Chapter 15

The new semester has begun.

Although Yoon Hyun met all the criteria for applying for a degree, he still held back and did not apply for graduation.

Then he walked into his mentor's office and said he had a problem he needed to think about. This kind of vague and pretentious reason was usually a sign of an impending epiphany in the world of philosophy. As a student like Yoon Hyun, his mentor naturally did not doubt that he was trying to fool him, so he happily granted him an indefinite leave.

Yoon Hyun had no intention of taking the trainee exams or anything like that. It wasn't that he had any prejudice against trainees; it was just that when he thought about singing trainees, they were mostly from S.M, YG, and JYP. What about the declining DSP company? That one was out of sight...

Cough, if he went to S.M, he would be a junior to Im Yoon-ah, which was something Yoon Hyun absolutely could not accept. YG? A search on Naver for related terms brought up Big Bang, so Yoon Hyun immediately ruled it out. Even if he didn't follow the Korean entertainment industry in his previous life, he knew about G-Dragon. With someone like him there, Yoon Hyun doubted he could make it in YG. As for JYP... his impression was of the Wonder Girls, who were a one-hit wonder and then led astray by their CEO. This made him doubt JYP's decision-making ability...

After going around in circles, Yoon Hyun found that there was not a single company he could see himself joining.

This made him a bit disheartened.

Well, maybe it was just his pride acting up.

But this pride didn't last long, and he soon faced reality. Apart from S.M, which might open a small window for him because of Professor Jeong, Yoon Hyun had no chance of getting into the other major companies.

So Yoon Hyun put aside his pride and adopted a very straightforward method to promote himself: he made a demo.

What song should he put on the demo? A song that was too good was unnecessary, as it might make people think he was running out of ideas. A song that was too bad wouldn't do either.

So the song he translated that night, which came from a headline king, was chosen as a candidate.

Yoon Hyun first used the most advanced electronic music synthesis software (even though he could afford the genuine version, his otaku nature...) to create the entire track, then he rented a small recording studio and recorded the song to the best of his ability.

Next, Yoon Hyun started preparing to promote himself.

But with his limited knowledge of the entertainment industry, he had no idea which company would be the best to try his luck with.

So first, his album was handed to Kim Kwang-soo, the CEO of CCM, by his sister.

Just as Yoon Hyun's sister was patting her chest, assuring him there would be no problem, a problem arose.

A major news story shocked the entire Korean entertainment industry: DSP's top female singer, Lee Hyori, known as the "National Fairy," whose contract had expired, left DSP and signed a high-profile contract with Mnet, the parent company of CCM. As a result, CCM, as a subsidiary of Mnet, took on the responsibility of handling Lee Hyori's affairs.

So Yoon Hyun's sister had to inform him, half excited and half regretful, that his plan at CCM was indefinitely postponed.

Why was she excited? Because as CCM's top dancer, the task of choreographing and training the dance group for Lee Hyori's next album fell to her. That was Lee Hyori! Back then, she could only occasionally get a photo with her... now there was a good chance of long-term collaboration!

So although she was disappointed, Yoon Hyun understood the mixed emotions in his sister's expression. But his path forward became even more complicated...

While Yoon Hyun's sister's dream had taken a big step forward, she still showed the greatest concern for her brother, who suddenly wanted to enter the entertainment industry. Although there was little hope at CCM, Yoon Hyun's sister worked hard to use her connections in the industry to find a suitable company for her brother. And according to his request, she avoided S.M, YG, and JYP. Although she didn't understand why her brother insisted on this...

"Brother, where are you?" Yoon Hyun was sitting in a coffee shop, bored and writing songs, when he received a call from his sister.

"I'm drinking coffee. Is there something, sister?"

"Which coffee shop? I'll come find you." After Yoon Hyun told her the specific location, she hung up.

Soon, Yoon Hyun's sister appeared at the coffee shop.

"Brother, what's the rush? Is there something important?" Yoon Hyun was puzzled by his sister's hurried arrival.

"Of course it's important. But I want to ask you one last time, are you really unwilling to go to a major company? Even if you can debut immediately?" Yoon Hyun's sister sat across from him, looking very serious.

