Episode 19
School Rapper.
Literally a hip-hop survival program where high school rappers gather.
'Season 1 was quite a hit.'
I recalled information about the program I had watched in the past.
It succeeded spectacularly, as if telling the public's doubts of "what would high schoolers know about hip-hop" to get lost.
The participants' skills were outstanding, but what stood out above all was the program's progression.
-Wow... the missions connect like this?
-The rap is rap, but Nnet really went all-in on writers lol. I watched it to make fun of it but ended up surprised.
-Finally, a dynamic work like this is born in Korean auditions too. Of course, the sight of young friends going toward their dreams....
These were the reactions to the program.
Not everyone, but most said the same thing.
'The writer's ability shines.'
Withdrawals due to participants' health conditions or the elimination of skilled contestants.
Not to mention all sorts of potential controversies.
Isn't a survival program riddled with variables?
The general opinion was that they had extracted the best entertainment despite such constraints.
And the writer of School Rapper who had received that praise was none other than Yeon Ji-min, who was sitting right in front of me.
"Thank you for making time. You weren't busy with anything, were you?"
"No, it's fine."
After running into her at the record company, Yeon Ji-min had asked if I had a moment and brought me to a nearby cafe.
Judging by how she spoke, it was clear she had some purpose regarding me.
'I almost would've been in big trouble if I'd gone to karaoke with Kim Drum.'
Since it was Crack's reward, I probably would've met her somehow anyway. Regardless, I needed to know what purpose she had in seeking me out.
"So what is it you wanted to say?"
"Just a moment."
Yeon Ji-min began placing her laptop and documents on the table.
I wondered if she hadn't come to talk but to conduct business.
Having finished organizing, Yeon Ji-min stared at me intently.
"School Rapper 2."
"...Pardon?"
"I'll get straight to the point. Park Ja-hoon. Would you like to participate in School Rapper 2?"
'I guess it was around this time.'
It had been half a year since the previous season ended in splendid success.
It was time for Nnet to prepare a new season to continue that success.
"...Was my explanation too lacking?"
"No. It was just a bit sudden."
I took a moment to catch my breath and assess the situation.
The person responsible for making the previous work a hit had come to find me.
And to recruit me for her own program, at that.
'Even if it's just as one of the participants....'
The treatment between a mere applicant and a recruited participant was like heaven and earth.
An ordinary student probably would've quickly gotten giddy.
Shouting things like, "That's crazy!"
'I guess I've gotten a bit older, since I'm staying calm.'
I calmly organized my thoughts and continued speaking.
"Did you come find me after watching the Favebook's First Martini video?"
The first thing I asked was how she had come to find me.
I needed to clearly distinguish what her purpose was through conversation.
'She might be trying to use me as a gag character or a villain.'
If so, it would be more advantageous not to appear.
Because it's not easy to break away from an image imprinted by media.
...I know that well from experience.
"Yes. You were quite good?"
While I waited worriedly, Yeon Ji-min answered with a chuckle.
"Did you try to recruit me because you liked the video?"
"If you're asking if I liked that music, then yes. There aren't many high schoolers who can do music at that level...."
Yeon Ji-min pondered briefly, then tapped on her laptop.
"I happened to get this video too. Is this also your own song, Park Ja-hoon?"
On the laptop, a video of me from the Open Stage was playing.
It was the video where I sang Rebound.
"My friend wrote that one."
"Hm, but you wrote the rap yourself, right?"
"Yes."
"As expected."
She fell into thought for a moment, then looked at me.
"You're good. Not just your composition ability, but even making raps that fit the beat."
Yeon Ji-min's lips curled up slightly.
"I suppose you could say I'm looking forward to imagining you getting through the missions that will appear on the program."
"...Uh."
Hearing that, I suddenly remembered a few malicious comments.
-They're grinding out missions too hard on students? Well, it is entertaining but....
-If I were a participant, I would've cried after getting the mission.
'That... she doesn't mean she wants to chew me up this time, right?'
