A few minutes ago, Yoo Seol entered, and after a brief moment…
Da-dung-.
Jeobok, jeobok-.
With a grand sound effect, the presence of someone at the entrance became noticeable.
“Oooh-.”
“Who is it? All the participants have come out!”
The participants, focusing their gaze at the entrance with overly exaggerated reactions to fill their screen time.
Dududung-.
As all participants’ gazes converged… just when the sound effects reached their peak…!
Jeobok-.
“Hello everyone, nice to meet you.”
“……!”
A man revealed himself.
As soon as he appeared, the participants threw away their pretenses and screamed, each becoming a teenage girl.
“Wow–!!”
“Han Si-woo–!! Han Si-woo–!!”
“Ahhh–!!”
Han Si-woo.
There were many titles to describe him.
The world’s top artist, surpassing even South Korea.
The idol of idols.
And…
A genius producer who spun off from the big three YW and nurtured countless idols five years ago.
“I am Han Si-woo. And…, I will be the main MC and chief producer of my Idol Academia.”
He was appearing on Na Ah Ah as both MC and producer.
The participants’ reactions to this news were divided into two groups.
“Wow–!! Amazing–!!”
“Han Si-woo is the producer…?!”
Some were cheering with dazed expressions, unable to believe it…
“…….”
While others nodded as if they had known all along.
‘Those nodding here are probably from companies with connections.’
For the record, Brotherhood Planning had no idea that Han Si-woo would be appearing.
‘But still…, I knew the future, so…’
I was watching his entrance without a big reaction because I already knew he would be here.
Just then…
“…You all don’t seem that surprised, considering Han Si-woo came out?”
“……Uh?”
Suddenly, a girl seated in the top 100 seats to my left struck up a conversation.
“Did you know in advance…?”
“…….”
I checked the name tag of the girl in the top 100 seats.
[Revi Entertainment Park Yoo-jung]
Revi Entertainment… never heard of it. Probably a small company.
Still, her face was quite pretty for a trainee.
She had an endearingly simple beauty, like a popular countryside girl with a charm that would attract guys.
That innocent-faced Park Yoo-jung walked toward me.
I was slightly flustered but answered honestly.
“No, not at all.”
“Oh, really? You seemed so composed when you saw Han Si-woo, so I thought you might know in advance.”
“…It’s just that I naturally have an expressionless face.”
“Ah ha.”
Swik-.
Park Yoo-jung smiled brightly as if she understood and reached out her hand.
“Hehe, we’re sitting together like this, so why not become friends? I’m Park Yoo-jung, and I’m 18 years old.”
“…Ha Ye-rin, I’m 19.”
“Ah! Then you’re older than me? I’ll call you ‘unnie.’ Hehe. I look forward to getting along with you.”
The way Park Yoo-jung smiled was so dog-like.
…Not in a bad way, but really dog-like.
Her harmless smile reminded me of a golden retriever, and I took her hand.
“I look forward to it too.”
Chumruk.
“But unnie, you look pretty already, but your skin is so nice. It looks so smooth like ceramic!”
“…….”
Park Yoo-jung seemed naturally sociable, as she freely squeezed my hand after shaking it.
Though it felt a bit burdensome, I didn’t actively refuse.
In a hostile place like this, making friends and creating a support system was essential.
And, more importantly…
‘Her face looks familiar…’
Park Yoo-jung’s face felt somewhat familiar, even if faintly.
Although she was sitting in the top 100 now, the possibility of her being in the debut team couldn’t be disregarded.
If I got close to her, who might be in the future debut team, I might catch some crumbs of good fortune.
So, I spoke to her in a way that didn’t feel too flattering.
“You look pretty too, Yoo-jung.”
“Ah, unnie! Speak comfortably!”
“Sure, Yoo-jung, you’re pretty too.”
“Thank you! Hehe.”
As I built a simple rapport with Park Yoo-jung, on stage, other judges began to appear one after another, alongside Han Si-woo.
From solo artists who were idols to famous dance trainers who had appeared on TV multiple times.
The judging panel, including Han Si-woo, was truly star-studded.
“Wow–!!”
“Ahhh–!!”
As each judge appeared, the participants genuinely cheered and screamed.
As the last judge appeared, the atmosphere heated up.
“This concludes the introduction of all judges for my Idol Academia.”
The main MC, Han Si-woo, took the microphone and continued.
“Everyone here will be the new students of our Idol Academia. Are you all ready to spread your dreams?”
“Yes–!!!!!”
“Okay, then we will start the ranking evaluation now! Show me your dream!”
“Wow–!!!!”
With Han Si-woo’s shout, a thunderous roar erupted among the participants.
My Idol Academia could be the stepping stone to debut as an idol.
The ranking evaluation marked the start of it all.
The participants’ hearts were filled with hopes for their dreams, brimming with excitement and anticipation.
It felt like everything would turn out warmly without a hitch.
But…
“Did you realize your pitch was completely off?”
“It felt like I was watching a high school talent show.”
“…….”
Not long after the evaluation began, the atmosphere rapidly cooled down as if cold water had been poured over it.
Initially expected to be cheerful with soft atmosphere, the judges turned freezing as the ranking evaluation started.
Especially Han Si-woo.
“Uh, Oh Hyun-hee trainee. It says here you’ve practiced for a year. Is that correct?”
“I, well, technically it’s been a year and a half…”
“What kind of practice have you been doing this whole time?”
“……!”
With a warm appearance and a friendly older brother image, he shockingly spat out harsh criticism from the very first assessment.
“…Tay Hai Entertainment’s Oh Hyun-hee trainee gets an F.”
