Chapter 8
To be objective, Yoohyun's group dance stood out among the members of Team A.
Since the choreography for this song emphasizes the flowing dance lines, it was still too much for Yoohyun, who had just started learning how to dance, to bring out that feeling.
'If you dance, you can somehow make it look good if you just do one song for a few months after your debut song comes out.'
In addition, the other members are filling in the gaps.
I wondered why Yoohyun was chosen as the center, but the team leader was able to quickly understand.
'Yoohyun and the song go so well together.'
The existing Team A was also great before Yoohyun joined.
However, there was always an ambiguity somewhere.
A fourth presence to fill that ambiguity.
The team leader always felt sorry about that point.
Why was Team A only 3 people in the first place?
Isn't it because no other trainee fit that color?
Then, Yoohyun suddenly fell from the sky.
Yeonwoo's graceful performance, Sehyun's outstanding stage manners, Lee Eden's solid vocals, and Yoohyun's gorgeous visuals.
It was a clearer look than the previous A team. The team leader believed in her own vision.
'If all-rounder Sungjun joins here, it will be perfect.'
Sungjun must have felt that too. That's why he seems to have changed his mind.
Just imagining the five of them standing together made her shiver.
Team A's stage gradually reached the highlight.
-Uh oh falling
Eden and Yoohyun's doubling was piercing to the ears.
Eden's high notes and Yoohyun's harmony supporting went quite well together.
'Trainee Kim Eden's vocal skills are something that TP people can't help but know....'
Eden's beautiful voice, built up through natural talent and hard work, and Yoohyun's rough but soft low notes made the song richer and fuller.
Just a week ago, Yoohyun's live was nerve-wracking, but in the meantime, it had become very stable.
Team A finished the song, showing off their best synergy until the end.
The team leader smiled happily at Team A, who was out of breath.
"Hoo, hoo.... Thank you!"
This much growth in just two weeks. This much is worth taking the risk.
But then someone picked up the microphone, and the team leader, who saw who it was, was startled and straightened her posture.
'...CEO?'
All eyes in the evaluation room were on him.
TP Entertainment's CEO, Jin Tae-pyeong.
Jin Tae-pyeong, who was also a first-generation idol leader, was a quiet person who didn't open his mouth easily until he became confident.
It is said that he was born in the right era and became very popular at the time when mysticism was the trend, but it was just an unknown object for the people and trainees of the company.
'That CEO opened his mouth....'
The team leader bit her lips and pressed down on the corners of her mouth that were about to go up.
"You're good. I enjoyed the stage."
"! Thank you!"
The members of Team A, who were taken aback by the CEO's sudden comment, bowed their waists in confusion.
In the midst of all this, Yoohyun alone had a calm expression.
"Um, trainee Kwon Yoohyun? We're meeting for the first time, right?"
"Yes."
The CEO lifted the paper he was holding, fluttering it.
"It says here that you did taekwondo, how long did you learn it?"
"I did it before I entered elementary school and until middle school."
"Did you participate in competitions or something? It seems like you learned it as a hobby but not."
"... Yes. I was a player for a short time in middle school."
"Oh, even as a player. You must have been quite talented, why did you quit?"
A crack passed through Yoohyun's calm expression for a moment.
The team leader's pupils also began to shake.
'What really happened?'
She had been watching him for a while, and he often looks pale. Is his health not good?
Or maybe it has something to do with this matter, since he said his parents aren't home.
The team leader tried to calm her anxious mind by making various assumptions. Yoo-hyun soon returned to his usual expressionless face.
"I quit due to personal reasons."
At that time, the head of the PR team handed the microphone to the CEO.
"I'm not trying to pry into anything, but is your personal situation... related to any unpleasant incidents? For example, school violence... This market is very sensitive to such matters, so I'm just asking to confirm."
"Yes, I know. There's nothing to worry about."
The judges nodded their heads at Yoo Hyun's straightforward answer.
It's certainly something the PR team could have asked about.
There are more than a few people in the same industry who have been struggling with that issue recently.
Of course, the company needs to look into it separately to prepare for any future incidents.
Before she knew it, the team leader quickly shook off her worries and filled the place with excitement.
'Why are you asking about this now?'
It means that they've already decided on the debut group.
Now, it's getting harder to find a reason why Team A shouldn't debut.
The team leader gave Team A a confident round of applause as they returned to their seats after the evaluation.
'The answer has been decided, guys.'
***
The evaluation results were announced on time. To be exact, I found out before it was even announced.
[Main Quest Success!]
[You have successfully joined the debut group!]
"!"
After the evaluation was over.
The trainees gathered in the practice room by team and waited for the results.
Even Kang Se-hyun and Kim Eden, who were always noisy when they got together, were quiet at this moment.
