Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Lemon Entertainment
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Dance.
What if I could conquer the dancing that never improved no matter how much I practiced during my six years as a trainee, thanks to my terrible motor skills?
There were countless debut opportunities I missed while living as a trainee. Friends who joined later than me debuted first.
I even made it into the debut lineup, only to get cut.
It was all because of my dancing.
The reason I gave up on my idol dream wasn't just getting kicked out of TNT—it was mainly my dancing.
But what if I could overcome it...
To find out, I repeated the same experiment as before.
First, I danced the routine I already knew.
Then, I watched the original performer do it on MeTube and filmed myself following along for a second take.
When I checked the results, I couldn't close my mouth.
Holy shit. It works?
It was just a hunch, but it really worked.
Less than a minute had passed between recordings, yet my movements had improved astonishingly.
“......”
I was utterly speechless.
It felt like the stars twinkling in the night sky were falling toward me.
Dizzying, unreal.
The lifelong flaw that got me cut from the debut group was solved this easily? Was this a dream?
My legs gave out, and I collapsed.
Cold seeped up through my jeans into the hard winter sand, but I sat there blankly, staring up at the sky.
Stars dotted the night sky.
A half-cloud-shrouded moon hung in the heavens.
I took it all in, replaying the day's events.
From saving the elderly man and watching the action movie at the hospital.
To the interview and testing my ability on the school field.
This was no dream.
At first, I'd denied it as impossible, but each experiment made it clearer.
For some reason, I'd gained an ability.
A kind of superpower.
I burst out laughing in disbelief.
“Haha......”
After laughing like a madman for a while, I brushed off my butt and stood.
Now... dancing was no longer an issue.
I'd told Seokhwan hyung I was giving up on being an idol, but after leaving TJ Entertainment, I'd auditioned several more times.
And failed every one.
Judges smiled wide at my visuals and vocals, but their faces hardened at my log-like, creaky dancing. When they heard I'd trained for six years, they shook their heads.
Six years and that's all you've got? Means no point continuing.
But now it was different.
Dancing was no longer an obstacle.
So, I could walk that path again.
Pick up the dream I'd shelved.
The one I'd given up.
Idol.
Maybe now it was possible.
* * *
“Eat up. The meat's burning.”
“Huh? Oh.”
I snapped out of it at Seokhwan hyung's urging.
The barbecue spot he'd picked for me was a famous place in Eunpyeong-gu.
Back in trainee days, I'd swallow hard just dreaming of coming here once. Knowing my regrets, Seokhwan hyung had chosen this spot.
I popped a perfectly grilled flower sirloin into my mouth.
Nutty, with the rich, smoky flavor unique to charcoal-grilled beef.
Watching my ecstatic face, Seokhwan hyung, tongs in hand, looked bittersweet.
“Who'd think I starved you for three days? Take it slow. It's not like anyone's gonna snatch it.”
“Aren't you?”
“Huh?”
“You're not here to kidnap me?”
“Why would you think that?”
“You ordered five servings of 50,000-won snowflake sirloin without batting an eye. Means it's not your personal card. And you mentioned a corporate one earlier. So it's not personal—it's business, right?”
“Sherlock Holmes has arrived.”
“Ah, give it here, hyung.”
As thanks to my benefactor, I fed him a carefully wrapped bite.
He grinned.
“So, you'd come if I kidnapped you?”
“Maybe.”
I glanced at the menu as I replied.
“Add a steamed egg, and I might be swayed.”
Yoon Seok-hwan laughed and ordered the steamed egg.
While we ate the meat, the hot steamed egg arrived.
I scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to my lips when Seokhwan hyung eyed me cautiously before speaking.
“Anyway, you okay?”
“With what?”
“The CSAT. Saw in the news you prepped for two years straight from the military? Mock scores were top-tier.”
“Disappointing, but what can you do? Can't change what's done.”
“Must suck inside.”
“I'm fine. Used to this stuff now.”
I smiled back.
