Chapter 132: Recruiting Kang Ha-Na (2)

When the three tall members, with an average height of 169cm took the stage, Kim Chan-Hee, a singer who debuted from a public audition, showed a pleased expression as she sat at the judges' table.

"Miss Kim Chan-Hee. You're also from Eyestone, right?"

When Judge Kim Heung-Ki asked, Kim Chan-Hee nodded. "Yes. They are my hoobaes."

"Now that I think about it, everyone from Eyestone is tall including you."

While the judges were evaluating the three trainees from Eyestone Music Entertainment on stage, Lee Dong-Min asked a question.

"Yoon-Ho, is that her?"

"Yes. What do you think, sir?"

"Well, she's got the looks but her age might be an issue—and she seems to know it too. There's no confidence in her expression. If she has a flair for acting, it might not be a bad idea to try training her to be an actress instead."

As a 26-year-old, Kang Ha-Na had passed the prime age to become an idol trainee. She was two years older than Park Eun-Bin, who had been the most successful idol from her fifth year until last year.

26 was the age for most college graduates who were about to start a life as an ordinary working adult. But in the idol world where many typically debuted in their late teens, 26 was the age when most idols would retire. Hence, it was understandable why Lee Dong-Min was worried.

"Don't worry. It's not like I'm trying to recruit her as an idol anyway," I responded to Lee Dong-Min's concerns.

In the meantime, the stage performance began. The trainees started dancing to the lively introduction of the song.

『Come on Boys! Break it Down!』

The song which the trio from Eyestone chose to perform was 'Party Night.' But as the performance went on, Lee Dong-Min's face grew darker. This was because Kang Ha-Na's dance was noticeably inferior to that of Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung.

"It seems like she's putting in a lot of effort, but she doesn't have talent for dancing."

"Yes. She is definitely quite lacking."

"The other two could debut right away...but if this is all Kang Ha-Na's got after practicing so much, then it's going to be tough for her to make it. There are so many talented trainees these days."

Sure enough, the three judges seated at the judges' table also shook their heads in pity after watching Kang Ha-Na's dance.

Kang Ha-Na did her best, but 'Party Night' was like an outfit that didn't fit her. To make matters worse, she had the rap part in a fast-paced dance song. It seemed as if Eyestone's producer had passed all the difficult parts to Kang Ha-Na to highlight the young Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung on stage.

There was a time when those who couldn't sing were made rappers, but there were now many skilled professional female rappers, unlike in the past. To judges and the audience accustomed to talented rappers, Kang Ha-Na's clumsy rap could seem almost laughable.

However, Kang Ha-Na's true strength lay in her self-composed songs in which she poured her own emotions. That was the reason this stage was inadequate to showcase her strengths.

"You'll know once you hear it later, but she has good vocals," I assured Lee Dong-Min.

"It's understandable if she's not good at dancing or rapping if she's more vocal-oriented. But why was the song distribution done like this? It doesn't make sense."

"It seems like Eyestone is trying to push the younger ones since Kang Ha-Na turned 26 this year."

Lee Dong-Min nodded. "Well, fair enough. It's true that she's too old to be an idol. But the producer is quite harsh to use her as a stepping stone to highlight the others in such a show."

Lee Dong-Min scratched his head. "We'll have to test her at the company to be sure."

"Of course you should."

Since Lee Gi-Cheol and Kim Dong-Soo started their active recruitment, Singer Division 1 had been aggressively incorporating idols whose contracts with other companies had expired and expanding its size.

For this reason, Lee Dong-Min was also in a rush to recruit talents. But he made it clear that he couldn't just accept anyone.

Meanwhile, the performance of the three Eyestone idol trainees ended.

The three trainees sweated profusely and held the microphones with their hands clasped and their faces flushed.

The judges began their evaluation.

First was Park Ye-Seul.

"Trainee Park Ye-Seul is well-prepared in every aspect despite her young age. It's unanimous; we'll give her an A! Don't get too complacent and continue working hard like this in your lessons, okay?"

"Thank you so much! I'll work hard!"

Park Ye-Seul, the tallest and prettiest among the three, possessed unparalleled talent in both singing and dancing. Moreover, she was expected to debut as one of the final 11.

