89 – I Will Become an Idol!

“Hoo… System? Is there anything else?”

Silence.

As expected, the Tower is so unfriendly. From now on, I have to figure things out myself.

Looking around, there’s nothing in the one-room apartment. The only thing visible is a normal smartphone.

I open the phone, and finally, a flood of information is revealed.

The name is still Lee Do-hee. Age 20.

This is Seoul, Korea, in 2025, in a small cram school district in Sillim-dong.

‘It feels different yet the same.’

It feels like I’ve gone back more than 10 years into the past.

Everything looks similar, but details like people’s names are different, and the general atmosphere is like Earth without the Tower.

‘The Middle East is still fighting, China is still a dictatorship… America’s president is a mess, but the Korean Wave is at its peak.’

“I’ve got a general idea. First, what should I do? Anyone know?”

I talk casually while looking at the chat window.

• You need to join an agency and debut
• First, sell your body and move. What’s with this dump?
• Dance and practice dancing.
• Build recognition as a MUtuber and join a girl group.
• Let’s go to adult broadcasting.
• Just earn money and create your own girl group and join it.
• No weird advice. Practicing singing and dancing and joining a famous agency is the most realistic.

As expected, you can’t trust most of the viewers’ advice.

‘Singing and dancing… First, I should learn the songs of this world and sing them.’

In my experience, singing in a cramped room in this kind of cram school district will get you kicked out.

I leave the house and go into a suitable coin karaoke.

“The songs are… the same? The lyrics and notes are slightly different, but the atmosphere is similar, so it’ll be easy to learn.”

It’s like they plagiarized the songs from my world just enough to not get caught. The titles and lyrics are similar but slightly different, and the melodies are almost the same.

It feels like even if I sang the real songs as they are, it would sound like a rearranged cover.

Since I’m here, let’s test my singing skills.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never been to a karaoke since I changed into this body.’

I sing “Into the New World,” which I used to sing when I was young.

*

Bwa ba ba bam!!

[Wow~ You could be a singer!! 91 points!!]

“At this rate, I could be a singer?”

• Could you?
• Why is that machine the same as here lol
• Karaoke machines are all the same everywhere ㅋㅋ

Next is dancing.

I play a music video of a girl idol song and copy it while watching the screen.

“Hut-cha, eut-cha…! Yap!”

I can feel my flexible body moving sharply to the rhythm! My stamina is so good that I don’t get tired!

‘Analyzing movements is my specialty!’

“At this rate, aren’t I pretty good?”

• ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
• So creaky
• The choreography is right, but…
• It’s like they did motion capture and transplanted it into a cheap robot
• Are you a robot
• So bad
• It looks like you’re practicing martial arts instead of dancing
• Jiggle~ Jiggle~
• It’s so absurd it makes me laugh
• Are you practicing chest shaking?

“……”

I guess not. Clearly, just copying the movements isn’t enough to capture the feel of idol dancing.

‘If I just practice mindlessly, I’ll really be stuck here for a year. I need to make a plan.’

It’s time for strategic play.

Until sunset, I sing various famous songs once or twice and arrive home. I plan with the viewers in the small room, worrying until dawn before falling asleep.

***

The next day.

First, I have a general understanding of this world, so I head back to the karaoke.

And I repeat the song “Glass Bead,” which I was recommended last night, endlessly.

Intense beat and refreshing lyrics.

And powerful dance!

Even if the vocals are passable, the dance is the problem, so I chose a song with a lot of powerful movements instead of flexible ones.

• Kuaaaaak stop it!!
• Why is this b*tch only singing this song?
• Lee Do-hee is a song destroyer

There’s a reason why I’m doing this strange thing.

The strategy that came out after racking my brains with the viewers last night is…

Taking the bus.

There’s a loophole in this trial. The music charts, the award of the year, and the Heildom performance are not all done alone. They have to be achieved as a group.

So, what’s the answer?

‘Just get picked as the face of a talented and successful group and ride the bus~ That’s what I’m saying!’

Honestly, it’s impossible for me to reach their level of skill. This isn’t just a difference in pure talent. It’s just… a difference in practice time. Maybe…?

On the first day, I went to the karaoke and objectively assessed my singing and dancing talent with the viewers.

The dance was stiff and overly forceful, like using martial arts stances, and above all, my chest and hips were too big, so the dance lines weren’t pretty.

