Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 25: Debut Evaluation (1)

"Incredible."

It was a choice of vocabulary that lacked the dignity expected of a proper adult, let alone a member of the workforce.

However, only that word could truly express my current emotions.

The Spark punks, who had torn the February evaluation to shreds just like my resignation letter, were flying high as if they were on a survival audition show.

Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon were already talented, so that went without saying. But the growth of Jeong Seong-bin and Kang Gi-yeon was truly remarkable.

First, Jeong Seong-bin earned extra points simply by appearing more confident than usual. Since he was already good at both singing and dancing, just seeing him coolly demonstrate what he’d prepared made his inner strength palpable.

And then there was Kang Gi-yeon.

While he still had the habit of his hands shaking slightly and his expression freezing during interviews, he didn't make a single mistake in today's evaluation. He was especially unwavering in his specialty, dancing.

It was a demonstration that proved the worth of rolling around the practice room until the moon shone bright. The dance teacher’s eyes were already welling up.

They say you never know the results until the lid ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is opened, but I knew even without looking.

Kang Gi-yeon, that rascal, had hit the mark.

In the midst of this, Park Ju-woo—who had picked his evaluation song only a week ago—even heard the vocal teacher say, "There’s nothing left for you to improve on."

'Should I be happy about this or not?'

Originally, my goal was to narrow the gap with the Spark members just a little bit to show my potential for growth. I had to demonstrate my future prospects to prove my utility, after all.

However, while I was trying to take a single leap forward, these guys went and did a pole vault, causing my challenge to fail before it even began.

"Hyung, fighting!"

When it was my turn, Lee Cheong-hyeon, who was sitting next to me, whispered softly.

Thanks for the support. Though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to survive now that you guys brought your own songs and danced and sang so well.

'It's already I-wol's turn.'

Min Ju-gyeong, a member of the Artist Management Team under the Management Headquarters, checked the last remaining profile and the February evaluation sheet.

Though he was a two-month-old trainee who had joined UA last, Kim I-wol was secretly recognized even among the most diligent trainees as the one who turned off the practice room lights every single day.

A diligent person naturally earns favor through their attitude.

Min Ju-gyeong believed that Kim I-wol was someone worthy of support, not just because she was the one who brought him in, but based solely on the attitude he had shown thus far.

'I hope he does well.'

The existing trainees had been practicing for at least a year longer than Kim I-wol. Because of this, the company was weighing the probability of him joining the debut team versus the next group at a ratio of about 4:6.

'It would be easier for him to promote if he built up more skill before debuting... but no one knows when the next group will come out.'

Considering the idol market where youth itself is a weapon, Min Ju-gyeong wanted to debut Kim I-wol as soon as possible. If Kim I-wol could just handle his share as a vocalist, it wasn't an entirely impossible story.

'He just needs to be at the level of a sub-vocal...!'

Min Ju-gyeong cheered internally as she looked at Kim I-wol, who stood as straight and composed as he had last month.

Oh Eun, sitting next to Min Ju-gyeong, asked Kim I-wol, "You chose the same song for both singing and dancing?"

"Yes, that's correct."

At Kim I-wol's answer, Min Ju-gyeong checked the song list.

It was a song by a famous boy group. However, the title was unfamiliar.

'Is it a B-side?'

Min Ju-gyeong thought it was a fairly good choice. If the original song's image was too strong, it was easy for a cover to be overshadowed by the original, no matter how well it was executed. Even more so if the performer was a trainee.

Kim I-wol had always made good choices in his few evaluations.

This brought to mind what Oh Eun, one of the evaluators, had said during a past meeting.

'He does seem to have sense. He works hard, too.'

Min Ju-gyeong agreed with that sentiment. Even in an idol group, a so-called "intelligence-type" character was necessary—whether for fan service or variety shows.

'If I-wol plays that role, I'd worry less about the other kids.'

His age as the oldest despite his short experience, and his upright attitude, made Min Ju-gyeong feel it would be a waste to let him rot for several more years.

However, Min Ju-gyeong didn't have much time to indulge in sentimentality.

"Then, shall we try singing while dancing at the same time?"

In previous evaluations, singing and dancing were assessed and scored separately, but the Representative had given an unprecedented mission, saying, "Since it's the same song anyway."

UA naturally aimed to create an idol group capable of performing live, but singing while dancing required entirely different things than singing while standing still.

'The breathing alone, and there's so much else to worry about!'

Min Ju-gyeong was aghast.

This was true for every trainee, but this was a truly crucial moment for Kim I-wol. As such, Kim I-wol, who must have practiced hard for an entire month, deserved the same opportunity as the other trainees.

As Min Ju-gyeong fretted over why this was happening specifically during Kim I-wol's turn, the wall clock ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the corner of the practice room caught her eye.

There were only about ten minutes left until the meeting scheduled for the launch of the new idol group. In a project requiring collaboration between many people, even a single delay in a meeting could cause significant trouble.

