Chapter 74

Episode 74

In the chilly atmosphere created by the judging panel, the nervous actor-turned-MC Do Ihyeon responded with a sense of duty to Han Gyeoul.

“Hi, nice to meet you, Ms. Yeoreum. Your super crop top and street-style fashion look amazing!”

“…Hik, thank you.”

No matter where you looked, she appeared to be a rookie thrown into a panic on her first broadcast.

Do Ihyeon felt a bit of sympathy wishing to ease her tension and continued speaking.

“Ms. Yeoreum, unlike the previous two teams, you came out here alone, huh?”

“…Yes! So, I’m really, really nervous.”

“Have you been part of a group before?”

“No, no, I haven’t!”

“….”

The more Do Ihyeon talked, the more he sensed Han Gyeoul’s escalating anxiety. Although she was considered a rising star as an actor, this was a big hurdle for him as an MC, who was practically a newbie himself.

He even couldn’t help but think that a great MC would draw out smooth banter from someone like her.

Then, as if to help him, Kanola from Girls Sensation asked a question.

“Then how many years have you been singing and dancing?”

Han Gyeoul spread her hands and said, “I think it’s been…about 13 months.”

“13 months? So, how long were you a trainee?”

“Uh… about 3 months.”

“…”

Kanola, who was asking questions, quickly assessed the situation.

‘Oh no, this is bad.’

As the judges’ expressions grew grim, James Oh coldly took over the situation.

“I think we’ve talked enough. Please show us the stage you’ve prepared right now.”

“Yes! TwoBear Entertainment’s Han Gyeoul. I will now perform ‘Dress Up’ by the seniors of Triple X!”

*

What is KPOP?

Originally, we simply referred to it as Korean pop, but now, the term KPOP holds so much more meaning.

It’s a format, a system from which songs and artists are birthed, and a culture that encompasses a unique fandom.

So, what genre is KPOP?

Pop? R&B? Trap? Intense dance performances with powerful choreography?

There could be many answers beyond these. It could be called one of the teen-pop variants that became a global trend, or dance music, or even ballads. After all, even the OSTs of dramas made in Korea are labeled KPOP.

Defining it with just one term is too difficult, as countless people have attempted so many things.
So many people have tried so many things in this world.

Then, is KPOP just a label that simply guarantees that it’s from Korea without any genre-specific characteristics?

Is it merely a fleeting trend that can’t escape the realm of niche enthusiasts due to a lack of roots?

No. Genre-specific characteristics do exist.

An ambiguous and universal genre line, aggressively mixed with other genres without distinguishing boundaries. Blending that into the word “trendy.”

That’s the genre-specific characteristic of KPOP.

The song Gyeoul is currently working on, ‘Dress Up’, is a masterpiece that extreme utilizes that genre mixing of KPOP.

[In the darkness of the classroom corner, your light has reached me.]

‘Dress Up’ was a very experimental track even back then and received extreme evaluations.

A multinational team of composers, the Revolution, participated along with a total of 13 composers, creating a heavy track that exceeds 4 minutes with more than three loops.

It took a route completely opposite to today’s trend of getting closer to 2 minutes with repetitive hooks and short rhythms.

Of course, the difficulty goes without saying.

[Is it okay if I get fluttery? Can I show my heart to you?]

[I’m too dark to be beside you?]

The typical high school-style pop rhythm undergoes a transformation. And Gyeoul’s girlie casual dance also evolves. More delicate and sophisticated.

[You know that person, right?]

[A little mischievous but trustworthy inside.]

Ban Seong-cheol, who was monitoring next to her, unintentionally opened his mouth.

“…What is that?”

In the early intro’s high school pop part, he also held a conservative view.

“Isn’t it a bit too much?” he thought.

However, as the song began to show its soulful nature based on R&B rhythms, his perspective shifted.

[You know that person, right?]

[He pulls me along like an oppa but thinks of me too.]

[Someone too precious for me.]

While realistically showcasing highly emotional techniques, the song never forgets the essence of a dance track.

Quick and lively, passionate.

Although there might be a slight tempo down, it still continues with choreography that can surely be called high-difficulty.

If you were to break those movements down separately, they might be dismissed as excellent.

Superb R&B soul, lively high school-style vocals, flexible girlie dance.

