Chapter 5

005. To get a better hand.

A deep, mellow voice filled the classroom.

The moment the pleasant voice echoed, the scattered eyes gathered in an instant.

'What is it?'

They exchanged surprised glances, their mouths agape.

'Was what Maeun-yul said really true?'

The two high school girls sitting in front of Yun Jeong-ho poked each other, unable to hide their surprise.

Yun Jeong-ho looked as if he had seen something wrong, his eyes squinting.

His frowning gaze never left Do-woong.

Maeun-yul, sitting somewhere in the middle, smiled and looked at Do-woong.

'So, that steady voice. I didn't hear it wrong.'

The balance of air and sound.

Controlling it was the most basic and the most difficult task.

There was a limit to how much one could improve, no matter how much they practiced—a matter of talent.

'And it's even better than last time.'

There were no special techniques, but

from Maeun-yul's perspective, Do-woong had a very solid foundation.

Finally, the song ended.

For a long time, silence enveloped the entire classroom.

Feeling no reaction from the audience, Do-woong felt a slight unease.

'Maybe it wasn't good.'

He had been too confident with just a near-fifty percent completion rate.

Just as his unease was about to turn into disappointment,

-Clang

A bright yellow star appeared above the social studies teacher's head.

Then the children started clapping one after another.

A much louder sound filled the space, more resounding than before.

With it,

"Wow!"

"Amazing!!"

"Totally gave me goosebumps."

"Really good!"

The children poured out their excited impressions.

-Clang Clang Clang

Out of 25 students, a total of 11 stars rained down on Do-woong.

It was almost half the number of students in the classroom.

**

"Alright, as promised, I'll end class five minutes early today."

"Yay~~!!"

Thanks to Do-woong, the social studies teacher left the classroom early, and

a few children were waiting for a chance to talk to Do-woong.

But Do-woong, unaware of these gazes,

was brushing his chest, feeling dazed.

His first unofficial stage.

The heat in Do-woong's chest had not yet subsided.

Then a lollipop landed on his desk with a tap.

"Sorry, Do-woong. I made you sing suddenly."

It was Maeun-yul, the muse of Hanje High School.

Maeun-yul's expression, as she apologized, did not seem malicious.

"I happened to hear you sing well at the karaoke place the other day."

Do-woong finally recalled the memory of meeting Maeun-yul in front of the karaoke place last time.

While recalling the memory and momentarily letting his guard down,

Maeun-yul probed his curiosity.

"But you sing so well, why do you hide it?"

"Hide it?"

"I've never seen you take the lead in singing since middle school. With that level of skill, I would have heard some rumors."

Unable to speak the truth, Do-woong thought for a moment about how to respond.

But Maeun-yul's patience ran out first.

"Or do you have a secret you can't talk about?"

For a moment, unmistakable interest flickered in Maeun-yul's eyes.

Realizing that this question was the main point, Do-woong hesitated.

Maeun-yul, who was overflowing with talent but had no interest in that path,

was a character Do-woong, who desperately wanted talent, could never understand.

But he could guess that there was some reason behind it.

'But why is the great Maeun-yul interested in my singing?'

The star that appeared above Maeun-yul's head at the karaoke place,

and her recommendation of Do-woong as a good singer during the class.

It was clear that the muse of Hanje High School, Maeun-yul, was interested in Do-woong's singing.

**

For the past few days, he had sung once in almost every class.

Eventually, Do-woong even went to the music room.

"How good can he be to cause such a fuss? I want to see for myself."

The music teacher, known for being single and sharp-tongued, responded in a rough manner.

Her nickname was Wangsapo, and coincidentally, her last name was Wang.

Wangsapo crossed her arms and waited for Do-woong to start singing.

'Just be bad, you guys. I'll really scold you for interrupting the class...!'

Then the lyrics flowed from Do-woong's mouth.

This time, it was a sentimental love song.

While not boasting an extraordinary vocal range, the simple and steady voice made the lyrics particularly touching.

