A Surprising High Score
It had gone exactly as he had imagined.
When Jin Seryeon stepped onto the stage, the fan club members let out cheers without a single question or complaint. It was all thanks to Jang Namhun.
“They’re not even sparing a glance this way.”
“That oppa should be focusing on his own singer.”
“…Tch.”
Everyone had come to see Satoshi as the MC, yet here they stood clustered on one side, their eyes locked entirely on Namhun.
Still, before long they pulled themselves back and began directing their gazes toward their one and only, Satoshi.
Except for Ha Yeon, the only one in her twenties. She had completely forgotten about Satoshi as MC and was lost in thought.
‘Everyone else is busy preparing for jobs… What am I doing here, hanging out with these kids?’
A marketing major, she should have been near a broadcasting station, not chasing an idol. But the excuse she’d used to start her Satoshi fandom had been blown apart the moment she met Namhun.
‘Sigh. Fine. Time to quit the fandom. I need to start taking care of myself.’
Just as Ha Yeon was sinking into sudden gloom…
Zza-zza-zza-
♪♬♪-
The intro ended, and Jin Seryeon’s voice flowed out.
“Hello, there! Hold on a second, can you stop for a moment!”
A clear voice that instantly cleared the gloomy atmosphere.
Ha Yeon snapped back to attention.
“Ah…?”
Not just her—other spectators began to murmur.
“What is that? Her voice is amazing.”
“…Her singing must be good.”
The idol stage filled with intense sound and performance had gripped them, but Jin Seryeon’s trot stage hit them like a cultural shock.
“You… there’s a woman here who looks at only you~!”
The age range of the fans who participated in the public broadcast was wide, but the vast majority were women.
Women who were fans of male idols.
Jin Seryeon’s “Saljjakhung!” was the complete opposite of the performance-style music they knew, and it felt fresh and new.
If the singer’s skill had been lacking or the stage felt outdated, student fans might have been repelled.
But that didn’t happen.
The image of Jin Seryeon, acting out a slightly shy girl’s fluttering heart at first love, began to tickle the hearts of most of the women in the audience.
Soon the entire audience seat was lost in Jin Seryeon’s “Saljjakhung!” performance.
Who among the adolescent girls had never felt a crush before?
“It’s embarrassing, but I’ll sing Saljjakhung~!”
Finally the chorus began, and as Jin Seryeon started her cat-paw dance, laughter erupted from all sides.
“What’s that?”
“Ahahaha.”
To the young fans it looked like a grown man was doing a ridiculous aegyo, but Jin Seryeon had overcome it.
“Cute.”
By the time the A-part ended and the chorus returned, people had started copying the cat-paw dance all around.
“It’s embarrassing, but I’ll sing Saljjakhung~!”
“I like you… I like you~!”
Even after the song ended, everyone laughed and clapped.
“It was a surprisingly cute stage. The singing wasn’t bad either.”
“That’s trot?”
“We should sing it at karaoke sometime.”
“It would be good for setting the mood.”
“That dance move is the highlight!”
* * *
The moment Jin Seryeon’s stage ended, Namhun couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of his own.
【Singer - Jin Seryeon】
【Song Title - Saljjakhung!】
【Comprehension / Understanding - 95】
【Proficiency / Mastery - 94】
【Immersion / Focus - 95】
【Digestibility / Execution / Expressiveness - 94】
【Condition - 89】
【Audience’s Reaction - 87】
【Overall Score - 91】
【Performance Additional Score - +3.3】
【External Effect Additional Score - +1.3】
【Final Score - 95.6】
“95.6 points…!”
A higher score than he had expected.
The audience reaction was a bit disappointing, but considering today’s audience was composed of mostly teens, it was even more so.
‘Is it really that “Saljjakhung!” is a hit?’
Namhun found himself staring at Kang Seongdae without realizing it.
His face was flushed as he threw an uppercut in the air.
“Great! Done!”
Namhun couldn’t help but feel a thrill at the sight.
‘Isn’t it true that one successful trot song means a pension?’
Big expectations were off the table, but…
His heart began to race slightly.
* * *
“Oppa, thank you!”
Jin Seryeon finished her stage without a single mistake and rushed back to the waiting room, immediately throwing her arms around Namhun and letting out tears of relief.
