A Storm of Doubt and Unwavering Determination
In the blink of an eye, the final week of April was upon us.
Thanks to the effort we poured into promoting the rest stop during the weekend, the album for 'Saljjakhung!' had made its way straight to the debut rookie shelf in a way that was unprecedented.
According to Kang Seongdae, quite a few people had gone out specifically looking for the album after hearing our live performance.
At first, there was no immediate surge in sales, but the wind of recognition was slowly but steadily picking up.
Mention volume on the internet was climbing as well.
To be honest, what touched my heart most was seeing Seryeon genuinely happy about it.
In a way, she reminded me a lot of myself.
Namhun, who had started with classical vocals, crossed into dance and idol work before finally landing in trot, and Seryeon, who had begun with classical vocals, moved through ballet and idol stages before becoming a trot singer.
Namhun had earned solid achievements in each field.
Seryeon, on the other hand, had only known failure.
Even the young Jin Boksun I remembered always carried herself with no confidence, shoulders hunched.
It felt meaningful to have helped Seryeon succeed, knowing that she was doing well.
I was able to see the album sales routes and promotion methods in the trot industry firsthand, which was a valuable experience for me.
This kind of behind-the-scenes process had existed.
Back when I was active as a singer, I was so busy practicing and performing that I never even noticed the deeper layers, so this felt entirely new to me.
However, there was also one piece of concerning news.
VIP wedding singer bookings were starting to dry up.
It looked like it had only been a flash in the pan after all.
Normal wedding singing work was still full until the end of June, but after the wedding season passed and summer arrived, it would inevitably slow down.
Well, since I would end up experiencing real practice sooner than I expected, maybe this was for the best.
Time was always limited.
I had already discussed the D-Sync vocal trainer position with Kim Changsu, handling only the issue of Hwal.
* * *
I already knew what the problem with Hwal was.
It was her habit of singing while desperately trying not to make mistakes, without truly understanding the lyrics.
So I went to D-Sync Entertainment with a light heart, but the situation was far more serious than I had imagined.
The controversy that began with Hwal's pronunciation issue during the In Live stage could have been dismissed as tension right after debut.
But after that day, Hwal began repeating small mistakes on other stages as well.
I figured the AR and Candidate Jung included broadcast stages would allow everything to slide through without issue.
YouTube removal video, right?
Yeah. Take a look at this.
Kim Changsu handed me a tablet.
The title of the Shorts video on the screen was extremely provocative.
—The singing talent of a capable K-Pop idol
In the AR-removed video, Hwal's unstable live performance was laid bare.
└So that's the capable idol? This is reality lol
└Hwal's pronunciation is a disaster. All the foreign fans are gonna flee.
└Even karaoke pros would do better than this.
└If that's the case, why not just use AR to lock the voice and only open your mouth?
The Shorts video already had over a million views, and similar videos kept appearing.
I told the manager to block internet access, but it seems the damage has already spread deep into her ears. Judging by how frequently the mistakes are happening.
Now there are even compilations of her mistakes.
I snatched the tablet from Kim Changsu, who was sighing.
I listened intently to the MR removal video, my brow furrowing.
This... is quite malicious, isn't it?
Malicious?
Since I had heard the detailed process of creating the MR removal video from Hwal, I could tell for sure.
Namhun's sharp hearing detected that parts of the voice data had been deliberately cut out.
After checking each of the other videos one by one, Namhun nodded vigorously.
This isn't a proper MR removal video. Specific frequencies have been intentionally deleted.
By creating videos like this, you could make even an outstanding singer's performance sound unstable on purpose.
Based on the information I received from Hwal, I judged that these videos were not legitimate.
Upon checking the rehearsal videos filmed at D-Sync's request by another vocal trainer, it was true that Candy Pop's live had problems.
But at the end of the day, it was only compared to the professionally recorded tracks; the stage itself hadn't been completely ruined.
By the standards of fantasy, it might hover around the low to mid-80s.
If we hadn't highlighted vocal as our strength in the first place, it wouldn't have been a major issue.
Kim Changsu's expression hardened.
So someone deliberately did this?
Well... It's not entirely confirmed. It could be because the person handling the program is inexperienced, or it could simply be someone trying to gain views with provocative videos.
Kim Changsu pondered for a moment before speaking cautiously.
To be honest, I suspected the intensity was stronger than expected.
Maybe... it could even be work from a competing company.
Work?
Yeah. Tens of girl groups debut every year.
Out of all of them, only a few survive in the end.
Usually those are the big corporate girl groups.
Is the competition really that fierce?
Yeah. So it's natural that people start thinking it's better to eliminate the competitors.
That's a bit too harsh.
I get that it's hot, but you know, don't you?
The industry isn't as clean as you think.
If someone is behind this, I won't let it slide quietly.
Kim Changsu's expression grew colder.
I kept my mouth shut.
I wasn't the Kim Changsu from ten years ago either.
I was the president of a company responsible for hundreds of jobs.
...But we also have nothing to say.
We marketed around our outstanding talent and showed stages that didn't meet expectations, so that's the reality.
Still, this is too much.