"Yes, what's up? Is there a good place to go?" Yoon Hyun was intrigued.

"A friend of mine works at an entertainment company. He told me that their company will be holding trainee exams tomorrow and the day after. Because their company has never had a top singer, they are under a lot of pressure from their parent company to quickly launch one or two influential and talented singers. After I gave him your demo, he told me that you can go to their company tomorrow or the day after. If your live performance is not too bad, you should get a decent artist contract from their company." Yoon Hyun's sister looked very serious.

"Parent company? Not another subsidiary like CCM, right?" Yoon Hyun asked half-jokingly.

"Pretty much. And their parent company is even bigger than CCM's direct superior. Do you know SK?" Yoon Hyun's sister looked a bit proud.

"That's a huge company! Why don't they have any decent artists?" Yoon Hyun was puzzled.

"Their company has always focused on distribution. They are one of the largest distribution companies in the industry and have not done much with artists. I don't know why they suddenly started recruiting trainees." Yoon Hyun's sister was also puzzled.

"Did your friend not tell you why?" Yoon Hyun's eyes flickered.

Yoon Hyun's sister shook her head.

"This company must have been acquired by SK, right? I don't believe SK would have the patience to build such a large distribution company." Yoon Hyun thought aloud.

"That's right. It was probably in 2005. I remember my friend was very excited, saying he had found a big backer." Yoon Hyun's sister nodded.

"That's it. After two years, SK should have a good understanding of the industry... what's next? Vertical or horizontal development..."

"Brother, what are you talking about?" Yoon Hyun's sister was confused.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking. If I were in SK's decision-making layer, I would be considering whether to seize online music download resources or to build a star system for future industry layout." Yoon Hyun seemed to return to his previous life, where he used to pontificate about a major company's industry development on forums.

"Then do both." Yoon Hyun's sister, not understanding what he was saying, replied indifferently.

"Right! Do both. It usually takes two years for a star to become a big hit. During this period, they can recruit trainees for backup resources and use their mobile terminal monopoly to develop a platform for online music resources to test their star-making ability... it's a win-win situation!" Yoon Hyun's eyes lit up.

"Are you sure you want to try it, brother?" Yoon Hyun's sister saw his eager expression and understood his thoughts.

"Of course, sister. If I let such a good opportunity slip through my fingers, I might as well give up on my dream of becoming a star and go back to school." Yoon Hyun smiled.

So the next day, Yoon Hyun appeared at the trainee selection site of a company called LOEN Entertainment.

Perhaps because this company was not well-known for training stars, or because it was already too late to find talented trainees after the major companies had already picked the best, finding a few talented children was like finding a grain of gold in a sea of sand. So Yoon Hyun did not see anyone who looked particularly promising at the site...

"Little girl, are you nervous?" After filling out the application form and receiving his interview number, Yoon Hyun waited in the waiting room for his turn. Then he saw a little girl muttering to herself. She looked like a middle school student and was alone, so he approached her.

"Um... no... no... not nervous." The little girl's eyes darted around, and she could hardly speak.

"You say you're not nervous, but your tongue is all tied up." Yoon Hyun smiled warmly, trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

"...Sorry." The little girl said, sounding a bit hurt.

"Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong!" Yoon Hyun laughed, finding the little girl very cute.

"Are you here for the interview too, uncle?" The little girl saw Yoon Hyun's sunny smile and seemed to feel more at ease.

"Yes, little girl, you're very brave to come here alone." Yoon Hyun saw the little girl's expression relax and praised her.

"This isn't my first interview. I've been to many companies, S.M, YG, DSP..." The little girl, who was initially proud, looked downcast.

Yoon Hyun suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for the cute little girl, especially when he saw a nervous girl, whose lips were trembling, smile at him and then have that smile immediately clouded over.

It was a kind of desecration and destruction of beauty.

"It's okay, little girl. Those big company people are too rigid and don't know how to appreciate. One day they will all regret it!" Yoon Hyun gently patted the little girl's head. "We've been talking for a while, but I don't even know your name!"