She had a modestly pretty appearance, but recalling the comments, she somehow looked evil.
"Anyway, yes. I can't promise to make you the protagonist or push you, but...."
Perhaps a bit excited, Yeon Ji-min was rambling before I knew it.
"At least for someone who does hip-hop, I guarantee it will be a truly fun experience you won't regret."
Her eyes sparkled once more.
"...You mean it."
At the very least, she wasn't trying to use me.
If she had been, she would've seduced me with pleasant words.
Like, "I'll make you shoot to the top" or "I'll show you the real stage," things like that.
But Yeon Ji-min had already laid out what she could do.
'She must have really liked my rap....'
Knowing there was no malice made me troubled.
This made things even more difficult.
"The judge panel has become more solid than before. For you to showcase your skills, Park Ja-hoon, there probably won't be any shortcomings."
Perhaps thinking it was her final means of persuasion, she continued seriously.
"A rapper who recently established a label and a producer working under him have confirmed their appearance."
Giving hints, perhaps unable to mention real names yet.
'Rapper Lil Jason and producer Roderick?'
The words were vague, but not hard to infer.
"And... the producer whose album you bought, Park Ja-hoon. He's appearing too."
'Baycode.'
I wavered a bit when his name came out.
Come to think of it, Baycode was also a producer from this show.
If the timing to meet him moved up, it would be somewhat welcome.
But I couldn't easily accept the recruitment.
'If I didn't know, that would be one thing, but....'
Looking at Yeon Ji-min staring at me, I recalled.
The future of this program.
-If you're going to do this, just cancel it.
-lol, look at this, what are they going to do dragging students into this.
-List of problematic rappers this season.txt.
I recalled the comments that would soon come pouring in.
School Rapper 2.
Sorry to Yeon Ji-min, but...
This season becomes Nnet's dark history.
To the extent that it remains forever in hip-hop program history.
* * *
"So I'm asking what you decided."
At the record company uncle's studio.
Having said I was recording, Kim Drum, who had followed me here, asked.
"What do you mean, what."
"The School Rapper recruitment. Are you going? Not going?"
When I left after finishing my conversation with Yeon Ji-min at the cafe, I ran into him by chance.
He kept asking who she was, so I answered vaguely, and he'd been like this since then.
"No, but the previous one was super popular. The participants this time are destined to blow up too."
"Wow, if you go you get to see real rappers and producers too. If you make it big later, you can't ignore me, right?"
"I've been thinking... For the first preliminary round, the beat needs to be harder. Since it's a survival show."
This was the extent of what he'd said over the past hour.
"'A hit is guaranteed....'"
It might appear that way.
Since the production team had visibly made the previous work a success.
"That's going to get tons of hate."
"What?"
"Well, there were actually a lot of critical comments last season too. Saying what are you doing with students."
Kim Drum tilted his head and answered.
"Really? I think I only saw comments saying it was fun...."
"You probably only looked at the good ones."
Actually, last season had almost no negative public opinion.
Didn't it start from zero expectations to begin with?
"Anyway, this time there's a lot of attention focused on it."
"So you're really not going?"
I briefly recalled the future reactions to School Rapper 2.
The season that would make Nnet carry the label of dark history like a tag.
Wouldn't I be crazy if I didn't avoid it knowing that?
Thinking that, a chuckle escaped me.
"I've decided to appear."
"Huh?"
Some might see it as just another variety show, but to me, it was still a place where hip-hop is done.
There is music there.
The program failed due to various controversies, but the music didn't.
Melodies that remained and flowed in the ears even years later.
They are not at fault.
'Roderick's beat. And I can put my name on Baycode's first mainstream track.'
...My heart pounded at that thought. How could I resist?
"Anyway, I can rap there, can't I?"
"...As expected, that's right for you. What I said before."
"What did you say?"
"Music maniac."
It wasn't a very pleasant-sounding term, but I smiled and nodded without realizing it.
I don't know about other things, but at least when it comes to music... I definitely seem to lose my mind sometimes.
'Well, it's not like everyone from School Rapper 2 failed.'
