Chapter 4: Debut Team Audition (2)

The floor of the practice room vibrated heavily. Jin-Sung, who was warming up, stepped forward and started to lightly move his feet as his music streamed from the side speakers. We needed to dance at least six times with the same song today, so it seemed that he was just trying to get into the groove right now.

The other members also moved around in their corners with headphones plugged in. As I also started to stretch and plugged my wired earphones in, the song flowing through my earphones blended with the one Jin-Sung had chosen. Though it felt a little unfamiliar since it had been a while, with a decade of experience, I quickly adapted, humming along to the song in my earphones.

Then, it happened.

"Oh? Isn't that song from the seniors, Allure?" someone spoke to me.

"What?"

I turned around, startled by the unexpected voice, only to see someone who had been standing nearby now stepping back awkwardly.

"The song you hummed just now... Isn't it ‘Goblin’ from their 3rd album?"

He had a chubby figure with pale skin and a timid look, and it took me a moment to recognize him. As I observed his timid gesture of fidgeting with his sleeves, I exclaimed with a bright smile. It was Park Yoon-Chan, a fellow trainee who would later debut with me.

‘Oh, right.’

He had struggled with his weight right up to debut, even nearly having his contract terminated. It had been a while since I'd seen him so chubby, which was why I didn't recognize him immediately. I had thought he only hung out with those who attended early morning classes, so I hadn’t expected to see him before getting into the actual debut team.

"Hey! Yoon-Chan!"

"Yes? Oh, hi..."

While I greeted him cheerfully, Park Yoon-Chan simply responded with a nod, looking a bit awkward.

‘

Right, we weren't close during our trainee days. Wait, did we ever even talk before joining the debut team?’

It dawned upon me that my enthusiastic greeting might have been quite excessive.

"...Sorry. Why are you here, though? Aren't you usually in the early morning session?" I asked.

Yoon-Chan let out a soft exclamation, scratching the back of his neck.

"I tend to sleep a lot, so I kept missing the early morning practice time. I actually begged Joo-Han to let me practice with you guys just this once..."

"Well, it's good that you can at least practice now."

"Right?"

Hadn't there been similar situations in the past? Some members from the early morning session would occasionally join us if they missed their slot, but even then, I hadn't spoken to Yoon-Chan like this. We probably hadn’t held much interest in each other back then.

Perhaps my song choice sparked his curiosity enough to start a conversation. Honestly, even after we ended up on the same team, we weren't exactly close friends until the day I decided to leave the traineeship.

Park Yoon-Chan sneaked glances at me before opening his mouth again.

“So, did you choose the song ‘Goblin’ for the audition?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Wow, that’s impressive. That song has an incredibly challenging dance break.”

“Well, no matter how tough it is, it is nothing compared to what Jin-Sung chose...”

As I said this, I looked at Jin-Sung, and Park Yoon-Chan chuckled in agreement. Even with just a few dance steps, it was evident how intense Jin-Sung's dance was. He had reduced his focus on vocals and significantly ramped up the dance difficulty. I remembered that due to this, even in the debut album, he had fewer vocal parts but took the main dance break in the latter half.

Park Yoon-Chan watched Jin-Sung with continuous admiration.

"He truly has a talent," Park Yoon-Chan said

"Jin-Sung is amazing, isn't he?" I agreed.

"Ah, I'm envious. To be honest, I've sort of given up."

I responded as I continued stretching. "Why give up already? What is the point of being a trainee if you are giving up before the debut audition?"

“...I didn’t really mean it. I haven't been here that long, and I'm not even sure if I made a good song choice. Even if I fail, I'll consider it a good experience."

‘No, you'll make it.’

Not only did Park Yoon-Chan make it, but he truly shone after the debut. When the group disbanded, he transitioned into acting, secured lead roles, and firmly established himself.

"But, why did you change your song?" Park Yoon-Chan asked nonchalantly while watching a dance video beside me. With all fourteen of us packed into one house, it seemed that news of my song choice had quickly spread to Yoon-Chan's morning session.

I casually shrugged as I saw him waiting for my answer with curious eyes.

"Just wanted to try something different."

"Ah, I see.”

“I like the song too.”

His somewhat disappointed expression hinted that he had expected a deeper reason. However, I just wanted a change, with no other hidden meanings in mind.

I then plugged my earphones back in, feigning ignorance. Park Yoon-Chan simply took the hint and returned to his spot without further ado.

Soon after, Jin-Sung and Goh Yoo-Joon's songs wrapped up, the intense sounds filled the practice room.

It was now my turn, so I unplugged my earphones and stood up. As I moved forward, every trainee turned their attention to me. They were naturally curious to see a new song from me for the first time.