The music teacher was already captivated by the simple charm.

As soon as the song ended, she made a bombshell announcement.

"Nam Do-woong? Why did you hide such talent until now? Your singing was so good, I'd like to ask you to sing at my wedding."

"Hahaha"

The moment Wangsapo mentioned the word "wedding,"

the children laughed loudly, thinking it was a joke.

"Why are you laughing, you brats!"

But the music teacher, her face flushed, got angry.

Only Do-woong, who came from the future, knew that she was really getting married.

During the break,

several children, regardless of gender, approached Do-woong.

Do-woong's seat had become much busier lately.

But he himself was struggling to adapt to this sudden change.

"Do-woong, your voice was really good when you sang."

"Yeah, even Wangsapo was completely captivated."

"I personally liked the song you sang today the most."

"Me too, me too. The lyrics were especially clear and nice to hear."

They say that those who have tasted meat eat better.

With such continuous praise, it was impossible for Do-woong, who was nearly thirty, to adapt quickly.

The once invisible Do-woong had instantly become a popular figure in the classroom.

Amid the warm atmosphere with the surrounding crowd,

a slanted silhouette cast a dark shadow.

"Nam Do-woong? I heard you sing well just now?"

It was Yun Jeong-ho, standing with one leg crossed, his tall figure looming.

This was finally the moment when Yun Jeong-ho properly said Do-woong's name,

but Do-woong didn't notice, as he was now called by many.

Still, to return a polite greeting,

"Ah, thanks,"

"However,"

Yun Jeong-ho cut him off.

"Your song was too boring. No vibrato or anything."

And he spoke in a tone that clearly seemed to be giving advice.

There was no doubt that it was laced with a bit of sarcasm.

The warm atmosphere was instantly dampened, as if cold water had been poured over it.

The friends standing around froze, watching the two of them.

"I'm preparing for an idol audition. Did that bother you? I was just trying to give some friendly advice."

Idol.

The interesting word drew the attention of children from a distance.

'Idol, idol.'

"Didn't you know? He's also receiving vocal training."

"His uncle is the CEO of a production company, and he's auditioning to join a major agency."

"Oh, he's quite the hardworking delinquent."

Yun Jeong-ho's facial muscles twitched.

The word 'delinquent' had reached his ears.

But he decided to overlook it, as the children's attention was on him.

Then Do-woong's voice cut through the air.

"Thanks for the advice. I also dream of becoming a singer."

His tone was firm, and there was a hint of ease in it.

To the current Do-woong, this child's jealousy was endearing.

To his classmates, Do-woong had always been a semi-transparent presence, barely noticeable.

But now, Do-woong was radiating a bright, distinct color.

Yun Jeong-ho, at a loss for words at the unexpected response, frowned.

Then excited reactions burst out from the surrounding crowd.

"Wow, you dream of being a singer?"

"Oh, that makes sense!!"

"You have a good chance, I think."

"I'll support you!"

The fact that Do-woong's dream was to be a singer.

Thanks to this hot topic, the cold atmosphere melted away instantly.

One girl even jumped around, slapping Do-woong's arm.

The entire classroom was buzzing, without a doubt.

Watching the scene from a distance, Maeun-yul smiled faintly.

She had discovered something in Do-woong that she herself did not have.

Dream. To Maeun-yul, it was like the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden.

The forbidden fruit she held but did not bite.

Yet, Do-woong was saying he would definitely eat it.

**

-Thump Thump Thump Thump

"Hey, Nam Do-woong! Nam Do-woong! Nam Do-woong! Nam Do-woong!"

A familiar voice echoed through the hallway.

With a thunderous sound that shook the floor,

Hyung-sik was running towards Do-woong with his bulky body.

"What is it?"

"Hey, you. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you dream of being a singer."

The news had spread further than expected.

It didn't matter, but he suspected Maeun-yul's friends.

He had seen them whispering and pointing at Do-woong when students from other classes came.

Hyung-sik, still excited, continued.

"You know, I'm the invisible one in our class."

