Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Honestly, I couldn't just rely on Eun Hee-ju alone to build a group, so I wanted to go out and look for new member candidates right away.
But since Eun Hee-ju was a bit high-maintenance and I was worried about her, I decided to stick around during her training hours.
Since there were trainers residing at the company, there was no issue with Eun Hee-ju getting trained.
It was funny to have expectations for a kid who had just become a 'trainee', but the reality was that whenever I saw the English letters SS attached next to Eun Hee-ju's name, I couldn't help but have expectations.
However.
"It was so good. Watching you and feeling excited."
"Ahem, let's see. Hmm. Let's stop here for today."
"Yes."
Not just the vocal trainer.
"One. Two. Three. One, one, two, three. Phew. Let's stop here for today."
"Yes."
Even the dance trainer, after taking charge of Eun Hee-ju's training a few times, looked at me—of all people—with an incredulous expression a few times before turning their back on us with a huff.
But this time, I really didn't have anything to say to them.
'It's a total shitshow.'
At a place like N&P, most trainees already have outstanding skills.
Usually, they've either applied for auditions themselves or have already learned the basics at an idol academy.
Seeing only kids like that, and then facing Eun Hee-ju, who didn't show an ounce of potential in vocalization, breathing, pronunciation, pitch, dance moves, or facial expression management—how dumbfounded and frustrated they must feel.
I, too, having worked as a manager for nearly 3 years and having encountered actual idol performances on stages like music shows a few times, felt the difference in quality was immense.
"......."
Right.
It's the first day, so it's understandable.
Since she's SS, she'll shine eventually.
I tried to push those thoughts aside, but a sigh almost escaped me without me realizing it.
I ended up rubbing my forehead.
"Team Leader Manager-nim."
"......."
Hearing the call, I looked ahead.
Eun Hee-ju, who hadn't blinked an eye regardless of the trainers' reactions, was looking at me with a slightly worried expression.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No. It's not like that. Hmm. Can having no skill be considered a fault? The way I see it, you'll need to practice for a while. Still, I'll try to ask the trainers to keep training you somehow."
"Yes. I understand."
After saying that, I immediately left Eun Hee-ju in the practice room and started wandering outside again.
"Ah. When you feel like you've done enough, just go back to the dorm and rest. Got it?"
"Yes."
I was a bit disappointed in Eun Hee-ju, but time is money.
CEO Cheon Tae-o didn't exactly give me years of time.
"Hey. Novel."
[Yes, Master.]
"Is Eun Hee-ju really SS-grade?"
[That is certain. Although, even from my perspective, it's difficult to say that Eun Hee-ju's skills are SS-grade. However, I can inform you that Eun Hee-ju has shown SS-grade moments a few times in places you are unaware of.]
[By the way, Master.]
[If you are that worried, it wouldn't be bad to fuck Eun Hee-ju starting now. It's not as strong a blessing as when you fucked Han Hye-eun, but regardless, you currently have the Blessing of Sex applied.]
[If you fuck Eun Hee-ju, you can slightly improve her condition and abilities. Seeing how she obediently follows your words, Eun Hee-ju probably wouldn't think to refuse. Rather... No. It's nothing.]
"No, it's not like I haven't thought about that."
Honestly, I've always thought my standards for choosing women weren't that picky.
I just thought, as long as she's decent-looking, I'd be satisfied if I could just fuck any woman.
But looking at Hee-ju right now, my sexual desire isn't boiling at all.
"Ha. Didn't I already screw up here?"
Even when Han Hye-eun was drunk and struggling, I licked my lips wishing I could fuck that bitch's pussy.
And I don't feel that kind of sexual desire for a woman I haven't even fucked yet?
That was practically telling me that Eun Hee-ju doesn't have that much appeal.
They say the tastiest woman for a man is a 'new woman'.
Is it for real that I'm more attracted to Han Hye-eun than Eun Hee-ju?
"If I had my way. Tsk."
I feel like just skipping work, finding Han Hye-eun, and slamming my dick into her pussy while spanking her ass.
But since I need to secure at least 4 members to form a group, I needed to move diligently.
[How about visiting a high school again, just like you found Eun Hee-ju?]
I shook my head.
"Today was graduation day. If I go looking now, I'd have to wait at least a year for them to graduate. I don't fuck minors."
[That is true.]
"And people, surprisingly, value stories. If the group I'm trying to make is really aiming for the top of the world, even these trivial processes are important. If I brought Eun Hee-ju from school, then I have to bring the other members in a different way. That way, even if we do an interview, we'll have something more to say."
[You seem to be counting your chickens before they hatch, but considering I'm with you, Master, it's not an impossible task.]
"Of course."
Even if it's not helping me completely openly like at the beginning.
[Moon Yeon-kyung, C]
[No Yeon-seon, B]
Just by displaying the grades above the heads of people walking on the street like this, Novel was already God AI itself.
No other manager could have eyes like these.
Although, even with these eyes, it would be all for nothing if there was no talent worth talking to.
"Phew......!"
I struggled until late at night in the downtown area to find talent, but in the end, I barely even saw an A-grade woman.
It would have been even more absurd to find talent one after another following Eun Hee-ju.
But perhaps because I saw the disappointing side of Eun Hee-ju, whom I had high expectations for, it's a day where my energy is drained for no reason.
Trudging along, I walk toward my home with weak steps. But when I arrived in front of the house, I let out a dry laugh.
"No, crazy."
I should have taken a taxi to the place where I live alone.