“When has my life ever gone how I wanted? If it had, I'd be Asia's star by now. Wasted effort on studying, sure, but gotta let it go. No point wasting emotions on what can't be changed—only hurts me.”
“Diamond mentality's still intact.”
“Not diamond—maybe gold. Like, real gold with some impurities.”
Seokhwan hyung laughed like he couldn't help it at my joke.
“What'd Grandma say?”
“Well...”
Remembering our call just hours ago, I shuddered.
“She unleashed every curse a primate could muster. You know what a chinchilla is, hyung?”
“Chinchilla too?”
“Grandma could make a zodiac with the animals she cursed. If she weren't my grandma, I'd sue.”
“She means well, worrying like that.”
“I know.”
That's why it stung.
Felt like I'd done wrong by my grandma, who at her age had only me to lean on.
“Hyung, can we change the subject? Ruining the vibe.”
“What vibe? You're drinking cola.”
“Cola's booze.”
“Since when?”
“If it feels good going down and's bad for you, it's booze.”
“I drank the soju—why're you talking nonsense?”
I chugged my cola with a satisfying “ahh.”
I couldn't handle alcohol.
Face turns beet red the moment I drink—everyone knows I'm wasted instantly.
“Cheers anyway.”
We clinked glasses, and I grabbed a piece of meat.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“So, why'd you wanna meet?”
I like Yoon Seok-hwan as a person.
But business is business.
No matter how much I like him, he's grinding in the real world.
Calling out of the blue for steak isn't just nostalgia.
“There must be a reason you called me out. Saying you saw my face online was an excuse, right?”
“True, but...”
“What?”
“You're more famous than you think.”
“Nah.”
“Today's buzz alone puts you mid-tier idol level.”
“Stop inflating me.”
I waved him off.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
Turning, I saw a woman approaching our table.
Twenties.
Eyes sparkling like she wanted something.
“You're him, right? Gahyeon-dong Hero?”
Gahyeon-dong Hero.
It felt numb reading it, but hearing it live brought a flush of embarrassment. Seokhwan hyung snickered at my cringing face.
“Yeah, that's me. What's up?”
“Whoa, awesome!”
She let out a hearty laugh.
“Saw you online today. So surreal.”
“Ah, thanks......”
“You're even handsomer in person.”
“Thanks.”
“Photo together?”
“Photo? Sure, no problem.”
Felt like I was a celeb.
Before opening the camera app, I spotted a famous idol group Sixty Seconds' pictorial as her phone wallpaper.
Idol fan, huh.
After the pic, she asked, “Can I post on Facebook?” and sauntered off.
Out for family dinner—glancing at their table, her little brother looked like a test-taker.
Good score, judging by the cheerful family. I muttered,
“Guess I really went viral.”
“Believing me now?”
“Kinda.”
“Our skeptical friend asked why I called you out? What's the deal?”
I nodded.
“You in entertainment......”
“Nope.”
He blinked at my quick answer before I even finished.
“Hear me out, you punk.”
“You're gonna say acting. Obvious.”
I dipped the medium-rare flower sirloin in oil sauce; a bit of blood seeped out, floating in it.
Savoring the rich, chewy 1++ beef, I continued.
“TJ said the same when they cut me. Idol life's not for you—this face works anywhere. Try acting.”
“Hate acting that much?”
“Nah.”
I refilled his glass from the soju bottle.
“Just don't care anymore—actor, idol, whatever. Truth is, something special happened today.”
Saved a grandpa pulling his cart, slipped on ice, got a weird ability.
Can copy any move just by seeing it.
Tested it on the school field—figured it out.
No limits to what I can mimic.
Fight moves like punches or kicks, gymnast routines, breakdancing, even idol dances.
Solving my six-year dance curse meant no need for acting.
“Not set in stone, but thinking of trying idol again.”
“Now?”
“People debut at 25. 21's late, but doable.”
“CSAT just drop?”
“Still thinking.”
Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek.
“Told you, not locked in on idol. CSAT undecided too.”
“So you wanna do idol?”
“Hm?”