The singing has a good tone, but there’s no emotion at all, and the high notes are ambiguous. Just about the level of an ordinary person with a slightly good voice.

But I’m not going to give up here.

To get on the bus, I have to debut in a girl group from a major company. If I actually get into an agency and receive expensive training, my looks are good enough to debut, so I’m just focusing on one song to get picked as a trainee.

To pass the first document screening of most agencies, you need a short 1-2 minute video of you dancing and singing, so I’m repeating the same song endlessly to film that.

‘Practice, only practice is the way to live.’

I can skip the practice, but it’s faster to grow by practicing while dancing and getting feedback from the viewers who claim to be current trainers than skipping.

For reference, if you use skip, it switches to a third-person perspective, and you can adjust the speed as you like. Also, if an event occurs, the skip is automatically canceled.

*

Like that, a week.

Excluding the skip, it took 4 days to complete one song.

“Hoo… I think this is the best one? Should we watch it together?”

I watch the video of me dancing and singing. The me in the video looks like I’ve been practicing.

“Is this good enough?”

• ..
• Something something this
• It’s not too late to sell your body and earn money and create your own agency
• It’s definitely better than the first day, but…
• Stiff
• Gyovuji on
• For real, the body is stiff, but the chest jiggles softly, so it’s kind of grotesque.
• Do something about that jiggling chest!

“No, the chest jiggles even with a compression bandage and a sports bra, what am I supposed to do!!”

The me in the video has really reduced the chest size to the maximum. I was suffocating when I filmed that.

• Just leave it alone, there might be demand for that
• It’s reduced to the maximum
• The baby will starve to death, Do-hee
• It looks like it would be good if you reduced it by one step from that size
• Is there demand for that? The idol scene is mostly female

In the idol scene, where there are many female fans, having a big chest is not an advantage. If it’s moderately big, it can go viral and attract male fans, but if it’s as severely big as mine, even the female fans will leave.

‘But still, I have to do it.’

Just in time, several major idol agencies were holding auditions together. If I miss this opportunity, I don’t know when it will come again.

First, I apply for auditions mainly at major agencies and live in the coin karaoke day and night.

I have about 5 million won in my bank account, so I can practice comfortably. I eat the food in my inventory and put in bloody effort without skipping as much as possible.

My strengths are stamina and perseverance.

I practice the choreography, correcting each posture with tireless stamina.

‘Even though it’s a strange goal to become an idol, I’ll do my best…’

I pick current vocal trainers and choreographers who have actually certified among the viewers and continue to practice based on their advice.

I’m dancing and singing alone in the coin karaoke every day, so I’ve already become a celebrity and people are watching.

“Wow… look at that, it’s amazing?”

“Hey, hey, you’ll get reported.”

“No, I’m just seeing it as I pass by~”

Especially young male students, the number of spectators is increasing.

‘Spectators are…’

Tens of thousands of people are watching on the broadcast every day, so who cares about male students.

I ignore them and just practice. Only practice.

***

Another 2 weeks have passed since then.

Finally, the first audition.

The time has come to reap the rewards of the bloody practice I’ve done. Besides the song for the document screening, I’ve also prepared about 3 idol-like songs. Although the quality is quite low, I can’t just say “I don’t know. I won’t do it.” at the interview, can I?

“Can I expect something?”

• Will you? ㅋㅋㅋ
• First, let’s park?
• But this b*tch’s perseverance is amazing. How can you just eat and practice?
• Where are you going this time?

Just in time, the bus arrives in front of the YM Entertainment building.

“Where is this? This is one of the top 3 entertainment agencies in Korea! YM!!!”

“Mom, that woman over there is weird.”

“Surely, they’re not auditioning with such a fat woman, are they?”

That’s right.

Me, Lee Do-hee. Believe it or not, I passed the first document screening.

I lied about having 6 months of practice on my own. The viewers told me off for honestly writing that I had only practiced for 2 weeks, so I changed it.

Still, seeing that I easily passed the first round, the effect of that practice video, which I focused on for a week, seems to be good.

This is the power of choice and concentration.

‘I have to get into a place that picks people based on their looks, especially a big company.’

As I was thinking about latching onto a successful girl group and riding the bus, I arrived at the interview waiting room.

There were various people waiting. From elementary school students to adults over 20, everyone seemed to be determined.