Everyone watching felt warm inside.
They all understood how much pressure a mid-tier newcomer must have felt on her debut stage.
“You worked hard.”
Namhun patted her back without saying a word.
The others gathered around one by one, praising Jin Seryeon.
“You did great, Seryeon.”
“This song looks like it will hit big.”
“The audience reaction was really good!”
Even Kang Seongdae, who usually scolded harshly, spoke with a kind expression.
“Seryeon, you’ve worked hard for two years.”
“The CEO worked even harder, didn’t he?”
“Haha. Look at this kid.”
While they laughed and joked with each other…
The assistant producer of Punnymusic Show arrived at the waiting room.
“Is Producer Kang Seongdae here?”
The AD, bustling in the crowded waiting room, led Kang Seongdae to a quiet corner.
‘What now?’
The broadcast was still in progress, so why would the assistant producer come looking for him?
Feeling something, Namhun slipped over and began eavesdropping.
“Is Miss Jin Seryeon… able to appear next week as well?”
At the assistant producer’s words, Kang Seongdae asked in surprise.
“Next week?”
The assistant producer was quite young, but Kang Seongdae didn’t treat him casually.
“Yes. I’m just saying this in passing, but the real-time viewership on Miss Jin Seryeon’s stage has gone up a little.”
“…Is that so?”
“But anyway, you know these figures aren’t that meaningful, right? So the PD wants me to check again with him next week.”
Even if music broadcast viewership was low, it was still terrestrial TV.
Even if the power of the music PD had weakened, it was only compared to the past.
Every agency was still making every effort behind the scenes to debut one newcomer.
The fact that trot singer Jin Seryeon had appeared on a K-pop idol’s music broadcast stage was the result of the flow of change and Kang Seongdae’s influence working together.
Of course, it was only normal to accept it happily, but…
Kang Seongdae drew it out.
“Hmm… I’ll check the schedule first and give you an answer.”
Even with a typical rejection, the assistant producer didn’t back down.
“Then can I hear your answer by the end of the show? Checking the schedule is quick, isn’t it?”
If it had been the usual Kang Seongdae, he would have barked at the persistent assistant producer. But now he answered in a vague tone.
“Hmm, I left my notebook in the office. Nowadays people check schedules on their phones… Haha, sorry. I’m an old man.”
It was true that Kang Seongdae was scribbling on his notebook.
Namhun had seen him doing so while watching Jin Seryeon’s stage.
In the end, the conversation concluded that in exchange for the Punnymusic Show covering most of the stage cost, Jin Seryeon would appear one more time next week.
‘So it really was a money issue.’
Kang Seongdae was, as always, a veteran who had seen every side of the industry.
‘I should learn that too.’
Once he stepped back into the entertainment world, there might come a day when he would have to negotiate like this.
When he told Wonhyuk, the latter smiled and explained to Namhun.
“It’s a good sign. At any rate, Seryeon’s stage attracted more attention than a normal new idol, right?”
When he heard it, Wonhyuk’s words were correct.
* * *
Whether it was a pre-recorded show or a rehearsal, if a newcomer had participated in the broadcast, he or she should stay until the end.
Because they needed to appear on camera one more time during the ending stage.
“We finished the stage perfectly. Everyone, let’s go get dinner together?”
“Are you buying us beef?”
“Yeah! Let’s go eat Wagyu!”
“Waaaa!”
Hearing the dance team’s cheers, Namhun wiped his chest.
It had truly been a tiring day.
‘How lucky it all turned out fine.’
Seryeon had gone through such trauma.
If not for the system’s help, she might have been in real trouble.
“Ah.”
Watching the people leaving, Namhun whispered to Wonhyuk.
“I’ll go say hello to them for a bit.”
“Say hello?”
“I want to tell Satoshi’s fan club how grateful I am that they cheered for us. They’re coming back next week too, right?”
“Ah, Seryeon is doing Punnymusic Show again next week? Okay. I’ll leave the dinner place’s address in a text.”
“Got it.”
Even though the sun had set, outside Namhun easily found the spot where the fan club members were gathered.
Because they were gathered in small groups holding Satoshi’s goods and heading home.