Min Ju-gyeong knew this well, but...

She felt that for a trainee with a bright future ahead, at least an important opportunity like this should be guaranteed.

Just as Min Ju-gyeong was about to face her employer and say, "I don't think that's quite right!"

Kim I-wol beat her to the punch.

"Understood."

...He said.

And four minutes later, Min Ju-gyeong realized her worries had been for nothing.

After the demonstration, which felt like an eternity, ended, only one thought occupied my mind.

'It actually worked.'

The reason for choosing a song by a famous group was clear. It was because UA pursued the "standard idol image."

This was evident from the fact that they demanded songs with a particularly strong K-pop flavor from Park Ju-woo and that they set the debut album's concept as the "youth concept," the gold standard for rookie groups.

If I had obsessed over not losing points and picked an obscure song only I knew, there was a high probability I would have been evaluated as lacking the passion and grit a new recruit should have.

Instead, I chose a B-side track with more vocal breathing room rather than a title track, which often has high-pitched highlights and intense choreography.

All to make myself look suitable for the position of sub-vocal.

Any lack of recognition for the song itself could be compensated for by the group's fame.

'If it's a song that's only been performed once or twice at a concert or on a music show, there's almost no chance of being compared to the original.'

It was a strategy of riding the coattails of a big name and then making a run for it.

There was another advantage to B-side tracks. Since they are usually performed as special stages, the choreography is often easier than the title track.

If I had covered this as a group, criticism that I was "having it easy" would have been inevitable.

But the story changes if you sing it alone from start to finish. Being able to pull off a song meant for a large group by yourself is an undeniable advantage in terms of individual capability.

To show that I could handle my share of both dancing and singing alone, I had to present them simultaneously. And in a dramatic way, at that.

For example... by showing the evaluation song, which was originally supposed to be performed separately, together due to a sudden suggestion.

A trainee who had only been there for two months and was preparing to be an idol for the first time. At that point, how would it feel to have to listen to a song twice—a song that didn't seem too difficult vocally and had a tempo that didn't seem too taxing choreographically?

Especially if there was a meeting with many people starting soon?

People who consider time to be gold—especially executives—would think like this:

'Can't we just see it all at once?'

They could always say they'd take the different evaluation method into account if necessary. If it went well, even better.

I could predict this development to some extent by recalling the UA decision-making process the Spark guys had mentioned on broadcasts. I had also checked all of UA's meeting room reservations for this week through the manager and Min Ju-gyeong.

Thanks to everything aligning perfectly, the evaluation flowed in the best direction among the cases I had prepared.

What a relief. I didn't have to use the scenario for "Operation 21: Eliciting Sympathy via Sob Story and Volunteering for Self-Imposed Slave Contract."

'Though I did practice until I nearly died to succeed at both singing and dancing...'

Since finishing the performance was a prerequisite, I couldn't avoid the path of suffering. I could only hope that the attendance management correction would add extra points this time as well.

'Now I just need to show a suitable image and bow out.'

Balance is key when using your head. If nothing shows, you fail to appeal; if you show the entire blueprint from start to finish, you leave the impression that you played the other person.

'The best outcome is for them not to realize the reaction was induced, and to receive an evaluation that I made a good song choice.'

I quickly scanned the evaluators' reactions. The expressions of the employees and executives, who were whispering among themselves and marking their papers, looked flawlessly satisfied.

It was the moment my small and precious leap ended in success.

"Adolescence is a scary thing. This month is different from last month again."

Everyone involved in the monthly evaluation agreed with the words of Yun Hyeon-ju, the Representative of UA.

"The kids did exceptionally well this time. Is it because we told them we're narrowing down the debut team?"

"They do tend to focus more when they're motivated."

"Gi-yeon doing so well was a real surprise. I was worried he'd get more nervous under pressure."

Dance trainer Song Jun-hwan, who had always regarded Kang Gi-yeon as his "troubled child," looked as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

"I heard he practiced with I-wol every night," said Manager Chan-yeong, who tracks the trainees' attendance.

"Really?"

"Gi-yeon has a lot of grit. Oh, by the way, Ju-gyeong, did you hear the track Cheong-hyeon sent?"

"Yes. It was quite good."

"Right? I heard he even took it to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the A&R Team."

It was a wonderful thing for trainees to find new motivation in an environment where they could easily become complacent due to long-term training. They were already hardworking members, but recently, the trainees had been so proactive in their practice that the staff and trainers could feel it.

Realizing that everyone was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thinking the same thing, Yun Hyeon-ju pondered seriously.

What was improving the atmosphere among the trainees?

From the company's perspective, they needed to know the clear reason. And they had to grasp that reason firmly. Only then could the current positive flow be maintained.

Neatly organizing the six evaluation sheets, Yun Hyeon-ju asked the excited staff.

"What do you think was the decisive factor that changed the atmosphere of our trainees?"

Starting with the Representative's question, a brainstorming session lasting a full two hours commenced in the meeting room.