Chapter 12

Did you hear the rumor?

Hanul Entertainment's office building was quite large. Because of this, male and female trainees rarely met inside the building.

Except for events like the end-of-month evaluation, they might only briefly see each other during commuting hours.

If someone deliberately avoided it, they could go a week or a month without meeting.

That's why the current atmosphere was even stranger. I kept running into female trainees, and each time, I felt their glances darting at me.

No, upon careful thought, even male trainees who weren't close to me were subtly approaching me or stopping their conversations when they saw me.

"Did I do something wrong?"

After finishing a dance practice session and lying sprawled out, I muttered to myself, recalling the strange behavior I had experienced.

Hyuk, my senior, somehow heard my muttering and understood what I was trying to say. It seemed this situation wasn't suspicious only to me.

"Don't worry about it. The kids are trying to get close to you or are envious because you're a genius."

"Huh? A genius? Me?"

"Seems you don't know. The other trainees were all shocked during the end-of-month evaluation."

Shocked? I couldn't understand Ji-on's explanation at all. Hyuk kindly added,

"Lee Won, you've been a bit of an inspiration. The female trainees have heard the rumors and want to see your face."

"How did the female trainees find out?"

"We all have our networks, Ham Lee Won."

If it was really because of what Hyuk told me, things would calm down soon. Others would soon realize it was just a rumor.

Until then, I just needed to focus on practicing.

"That's not the important part. Lee Won, did you hear the rumor?"

"Rumor? Not about me?"

"You haven't heard. It's not confirmed, but there's a rumor that the company plans to debut a new group next year."

"Really?"

"It's not clear if it will be a male or female group, but it's probably going to be a male group."

The male idol group SEED is in their fifth year, and the female idol group CORNEL is in their second year.

Given the debut intervals, it was more likely that a male group would debut.

It wasn't strange for the well-connected Hyuk to hear rumors from somewhere.

Meeting so many different people, he could obtain rare information. On the other hand, the probability of hearing false rumors was also high.

But I hoped this rumor was true. It was better to participate in the debut evaluation and face the challenge properly, even if I didn't make it, rather than wait indefinitely for a debut.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Baekha rushed in, panting.

Baekha, who doesn't attend high school, is the type who always arrives at 9 a.m. on weekends and weekdays.

"I was a bit late because I had to go to the hospital. Sorry!"

"Are you sick?"

"No! My mom was sick, so I went with her. It's not serious, so don't worry."

Judging from her tone, she wasn't lying. It was fortunate that her mom wasn't seriously ill.

"What were you talking about?"

"There's a rumor that our company will launch a new group next year. You heard it, right?"

At Hyuk's question, Baekha's eyes sparkled.

"I heard! If the rumor is true, the debut is next year. The debut group will be selected this year, right?"

"Probably. If the rumor is true, they'll let us know soon."

"Anyway, we have to aim for the debut and work hard."

The rumor soon turned out to be true. News came that the company planned to form a male idol group with the goal of debuting next year.

The male trainees showed a mix of emotions.

The joy and hope of finally being close to debut. The worry and anxiety of whether they would make it into the debut group...

I was experiencing the same feelings as them.

The debut group would consist of 5 members, and the debut evaluation stage would be conducted like a real performance.

One unique system that caught my attention was the 'personality evaluation' among trainees.

I, a newcomer, only found out about this now, but it was a routine self-evaluation conducted every two to three months.

It was an oral survey where trainees had to explain, with reasons, aspects like diligence, personality, strengths, and weaknesses.

"But there are quite a few trainees I don't know. What do I write if I don't know them?"

It was a stretch for me, who had only been a trainee for a little over a month.

I was just getting to know faces and names and could only greet them.

If it weren't for the attendance card and name tag I wore around my neck, I might not have known their names.

"Ah! You can write briefly! Like, 'Good at greeting,' or 'Met at a late hour.'"

"At least I know their names and faces."

"You're the type who can't even remember the names of classmates in the same class?"

"..."

Baekha's question hit a nerve. I could remember the names of classmates because of the name tags and roll calls. But they were still strangers to me.

How could I explain that I didn't even greet classmates?

From experience, I naturally started conversations after exchanging greetings. In the past, I was too busy blocking attempts to talk to me.

After overcoming my complexes, I became too distracted and often forgot to greet people.

Was it too much not to greet classmates? I even bowed to convenience store part-timers.

I should at least wave from now on. If I don't, I might be labeled as a rude kid later. As an aspiring entertainer, I needed to be more mindful of my behavior.

"The atmosphere will get intense. Those who thought debut was far away will now be more competitive."

That's true. They'll realize they are competitors. The competition will heat up, and I need to survive in the midst of it.

"Then we need to work hard too. It's been 5 minutes. Should we start practicing again?"

