Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Partner
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As soon as morning broke, we went outside, did some exercises to music, and then had breakfast.
It felt like we were at some kind of camp.
Perhaps because there were so many of us, the menu was boxed lunches again.
It seemed like I'd eaten every kind of boxed lunch since joining RED CUBE.
“Once you're all finished, you have a 30-minute break, and then please gather in the gym.”
“Yes!”
Thirty minutes.
It might seem like a generous amount of time, but it wasn't at all.
Just by brushing my teeth and changing into the clothes the production staff gave us, twenty minutes had flown by.
With so many people, you had to wait a long time for everything, so I had expected as much.
The inside of the gym was quite chaotic.
Cards with numbers from 1 to 40 were laid out in order on the floor.
“What's that?”
Timing-wise, it was time to select the teams.
So I knew they would be used for that, but I had no idea how.
*What is this?*
While I was lost in thought, the PD picked up a microphone.
“Ah, ah. Is everyone here?”
“Yes!”
For some reason, I felt like a kindergartener.
“Good. It looks like everyone's here.”
The PD continued playfully.
“We'll begin team selection now. Before I explain, you all remember your rankings from today's announcement, right?”
“Yes.”
“First, please stand on the card with your rank on it.”
My rank was 9th, an improvement from last time.
It seemed the revelation that Team 'Boss' had copied our concept and outfits had worked in my favor.
*I just have to survive, one way or another.*
Ninth place.
It was a high rank, but not high enough to be in the debut range.
To debut, I need to be in the top 5.
*Top 5... Can I make it?*
It wasn't that far off, but for some reason, it felt incredibly distant.
“Now that everyone's in place, let's reveal the songs first.”
Thankfully, the PD spoke up just in time.
The gym curtains were drawn back, revealing panels with song titles and numbers.
*Three ballads, three dance tracks, and two for the combined evaluation.*
All the songs were what you could call mega-hits.
There were no choices that could be called the worst.
*If I have a choice, a ballad or a combined evaluation would be nice.*
“Looking at these, are you all deciding which position you'd like to go for?”
“Yes.”
“Unfortunately, in this mission, you contestants will not be able to choose your positions.”
It was a bombshell announcement.
“No way. So if a rapper gets a ballad, they have to sing? And if a main vocalist gets a dance track, they have to dance?”
“Wow.”
“This is ridiculous.”
Sighs of despair could be heard from all around.
I had the same reaction.
I tried to act unfazed, but my facial muscles wouldn't cooperate.
*A combined evaluation would be better. A dance track would be a bit difficult.*
Objectively speaking, for a main vocalist, I'm a good dancer.
That's about it.
During the theme song mission, I had an edge because I'd already covered the choreography, but that wouldn't be the case for other songs.
Next to those who are exceptionally good dancers, it would be hard for me to stand out.
Of course, since we can't choose our own positions, it's possible the team will be entirely made up of people like me who don't specialize in dance, but that's just wishful thinking.
“So, how will the positions be decided? You're curious, aren't you?”
“Yes!”
It was the loudest answer of the day.
“Whoa. That's a powerful response. Alright, bring it in!”
As soon as the PD finished speaking, the writers wheeled in a large lottery machine.
The kind they use for drawing lottery numbers.
“We'll be drawing from here.”
It's completely up to luck.
Last time, they also used a drawing for team selection. It seems they've developed a taste for random chance.
“We'll start drawing the balls now. As you might have guessed, there are numbers written on them. So, how about we start with a test run? Let's draw the two members for the ballad with the smallest team size.”
The PD pressed the power button, and the balls began to fly around rapidly inside.
Then, a single red ball was sucked up and came out.
I couldn't see the number.
The PD picked up the ball and turned it so we could see the number for ourselves.
36.
It was Park Ji-ham's rank.
Looking at Park Ji-ham's pitiful expression, as if he'd already resigned himself to his fate, I couldn't help but feel it could happen to me.
*I just hope the next ball isn't mine.*
The mere thought of practicing alone with Park Ji-ham was uncomfortable.
With Kang Ju-hyeok, it wasn't even certain if he'd committed school violence with Park Su-hyeol, and there were other people around, so it was bearable.
But if a ball with my rank came out of there, we'd have to be stuck together, just the two of us, with no one else.
*Please. I'd rather get a dance track and give up sleep than have that happen.*
This time, a blue ball came out.
In that brief moment as the PD picked up the ball, I prayed and prayed with all my might.
9.
The number on the ball was 9.
For a second, I wondered if I had misread a 6.
“It's a 9. The production team put a dot on the 9s just in case you confuse them with 6s.”
I couldn't even try to deny it.
Last time, I thought it was the worst-case scenario, but it ended well, so it was fine. This time, I didn't think it would turn out the same way.
Because Park Ji-ham's position was a rapper.
“You two, please stand in front of the song title.”
At the PD's words, Park Ji-ham and I moved.
After an awkward greeting, we stood in a line.
When the team selection was over and it was time for our meeting, our team was the only one in silence.
“Should we divide the parts first?”
“Let's listen to our song first.”
The other teams were incredibly busy.
