Chapter 7
Sungjun doubted his ears.
'This... really got fixed in one day, no, half a day?'
Sungjun was honestly pessimistic about Yoohyun's statement that he would fix it by today.
However, his breathing and pronunciation were just like a beginner's.
Of course, the vocal sprout itself wasn't bad.
It would take at least several months just to get the basics down, but it was impossible to fix it in one day.
Heh.
- Pretending.
Trainees who have no skills but only talk.
Sungjun was sick of those types of trainees who were just show-offs who put down hard-working trainees.
The companies that neglected those trainees and brazenly committed illegal acts under the guise of custom were no different.
The reason Sungjun left his agency after five years as a trainee and turned to being a producer was because of his disgust with them.
But this is....
This is a type he had never seen before.
'You said you've only been here for a short time. That doesn't make sense.'
An attractive low-mid voice that catches the ear.
— Feel like walking on air
Spring rain's verse was a part that had to focus attention with its soft and sweet tone.
The sound that had been shaking unsteadily in the morning became solid, and Yoohyun's tone came to life with a three-dimensional feel.
Stable breathing, clean conciseness and anchoring.
The charm of the low-mid voice stood out as the lacking fundamentals were filled.
"Oh!"
"Wow!"
'What on earth did he practices to become like this in less than half a day?'
Sungjun let out a hollow laugh.
"...Good? What do the other members think?"
Shin Yeonwoo, Kang Sehyun, and Kim Eden, who had been exclaiming in admiration at Sungjun's words, nodded vigorously and agreed.
"Then trainee Kwon Yoohyun will do the introduction."
"Yes, thank you."
'This is the first time I've seen such an amazing trainee.'
Yoohyun, who had been expressionless the whole time, smiled lightly. Sungjun laughed out loud at the pleasant anticipation he felt after a long time.
***
"Want to try one more note? If you can't do it, then don't worry."
After the part was decided, the recording was over in an instant. Of course, the daily quest was also successfully completed.
The moment I was about to leave the studio to go practice choreography, I was caught by Choi Sung-jun and ended up doing additional recording.
It was also an ad-lib part with a high note that wasn't even on the schedule.
"I'll try."
I sang it by raising the pitch as Choi Sung-jun told me to.
"Wow, ShXT. You're crazy. You're really doing this."
"..."
"You do it."
Choi Sung-jun roughly swept his hair back and laughed like a beast of prey.
... It's a little scary.
- Since Sung-jun was also a trainee, he'll direct it perfectly!
I heard a story about Choi Sung-jun from the team leader I happened to meet in the hallway.
The members nodded, saying that his appearance was somehow unusual.
By the way, if Kim Eden, who trained for a long time in this company, didn't know, it means that Choi Sung-joon was a trainee at another agency...
'Then he's probably from UJ, and that means it's the Choi Sungjun I know.'
Before my return, Choi Sungjun was the eldest member and leader in the group, and had a more serious and calm image.
"Oh! Should we try this too?!"
Right now, Choi Sungjun was humming a strange tune while folding his long eyes.
... Where did it go wrong?
Did he originally have this kind of personality, but did it change after debuting?
Considering that he became less talkative as he worked, it was a possible guess.
Still, since we had seen each other for a long time, it didn't feel particularly uncomfortable.
It would take some time to get used to that personality, but I wondered if the tense atmosphere in the recording studio had eased up.
'Thank goodness it worked this time. I didn't know it would be this efficient.'
The roulette stopped with a flashy sound effect, and I thought it would be lucky if it didn't go blank, but unexpected luck struck.
[Song stat 100x boost applied.]
[Item duration 13:47:23]
A whopping 100x boost.
And it was the multiplier that was stuck in the smallest space after being rearranged.
The changes I felt in real time were amazing.
I acquired breathing and vocalization that required weeks, no, months of repeated training in just a few hours.
'My vocal range also expanded.'
The notes that were barely reachable before are now easily digestible.
But the achievements did not end here.
[Kwon Yoo-hyun]
Appearance: A
Singing: B-
Dance: D+
Talent: C-
Acting: B
! Passive: Mayfly Idol
Singing stats went up from C+ to B-.
Even when I cut my lifespan to increase my dance stat, I felt that the difference in my vocal stats was huge.
Thanks to that, I was able to finish all the preparations until the next recording time.
'Is this the end of the booster pack?'
I felt bitter at the thought that this kind of sweet booster would be difficult in the future.
Since the item's validity period was still decreasing, I felt sorry for the time I had to rest my vocal cords that got tired easily.
'I'll use it well.'
Since Choi Sung-jun was watching and directing from the side, my skills were definitely improving faster than when I was alone.
Even though it was late at night, looking at Choi Sung-jun's bright eyes, I thought I could hold out for a few more hours.
I looked at the guy who would help me increase my stats with satisfaction.
***
The day of the final battle to decide the members of the debut group.
The large practice room where the second evaluation was held was more crowded than usual with company officials.
The rookie development team leader looked over the trainee evaluation forms and prepared for the evaluation.
"You're early, team leader."
The team leader raised her head at the familiar voice.
The owner of the voice walked briskly with long legs and sat down on the floor next to the judges' table.
"Oh, Sungjun!"
The team leader looked at the unexpected face as if she was dumbfounded. Sungjun usually avoided meeting the trainees face to face.
Sungjun's participation in this evaluation was also due to the previous producer's sudden cancellation, so they had to ask him after much deliberation.
'But who would have thought he would come all the way here to see this?'
Choi Sungjun, who joined as a producer early last year.
However, Sungjun had the perfect idol material.
