Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer the Entertainment Industry

Chapter 31

After completing the sudden quest, as expected, a follow-up quest appeared. The task was to learn a song within the given time limit, and the reward was the same as before.

‘This quest… How much will it keep rewarding me?’

I wondered where the end of this sweet reward chain quest was and how high my charm would be by the end. I was very excited.

This time, the quest’s time limit wasn’t too tight. We had about a day to spare.

‘Maybe it’s because there’s no need to solve the problem quickly like earlier?’

Still, since there was vocal practice at night, rather than wasting time, I listened to “TOXIC” repeatedly on an old-fashioned MP3 player with only music playback functionality during my free time. Han Da-hoon lent me the MP3 player.

After a round of practice, I was eating in the cafeteria while listening to “TOXIC” when a trainee I knew placed his tray on the collection rack and spoke to me.

“Wow, On Raon, you’re the center?”

“Yeah, I’m the center.”

“You’ve made it big!”

He also had an earphone in one ear like me.

Come to think of it, compared to the last training camp, there were many more trainees with such MP3 players this time.

“Hey, don’t leave any food and eat a lot.”

“Even my parents don’t say that.”

Kim Jun-woo, who was passing by and meddling unnecessarily, also had a small MP3 player in his hand.

It wasn’t just a lot; almost every passing trainee had an MP3 player.

‘Could it be that I’m the only one without one?’

No wonder Han Da-hoon looked at me strangely when he lent me the MP3 player, as if asking if I didn’t even have one of these.

Even if I had known in advance that I could bring and use my personal MP3 player, I couldn’t have bought one because of my financial situation… I felt like I was at a disadvantage for no reason.

[Song: TOXIC – added to your playlist.]

Anyway, having memorized the song well, not having an old music playback device wasn’t a big deal.

With all the song information in my head, why would I need an MP3 player?

‘Did I listen to it about 50 times this time?’

Every time I successfully memorized a song after quite a bit of repetition, I thought that usually, if you listen to it this much, you would naturally memorize it even if you didn’t try.

This felt like a possession buff or maybe not.

Anyway, it wasn’t a loss, but it didn’t seem like a big gain either… It would be nice to have, but it wouldn’t be a significant hindrance without it…

“What are you mumbling about?”

Ban Yo-han asked.

Oh, come to think of it, this guy was next to me. I forgot because I was walking half asleep due to exhaustion.

I replied roughly.

“A profound contemplation on things that feel empty when they’re gone.”

“Like me?”

“Are you crazy?”

I responded with 100% genuine incredulity to his outrageous remark, which was so ridiculous that it drove the sleepiness away for a moment.

[Penalty for inappropriate language use. (Remaining time: 00:59:59)]

Damn. I had been controlling myself well so far!

Ban Yo-han, you little fox making me use foul language.

‘Oh, that rhyme was sick.’

As I walked a little further, the drowsiness that had escaped due to the shocking remark returned, sticking to every step.

“I feel like I’m going to pass out…”

“If you fall asleep here, I’ll leave you.”

“You should try to be at least half as considerate as Gyeol-hyung.”

Ban Yo-han, who was walking beside me, ignored me as if he hadn’t heard anything worth listening to.

I’ve somewhat adapted to this guy only reacting when it suits him. Damn guy.

Until a moment ago, we were in a cramped vocal practice room that felt too small for seven people, practicing singing until our throats felt scratchy.

Someone who saw me sing for the first time said I was like an android with perfect pitch, rhythm, and timing but a broken part governing emotions.

It was true, so I couldn’t argue.

Thanks to the memorization, my technical skills were almost perfect, but the emotional line, which had just started to deepen, couldn’t keep up, creating a sense of discord that seemed to fuel that perception.

But in the end, I could improve enough that no one would say such things anymore. This is… talent?

“Are you having weird thoughts right now?”

This guy’s got a good sense.

Anyway, we were heading back to the dorm after finishing all our schedules.

Typically, team members shared the same room.

But since each team had at least seven members, sometimes up to eight, not everyone could fit into one room, so a few had to share rooms with members from other teams.

Of course, a trainee had no say in the matter.

We had to go where the production team assigned us.

And from our team, Ban Yo-han and I were selected. Of all people, with him.

“Are you unhappy being with me?”

“I dislike people with good senses like you.”

I spoke in a meaningful tone, like a crazy scientist from a certain manga.

Of course, Ban Yo-han wouldn’t know where the line came from.

In fact, I knew over a hundred things that no one in this world, including Ban Yo-han, would understand.

I thought our unequal conversation was over until Ban Yo-han, who had stopped in front of a door with our names printed on a piece of paper, turned his head towards me and sharply pointed out in a soft tone.

“Well… If it’s about good senses, you wouldn’t be any less, you know.”

“……”

“Sometimes it feels like you can even read my mind.”

“Hahaha.”

“Haha.”

Scary bastard.

“Raon, Yo-han, hi.”

When we opened the door and entered, Nagase Ritsu, who had shared a room with me last time, greeted us warmly as he chatted with Noma Haruto and Azumi Ren from the same agency in Japanese.

