Chapter 34: Slave Hunters (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 34: Slave Hunters (4)
Lee Cheong-hyeon had the shortest training period among the five trainees.
He wasn't someone who had danced from the start like Choi Je-ho or Kang Gi-yeon, nor had he learned to sing early on like Jeong Seong-bin or Park Ju-woo.
The only talent Lee Cheong-hyeon possessed was classical music—specifically piano—which was the polar opposite of popular music.
"You ranked third in both the last evaluation and this one, didn't you?"
Despite that, Lee Cheong-hyeon always placed in the middle, and sometimes even in the upper-middle tier, during evaluations.
"It’s not really my place to say since I came in last, but I think it’s no small feat for you to get such good results among those practice worms. That’s not something achieved through talent and effort alone."
"It might have just been a fluke," Lee Cheong-hyeon countered immediately.
"Maybe so. But the important thing is that you always produce results. In sports, they call that an ace; in an organization, they call that a pillar."
I knew that Jeong Seong-bin and Lee Cheong-hyeon were going through a turbulent period, spending their days emotionally unstable.
However, what the two of them needed to hear was very different.
If Jeong Seong-bin needed comfort, then Lee Cheong-hyeon needed...
"You. Remember when you asked why I told Kang Gi-yeon to sleep at night but told you to write songs?"
"I did."
"It's because I have expectations for you."
I thought it would be better to give him a sense of certainty.
"Because I believe you're a guy who can do it if you put your mind to it."
Perhaps because we were in the mountains, a breeze as tickling as my words of encouragement blew past.
"Well, if you hate hearing criticism, should I hold a 'Praise-Filled Listening Session' for you? We'll only say nice things to each other. To keep you motivated."
"No, that sounds incredibly burdensome in its own way!"
"No one praises you once you're out in society. Treasure the opportunity."
"Hyung, why do you always talk like someone who’s tasted all the bitterness of the world?"
"I wanted to live only tasting the sweetness, too, but life isn't that easy."
Actually, I wanted to tell him that if he didn't want to, we could put using his self-composed song as the title track on hold.
The composer himself said he wasn't mentally prepared yet.
If a PPT I made during my early days at the company were to remain as my lifelong portfolio, I’d want to go face-down in a washbasin.
Lee Cheong-hyeon must have easily anticipated such a situation.
It was truly regrettable that things had turned out this way due to various circumstances—and above all, my own stubbornness.
That’s why I contemplated whether I should apologize.
But I decided against it, fearing that an apology here would only sound like: 'I'm sorry for pushing your song as the title track even though you're probably not satisfied with it yet!'
‘I’ll just give him plenty of praise instead.’
I was the kind of person who even praised an intern who couldn't find a downloaded file, telling them I could 'see their hardworking attitude.'
Drawing on that experience, I felt I could manage up to thirty praises a day.
While I was lost in serious thought, Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had been sitting perfectly fine, suddenly bolted upright.
His face had turned pale.
"What's wrong?"
"Hy... Hyung. I think I left my bag back down there."
"Your bag? This one?"
Only then did I remember the bag I had snatched up just before running after him.
After catching up to him, I had set it down next to the bench in my haste, but it seemed Lee Cheong-hyeon hadn't seen it from where he was.
"Huh. When did you grab that?"
"I picked it up while I was chasing you during your escape."
"You mean you ran up the mountain carrying that bag?!"
"It’s just a hiking trail."
Try touring every mountain in Seoul every weekend like I do. This is nothing.
I brushed off the dust and tucked the bag neatly into Lee Cheong-hyeon's arms.
Then, I placed both hands on his shoulders.
"Cheong-hyeon."
"Yes?"
"I rode a bus for an hour to find you and even brought your bag, so considering my hard work, won't you give me just one chance to make a boomer comment?"
"What... is it?"
"It’s nothing much. I just want to see all six of you debut safely and brilliantly."
I tried my best to keep a full smile on my face to keep from putting too much pressure into the hands on his shoulders.
Conversely, the expression on Lee Cheong-hyeon's face as he looked up at me grew increasingly uncomfortable.
"So... whether you're worrying or digging yourself into a hole, let's resolve most things at the dorm. Got it?"
Lee Cheong-hyeon nodded his head vigorously, as if he had understood my message loud and clear: Don't make me waste my time and energy chasing you.
If he runs away again after this, things won't end well.
And so, I spent the remaining thirty minutes with Lee Cheong-hyeon before making the long journey back to the practice room.
Since I had rushed out blindly with the thought that I had to catch the composer whose diligent labor was guaranteed, I expected to get a lecture, but surprisingly, nothing much was said.
Apparently, Jeong Seong-bin had made a tearful plea on my behalf. As expected, the more industrious a fellow is, the more the company trusts them.
If I had been the one asking for a pass just once, I’d probably be signing a contract termination form by now.
Ah, there was also an unexpected surprise.
The dance break choreography that Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon had collaborated on for the first time was finished.
"We haven't shown the teachers yet... but it's roughly like this."
The choreography shown by the two members of the dance line, accompanied by their nonchalant words, was literally amazing.
I could do nothing but applaud their god-like movements, which seemed to tell any clumsy person to give up early.
