello, Team Leader!""
"Yes, hello. These are the new trainees who’ll be practicing with you from now on."
Everyone had put on makeup because it was their first day.
My unni Ua and I greeted the new trainees.
""Hello~""
The Team Leader spoke to the girls standing beside her.
"First, you newbies should introduce yourselves. Starting with the youngest, Boyeon, in age order."
"Yes! Hello, I’m Heo Boyeon, fourteen years old. Please take care of me!"
She was the youngest of the new trainees, but she was the same age as my unni, Ua.
I really am the youngest, aren’t I?
"Alright, next."
"Hello, I’m Kim Seoyun, fifteen years old. I came from Busan because I want to be an idol! I’ll work hard!"
Busan?
Wasn’t Busan too far?
I asked.
"Then how will you commute to and from the company?"
The Team Leader answered.
"Seoyun will be staying in a company-arranged trainee dormitory. From now on, all the kids who live far away will live together in the dorms. If it gets too hard for you two to commute back and forth, let us know."
Well, they had said they’d be selecting foreign trainees through global auditions now, so of course there would be a trainee dormitory.
"Now, Daye."
"Yes! Hello! I’m Han Daye, fifteen years old. I applied because I wanted to become an idol after watching a performance by the Pastel Love seniors. I’ll work hard!"
"Alright. Lastly, Naeun."
"Hello, I’m Kim Naeun. I’m seventeen years old. Please take care of me."
Even though she was on the older side for a new trainee at seventeen, I could immediately see why this girl had passed the audition.
Her visuals were unrivaled compared to the others who had introduced themselves before.
Of course, the ones who had introduced themselves earlier were also pretty enough to look like trainees, but if they were Bs and Cs, this girl was an A.
Ah, of course, I’m an S.
Puhaha.
"Alright, now Dohee and Ua should introduce yourselves too."
"Yes." "Yes~"
"Hello. I’m Lee Dohui, twelve years old. I’ve been a trainee for a year and a half. Please take care of me."
"Hello. I’m Ji Ua, fourteen years old. I’m a second-year trainee, and I hope we can get along! Thank you!"
The new trainees’ eyes widened after hearing our introductions.
They probably hadn’t imagined that we were younger than them yet had spent nearly two years as trainees.
Especially since I was twelve.
"Alright, now that introductions are done, chat amongst yourselves for a bit, and when the choreography teacher arrives, start your lesson."
"""Yes!"""
"New trainees, if you have anything you’re curious about, ask Dohee and Ua first. Dohee and Ua, make sure you teach them well."
After the Team Leader left the practice room, only then did the new trainees seem to relax a little and start talking.
Kim Seoyun, who had come from Busan, asked me first.
"Um... should I call you senior?"
Senior? Between trainees?
"You don’t have to call each other senior between trainees. Since it’s just by age, feel free to call me Dohee."
"Ah, really? Then I’ll speak comfortably?"
"Yes."
"Wow, I was really surprised when I first saw you, Dohee. I thought, so this is what a kid who becomes an idol looks like."
Maybe because she had relaxed a bit, Seoyun unni started speaking in a Busan dialect.
"Ah, thank you. You’re pretty too, unni."
"So were you street-cast when you were eleven?"
"Ah, yes, that’s right."
"That’s amazing."
Seoyun unni turned her head and asked Ua unni too.
"Ua-senior... ah, Ua too, can I call you Ua?"
"Yes, I’m fourteen, so I’m a year younger than you. Please speak comfortably."
"Got it. Ua, were you street-cast too?"
"No. I got in through an audition."
"Ah, really?"
This time, Han Daye, who had been listening quietly and was apparently a Pastel Love fan, asked.
"Can I speak comfortably too?"
"Yes."
"If we practice here, do we get to meet the Pastel Love seniors too?"
"Ah, yes, I see them occasionally. They’re busy with lots of schedules and overseas performances, so they can’t come to the company much, but they come to practice when they’re releasing an album."
The problem was that whenever we ran into each other, saying I was cute, each member would take turns hugging me, pinching my cheeks, and tugging at me, tormenting me for at least thirty minutes.