Seokhwan hyung's reaction was off.
His sparkling eyes made me tilt my head.
“Perfect, Woojoo.”
“What?”
“Wanna be idol? Join our company.”
“Wait.”
I cut him off with a raised hand.
“Why's it going there? Thought you wanted acting.”
“When'd I say that?”
“Huh?”
“Your delusion. Listen till the end.”
“Sorry, my bad.”
Yoon Seok-hwan pulled a business card from his pocket.
[Lemon Entertainment Manager Yoon Seok-hwan]
I gawked at the new title on Seokhwan hyung's card.
“Manager? Promoted.”
“Promotion? Like jumping from big corp manager to small firm director.”
“Congrats. Good company.”
Lemon Entertainment was a solid mid-tier agency, despite being small.
Started with actors, now expanding into music.
Debuted a famous girl group recently.
“Scarlett's from Lemon, right?”
“Yeah.”
Scarlett was a hot four-member girl group.
Last year?
Burst like a comet, solidified as skilled group.
“Prepping a boy group after Scarlett. Come audition.”
“For real?”
Seokhwan hyung nodded at my question.
“Dead serious. Why would I feed you pricey steak for a joke?”
“You remember I got cut for dancing?”
“How could I forget.”
“And still?”
I eyed him suspiciously.
He shrugged with a deflating chuckle.
“When they said call you, first thing I mentioned was your dancing. Didn't wanna crush another soul. But higher-ups said no issue—bring him.”
“Higher-ups?”
“Oh right, didn't mention.”
Yoon Seok-hwan downed his shot and started.
“You know composer Jo Kyu-hwan?”
“Duh. Can't study composing without hearing of him.”
“Yeah, he's huge.”
Jo Kyu-hwan.
Genius composer with tons of mega-hit titles.
Young, rakes in billions in royalties yearly.
“He's production director at Lemon. Basically number two after CEO. Handles actor/singer casting, producing. Scarlett's his too.”
He continued.
“But he's quirky. Nickname's Fortune Teller.”
“Fortune Teller?”
“Uncannily spots hits and flops. Like 99% accuracy.”
“Seriously?”
“Swear.”
I laughed it off as BS, but he got heated, citing examples.
Picked a doomed title track everyone trashed.
Pushed a flop minor-genre movie, convincing them to cast company actor.
The doomed song hit #1 in a day; the reluctant actor became a 10-million seller.
“Most hearsay, but I saw Scarlett casting up close.”
Even Scarlett's skilled members were scouted oddly.
Spotted faces near Hongdae.
Gave card to high schooler across subway seat.
That ragtag Scarlett became 2012's breakout rookie.
Seokhwan hyung shook his head, queasy at the memory.
“Anyway, Director Jo Kyu-hwan wants you for the new boy group.”
“What?”
“Straight up.”
I stared at him after pondering.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“Be honest. This boy group recruiting me—they're in bad shape, right?”
“......Huh? Bad shape?”
“No healthy group adds suddenly. Must be internal issues.”
Seokhwan hyung's offer tempted.
Midas Touch crafting the group, handpicking me.
But life's not all smooth.
When huge chances come, question why.
Why it waited till now.
Especially for a non-trainee exam-taker like me.
“Not a problem, per se.”
He scratched his nose.
“Bit complicated.”
He explained in detail.
Lemon's idol project started with the boy group.
While Jo Kyu-hwan produced Scarlett ambitiously, management prepped the boys solo.
Target: 7 members.
Issue arose.
One trainee's bad personality clashed constantly; got booted.
That alone wouldn't delay so much.
Seemed settled, but pre-debut, two of six left.
After debut profiles were shot.
Remaining four crumbled mentally.
Two years passed like that.
“Early this year, post-Scarlett success, Jo took over boy group producing.”
“So?”
“Revamped 7-member plan to 5-member debut. Auditioned tons, but no one caught his eye. Till today.”
Till today.
No way...
“At lunch, saw your face on restaurant TV. His stare was intense. Asked why—he said this.”