Unaware of my feelings, Lee Cheong-hyeon made a huge fuss, repeatedly saying how incredible it was.
He seemed truly happy that the two of them had even choreographed a dance to his song.
A notification popped up, indicating that the task of securing the debut song was complete.
+
[SYSTEM] 'Quest' completed.
▷ Reward: Experience Points (10) granted
▷ Cumulative Experience Points: 80
▷ Cumulative Points: 0
+
Lee Cheong-hyeon seemed to have finished his mental preparation to accept the day he would debut with his own song.
Beyond the system window, I could see Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had regained his lively laughter, jumping around and chatting next to Kang Gi-yeon.
"That's insane! But can't you make it even cooler than this?"
"I think it'd work if you did two front tumblings in the center."
"Should I? I can do at least one. I'm going into special training starting today."
Surely he wasn't planning on suggesting that all six of them do that tumbling together.
My knee joints, which had been aching until recently, felt like they were starting to hurt again.
Depending on the company's situation or promotional policy, there were differences, but idol trainees often appeared in the media even before their debut.
They would make their faces known early on through advertisements or as backup dancers for senior singers.
For example, in Lee Cheong-hyeon's case, he had appeared in a music video for a senior singer under the same label before his debut.
"...So, it looks like Cheong-hyeon will be taking the role of the male lead in Jang Jun-hu's music video this time."
To think it was a Jang Jun-hu music video. I hadn't even considered it.
‘Since the guide recording was done recently, it is about time to shoot the MV.’
But did I give a damn about that bastard's music video? That kind of thing didn't matter at all.
If we needed the recognition that could be gained from an MV appearance, I’d rather work a night shift at a convenience store and use that money to hang the kids' photos in Gangnam Station.
If I followed my heart, I wanted to throw a fit and say, "I don't think it's right to borrow the kids' help for the work of a perpetrator of workplace harassment."
However, I felt I should reach a consensus with my colleagues before going on a rampage, so I decided to hold back for now.
Instead, as soon as the manager left the practice room, we held an emergency strategy meeting.
Except for Lee Cheong-hyeon, the party involved, who was forcing a smile, the expressions of the five of us... were truly not good.
Even Jeong Seong-bin, who lived by the motto 'let's just get along,' looked pale, so that said it all. It was only natural.
In a situation where everyone was hesitant to speak, I was the first to break the ice.
"First of all, I think the risk Lee Cheong-hyeon has to take is too high compared to the benefit of 60,000 MeTube views."
"Why specifically 60,000 views?"
"I recall the average view count for Jang Jun-hu's music videos being around that much."
For a trainee who hadn't even debuted, they should be grateful for even 600 views, let alone 60,000.
But it was more of a loss to turn a kid's mental state into powder just for that.
‘As I thought, I should work a night shift and put up an ad in Gangnam Station...’
While I was seriously trying to remember how many convenience stores were in this neighborhood, Jeong Seong-bin cautiously raised his hand.
"Um, maybe it would be better if I went instead, since I'm more familiar with the senior..."
"Okay. Who's next to give an opinion?"
I cut him off because it was an opinion not even worth listening to. Was that a suggestion, or was he just talking nonsense like Department Head Nam?
I acknowledged that his attitude of trying to protect a member was admirable.
However, sending Jeong Seong-bin, who had suffered the most damage, was a matter that didn't even warrant consideration.
‘Then there’s only one conclusion.’
I looked at Choi Je-ho, who was sitting hunched over, listening quietly, and said,
"Choi Je-ho, you should go."
"Me?"
Then who? Me?
"We can't send the younger ones. And it's not like we have the authority to say no."
"I'll buy a voice recorder and make sure to take good care of myself! I haven't had as much contact with him as Seong-bin hyung, so everyone doesn't have to worry too much..."
"No. In a normal situation, this isn't even something you guys should have to worry about whether to go or not."
And reality is harsh.
No matter how much he tried to prepare a voice recorder, once filming started, everyone from the stylist to the camera director would surely be watching his clothes, his fit, and his every move.
In such a situation, it wouldn't be strange for any unexpected event to occur.
In the worst-case scenario, if the voice recorder were discovered, he would surely be cursed out for being 'a guy who hasn't even debuted carrying around something strange to a workplace with a senior.'
‘How can I send the kids to a site where problems that can't be prepared for might occur?’
Excluding the younger ones, the only person left was Choi Je-ho, who was at least twenty years old and wouldn't easily be pushed around anywhere.
However, Choi Je-ho spoke with a look that suggested he wasn't very keen on the idea.
"You could just go."
"I can't exactly volunteer to shoot a music video with my face."
"Well... just looking at your faces, you two hyungs have a similar vibe."
Park Ju-woo, who had been sitting quietly, said something that didn't resonate with me at all. So I didn't pay it any mind.
"How are you going to convince the company? They might not listen if you say another trainee is going without a good reason."
At least Kang Gi-yeon made a rational point.
But I had already thought of a countermeasure for that part as well.
"You don't have to worry about that. I'll go and talk to them."
"You, hyung?"
"Yeah. I think I have a rough idea of why they singled out Lee Cheong-hyeon."
