Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

He had heard the term 'producer's pick' before.

Hadn't it once been a subject that caused quite a stir among humans?

It referred to a producer favoring certain contestants due to connections with their agencies and the like, and Soyuseong was clearly not one of those favored contestants.

Considering how he had been completely edited out of Catch One, wouldn't it be more accurate to say he had been one of the victims?

Judging by Pyo Junseong's reaction, that much was certain.

It could also be interpreted as, 'Are you sure you'll be okay? Are you fine with being maliciously edited or completely cut out again this time?'

Perhaps they were simply looking for someone they could exploit once for content and then discard.

“...Yes... Still, I can't just throw away the opportunity you've given me. I'll do my best.”

Not that there was much he could do about it anyway.

- I'm glad to hear you say that. It's a relief, too...

As though his worries had been unnecessary, there was no such implication in Junseong's tone.

Whatever the producer's intentions might be, Junseong was surely speaking out of pure goodwill.

Junseong explained the filming scheduled for two weeks later and ended the call.

Only after putting down his phone did the weight of the reality he would have to shoulder finally sink in.

He had no agency,

And since it had been so long since he had quit being a trainee, his body would surely be stiff.

On top of that, the one inside this body was a fox who had merely kept up with the changing times,

And had lived a life far removed from the world of idols.

'...No, wait. Just how many years have I lived? Something like this will be a piece of cake.'

He might lack experience, but he certainly didn't lack guts.

Besides, he knew everything he needed to know!

Just how much of a modern young person am I!

His eyes widened with determination.

The first thing he needed to prepare was his evaluation song.

He had never danced an idol choreography before, but this body should remember something.

Choosing something that felt familiar, even unconsciously, would make it easier to learn.

He immediately began cramming.

He went through everything, from clips of the program Yuseong had appeared on to the playlist saved on his phone.

The song that sounded familiar was the evaluation song from Catch One, but using the exact same song again would be difficult.

It might allow him to show how much he had improved... but what mattered was making a decisive move.

He needed to sufficiently showcase his charm.

As he continued pondering, his finger stopped over a particular song.

Huh.

He went back to the beginning and listened to each section repeatedly.

It wasn't so much that he liked it, but rather that it felt far more familiar than any other song he had heard so far.

This must be a song Soyuseong has practiced before...!

He hurriedly searched for the music video and played it.

NEO 7's <​RULE>.

It was a song released ten years ago.

'It's an old song, but it's not bad. The atmosphere, too... might suit this face rather well.'

It took him exactly three seconds to finalize his choice.

He failed to notice that one of the fingers supporting his phone had twitched.

Two weeks passed after that.

He spent three days memorizing the choreography and song, then devoted the remaining time to improving his performance.

Of course, he also spared no time or effort in learning about the entertainment industry in preparation for what lay ahead, taking care of himself,

And becoming accustomed to Soyuseong's life.

Since he couldn't keep struggling away in his semi-basement room, he had incurred another unexpected expense by renting a practice room downtown, but it had been money well spent, without any waste.

There was even visible proof of that.

[Dance A+]

His dance stat had risen by one grade.

It was proof that his stiff body had loosened up.

Even if his vocal ability remained unchanged, he should be able to deliver a decent performance.

'For now... at least.'

He took a deep breath.

The smell of damp air from the unseasonable rain filled his lungs.

He was now standing at the studio where 'Play ON' would be filmed.

Clatter, clatter. Dragging a bulky, heavy suitcase, he slowly entered through the entrance.

____________

Meanwhile, cameras had been busily rolling in one corner of the studio since early morning.

A young-faced trainee unloading luggage from a car with his parents was captured on camera.

Three trainees holding hands and jumping excitedly in unison while shouting the program's title were filmed as well.

'I'm so tired I can't even focus on anything, seriously...'

A woman with dark circles beneath her eyes stood with her hands on her hips, closely watching the trainees being filmed.

The staff ID hanging around her neck swayed slightly in the wind.

“Writer!”

She turned at the sound of someone calling from behind.

It was a cameraman.

His finger urgently pointed toward the back.

As she turned around, asking, What? What is it? her movements abruptly froze.

“...Oh.”