How long had it been?
Suddenly, fireworks exploded before my eyes and the main quest completion window popped up.
Had a decision been made within the company?
'It's convenient to know in advance.'
I let out a small sigh and pressed the reward receipt button.
[Reward life 24:00:00 acquired!]
[Remaining life 41:12:58]
[Lack of life penalty lifted!]
The headache that had been nagging me for the past few days subsided.
How much peace had I had?
At that moment, another pop-up appeared.
Is this a system where you get a gift for completing the main quest?
[Congratulations on completing the main quest!]
[A special gift has arrived.]
[Please check your mailbox.]
It was an unexpected harvest.
I hope something useful comes out this time.
I was about to press the mailbox with joy.
'... Wait.'
Suddenly, a cold memory came to mind.
Something I hadn't even thought about because I was busy finishing the quest right in front of me.
And something that would come in the future.
'Before the regression, in 20X1, no male idols debuted on TP this year.'
The debut of a new rookie boy group is 5 years from now, a long time later.
That means that the debut group I will be joining in the future will eventually collapse.
***
The first girl group produced by Jin Tae-pyeong, CEO of TP Entertainment, Pink Lime.
Although they did not receive much attention from their debut, they gradually built up their recognition by making comebacks with high-quality title songs every time. In just 3 years, Pink Lime hit the jackpot with the song
They took over the charts from Southeast Asia to Japan one after another and rose to the top spot.
TP, which had previously been rolling with only its own solo singers and actors, quickly became on par with UJ Entertainment with Pink Lime's growth.
Then, TP announced the debut of a new boy group in the year that Pink Lime was in its 5th year.
'Up until this point, it's the same as before the regression.'
The problem is that it can't be the same after that. Before the return, the news of TP Entertainment's new debut that had been making a big splash in the media suddenly disappeared at some point.
In addition, TP, which had grown rapidly thanks to Pink Lime, began to decline gradually due to Pink Lime's failure to renew their contract. After that, a few years later, a new male idol debuted and they recovered somewhat, but they didn't make a big splash.
Looking at the flow of the system so far, it's clear that the next main quest will be related to debut.
'If the debut group falls apart like before the return, it's obvious that my breath will fall apart in midair.'
I quietly looked around at the members waiting for the announcement.
Even if I wasn't there, if this lineup of members had been there, they would have debuted safely, so why on earth did their debut fall through?
Without any information about TP, there's no way to come up with a solution.
I thought I should have applied for the UJ audition from the beginning, but that company had no answer for some reason.
In the end, I had no choice but to find a way to debut at TP.
"Team A, would you like to come out for a moment?"
Is it finally the announcement?
I suppressed my confusion at the official's call and headed to the conference room.
When I opened the conference room door, the officials who had been judging were waiting.
"Congratulations on your debut, guys."
"...!"
"Wow!!"
The members who had been frozen with tension finally regained their energy.
Even the judges who had been solemn during the evaluation clapped their hands with pleased expressions and congratulated us. The members probably got a rough idea when they received the call from the person in charge, but it was different when they heard it with their own two ears.
I was the same way.
Now it really hit home.
This debut group could really fall apart.
But I couldn't just sit there and do nothing, so I forced myself to raise the corners of my mouth according to the atmosphere in the conference room.
Then my eyes met with Choi Sung-jun, who was sitting across from me and observing my face with a curious expression.
"PD-nim is here too? Are you going to give us our song?! Awesome!"
Kim Eden also found out late and whispered excitedly.
As the excited atmosphere gradually began to die down, the team leader smiled broadly and got up.
"I'll give you a detailed notice tomorrow. Get some rest today and we've already prepared the accommodations, so I think you should just move in next week!"
"Wow, accommodations, yes!"
"There are three rooms, and there are five of you, so let's divide it into twos, twos, and one each!"
"Yes, I understand..., okay? Five people?"
Hmm? Something seems strange.
Shin Yeon-woo, Kang Se-hyun, Kim Eden, and Me. We are four, but five people?
The members also started to raise question marks above their heads one by one.
The team leader burst into laughter at our reaction.
"Ah~ Get my mind right! I should've said this first!"
The team leader raised her voice brightly.
"The member who will be joining our debut group! Sungjun, say hello! You know each other, right?!"
"Keok! Cough cough!"
Next to him, Kang Sehyun was making a dying sound as if he had heard something.
"Please take care of me."
Choi Sungjun nodded calmly. Shin Yeonwoo and Kim Eden looked surprised and greeted each other.
Everyone must be thinking of Choi Sungjun while preparing for the evaluation.
The meaning may be a little different from the members, but... I was also dumbfounded.
Choi Sung-jun, who should have debuted this year under UJ Entertainment, was originally...
'......... Why is he debuting here?'
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