Chapter 4
Outside the practice room, in the dark hallway with the lights off, someone was holding a phone and talking.
"Tomorrow is the first shoot?"
"Yes, Manager Choi."
"Ah-jin, didn't I tell you to just call me hyung? How long are you going to keep calling me Manager?"
"Well, I've been calling you Manager for years..."
"Still, you joined the company when you were in middle school, so has it already been 4 years?"
"Yes, it's already been 4 years."
*Sigh...*
A sigh was heard over the phone.
"Ah-jin, I still feel so sorry towards you."
At Manager Choi's words, Kang Ah-jin smiled bitterly.
"You know it's not your fault, Manager. And I know I was only able to go to this audition because you looked out for me behind the scenes."
"Ahem, it's not like I did much. Anyway, were you practicing with the other trainees?"
"Yes, I was practicing with them until just a moment ago, and came out for a bit."
"I seem to have bothered you when you're busy."
"No! I was just thinking about taking a short break too!"
"Good, that's a relief then. But..."
Manager Choi paused to choose his words before opening his mouth carefully.
"Are the kids you're practicing with now okay? There aren't any weird people, right?"
"Um, weird people? Well... I think there is. A weird person."
"What? Who? Don't tell me you heard some strange rumors again?"
"Ah, no. It's not in a bad way. Rather than weird, more like unique? There's someone like that."
"Unique? In what way?"
At Manager Choi's question, Kang Ah-jin looked past the practice room door at Seon Woo-rin, who had been dancing without resting for over 3 hours already.
"As soon as we first met, he asked me to debut with him. So I was worried he might be mocking me, or that he might be associated with those... guys."
"He asked you to debut together as soon as you met?"
"Yes, but he's not a trainee from anywhere, and he's never learned dancing or singing at all. He even came to practice the very next day after being discharged from the military, hahaha. Funny, right?"
"What? Then how is he in the audition? The first evaluation is so important, didn't you get totally screwed over? What if he ruins the whole stage?"
"I was worried about that too..."
At first, hearing that he knew nothing about singing or dancing, Ah-jin had worried why he even came to the audition and whether he could properly perform on stage. But.
Kang Ah-jin recalled the time he first practiced with Seon Woo-rin.
'Hyung, it's hard to memorize the entire choreography from the start, so let's try it part by part first.'
'Excuse me, wait a second. Can I just try up to the part you showed me earlier?'
'Huh? You're going to try it right away? Ah, I understand.'
When Seon Woo-rin said he would try following the choreography he saw for the first time right away, Ah-jin looked at him while sighing inwardly.
Following the music, Seon Woo-rin began to follow the choreography Ah-jin had shown him. It was awkward, but quite accurate for a first time.
'Yeah, for the first part, maybe he has a good sense and can follow it well.'
That thought only lasted a moment. From the middle of the song all the way to the chorus, Seon Woo-rin accurately followed the key points of the choreography he had shown him.
'Wha-what is this? Didn't he say he'd never learned how to dance? And even if he had learned, is it possible to follow it like that after seeing it just once?'
The song ended, and after finishing the last choreography, Seon Woo-rin was looking at him with an expression that said, "How was it?"
As if he had no idea what he had just done.
'Um, did you perhaps memorize it all after seeing it just once?'
'I couldn't memorize all of it, and I think I got a few moves wrong. Is that okay?'
Of course it's okay. Normally, when someone learns to dance for the first time, they can't even get past the first three moves at once.
But this guy...
"Putting aside whether he dances well or not, I've never seen someone learn something so fast."
"He learns fast?"
"Yes, and I've never seen someone work so hard. I thought I had been working hard all this time, but..."
Until now, he had run forward only looking ahead, with the goal of standing on stage.
To Kang Ah-jin, the stage was always a frightening place. A cruel place where he had to show himself and be evaluated.
It would be the same this time.
No, it would be even worse. Everyone would compete fiercely and struggle to surpass someone else.
'Still... I want to stand on stage.'
Even if it's hard, he wanted to stand on stage.
He wanted to show the things he had dreamed of and prepared for.
'Please debut with me.'
If those words he heard on the first day felt somewhat reliable, would that be too strange a thought?
Perhaps it was because they were words he so desperately wanted to hear, so it might be because of that.
"Ah-jin! Ah-jin?"
"Yes?"
"Are you listening?"
"I got lost in thought for a moment. I'm sorry."
"Right, anyway, do well on tomorrow's stage, and don't be too nervous. You just have to show your true skills, got it?"
"Yes, thank you, Manager. I'll work hard."
After ending the call, Kang Ah-jin leaned his body against the wall.
'Don't be nervous, just like my true skills.'
It was a short preparation period, but he had prepared hard with good people.
Kang Ah-jin took a deep breath and opened the door to the practice room.
Despite the cool weather of late autumn, a hot enthusiasm could be felt inside the practice room.
The three people were concentrating and practicing, not even realizing he had entered.
Seeing that sight, he felt grateful for how precious it was to be with people looking at the same place.
