Chapter 9

009. You'll see when you come and look.

Do-woong greeted politely.

"Hello, senior."

"Hmm... Who are you?"

"I'm Nam Do-woong, a junior who admires you, senior."

'To think such a big shot was right in front of me. Maybe this is a better opportunity.'

The stage he could immediately stand on from this festival.

And the chance to build a friendship with a future famous guitarist.

It was an even more tempting condition.

**

After the dismissal, the children went their separate ways.

Ma Eun-yul also put her bag on one shoulder to head home.

As she crossed the field alone, she heard someone calling her from a distance.

"Hey, Ma Eun-yul!"

It was Jo Han-seong, the leader of Daycon.

"Hello, senior."

Ma Eun-yul nodded in greeting.

Jo Han-seong, who had run over, caught his breath and said,

"Ma Eun-yul, we're in a very difficult situation right now. Can you help us?"

"No."

Eun-yul replied bluntly in a tone that wouldn't hurt his feelings.

She knew all about Daycon's situation.

Eun-yul made her thoughts clear.

"What do I get from being in a band? I'm not even planning to be a singer."

"Then why are you participating in the festival?"

"It's just like an annual event, cooperating with the school. By the way, do you know? If you get the teachers' attention, they might give you a good score on your performance evaluation."

Ma Eun-yul smiled mischievously.

Jo Han-seong let out a helpless laugh at being refused again.

"Why are you wasting such talent? I really don't understand."

"I don't understand either. Why is the senior wasting time like this? Anyway, I'll visit Dongbang again later."

Ma Eun-yul smiled and continued on her way.

Then she paused, as if something had come to mind.

"Ah, senior. Check out Nam Do-woong. He sings well and his dream is to be a singer."

"Nam Do-woong? Why is everyone making a fuss about him?"

"You'll see when you come and look."

Eun-yul left Jo Han-seong behind and went on her way.

**

Do-woong touched the home tab that still had the NEW notification and entered his personal practice room.

With only a few stars left, he dedicated as much time as possible to practice every day,

and as a result, he achieved 22% in just a few days.

"Normally, overusing your vocal cords like this would be unthinkable."

The video's owner was known for using a strong chest voice with raw, unprocessed sound.

In other words, it was a method that put strain on the vocal cords due to the high sound pressure.

No matter how quickly he wanted to improve his singing in the real world, training like this every day could potentially damage his vocal cords.

However, because the damage wasn't reflected in the real world no matter how many hours he trained each day,

his throat, which felt like it needed a rest, would reset as soon as he left the practice room.

"When I use it in the real world, it's better to mix the vocal techniques I've learned."

Instinctively, he felt that this would allow him to sing for longer.

He thought this was why the vocal technique called the "standard" by Kang Tae-jin appeared first.

"Let's start."

He pressed the streaming button on the large screen, and the lyrics appeared.

-♬Those memories, that moment gives me life.

This training session focused on the chest voice technique,

so it only activated during the marked sections.

Do-woong tried to remember the sensations he felt while streaming the video with his own body.

'When using the chest voice, the sound definitely resonates in the head.'

He focused on the breathing sections,

and the way he pulled the sound up.

After the streaming ended, he recalled the sensations and repeated the same sections in practice.

"This isn't the right feeling. Let's try again."

Do-woong pressed the streaming button again.

**

"I got rejected?"

Yun Jeong-ho, who had just checked the results of his applications to the three major agencies,

2W, TSP, and M& Entertainment, clenched his teeth.

He had practiced while being told by his vocal teacher that he had talent,

and he had some confidence in his appearance.

His uncle, who was well-versed in the entertainment industry, had also given him a good chance,

but he was rejected from all three without mercy.

Thinking of the news he had heard recently that Nam Do-woong had been accepted somewhere, Yun Jeong-ho felt even more annoyed.

"That guy keeps getting on my nerves."

Yun Jeong-ho's parents were always busy.

So, as a child, he always craved attention.

Even when he skipped school and acted out to get their attention, nothing changed.

But with his average looks and tall stature,

Yun Jeong-ho realized he could get attention from his peers.

He didn't necessarily have to get it from his parents.

His uncle happened to be the CEO of an agency,

and as he frequented the place, he naturally discovered a way to get more attention from more people.

"I'm going to become an idol."

Debuting from a major agency was naturally closer to success than joining his uncle's small agency.

There, even as a trainee, he would have fans and receive attention from many people.

But all his plans fell through.

"This is frustrating. I didn't even apply to participate in the festival because of this. I'll become famous and get my revenge."

If he didn't like something, he would seek revenge.

This had been Yun Jeong-ho's way of thinking for a long time.

His friend, who was sitting next to him, pressed a game button and said indifferently,

"Then why don't you try this?"

There was an urgent notice posted there.

"What's this? Daycon is looking for a vocalist for the festival?"

Yun Jeong-ho roughly tore off the paper covered in clear tape and read the messy handwriting carefully.

