Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Novel is kind enough to repeat himself, just in case I misheard.
[I said no.]
[Didn't I tell you, Master? My power may be unreasonable, but since you have to provide entertainment to God, I can't just spoon-feed you everything.]
"......."
[In the first place, if I did everything, it would become my achievement, not yours.]
[Borrowing the power of an AI is fine.]
[But you shouldn't rely on it. That's a pathetic act of giving up the human authority granted to you.]
At first, I felt a bit choked up at Novel's words, but thinking about it calmly, he wasn't wrong.
Come to think of it, I realized I had been trying to secretly rely only on Novel, despite saying I wouldn't.
"Right. That's true."
Hoo.
I caught my breath and opened my mouth again.
"Then I'll change the question. What kind of help can you give me? I need to know that so I can decide how to move."
[This is why I like you, Master.]
[I should say you're quick to adapt. The way you accept reality quickly and pull yourself together.]
[What I can help you with is letting you know the potential of those idols.]
"For example?"
[When you arrive near someone you think is decent, I'll let you know their grade.]
[A, B, C. And grades like S.]
"Hmm, I see. For now, I want to check what it feels like. That's okay, right?"
[Of course.]
I said that and first checked the stages of NTS or Novel Pink, the most popular ones in the current world, on my phone.
However, I didn't really see the other person's grade.
"I can't check through the screen."
[Correct.]
[I can't tell you everything, but I can tell you whether what you've already found out is right or wrong.]
[If you could check that through a screen, it would be too easy, right?]
"You're right. The catharsis of entertainment comes after a moderate crisis. Actually, this is better. Come to think of it, it would be weird if I solved everything too quickly. Even if I got good results, it would be easy to be suspected."
In that sense, moderate difficulty adjustment was actually a relief.
Too much is as bad as too little.
Too much isn't good either.
"Then, shall I go find the practice room?"
I took the elevator down to the 2nd floor.
This was the place where trainees and active idols usually performed dance practice or lessons.
Today, too, I could see kids with nice bodies and pretty faces working hard for their debut and success.
"One, two, three, four......! One, two, three."
Squeak, squeak-.
Beyond the fact that they were kids with insane visuals that you could barely see outside, the sight of them working hard while syncing their breathing made anyone want to cheer for them.
And.
[So-ra, A]
[Mina, S]
[Serina, A]
I see it.
The grade, just as Novel said.
It was displayed proudly above their heads in a translucent window.
'Those are the kids Park Ju-yong said he brought in.'
I don't know how high S is, but I could tell just by watching them practice that it was definitely not a bad grade.
I can clearly see S-grade Mina leading in the center.
"Hmm. Good. With this, there's nothing I can't do."
Having finished checking what it felt like, I quickly headed out to the street because I didn't want to get tangled up with Park Ju-yong again by staying here.
Wearing a luxury suit and sunglasses, I scanned the people walking on the street.
[Gyeong-hwa, B]
[Gyeong-hye, B]
"Hmm."
I felt this while scanning for over two hours.
The saying that all the pretty and handsome people in our country are snatched up by entertainment agencies or idol academies must not be a lie.
B-grades were seen quite often.
It probably means there are many average, decent-looking women.
But an entertainer, an idol, is a being that must shine.
A being that must captivate people with an overwhelming presence.
Naturally, you couldn't succeed with a B-grade.
"Hmm. It's not easy."
As I checked the grades floating above people's heads, my eyes felt like they were getting blurry faster.
It's not like they're clearly visible.
[It's like a minimal price to pay.]
"This much is nothing."
There was no need to express dissatisfaction.
Being able to know a person's grade in advance?
I think that alone is basically getting it for free.
"Because in the end, it just means I have to invest time."
Perhaps just by continuing to walk around the streets like this, I would definitely be able to discover an S-grade talent.
However, in my opinion, that felt like too much of a waste of time.
[What are you going to do?]
"You're a God AI, can't you even predict that?"
[I don't predict Master's actions. That's what makes it fun.]
I slid my sunglasses down slightly and said.
"The kids at Hanbit High School were quite pretty. Plus, since it's graduation season. That means they're becoming full adults now, right?"
The age that's perfect for picking is the prettiest.
[Prestigious Hanbit High School 28th Graduation Ceremony]
Under the flashy banner, another banner is hung.
So many to Seoul National University, so many to Yonsei University, so many to Korea University. KAIST, etc.
The names of famous universities are lined up one after another.
"For a school that emphasizes being 'prestigious' so much, there aren't many people with good personalities."
Not that all chaebols are like that.
But among chaebols, there are indeed some with nasty personalities.
[Are you visiting the school in person?]
"Yeah. This is the method used most often during 1st generation idol casting."
Although these days, the method of bringing in idols who have already been fully raised by auditions or academies is the mainstream.
I didn't necessarily have to do that.
"If I'm going to raise them anyway, I thought it would be fun to raise them from the beginning. There's the joy of raising them. And they'll definitely follow me, right?"
[That's interesting.]
Arriving at the school a little early, I kept a slight distance from the main gate and checked the grades of the Hanbit High School kids entering the entrance.
"Huh."
A hollow laugh comes out on its own.
[Han-ju, A]
[Hae-suk, A]
Even on the street.
A-grade kids that are hard to see even in popular downtown areas are everywhere.