“Hey, you were hilarious earlier!”
“Yeah. Should we film a short?”
“A short? But it’s too dark now.”
“Then let’s film it tomorrow at school.”
Since MC Satoshi had no stage today, he was excitedly telling them how impressive Jin Seryeon’s stage had been.
‘Did they like it okay?’
Namhun watched them with a pleased expression and then slipped closer.
A tall man approaching drew the eyes of the students who had been startled by the sudden shadow, but once they saw it was Namhun they relaxed their guard.
“Hello!”
“Thank you so much for your cheering today. There must have been over a thousand of you, right?”
The students, who were still young enough to smile at falling leaves, laughed at Namhun’s joke.
At the sight, Namhun’s chest tightened for no reason.
It was a look he had never seen from Yuyeon, who was the same age.
“Seryeon is coming again next week. Please cheer then too.”
“Yes! We’ll definitely cheer next time!”
“We thought it would be super lame because it’s trot, but it was amazing!”
As expected, the kids were a reaction in and of themselves.
“It was fun and cute. Do you have a song at karaoke too?”
“Yes, probably. Take care, everyone.”
“Oppa, take care too!”
Namhun waved to the departing kids and smiled warmly.
Although Seryeon wasn’t his fan, seeing her enjoy the stage had made him feel good.
At that moment, a person standing out alone among the middle and high school students caught his eye.
It was none other than Ha Yeon.
Unlike the other fan club members who were happy to meet Satoshi, her expression was not good.
‘Hmm. What’s going on…?’
At that exact moment, a vision suddenly floated before his eyes.
【Performance - Anxious Job-Seeking Student】
【Comprehension / Understanding - 100】
【Proficiency / Mastery - 100】
【Immersion / Focus - 100】
【Digestibility / Execution / Expressiveness - 100】
【Condition - 20】
【Audience’s Reaction - 100】
【Overall Score - N/A】
‘Job-seeking student?’
He had chatted with Centaurus fans before recording began, but he hadn’t had a personal conversation with Ha Yeon.
But thinking about it, he remembered hearing that Ha Yeon was a fourth-year university student.
‘It’s the age when they worry the most.’
Worried, Namhun approached her.
“Ha Yeon, are you okay? You look a bit pale.”
Suddenly called by name, Ha Yeon, who had been staring at the ground, looked up.
She was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected meeting, but she forced a smile and answered.
“Ah, yes… I’m fine. I’m just a little tired.”
“Have you eaten dinner?”
The question thrown at her while she was heading to dinner made her shake her head.
Once her university days had been comfortable, but lately her pocket money situation wasn’t great.
She had planned to return to her room and have a simple meal.
When she said she hadn’t eaten, Namhun’s older-brother instinct as the one with three younger siblings kicked in.
‘Hmm. Should I take her to dinner? Even if Producer Kang doesn’t care, I should still be careful.’
He thought about it for a moment but quickly dropped the idea.
Anyway, Namhun wasn’t the one paying, and Ha Yeon would surely feel uncomfortable.
“If you don’t eat well, your body won’t be okay. Just looking at your face right now, your condition is low. Ha Yeon, you have to eat a proper meal later, okay?”
Ha Yeon was startled by Namhun’s worried tone but found herself smiling a little.
“Yes, I’ll definitely eat a good dinner later.”
“Then I’ll see you later.”
At those words, Ha Yeon thought.
Will she see Namhun again?
She was about to quit the Satoshi fandom anyway.
But there was no need to explain in detail.
“Yes, thank you. You take care too, oppa!”
Namhun watched Ha Yeon’s retreating back with a bowed head, then scratched the back of his head.
Seeing her slumped shoulders, he recalled Yuyeon in the midst of career worries.
It felt as if he should send her off like this, or her heart would feel heavy.
Her condition, which didn’t look bad physically, was 20 on the system and very worrying.
After a moment of thought, Namhun picked up his phone.
- Bro, I’ve got something come up and probably can’t make dinner. Please tell Producer Kang and Seryeon. If I finish early I’ll stop by.
It was a shame about the beef, but it was better than sending her away with a nagging feeling.
Namhun sent a quick text to Wonhyuk and hurried toward Ha Yeon.