There stood a contestant.

He had raised his head and was looking somewhere, but where his gaze was directed wasn't important.

All she could see was his handsome face.

His small face held delicately arranged, well-proportioned features that combined elegance with striking beauty.

The mole beneath his eye was truly the finishing touch.

She immediately understood what it meant when people said a single person's beauty could bring down an entire nation.

Even the simple act of him blinking seemed to happen in slow motion.

When he turned his head, even the wind seemed to blow more slowly.

It felt as though he had captivated the very air around him.

The cherry blossoms of April, already nearing the end of their season, burst into full bloom,

And she found herself lost in a fantasy of petals fluttering through the air amid the fragrance of flowers, her mouth hanging open.

If she had to describe it, it was as though...

All the stress she had accumulated from the producer who had been shouting at and pressuring her until the previous day had vanished in an instant.

Literally... an eye-opening revelation!

'Who... who was he again? There's no way I'd forget a face like that....Ah!'

Only belatedly did she remember hearing that the assistant director had brought in a trainee he knew.

Soyuseong!

Since they hadn't conducted preliminary interviews with the additional recruits, she had never met him in person and had almost failed to recognize him.

She had looked up his information separately because the assistant director had particularly emphasized him, but...

...Had he always given off this kind of impression?

He was a man for whom the expression 'bewitching people' seemed perfectly suited.

Simply meeting his eyes for a moment made her want to promise him eternity...

She had worked in broadcasting for years, but this was her first time experiencing anything like it.

'Then again, I can't think of any better expression... I could use it as his catchphrase. He has a somewhat fox-like image... His looks give off that impression, too. Mysterious...'

Like a nine-tailed fox, perhaps?

Perfect.

Having quickly made up her mind, she strode straight ahead, ignoring whatever anyone behind her might have been saying.

As though he were the only person she could see.

Yuseong greeted the woman who stopped in front of him with a refreshing smile.

“Hello, I'm...”

“Could you walk over here again from that direction?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. Understood.”

Despite her sudden request without even returning his greeting, he showed no confusion and obediently turned around.

The cameraman behind her hurriedly followed and kept him within the frame.

When she gave the signal, his long, slender legs began moving toward them.

He wore an ordinary jacket and jeans.

Why was someone who was doing nothing more than walking shining so dazzlingly...?

And it wasn't just about his appearance.

The star quality radiating from his very aura.

He's a real find. A genuine find.

If only his skills are at least above average, he'll be perfect.

The writer silently prayed as she gestured toward him.

“Yes, that's good. Now look here and say a few words. Something like 'Fighting!'”

“...I'll do my best. Fighting!”

When he lightly raised a clenched fist, she couldn't help smiling with satisfaction and hurriedly sent Yuseong on his way.

“...Wasn't he someone we could've skipped?”

The cameraman asked in a puzzled tone as she let out a refreshing breath.

“No, as long as I make sure to film the kids the producer specifically told us to, I'm free to do whatever I want with the rest, so it's fine. Honestly, just now, there was no way I couldn't film-”

“No... I'm saying that the kid the producer told us to film already passed by over there earlier.”

“Who?”

“Seong Iseong. The producer told us to make sure he gets plenty of screen time, remember? That's why I called out when he arrived over there earlier, but you just kept looking somewhere else... Wait, why didn't he wait and just leave?”

Ah, right.

With so many people watching, she couldn't openly voice her dissatisfaction, so instead she irritably ruffled her innocent hair.

Who the hell is that damned producer trying to push this time?!

But since she was thoroughly at the bottom of the hierarchy under him, she had no choice but to silently obey.

Otherwise, there would be another uproar.

Producer Cheon Jinmyeong.

There had already been repeated controversies over his alleged manipulation of audition programs, along with an endless stream of internal accusations about his abuse of power.

Nevertheless, the damned man was so good at pulling in ratings that he had never once been punished, and lately he had been especially on edge.

He was someone who looked down on his staff even when left alone, but now he was acting even more deranged.

There were so many possible reasons for his behavior that she couldn't even guess which one it was.

Was it because of the boycott campaign circulating on social media, calling for the abusive producer to be removed and for consumers to boycott products from companies advertising on Play ON?

