Chapter 7

Gat Idol Project

The lawyer handed me my brother's will. Inside the envelope, along with the handwritten will, there was a short letter.

Did he call the lawyer in such a hurry because of this? In the time we barely had to say goodbye… What a fool.

I left the legal procedures to my parents. I took charge of cleaning up the practice room and brought home everything that my brother had touched.

The room was filled with instruments and boxes, yet my heart felt empty. A wave of emptiness swept over me.

A week has passed without a single word.

The shadow cast by Hyun-oh's death tormented me.

I would suddenly think of Hyun-oh while in class or eating a meal.

And I would realize that I would never see him again.

Seeing my reaction, my parents, who had been quietly watching, decided not to wait any longer.

They were worried, wondering if I was in pain or needed help.

“I'm fine.”

No, maybe I'm not.

“…Eun-a! Your voice!”

My parents realized that my voice had completely changed and took me to the hospital. They didn't go to the usual hospital out of caution.

The new doctor diagnosed my vocal cords as healthy and vibrant, looking puzzled as to why we were there.

The same at other hospitals. Despite the disbelief, as each hospital confirmed that my vocal cords were fine, my parents gradually accepted the reality.

A miracle. My parents began to believe in those two words. They were so overwhelmed with joy and happiness that they couldn't help but shed tears from time to time.

They thought my indifferent reaction was just because I hadn't fully realized it yet. They believed that in a day or two, I would gradually get better.

They thought I would accept Hyun-oh's death and return to my daily life, enjoying the miracle that had happened to me.

But to me, the change in my voice was not a miracle. It was a device that made me feel Hyun-oh's death.

So, I hesitated to even speak. My words didn't increase; they decreased, and my parents became worried.

“Mom, it's such a beautiful voice. Maybe it's just unfamiliar?”

Hyun-oh's voice, which anyone would find beautiful.

“It's too beautiful, and that's why I feel sad. Every time I speak, I think of Hyun-oh.”

“Hyun-oh?”

“I think this voice is Hyun-oh's voice. It is.”

They looked at me in bewilderment.

Of course. Who would believe such a surreal situation right away? I'm lucky they didn't think I was crazy. I know.

“Eun-a. Hyun-oh's voice is similar, but isn't that just a guess?”

“Why do you think that? It's just a coincidence that it happened at the same time.”

My parents tried to convince me that it was just an illusion.

But could they still believe it was a coincidence after comparing my singing voice with Hyun-oh's?

I played a video on my phone. It was a video we took when we went on a music trip.

In the video, Hyun-oh sang a song called 'By Any Name' that I had given him as a gift. After the video ended, I slowly opened my mouth and sang the same song.

When I finished singing, I said,

“My voice changed when I sang this song in front of Hyun-oh's tree.”

“…It's too similar to be a coincidence. It sounds like the same person.”

“And you know, I never sang before. I'm doing something I've never done so easily and naturally, just like Hyun-oh.”

It wouldn't be strange if I were tone-deaf. But I could control pitch, rhythm, and volume with ease.

I could even do ad-libs skillfully.

“…Mom can't just dismiss this as an unrealistic phenomenon. Miracles do happen, like when a damaged vocal cord suddenly becomes healthy. If this miracle came from Hyun-oh….”

Mom, who had already experienced a miracle, was wavering between scientific thinking and experience.

Actually, it was okay even if they didn't believe me. I just didn't want to lie to my parents.

Then, Dad seemed to have an epiphany and exclaimed,

“Hyun-oh's wish has come true….”

“Hyun-oh's wish?”

“Eun-a. When Hyun-oh wrote his will, you were outside the room and didn't hear. Hyun-oh actually wanted to give you his voice, not money. He said he wished it could happen, even though he knew it was impossible.”

Even in his final moments, he wished for such a thing. Hyun-oh didn't make a wish for himself….

“So, Eun-a. Instead of being sad, why don't you change your perspective? Think of it as a gift from Hyun-oh to our son.”

“If you think of it as Hyun-oh's voice, why don't you sing with it? It would be like Hyun-oh is singing with you.”

When I sing, Hyun-oh's voice will resonate.

Even if others don't know it's Hyun-oh's voice, they can hear and remember it. His music can be loved.