Time passes and it’s my turn. I go inside, and the camera is running, and two middle-aged men and a pretty woman who used to be an idol are sitting there.

“Next is number 22, Lee Do-hee, right…?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm… the body is too…”

“It’s bigger than I thought.”

“The age is a bit old too…”

They’re openly talking behind my back in front of the interviewee before I even start, but there’s nothing I can do right now.

‘Just you wait, I’ll become a top idol and use this as an episode!’

I burn my will even more.

Like that, they make me dance, sing, and do strange impersonations, and the interview ends.

“Um… Lee Do-hee, can I be honest?”

“…Yes!!”

“The balance of your body is completely off, and it looks like I’m watching some African traditional dance instead of idol dance. The dance is too stiff, so the feeling doesn’t come alive. The vocals have a good tone, but there’s nothing else to see… And if you’re 20 years old, it’s already the end, so it’s hard to pick you unless you have the skills to debut right away.”

After he finishes speaking, the idol-turned-judge continues.

“Can I say something too? Lee Do-hee, you have no expression when you dance. The already stiff dance looks even stiffer because of that. And… haa… it’s hard to be an idol with that body. I thought you were wearing a shapewear in the video, but I didn’t expect it to be the opposite… And you don’t have any talent either. You’ve never acted cute to men, have you?”

I can’t come to my senses from the judges’ fact bombs.

“Th, that’s…”

“I don’t know why you want to be an idol, but it doesn’t suit you at all. If you want to be a celebrity, how about an actor or model? I’m willing to support you if you want to go that way. But, definitely not an idol.”

‘Definitely not…’

I left with a broken heart.

‘Well, that place is one of the famous top 3 agencies, right? I didn’t think I’d get picked in one go.’

I’m not going to give up here.

I practice again, film a video, and apply for auditions.

I applied to other major agencies, but I failed again.

“Hahaha… I didn’t think I’d get into those places in the first place. And you have to compete to get into the debut group to debut from the trainees there, right? It takes too much time.”

I lower my eyes slightly and apply to solid mid-sized agencies.

But the results were the same.

I lowered my eyes even more and applied to all the agencies that seemed solid, but the results were the same.

“Why…? No, why?”

Two months.

I skipped unnecessary parts and practiced for 2 weeks without rest, and I saw all the auditions.

I don’t know why, but I always passed the first document screening and failed all the second interviews.

• It’s because they can’t speak when they see your real chest
• Seriously, seeing the real K-cup after watching the compression bandage video is overwhelming.

Their reasons for failing were various.

“The body is too… it looks hard to be an idol.”

“The skills are too ambiguous. It’s hard to find a reason to pick you.”

“The age is… it seems like the time to play idol is over.”

“Other than the face… everything is weird…”

OTNXSU9XcTFURXdtd0tweHpoait4bjZMWit6RWhvOWFxNnluNFlQYlE3S2JWM1Y4bWw4eldrNGdPdHRSdmlwZA

Age, skill, body…

Most of them failed with the words that these 3 things don’t fit to be an idol. Some people criticized me to my face, and some even subtly sexually harassed me.

‘Damn it. I’ll definitely succeed.’

[You can’t be with us…]

[Thank you for participating in the interview. However…]

I open my phone and see countless rejection messages.

“Sigh… Still, it’s not a completely new or small company…”

I was scrolling through the messages without much expectation.

A special message is discovered.

[Hello, Lee Do-hee. I’m Kim Myung-hoon, the director in charge of the Serenia group at Aurora Entertainment. I would like to ask if an individual interview is possible.]

“Huh…? Aurora Entertainment?”

I remember it being an ambiguous agency somewhere between a mid-sized and small agency. I didn’t pay much attention to it because I expected to fail since the judges’ expressions weren’t very good.

I quickly searched and found that Aurora Entertainment’s Serenia was a group that had already debuted as a 4-member group.

‘They’re already a debuted group, so why are they contacting me?’

It’s not even a message saying I passed the interview, but an individual interview.

‘This, the individual interview location isn’t some weird motel, is it?’

I’m a little suspicious, but I’ve already failed all the auditions. Looking at the audition schedule for next month, there aren’t any big or mid-sized companies.

‘Skipping the practice period is also a method, but let’s meet first.’

Like that, I schedule a meeting with Kim Myung-hoon, the director of Aurora Entertainment.