I couldn’t even run away because they were my seniors.
"Really? Then what about the Exten seniors?"
Perhaps because talk of celebrities had come up, Heo Boyeon, the youngest of the new trainees, spoke up with interest.
"Ah, those guys come to practice often."
Still, since Exten were guys, when they came across me they didn’t hug me; they would just pat my head and tell me to cheer up before leaving.
"Ah, really? I’m a total fan. I applied for the Top East audition because of the Exten oppas— no, I mean, the seniors."
"Ah, yes. Then unni, don’t you have anything you’re curious about?"
I asked Kim Naeun, the only high schooler among them, who had been listening quietly.
"No, not yet. I’ll ask if I think of something."
"Yes."
While I was answering questions, Teacher Mun came in.
"Hey kids, hello~"
My unni Ua and I greeted her.
""Teacher, hello~""
"Did Dohee and Ua have a good weekend?"
""Yes.""
Then the teacher spoke while looking at the new trainees.
"So you’re the new kids."
"""Yes! Hello."""
"Alright, what are your names?"
After hearing the new trainees’ names, the teacher said.
"Alright, my name is Mun Yerim, and from now on all your dance training will be with me. Now, let’s start right away by checking your dance skills."
The teacher stood in the center of the full-length mirror and said.
"Alright kids, I’ll dance first, so just follow me."
When I had first come, she had taught me the basics because it was my first time dancing, but this time, perhaps because they were trainees who had passed the audition, it seemed she intended to test them with choreography moves right away.
The teacher began explaining while dancing.
"Alright, first, here, kick your left leg like you’re passing a ball and open your opposite foot."
"Then raise your hand and hit the point, and hit it downward once too, then pass pass pass with your leg again— you get the feeling, right?"
"""Yes!"""
"Alright, let’s try it. Five, six, seven, eight."
The new trainees started dancing.
And along with them, the teacher’s expression hardened.
"Hey kids, did you really pass the audition? Your basics aren’t there. Again!"
The teacher watched the new trainees dancing again, sighed, then pointed at Seoyun.
"You’re Seoyun who came from Busan, right, Seoyun?"
"Yes."
"Yes, Seoyun is passable at least. But the rest of you— are you dancing or doing exercises? Daye and Boyeon, didn’t you pass with your audition dance?"
""Yes...""
"I don’t get it, your basics are nonexistent... Lee Dohui, Ji Ua."
""Yes!""
My unni and I answered.
"You two come out and dance."
""Yes!""
We stepped forward and danced to the music.
"See? Like them, you have to hit the points sharply and match the lines. Why are your upper and lower bodies moving separately, and your fingertips flopping around?"
The teacher sighed and said.
"Since it’s your first day, I’ll be harsh. If you can’t beat these kids, give up on your debut dreams. Got it? They’re younger than you and better than you— do you think they’d debut you instead of them?"
"""Yes..."""
Ugh...
She’s terrifying, laying down the law from day one.
I really did receive favorable treatment from my very first day.
Heheh.
The brutal dance lesson ended, and it was time for the vocal lesson.
Fortunately, since the vocal lessons were individual lessons, unlike the dance lesson, I could spend them quietly.
.
.
.
Before I knew it, all the lessons were over, and I just had to write the log to leave work.
"Dohee~"
My unni Ua ran over and clung to me again while I was writing the log.
"What, I’m tired. Let me finish this first."
"Did you hear Teacher Kwon yelling today?"
"Huh?"
According to my unni Ua, Teacher Kwon’s scolding voice had been heard outside the vocal room.
Teacher Kwon always spoke so gently, so was the real Teacher Kwon the one who made them hold planks through the entire lesson?
Indeed, how many of the people who came in today would endure and debut?
These trainees weren’t the end of it; new ones would constantly come in through the continuous auditions from now on, and among them, some might get eliminated in the monthly evaluations.
And some might leave on their own because it was simply too hard.
This must be why trainees shouldn’t get too attached to one another.
I’ll have to keep things appropriately friendly.