LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 3
Chapter 3. In Search of a Lost Dream (1)
Did I do well?
After finishing his song, Hajin bit his lips while carefully observing the expressionless judges. Although he had auditioned with the intention of being prepared for rejection, it would still be a bit disheartening to be cut without mercy. The song he had prepared was a killer song he had practiced throughout his trainee days. It was a song he chose quite confidently, but maybe he should have picked something safer?
“Hmm, yes. Thank you for your performance.”
The woman sitting in the middle spoke slowly. When she asked if he had prepared a dance, Hajin nodded and said yes. Soon, the pre-sent MR began to play.
‘Is he really going to dance too?’
Manager Jang pretended to rest his chin on his hand while covering his mouth, trying to suppress a smile that kept wanting to emerge.
Soon, a hip-hop beat-heavy pop song began to play. It was a song that had been popular due to its simple lyrics and melody.
Unable to hide his rising expectations, Manager Jang watched contestant number 71 slowly catch the rhythm. He covered his mouth with his hand, eventually breaking into a broad smile. As an 11-year veteran in the New Talent team, he was sure that the boy could dance quite well.
Turn it up!
Let’s pop it up!
Dropped the beat,
I never gonna screw it up!
“Not bad.”
As expected, every move matched the main beat perfectly. The dance seemed somewhat amateurish, indicating it was likely a self-choreographed routine. The moves weren’t technically challenging enough to be called a main position, but his body movements showed that he had dance DNA.
“Shall we ask him to stay?”
Just when they thought today’s audition had been a miss, the staff noticed a hidden gem and looked at Manager Jang for his opinion. They needed to quickly replenish the trainee pool since the current candidate pool for the next male idol group debut had already been culled.
“……”
“Manager?”
Manager Jang stared intently at number 71, who had finished his dance and was waiting for the results, catching his breath.
“……?”
“Number 71, Kang Hajin?”
“Yes.”
Manager Jang, who usually made quick decisions even before a dance routine ended, surprisingly pondered for a while, making the staff curious. He kept opening and closing his mouth, seemingly about to say something, while reviewing the application form of the 71st contestant.
‘It’s a pity…’
Manager Jang, who had been contemplating something while watching Hajin’s dance, tapped the corner of the application form with his pen. The singing was good, the looks were decent, and the dancing was quite competent, but there was one thing that bothered him.
“……”
“…Manager?”
After much deliberation, Manager Jang finally made a decision.
“Thank you for your effort. You did well.”
“……”
“Yes, please stay and wait.”
The staff nodded with bright expressions at Manager Jang’s decision.
“When you go outside, a staff member will guide you to the waiting lounge.”
“Oh, yes. …Thank you.”
* * *
Is this really happening?
While waiting for the staff, Hajin stared blankly at the cocoa they brought him, losing his mind for a moment. He would have to wait at least another two hours, so what should he do?
“…This is really happening.”
He kept mumbling those words. It didn’t feel real, so he kept clenching and unclenching his fists. Although he had expected to be rejected, he must have been nervous because his shoulders felt stiff.
The gold-pointed white interior, the company’s symbolic color, hurt his eyes. Was it because it was a large company? There was even an artificial waterfall pouring down from one side.
What is this place, a temple…?
Blowing on the steaming cocoa to cool it down, Hajin looked at the photos of Renes Entertainment artists hanging on the wall. Not one of them had a face that wasn’t sculpted.
Once, he had wanted to be like that, and at another time, he had wanted to create something like that. Sitting there felt quite strange. Biting his lip at the indescribable feelings, he saw the woman, who looked like the final decision-maker, enter the lounge.
But wait, I can’t become a trainee here, can I?
“Hello, Kang Hajin.”
“Yes, hello. I’m Kang Hajin.”
Even in the dire moment of possibly being the only human among Greek gods, he had to greet politely. Instinctively putting on a smile meant for interviews, he felt the woman staring at him intently.
“I’m Jang Seoyun, the manager of the 1st New Talent Development Team at Renes. It’s nice to meet you today.”
Crossing her legs, the woman handed him a business card and went straight to the point.
“I’ll be honest with you.”
“…….”
“If you join our company, debuting might be difficult.”
Oh, yes….
I didn’t intend to join anyway.
* * *
“What? Why?”
Assistant Manager Yoon with the least experience among today’s audition judges, replied unusually loudly to her senior’s words.
Being a true fan of single eyelids and a longtime idol enthusiast, the 71st contestant who just left was definitely someone the industry would appreciate.
He sings well, dances well, and has single eyelids? He’s got single eyelids!
The very reason she joined Renes was to find and nurture such talent into the next masterpiece! To Yoon, it made no sense that Manager Jang found him “hard to hire,” and her senior from Team 3, Kim, who seemed to agree, was equally baffling.
“He seemed fine to me… He looked similar to the current Renes idols.”
“That’s exactly why he won’t work.”
Senior Kim shook his head firmly.
“Where would you place him? There’s no position to replace in New Renes, and he’s too old to join the next lineup.”
Oh. Finally, Yoon kept her mouth shut. Seeing it from that perspective changed things.
“The only one who could be replaced is Junghyuk… His appearance fits, and the team chemistry is good, so there’s no reason to replace Junghyuk with him.”
Hmm. Yoon’s mouth was shut once more. It was a moment when the sorrow of being a minority fan of single eyelids amidst the Greek statue-like faces of Renes idols welled up.
