Chapter 40
Chapter 40
We don't exactly think of the monthly evaluation as just a talent show for the trainees.
But that doesn't mean we're just looking to pick out their flaws and spew venom, either.
Seriously.
Truly, purely.
Whether this kid is ready to debut.
If they aren't ready yet, whether they show improvement when we point out those issues.
That's what we're trying to see.
It's not like we're trying to tear the kids down on purpose.
"Team A. We are M-Bus! Please take care of us."
Starting off with a boy group.
[Lee Su-jong, B]
[Choi Jeong-hyeok, C]
[Heo Nam-gi, C]
[Lee Yeong-seo, A]
[Gang Min-gu, B]
No, seriously. Why are there 11 members?
This is basically that.
Like the old Ultra Junior or something.
They're trying to go for that vibe, like Sixteen, which is currently exploding in popularity.
Sure.
I guess the idea is fine.
The problem was the kids' grades.
It goes without saying, but there's a difference in talent.
If everyone living in this world were given equal talent, why would the top 0.01 percent of idols or celebrities even exist?
Since that's not the case, talented people stand out.
And those people naturally enter the entertainment industry and become stars.
'They just grabbed a bunch of average-looking kids and threw them together.'
And what does M-Bus even mean?
I hope it's not, but...
They didn't just slap a fancy-sounding name on it, did they?
'Damn. It's been a while since reality hit me this hard.'
I've been looking at only our kids every day.
Or occasionally running into the Oasis kids, so I'd forgotten.
Just because they're trainees at an agency doesn't mean they're all decent.
Among them, there are some who are so bad you wonder if they're even thinking.
No, that's a bit harsh.
There were a lot of lacking kids.
The group in front of me was exactly that.
They were even trembling, hands shaking while holding the mics, terrified like rabbits in front of a predator.
"Make yourselves comfortable. Relax."
It's so bad that even the CEO, who couldn't watch anymore, had to say that.
'I think that'll actually have the opposite effect.'
Typical for kids like that.
They're scared to even face the team leader.
The CEO is even more uncomfortable.
'Even I find the CEO uncomfortable. I can't imagine how the kids feel.'
Their hearts must be bouncing like crazy.
-♬♪♬♪♪
"Stop."
I expected it.
Before even a minute had passed, the word "stop" popped out.
"This is a shitshow, isn't it?"
"......."
That guy is fucking incredible too.
Saying things like that without a care even with the CEO right next to him.
"If you're going to do it like that, just quit. Singing, dancing, rapping—what the hell are you doing? This! Do you think being an idol is a joke? What are you trying to show? There's zero charm."
But.
I really hate to admit it.
Park Ju-yong isn't wrong.
"Your singing skills are lacking to begin with, and it's not like your rapping is any better. If you really dig into it, rapping can actually be harder than singing."
I did my best to point out the parts I had checked.
Your pitch is wavering. I know it can't be helped since you're nervous, etc.
Besides that, the trainers also gave sincere advice.
"As a first-year trainee, it's hard enough to just follow along rather than showing your own color, so you focus on that. Following along is fine. But while following along, it's important to find your own color as you grow."
Still, they didn't scold them too much.
Considering they were in their first year, that was to be expected.
Some of them probably just joined out of curiosity.
"Get out right now. Go to another practice room and practice more. You guys are a waste of time for the monthly evaluation."
I wonder if that bastard is living in a different era all by himself.
Of course, there are times when you need to speak firmly.
But that bastard is just indiscriminately being a dick.
'He's just using them to relieve his own stress.'
The kids from M-Bus, trembling on the verge of tears because of Park Ju-yong, bowed their heads and left the practice room.
"We. W-will work harder!"
"Why are these boys crying like little shits. Tsk."
It's cold. So cold.
Maybe because such a cold evaluation came out right from the first stage.
The kids waiting in the back also look completely frozen.
"Anyway. It seems the world has gotten really soft these days."
What's this guy's problem?
Choi Ho-cheol, the Nampodong Nuclear Fist who had been quiet, suddenly opens his mouth.
"Back in the day, they wouldn't have taught them so gently. These days, you're coddling them like it's a kindergarten. The other team leaders, and the trainers too."
"......We speak up when we need to be sharp. They're first-years who haven't experienced many monthly evaluations. Why are you so..."
"Tsk. Well, that's just my opinion. I felt it while studying and working hard on my own. If you're only gentle, you end up staying in the same place. At least that's how it looks to me, someone who succeeded as a composer. It's like a 'rod of love'."
Ha.
I really don't like this guy either.
"Composer Nuclear Fist knows what's up. It's not for nothing that kids these days have weak mentalities or can't even perform live properly on stage. It's all because they're raised to be weak. And then they say it's too much when someone gives them sincere advice."
"Let's stop there. The monthly evaluation is in progress. Please refrain from unnecessary chatter."
"Understood. CEO-nim."
Park Ju-yong and Choi Ho-cheol.
Those two bastards are clicking perfectly.
After that, the monthly evaluation continued coldly.
Park Ju-yong's venomous remarks.
And Choi Ho-cheol's occasional annoying comments made me feel unnecessarily sensitive.
'How many talented kids could there even be in this shitty agency to begin with?'
They aren't even preparing for debut.
They're just trainees.
"Tsk tsk. I'm quite disappointed in N&P."
Seeing that fat pig Nuclear Fist being sarcastic, I almost instinctively high-kicked that lump of fat in the face.
"The real deal starts now, Composer-nim."
Now it was Oasis's turn.
Three girls, reduced to skin and bones from not eating properly, dashed forward energetically and bowed.
"Hello. We are Oasis's Mina."
"Lee So-ra."
"Serina."
The three of them stood in a row and bowed, asking for our support.