Was it anxiety over not knowing when another exposé might surface?

Or perhaps...

No, he wasn't the kind of person who would care about those reactions or bother watching his step.

Neither he nor the program would suffer any damage anyway.

The world was vast, and there were plenty of consumers.

Countless people would watch something as long as it was entertaining, as though controversies surrounding the producer or whatever went on behind the scenes were none of their concern.

So this time, too, everything would pass without any problems.

The only ones who would suffer were those who opposed him...

She watched Yuseong's retreating figure disappear into the distance, her eyes filled with lingering regret.

As though worried about a future that might be swept away by a storm, she wished him good luck.

_____________

“Yes, I watched your performance. First of all... yes. But did you stop singing in the middle because you forgot the lyrics?”

A cold, composed voice echoed throughout the venue through the microphone.

The trainee standing onstage forced the corners of his mouth upward, hiding his trembling breaths.

“My throat suddenly tightened up...”

“I understand... You do know that managing your nerves is important too, right?”

The atmosphere was truly like walking on thin ice.

After all the trainees had entered and filming had begun,

The initially entertaining atmosphere had turned strangely tense and intimidating the moment the first grade evaluations started.

Normally, the production should have created a warm atmosphere through appropriate reactions and words of encouragement from the mentors seated at the judges' table.

“Ma Rubin, trainee... D.”

But one of the reasons it had failed to turn out that way was this man, who announced the grades in a subdued voice.

Having started at a major entertainment agency, he had accumulated significant achievements that sent ripples through the K-pop market,

And was a great contributor responsible for creating numerous hit songs representing South Korea-

He was also a famous producer who had served as a mentor on Catch One.

Seated beside him were a dancer, a singer who had formerly been an idol, and a rapper.

The other mentors comforted the discouraged trainee with kind words praising his efforts.

Here, the producer's role was to wield the merciless whip.

While the others alternated between carrots and sticks, he firmly stuck to using only the whip.

It wasn't something the producer of the show had instructed him to do for dramatic effect.

Part of it was simply his natural personality, but more importantly...

'The idol industry keeps growing by the day, but there's no talent... They're all more or less the same, and even their appearances are indistinguishable...'

He genuinely disliked the trainees who came onto the stage.

He was also famous for having exceptionally high standards.

After evaluating five more trainees.

“Hmm?”

Before the next contestant's turn arrived, he opened the documents and spotted a familiar name, causing him to straighten up in his chair.

At the same time, the words 'Independent Trainee' appeared on the large screen in front.

A tall, handsome man holding a handheld microphone strode toward the center.

“Hello, my name is Soyuseong. I look forward to working with you.”

A contestant on Catch Your One, eliminated in the first round.

Yet he had no memory of him.

“Soyuseong... We've met before, haven't we?”

“Yes, we met at another audition three years ago. Thank you for remembering me.”

Even though he had only pretended to recognize him, the trainee answered with visible delight.

The producer indifferently scratched the tip of his nose. Only the writing on the documents was reflected in his sunglasses.

I don't have particularly high expectations.

Even if he turned out to be good, he had no intention of giving him an A.

Although he generally had the freedom to assign trainees their grades, the list of those who would receive an A had already been decided.

And 'Soyuseong' was not on it.

“Please begin.”

A brief exchange of signals followed.

Yuseong bowed, stepped back slightly, and took his position as the introduction began playing.

- Oh, oh...

'It suits his image... and his voice.'

The intro was filled with lightly breathy ad-libs.

Punchy beats steadily layered over a heavy bassline.

At the familiar sound, some of the people seated in the audience began nodding their heads to the rhythm.

'Though it won't be easy to pull off.'

This song was the title track from a full-length album that had brought the group NEO 7 to the peak of their career.

With its addictive melody and high level of polish, it was a song familiar to the public. However, it was somewhat unsuitable as an evaluation song, so few contestants chose it.

The reason was clear.

It was an excellent song for showcasing performance skills, but it also contained many difficult sections, making the risks considerable.

Literally a gamble.

It was all or nothing...

Or at least, it should have been...?

'...What the hell...?'

What on earth was happening right now?