I checked the flood of internet articles that poured out right after Na Ah Ah ended, through the phone that Lee Ji-woo handed me.
[My Idol Academia Episode 1 Full Reflection! Major agencies like JJ and SAV are participating!]
[Han Si-woo returns to activities after a year! Why was it Na Ah Ah of all things?]
[Han Si-woo is hosting a variety show for the first time in 14 years since his debut.]
Among them, what caught my eye the most was this one.
[The female idol audition survival program [My Idol Academia] exploded from episode 1!]
[Average viewership: 4.2%, peak viewership: 7.3%, the highest ever among cable audition programs….]
“…Amazing.”
Of course, I knew it would be a hit since I lived a past life.
But peak viewership this high already?
As I stared blankly at the ratings article, Lee Ji-woo scrolled down and showed me another article.
“Ye-rin! This isn’t the time for that ratings article. Look below it!”
“Below it…?”
Following Lee Ji-woo’s words, I looked down and saw….
[Brotherhood Planning trainee Ha Ye-rin smiles for the first time at Han Si-woo’s face!]
There was an article about me.
Moreover, the article focusing on me didn’t end there.
[Is a genius trainee making an appearance? Just after a month….]
[Outstanding beauty, excellent dance skills. Ha Ye-rin captivates viewers and Han Si-woo’s heart!]
[JJ trainee Yoo Seol in a competitive relationship with trainee Ha Ye-rin. About her….]
[Brotherhood Planning, where on earth is that?]
Articles about me…. As if spitting them out like a factory, the reporters churned them out.
Of course, since they lacked information about me, there wasn’t anything particularly meaningful in the articles, but….
Just the sheer number of articles in front of me showed how exposed I was to the public and media.
“Ye-rin, it doesn’t end here. I checked other communities as well…, here.”
Swish-.
Lee Ji-woo showed me a post on an online community.
[Title: Wow, I almost had a heart attack watching Na Ah Ah today.]
[I thought it was just a regular girl group audition program, but why are there so many pretty girls? Especially, Ha Ye-rin. Wow, she really seems top-tier even compared to current idols. I used to stop following idols after military service, but my heart fluttered after a long time. She seems to have good skills too; I hope she debuts!]
– You don’t have to worry; she seems likely to debut.
– Debut only? At this rate, Ha Ye-rin has already won.
└ No way, Yoo Seol is there too!
└ Honestly, I think Yoo Seol sings better.
└ Yoo Seol or Ha Ye-rin? The next week’s stage will probably decide.
– Ha Ye-rin is nods really cute.
– I’m going to vote for the first time!
– Ha Ye-rin is causing a frenzy on female sites too.
└ Girls usually like styles like Ha Ye-rin, you know.
“…….”
“There are dozens, hundreds of posts like this. The number of comments is even more.”
“…Then.”
Lee Ji-woo smirked and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Congrats, you’re famous now.”
Thud-.
Nineteen years since I was reborn as Ha Ye-rin.
I had finally stepped out of the boundaries of being an ordinary person and into the entertainment world.
“President! There are many articles mentioning Ye-rin’s company, Brotherhood Planning! Thanks to Ye-rin, we’re on our way to a blooming path now!”
“Is that so….”
Once terrified of gangsters, now Lee Ji-woo, the exclusive trainer of Brotherhood Planning, cheerfully shouted at Kang Hyung-man.
“Our company needs to grow bigger now! We’ll hire more staff and gather more trainees! And…!”
“Understood, but calm down for now….”
It felt like Kang Hyung-man couldn’t handle Lee Ji-woo’s energy.
Lee Ji-woo and Kang Hyung-man.
The two genuinely congratulated me on my first broadcast debut before starting to discuss the future of Brotherhood Planning.
In the meantime, I stepped outside the monitoring room for a moment to get some fresh air.
Whirr-.
“Phew….”
As expected, the wind cleared my head a bit and calmed my heart.
But….
Quiver.
My hands were still slightly trembling.
People I didn’t even know were seeing my face on the screen…, knowing my name…, and shouting for me.
How can I describe this feeling?
…It’s scary. My racing heart doesn’t settle down.
But at the same time….
‘I want to do even better.’
I feel the desire to show more of myself to others…, to be recognized even more.
It’s frightening to think that people are watching me, but it’s hard to suppress that thrill.
‘Maybe I…, was meant to be an entertainer?’
Snicker.
Just as I was quietly laughing to myself while thinking that.
Creek.
“…Ye-rin.”
“Soo-hyun!”
The terrace door opened, and someone walked in.
It was Kang Soo-hyun.
“You might catch a cold. Why are you here when it’s still chilly?”
“It’s just…, I wasn’t able to calm my heart.”
“Ah….”
At my words, Kang Soo-hyun flinched, then nodded and stood next to me.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Do you know this feeling too, teacher?”
“No, I don’t. I’ve just seen many kids like you.”
As Kang Soo-hyun spoke, her eyes seemed to reflect past scenes.
Having worked at a major agency like JJ for a long time, she probably saw me overlapping with countless students of hers.
“Ye-rin, you probably won’t forget this feeling for your whole life. The moment you first introduced yourself to the public….”
“Yes….”
I quietly nodded at her words.
I instinctively felt that, like she said, I wouldn’t forget this moment for the rest of my life.
Seeing me nod, Kang Soo-hyun smiled gently and asked.
“Starting tomorrow, it’s Na Ah Ah shooting again, right?”
“Yes, I need to be there by 9 AM tomorrow.”
Starting tomorrow, filming for week two of Na Ah Ah would begin.
