NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7
“Okay, now that the misunderstandings are cleared up and greetings are done, shall we talk about training?”
“Ah, yes.”
Vocal Trainer Kang Soo-hyun, true to her expressionless nature, dove straight into business.
“You mentioned you’re going to appear on Na Ah Ah in a month, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hmm…”
Kang Soo-hyun scanned my face once, nodded, and asked,
“How long have you been a trainee?”
“Ah, well, I haven’t actually been a trainee at all…”
“…Excuse me?”
“I only signed the contract with the company recently…”
“……?”
She seemed shocked by my answer, her face turning pale.
The dance trainer Lee Ji-woo next to her echoed her surprise with a loud shout.
“…What?! You’ve never been a trainee? And you’re still going to appear on Na Ah Ah in a month?”
“Yep, that’s it.”
“…Whoa.”
As I replied, a short gasp followed by silence ensued.
“…….”
“…….”
Clap!
In an attempt to break the awkward atmosphere, Dance Trainer Lee Ji-woo clapped her hands and cheerfully said,
“Then, we absolutely have to work hard from now on…! Haha…!”
“…….”
“First of all, Ye-rin. Could you possibly show us a bit of dancing or singing…? We need to test you before the lessons start…”
Lee Ji-woo was clearly trying to hide her embarrassment…
“…….”
Kang Soo-hyun was still in shock, her mouth agape.
And her bewilderment quickly turned into resignation.
“…Yes, if you have something prepared, please show us.”
“Okay, so I practiced a song I saw on YouTube the past few days…”
“YouTube, huh…? Yes, go ahead and give it a try.”
Well, considering the idea of sending someone completely clueless to an audition program in a month would be daunting.
I could understand her feelings.
But…
“Yes, I’ll play some music now.”
Regardless of how she felt or what her emotions were, I wasn’t giving up yet.
To prove myself, I played the song I practiced over the last few days from YouTube and took my position.
Kang Soo-hyun had worked as a vocal trainer for five years at the top agency, JJ Entertainment. She had seen countless idol trainees.
Many kids gather in entertainment, dreaming of becoming idols.
Among those who begin their trainee lives, not a single one lacks dreams for a shining future.
But…
“This industry is tougher than any other job.”
What the kids admire and dream about is only the bright outcome of being an idol.
They have no idea how grueling the process is to become one.
Especially for those with overwhelming looks, like Ha Ye-rin in front of her.
Having been at JJ, Kang Soo-hyun had seen many beautiful girls, at least on par with Ha Ye-rin.
Those kinds of girls never think of failing.
“You can’t become an idol just because you’re pretty.”
In this saturated market, looks are merely one condition.
Dance, singing, acting skill, charm, and character are fundamental.
Even if one meets all of these, countless cases go unheard due to sheer bad luck.
It’s a pyramid hell of an idol market where success is possible only for those who tirelessly hone their skills and constantly prepare.
But…
“Wait, she’s going on Na Ah Ah without even a trainee period?”
No matter how you look at it, this was too far-fetched.
Sure, Ha Ye-rin’s looks might draw attention.
But the public is harsh.
The moment her lack of skill is revealed, the audience, having their expectations shattered, will throw stones harshly like never before.
“…I’m worried.”
And this was not just her concern.
“Um, Soo-hyun…”
It hadn’t been long since they met, but the dance trainer Lee Ji-woo, feeling a bond among the kids, had lost her bright expression and whispered to Kang Soo-hyun with a dark face.
“Is this really okay? Going on a show in a month when she’s never practiced separately…”
“…Yeah, I know.”
“Plus, the production team is notoriously tough on editing! I’m worried that if she goes on without enough skill, that young girl might get hurt…”
Indeed, a participant who is pretty but lacks skill is easy prey for witch hunting.
The agency’s president surely hired these two trainers to prevent such disasters…
“One month just isn’t enough… It’s too late.”
In fact, Ha Ye-rin was not just late for Na Ah Ah, but probably late to become an idol as well.
Most kids start practicing in elementary school, so starting at 19, when will she even debut?
“Teacher… I’m so tired… I think I’m going to give up…”
The reason Kang Soo-hyun had quit her job as a vocal trainer at JJ was that she could no longer bear to see kids suffering.
Watching the shining eyes of starry kids fade into resignation and helplessness as they confronted reality was unbearable.
If she hadn’t come in response to a job posting out of urgent need for cash, she wouldn’t have stepped back into this industry.
Thus, she decided to coldly assess Ha Ye-rin’s skills, knowing she would likely be her last student.
Upon seeing her basic skills, if she felt they were lacking, she would tactfully tell her to give up not only on Na Ah Ah but also on the path of being an idol.
“Yes, I’ll play some music now.”
Finally, Ha Ye-rin played a song from her smartphone…
♪♩♬-!
As the MR of a trendy idol title track flowed, Ha Ye-rin got into position.
“Hmm…?”
“Oh….”
Both Kang Soo-hyun and Lee Ji-woo jumped in surprise at the sight.
“It seems like she’s going to perform both dancing and singing at the same time.”
“…Looks like it.”
Dancing and singing simultaneously is not merely combining the intensity of two skills.
“It’s at least several times harder than doing them separately.”
It’s no easy feat to match the pitch and rhythm while performing an intense dance.
But here’s a beginner, saying she’d do both?
“Her enthusiasm is great, but I’m not so sure…”
With that, Kang Soo-hyun’s expectations for Ha Ye-rin dwindled further.