"The reason our team name is Oasis is that we wanted to become a ray of hope like an oasis for people exhausted in this difficult world."
The team preparing for debut definitely has a different quality compared to the kids we saw earlier.
For your information, they will be repeating that introduction like parrots every time they appear on a broadcast, whether by the host or themselves.
That's why the group name.
And the meaning within it is important.
"Ho-ho. Oasis. The name is good, and the kids definitely have a different light compared to the people we saw earlier. A different light."
Did they plan this?
Or do they really think that? I don't know.
Choi Ho-cheol, who had been sitting lazily with his butt pushed forward, finally corrected his posture and looked at the Oasis kids.
"The song we prepared is 'Hope' by our seniors, Penpal. Please take care of us."
Their backs are going to snap.
That's how much the Oasis kids kept bowing at 90 degrees, repeating that they'd do their best.
Anyway.
'Hope? That's a really high-difficulty song.'
Honestly speaking, it was a high-difficulty song that I think even our kids would struggle with live.
In fact, even the group Penpal rarely performed that stage live.
'It's clearly Park Ju-yong's doing.'
Difficult songs definitely have a clear impact.
But who doesn't know that?
"Ah!"
A subtly lacking high note.
"Ugh!"
They tried their best not to show it, but.
Small mistakes seen during the dance performance.
'It's a shame.'
I think it was definitely a better performance than the kids who came out earlier.
But it was a stage that didn't show the charm of the Oasis kids at all.
There must have been much better song choices.
Looking at that, you realize that just because it's high difficulty doesn't mean it's automatically good.
There's a right outfit for everyone.
"Hmm."
CEO Cheon Tae-o, who had been sitting in the middle and watching quietly, lets out a faint sound for the first time.
The pen in his hand keeps spinning around.
As if time had stopped.
Everyone held their breath and stared blankly at Cheon Tae-o's spinning pen.
If he hypnotized everyone right now, it might be a huge success.
"When did you say Oasis's debut was?"
"Once the song is out, we plan to debut immediately after about 6 months of practice."
"6 months, huh."
Tap. Tap. Tap-.
Cheon Tae-o, who tapped the table three times with his pen, said.
"Let's set it for 1 year. No. Let's aim for 8 months for now. Because we have to check the timing then, too. We also need to talk with the CEOs of other agencies."
What does an extended debut preparation period mean?
It means it didn't satisfy Cheon Tae-o in the slightest.
True.
Even from my perspective, Oasis's stage right now was full of flaws.
How shitty would a CEO feel if a girl group they spent years pouring money into ended up failing?
"C-CEO-nim. It's just because the kids are a bit nervous."
Park Ju-yong realized the meaning behind Cheon Tae-o's words and immediately started throwing out excuses.
The extension of the practice period wasn't actually a big problem.
It was just the fact that the team he prepared was being undervalued that made Park Ju-yong anxious and humiliated.
Even though it wasn't him who performed, but Oasis.
Even though it's that bastard's fault that the Oasis kids ended up like that.
'If it goes well, it's because he did a good job. If it goes poorly, it's because the kids were nervous.'
Cheon Tae-o looked into Park Ju-yong's eyes and answered in a calm voice.
"Yes. I said that taking into account that they were nervous. Team Leader Park."
"......."
"Do you have anything else to say?"
"......No."
Maybe he was trying to help Park Ju-yong.
Choi Ho-cheol, who was about to say something, flinched and leaned his back against the chair again.
Cheon Tae-o's presence is definitely impressive.
"And. Nervous, huh. Hmm."
Cheon Tae-o tilted his head for a moment and looked at me and my team's kids.
That meaningful gaze made Park Ju-yong even more anxious.
Glance.
Cheon Tae-o, who checked his watch a bit obviously, says.
"Come to think of it, I don't have much time left until my appointment. I feel a bit sorry for the other trainees, but. Team Leader Kim."
"Yes?"
"Can I see Team Leader Kim's kids first? I think I should see them last and then head out quickly."
"Ah. Yes. That's fine."
As I nodded.
Seong Se-ri was already taking the kids forward.
"Wow."
Not only the trainees watching from behind.
But also the people sitting for the evaluation burst into admiration.
They were already kids with amazing visuals.
But coming forward under the name of a stage, their presence is extraordinary.
Seriously.
It feels like I'm already looking at idols.
[Eun Hee-ju, SS+]
[Lee Da-young, S+]
[Gil Min-seo, SS+]
[Seong Se-ri, SS]
The eyes of the kids who came forward and are managing their expressions meet mine one by one.
Through that, it felt like I could already see the kids' charms.
Gil Min-seo's energetic happiness.
Seong Se-ri's seasoned experience.
Lee Da-young's meticulousness.
And finally, Eun Hee-ju's uniqueness.
Above all, none of them were nervous just because they were in front of the CEO or because it was a monthly evaluation.
"Start."
The moment Eun Hee-ju opened her mouth first, following Cheon Tae-o's words.
Our 3 minutes were deleted.
"Phew."
Even right after the stage ended, they didn't waver at all.
Except for our kids, who were just catching their breath slightly and posing with professional expressions, no one else's sound could be heard.
This was truly perfect silence.
"......."
"......."
The one who broke that silence first was, as expected, Cheon Tae-o.
Clap-.
Clap clap-.
Clap clap clap-.
The slowly growing sound of applause instantly filled the practice room.
It was the first applause of the day.
And.
"I should have promoted Team Leader Kim to team leader sooner."
Isn't this the highest praise a team leader can hear from the CEO in this position?
But there was something else that made me feel even better than that.
"Team Leader Park."
"......!"
"It seems the kids Team Leader Kim taught weren't nervous. I think you should try a bit harder."
It was Park Ju-yong's face, unable to manage his expression at all due to embarrassment and resentment.