Thus, the very first ranking evaluation resulted in an F.
All the participants were caught in shock, and next to me, Park Yoo-jung whispered.
“…Honestly, I don’t think she deserves an F.”
True.
Even objectively speaking, it was lacking, but it didn’t deserve an F.
However…
“…It feels like they gave a stricter judgment since it was her first stage.”
The first stage is crucial as it sets the tone for future evaluations.
That’s why the judges had to evaluate more harshly to warn that the judging wouldn’t be lax going forward.
“Next, please come out, Tay Hai’s Kim Hee-sun trainee.”
“…….”
Since one of their own got an F, the other Tay Hai trainees seemed frozen as they took the stage.
“…It’s an F.”
“…It’s a D.”
“…It’s an E.”
Two Fs, along with E and D.
Despite not being a small company, Tay Hai’s results were simply abysmal.
“……Hup.”
Ultimately, one of the Tay Hai trainees, who had been holding back tears, finally cried, further dampening the mood.
Sensing this atmosphere, Han Si-woo, having finished evaluating Tay Hai, picked up the microphone and spoke.
“Due to the name of the program being ‘Academia,’ it seems participants might misunderstand… we’re specifically selecting idols that will debut immediately after the program ends.”
“…….”
“So, we inevitably have to evaluate coldly. Do you all understand what I mean?”
“……Yes.”
A nearly ant-like sound of answer echoed from the 100 participants.
“…The evaluations you’ve received can change significantly, so I hope you will all show growth. Now, let’s continue with the evaluation. Next, please come out from Lahiti Entertainment.”
“……Yes.”
It was expected that Lahiti and Tay Hai would have similar evaluation results, as they were of a similar scale and their trainees’ skills were comparable.
Especially when a long-trainee who had practiced for over ten years came forth, it was quite a spectacle.
“Lee Yeo-reum participant… you’ve been a trainee for over ten years?”
“…Yes, I started at 10 years old and have trained for 12 years until now.”
“12 years…, 12 years… sigh…”
Han Si-woo seemed troubled as he tapped his pen, then spoke.
“Honestly, it’s evident you’ve been hardworking for that long. Pitch and rhythm, everything is spot on. When it comes to perfection, you’ve been the most outstanding among the participants thus far.”
“Th-thank you…”
“But.”
Da-dung-.
If this were a broadcast, there would probably be sound effects here.
Conscious of this, Han Si-woo paused a moment before continuing.
“However, Yeo-reum, there’s something missing to catch the eye. It’s just average, but…, it feels too plain.”
“…….”
“No matter how well you sing or dance, you don’t draw any eyes to yourself.”
Though he wrapped it up, the essence was clear.
It meant she lacked the talent to be an idol.
“Ah, I’ll work, work harder….”
Realizing what he meant, the long-time trainee stuttered as she struggled to respond.
Seeing her in such a pitiful state, Han Si-woo stiffened his expression and wrapped up the evaluation.
“…Yes, thank you for your hard work. The rating for Lahiti Entertainment’s Lee Yeo-reum trainee is C.”
C rank.
It was the highest rating among the participants so far, but… no one envied her.
Because the 12 years she spent for that C was evident.
“…This concludes the evaluation for Lahiti Entertainment. Next…”
As Lahiti’s trainees left, all in tears, the storm began.
“Revi Entertainment’s Park Yoo-jung trainee receives an E.”
Solo participant Park Yoo-jung from Revi Entertainment finished her solo stage and got an E.
Being the second to last rank, it’s obvious that she didn’t receive a good evaluation.
“Yay, thank you! I’ll work harder!”
Park Yoo-jung came down from the stage with a cheerful smile, as if it was all fine.
“…Are you okay?”
When Park Yoo-jung returned, I asked her out of courtesy.
She smiled brightly as if it didn’t bother her at all.
“I made a lot of mistakes, that’s why. It’s okay! Next time, I’ll work hard to show a good stage!”
“…….”
Her words resembled those of a model student, and I nodded in agreement.
In truth, her stage wasn’t bad at all.
If only she hadn’t tripped in the middle, she could have scored much higher.
‘Since she probably got enough screen time from falling on stage, it’s not too bad for her. …Wait a second.’
Could she have fallen on purpose…?
Looking back, the way she fell did seem a bit unnatural, almost as if it had been deliberate.
I gazed at Park Yoo-jung, who was smiling from the hundredth seat, with dubious eyes before shaking my head.
‘…It can’t be.’
Someone with such an innocent face wouldn’t be scheming anything that meticulous.
I decided to stop my unnecessary thoughts and focus on the next stage.
After all, the next stage was….
“Next, please come out, SAV Entertainment’s Seo Yoo-jin trainee.”
…Another trainee from the top three agencies, Seo Yoo-jin’s stage.
“Finally, SAV….”
Sururur-.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one waiting for her stage, as the surroundings began to buzz with anticipation when her name was called.
Seo Yoo-jin didn’t seem to mind the attention, letting out a smug sigh as she rose confidently.
And then….
Paaan-.
She cast a glance toward the first seat, where Yoo Seol was sitting…
Swik-.
‘…Me too?’
She turned her glare toward me as she headed to the stage.
It was a very intentional look.
‘Why is she targeting me when we haven’t even performed yet…?’
Clearly, Seo Yoo-jin appeared to lack the skill of hiding her emotions.
‘If I check her status window, her acting skills will probably be lower than mine.’
Just as I thought that, something strange happened.
Pa-at-!
Suddenly, a different status window than the one I was used to appeared in front of me.
“……!”
Upon seeing this, I couldn’t help but gasp.
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