Chapter 24
'Status Window'
[Name: Sunwoo Rin]
Level: 6
Stamina: S-
Vocal: C-
Dance: C+
Appearance: A-
Charm: B
Remaining Points: 0
Traits
- Sun Sensitivity, Perfect Match, God-given Body, Rival, Novice Choreographer
After the chaotic sports festival ended.
I looked at my status window for the first time in a while.
The two points that had appeared after the previous team battle were invested in Appearance and Charm respectively.
Investing in Appearance was partly because I had come to greatly realize its importance from the previous stage, but more than anything, I had to prevent my Appearance from dropping to B+ when the buff disappeared.
And the reason I raised the Charm stat was...
- Trait 'Rival' is activated. (Target - Yoojin Kim)
When achieving a higher grade (ranking) than Yoojin Kim, Charm stat increases by 1 level.
'Because it's obvious it'll drop another level once the ranking ceremony is over.'
Currently, I'm Grade A and Yoojin Kim is Grade D, so my Charm has increased.
But in this situation where Yoojin Kim's 1st place in the first ranking ceremony is almost certain.
It was an unavoidable choice to prevent my B-grade Charm, maintained through the Rival trait, from dropping to the C-grade range.
'It's definitely great progress compared to the beginning, but.'
The Vocal and Dance stats still stuck at C-grade bothered me so much.
Especially Vocal, which barely reached C- grade with the reward I received this time.
Actually, skill is just as important as appearance for an idol.
And no matter how good my current momentum seems.
'If a skill issue blows up, the image of a hardworking trainee I've built up until now could all turn to foam in an instant.'
My current situation was one where I could go back and forth between heaven and hell with each episode.
Therefore, I couldn't let my guard down for even a moment until the final competition ended and I debuted.
'First, I need to hit at least B grade in both Vocal and Dance.'
Fortunately, I had experience raising the Dance stat through practice.
For Vocal, it was a bit frustrating not knowing how to practice on my own, but...
- Try asking your colleagues for help! Something good might happen.
'I already thought of that... Help me when I really need it later, not at times like this!'
I expressed my dissatisfaction at the status window message that seemed to be taking credit for nothing.
And I recalled the person who sings the best among all the people I've seen so far.
'Since I mentioned it last time too, they probably won't flat-out refuse.'
"Um, vocal practice?"
"Yeah, I don't know enough to practice on my own, so could you maybe help me?"
I thought the answer 'Yes, I'll help you!' would come out right away.
"It might be a bit difficult."
"Uh, um? Really?"
Oh no, did I knock on the wrong door?
When I was worrying if I had perhaps touched some pride as a singer.
"I've never taught anyone in my life. I'm not sure if I can do it well."
Ah, so that was the reason.
I let out a sigh of relief inwardly and said to Yoojin Kim.
"If that's the reason, how about giving it a try this time? Anyway, you compose too, so wouldn't it be good to experience it in advance thinking about producing later?"
"That's right! Someone who sings as well as Yoojin hyung could never fail to teach someone!"
"Yeah, better than vocal teachers, Yoojin sings better!"
Seeing the hesitant Yoojin Kim, Sim Sungha and Wi Chunwoo chimed in from the side.
It almost seemed like they had some ulterior motive.
"In that sense, Yoojin hyung's vocal class will begin at 2 o'clock sharp! All members of our room are expected to participate!"
'Was this your plan all along?'
I felt a sense of alarm seeing Sim Sungha speak as if it were already decided, but watching him drag Yoojin Kim toward the practice room, I thought practicing together might not be so bad.
"Shihyun, you come too."
"Me too?"
"Yeah. You always went to practice alone every day. It might be good to practice together at times like this."
"If you say so, hyung..."
Baek Shihyun didn't seem to have many words to begin with.
So he couldn't express his own opinions well, and he seemed to be quite watchful of others' reactions.
'But sometimes he seems to work even harder than me.'
If there was someone staying late in the practice room alone, nine times out of ten it was Baek Shihyun.