“Do you know this song?”
“Yes.”
“Then should we divide the parts?”
“Yes.”
Park Ji-ham answered all my questions with one-word replies.
“Are there any parts you want?”
I opened the sheet music, picked up a pen, and asked, but there was no response.
“Are you still thinking about it?”
I asked again just in case, but once more, he remained silent.
*It's not going to be like this for the entire mission, is it?*
“Could you please answer me?”
“I'm fine, so you can take all the highlights.”
“We can't do that.”
“My vocal range isn't that wide. I was a lead vocalist, but I developed vocal nodules right before our debut and had to switch my position to rapper. I can't handle this song.”
It was a completely unexpected answer.
And after hearing his story, the situation felt even more hopeless.
“It's better to reduce my parts than to ruin the performance.”
“We can't do that.”
I cut him off as firmly as I could.
“Of course, it would be great for me to get a lot of parts and be in the spotlight. I'd stand out. But then it would just feel like you're a featured artist on my solo stage. What kind of mission would that be?”
If I only considered the number of parts, it's a good offer.
*If I only thought about 'stage time'.*
*But it would actually be poison to me.*
The cons would far outweigh the pros.
First of all, I'd be criticized by the judges throughout the mid-mission evaluation.
They'd say this is a program to pick group members, not a solo artist, so no matter how lacking a teammate's skills are, it's important to build the performance together.
That's the meaning of being in a group.
“It's important that we build this stage together. You said you had vocal nodules?”
“Yes.”
If he was a lead vocalist who developed nodules, he must have been skilled enough to fill in for a main vocalist.
“What about your vocal technique? Did you fix it after that?”
Park Ji-ham shook his head.
This was a bigger problem than I thought.
“Your company didn't send you to a hospital?”
“...Yes.”
It was appalling.
How could a company ignore someone who was sick?
*This place is even worse than LM Entertainment.*
To move on to the next stage, I had to overcome this ordeal somehow.
*He was in the final lineup, so there must be a solution.*
RE-V was famous for being a talented group, after all.
“First, I think we should ask for help.”
It seemed like a good idea to go see So-jeong.
I'd read an article once about how she had also suffered from vocal nodules and went through a slump, but she overcame it without surgery by hiring a vocal conditioner and changing her vocalization.
Someone like her wouldn't ignore this situation.
*Because she knows how devastating vocal nodules can be for a singer.*
“Get up.”
“Huh?”
“Let's go ask for help.”
Park Ji-ham stood up and followed me, looking bewildered.
And so, we went to find So-jeong together.
“What's this all of a sudden?”
Spotting the two of us interrupting her break, So-jeong slowly sat up from where she was leaning on the sofa.
“The two of us ended up on a team for a ballad.”
So-jeong stared at us, as if to ask what our point was.
“Ji-ham-hyung currently has vocal nodules.”
I felt Park Ji-ham's gaze turn to me, as if he hadn't expected me to call him 'hyung'.
I just thought it was the most appropriate title to use in this situation.
Calling him by his name with '-ssi' felt awkward, and '-nim' seemed far too distant.
“But his previous company didn't take any measures, so his condition isn't good.”
“What?!”
So-jeong sat up straight.
“When did you get the vocal nodules?”
“Last year.”
“So you haven't been to a hospital at all since then?”
“No.”
At Park Ji-ham's answer, So-jeong pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Is that company insane? What were they thinking, letting his throat get ruined like that?”
So-jeong looked furious, as if she was about to unleash a torrent of curses.
“I've been in this industry for a long time and thought I'd seen every kind of rock-bottom situation, but I guess I was wrong.”
Park Ji-ham kept his head bowed low, his lips pressed tightly together.
Anyone seeing him would have easily mistaken it for him being scolded by So-jeong.
“Wait a minute... then you just sang with that throat during the first-day evaluation? And the theme song mission, too?”
“Yes.”
Park Ji-ham answered in a subdued voice.
So-jeong slapped her thigh with her palm and started shaking her head from side to side, acting strangely.
“Ha.”
It was understandable that she was flustered.
Park Ji-ham received an F during the level evaluation.
Honestly, his performance deserved it.
His pitch was all over the place, and even his rhythm was a mess.
Perhaps because he also realized his singing was a disaster, his dance steps eventually got tangled up, making it hard to watch.
After the level evaluation aired, there was a lot of talk about Park Ji-ham's skills.
[You can tell who's talented just by looking at So-jeong's face. I'm telling you, you can tell even with the sound off. LOL. Her expression is so transparent. Park Ji-ham, do you even have the will to do this? How can someone with any drive give a performance like that? I don't see an ounce of will or passion in you.]
↳ When she watches talented guys like Seo Yoon-seul or Haru, she has this gentle smile, but when she watches someone with ridiculous skills like Park Ji-ham, her face goes completely stern. She looks really scary when she's serious.
↳ Whenever I don't feel like studying or cleaning, I just think of So-jeong's expression and comments. It motivates me to get it done.
↳ He just seems like someone who doesn't want to be an idol.
It got to the point where So-jeong's evaluation comments became something of a meme.