10
ch 10 ## A Surprise Gift for My Daughter
Inside the world of Only 10 Seconds as a Genius Idol.
The protagonist belongs to the boy group Ethereal.
An idol group ambitiously launched by the small agency HH Entertainment.
But with the harsh reality of being from a small company, they have little chance of making it big.
Their newly prepared album wasn't promoted properly.
At this rate, the group is on the verge of disbandment.
Their only remaining hope is an upcoming music show performance.
Of course, in the age of TubeTube, music shows no longer have the promotional power they once did.
Even so, Ethereal's situation is so desperate that they have no choice but to cling to that opportunity.
Then...
"Hey, Kwon Jinwoo."
Suddenly, something strange happened to one of the members, Kwon Jinwoo.
"D-Dance? Huh? What was our choreography again?"
He suddenly forgot the choreography he'd practiced every day.
"W-Why is this high note so high?"
His singing completely fell apart.
It was as if he'd become an entirely different person.
Kwon Jinwoo.
Even within Ethereal, his position had always been vague.
He was a member with no defining trait.
Of course, like any idol, he was handsome and had an excellent physique.
It wasn't as if he slacked off either.
In fact, he practiced later than anyone else.
But...
"He just doesn't have that charm that draws people in."
That was the verdict.
An idol needed a magnetic presence.
Especially in today's fiercely competitive industry.
Whether they were unbelievably handsome...
Blessed with exceptional vocals or dancing...
Or simply hilarious...
They needed something unique to capture the public's attention.
But...
"He's just too ordinary."
He worked hard.
Beyond that, there was nothing remarkable anyone could say about Kwon Jinwoo.
Then, perhaps because he'd pushed himself too hard and burned out...
He suddenly gave up on everything.
His dancing and singing skills dropped to the level of an ordinary person overnight.
Of course...
"Damn it! How can you suddenly expect me to dance and sing?!"
That was only because the soul now inside Kwon Jinwoo...
Belonged to someone who knew absolutely nothing about being an idol.
But the other members of Ethereal had no way of knowing that.
"Hey, Kwon Jinwoo! Are you kidding me? Our comeback is right around the corner! What the hell are you doing?!"
Some members got angry.
"...Let's just quit. What's the point of being idols anymore?"
Others gave up entirely.
Soon, comeback day arrived.
The live music show that represented their final lifeline.
But because Kwon Jinwoo had changed overnight...
Both the members and the agency staff had already abandoned all hope.
"At least Jinwoo's part is really short. It's only about six seconds."
Then...
The live broadcast began.
"...!"
Six seconds.
That was how long the broadcast camera focused solely on Kwon Jinwoo.
And in that instant...
He became someone completely different.
His gaze met the camera naturally without looking forced.
His emotions blended perfectly with the song.
His voice captivated listeners instantly.
And his graceful dance lines flowed effortlessly.
[Who the hell is that guy?!]
[I was casually watching the music show and completely lost it.]
[I swear I stopped breathing during his solo shot.]
[If idols like this exist, there should be an emergency alert!]
After the broadcast...
Those six seconds exploded across the internet.
The broadcasting station immediately uploaded his clip as an official short video.
"What the... Eight million views?"
Those six seconds became the foundation of Ethereal's miraculous rise.
At the same time...
Kwon Jinwoo—
The unremarkable member from a small agency.
The one whose singing and dancing had mysteriously regressed overnight.
Became Ethereal's greatest hope and icon.
The members who had trained with him were stunned.
"Since when could Jinwoo do something like that?"
"Was he secretly hiding his real skills all along?"
"Did he pretend to be bad at singing and dancing just to teach us a lesson?"
"Was he trying to tell us we're not on his level?"
From that moment on...
Misunderstandings and false assumptions about Kwon Jinwoo only continued to grow.
"Our hope is Jinwoo!"