Besides, despite being the youngest in this room, he would carefully look after Wi Chunwoo next to him who unknowingly made Korean mistakes.
Whenever inconveniences arose from dorm life, or problems occurred because someone wasn't considerate.
'Baek Shihyun took the initiative and took care of all those petty things.'
Everyone didn't notice because Baek Shihyun wasn't the type to show off, but perhaps because I'd been in the military, I could feel it.
'I really want him on my side.'
If we debuted together, he'd feel like a truly reliable friend.
'It's just a shame he lacks confidence.'
It seemed like he could never fully show all his abilities on stage.
Still, Baek Shihyun's dance skills were the real deal.
Whenever he focused alone, Baek Shihyun's movements were more outstanding than most idol group main dancers.
'It was actually Shihyun who carried the X-grade team during the re-evaluation last time.'
During practice, everyone had unknowingly received Baek Shihyun's help.
Of course, being able to reach A grade was also largely thanks to Baek Shihyun's help.
I finished getting ready and looked at Baek Shihyun who was watching me, and thought.
'Isn't there some way to help him find confidence?'
"???"
"Let's go for now."
"Yes, sir."
I put that concern aside for now. Anyway, raising my own stats first was the priority.
***
"The memo-ory that loved like cra-azy~"
"Again."
"My rough though-ts!"
"Again."
"Our belieeeeef, our looooove!!!"
"Stop, stop!"
It took less than 5 minutes for the once-harmonious practice room atmosphere to turn as cold as Kim Nahee's dance training sessions.
"Sungha."
"Yes, sir!"
"Sungha, you're singing only with your throat. That way high notes go up, but it strains your throat and doesn't produce good sound. You need to release the tension first. Go run 20 laps around the practice room."
"Huh? Run around the practice room?"
"Yeah, I'll give you 10 minutes. Hurry!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
'He's like a different person.'
As soon as Yoojin Kim put his hands on the keyboard, his eyes changed, and now he was acting like a completely different person.
"Chunwoo, while Sungha is releasing his tension, let's start with you first."
"O-okay."
Wi Chunwoo, who had been watching the situation, trembled as he headed in front of Yoojin Kim.
"Chunwoo, your pitch is way off. Go to that corner, do scale practice 50 times, and come back."
"Yes, sir!"
"Don't skip any even if you think I'm not watching! If the pitch is wrong, you start over from the beginning!"
"Understood!"
Yoojin Kim, who had even taken down Wi Chunwoo, glared at me with the eyes of a predator seeking prey.
"H-hyung! I'll be going first..."
"Shihyun, where are you going? After Rin hyung, it's you. Just wait a little."
"Yes..."
"Hyung, why aren't you coming out? You're the one who asked me to teach you first, aren't you?"
"Y-yes, that's right!"
'I shouldn't have poked the bear.'
Desperately ignoring the warning bells ringing in my head, I stepped forward.
"Pant, pant. 12 laps."
"Aaaahhhh."
Seeing the state of the two people who had already been through Yoojin Kim, I could see my future.
"Hyung, today we'll start by fixing bad habits."
"Understood!"
"Since hyung has never learned to sing properly. Could you try singing comfortably first?"
'Comfortably...?'
I looked at the three faces glaring at me resentfully and began to sing.
- Trainee Yoojin Kim's trait, 'Whip' is activated.
Experience gain from practice is increased by 2 times.
- Receiving 1-on-1 lessons from Trainee Yoojin Kim with S-grade Vocal stat. Vocal experience gain is increased by 3 times.
'C-Crazy!'
"Hyung, you were thinking about something else just now, right? When you sing without focusing, all your pitch goes flat. Let's try again from the beginning."
"Yes, sir!"
And so I became Yoojin Kim's faithful slave.
"Here, put your hand on this. Aaaahh- See, maintaining your breath without letting your stomach sink in like this is diaphragmatic breathing, right? This works like a muscle. It's not about paying attention to it while singing, but if you practice consistently like hyung does push-ups, it will naturally improve."
'He seems to teach better than I thought?'
