I first asked Han Si-woo how to enhance my lacking vocal ability.
“Vocal, huh? Why is Yerin suddenly worried about her singing abilities when she’s not even the main vocalist?”
“…I’m not the main vocalist, but it’s true that I get a lot of parts in the songs.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Objectively speaking, I was the most popular member in Rookies.
In the last Secret Girl song, I got a good amount of parts even when the concept didn’t really fit me, and this time in Breaking Bad!, I took the lead and got the most parts.
But despite getting a lot of parts, I didn’t have the necessary vocal ability for it.
“I feel like I’m dragging down the song quality… Can’t you tell me a way to improve my vocal skills quickly, Producer Han Si-woo?”
“…….”
Seeing my desperate expression, Hansi-woo looked at me wide-eyed and then spoke calmly.
And then….
“I like you, Yerin.”
“……Huh?”
I couldn’t help but be shocked by his words.
It felt like this had happened before…
Furrowing my brow, I leaned back a little, and Han Si-woo waved his hands, hurriedly explaining.
“Oh no…! I didn’t mean it like that…!”
“…….”
“I mean, as a junior idol…! I like you as a junior idol…!”
His face turned red as he desperately tried to clarify, and I decided to drop my disgusted stare for the moment.
Only then did Han Si-woo clear his throat and continue.
“You may not know this, but when I was younger, my dream wasn’t to be an idol, it was to be a dancer.”
“…Really?”
“I was lured into becoming an idol because the current YW president said I could dance freely on stage… But when I debuted, I only knew how to dance, and my singing was terrible.”
I perked up my ears, intrigued by the unexpected backstory of the top idol.
With a nostalgic expression, Han Si-woo started reminiscing.
“But while promoting the first album, I felt I was hitting a limit. I thought I couldn’t succeed as an idol only with dancing, just like you do now, Yerin.”
“…So?”
Han Si-woo eventually became a versatile entertainer who could dance and sing well enough to go solo someday.
“Did you find a way to improve your vocal skills quickly?”
I asked, hoping for an answer, but….
“No.”
“…….”
“There’s no shortcut, Yerin. There’s only harsh practice to improve your vocal ability. I barely got to where I am through hard work.”
As expected, the answer was predictable.
Practice.
Without the miracle of the status window, it seemed the only way to improve my vocal skills was through practice.
When I glumly expressed my feelings, Han Si-woo lightly patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me.
“The reason I like you, Yerin, is that I see my younger self in you.”
“……”
“You have a unique vocal color. I’ve had experience enhancing my singing while utilizing that part, so whenever Rookies have free time, I’ll help you with vocal training. You’ll quickly improve your skills.”
Even amidst his busy schedule, he was willing to help me with vocal training.
It was clearly considerate of him, but…
“…But time is short.”
“…Huh?”
“Today marks Rookies’ 150th day. We only have about 200 days left.”
“…….”
From my perspective, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Time passed for Rookies, and it felt like our popularity was waning compared to before.
“This music show is the same.”
“Music show?”
The conversation naturally shifted towards the music show.
When the topic of the music show came up, Han Si-woo scratched his head for a moment and said.
“Yerin, normally, it’s hard to have high expectations for a digital single on a music show.”
“…But, if Secret Girl had performed well, we could have hit number one just with the streaming numbers.”
It wasn’t impossible to reach number one with a digital single on a music show.
If the streaming numbers are overwhelming, it’s not uncommon to secure the top spot on a music show.
Currently, Breaking Bad! was at the top of the streaming sites, but the numbers weren’t overwhelming.
But if we had the streaming numbers from Secret Girl…
We might have even topped the music show this time.
“Is your concern about not getting number one on the music show because of that?”
“……”
Han Si-woo asked with an awkward smile, and I shook my head.
“No, it’s not just about the music show… It’s just…”
I then looked up at the sky, muttering like Han Si-woo had done before.
“The streaming numbers feel weaker compared to our last activity, and we got number one on the music show from the first week last time, but this time…”
“……”
“It feels like our popularity has dropped in just a few months… So, I’ve been feeling a bit uneasy.”
I didn’t really care about the music show rankings.
It just felt like the drop in numbers hinted that Rookies’ popularity was cooling off a bit… especially since I was heavily involved in this current activity, making it uncomfortable to think it was my fault.