But Gyeoul was managing to do all of that simultaneously, one after another.
Quickly shifting the rhythm of my body to match the rapidly changing track.

“So that standing next to that person isn’t embarrassing.”

“So that I can be proud in front of that person.”

The song suddenly transforms into an electronic dance track blending retro vibes with urban soul.

“Just holding your hand isn’t enough.”

“I want to hold your hand.”

Compared to Yoo Gaeul, whose voice captures the entire audience like a witch, Gyeoul lacks in persuasive power. She sings genuinely, sticking to the rhythm rather than transcending the limits of the song.

Similarly, she lacks expressiveness compared to Jin Yeoreum, a national representative dancer unable to conceal her talent since her rhythmic gymnastics days. Gyeoul expresses the dance in its entirety, not going beyond its limits.

However, this is a talent neither of them can possess.

If there’s a song, she genuinely and completely expresses it without misunderstanding, exaggeration, or embellishing—without making it “her own.”

That is truly an incredible talent.

This complex genre song “Dress Up” best showcases Gyeoul’s talent.

While others struggle to express even one of the mixed tracks, she can perfectly deliver the entire piece.

“…How can someone like her be a rookie for just a year?”

“Actually, she hasn’t even been training for a year. She’s only had about three months of proper training.”

“…Does that even make sense?”

“It does, if she’s an overwhelming genius.”

“….”

What I’ve done is merely highlight Gyeoul’s genius a little.

[“Drop the Beat” usage time has expired. The effect is lost.]

“Drop the Beat,” the reward from recruiting Jin Yeoreum, grants overwhelming expertise in arrangement, mixing, and composition.

It was a truly suitable reward.

Spending a lot of money to hire a proper arranger didn’t seem too bad, but with the reward, it’s more effective for me to do it myself.

After all, my arrangement approach separates the mishmash of genres cobbled together by thirteen composers into a more raw and distinct form.

There’s probably no arranger who can handle such a crazy request effectively.

But it was necessary work. That way, her expressive potential would increase.
“Because now she can express even more peaks.”

“Of course, it must have become even more challenging for the idol who has to express that.”

“But there was no worry.”

“[This is a transformation for you. Dress-up!]”

“Look. Isn’t she handling it all as if it’s a given?”

I lightly laughed and said to Ban Seong-cheol.

“Watch out, she’ll stand at the peak someday.”

*

Even after the stage ended, Gyeoul was bewildered as no one commented and cautiously said,

“…Uh, it’s over.”

“….”

Yet, there was no evaluator who opened their mouth.

No, they couldn’t open them.

The stage Gyeoul presented was that shocking.

In that silence, the first to speak was James Oh, who seemed to be deep in thought.

“Vocal Master James Oh. I will rate Han Gyeoul as A Class. How about the others?”

Only after hearing those words did the evaluators who had been immersed in their thoughts open their mouths.

“Vocal Master Lee Eunji. I rate it as A Class.”

“K-Pop Master Mei will also give it an A.”

“Seo Woobaek gives it an A.”

“Me too, A.”

“K-Pop Master Kanola thinks without a doubt it’s an A.”

“…Th-Thank you very much!”

Seeing Han Gyeoul bowing as if to express her gratitude, James Oh said,

“I hope you head to the A Class seating. If there’s no space, feel free to kick someone out.”

“Waaah. …I-I’ll try.”

Gripping her trembling legs, Gyeoul crawled toward the A Class seats, and James Oh said with a smile full of joy,

“As I mentioned, from now on, let’s apply the proper criteria for evaluation. Forget the mindset of stuffing in 11 because it’s a broadcast. …I believe there will be no objections even after seeing such a child.”

Realizing the reality behind James Oh’s words, Dance Trainer Seo Woobaek, who was enjoying the aftertaste of Gyeoul’s performance, muttered,

“…The broadcast is ruined.”

As expected, the broadcast was indeed ruined.

On that day, in the first impression test, among 100 girls, 31 received an F Class rating, while only 3 were rated A Class.

Thinking back to the gentle outcome where 16 were F Class and 11 were A Class in the previous round, the current situation was close to tragedy.

All due to the disaster brought by Han Gyeoul and Seon Taeyang.

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