episode_0014

Before being cast as the executive producer, Han Siwoo had only one request from the production team.

To always appear cold and indifferent.

In simple terms, it was a demand to portray the role of a villain.

It could be a fatal demand for a broadcaster, but Han Siwoo agreed willingly.

He believed that the idol industry was not a place where success could be achieved with just warmth.

Even though he is now considered one of the top idols… he had gone through tough times himself.

And not just him, but all idols had their own struggles.

As the saying goes, the brighter the light, the darker the shadow.

Han Siwoo didn’t hesitate to give his juniors some tough love to prevent them from getting hurt in the future… and to help them grow through their current struggles.

He didn’t hold back on giving them some harsh words.

However, there were too many heartbreaking cases.

Especially when giving a C grade to a participant who had been a trainee for over 10 years… it pained him deeply.

But then…

“…Hm?”

A certain participant caught his eye.

“The training period… is only a month?”

In fact, she had caught his attention from the moment she stepped onto the set.

It was no wonder… she had an overwhelmingly stunning appearance that even impressed someone like him, who had been in the entertainment industry for over 10 years.

In the entertainment industry, appearance is inevitably one of the most important factors.

In that sense, Ha Yerin had a tremendous star quality based on her appearance alone.

But still, even so, training for only a month.

How would the other participants who had trained for years feel if she, who had only trained for a month, received good feedback?

…They would probably feel miserable.

That’s why Han Siwoo had to treat Ha Yerin even more objectively.

Of course…

“…Because of my parents.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Because of my parents… I have to become an idol…. I must….”

When Ha Yerin mentioned her parents, he flinched.

‘Parents….’

Just hearing the word made his heart ache.

Even Han Siwoo had parents who made his heart ache just by thinking about them.

From their already painfully poor home… his parents had supported him through the long and arduous trainee life.

His father worked hard labor early in the morning every day, and his mother went to work at a restaurant with ailing health.

How many times had he promised himself while receiving the allowance earned through his parents’ sweat.

That he would succeed… so that his parents wouldn’t have to suffer anymore and could live comfortably.

Perhaps the girl in front of him had a similar mindset to the past Han Siwoo.

In fact, Ha Yerin, who had a goal of becoming an idol to not be unfilial to her parents, was no different from the reverse Han Siwoo, but Han Siwoo had no way of knowing that.

He couldn’t help but feel a limited emotion towards Ha Yerin as he thought of his past.

“Well then… I will now show you the stage.”

But even those emotions quickly cooled down just before the stage began.

There is no one in this world without a story.

Just like he had done with the other participants, Han Siwoo planned to evaluate Ha Yerin’s stage with a cold and rational gaze.

And as the stage began…!

“…Hm?”

“…Huh?”

The judges and staff members all raised their eyebrows in surprise at the unexpected song choice.

And Han Siwoo…

“Ha-ha!!!”

“….!!”

For the first time since starting the grading evaluation, he broke into a smile on his face.

And not just any smile, but a cheerful and bright one like a child’s.

‘…Han Siwoo.’

‘…Did he just smile?’

The surrounding judges, as well as the participants and staff members outside the stage, were all taken aback as they looked at him.

Even so, Han Siwoo continued to watch Ha Yerin’s stage with a smile that didn’t seem to fade.

And at that moment, the production team, who were the first to regain their composure, focused the cameras on Ha Yerin’s stage.

**

Even though Ha Yerin had lived her life for 19 years, there were still moments from her past life that remained vivid in her memory.

The night before I died, I watched a TV program.

It was a famous observational variety show on public broadcasting that showcased the lives of celebrities living alone.

In the episode before my death, Han Siwoo made an appearance.

Upon hearing the news that Han Siwoo was making a rare appearance on the show, I watched it with a can of beer in hand.

“Still, people’s lives are all the same, right? Nothing special about it.”

I thought to myself as I took a sip of beer.

And…

“What’s that?”

As the camera passed through the entrance of Han Siwoo’s house, it almost spewed out the beer.

The panelists on the show had the same reaction.

“Wow, Mr. Han Siwoo. What is all this? There are so many figures…?”

From the entrance to the hallway, and all the way to the living room, a legion of figures lined up.

