Chapter 173

Chapter 173

Raise Three Idols Well And They’ll Launch a Confession Attack.

Episode 173: Chapter 18 – The Completed Genius Jin Yeoreum (END)

During the recording of ‘Ready to Dance,’ Cha Yeji’s tantrums weren’t only directed at Yeoreum.

She seemed to have a tendency to latch onto controversial mainstream artists, relentlessly spouting low-level hate speech.

There was no mad dog like her that would bite anything it sensed.

In this regard, Cha Yeji directed the most attacks at Yeoreum, who had the biggest controversy surrounding her.

This wasn’t just because Cha Yeji was a loose cannon.

It was, in fact, a strategy driven by business motives.

She had made the decision to get attention as a so-called “character who speaks their mind” to improve her public relations, since her fame was lower than other underground dancers.

Honestly, it was full of flaws, but before distinguishing between antis and fans, this was effective noise marketing for Cha Yeji, who was practically invisible to the public.

Cha Yeji, having chosen to become an issue herself, naturally picked Yeoreum for the naming battle.

“I’ll show this druggie that this industry isn’t easy.”

“Although I’m the MC, this might not be my place, but are you sure you can handle that?”

“I have the skills, unlike that one over there.”

“Wow… Haha, sounds good. Then, we’ll proceed with the first naming battle with the underground dancer Cha Yeji’s pick, Yeoreum.”

The climax was when, during the break after the recording ended, she came up to me and said,

“Haha, you know I was just saying something provocative for the show, right? I have no ill feelings towards Yeoreum.”

After making such a ruckus, she acted as if she had just done her job, mocking around like a complete bitch.

“I think emotions will start to form here.”

“Well, that’s too bad. But you’re not going to sue, are you? I’ve seen people say worse things than me. You should go after them first.”

“We’re constantly taking legal action against those people. Adding another case won’t affect the business at all.”

“Eh… You won’t be able to do it anyway.”

…Seriously, should I sue her?

Time quickly passed, and the day for the naming battle arrived.

“Yes, the judges have finished evaluating Cha Yeji’s performance. Please announce the results!”

[9, 8, 7, 9, 7]

It was a surprisingly high score.

But it was well-deserved.

The panelists were impressed by Cha Yeji’s unexpected skill and added their own comments.

“Oh, Yeji isn’t just someone who talks big.”

“Right? Honestly, I thought she was just loud without any skill.”

“She’s not just all talk. Her average score is in the low 7’s, so she can confidently go against anyone.”

The MC, sensing the atmosphere, skillfully steered the situation.

“Wow, Cha Yeji. That was definitely a performance worth speaking confidently about. I was impressed.”

“Well, I’m not about to lose to a druggie.”

“Haha… You really have a strong character. I like it.”

After Cha Yeji received satisfying scores from the judges, the attention turned to the next contestant, Yeoreum.

“Do you think she’s alright? Is she going to drop out?”

“Let her drop or not. What do I care?”

“Stupid bitch, she has to stay, or this program won’t keep getting attention! It’s because of her that our show is trending and benefiting from the ripple effect!”

“…Really? That’s a bit disappointing. But she’ll probably fall short. It’s so obvious she’s trying to clean up her image by dancing like an idol, right?”

The group next to them also continued with a similar conversation.

“It’s obvious; she’s just one of those kinds of kids who wear frilly dresses and shake their butts to make money.”

“Yeah, when you look at music videos and stuff, she does seem to fall short compared to professional dancers like us.”

“I thought it was actually pretty good.”

“That’s because your taste is pretty damn low, kid.”

“…”

As the camera captured each of those reactions, the MC asked.

“Are you ready, Yeoreum?”

“…”

Yeoreum trembled slightly and looked around nervously.

Wondering if she might be looking for me, I lightly waved my hand from among the staff.

Whether she noticed it or not, her gaze shifted toward me. And then, Yeoreum and I made eye contact.

I mouthed the words.

‘Take it easy.’

That was all I expected from Yeoreum right now.

Just casually, without too much focus, just like usual.