Without realizing it, I had arrived at Saessak Apartment, Eun Hee-ju's dorm.
'Since I'm here, should I tidy up if there's anything to tidy?'
I'll check if the leftover chicken or cake from yesterday is still there, and if there's trash to clean up, I'll clean it up.
And I'm also curious if she properly organized the toiletries and cosmetics I bought today.
'She's a kid who needs a lot of help in many ways, so it's hard to just leave her alone.'
「Beep beep beep beep, ti-ro-ri.」
With those thoughts, I entered the door lock password and opened the door, and my eyes went wide.
"Huh?"
There was no one inside the house.
No, there wasn't even a trace of anyone having been there.
'Don't tell me she gave up already?'
Actually, there were many kids who dropped out early because trainee life was too hard.
That number is almost half.
Still, I thought Eun Hee-ju wouldn't be like that.
"No. Fuck."
I was so dumbfounded I didn't know what to do, but my phone rang.
I wondered if it was Hee-ju.
Come to think of it, does she even have a phone?
"Yes. This is Kim Hyun-woo."
As expected, it wasn't Hee-ju.
It was one of the employees who had just finished overtime and was about to leave work.
I was a bit puzzled as to why this person was contacting me at this late hour.
That question was immediately answered.
-Excuse me. Team Leader Kim.
"Yes."
-Here...... when exactly do you plan to take the trainee named Eun Hee-ju?
The moment I heard those unexpected words, I reflexively checked the clock and let out the most bewildered voice in the world.
"What?"
[Current Time]
[AM 00:20]
You're lying, right?
Mina, who was shaking her sweat-drenched black crop top, opened her mouth.
Oasis, who are about to debut.
Although the leader hasn't been decided yet, Mina was implicitly taking on the role of leader.
She was the oldest, but also because she had the best skills.
"Phew, alright, let's rest now."
"Okay."
"Ugh, I'm dying of exhaustion."
While resting like that, they drank some water.
Went to the bathroom.
While walking down the hallway, monitoring the parts that were lacking in the part they practiced a while ago, a grating screeching sound was heard from somewhere.
"Ugh. What is this sound?"
"Sounds like someone is stepping like shit?"
"Don't tell me this is a trainee from our agency?"
The Oasis members all made incredulous sounds and carefully checked the source of the sound.
There, a girl with short black hair, who was slightly better looking than average, was expressionlessly continuing to dance at a pathetic level.
Seeing that, Lee So-ra and Se-ri opened their mouths.
"Pfft. She's so bad."
Lee So-ra laughed.
"How did she get in here with skills like that? Is being an idol a joke?"
Se-ri got angry.
Mina stopped the two.
"Don't laugh at or pay attention to other people. We're busy enough preparing for our own debut."
"No, still. Hmm. Isn't that kid the one that person called Team Leader Kim Hyun-woo brought earlier? The person who became a temporary team leader while confronting Team Leader Park Ju-yong head-on. Since the CEO personally appointed him as team leader at a young age, I thought there was something special about him. I guess he was just a braggart."
"Team Leader Park Ju-yong might have a personality, but his skills are certain. How long has Team Leader Park Ju-yong been working in the entertainment industry."
"Stop, stop. Instead of talking about this, think about recovering your stamina even a little bit more and practicing dancing one more time."
Mina, thinking that it wouldn't be good to be seen badmouthing someone, stopped the two strongly once more.
But even she, looking at Eun Hee-ju, who was continuing to dance stiffly like a robot while creaking, couldn't help but have the same thoughts as the other members inside.
'I thought there was something special. I guess not.'
But why is it?
Seeing that pathetic sight, I felt my heart lighten and loosen up for no reason.
Is it because I'm convinced she won't succeed?
"......Alright. Let's rest for 10 more minutes and start practicing again. If we're lucky, we might be able to eat salad and chicken breast for dinner today."
"Whoa, thank goodness. I've been eating just one boiled egg every day lately, so I felt like I was really going to die. Chicken breast is a luxury."
"Ha, I want to eat tteokbokki."
"Stop. If you keep talking about things like that, you'll just get hungrier. If you really want to debut, you have to lose 3 more kilograms than now. Let's cheer each other on."
After saying that, Oasis took a short break and finished their self-practice.
"Ha. Today was really intense. I'm going to faint."
"Is there anyone in the world who works as hard as us? We'll definitely succeed."
"Phew, phew...... Good work, everyone. Now let's eat dinner. Let's go home and rest a bit. Instead, we have to have time for monitoring, so let's wash up at home, rest a bit, and meet around 10 PM."
"Okay. Good work!"
The moment the Oasis members, who felt confident and rewarded as much as they had practiced hard, were cleaning up the practice room and leaving.
Screech, screech-!
"Huh?"
A scene where deja vu is felt.
The sound of someone practicing dancing that was heard during the break earlier.
But still, the unpleasant stepping sound.
However, that's why it gave me goosebumps.
"No way."
The Oasis members, without anyone saying anything, all simultaneously stole a glance at the same practice room direction.
And they covered their mouths without realizing it.
Thud-.
There, Eun Hee-ju, who would stand up expressionlessly like a roly-poly toy as if nothing had happened even after collapsing, was repeating the same movement over and over again.
"Hey, hey hey! You, you'll collapse if you do that."
"Huh?"
Lee So-ra, who was a bit nosy because she was too worried, quickly ran over and said to Eun Hee-ju.
"No. I'm fine."
Eun Hee-ju said while continuing to repeat the practice without even giving a glance.
"I haven't done enough yet."