"Wow, the title of 'prestigious'. It's worth wearing proudly."
Nevertheless, I didn't see any S-grades.
Just by looking at this, I could tell how rare beings with S-grade talent and potential are in the world.
"Looks like they've all gone into the school now, right?"
[That's right.]
[I'm curious why you kept waiting, wondering what you were going to do.]
"I'm just trying to spend my time wisely. Should I say I'm borrowing the wisdom of the past? Because the casting methods used in the old days weren't wrong at all."
Thinking that, I grabbed the few remaining students arriving at school and asked carefully.
"Excuse me, student."
"Yes?"
Most of them were startled by the sudden approach, but there were many kind kids who listened when I begged and asked.
If it were adults, they wouldn't have even glanced at me.
Students are definitely less tainted.
The question I asked was simple.
"Could you tell me who the prettiest person at Hanbit High School is? Please, this uncle is asking you."
Nine out of ten answers to my question were the same.
"Jo Yu-na from Class 3......."
"Senior Jo Yu-na."
"Wouldn't it be Jo Yu-na? I heard she even got accepted into Yonsei University this time."
Jo Yu-na from Class 3, 3rd Grade.
Jo Yu-na.
The name is quite pretty too?
As I've said repeatedly, just because your face is pretty doesn't mean you'll succeed.
In the entertainment industry, a mask is a spec that must be met as a basic requirement. And if that basic mask is overwhelming, that becomes a talent in itself.
'Plus, if she's Yonsei, that means she's smart too.'
Where did such a perfect student come from?
Jo Yu-na from Class 3.
Having engraved the name in my head, I tried to go straight into the school but was blocked by the security guard waiting at the security office at the main gate.
"Hey, you can't go in. The permitted hours for civilians are posted right here."
As he said, the times when civilians could enter were listed on the main gate of Hanbit High School.
Early in the morning.
And around the evening.
"Ah, yes...... I'm sorry."
If I ignored the security guard's dissuasion and went in, that could be a crime, so I retreated obediently.
Instead.
"Ugh!"
I went around the main gate a little.
I just gently climbed over the wall connected to the school warehouse.
"Ugh!"
Damn.
In the process, a stinging pain rushed to my knees and Achilles tendons.
What can I do?
If not now, I might miss the best treasure.
"Ha, fuck. I've gotten old too."
Back in my high school days, I could skip 10 stairs at once and be fine. To think my knees and the back of my ankles are screaming just from jumping over a wall that's barely 2 meters high.
"Novel. It's time for help. Tell me the way to get to Class 3, 3rd Grade without getting caught by people like teachers."
[Since you've come this far, I can do that much.]
[Let's go! Master!]
[First, walk straight to the center at the back of the school, and enter through the back door of the central entrance.]
[Currently, the teachers are all gathered in the faculty office on the 2nd floor, but because the weather hasn't warmed up yet, there's almost no one coming out into the hallways or outside.]
I walked following Novel's words.
"I haven't smelled this in a long time."
And the sign [Keep Left] stuck on the stairs also evokes some nostalgia.
These were things I saw annoyingly often when I was a student.
"Is this why trends always go around and around? I guess people are bound to miss the past."
[Alright, alright. Shut your mouth.]
[Then rush up to the 4th floor, go into the bathroom, and wait for 30 seconds.]
[The 2nd-grade homeroom teachers stopped by the class to deliver something briefly.]
[For reference, it's vacation season, but there's no such thing in liberal arts schools.]
It was just as Novel said.
Hiding in the corner of the men's restroom, I could hear the voice of someone presumed to be a homeroom teacher opening the door and talking, reaching even into the restroom.
[Lastly, dash to the 5th floor! Go straight to the left from the central stairs, and Class 3, 3rd Grade is there.]
Once I got to the 5th floor, there was no need to worry.
It was basically a mess.
Maybe because they were prospective graduates about to graduate, there were even bastards playing baseball or soccer in the hallway.
There were also guys dancing with headphones on.
At worst, there were even guys smoking cigarettes proudly between the 4th and 5th-floor stairs at the end.
"Come to think of it, they're 20 now."
They were kids who had probably already drunk alcohol.
Besides, whether it's early admission or regular admission, their university or career path is already decided, and they're just coming to school for a short morning for attendance days or graduation ceremony preparations, so what can you do?
That's how I arrived in front of Class 3, 3rd Grade.
"That's definitely her, Jo Yu-na."
She just wore a luxurious and pretty coat over her school uniform, but it suits her so well.
Not to mention her fashion sense.
First of all, the face and body attached above her neck were cheating.
Should I say it's a body so mature that you can't believe she's a kid who just turned 20?
[Jo Yu-na, S]
S-grade.
Even the grade Novel is showing is certain.
If there's one thing I'm a little worried about.
"Damn, it's graduation now. Fuck. Hee-ju, what are you going to do, you're sad."
She seemed to be a bully.
She was sitting on a desk and bullying a female student.
The level of it was not easy, more than I thought.
"What about me? Fuck."
Still, she's S-grade, so should I try something?
I was in the middle of such worries.
"Wait a minute."
The phrase floating above the head of the female student who was kneeling at Jo Yu-na's feet, looking dazed, caught my eye.
[Eun Hee-ju, SS]
It was a grade I was seeing for the first time.