Han Si-woo listened to my concerns calmly and replied in a rather cool tone.
“That’s just the way it goes. Rookies are going through a decline after Na Ah Ah’s peak.”
“Na Ah Ah’s peak?”
“Yes, since Na Ah Ah was so popular, Rookies benefitted from that fame too… But it’s already been a few months since Na Ah Ah ended, hasn’t it?”
“……That’s true.”
“Honestly, during our last activity, Rookies’ popularity was way too overhyped. We’re in the process of normalization now, so don’t be too sad.”
“……”
I sat there with a dazed expression at Han Si-woo’s words, and he continued, looking a bit bittersweet.
“You’ll have to get used to your popularity waning, Yerin. It’s a fate every idol must face.”
“Fate…?”
“Yes, as you get older, your looks fade… Idol popularity inevitably declines. It’s a sad reality.”
Han Si-woo’s words hit close to home.
…No, it felt like they were indeed about him.
“Especially for project groups like Rookies, who peaked from the start, the downward trend happens even faster. Now, with Na Ah Ah’s fame fading, the decline has already begun.”
“……”
A declining popularity, huh…
Hearing Han Si-woo’s words, I imagined my future self.
“If my popularity drops and fans leave… it’ll feel pretty sad.”
I could still vividly hear the fan cheers and see their passionate support from the stage.
If that kind of fandom were to leave… it would be so disheartening.
But….
“No, Yerin, you shouldn’t think like that.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“We haven’t left anything for the fans in that sense.”
Han Si-woo seemed to have a different mindset.
“Fans love and support us unconditionally. Without expecting anything in return.”
“……”
“We owe our recognition and our entertainment careers to our fans. If they were to leave, we shouldn’t feel sad about it.”
As he said this, Han Si-woo’s expression was again filled with smiles, as if he had never looked bittersweet.
In that moment, I finally understood why this man rose to the top of the idol world and why he was still loved by so many.
“I always feel indebted to my fans.”
“Indebted…?”
“Yes, we need to repay the boundless love the fans give us.”
“……”
“That’s why I plan to give my all until the very last fan leaves. And… I hope you can have that mindset too, Yerin.”
Han Si-woo was literally telling me to become a debtor once again, grinning.
So, I smiled back at him.
“Producer Han Si-woo, do you know what I’m best at?”
“What is it?”
“Repaying debts.”
I’ve spent my whole 19 years paying off my parents’ debts.
Becoming an idol was also a way to pay off my parents’ debts.
I had become a master at repaying debts over time.
Idols owe their fans a debt?
To repay that debt, I should do my best?
‘That’s my specialty.’
Right, even if my popularity dips, there are still plenty of fans who blindly love me… and Rookies.
I just need to give my best to repay that debt to them.
Thinking that way made me feel a bit more at ease.
Noticing my brighter expression, Han Si-woo seemed to think my worries had lessened, and he stood up.
“I’m glad to hear that repaying debts is your strong suit. I’m sure in five years and even ten years, you’ll still be a loved idol.”
“Thank you. Thanks to you, Producer Han Si-woo, I feel a lot better now.”
“Shall we head in then? Everyone is waiting.”
But I shook my head at his suggestion to go inside together.
“No, I’d like to get some fresh air for a bit. You go in first, Producer Han Si-woo.”
“Sure, I’ll do that.”
With a slight bow, Han Si-woo went inside.
After leaning on the railing for a moment to catch some fresh air…
“Status Window.”
I activated the status window.
[Remaining Stats: 3]
I contemplated where to invest the remaining stats and made my decision in that moment.
“Invest all 3 in Stamina.”
There are two ways to raise the stats: physically tapping the status window or saying it out loud.
Boom!
[Stamina: 96]
As I spoke, my stamina increased from 93 to 96.
My stamina, already coupled with heart-level intensity, had sharpened even more.
“If I want to repay my debts, I need to work even harder.”
Now, only about 200 days left for Rookies’ activities.
So that by the time Rookies comes to an end, neither the fans nor I have any regrets.
‘There’s no shortcut, Yerin. The only way to improve your singing is through rigorous practice. I also barely found my way through relentless effort.’
‘I always feel indebted to my fans.’
‘We have to repay the unconditional love given to us by the fans.’
If this schedule is busy, I might have to cut back on sleep… I planned to give my very best, even with a stat of 96 in stamina.
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