From the second week onwards, teams would be divided for competitions, and voting results would be announced…, essentially marking the start of the main event.
“……”
After my words, Kang Soo-hyun hesitated for a moment before asking.
“Seol isn’t that warm-hearted, is she?”
“……!”
Surprised that Kang Soo-hyun would bring up Yoo Seol first, I hesitated for a moment.
And then….
“Yes….”
I nodded.
Yoo Seol certainly wasn’t the warmest person.
While she projected a cute and nice image on screen, she often built walls and treated others coldly.
Kang Soo-hyun’s expression darkened again at my answer.
“…I think Seol will continue to build walls and sometimes show a cold side.”
“……”
“…But I hope you don’t hate Seol too much. She wasn’t originally like that.”
Originally, Yoo Seol wasn’t that kind of person…. So what changed her?
Clutch.
While various thoughts crossed my mind, Kang Soo-hyun placed her hand over mine and spoke in a heavy voice.
“You’ll probably have a hard time, Ye-rin. The entertainment industry…, this place isn’t just glamorous and full of laughter like it seems.”
“Teacher….”
“I left because it was scary and hard,… but I hope my last student, Ye-rin, will smile until the very last moment. I’ll always support you from behind.”
With those words, a small smile lingered on Kang Soo-hyun’s lips.
Through that smile, I could tell that what she had just said was genuine.
Kang Soo-hyun.
My first vocal trainer, who was always expressionless but had a warm heart, taught me a lot.
So I would definitely keep the promise she made to me.
“I won’t lose my smile until the very last moment.”
Even though I have a hundred times more expressionless and cold demeanor than her…, I won’t lose my smile until the very last moment, just as she said.
“Yeah, Ye-rin. That’s all that matters…, that’s enough….”
Just then, as Kang Soo-hyun and I held hands, the door creaked open.
“Huh? You two are here.”
Lee Ji-woo and Kang Hyung-man walked in through the terrace door.
Kang Hyung-man asked me with a slightly worried voice.
“Ye-rin, don’t you have to go back to filming tomorrow? You should get some sleep if you need to wake up early. Put your clothes on; I’ll take you home.”
“Ah…, but President. Could you possibly arrange for me to stay somewhere else tonight?”
“Hmm? Not going home?”
“That’s….”
I showed Kang Hyung-man the phone that had been ringing like crazy since earlier.
“I’m afraid these two won’t leave me alone if I go home.”
[Dad missed calls: 37]
[Mom missed calls: 31]
[Dad: Ye-rin, ㅠㅠ I enjoyed the broadcast so much. I wish I could have watched it with Mom, but where are you now? I want to see my daughter right now. You know, our Ye-rin is the precious treasure of Mom and Dad, right? When I think about how I carried our Ye-rin on my back back then, my back still aches… (More)]
[Mom: Ye-rin, my daughter, you looked so pretty on the broadcast, didn’t you? I’m so proud of you, I could burst into tears, ㅠㅠ remembering my youth, ㅠㅠ Do you know how much people on the internet are praising how beautiful and good you dance? I couldn’t help but boast about you to my friends. Our Ye-rin is a daughter we can be proud of, so you should also treat Mom and Dad well… (More)]
Seeing the relentless calls and messages from my parents, Kang Hyung-man furrowed his brow and nodded.
“…I’ll arrange for you to stay somewhere tonight.”
“Thank you.”
Honestly, it was probably a good thing that I watched the first episode of Na Ah Ah at Brotherhood Planning; if I had watched it at home, I can’t imagine how much my parents would have doted on me.
Just thinking about it makes me shudder.
That night, I didn’t return home but stayed at the hotel that Kang Hyung-man arranged for me.
The next morning.
As if it were a matter of course now, Kang Hyung-man picked me up and took me to the Na Ah Ah set.
“I did stop by your house early this morning to grab your stuff, but I’m not sure if I got everything.”
“I checked in the car earlier, and everything I need was there. Thank you.”
“…Right.”
Kang Hyung-man nodded with his characteristic expressionless face.
“We’ll take care of everything outside, including your parents, so just focus on showing a good performance in Na Ah Ah, okay?”
“…Yes. Always grateful, President.”
“What am I doing? You’re the one suffering.”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
Picking me up every day, buying me meals, hiring trainers, and even taking care of my family—how is that not doing anything?
Reflecting on it again, I truly felt thankful for my president.
“Then I’ll see you later, President.”
“Yeah.”
I deeply bowed my head to Kang Hyung-man and entered the set.
The first place I headed to was the dormitory.
I wanted to unpack my bag in my room first.
Just as I was walking toward the dorm with my backpack on, someone called out to me.
“Unnie-!”
“…Huh?”
I turned my head at the call and….
“Unnie-!”
“…Gah!”
With a bright smile, Park Yoo-jung rushed into me and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I missed you so much, unnie!”
“…Y-yeah. Me too, Yoo-jung.”
“Unnie! Did you see the broadcast yesterday? It was so amazing! The viewer reactions were wild!”
Even after not seeing her for a while, Yoo-jung was still as dog-like as ever.
As I patted her head, I saw other participants arriving at the dorm.
I watched the scene of participants arriving at the Na Ah Ah set with Yoo-jung.
“…Ye-rin.”
“Hmm…? Unnie?”
Among them, there was another voice calling my name.
Of course, I couldn’t not recognize it; it was Lee Hye-jeong’s voice.
I turned my head towards the sound of her voice behind me.
And….
“…Huh?”
“……”
“…Hye-jeong unnie?”
As I turned to look at Lee Hye-jeong, I found myself frozen in shock at the unexpected scene.
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