'Yeah, this time it will be different.'
For some reason, it felt like he wouldn't have to fall asleep trembling with anxiety today.
***
"Oppa... where are you going again?"
Damn, I was trying to leave quietly, but I ran into my sister who had just woken up.
"You've been going out in the morning and always coming home late lately. What are you preparing so hard for this time? Are you entering a national competition or something?"
"Um, a national competition? Something like that."
"It hasn't even been that long since you were discharged, and you're starting again."
Looking at her speaking sullenly, I wondered if she was acting like that because she was upset we hadn't even properly seen each other since my discharge.
"Anyway, I was going to make you do some chores after you got discharged and just focus on studying. You're no help, no help at all."
So that was your intention, sister. Then again, that's the only reason we'd look for each other.
"So where are you going today?"
"The broadcasting station."
"What? Broadcasting station?"
Leaving my sister's question behind, I finished getting ready to leave and walked toward the front door.
"Oppa, why are you going to the broadcasting station?"
"To become an idol."
"An idol? You're going to see an idol?"
"Yeah, that's right."
Since going to see is also correct, I didn't lie.
Really.
"What, are you going to see a girl group? Since when does oppa do that? Fine, go and come back."
"Yeah, I'll be back."
Like that, with my sister's cheer, I headed to the broadcasting station.
***
The makeup I received for the first time in my life felt awkward.
I definitely left with plenty of time, but I had no idea that makeup would take this long.
Fortunately, I was able to arrive at the filming location without being late, but the gazes from people around me looking at me felt a bit burdensome.
As I walked toward the set, young male students who had dressed up to the nines were swarming inside the filming location.
And with the staff shouting to control such a large number of people, the surroundings were incredibly noisy.
"Woo-rin!"
I saw the Boo brothers approaching me, waving their hands.
"You arrived right on time. But your hair got shorter, didn't it?"
The Boo brothers and I were the same age, so we quickly became close in a short period. Their personalities were also very lively.
Boo Ji-hoon approached me and placed his palm on the back of my head.
"Hmm, it's all prickly. But why did you cut it instead of growing it out?"
"Just growing it out gets too messy, and this suits me better right now."
The two nodded as if they agreed with my words.
"Still, doing it like this makes it look really intense. The makeup too, it really catches the eye. You won't have to worry about getting edited out completely."
"On top of being tall and well-built, for a guy to come looking like this, it feels like my spirit gets crushed just looking at you... Don't you feel that everyone's looking this way because of you?"
At Boo Ji-seok's words, I looked around and accidentally made eye contact with the trainees who were staring this way.
The trainees startled and turned their heads away as soon as they made eye contact with me.
Feeling like they'd throw a fit if I stared any longer, I quickly turned my head away.
Like that, while waiting and receiving the attention of my surroundings for some unknown reason, the area brightened as the lights turned on one by one. In the distance, the appearance of the massive set could be seen.
"Anyway, where's Ah-jin?"
Not seeing Kang Ah-jin yet, I asked the two.
"Ah-jin said he went to the restroom, but he should be coming back soon. It's starting soon, right?"
As soon as Boo Ji-seok said that, a staff's voice telling everyone to gather quickly was heard from afar.
"What should we do? Should we go look for him?"
"I'll go look for him, you two go ahead."
"Okay, hurry up and come!"
After separating from the two, I moved quickly to find Kang Ah-jin.
I looked around on my way to the restroom, but Kang Ah-jin was nowhere to be seen.
When I arrived in front of the restroom, there were hardly any people around.
At that moment, I saw three trainees coming out of the restroom.
The trainees gave me a quick once-over, then walked toward the filming location, laughing among themselves.
'I have a bad feeling about this.'
An instinctive bad feeling.
Feeling anxious, I went inside the restroom.
And I saw Kang Ah-jin standing in front of the sink with a blank face.
"Ah-jin."
"Oh, Woo-rin hyung?"
Hearing his name being called, Kang Ah-jin looked at me with a startled face.
"How are you here?"
"What do you mean how? You said you were going to the restroom and came out."
"Ah, right. That's right..."
Kang Ah-jin looked strange, but we couldn't stay here forever.
"Ah-jin, we need to go back quickly."
"Hyung, did you perhaps hear something from outside?"
At Kang Ah-jin's sudden question, I stared straight into his face.
"I didn't hear anything, I just got here."
"Ah, I see."
Kang Ah-jin answered, avoiding my gaze.
In that moment, various thoughts crossed my mind.
If Kang Ah-jin collapsed here, would I be able to cover for him alone on stage?
'With my current skills, it's impossible.'
In the first place, the center for this stage was Kang Ah-jin. If Kang Ah-jin collapsed now, our stage would collapse along with him.
'I have to snap him out of it somehow and bring him along.'
Then what is needed right now?
Comfort? I don't even know what happened, so it would obviously be shallow comfort.
And although it was a short time, the Kang Ah-jin I saw looked endlessly weak on the outside, but he wasn't a softie on the inside.