Hyuk, who seemed gentle but was strict about timing, was a confident leader. If we debut together, I would recommend him right away.

* * *

The atmosphere among male trainees changed.

Their eyes sparkled with passion. They became more expressive in front of teachers and other trainees, showing off their strengths like peacocks before mating.

Female trainees, on the other hand, looked more somber.

When we met, they greeted us with a lack of energy. They must have still held onto the hope that the company might prepare a female group.

Considering the time it takes to prepare a new group after debuting one, it would be difficult to do so within four years, even optimistically.

Their dejected expressions showed they couldn't shake off the uncertainty. The ideal debut age for idols is in the late teens to early twenties.

I felt a bit down too, thinking it might be my turn.

When my head was in a mess, dancing was the best. After an intense dance session that left my sportswear drenched in sweat, my worries usually disappeared.

Everyone seemed to feel the same way, or they were focusing on their goal, making the late practice sessions quieter than usual.

The same changes were visible on weekends.

Originally, only a few people came in early in the morning and left late at night.

Specifically, me, Seohoon, Ji-on, Baekha, and a couple of other trainees.

But now, most trainees were competing to see who could stay the latest.

With a clear goal, everyone was practicing until the last moment.

After a few tense days, I took some time to apply for a consultation with the vocal teacher.

In the consultation room, a trainee I hadn't seen before was talking to the vocal teacher.

New trainees were still being recruited at this stage? The company must be busy preparing for the debut group's evaluation. Did they hold an audition?

Strangely, the trainee seemed to be on familiar terms with the vocal teacher.

Moreover, they acted as if they had known each other for a long time, showing no signs of nervousness.

Who is this person?

As I passed the unfamiliar trainee, who was leaving after the consultation, I gave a light bow.

They looked younger than me, with a round and cute face, but gave off a slightly unnatural impression.

"Hello."

"Yes, hello. Go ahead."

Surprisingly, their tone wasn't cute at all. It was somewhat cynical and conveyed a sense of annoyance.

What's going on...

The identity of the trainee was revealed the next day.

"Introduce yourself. This is Hong Ohran, who practiced with us before. She took a break due to some circumstances and is back now. And this is new trainee Ham Lee Won, 18 years old."

According to Hyuk, Ohran was a senior trainee at Hanul Entertainment, and this was our first meeting.

"Hello, nice to meet you."

"Hi. I'm a year older, so let's be informal. Just a few months' difference, no need for formalities."

She's quite prickly. A cute face with a not-so-cute personality. It was refreshing rather than annoying. She seemed quite close to the vocal teacher earlier. Was I mistaken?

"Back so soon, Ohran! You must have heard about the debut plan?"

"Of course. Even if my limbs were broken, I would have come. I can't let the debut group be formed without me."

"Are you okay, Ohran?"

"Ji-on, why are you beating around the bush? Why so careful? It's not something to be ashamed of."

Ohran seemed to be avoiding revealing the reason for her absence.

I didn't really care since I could understand that everyone has things they don't want to talk about, including myself.

I was more curious about why Ji-on was called "Ji-on."

"Ham Lee Won, I was absent for a little over a month due to plastic surgery. My contract was expiring, so I took a two-month break and decided to renew it."

The surgery seemed successful, though it still felt a bit strange. The issue was that she returned earlier than expected.

Was it safe for her to do intense practice in an unstable state?

"Oh, I see. Is it okay for you to practice?"

"Ha! Is that all you're asking? You're funny."

"You like Ohran, don't you? I knew it!"

Is that how you express liking someone? In a normal communication system, wouldn't that be considered sarcastic?

But Baekha, who had spent a long time with Ohran, interpreted it differently.

"Ha ha. Ohran is like a prickly hedgehog, but she's not a bad person. She's actually quite admirable. You'll see soon enough."

Seohoon's serious words gave me a vague sense of trust. He wouldn't blindly defend someone without a good reason.

Ohran quickly joined our practice. Watching her, I realized her dance skills were top-notch.

One interesting thing was her expression.

While practicing, Ohran acted as if she was on stage, smiling and showing dimples.

Where did the person who spoke bluntly and expressionlessly go?

Her professional attitude was admirable, and I thought I should learn from her. Even in practice, she was genuine.

I needed to practice facial expressions, which I lacked. Since I was good at physical intelligence, I could start by copying her facial muscle movements.

Indeed, there's always something to learn from everyone.

As a newcomer, I couldn't waste time. I immediately started dance practice and tried to observe Ohran's expressions whenever I could.

Ohran noticed what I was doing and even exaggerated her expressions for me.

She didn't show off or expect gratitude. I could understand why Seohoon defended her.

A week later.

The date for the debut group selection stage was announced to the trainees.