Yeoreum saw me and smiled faintly before speaking.

“I’m ready.”

Then, she walked out.

She moved gracefully and nobly, like an aristocrat visiting her domain.

As the atmosphere made everyone on set hold their breath without realizing it, Yeoreum stepped onto the stage, and the song “The Tracer of the Moon Night” started playing.

[Exhaled wildly, to see the moon of the night.]

In today’s idol group system, it wasn’t easy for a member whose specialty was dance to showcase their talent.

Generally, unless they appeared on variety shows and showcased a solo freestyle, or engaged in challenges like shorts or dance practice videos, it was rare for an individual member to have the opportunity to showcase themselves.

This was different from Gaeul, who was the main vocalist.

In the realm of vocals, separating parts of a song and adjusting solo parts was relatively free, so it wasn’t too hard to make one person stand out.

Frankly speaking, if you just added some high notes to the bridge, it’d immediately stand out.

However, in the realm of dance, it was hard to showcase such talents.

Of course, it was possible to add a solo dance part to a song.

In the past, there was even a time when dance breaks were considered a necessity.

However, the recent trend leaned more toward military-style choreography rather than old-school styles with dance breaks.

The sight of everyone holding their breath for one person’s dance line was now rarely seen unless it was during competitions, year-end stages, or concerts.

Girl Revolution hadn’t broken away from this trend either.

Their previous title track, “Traitor” was one of the more complex K-pop songs in terms of choreography.

But even that song had parts cut down for the sake of group choreography.

Our kids were among the best in overall dance skills across all girl groups.

This applied even to Gaeul, who was relatively weaker in dance skills.

So objectively speaking, it wasn’t wrong to say that “Traitor” was performance-oriented.

But even so, if you asked if “Traitor” was Girl Revolution’s best performance, I would say no.

Because the choreography had to be performed repeatedly on music shows, festivals, and concerts, we couldn’t increase the difficulty to the point of posing a risk of injury, and giving common choreography to kids with varying skill levels meant that it had to be designed around the lowest-skilled member.

Let me say it again.

The overall choreography difficulty for Girl Revolution’s songs was top-tier.

However, for some members, even that level of difficulty was a constraint.

Because even that top-level song felt too static and restrictive to showcase all the potential they had.

And that was Yeoreum.

“What is that…?”

“Wow, is she crazy?”

“Is that an idol?”

Yeoreum was a genius.

Street, breakdancing, popping, locking, hip-hop, dance sports, belly dancing, jazz, contemporary dance, ballet, waltz…

And rhythmic gymnastics.

Whatever the genre, if it was dance, she reached the pinnacle overwhelmingly and incredibly fast.

Beautifully and gracefully.

She couldn’t be called a promising talent or an incomplete genius.

“We will now reveal the scores of the judges for Yeoreum’s performance!”

[10, 10, 9, 10, 10]

“If this airs, it’s going to cause a stir.”

She was already a fully formed genius.

[Name – Jin Yeoreum (Female)]

[Appearance – A+ Potential A+]

[Vocals – B Potential B+]

[Dance – A+ Potential S] → [Dance – S Potential S]

[Rap – D- Potential D]

[Acting – C- Potential B-]

[Variety – D Potential C+]

[Management evaluation – Though she possesses purer talent than anyone, that talent can also degrade into just a tool. This is more common than you might think. The more that purity shines, the more people will focus on the byproducts that come with the process of shining that light. Even if she doesn’t pay attention to those byproducts, the people around her won’t let her be. They desire higher results, even as they stand by and watch. Yeoreum’s life was a struggle to meet those expectations. She walked the knife’s edge, convincing herself that she could withstand the weight that grew heavier and heavier. But in one moment, when that weight began to overflow, the star she once bore, marked by the S, died. However, it is believed that her ability to spread her wings again was influenced by the management. She learned how to rise not by standing alone but by leaning on someone. To rely on others takes courage. And with that courage, she’s now ready to fly.]

[As a reward for successful management, “The Voice of a Historic Fraudster” is granted.]