At that moment, an image formed in Yun Jeong-ho's mind.

Spotlights shining on the stage.

His own image singing with a red guitar, exuding showmanship.

The focused attention and admiration of the girls.

'Ah~~! Yun Jeong-ho!'

'So cool~~'

And...

Nam Do-woong, feeling the overwhelming difference and being left behind.

As his imagination reached that point, a spark of excitement flashed in Yun Jeong-ho's eyes.

"Right, I should try this. I can gain more fans."

Moreover, if he gained some fame through band activities, the people who rejected him might regret it.

'If I cling to their pants, they might reconsider then.'

Yun Jeong-ho quickly became intoxicated with his grand plan.

His friend, who had just finished a game, asked him,

"Are you not going to try the auditions anymore?"

"I'll quit if they contact me. If not, I'll join my uncle's agency."

With that, Yun Jeong-ho crumpled the paper and put it in his pocket.

**

"Are you Nam Do-woong?"

Jo Han-seong, with his thick eyebrows and strong presence, came to Do-woong's desk.

'This senior is the one I saw in front of the band club before.'

Do-woong tried to assess the situation.

Other students were whispering all sorts of speculations.

It was unusual for a senior to seek out a junior.

"You can sing, right?"

Only then did some students realize why Jo Han-seong had come.

Yoo Ji-phil then entered the classroom, dragging his slippers.

Do-woong recognized him and realized these were the core members of Daycon.

"Are you interested?"

Jo Han-seong cut to the chase, asking directly.

But no one was confused by what he meant.

However, Do-woong didn't like the oppressive atmosphere.

A moment of silence followed, and Yoo Ji-phil yawned.

"He looks intimidating, but just tell us your thoughts."

Yoo Ji-phil's relaxed tone diffused the tension.

Thanks to this, the surrounding students, who had been tense, let out small sighs of relief.

Do-woong wanted to confirm one thing.

"Can I learn guitar if I join?"

"You're interested in guitar? If you want to."

Yoo Ji-phil, surprised, opened his sleepy eyes and looked at Do-woong's face.

Do-woong's face clearly showed a shallow interest.

Jo Han-seong, who had been listening, immediately got to the point.

"So, we don't know your skills yet, so we'd like you to come to the audition."

When the word "audition" was directly mentioned, some students stirred.

Yun Jeong-ho, standing at a distance, crumpled the paper in his hand.

He now understood why he had felt so annoyed whenever he saw Nam Do-woong recently.

A nuisance that was gradually stealing the attention of the students.

This was what had been bothering Yun Jeong-ho.

'I can't just let this go.'

He couldn't bear the situation where all the attention was focused on Nam Do-woong.

If he had been accepted by the three major agencies as planned, he wouldn't have needed to deal with Nam Do-woong directly,

but the rejection forced him to revise his plan.

"Hello, senior."

Yun Jeong-ho bowed deeply.

Jo Han-seong recognized his face.

A well-known figure with a striking appearance and a rebellious attitude.

"What's up? I'm sorry, but I have something to do for a moment."

"I want to audition for Daycon."

Yun Jeong-ho bluntly expressed his intention to apply.

All the students' eyes turned to him.

"I'm much better than Nam Do-woong."

And he immediately threw a direct challenge.

The students were all startled,

"Really?"

Jo Han-seong smiled with a slight twist.

"The more this happens, the more we need an audition."

He then asked Do-woong,

"What do you think?"

Thanks to this, all eyes turned to Do-woong at once.

The black eyes moving in unison were like a swarm of flies.

'The festival stage is a worthwhile attempt.'

Since there was no need to think further, Do-woong finished his calculation and answered.

"I'll go too. To the audition."

'Right, to join Daycon, you need this level of guts.'

Jo Han-seong smiled in satisfaction at Do-woong's answer.

The class was amazed, their eyes wide open.

'Wow, amazing.'

'Preparation for a singer VS preparation for an idol!! This is a big match.'

'This will be interesting.'

Their eyes kept shifting between Yun Jeong-ho and Do-woong, drawn by the sweet smell of a match that would captivate everyone.

**

On the day of the Daycon vocalist audition.

After all the classes ended, two girls ran in the direction of the Daycon club room.

To watch the big match that would take place today.

"Huff huff. We need to hurry and see Nam Do-woong sing."

"I'm more excited to hear Yun Jeong-ho sing."

"Let's hurry. We need to find a good spot to see."

"Um... but."

"What?"

"It seems we're a bit late."

Looking in the direction the girl was pointing,

the hallway in front of the club room was already packed with students.

Some students on tiptoes were peering through the high windows,

and those at the back had even brought chairs from the adjacent classroom to secure their spots.

"What? Why are there so many people?"

At first glance, there were at least fifty people,

far exceeding their expectations.

"Let's go around to the outside window."

Realizing they had no place to stand, the two girls hurriedly ran outside.