Chapter 161
Chapter 161
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Final Audition for the Debut Team
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At this point in time, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say JOP was Japan's top agency.
With Yeonwoo dominating the world stage, and Yuri & Annosuke reaching the pinnacle in Japan, not to mention their established artists holding strong, it wasn't hard for JOP to conquer Japan's music market, which had once been a warring states period.
But JOP couldn't settle for that.
Especially Nanase Tatemura, who was effectively leading JOP as the successor to Shuji Tatemura—she'd never given up on the idol business before, and she wasn't about to now.
When K-pop idols were raking in money hand over fist in Japan, how could she?
But having realized through Yeonwoo that purely Japanese idols lacked competitiveness, she now resolved to create JOP's idols via their Korean branch.
Combining JOP's financial power with Korea's training expertise.
After long preparations, they were finally ready to launch their first idol group.
They scoured the entire Japanese archipelago for kids with good visuals or skills, sending them to Korea, and expanded to dispatch scouts across Asia.
And when Yeonwoo made his name in America, they sent scouts there too.
Of course, bringing in promising kids as trainees wasn't the whole story.
In Korea, it's no exaggeration to say the trainee market is in perpetual free agency until debut.
If someone shows even a hint of good visuals or talent, agencies swarm from behind to poach them.
JOP was no different.
But lately, their scouting offers were hitting home.
Thanks to Yeonwoo, who raised Hadass to stardom and topped the Melboard Hot 100 with the longest reign by any Korean artist.
Who could resist when the one-and-only Yuin was offering songs and production?
His track record was a guaranteed jackpot for anyone.
Thanks to that, JOP was like FC Barcelona in soccer terms.
Their trainees were La Masia-grown prospects, and now it was time to call them up to the first team.
Who would get called up to run wild on the music market pitch like a field would be decided in today's final evaluation.
For that, they had 25 trainees ready for the debut team.
"Auntie, no limit on numbers?"
"How many would you like?"
"I dunno. There's a head producer, right? Whoever it is, they decide."
"That's me."
"You're the head?"
"Yeah. No one in our company has as much experience as I do."
Yeonwoo nodded at that.
He might not know the musical side as well, but when it came to planning and building a whole team, Auntie was still several levels above him.
Limited to Korean idols, even Nanase Tatemura would have to yield to Jiyeong.
"For the final selection, I've decided to fully trust my nephew's eye!!"
"What if it flops?"
"No way it'll flop! Truth is, the kids' level is high? I think even picking anyone at random would succeed with just your songs."
Yeonwoo wanted to say that wasn't entirely true.
Even giving good songs to random picks wouldn't guarantee success without synergy.
Not that he'd pick randomly, of course.
"And the ones to watch closely are all marked there."
At that, Yeonwoo opened the file Auntie had given him.
Profiles for 23 trainees.
"Huh, they're all guys?"
"Yeah, bit awkward saying this to my nephew, but boy groups make more money."
"I see."
"Thinking about it, this is your first time seeing male idols, right?"
"Yeah."
The only idol he'd known was Hadass, and among the singers he'd produced or given songs to so far, Annosuke was the only one this young.
"This'll be fun."
First times are always fun, no matter what.
Yeonwoo headed to the audition room with Auntie, full of anticipation.
It was called an audition room, but it was just a practice room in the JOP Korea branch building, dressed up for the occasion.
Familiar to the trainees, but right now, it must feel more tense than anywhere else.
Debut or wait—that decision hung in the air.
"[Yuin-kun!!]"
Heading in, a familiar face appeared. Nanase Tatemura, who had flown in from Japan for this historic debut team final audition.
"[Hi, Nanase Auntie.]"
"[It's been a while. Doing well?]"
"[Of course. How about Grandpa Shuji? He didn't come?]"
"[The president isn't big on idols. I'm here as HQ rep today.]"
Yeonwoo nodded and greeted Ko Shinkun standing beside her.
Then he glanced aside. An unfamiliar noona. Who was she?
"Oh, you haven't met Yuin rep, right? She's our choreography team leader."
"I've only heard rumors—this is an honor. Call me Alicia!"
"Hi, Alicia noona. I'm Yuin."
After introductions, as they entered, Auntie said,
"Alicia's a pretty big deal. The company pulled out all the stops to bring her over."
"That much?"
"Even American singers beg her for choreo. She's world-class."
"I see."
Yeonwoo could tell JOP was dead serious about making idols.
