Dance is Music Too (2)
I was more shocked than anyone at the sight of myself sitting in the mirror with my legs split straight out in a perfect one-eighty. It had hurt like hell at first, like my muscles were ripping apart, but once I pushed through that initial hurdle, a strange sense of relief washed over me, and my muscles stretched with impossible flexibility.
"Whoa, Sunbae-nim, you're really flexible!" Naeun exclaimed from behind me, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Yeah... I didn't know either. Who would've thought?" My palms stuck flat to the floor like glue.
"With flexibility like that, you'll pick up choreography in no time! Sunbae-nim, why don't you come hang out at our company's practice room tomorrow?"
"...Luminus?" I turned my head sharply at her suggestion.
Luminus Entertainment. The very place where, not long ago, I'd thrown my contract in CEO Kim Taesung's face and stormed out. Walk back into their practice room on my own two feet?
Naeun scratched the back of her head, realizing her mistake. "Uh... yeah, it might be awkward for you to show up, right? Things ended kinda badly with the CEO."
I stood up, straightened my clothes, and flicked her forehead with my finger. Thwack.
"Ow!"
"Worry about yourself, you idiot. What do you think my reputation's like at Luminus right now? You think Kim Taesung's got a kind word for me?"
Naeun rubbed her forehead with both hands, pouting, but soon broke into a sheepish grin. "Aw, come on. The staff and trainees are going nuts over you. Not just your singing—after seeing you in person, they're all whispering about how a goddess descended, prettier than even Unnie Ria."
Hearing that made me want to go even less. I flicked her head again. Thwack.
"If you hang around me too much, you'll just get dragged through the mud for nothing. You're still a trainee who hasn't debuted yet. What if you piss off the higher-ups?"
This time, Naeun didn't even cover her forehead. She tilted her head like she couldn't comprehend. "Why? Practicing with a skilled sunbae-nim like you—why would that get me hate? Plus, we're a team!"
"..."
Her innocent question left me speechless. The envy, jealousy, and power plays in this industry. Having been betrayed and discarded in my past life—tosagu-paeng—I knew it all too well.
"Are you really that clueless, or just that brave?"
"Neither? Hehe."
Watching her bright smile, something tickled in my chest. Fine. I'd already stepped into the hellfire of this audition—what was the point of dodging people or playing it safe now?
"...Alright. I'll go tomorrow. But I'll wrap myself up tight so no one recognizes me."
"Yay! For real?! I'll check the CEO's schedule early in the morning!" Naeun bounced around like she'd conquered the world.
"Hey, Kim Naeun."
"Yes, Sunbae-nim!"
"Why'd you join this audition? Did Luminus push you into it?"
Naeun slowly shook her head. "No, I volunteered. The company actually tried to talk me out of it. Said it'd be embarrassing if I went out and flopped..."
She scratched the back of her head with a bitter smile. "I've been a trainee for four years now. My practice mates from back then have already debuted and are killing it like Velvet Night sunbaenim, but I've slipped at the debut group cutoff every time."
"Four years..."
Not a short time. It meant she'd spent her entire teens staring into practice room mirrors.
"I got the notice at the start of the year. This is my last shot. If I don't debut here, I'm out. So I'm trying everything I can this year. If it doesn't work... I'll give up clean."
Her voice was matter-of-fact, but it carried the weight of four years' desperation, compressed tight. It didn't feel like someone else's story.
I stood and approached her, flicking her forehead once more. Thwack.
"Ow! Again?!"
"Good girl."
Naeun rubbed her forehead, looking at me all wronged. "If I'm good, why keep hitting me? Praise me properly!"
"That was praise. My way." I smirked, staring her down.
"So, you wanna be an idol, right? Dancing under those dazzling lights and all that."
"Yes! Obviously! Wearing cool outfits like Velvet Night sunbaenim, owning the stage in front of tens of thousands of fans. That's my life goal!"
Her eyes sparkled like a true idol aspirant.
I tossed out a feeler. "What about becoming a musician like me? Someone who shakes the world with their own voice."
She waved it off without a second thought. "Me? Nah. Sunbae-nim, I don't know the first thing about composing. Can't even read sheet music. All I do is practice what the company tells me, dance, and sing half-decently. Musicians are for real geniuses like you."
She'd drawn her own limits crystal clear. Four years of trainee life had made her diligent, sure, but it felt like she'd locked her potential inside an idol box. A shame.
She doesn't even know the gem her voice is yet...
"Well, if you hate the idea that much, can't force it. Let's just pass Round 2 first."
I wrapped up the talk and shoved her toward the door. "Go on. I really need to work now."