"Ah-jin, I'll apologize first, I'm sorry."
What Kang Ah-jin needed right now was not comfort, but a whipping harsh enough to snap him back to his senses.
*Slap-*
"Ugh."
'Squad Leader, I'm sorry... I promised I'd never bring out this right hand again.'
When juniors in the army couldn't come to their senses, my 100% recovery rate back-slap would immediately bring them back to their right minds.
A name made with a bit of exaggeration, saying it makes you look back from the beginning to the end of your life, the so-called "Gate of Life and Death" (Na Saeng-mun), struck dead center on Kang Ah-jin's back.
"H-hyung? What is this..."
"That expression is just right right now. You'll be able to do well on stage with that expression."
Kang Ah-jin, looking at me with an unfair expression, rubbed his back for a while before letting out a deep sigh and speaking.
"Really... will I be able to do well?"
"Isn't that something you'd know best, Ah-jin?"
Our gazes met, and then.
"Hyung, thank you... I'm wide awake now."
Kang Ah-jin said with a slight smile.
But...
'Is this why people raise puppies?'
If he had a tail, it looked like it would be wagging back and forth.
I instantly stopped my right hand, which tried to pat Kang Ah-jin's head, with my left hand.
"Let's just hurry up and go. There's no time."
"Yes, understood."
Kang Ah-jin nodded and followed me.
As expected, the best cure is physical therapy.
It seems the army and society aren't that different.
"Still, next time, please at least say something before hitting me... No, I'm just never going to get hit by you again... Ugh, I feel like I'm going to die."
I couldn't hear the words Kang Ah-jin muttered behind me because they were too quiet.
Really.
***
When I returned to the waiting area, most of the trainees were already gathered there.
Fortunately, even at the time Ah-jin and I arrived, some trainees hadn't arrived yet, so we didn't receive any harsh glares.
"I'm nervous."
As Boo Ji-seok muttered, Boo Ji-hoon nodded.
Even those two, who seemed like they wouldn't know what nervousness was, were trembling like that; would Ah-jin be okay?
"Ugh."
Kang Ah-jin tried to lean his back against the chair, let out a groan, and straightened his posture.
"What? Ah-jin, are you okay?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
Ah-jin seemed fine.
Except for glaring at me...
"AX Entertainment, please come this way!"
Finally, the first team started entering.
A large stage and the podium in front of it, where chairs were arranged in a pyramid format.
The first shoot, where 77 members entered in order, had now begun.
The entry order for Ah-jin, the Boo brothers, and me was almost in the middle.
A perfect position to get edited out all at once.
Looking around, people were either receiving attention or not, depending on the size of their agencies.
I could see the expressions of some people who already seemed divided into winners and losers.
Roughly observing the entering figures, it seemed like there was still a long time left before it was my turn.
If so, I should take care of what I've been worrying about until now.
'Status Window.'
[Name: Seon Woo-rin]
Level: 2
Stamina: A+
Vocals: D+
Dance: C
Looks: B-
Charm: C
Remaining Points: 1
Traits
- Sunfish, Perfect Match
There wasn't much difference from when I first saw it, but.
'Dance stat that went up a level with 2 weeks of practice, and the added Perfect Match trait.'
The result of practicing like crazy for the past 2 weeks was that my Dance stat went up.
Because of this, I learned that stats don't only go up when you invest points.
'I didn't know the effect of the Status Window would be this great.'
I was able to properly understand what it meant for stats to increase.
The Dance stat that rose a level during practice, and its effect.
'It only went up one level, but I can feel it so directly.'
The moment the stat increased, my dance skills really improved in an instant.
To the point where the three people around me found it strange.
And the Sunfish trait was also amazing.
-Sunfish
During the trainee period, practice efficiency increases by 50%.
The improvement in practice efficiency, this too felt huge to me, to the point where I could feel it as soon as I practiced.
If I saw a dance move, I understood it immediately. Even for songs, I could sing along quickly without having to listen to them many times.
'The Status Window is truly a great weapon. If I utilize this well, I can definitely debut.'
A great conviction washed over me.
Debuting wouldn't be difficult for me with the Status Window. The question was just how much success I could achieve.
And, the biggest concern for me right now was the remaining 1 point.
It was a truly huge concern for me with the stage right in front of me.
'Vocals, Dance, Looks, not a single one is missing, all are important. Still, if I have to choose just one, I must select the stat that will help the most on the stage right away.'
"Ah-jin!"
"Y-yes?"
Why was he trembling just from his name being called? I couldn't understand, but that wasn't the important thing right now.
"When you think about standing on stage, what do you think is the most important ability?"
"The most important ability?"
"Yeah, like dancing, singing, or looks."
"Um... hold on."
At my question, Kang Ah-jin started to think about it very seriously.
"I just have to say one, right?"
"Yeah, just one."
"Then I've decided."
Kang Ah-jin nodded and spoke with a tired face, as if it had been a difficult decision.
"The one thing I need the most right now is stamina!"
"Huh? Stamina?"