Following the adults inside, a sweltering heat and sweat hit him.
Yeonwoo scanned the trainees lined up in the practice room, waiting.
They must have practiced before the final audition—sweat beaded on all their foreheads.
"Ugh, is the AC busted? Temperature's not holding. Check it!"
Ko Shinkun, especially sensitive to heat, fanned himself with his binder and spoke, sending a staffer scrambling to check the AC.
Meanwhile, the judges took their seats at the panel table.
As Yeonwoo tried for the end seat, Nanase grabbed him.
"[Yuin-kun should sit center as the top seat.]"
"Haha, right. In fame, skill, company contributions—no one questions Yuin's the best, so center stage."
"Not the panel chair?"
"The only boss here is Director Tatemura, and she's not taking it. Please, sit, Yuin rep."
Yeonwoo shrugged and took the center seat.
The trainees' eyes turned to him.
Yeonwoo met their gazes without flinching.
Seeing him, the trainees whispered.
"Wow, he really is just a kid in person."
"Shh, they can hear."
"That young and he held Melboard #1 for 14 weeks?"
"I know, but... he's cute. Like my little bro."
"Mine too."
Yeonwoo caught their words with his sharp ears but didn't mind.
To them, he really did look like a much younger kid brother.
Auntie, looking at the judges, spoke up.
"Okay, watch the auditions, and on the profile upper right, you'll see the eval sheet? Out of 10. Mark the score there. And jot a short note on what you liked. We'll discuss details in the final meeting anyway."
All the judges nodded, and Shin Jiyeong continued.
"If something doesn't click, give feedback right away. Falling this time isn't the end for these kids. You know they're all company treasures, right? Help them grow with your input."
Jiyeong waited for nods, then turned to the trainees.
"Okay, no fixed member count for this project. Could be three, four, five. If skills are even, who knows—maybe all 23 debut? So give it your all and show everything you've got."
Yeonwoo inwardly went, oh, listening to Auntie.
Not the immature one from home. She looked pro to him.
"Okay, who's #1? Come on up?"
At Jiyeong's call, one stepped forward. Yeonwoo checked the profile right away.
Jeong Do-woon, 17 ☆
...Specialty: Singing
Starred at the top. One to watch closely, an ace among trainees.
Specialty singing, even.
Yeonwoo looked up at the boy called Jeong Do-woon.
A high school sophomore, he seemed confident, aware the company treated him as an ace.
Yeonwoo checked the profile again.
Notes said scouted from Taein.
'Taein?'
That was... Ellis's old agency, where Ladies—who clashed with Hadass—were from, right?
Ellis had mentioned Taein trainees...
'Taein's great and all, but they mass-produce trainees like a factory. No individuality.'
Yeah, that was it.
Recalling her words, Yeonwoo eyed Jeong Do-woon again.
Sure enough.
Yellow and green fairies barely showed around him. Blues were the most, but compared to Hadass—Yeonwoo's benchmark—even that was half.
If specialty was dance or visuals, fine, but singing with that...?
'Do I even need to listen?'
Seemed pointless.
Then Jeong Do-woon started singing.
'Hmm.'
Pitch-perfect, rhythm-exact textbook vocals.
As expected from a Taein trainee—solid basics.
But that's it.
Zero personality, zero appeal. No wonder the greens and yellows ignored him.
Yeonwoo didn't even listen a few bars before scoring and noting.
3 points.
Good basics only.
Too generous?
Nah, even this would be tough to pass.
Yeonwoo thought so, watching Jeong Do-woon.
"Okay, we heard you."
Jiyeong said that, then eyed Yeonwoo questioningly.
'How was it?'
Yeonwoo shook his head faintly.
'Meh.'
Jiyeong nodded and told Jeong Do-woon,
"Okay, good. Any judge feedback?"
Everyone immediately said no.
The reaction when it's not bad but not great either.
Jeong Do-woon's face twisted a bit.
He knew.
This was worse than getting chewed out.
"Then dance? Song ready?"
"Yes."
Jeong Do-woon bit his lip.
His singing ace card bombed—dance was all he had left.
Not his forte, but he had to sell it somehow.
As the track played and he danced, Yeonwoo glanced at Alicia's reaction.
Dance illiterate, he gauged if it was good or bad via her.
That's when it happened.
Fairies born from the song swam around Alicia, then started yanking something from her body with grunts.
What?
'Ah...!'
No way, orange.
A new color fairy he'd never seen was emerging.