Chapter 73

Episode 73

“Isn’t this judging standard a bit too strict?”

Ban Seong-cheol, who was watching the situation on a small monitor with me in the waiting room, clicked his tongue.

“We need to pick 11 from A Class, right? But if we eliminate those kids already, how many are left?”

“Yeah, it seems like they’re setting quite high standards.”

The trio from Neulbom Entertainment, who were the first to hit the stage in the first impression test, seemed determined to prove the level of completeness possessed by idols who had already debuted, showcasing an excellent performance and well-structured choreography.

If they had been graded a bit leniently, it wouldn’t be surprising if all of them were rated as A Class.

Among them, Kim Yujin was one of the 11 chosen for the project group of Girl 100.

Since she was a candidate for debut, it seemed her agency had its game face on, presenting a quality that matched her status.

Moreover, she showed extraordinary talent in dancing.

She exhibited a level of flexibility that surpassed Han Sora and Garnet, who also performed well.

I couldn’t be sure since I hadn’t seen it in person, but guesswork led me to believe her potential might be around A-.

“Ha, with standards like that, do you think Oh Yoori would even score a B?”

You think she’d score a B after watching that? It seems Oh Yoori has some decent skills.

Ban Seong-cheol’s comment made it sound like 15-year-old Oh Yoori, who hasn’t even debuted yet, was on par with the 19-year-olds who had already released mini-albums.

If such a kid was under Flower, I should’ve known about her.

I couldn’t quite grasp where my influence began to create such a variable change.

“To be fair, you’d be lucky to get a C.”

Ban Seong-cheol spoke as if looking down on me.

“Just because you wrote the same E on the sticker doesn’t mean your kid and our Oh Yoori are in the same league.”

His tone sounded pretty rude, so I shot off a few remarks, and it seemed to sting.

Did he want to scratch my pride or something? He seemed to be trying to act all cocky.

“Oh Yoori started with an E early on but planned to show a turnaround, unlike already debuted or proven trainees from other audition programs with their pure new face. She wanted to demonstrate dramatic charm by revealing skills that aren’t inferior. Not like other rejects.”

“That kind of expression sounds a bit dangerous, don’t you think?”

“What’s the big deal? It’s the truth.”

What’s he trying to do, throwing stuff around like he wouldn’t care if I spread the rumor, “Ban Seong-cheol is such a jerk”?

Oh, wait, I did take care of that situation in the last episode, didn’t I?

As I strongly resolved not to get tangled up with that guy this time, the screen softly caught Gyeoul sitting in E Class.
In the center, Gyeoul was caught sneaking a glance while sitting in the E Class.

Ban Seong-cheol saw this and scoffed, saying,

“…Hehe, but that kid over there seems to think even the E Class is too much for her.”

Just as Ban Seong-cheol said, she was looking glancing over at the F Class, as if feeling uncomfortable even in the E Class seat.

“Is this the first time F Class is making an appearance?”

“Hey.”

“…Huh?”

Ah. I was trying to ignore it, but the more I listened, the more irritated I got.

“Wanna make a bet?”

“…What kind of bet?”

“Whether Gyeoul gets ‘recognized as A Class or not.’ I’m obviously betting on ‘recognized.’”

“…Hehe, wow, you really are throwing numbers around, huh? You’re not planning to bet something lame like 10,000 or 50,000 won, are you?”

“Of course not.”

I could even bet my house, you little punk.

Not that it’s mine, but….

*

While all the members of the counter from Neulbom Entertainment went down receiving B Class ratings, one of the vocal masters, Lee Eunji, anxiously glanced at her fellow vocal master, James Oh, and spoke up.

“Hey, composer Oh?”

“Please call me James.”

“Oh, okay, composer James.”

Only then did James Oh, wearing gold glasses and a gold glasses chain, stop taking notes on his tablet PC and look at Lee Eunji.

“Do you have something to say?”

His gaze was indifferent and bored.

For Lee Eunji, who was renowned for her talent and beautiful looks and had won the attention of countless men, it was a rather unpleasant stare.

Yet, she couldn’t call it out. Though they appeared to be on equal footing as the jury who brought in top-tier talent known as the best, there was an undeniable hierarchy established in reality.

Seo Woobaek, a choreographer who is said to create 20% of the choreography for the debuting girl group, and Enji, known for her exceptional skills as the dance trainer’s dance trainer, were both clearly beneath James Oh.

Even Kanola, the sub-vocal of the girl group Girls Sensation, which is considered to have peaked as a second-generation group, had to bow down in front of him, despite being the main dancer for the national syndrome-inducing hit song ‘How.’

Both of them were also desperate to receive songs from him.

Cheon Jong-hoon would become the best producer in ten years, and he was already building a reputation worthy of it.