But more than that, the thought of wanting to rap more as soon as possible was greater.
Kim Drum giggled, asking if I only just realized that.
"Good thinking. The concert will be over soon anyway."
"Right."
If not preparing for entrance exams, from the second semester it's practically free time.
Since prepared concerts need to be passed down to lower grades.
So School Rapper was the last stage I could step on as a high schooler.
...it counted as.
"Hey, then the beat is this one. You're using this, right?"
Kim Drum excitedly turned on YouTube.
But consecutive 30-second ads popped up, so he couldn't listen properly.
"No... then what about this."
This time it was a commercial version with only a preview.
"...I'll figure it out myself."
"...Yeah."
Kim Drum scratched his head as if embarrassed and asked.
"But what happens if you get recruited? Do they pay more?"
"Huh?"
Ah, didn't I tell you?
"I decided not to accept the recruitment but to go through the audition?"
"...What?"
Then he clung to me again, chattering for an hour about why I did that.
I thought I probably shouldn't have mentioned this.
* * *
'...I don't know if I should call it bold or a bit unreasonable.'
Yeon Ji-min, returning from the recruitment, thought as she went back to the company.
She had gone thinking this was the student the moment she first heard the song, but the result wasn't very satisfying.
Even while riding the elevator up, the student's words kept circling in her head.
-I'll go through the audition.
She still couldn't forget Park Ja-hoon's figure confidently waving the audition application papers in front of her.
'Isn't he anxious?'
To think the reason for not accepting recruitment was because he wanted to audition.
It was beyond Yeon Ji-min's common sense.
And above all, she was worried.
Looking at skill alone, wasn't he a character worth advancing to the main competition?
But what if he suddenly gets eliminated at the audition?
Would there be such a regrettable thing again?
So she asked again. Hadn't he thought about failing?
The answer was quite impressive.
-If my skills were only that much, the writer wouldn't have tried to recruit me.
Bold. And relatable.
But survival shows depend a lot on luck, don't they?
But on Park Ja-hoon's face, such worry couldn't be found at all.
As if he could break even bad luck.
"Writer Yeon is here? Was the recruitment successful?"
Arriving at the office, a familiar voice greeted her.
PD Choi, who was preparing this project together, was walking over taking a sip of coffee.
"How do you think it went?"
"Well? Successful for now? Since he's the talented one you were waiting for, Writer Yeon, you went and accommodated a lot of good conditions."
To her question thrown out of curiosity about how an ordinary person would react, PD Choi answered as if it were no big deal.
"...As expected, an ordinary person would've accepted, right?"
"What, you failed?"
That relaxed face crumbled in an instant.
"Not recruitment, he said he'd go through the audition."
"...You don't think he'll change his mind?"
"For now. By the way, sunbae."
Yeon Ji-min organized the worries she'd been having in her head.
Park Ja-hoon, who found composure as the conversation went on, unlike herself who grew more anxious.
He had said to Yeon Ji-min.
'To come watch the concert.'
Asking if she'd come see it if she was really worried.
"Would you like to come watch the Sewoon Arts High School concert?"
"To watch that, you said you wouldn't go last time."
"I was going to. Since it seemed like only confirmed faces would appear anyway. But he told me to come watch."
"...Who exactly?"
At PD Choi's blank face, Yeon Ji-min continued with a chuckle.
"The rough gem we found."
At that answer, PD Choi, who had stopped as if time had frozen for a moment, soon burst out laughing.
"That's completely insane."
"Definitely... not an ordinary person."
Hearing that refreshing voice, she felt her mind clearing up for no reason.
She knew well when that unique way of speaking came out, though he was always a rough talker.
When he saw something extremely interesting.
It was a word that burst out like an exclamation.
'I guess his mindset passes.'
In a program that hasn't even started yet, to already have staff members being led around like this.
She became curious about what butterfly effect that unpredictability would cause.
The flapping of a small butterfly's wings that was still just the beginning was tickling her heart as a writer.
Regressor on the Beat