The company should step in and catch whoever did it, right?
What if that backfires and causes an even bigger storm?
Kim Changsu raised his voice in frustration, then quickly calmed himself and added,
Catching the YouTuber is realistically impossible.
If they come out more blatantly attacking, we might be able to catch them somehow... but this level is ambiguous.
That's why we're suspicious. Who exactly is pulling the strings behind the scenes?
I stayed silent after hearing Kim Changsu's words.
The most frustrating part was that.
However unfair it felt, the only solution was a direct frontal assault.
In the end, the only way was to make the kids show their true abilities on stage.
In the end, the answer was the straight path.
* * *
In front of the wall covered in mirrors, Candy Pop members were sweating profusely as they focused on their practice.
One, two, three... Great! Let's push the last part a little further!
Following the leader Ahyeon's direction, we matched the movements one by one and opened our lips.
The members were smoothly syncing their choreography and concentrating on their vocals.
But when the first half of Verse 1, Hwal's part, began, the atmosphere started to waver slightly.
When I see the lights, my heart goes faster!
(When I see the lights, my heart goes faster!)
Dreams ignite like a blazing fire!
(Dreams ignite like a blazing fire!)
Hwal's voice was steady, but there was a subtle tremble to it.
The familiar lyrics slipped at the tip of her tongue, and the pronunciation sounded unnatural somewhere.
Berry, the dance position member, felt uneasy and took over the second half of Verse 1, glancing at Hwal.
Feel the rhythm, take me even higher.
Step farther with each step!
Because she had briefly looked away, Berry's next move caused her to step on the line with leader Ahyeon.
Fortunately, the two didn't collide, but the formation was slightly off.
Ahyeon looked momentarily flustered, but quickly composed herself and continued with the next move.
The problem grew worse in Verse 2, where the pronunciation was even more difficult.
Just before her part started again, Hwal took a deep breath.
The beat echoing in the practice room suddenly seemed to slow.
The moments of memorizing the lyrics swirled rapidly in her head.
The familiar words suddenly felt foreign.
At that moment, instead of the lyrics, what flashed through her mind were the comments left by the people.
—Hwal really can't do English lol
Through labyrinths of fleeting light, I'm chasing dreams.
(Through labyrinths of fleeting light, I'm chasing dreams.)
The words slid helplessly from the tip of her tongue.
The following phrase Adrenaline surges... wasn't pronounced at all.
Hwal skipped some parts of the lyrics and concluded, but the rhythm was off and the pronunciation sounded bizarre.
At that moment, Hwal felt as if she were standing on a cliff rather than a stage.
The moment the song ended, the practice room fell into complete silence.
Ahyeon raised her hand and spoke first after catching her breath.
It's okay, it's just practice.
Let's rest for a bit and try again.
Hwal nodded her head and forced a smile, but the smile looked awkward somewhere.
Her hand rubbing her face while glistening with sweat revealed her inner turmoil.
The other members quietly drank water or tidied up their movements while resting, but Hwal sat in a corner of the practice room, head lowered, not moving an inch.
So far it was still okay...
Hwal thought that, but her vision turned white.
* * *
Through the door to the practice room, I watched the Candy Pop members resting while drinking water.
Most members were lightly laughing and discussing the choreography and vocals, but Hwal was quietly sitting in a corner of the practice room.
She wasn't moving her water bottle much, as if lost in thought.
Her eyes fixed on the floor, breathing steadily with a rigid expression.
【Performance - Hwal suffering from trolling】
【Comprehension - 100】
【Proficiency - 100】
【Immersion - 100】
【Digestibility - 100】
【Condition - 0】
【Audience reaction - 100】
【Overall score - N/A】
My eyes fixed on the performance text that served as a hint.
Trolling. So the MR removal video had really affected Hwal.
The Hwal I knew maintained her composure well.
Her character allowed her to practice diligently even in situations where the future wasn't visible.
But now, it was clear her mental state had shattered.
She was blankly staring at the floor and saying nothing.
The water bottle in her hand remained closed, and her trembling fingertips caught my eye.
The executive of D-Sync Entertainment, Lee Min-seop, who was standing beside me, let out a small sigh.
See? With that state, proper practice isn't possible.
I nodded without looking away.
Hwal's problem is more serious than I thought. It's not a simple pronunciation issue.
Exactly.
The pronunciation started to go wrong, and the mental state followed.
Even if the other members try to help, it's hard to do so because she keeps shrinking herself.
The executive trailed off and fixed his gaze on the practice room door.
It will be hard to resolve.
To be honest, the existing trainers couldn't even touch the Hwal problem.
The decision to bring me in was Kim Changsu's unilateral one.
Even the vocal trainers scrambling to compete had failed.
What could a nameless retired singer like me do as a trainer?
Lee Min-seop remained skeptical.
I stayed silent for a moment before quietly saying,
We have to fix it somehow.
The executive glanced at me with the confidence in that statement.
Where did that self-confidence come from?
Even with the executive's gaze, I kept staring fixedly at one point.
【External effect - Generation of common enemy】
【Performance focus - +20】
【Mental stability - +20】
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