Sure, he doesn’t exactly have the Renes look… But still…!
“For us, it’s best if Junghyuk continues to perform well. Well, we could sign him and keep him, but… Morally, it’s better to let him go to another company.”
If they were malicious, they could keep him as a trainee without plans to debut him. But Renes was a large agency where hundreds of aspiring stars flocked daily.
There was no need to waste energy on holding onto a dreamer with little chance of debuting when they had plenty of trainees.
“Anyway, the manager must have a reason for asking him to stay. Are you off work?”
“Oh… No. The New Renes kids have some practice today.”
“Working hard on the weekend. Good job.”
Yoon chewed on the cold kimbap she had prepared for lunch but couldn’t eat, swallowing her sadness.
Single eyelid angel… If only you had come three months earlier!
* * *
“Hmm, surprised, aren’t you?”
Of course, I was surprised by her straightforwardness, but I had somewhat expected it, so I shook my head, making the woman look even more surprised.
“Oh. It’s not that I think you lack potential, Hajin.”
She seemed to add that to comfort me, but the word “potential” just irritated me.
However, there was something more important right now. If they wouldn’t debut me, why did this woman make me wait?
“I don’t usually do this, but…”
She hesitated for a while longer. It was certainly a generous attitude for just a mere applicant, but what I wanted to hear was different.
“Anyway, if you’re open to not necessarily joining our company, there’s a place I’d like to introduce you to.”
And finally, the name I had been waiting for came out of her mouth.
“Have you heard of Miro Entertainment?”
Miro Entertainment. A small agency run by a former manager from Renes, and one of my candidate companies. And,
‘The place I truly need to go.’
Miro Entertainment had been rapidly growing over the past five years with all their works hitting the market. At the center of their success was a rumored “Guardian of Miro” spreading fast within the industry.
‘People in the entertainment stock market even call them Miro’s Midas Hand.’
A producer who suddenly rose to prominence, making hits with everything they touched? Isn’t this a familiar setting?
‘I need to check if they really have a good sense or if they’re related to this crazy regression.’
I had auditioned at Renes not for a debut but to get into Miro Entertainment. I knew the two companies often exchanged trainees like this.
[New Renes’ Cha Minseok was originally a Miro trainee, true?]
(Photo)
(Photo)
Isn’t that Miro’s practice room? I was just browsing and got surprised because it looked familiarㅋㅋㅋㅋ
* * *
– Yes, he was a Miro trainee.
└ He was probably in Miro’s debut team.
└ Really? Why didn’t he debut?
└ Minseok was originally training with Endorphin but left Miro due to an injuryㅠㅠ
└ Please support the visual genius Minseok’s debut on ★June 12th next year★
The Apollo statue-like guy who was being pushed as the center of Renes was originally from M
iro. Although it’s said he didn’t debut due to an injury, that might not be the whole truth, so let’s set aside unconfirmed rumors.
The important thing was me. Would this Renes-Miro route, faster and more certain than a general audition, open for me as well?
If it did, it was a golden opportunity to close the hellish revolving door of the military’s three rounds.
“They are currently recruiting male trainees too. So, if you’re interested, I’d like to connect you with them.”
Nice!
Feeling the private inside me cry out, I tried to manage my expression calmly. It was the first meeting, so I needed to look as composed and mysterious as possible.
“…I need to discuss it with my parents first.”
“Ah, of course. If you’re interested, please contact me using the number on my card. It would be even better if you mention you are contestant number 71 in the text.”
“Yes. If there’s nothing else, may I leave now?”
“Yes, yes. The exit is the same way you came in.”
“Thank you. I’ll be in touch soon.”
After politely greeting the woman, who was looking at me with a somewhat pleased smile, I left the Renes building.
“What the… It was easier than I thought?”
Thinking about how nervous I used to be as a kid made me laugh. I looked proudly at the business card in my hand. Planning to inform my parents and strategize for the Miro audition, I soon arrived at the subway station.
Haha. Chosen Regressor, you wait. I’m coming for you.
* * *
Manager Jang unconsciously thought as he watched Hajin through the window, holding a business card that seemed too small in his hands, walking away from the building.
‘…Like a well-socialized wolf pup.’
When Miro Entertainment was mentioned, it almost looked like a tail was wagging like a propeller. He regretted not being able to pat him on the head.
‘Or maybe like a Doberman.’
Trying various animal masks on the receding figure, Manager Jang waved away his rising imagination and stood up. He needed to contact his acquaintance at Miro Entertainment before the day ended.
* * *
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
I’m screwed.
“You’ll be twenty soon, Hajin. Twenty. I can’t allow it.”
Ah… Someone seems to be calling me from afar…. The training camp… The training camp is calling me….
“You were the one who said you wanted to quit and focus on studying. We allowed you to retake the college entrance exam because you wanted to find a field of study you liked. This sudden change is confusing for me.”
My mother’s sincere face made it even harder to say anything.
“Anyway, I… I oppose this.”
The revolving door of my life, about to close, opened wide again.
Never did I imagine my mother would be the gatekeeper.
As the imaginary carousel turned into soldiers in full gear running laps on the parade ground, the system window drove the final nail in.
[System Alarm: Sudden Quest!]
Content: A child’s wound is a parent’s scar. Convince your mother to acknowledge your rediscovered dream.
Mom…. Your son… will live forever if he doesn’t become an idol….
There was no way to explain this.