Hyun-oh, who said he would become an idol even if he were reborn, wanted to achieve his dream, and I want to fulfill it, or even exceed it.

If I become the best idol with Hyun-oh's voice, wouldn't he be happy? Wouldn't it be like being with him?

“Mom, Dad. I need to become an idol.”

My sudden declaration to become an idol didn't shock my parents.

Instead, they seemed to welcome it and encouraged me.

“I think our son would look good as an idol. I'm not sure about dancing, but he has a good sense of rhythm and athletic ability, so he'll do well. His looks and singing are top-notch. When I meet idols at events, I always think Eun-ah is better.”

That was Mom's opinion.

“Dad is happy just because Eun-ah has a dream. Even though he went to a music school, he didn't seem to want to be a professional violinist, and he didn't seem interested in anything else, so I was worried. He never seriously talked about his future, just writing 'musician' because it was a hassle. Dad noticed that.”

Dad was just happy that I had a dream.

“What do you need to do to become an idol? Do you need to become a trainee? Audition?”

“Usually, you audition and become a trainee if you pass, but sometimes you can audition after being cast.”

“Now that I think about it, has Eun-ah ever been cast? With this appearance?”

“I've received business cards from suspicious people, but was it casting?”

I tore up the business cards and ran away, thinking they were trying to trick me.

The more I tried to explain that they weren't suspicious, the more suspicious it sounded. They begged for my contact information, which made it even more suspicious.

I should have kept the business card if I had known.

“Well, that makes sense. If casting directors have eyes, they would notice. Your dad received quite a few business cards when he was young, right?”

“That was a long time ago. Let's not bring it up; it's embarrassing.”

“Alright. Eun-ah, what should you do first? Since I only know a little about this, I need to study more.”

“Dad, if you can support me, let me know.”

Because of my proactive parents, I felt even more determined to become an idol.

“I learned a lot of information that could help Hyun-oh. I guess I was lecturing like that because I knew this would happen. I'm the weakest in dancing, so I'll practice and build stamina. I won't pass the audition on the first try, so I'll try as many as I can.”

“Then, for a while, I'll have to be your temporary manager. It will be tough to manage your training, dancing, and auditions.”

I immediately registered at a gym.

Since I had never exercised properly, I needed professional help.

In the morning, I did light running, and in the afternoon, I had personal training.

It was so painful that I suspected they were torturing me. The PT instructor said he found his passion again because I stubbornly followed along despite the difficulty.

Is this a good thing…? He encouraged me, saying I would enjoy it later, but it sounded unbelievable.

Because I had played the violin for a long time, my posture was slightly off, so I was also recommended to do Pilates. I was naturally flexible, so Pilates was easier for me.

The biggest issues were stamina and strength, but since I was young, my progress was fast, which was fortunate. I was prepared for a long-term battle with exercise.

For dancing, I followed along with stage videos on my own.

I placed a large mirror in the violin practice room and practiced while checking my movements, but I wasn't satisfied.

It would be best to prepare in advance, but it seemed better to pass the audition quickly and receive professional lessons as a trainee.

And for singing.

It felt like I had been preparing for this with vocal therapy.

The lessons seemed to be a condensed version of vocal training, teaching me how to produce a comfortable voice, which vocal techniques suited me, how to control volume, and how to handle the end of a phrase.

I had a lot to be grateful to Hyun-oh for.

Since singing itself was still unfamiliar, my posture and attitude felt unnatural. I had never been to a karaoke room, so it was awkward.

So, I suggested to my parents that we go to a karaoke room, and they were as excited as children before a field trip.

That day, I learned that my parents were so good at having fun.

They had the natural talent to be entertainers, so why didn't they become entertainers?

* * *

My dream is to be an idol. More precisely, it's not just to debut as an idol but to reach the highest position possible as an idol.

So, my goal is to become a star that no one can deny.

I decided to name this goal.

To achieve this goal, I need to be a more perfect idol than anyone else.

However, an idol's success cannot be achieved by effort alone. Various conditions must align to make it happen.

First, I need to choose a good agency.

Hyun-oh told me about several entertainment agencies and indirectly criticized the one he was in.

It was a company worth criticizing. If Hyun-oh criticized it, it must have been bad.

He also compared good and bad agencies for trainees.