The panelists were shocked by the sight, which even had a hint of madness, and Han Siwoo looked embarrassed.

“In fact, it’s something no one knows… I’m a bit of a geek. Especially, I love that animation.”

“Oh, I see. But isn’t that a nostalgic animation?”

“Yes, that’s right. I used to watch it when I was young. Just watching it makes me feel like I’m going back to my childhood.”

Han Siwoo shared his past story while saying so.

His parents who left early for work every morning and came back late at night.

The only thing that comforted him when he was young was that animation.

“Ah… I see. But what was the name of that animation?”

In response to the MC’s question, Han Siwoo smiled brightly as if he had gone back to that time.

“It’s Digimon Adventure!”

**

Sending a cue sign to the production team…

“Well, it won’t be easy. The world I’ve been allowed to live in~”

I signaled the start of the stage with a calm echo in the background.

With improved vocals, unlike the past when I was a street performer, it was comfortable to listen to and had a refreshing tone.

After catching the attention of the judges and cameras…

-oh~ my~~ love~~

Da~ da da da da da~

As I finished the first verse, the lively accompaniment of a band song filled the air.

I did a simple dance move while observing the reactions of the judges.

First, excluding Han Siwoo, the other judges.

Their expressions were puzzled.

As women, they might not be familiar with the male-oriented fantasy animation Digimon Adventure. Most of all, they might have been surprised that the song I prepared was not an idol song.

And Han Siwoo.

“Ha-ha!”

Fortunately, he showed the reaction I was hoping for.

Of course, he wouldn’t have expected to hear this song on a female idol audition program.

So, he must have been pleased with the unexpected song choice.

[butter-dragon] from the Digimon Adventure series.

-Should we fly like butterflies? Carried by the fluttering wind.

I was also glad to see Han Siwoo liking Digimon Adventure on the broadcast.

Since I loved Digimon Adventure so much in my past life.

To the orphaned child I was in my past life… The only friend I had was the Digimon on TV at the orphanage.

-Do you dare to know this feeling?

So if you’re like me, react. Stand up.

-Even louder oh oh oh oh oh-! Can we break through the storm?

If you were a man born in the 90s who was chosen back then….

-Once more oh oh oh oh oh-! Can we fly to the sky again?

If you were a comrade who lived in the Digimon world with me at that time.

If you’re still holding onto the boy’s heart in this estrogen-filled place…!

-Well, it won’t be easy. The world I’ve been allowed to live in~

Link it…! Han Siwoo…!

-It’s not an easy and beautiful space that you can easily get.

Although I said that, I didn’t have time to scrutinize Han Siwoo’s expression.

This song was my favorite song from my past life.

Even the fact that this place was a shooting location… I was completely immersed in the song, forgetting that over a hundred people were watching me.

-oh my love~.

And that’s how I finished my first stage.

As I reached the end, I suddenly remembered what my vocal trainer, Suhyun, had said.

“The easiest way to elevate the completeness of a stage is by genuinely enjoying the stage.”

In that sense, my stage was successful.

As I finished the last verse… I was enjoying it more than anyone else.

Excluding Hansiu, the other female judges couldn’t help but be bewildered by Hayerin’s song choice.

The [butter-dragon] from the Gidimon Adventure series.

Not an idol song, but a band song, and a male band song at that.

Moreover, Gidimon Adventure is a classic male-oriented animation, which did not resonate well with the female judges.

However…

“Ahaha-!”

Up until now, they had maintained a cold expression like ice, but when they saw Hansiu smiling like a child during Hayerin’s stage, they couldn’t show any discomfort.

And aside from the strange song choice…

“Her vocal ability… is not bad.”

Hayerin’s vocal ability was not bad.

Her clear vocals were soothing to the ears, and her sense of rhythm was good.

Hayerin’s vocal ability was not that of a main vocalist, but she could be a lead vocalist in similar situations.

And her expression…

Up until now, Hayerin had only shown a blank face.

Of course, she was still mostly expressionless, but…

A smile.

The occasional smile that seemed to genuinely enjoy singing had an overwhelming charm even on the female judges.

Snow flower.