But if you asked who the best producer in the KPOP scene is right now, nine out of ten would say the name James Oh.
He had countless songs that topped music broadcasts, some of which even charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Not stopping there, he showcased excellent talents in vocals, dance, and art, earning the title of a nearly perfect producer.

Despite having such abilities, what made him unique was that he operated as a freelancer without being affiliated with any organization.

Some believed that becoming a freelancer was the very reason he reached such a position.

However, one thing was certain: due to his skills, which anyone would want, and his unique status of not being tied to any agency, he held an overwhelming position as the only freelancer capable of pulling rank against major entertainment companies.

Given that it’s James Oh, Lee Eunji hesitantly inquired about his thoughts.

“Um, wasn’t it a bit harsh to rate all the Counter Kids as B Class?”

“Why do you think that?”

Flustered by his probing tone, Lee Eunji glanced around and realized that the judging panel seemed to resonate with her words, giving her a bit of confidence to continue.

“All of them completed the stage reliably without any mistakes. Considering that the kids here are either trainees or young ones who just debuted, wouldn’t it be reasonable to rate them as A Class?”

James Oh lowered his tablet completely and replied.

“If they didn’t make mistakes, does that mean they’re A Class? I don’t think that’s enough to warrant such a top-tier rating.”

“…It’s not only that, but wouldn’t it be okay to give at least one of them an A Class? There are 11 A Class seats, but with this evaluation criteria, it seems like no one would be able to sit there.”

Soon, others from the judging panel, who had been paying attention to their conversation, nodded in agreement.

James Oh looked at them and asked,

“Do others think the same?”

“…Yes, I think so, Mr. James.”

“I also believe that, from a choreographer’s perspective, trainee Kim Yujin deserved an A.”

While not everyone expressed their opinions for fear of his judgment, there was a clear consensus that they agreed with Lee Eunji. James Oh began to ponder.

After a brief moment, he said,

“Then let’s observe for three more times… no, just two more. If the average quality turns out to be below expectations, I’ll change the evaluation criteria to be more lenient and personally overturn the decision to raise trainee Kim Yujin to A Class.”

As he reached a compromise, the judging panel rejoiced, praising his decisive judgment.

They also patted and encouraged Lee Eunji, who led the negotiation, causing a bit of a commotion.

In silence, Lee Eunji raised her arms in triumph, enjoying the praise.
He raised his arms and enjoyed the praise.

Seeing this, James Oh felt a sense of disappointment.

It was very disappointing to see those called the best in the industry seemingly compromising for the broadcast.

“Getting to the top ultimately needs overwhelming genius. And the name ‘A’ should only be given to those kids.”

Even though he had such thoughts, he kept the possibility of compromise open because he was a socially aware human.

“I really need to see talented kids. Why did I even come here?”

In fact, for James Oh, who already had both wealth and fame, there was absolutely no need to appear on a show like Girl 100.

He wasn’t desperate for appearance fees, nor was he in urgent need of fame to show his face on TV.

The reason he decided to participate in Girl 100 was to see if he could revive his waning creative desire by discovering some hidden talents.

In this event where the agency’s carefully selected secret weapons were revealed, he hoped to find a muse that could inspire him.

But it didn’t seem easy.

As James Oh watched the stage with concern, new trainees ascended to perform.

There were four of them, and their self-assessed classes were A, C, C, and B.

He hoped the kid who boldly wrote ‘A’ across the entire box would showcase their talent as he appreciated their performance.

The stage of the four-member group, Blanc Girls, was wrapped up quickly.

“…All F. Any objections?”

“Still, can’t we give one of them a D…?”

“Didn’t we agree to stick to proper standards for the first two rounds?”

“…Yeah, let’s stick with all F.”

Thus, the Blanc Girls, filled with aspirations, headed to the F Class seats with tearful expressions.

James Oh became very uncomfortable.

Having only seen seven contestants, the current situation seemed to warrant a lower benchmark, just as the other judges suggested.

Finding talent that could inspire him, as he intended, appeared to be quite challenging.

“…Sigh.”

In the heavy air, all the judges observed James Oh, who was clearly upset, as the self-assessed class of ‘E’ flashed on the monitor.

“Oh dear.”

The choreographer Seo Woobaek lamented upon seeing it.

That self-assessed class didn’t seem to be a promising candidate to ease James Oh’s feelings.

From Seo Woobaek’s perspective, who hoped to find someone to lift his mood, it felt bleak.

Amidst the weighty atmosphere, one trainee stepped onto the stage.

“…Ah, …Hello! I’m Han Gyeoul, a trainee from TwoBear Entertainment!”

What a truly unconvincing sight it was.

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