Chapter 57

I recalled a story I heard from Li Hyuk not long ago.

"At first, I didn't know who he was. But when I thought about it, his face came to mind. When we met before, he was younger, so his face looked a bit different now."

Li Hyuk said that before joining Lemon Entertainment, he was a trainee at Woollim Entertainment.

Woollim Entertainment.

One of the five medium-sized agencies that conducts annual year-end evaluations with DNS and Lemon, it is known in the industry as a solid company.

Its specialty is vocals.

Unlike other agencies that prioritize dance performances, Woollim is an agency specialized in nurturing singers.

It's like a middle ground between idols and singers.

Many of the singers who come out of Woollim are not idols but have an idol-like feel, such as the popular four-member vocal group 'Playlist' known for their good looks.

It was natural for Li Hyuk, who was weak in dance, to join Woollim.

"Do you remember? I told you that I failed the audition at Hwa Entertainment because they made me dance first. After that, I tried other agencies, but I kept failing because of my dancing. I had no choice."

Of course, the company officials, upon seeing our monster vocalist, printed out a contract even before the audition was over.

That's how Li Hyuk became a trainee.

Everything went smoothly, he said.

Thanks to his overwhelming vocal skills, he was at a level where he could debut immediately, and the company people liked him.

The problem was that Li Hyuk didn't like it there.

"Well, every company has a different atmosphere, but there, the junior development team employees would rough up the trainees. If they told you to lie down, you had to lie down."

Li Hyuk said this with a look of disgust.

"The problem was that there was a guy named 'Sato' among the junior development team employees."

"Sato?"

"He was called 'Sato' because he was a fool on the 4th floor. Anyway, there was a guy who was very close with the trainees. He would favor those who were close to him and treat those who didn't get along with him harshly."

"Was it okay for you?"

"Was it okay? They were desperate to eat me alive. But since the CEO liked me, they couldn't touch me."

It felt like they would leave the top student alone no matter what.

"Anyway, it was really bad. The smart kids would stick to that guy and flatter him, and the trainees would form factions. I think I and Yoon Giwon were the only ones who went around alone."

"Did you know each other before?"

"No, we never even spoke a word."

Li Hyuk said that even back then, he was his own way, and Yoon Giwon was a trainee who didn't stand out much.

At most, he was seen as a timid kid.

"But when the upper management was causing trouble, the trainees would build up stress with no way to release it."

"You let it out on him."

"That's how it seemed. I didn't pay much attention, so I didn't know what was going on."

I could guess the atmosphere.

When people are in a stressful situation, they usually look for someone to vent their frustrations on.

It seems that the youngest and weakest trainee was the target there.

"That was when the debut group was being selected. I was almost certain to be in it. I was already halfway through my debut preparations, so I was just focusing on my own work..."

As the complaints piled up.

The incident happened on a day like any other.

Li Hyuk, who went to the practice room for after-school practice, saw a strange scene.

A child was doing push-ups in a corner of the practice room.

He was so exhausted that his limbs were visibly trembling.

The sweat from the child had pooled on the practice room floor.

What was even more ridiculous was that the company employees and trainees were eating snacks and playing next to him.

"It was so ridiculous. So I asked, 'Why is he being punished?' But the answer was ridiculous."

"What did they say?"

"Just because. Just because. When I heard that, I got really angry. So..."

"You fought."

"We had a big fight. I don't know why I did it, but I just got angry."

Li Hyuk said he was fired from the contract that day.

"That's it. Honestly, it was a long time ago, and if they hadn't mentioned it first, I wouldn't have remembered."

"But he must have been grateful and remembered you."

"Now? Even when everyone else was giving testimony against me, he kept his mouth shut."

"Hey, what do you expect from a middle schooler?"

"I was a middle schooler too back then?"

I asked Li Hyuk, who narrowed his eyes.

"So, what about the other trainees? What happened to them?"

"Well, I heard that the employee was fired not long after, but the others probably all debuted. Playlist was the group that was eating snacks back then."