"Got it! See you at the practice room tomorrow, Sunbae-nim! It's a secret mission, so bundle up tight!"
She waved energetically all the way out. From beyond the closed door, I faintly heard her humming.
I sat at my workstation desk and fired up the monitor.
Idol, huh...
I had no intention of denying her dream, but after this Invitation stage, her thinking might shift a bit. I'd make sure of it.
I moved the mouse and launched the arranging software. The night was still young.
Kim Taesung sipped his espresso while gazing out at the Gangnam boulevard.
"...Tch."
Bitter taste lingered in his mouth. To think she'd take Velvet Night's signature song—his company's crown jewel—and remix it so brazenly, right in front of his eyes. Too audacious, even for her.
He hated to admit it, but as a producer, that stage was undeniable. The meticulous arrangement, and above all, that voice.
What a talent.
She was just twenty. Normally, at that age, topping the charts and bathing in the spotlight would make anyone lose sight of themselves, floating on cloud nine. Shooting pictorials, calculating ad fees, scheming how to cash in on the hype—that's the industry way.
But Han Jiyeong was different. Even amid the miracle of a reverse trend, she stayed grounded, back in the audition trenches, questioning if her music was real.
That sincerity poked at a corner of Kim Taesung's heart.
"Too much emotion in it."
He scanned the newspapers strewn across his desk—all leaks he'd orchestrated himself. [Hospital Director's Daughter], [Cafe Goddess Part-Timer], [Trust Fund Singer's Comeback]. Provocative traps to drag her into the public eye, sever her escape routes, and lure her back to Luminus's fold.
"Fool."
He muttered bitterly at himself. Since when had he started calculating streaming projections and gig fees before the chills from the music? Obsessing over how one sensational article could rig the charts?
"It's not just one singer I let slip away."
With a sigh laced with self-reflection, he sank into his chair and hit the intercom.
"Park Manager, is trainee Kim Naeun at the building right now?"
"Send her to my office."
After the curt order, Kim Taesung glanced once more at Naeun's profile on his desk. Fourth-year trainee. Same batch as Velvet Night members, but always cut from the debut lineup. Normally, a forgettable name, but now? Different story. She'd been handpicked by Korea's hottest sensation, Han Jiyeong, over countless pros.
Moments later, a tentative knock echoed.
"...May I come in?"
A voice thick with nerves. Naeun entered like a calf headed to slaughter, shoulders hunched tight.
"Sit."
Kim Taesung pointed to the sofa. She perched on the edge, fists clenched on her knees.
"I watched yesterday. Terry Oh gave a super pass."
"...I'm sorry. My skills weren't enough..."
"No, grabbing that pass means you seized an opportunity—no need to apologize. What I'm curious about is something else."
He leaned forward, locking eyes with her. "Han Jiyeong. Why'd she pick you for her team?"
Naeun's eyes widened at the unexpected question. After a pause, she murmured, "I... didn't get it at first either. Seemed like a loss for Sunbae-nim."
"And?"
"She said finding gems others miss is real talent. And that my voice has potential I didn't know about. Told me to grit my teeth and prove it."
Kim Taesung's brow twitched.
"So, how're you prepping with her? Assigned song's Kang Soyoung's Invitation, right? A country singer, you, and Han Jiyeong. On paper, it doesn't add up."
"Sunbae-nim's handling the arrangement and staging herself."
"Naeun."
"Yes, CEO."
He unclenched his fingers, fixing his gaze back on her from the window. Complex emotions swirled in his eyes.
"Learn what you can from Han Jiyeong this time. It's different from the practice room curriculum. Hell, it might be the real music."
Naeun blinked in surprise. Not the kind of words she'd expect from a CEO who judged people by numbers.
Kim Taesung rubbed his stiff neck and cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem! And..."
He lowered his voice after a beat. "If things loosen up during practice... casually pass it along. Luminus welcomes Han Jiyeong anytime. Add that we won't treat her like before. We'll adjust shares, rights—whatever she wants."
"Pardon? Ah... yes, got it!"
She bowed hastily. Embarrassed even by her reaction, he waved her off.
"That's all. Go practice."
As Naeun bowed and fled, silence returned. Kim Taesung gulped the now-cold coffee.
Five years ago, he'd deemed her unmarketable and shoved her out himself. Now, begging through a trainee to bring her back. Pathetic.
Hurts the pride.
His mouth said so, but the feeling rising in his chest wasn't just humiliation.
"...I want to clash with it again."
Not for money, but like those all-nighters creating something that made his heart race. Facing the world with pure sound, no commercial shield.
"Been a while since I worked on something."