I wasn't sure if this was the system's influence too, but what Yoojin Kim was saying was knowledge I was hearing for the first time, yet it entered my head easily.
"Then hyung, go next to Chunwoo and do the breathing exercise I just showed you 100 times. Got it?"
"Understood, Professor!"
"Don't say weird things and go quickly!"
And so I was chased away to Wi Chunwoo's side.
"Hyung, you're here."
"This situation feels somewhat familiar."
"Me too..."
The turn of the last remaining person, Baek Shihyun, came.
"Shihyun. Come forward."
"Yes, sir..."
Baek Shihyun walked out with a nervous expression.
"I haven't properly heard Shihyun's singing, so could you sing any song you're most confident in?"
"The song I'm most confident in?"
"Yeah."
"Really, anything is fine...?"
"It doesn't matter, so hurry up and sing."
Baek Shihyun looked around at the others with an unusually nervous expression.
'Why is he acting like that? He didn't seem to sing that badly.'
When I was worrying if Baek Shihyun's condition might have gotten worse.
"Hoshikigadane imano kimochi..."
Along with a melody that seemed familiar, Baek Shihyun's song began.
"Sorakara futtekita mitai"
'A J-Japanese song?'
When I looked to the side in confusion, unlike Wi Chunwoo who had an expression of not knowing anything.
"Pfft."
I could see Sim Sungha covering his mouth, trying to hold back laughter.
"Sungha, what song is this?"
"Hyung, you don't know this? It's a song that idol characters in an anime sing."
"Ah. Is it a famous song?"
"It is famous, but it's a bit... I had a friend who liked it too..."
"Why, what's the problem with it?"
"That friend was... an otaku."
"O-oh, really?"
'I didn't expect to discover Baek Shihyun's hobby here.'
Baek Shihyun sang the song completely with a serious expression from beginning to end.
And Yoojin Kim just watched that scene without saying a word.
'Wait... if Baek Shihyun hears something hurtful here.'
If the already unconfident Baek Shihyun heard negative words from a fellow trainee here... Baek Shihyun's self-esteem would...
'Please, Yoojin!! Don't take away any more of Baek Shihyun's self-esteem!!!'
When I was shooting desperate glances at Yoojin Kim.
"Shihyun."
"Yes..."
"It's okay, but you lack too much confidence."
"Yes?"
"Just put a little more strength in your stomach, don't bend your upper body, and sing thinking about delivering your voice to someone far away."
"Yes, understood!"
"That response just now wasn't bad. Okay then, let's sing again."
'W-What was that?'
"Hyung, look over there."
"Why?"
"Shihyun seems to be in a better mood somehow."
"H-he really is."
Baek Shihyun singing again was singing with a much brighter expression and powerful voice than before.
Wink-
Yoojin Kim, whose eyes met mine, winked one eye as if he knew everything.
'Was confidence something that could go up like this?'
And so, on that day.
I wasn't sure of the exact reason. But Yoojin Kim's vocal class, hastily put together to raise my vocal stats.
Ended up making a tremendous contribution to raising Baek Shihyun's self-esteem.
***
"Ahh, I want to see the stage video quickly. When will episode 4 come out?"
After episode 3 of 'National Idol Season 2,' which showed the team battle preparation process, ended.
Thinking that she'd have to wait another week to see Sunwoo Rin's stage that she had watched live, Kim Soyoung felt incredibly frustrated.
'Should I look for some bait from today's broadcast?'
- A real man Sunwoo Rin riding an open car in just short sleeves
'What's this?'
Searching for Sunwoo Rin, Kim Soyoung was drawn to the unusual title and clicked on the post.
- ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Crazy where did you find this?
└I don't know well either. Just found it while searching Sunwoo Rin.
The photo showed Sunwoo Rin sitting in the back seat of an open car driving by.
But.
'It doesn't look like summer? Why is he riding an open car in just short sleeves keke.'
It was disappointing that the writer didn't seem to know about this situation either.
'Save it for now.'
Kim Soyoung simply saved the photo and moved on to find other posts.
'But it looks like someone is next to him too? Eh, whatever.'