Playlist.

I stored the name in my memory, noting that I should be careful with it, when Li Hyuk shook his head and said,

"Anyway, my philosophy is that there's no point in being kind to others. In the end, it only hurts me."

Li Hyuk's calm expression looked somewhat lonely.

* * *

As I recalled the story I heard last Sunday, Li Hyuk tapped the floor of the studio with his foot.

"So, I don't really know. I've never relied on anyone or been a source of support. I don't really know what that feels like."

Indeed, thinking about his past, I hadn't seen Li Hyuk confide in or rely on anyone.

"What about Jiho?"

"Are you serious?"

"Don't look at me with that contemptuous expression. I'm hurt."

"I'm asking you honestly, does Wang Jiho seem like he relies on me?"

It didn't take a second to answer.

"No."

"See? It's ridiculous to think that sly kid would rely on me."

"Jiho is sly? Isn't he really clueless?"

"I've known him for almost three years. He just pretends to be a fool on the outside, but he has all sorts of schemes on the inside."

"I don't know about that."

Well, one thing is certain.

Jiho doesn't rely on Li Hyuk.

He seems to think of him as just a fun older brother to hang out with.

Our kids only rely on me when they're in trouble or in danger; otherwise, they're quite independent.

"Hmm..."

This is a headache.

"Li Hyuk."

"What?"

"If I had known this would happen, I should have talked to you earlier. You come here three days before the song is finished and cause trouble."

"Don't say that. I thought it would be fine at the time."

I glared at the kid, who was blushing and arguing, and fell into thought.

What should I do?

Should I change the song now, treating it as a promotional track for the album?

No, no.

If I do that, I'll have to rearrange it.

Our single album has four songs, all sung by five people, so I have to consider part distribution, and I also have to handle Jung-hyun's rap part.

I thought about using 'Something' as a filler, but it was negative.

People were already tired of hearing it, and most importantly, Jang So-won, the DJ, would notice.

She would immediately know how poorly prepared the song was.

Given Jang So-won's professional attitude, I might get a good scolding after the schedule ends.

I don't want to disappoint people who like us.

After thinking about various things, I concluded that we should stick with the current song, 'Night Sea.'

Misunderstanding my silent, thoughtful expression, Li Hyuk said,

"I'm sorry. It's because of me."

"No, I can't blame you for this."

You can't blame him for growing up in such an environment, having never had such an experience since childhood.

"Maybe watching a movie with a similar theme would help."

"Movies? They make my eyes hurt."

"You read a lot of books. How about a novel...?"

"I mostly read non-fiction. If I read literature, it's mostly essays like Walden. I don't like overly emotional stuff."

"..."

After taking a deep breath,

I gave Li Hyuk a caring smile.

"Do you hate me?"

"No, not hate, but..."

"But?"

"But, I see you in a good way."

It sounds a bit awkward, but let's move on.

Looking at the 18-year-old who dislikes this and that, I fell into thought and finally found a solution.

"Then, let's set aside the warmth and everything else, and try to feel a similar emotion. When I wrote 'Night Sea,' I felt gratitude. Let's focus on that."

"Gratitude?"

"Yes, you must have someone you're grateful to, right?"

"Hmm..."

Surely, there must be someone.

The chair creaked as it turned, and the white sneakers tapped the floor, reflecting his thoughts.

Who is he thinking of?

I suddenly wondered.

Various emotions flashed across his pale, expressionless face.

For a moment, a faint smile even lingered on his lips.

Li Hyuk answered readily.

"Yes, there is someone I'm grateful to."

"Who?"

"Do I have to say? Isn't that a privacy issue?"

"Fine. I won't ask because it's cheap."

I chuckled and looked at the sheet music of 'Night Sea' on the laptop screen.

"Shall we use that as a base and practice?"

"Sure."

I smiled back at the kid, who finally smiled.

* * *

Finally, the big day arrived.