'

I would have been rich if there were a betting game to match their grades.

'

With that thought, I waited for Choi So-Yung's evaluation from the judges.

Choi So-Yung would also become a member of the final 11. Though Choi So-Yung would receive slightly lower ratings than Park Ye-Seul, her unique personality would contribute greatly to her popularity upon her debut.

I inadvertently spoke the grade out loud. "Was she a B?"

Lee Dong-Min asked in surprise. "B?"

"Ah, what I meant to say was..."

Before I could explain, Judge Bae Yoo-Jin announced the final grade.

"We'll give trainee Choi So-Yung a B grade."

Lee Dong-Min asked in astonishment, "Hey, you! How did you know what grade she would get?"

I cleared my throat and quickly made an excuse. "It's obvious. She looks like a B."

"She looked like an A to me. She did everything well without missing anything, don't you think?"

I claimed it was purely a guess and turned my attention to Kang Ha-Na.

"What about her?" asked Lee Dong-Min.

"She'll probably get an F. She would obviously be an A if she were given the vocal part, but they made her do only the rap portion."

Lee Dong-Min glared at me for a moment and soon nodded. "Fair enough. Kang Ha-Na looks like an F in my eyes as well."

Fortunately, Lee Dong-Min didn't probe any further.

That's when all four judges gave Kang Ha-Na an F grade with pitying expressions.

"Trainee Kang Ha-Na, it seems you need to work harder. You appear to lack confidence, so I hope you can overcome that. We're giving you an F for now, but you have a great voice. So don't give up just yet."

"Thank you. I will work harder."

Kang Ha-Na responded energetically even after receiving an F grade. Despite the ingrained smile from years of being a trainee, I figured she must be burning with frustration on the inside.

At that moment, Judge Kim Heung-Ki grabbed the microphone with a troubled expression.

"Trainee Kang Ha-Na, you seem a bit older to be dreaming of a debut...may I ask if there's a specific reason why you want to debut?"

Kang Ha-Na, who was about to leave the stage with her grade card, flinched at the question. The other Eyestone trainees who had come up to the stage with her had already returned to their seats.

Suddenly, all the cameras focused on Kang Ha-Na who was left alone on stage.

Kang Ha-Na took a deep breath and slowly began to share her story.

She had joined the company when she was 20, became part of a new girl group set to debut, but the group was unfortunately disbanded three years after due to investment falling through. For another three years, she had waited as a trainee for another opportunity.

All judges wore expressions of sympathy upon hearing Kang Ha-Na's story.

Kim Heung-Ki lifted the microphone again.

"There are hoobaes whose debuts were canceled due to similar situations in my company as well. It's unfortunate, but such occurrences are common in our music industry. That's why every opportunity is so precious."

One needed not just talent but also luck to become an idol or a singer. There were instances where talented individuals who were expected to debut got canceled for absurd reasons. There were also some cases where companies went bankrupt the day before the launch, and the CEO disappeared.

Conversely, there were some lucky trainees who debuted right away after joining the company and quickly became popular idols who led a charmed life.

While many things could happen in the entertainment industry, it was clear that luck cannot be disregarded.

"I hope you won't miss this opportunity. Trainee Kang Ha-Na, I wish you the best of luck."

Kang Ha-Na bowed deeply and thanked the judges for listening to her story. "Thank you!"

Kang Ha-Na's legs seemed to tremble as she descended from the stage. I wanted to go and support her, but it was frustrating that I couldn't.

'

Hang in there, Ha-Na.

' I cheered her on silently in my heart.

I bit my lip as I looked at Kang Ha-Na, whom I regarded as a sister in my past life. There was still so much to do before I could bring her in.

Kang Ha-Na took her place among those assigned the F grade. She sat upright and composed, but she couldn't hide the tremor in her eyes.

Then the performances from the Japanese teams continued.

Next to me, Lee Dong-Min kept talking about who had caught his eye, but I couldn't remember any of it.

All I could do was stare at Kang Ha-Na who was forcing a smile after receiving an F grade.

***

As the first day of recording for

Global Produce 47

came to an end, Kang Ha-Na let out a deep sigh.