He had been a trainee at UJ Entertainment for quite some time, where they would sweep away anyone with talent regardless of dance, singing, or looks, so his skills were beyond words.
Rap, dance, composition.
Sungjun was a talent-rich man with nothing to lose, but what the team leader coveted the most was his visuals.
A perfect physique that was over 185cm tall.
A charming appearance with a strong masculine look in his nose and chin, and a graceful curve in his eyes and lips.
Not showing this face to the media was a national loss.
The team leader was licking her lips.
'They let him go, and now they're trying to catch him again... .'
There was information that UJ was preparing for a debut group and was hanging out near Sungjun.
She couldn't let the lucky charm that rolled in on its own be stolen, right?
"Aren't you thinking about debuting yet?"
The team leader made a casting offer this time as well, as was her habit. Even so, she didn't have high expectations.
- I won't.
Because Sungjun's answer when he returned was always the same.
'It always ended with my bitter smile.'
The team leader waited for Sungjun's firm response with hazy eyes.
But....
"Well...."
"Yeah, I knew that....... What, man?!"
An ambiguous answer came back that was not like Sungjun. The team leader turned her ear, wondering if she had heard it wrong.
"You, you! What, are you thinking about joining the debut group?!"
Sungjun awkwardly smiled and avoided eye contact at the team leader's glaring eyes.
"Let's talk later, later, the evaluation is about to start."
"No, no, no? That can't be. How important is this, when, when, tell me specifically, the date and place, and set aside time in advance."
She spoke rapidly as if rapping.
"Oh, why are you doing this? Seriously!"
The team leader was moved to finally get a promise from Sungjun, who was showing off.
'Hoohoohoohoo.... As expected, there's no tree that doesn't fall after ten hits...!'
"That's why you came today? You're wondering who will debut with you~!"
Sungjun shook his head as if he was fed up with the whining team leader.
"That's absolutely not the case."
"Then? You originally hated these kinds of formal events."
Sungjun, who was always stuck in his studio, was rumored to have seen him in the office building, to the point where it was like a celebrity sighting.
The fact that Sungjun suddenly showed different behavior meant that he had recently changed his mind.
Sungjun fixed his gaze on something and fiddled with his hair.
"I'm just curious, what should I do?"
The team leader turned her head in the direction Sungjun was looking.
"Who. Team A?!"
"Yes."
"!"
The team leader was inwardly delighted. It worked!
- No matter how you look at it, it's exactly like the picture of Team A....
In fact, the one who had a punk was the C team producer.
It was all under the team leader's influence that Seongjun was put in charge of Team A as a producer, pretending to coordinate it.
The board of directors also had a positive response to Team A after the first evaluation. After all, a Visual is joining and it was the right choice. And now Sungjun is joining? This is a good picture.
'That's also a huge hit that deserves to be welcomed with open arms!'
The entire company knew that the director was also after Sungjun.
If Sungjun joins Team A...
Including Sungjun, there will be a total of 5 people. It's so ideal. It's perfect! The team leader's head had a perfect picture.
"How about Team A? It's okay. The new trainee Kwon Yoo-hyun who joined this time suits well. He still lacks in skills, but his face is overwhelming."
"Hmm... I don't think so."
"Why, not so much? With visuals like that, he's the best even among the artists in the agency!"
At Sung-jun's words, the team leader turned her gaze to Yoo-hyun who was meticulously stretching from head to toe.
Big eyes with light double eyelids, a sharp nose, and a sharp jawline. It looks like he's had a hard time preparing for the evaluation, as he's lost some weight.
'It's actually good.'
His facial lines became more distinct and his sensitivity was added.
"Oh my. If he gets facial treatment on top of this, it's going to be a mess, really."
Sung-jun let out a hollow laugh as he looked at the team leader who was admiring Yoo-hyun's face once again.
"No, that's not what I'm talking about... You'll know when you see him later."
Aha. The team leader's head lit up when she saw Sungjun's sparkling eyes.
'Is that... you? The jewel that changed Sungjun's impregnable heart.'
The debut group's preparations had been going smoothly since Yoohyun came in.
She had to stamp it before the last piece changed his mind.
"Speak until the end, until the end. Don't make people curious by not saying anything, and don't you think this is how you go back on your debut talk... Huh? Sungjun, are you going to do that?!"
"No, that's not true!"
As expected, teasing is fun.
The team leader laughed at the sight of Sungjun suffering and fully enjoyed the happiness she had been waiting for for a long time.
After a while, the door opened and the CEO appeared.
"Okay, let's start."
The evaluation began immediately with the CEO's words.
The first team was Group B.
As expected, their skills were not bad.
However, it seems that they have a hard time digesting various concepts because of their young faces.
They match well, but they need to mature a little more to be properly evaluated.
'I think all the people here think the same.'
The prediction that the spectrum will naturally expand as they gain experience is not important.
What TP needs right now is a team that can fill the empty spot of Clickers.
"You did a good job."
"Thank you!"
In the end, Team B's stage ended in a lukewarm atmosphere.
"Next is Team A."
The judges' eyes were focused on the trainees who were handed the hand microphones.
Since the choreography started with them lying down, Yoo-hyun knelt down in the middle of the members who were lying down and formed a large formation. The team leader tilted her head.
'Oh, center? How did you think you could put a second-week trainee in the center?'
The melody of the hazy synthesizer began to flow.
In addition, the overwhelming visual of Yoo-hyun that caught the eye.
-Feel like walking on air
"!"
And Yoohyun's first verse that followed.
The team leader took a deep breath.
A rich and mysterious tone.
It only took a few seconds for Yoohyun to completely dominate the introduction.
'That's right, the center. And that's the visual center of confidence.'
The team leader nodded firmly.
—