Just then, Ha Ye-rin began her performance.
‘…Huh?’
Kang Soo-hyun could instantly tell that Ha Ye-rin had no trainee experience.
There were no typical repetitive habits or gestures present in her voice or actions.
But…
‘…Wait a second?’
Watching Ha Ye-rin’s stage, Kang Soo-hyun’s previously chilly eyes began to widen with life.
Lee Ji-woo was no different.
She had covered her mouth in amazement as she watched Ha Ye-rin’s performance.
“Phew… that’s it, I’m done.”
“……”
“……”
Once Ha Ye-rin’s brief stage concluded, the two found it hard to continue the conversation.
A month passed quickly.
I had been alternating between school and the company, practicing dance and singing under the guidance of the two trainers.
Most participants on Na Ah Ah were long-term trainees who started preparing to be idols from a young age.
The only way to bridge the gap with them was to practice, and I put in a lot of effort, even cutting down on sleep.
And it continued up to tonight, the night before the first shoot of Na Ah Ah.
Clap!
“Alright! Ye-rin, that’ll be all for today!”
“Phew… phew…”
As I finished the last move of the dance performance for Na Ah Ah, Dance Trainer Lee Ji-woo stopped the music with a cheerful clap.
Wiping the sweat off my chin, I asked her,
“Teacher, did I make any mistakes?”
“Yup! You were perfect until the last beat!”
Lee Ji-woo was kind-hearted but a perfectionist in dance.
If she said it was perfect, it must have been truly flawless.
However, nervous about tomorrow being the first shoot, I again reached for the music to play again.
“Good to hear… then let’s do it one more time…”
“Hold on.”
Lee Ji-woo stopped my hand before I could restart the music and smiled.
“Ye-rin, do you know what time it is right now?”
“Excuse me? Oh, it’s already…”
I realized that it was already 11:30, thirty minutes past my original practice time.
“You mentioned you have to go to the broadcasting station early tomorrow morning? It’s your first shoot, you need to sleep early tonight.”
“But…I still feel like I’m lacking a lot.”
As I said this timidly, Lee Ji-woo patted my shoulder playfully.
“Oh, come on, Ye-rin, what are you talking about?”
“…Ji-woo teacher.”
“I’ve seen how hard you’ve practiced over the past month. This is more than enough. Right, Soo-hyun teacher?”
At Lee Ji-woo’s words, Kang Soo-hyun, who had been sitting in the corner of the practice room, got up from her chair.
Although she had already finished my vocal lessons, she hadn’t left and was watching my practice.
She approached us, maintaining her signature expressionless face, and said coldly,
“To be honest, it’s not enough.”
“…W-what?!”
“You can’t catch up to the kids who’ve trained for years with just a month’s practice. To be frank, Ye-rin is still lacking a lot.”
“…I thought so.”
“Oh, no…! Ye-rin, that’s not it…! Soo-hyun teacher…! You shouldn’t say that to a kid going on an audition tomorrow!”
Lee Ji-woo appeared flustered by Kang Soo-hyun’s cold words, but I slowly nodded in agreement.
Unlike optimistic Lee Ji-woo, Kang Soo-hyun was rational and realistic.
‘Your pitch is off; do it again.’
‘You should have hit that high note hard.’
‘Do it again.’
‘One more time, again.’
She objectively evaluated my skills and pinpointed my weaknesses.
Because she said it, I was able to be certain.
‘I’m still lacking.’
Thus, if I wanted to show results on Na Ah Ah, I would need to push myself… even harder…
Just then, while I was driving myself more,
Squish.
“You’re doing well, though.”
“…Excuse me?”
Kang Soo-hyun took my hand and said,
“Ye-rin, you’re doing just fine right now.”
“……”
“Right now, you’re still lacking, but… soon you’ll show even better results. And I can assure you…”
Just like when she told me I was still lacking.
With a serious yet sincere expression, Kang Soo-hyun continued,
“If you keep it up, you’ll become a great idol.”
“……”
“So let’s work hard on Na Ah Ah and keep going forward like this.”
“…Soo-hyun teacher.”
I felt deeply moved by her sincere encouragement.
While I didn’t shed tears from my eyes, they burst forth from another place.
“Wahh…, yes, Ye-rin. You’ll definitely do well.”
“Ji-woo teacher, why are you crying?”
The normally tearful Ji-woo hugged both Kang Soo-hyun and me, sobbing.
“Huh… I feel sad that we’ve grown so close over the month and now we’re parting… Ye-rin, I’ll always cheer for you while you’re on Na Ah Ah. And Soo-hyun teacher, even if you find another job, please keep in touch with me… sniff sniff.”
“Of course… Ji-woo teacher.”
Perhaps it was the thought of parting that stirred up her emotions, or maybe she was always this expressionless, but even Kang Soo-hyun’s eyes were red.
Though I wasn’t in a similar state.
‘No, it’s not like we’re parting forever; we can keep in touch. Why cry…?’
…Maybe it’s because I was a guy in my past life, but sometimes I really don’t understand women’s tears.
But still…
The warmth of their feelings came through clearly.
Squeeze.
“Thank you both, teachers, for everything.”
“…Yeah.”
“…Ye-rin-! Waaaah-!!”
Thinking of the two teachers who helped me sweat and bleed for a month, I resolved to show meaningful results on Na Ah Ah.
With that thought, I hugged both teachers tightly.