I performed with a gentle grace, basically whispering the lyrics to preserve energy. However, the expressions of the members gradually turned serious.

"Has Suh Hyun-Woo practiced ‘Goblin’ before?"

"No... I don't think so..."

I could hear murmurs of surprise from all directions, but I ignored them and continued to dance without missing a beat. Jin-Sung, a dance expert, seemed to realize that if I danced with full force, I would perfect the song's choreography with ease. In fact, mastering this choreography was easier for me than lying down.

The song “Goblin” was something that every C-grade trainer had to try at least once. I had mastered this song to instruct others after the accident, and my moves now were even more fluid than during my trainer days, as my neck muscles were no longer tense due to burn injuries.

Dancing and singing in the spotlight brought a joy I hadn't anticipated, as I had only been the one watching others doing so. Now, the other members were not looking at me with sympathetic eyes but rather a sense of alertness as they saw me as a competitor.

When the song finished and my movement stopped, everyone’s gaze was fixed on me. It was only then that I realized how much I had missed this experience. I regretted the old days when I only tried to survive instead of showing the agency my true potential.

As my song ended, Park Yoon-Chan's track immediately followed.

"...Ah!"

Yoon-Chan was caught off guard while still staring at me. However, he quickly composed himself and started his choreography.

Even though I merely did my usual routine in the practice room, being back as a trainee while doing so made me feel so content.

I returned to the corner of the room and plugged in my earphones. A held-back smile finally broke free.

"When did you practice that?"

Goh Yoo-Joon abruptly took my earphones off and asked a question, and I shot him a glare before yanking back the earphone cord.

“I spent all night mastering the dance when you guys were asleep. What is your problem?”

“You really seem to be sharpening your knife for the debut.”

“Did I appear that way?”

If so, that was a relief. I had been constantly reprimanded by the trainer for appearing dispassionate.

I had always chosen challenging songs that were trending in the music charts for the monthly evaluation. However, neither criticism nor praise came my way from the judges at YMM. They just scored and moved on. How would they react now that I had unexpectedly chosen the title song of a renowned idol group? Just imagining their reactions brought a smile to my face.

***

At 1:30 PM, Shim Sang-Bok, the CEO of YMM Entertainment, was heading to his office with Supervisor Kim after lunch.

"How is the debut team's preparation coming along?"

"Very well, sir. They are all working hard, and a few of them really stand out."

"Really? Perhaps I should get acquainted with these talents."

At Shim Sang-Bok's prompt, Supervisor Kim handed over the documents he was carrying.

"Kang Joo-Han, Goh Yoo-Joon, and Lee Jin-Sung."

"Only three?"

"Yes. Kang Joo-Han has exceptional basics in both vocals and dance. He also displays remarkable leadership and has a knack for arrangement. He is basically guaranteed a spot regardless of the evaluations."

"I see."

Kang Joo-Han was a familiar name to Shim Sang-Bok as well, consistently ranking high in monthly evaluations.

"And about Goh Yoo-Joon and Lee Jin-Sung—"

"Wait."

CEO Shim raised his hand, stopping Supervisor Kim.

"Yes?"

"Shush."

A singing voice rang out from the end of the corridor—it was “Goblin”, the title track of YMM's flagship group, Allure. Someone was passionately hitting the high notes. Though slightly strained compared to the original, the voice remained powerful and melodious.

"Is that coming from Practice Room A?"

"It seems so."

CEO Shim, as if drawn in, made his way to Practice Room A. He saw a young boy dancing to the song through the glass window.

'

Was he the one hitting those high notes while dancing so passionately?'

The boy was executing a nearly perfect rendition of “Goblin”, known as one of Allure's most challenging choreographies.

"Do we have such a trainee?"

Caught off-guard, Supervisor Kim looked through the window and exclaimed, "Suh Hyun-Woo?"

"His name is Suh Hyun-Woo?"

"Yes, he's been with us for ten years now, and he's participating in the upcoming debut auditions. However, he hasn't been particularly outstanding till now."

However, to Supervisor Kim's surprise, CEO Shim seemed genuinely intrigued by Suh Hyun-Woo.

"He looks like he could easily be the center of any major group. How has he not debuted yet?" asked CEO Shim.

"Well, he has never really gotten rave reviews during our monthly evaluations."

"I can't understand why."

"Well, according to the trainers, he seems to lack the passion or intent to debut."

"Looking like that?"

The sight in front of CEO Shim was that of a determined Suh Hyun-Woo, dancing as if this was his final chance. It was clear that CEO Shim saw something in him, like a jeweler discovering a new gem.