"Oh, sorry, uncle," the little girl put away her sadness and bowed seriously, "My name is Lee Ji-eun, and I was born in 1993. Please take care of me."

"Okay," Yoon Hyun also bowed seriously and said, "Hello, Lee Ji-eun. My name is Yoon Hyun, and I was born in 1987, so don't call me uncle anymore. Call me oppa." In his mind, he thought of the fierce face of Park Ji-yeon, also born in 1993. What a difference between people! If Park Ji-yeon were half as well-behaved and sensible, it would be great!

"Okay, Yoon Hyun oppa. Thank you, I'm not nervous anymore." Lee Ji-eun smiled.

"Why do you keep trying to become a trainee?" Yoon Hyun asked, but he could see that her small fists were still clenched.

"Because I really like the feeling of singing on stage for others." Lee Ji-eun said. Although her words were firm, her tone was a bit weak.

"Okay!" In the short time Yoon Hyun talked to Lee Ji-eun, he could hear some unique qualities in her voice. This feeling came from his scientific management of his own voice, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"There's still some time before the exam starts," Yoon Hyun looked at his watch; there was about an hour before the exam started. "Why don't you sing a song for me?"

"Now? Here?" Lee Ji-eun looked a bit hesitant.

"There's no one over there, let's go there." Yoon Hyun also looked around at the slowly gathering crowd.

"Is that okay?" Lee Ji-eun was either shy or for some other reason.

"Just sing a little quieter. Pretend I'm the interviewer." Yoon Hyun encouraged her.

"Do you not need to rest and prepare, Yoon Hyun oppa?" Lee Ji-eun tried to change the subject.

"I'm just here to go through the motions." Yoon Hyun said casually, "If everything goes well, I should be debuting and releasing an album soon!"

"Really, Yoon Hyun oppa?" Lee Ji-eun was excited and a bit envious.

"So, let me hear you sing. It won't do any harm, and I might be able to give you some advice." Yoon Hyun put on a senior's demeanor.

Lee Ji-eun thought for a moment, nodded, and started singing softly.

It was a song by Baek Ji-young, "Love Is Beautiful," who had a great comeback last year.

Yoon Hyun was initially smiling as he listened, but as the song went on, his smile faded.

Lee Ji-eun naturally saw the change in Yoon Hyun's expression and, feeling nervous, her voice became quieter and she slowly stopped.

"Oppa, I'm sorry..." Lee Ji-eun bowed, looking a bit hurt.

"Have you heard the original version of Park Hyo-shin's 'Snow Flower' and the Japanese version by Nakashima Mika?" Yoon Hyun asked.

"Yes, it's very good, and I like the song a lot." Lee Ji-eun felt a bit more at ease since Yoon Hyun didn't scold her like her teachers.

"Can you sing it?" Yoon Hyun asked.

"Japanese... I've learned a bit, but I'm not very good at it." Lee Ji-eun said shyly.

"Can you sing Park Hyo-shin's version?" Yoon Hyun asked.

"Yes, I can." Lee Ji-eun nodded, "Do you want me to sing it, oppa?"

Yoon Hyun nodded.

Lee Ji-eun took a moment to prepare and then started singing softly.

"Stop." Yoon Hyun interrupted her, frowning and gesturing.

Lee Ji-eun looked very anxious.

"Try singing the song a key higher. Do you understand what raising a key means?" Yoon Hyun asked.

Lee Ji-eun nodded. Yoon Hyun's serious attitude also made her more focused.

It took Lee Ji-eun about half a minute to find the right key and start singing again. After just two lines, Yoon Hyun interrupted her again, asking her to raise the key by half.

When Lee Ji-eun started singing for the third time, Yoon Hyun's frown finally relaxed.

So this is where the girl's talent lies!

When Lee Ji-eun finished the ** part with some effort, Yoon Hyun smiled and clapped, interrupting her. Although her talent was indeed very good, and the powerful high notes from her small body were impressive, her breathing was... very messy.

"Sing this song in the interview, but only raise the key by one. Raising it by one and a half is still a bit difficult for you now." Yoon Hyun thought