They say the flower blooming in the snow is the most beautiful… and the small smile hidden in the cold expression added wings to Hayerin’s already overwhelming beauty.

And the lyrics.

-Well, it won’t be easy. In a world I have been allowed to be in~

No matter how difficult things may be, there was something in the lyrics that resonated with the situation of idol trainees, touching the hearts of the listeners.

-oh my love~.

With Hayerin’s satisfied smile, the stage came to an end…

“…Phew, that’s it for me. Thank you.”

Finally, it was time for the judging.

“….”

“….”

No one raised the microphone first.

But then…

Swoosh-.

Someone picked up the microphone as if they had been waiting.

It was still Hansiu, smiling brightly.

“First, trainee Hayerin. Why did you choose this song?”

“Ah, well…”

Embarrassed, Hayerin hesitated before answering Hansiu’s question.

“Actually, I’m a huge fan of this animation… I really wanted to sing it as my first stage.”

“Ahaha-!”

In response to Hayerin’s answer, Hansiu chuckled and said, “I also really like Gidimon. I’d love to have a deep discussion about it with you sometime, Yerin~”

“…Then I would be honored.”

“And you sang the song well. Your tone is good, your vocals are good, your rhythm is good. It was a very enjoyable stage.”

As Hansiu praised her, the other vocal judges also added their compliments.

“…Yes! Especially, your tone was really good.”

“It feels like finding a rough but beautiful gem that hasn’t been polished yet.”

“Especially good because there are no unnecessary tricks or habits.”

Yes, one of Hayerin’s big advantages is that she doesn’t have any bad habits due to her short practice period.

If she continues to work with a good trainer like this, Hayerin’s vocal ability will surely improve even more.

“You practiced for a month, and with this level, you definitely have talent in vocals. Your potential for growth stands out compared to other participants.”

Just as the judging was about to end with Hansiu’s pleasant praise, something unexpected happened.

“…But, there’s something I need to address.”

Suddenly, Hansiu’s tone changed. It was so cold that it almost seemed like a split personality.

“Trainee Hayerin. This is not an idol song, is it?”

“……Yes.”

“There were some movements in between, but it’s hard to consider that as dancing, right?”

“…That’s correct.”

It’s true.

No one had spoken first to gauge Han Siwoo’s reaction, but just now, Hah Ye-rin’s stage lacked dancing.

“For idols these days, dancing is as important as singing. No, you could say that dancing is even more important nowadays.”

Han Siwoo was someone who could distinguish between when to lie down and when not to.

Despite personal preferences, decent vocal abilities, and high potential for growth… the stage would still fall flat without dancing.

That’s why Han Siwoo had no choice but to make such a demand to evaluate Hah Ye-rin’s grade.

“Do you have a separate dance song prepared…?”

As everyone swallowed nervously at Han Siwoo’s strict request, they sensed the end for Hah Ye-rin.

Among ordinary people, there are many who can sing well.

But dancing has a higher barrier to entry compared to singing.

It would be impossible for her to show a performance beyond the level of an ordinary person in just a month.

“……”

Aware of this fact herself, Hah Ye-rin was bowing deeply.

“I have something prepared. I will give it a try.”

The judges could only hope that she wouldn’t be too disappointed even if her stage turned out to be a mess.

**

It goes without saying, but I had no intention of freeloading on my grade evaluation by relying solely on Zidimon Adventure memories for nostalgia.

As Han Siwoo mentioned, what’s important for idols these days is dancing… and there was no dancing in my recent stage.

So when Han Siwoo requested a new dance song…

“Do you have a separate dance song prepared…?”

“……”

I could only bow deeply.

“…Haha.”

I had to hold back my laughter.

The importance of dancing? Of course, I know it well too.

‘Status window.’

Quietly, I opened the status window in my mind and delved into the detailed art stats.

The first thing that caught my eye was my vocal ability.

(Vocal Ability: 65)

Originally, my vocal ability was 12. I invested 53 points into it.

I could invest more points into it, but I shifted my focus elsewhere.

Right to…

(Dancing: 99)

Sorry, I had to show this off.

Zidimon Adventure? Of course, I genuinely love it.

But our memories are really just a stepping stone for this.