As feared, she had received an F grade.

Kang Ha-Na recalled Producer Lee Myung-Jin from her company shouting at her to seize her last opportunity on the show.

-I'm giving this special opportunity to you. You know how many people would do anything to get into this audition, right?

The way he slyly put his hand on her shoulder was utterly unpleasant. But unlike what he said, Kang Ha-Na's specialty—singing—had been allocated to Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung whom the company was pushing for.

And because she was given the unfamiliar rap part, she ended up with an F grade.

'

Don't let it get you, Kang Ha-Na. This is just the beginning.'

Just as she was resolved to sing properly in the next round and get recognized, AD Lee Hyun-Sang shouted at the participants.

"Okay. That's all for today's recording. Everyone, please return your name tags before you leave."

Lee Hyun-Sang pointed to a basket in one corner of the studio.

At that moment, Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung took off their name tag holders and called out to Kang Ha-Na.

"Unnie, can you return ours too?"

"Uh...yeah."

As Kang Ha-Na awkwardly nodded, Park Ye-Seul and Choi So-Yung tossed their name tags at her and left with their talent agent.

Kang Ha-Na gave a bitter smile as she watched them.

"You guys are so lucky to be young."

Kang Ha-Na headed down the stairs after collecting the name tags.

At that moment, a sharp voice came from behind.

"Ah, come on. I'm in a hurry! Don't block the way with your F-grade self, move!"

Lee Eun-Jung from the major agency, Big Star Entertainment, pushed past Kang Ha-Na roughly.

Once the cameras were off, the trainees who participated in today's audition were behaving as if their assigned grades were their social standings.

Kang Ha-Na stumbled back from the push but couldn't protest. Not just her, but even those who received an E grade were stepping aside, wary of others.

The trainees holding A-grade name tags were the first to return them, followed by the B grades. And finally, Kang Ha-Na managed to return the three name tags only after the E-grade trainees had returned theirs.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Lee!"

"Quickly return the name tag and get out," Lee Hyun-Sang grunted.

Lee Hyun-Sang didn't even bother to accept Kang Ha-Na's courtesy and simply pointed to the basket next to him for the name tags.

In this strange world, Kang Ha-Na had lived humbly and kindly just as she had been taught. She worked diligently at school and honed her skills. However, the entertainment industry was a harsh world where only popularity determined everything.

Realizing she had lost track of time in the emptying set, Kang Ha-Na suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, I'm late!"

Panting, she ran with all her might toward the parking lot. But the company car which was supposed to be there waiting for her was already gone.

"H-huh? Where did it go?"

She couldn't even make a call as her wallet, clothes, and bag were all in the car. Desperate, Kang Ha-Na tried to borrow a phone from the trainees walking past but all she received were sharp rebuffs.

"Sorry, but I'm in a hurry."

Eventually, all of the cars disappeared, leaving only the broadcast station staff's vehicles.

"

Sigh

. Really, how could they just leave me behind like this? Everyone's being too harsh on me..."

A tear dropped down her cheeks without realizing it. She thought about going back into the station to borrow money for a cab, but she didn't have the courage to after the cold response from the AD earlier. Calling the talent agent who had left her behind was not even an option.

Then there was only one option left.

"Well, it's not the first time...I'll just walk."

There was a time during a field trip when she had been left behind and had to walk from the Han River to the dorm. Though the distance was longer this time, she thought she could make it by dawn if she walked briskly.

Gathering her waning spirit, Kang Ha-Na turned around.

At that moment, a man in a neat suit approached her with a bright face, extending his business card.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Kang Ha-Na?"

"Wh-who are you?"

"I'm Jung Yoon-Ho, an assistant manager at Hoop Entertainment. If it's not too much trouble, may I offer you a ride?"

Kang Ha-Na's heart began to race at that moment, perhaps it was because she felt like a savior had appeared. The man, illuminated by the streetlight, seemed handsome.

'

I must be out of my mind. Snap out of it, Kang Ha-Na.

'

At the same time, she felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.

'

But why does he feel so familiar even though it's our first meeting?

'

She couldn't tell whether it was due to his smiling face or his voice.