He told me where I would suffer the most, which agency he would choose if he were a trainee again, and shared vivid experiences.

According to him, I should avoid agencies that offer slave contracts. If I don't want to be scammed or exploited.

He also said that too small agencies are risky.

A small scale means financial instability, lack of proper support, and the possibility of going bankrupt.

It's risky before and after debut.

Even if it's a medium-sized company, a company that's making its first idol might struggle due to lack of experience, making success difficult. He said there's no point in considering their track record.

There are various factors to consider, and they differ depending on one's preferences.

A company skilled in media relations, specialized in producing, actively investing, and having talented mentors….

He said I should choose a company that matches my needs.

If I go to a company that has made idols, I should also consider how long it has been since their debut.

Debuting is a major event that requires all the company's resources. To make a new idol, they need time to build up their strength.

So, if I join a company with a newly debuted group, my training period will be longer.

Of course, there are exceptions, but generally, that's how it is.

Since I decided to become an idol, especially a new idol, I can't take blind risks.

So, the agency I should join is:

At least medium-sized,

With experience in producing idols,

Financially stable,

Without a newly debuted group,

Actively investing,

Good at media relations,

Skilled in producing,

And has excellent planning, etc.

Is there a company that meets all these criteria? It would be difficult to even get into a company that meets most of them.

So, I need to prioritize.

Scale, finance, experience, and investment seemed most important. In fact, a large scale often means the other factors are also good.

If the company is weak in media relations, lessons, or producing, can't they get external help?

I want to debut as soon as possible, but realistically, as a beginner, I need time to build and showcase my skills, so a delayed debut is acceptable.

The closest audition date among the agencies that met my criteria was in two weeks.

I set two weeks as my deadline and started intense practice.

On my way to the gym after school, Dad often called, still amazed by my new voice.

He reminded me to eat dinner and practice after exercising.

I knew he was worried about my hard work, but it was overprotective.

After finishing the call and entering the gym, someone approached me.

“Student, can you contact us here?”

A young woman handed me a business card with a fake smile.

This suspicious feeling…

It was familiar. Was this street casting?

“Not interested in being an entertainer? You have the perfect look for our company.”

The business card only had a name, phone number, and email.

“…Which agency is it?”

“I'll tell you if you contact us.”

The possibility of a scam still existed.

There are still companies that inflate the hopes of aspiring entertainers and then extort money.

Should I try it anyway?

“Please call us!”

After discussing with my parents, I decided to contact them.

Surprisingly, the number on the business card connected to POT Entertainment, one of the major agencies. I wondered if top agencies cast like this.

They said I needed to go through a simple audition, so I set a date and visited the POT Entertainment building.

It was a private audition, so I was the only participant.

When I started singing in front of the CEO and judges, I could see the desire in their eyes.

After I danced and mentioned that I attended a music school and could play several instruments, the CEO declared my pass.

I was bewildered.

Is this right? Is an audition usually this easy?

The woman who cast me later told me that I was almost guaranteed to pass before the audition.

If I wasn't suitable for an idol, they could teach me acting and debut me as an actor.

POT Entertainment has many actors as well as idols, so the transition wouldn't be difficult.

It's a large agency with solid finances, has debuted many idol groups, and is known for strong promotion after debut.

When they said I needed to bring a guardian to sign the contract, I became hesitant.

Why does it feel off?

Because the male idol group debuted less than six months ago?

It might take a long time to debut, but the other conditions are too good.

Some aspiring idols try multiple times to pass the POT Entertainment audition. Am I being too picky?

I realized why I felt uncomfortable at a convenience store near a subway station far from the company.

“F*ck, seeing those guys getting all the glory makes me so angry. Do you understand why they reject people based on age? What makes them better than me? Debuting should be based on skill.”

“Anyway, in a few years, it will be our turn.”

“So, it's fine to be despicable and stick around at POT, right?”

Three middle school boys were giggling in a low tone.

“Who will be the next f*cking scum to come in for the audition?”

“Whoever it is, what does it matter? We can just sabotage the competition in advance.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

So, if I join POT Entertainment, I might have to work with these personality trash.

I realized this late.

POT Entertainment only checked basic information and skills, not personality.

I had completely forgotten to consider the roles of the other members and only focused on how much the agency could help.

It was a mistake with no excuse.