"I know."

"But recently, a few people have been asking about you. If we're close."

"So what?"

"Of course, I said we're not close."

You little brat, Do-woong thought.

But he nodded in agreement when he heard the next words.

"Why would they look for you? Unless they're trying to extort something."

Hyung-sik found it suspicious that someone who was once invisible like Do-woong was being sought out.

So, in a way, he was protecting Do-woong by lying.

It was a very reasonable and rational response, he thought.

Still panting, Hyung-sik asked,

"So, are you going to audition now?"

"No. I want to build my skills first."

"Why? Last time, you seemed good enough to join an idol group, except for your looks."

Isn't that a big flaw?

Anyway, Do-woong was training with Mega Play,

but it was also possible to train with other agencies.

This was Do-woong's unique advantage,

and he had no intention of missing this opportunity.

However, to get a better hand, he needed to wait for the right time.

Finally, Hyung-sik, who had caught his breath, brought up an unexpected topic.

"That's great. Then I'll be your manager."

"What? Why you?"

"I told you, people are asking about you. That means I'm destined to be your manager."

"Stop talking nonsense, why really?"

To Do-woong, Hyung-sik's reaction was absurd.

A guy who had never shown interest in the entertainment industry,

was now being so proactive.

Hyung-sik hesitated to answer, his mouth heavy.

Only when Do-woong pressed him did he reveal his true thoughts.

"With your talent, you'll definitely debut, and then I can see Girls' Room up close."

'Oh my.'

Girls' Room was a rising female idol group at the time.

They mainly performed with a fairy-like concept.

Hyung-sik, his closest friend, was a fan of idols, which Do-woong had never known.

Everyone seemed to have a secret they kept to themselves.

"You said your dream was to be a singer? My dream is to see Girls' Room up close."

After 28 years, they finally shared their dreams.

Is there really a big or small dream?

From Hyung-sik's serious expression, Do-woong could see his sincerity.

1. 2W Entertainment

2. TSP Entertainment

3. M& Entertainment

...

Upon arriving home, Do-woong organized a list of agencies.

He marked an X next to the agencies where he had failed auditions.

"Wow, I've been rejected a lot."

Including the agencies that didn't respond, the X marks lined up densely.

Do-woong wanted to applaud himself for his relentless efforts despite his lack of talent.

There were over a hundred agencies for singers and idols.

To receive realistic care and support, he would eventually need to join an agency.

But agencies had different levels,

and not all trainees were the same.

"If I'm going to join, I should aim for a higher level, one that can really push me."

There was a risk of getting stuck and wasting precious time.

For now, he planned to focus on Mega Play's training,

and after improving his value, find a solid agency.

"Still, how far can I go at this level?"

With the stars from half his classmates and their enthusiastic reactions, he felt a bit more confident.

The mouse pointer swept up from the bottom of the list.

It hovered around the mid-level agencies.

"Why don't you try an audition?"

To check his objective skills,

Do-woong decided to audition for a few mid-level agencies.

These were places he could only dream of before.

**

"If I get caught by my brother, I'm really dead."

In a deserted field,

Hyung-sik, with an expensive DSLR around his neck, said solemnly.

"I can handle it, just pose."

"I'll take the blame, so just pose."

It seemed Hyung-sik was determined to be Do-woong's manager.

When Do-woong casually mentioned practicing for auditions, Hyung-sik eagerly offered to help with the profile photos.

Hyung-sik, holding his brother's DSLR, took photos of Do-woong in various poses, like a professional photographer.

His unusually high tension seemed to be due to having a goal.

"I've sent them all."

With Hyung-sik's help, he completed the video shooting and

submitted emails to ten mid-level agencies.

If the first round of document reviews passed, he could proceed to the second round of practical tests.

Previously, he had often not even received a response at this stage.

Though he had intended to audition lightly, his fingers trembled as he checked the new emails.

And when he opened his inbox,

"What is this...?"

The unexpected results left Do-woong in disbelief.