“Ritsu, Ren, Haruto, hello.”

In Japan, usually, unless you’re quite close, you address someone by their surname, like “Nagase Ritsu” as “Nagase,” but since the kids said they didn’t mind, I just called them by their names.

Moreover, if the name had more than two syllables, I would appropriately shorten it, calling “Haruto” as “Haru,” for instance.

“Hello? It’s 2017, you know.”

For the crime of making a silly retort, Ban Yo-han was sentenced to sleep on the floor with a blanket during this training camp.

“This is what you call poetic justice.”

The three Japanese trainees couldn’t understand my Korean, but they seemed to grasp that I said something good for us and bad for Ban Yo-han, and they clapped in agreement.

After chatting for a while, we took turns showering and got ready for bed.

Ban Yo-han, who was sleeping on the floor, was the representative waiting by the door for the headcount.

As we heard a staff member knocking on the next door, Ban Yo-han asked me,

“Where are you from?”

At first, I thought it was a random question.

“Uh, Busan?”

To be honest, I’m not even sure.

“Didn’t you find a place to stay when you came up?”

It seemed like he was asking because of the previous incident.

Should I call him persistent?

Since the school I used to attend was in Seoul, and the company is also in Seoul, I must have had a place to stay somewhere in Seoul.

The problem was, I didn’t know where that was.

“……”

Instead of giving an irresponsible answer like someone who came from Busan to Seoul without finding a place to stay, I chose to lay my head on the pillow and let the system force me into sleep.

—

The second day also passed by busily.

Even the notification of leveling up after consecutively succeeding in linked quests went unnoticed, and the rumor that another team had a big fight was just passed over.

On the third day, we practiced in a spacious training room.

Our team, as well as the rival team competing with the same song, practiced together. The only notable thing about the other team was that Kim Jun-woo was the leader.

Just like when we all gathered to practice in the auditorium yesterday, you could clearly feel that the other team was conscious of us when we were all gathered like this.

“The team formed first is Team 1, and the team formed later is Team 2, I guess.”

“Then we’re Team 1.”

“Shouldn’t we decide on our team name too?”

“Let’s talk about that later.”

Even without special instructions from the production team, gathering both teams together like this…

Judging by the timing, it seemed like there would be a surprise lesson today…

“Hello.”

As soon as I had that thought, Muk Hye-sung, who lived in a world of his own, opened the training room door and walked in.

But Muk Hye-sung wasn’t alone.

“Hello!”

“Oh my! Hello!”

Following Muk Hye-sung was a man who looked to be in his late 30s, with the name [Joo Yeon-ho] floating above his head.

If I remember correctly, he’s the main vocalist of Chronicle, right?

“Hello. I’m Joo Yeon-ho, the leader and main vocalist of Chronicle. Nice to meet you.”

I was right.

Joo Yeon-ho’s first impression was the exact opposite of Muk Hye-sung’s.

He felt soft, friendly, and had a good sense of humor. At least, that’s how he appeared on the surface.

The staff brought in a temporary

desk and chairs. From the moment Muk Hye-sung and Joo Yeon-ho, who thanked the staff, sat down, I felt an unnecessary sense of pressure.

“Well, I think the introductions are enough. Let’s start with Team 1. Please perform both the dance and the song together.”

“Don’t be nervous and just do as you practiced.”

So suddenly?

Even though I expected it, our teacher Muk was too brief with the introductions. Doesn’t he know that a proper introduction helps ease tension?

Team 2 sat against the wall, and our team stood in formation to start.

I could feel Han Da-hoon, next to me, taking a trembling breath.

The staff played the music.

Our team didn’t have anyone particularly lacking in skills, nor anyone who slacked off in practice, as we were the first team formed among all teams.

Even thinking back, I still didn’t know why those who didn’t seem to like me much chose me.

That was our weakness.

We weren’t close enough to have good teamwork.

In fact, I didn’t think we’d become closer in the future either.

Except for Ban Yo-han, who endured Muk Hye-sung with me, and Han Da-hoon, who was young and opened his heart quickly, the other trainees didn’t seem to be too fond of me and probably wouldn’t in the future either.

If the closest one to me was Ban Yo-han, this team was doomed.

Still, we hid the feeling of individual play by pretending to be well-coordinated.

Anyway, even if we put off the organic harmony, doing this well in a day was quite an achievement.

While thinking there wasn’t anything particularly harsh to point out…

The opponent was Muk Hye-sung. We couldn’t let our guard down.

I had to stay alert before getting verbally hit… but…

“Gasp… Huff…”

“You’re still young… Drink some water.”

Joo Yeon-ho, feeling sorry for my exhausted state, handed me a water bottle from the table.

I thanked him with difficulty and took the bottle.

I wanted to collapse right there. With my stamina still in the early 20s due to investing all my stat points in charm, performing a live show like this once would leave me exhausted and collapsed.

My stats were probably lower back during the “Heart Attack” days, when I had to sing with intense choreography from start to finish without relying on others.

People always felt the current pain the most acutely.

Which meant I was suffering terribly now.

While I was catching my breath, Muk Hye-sung started his feedback.

“As the center, shouldn’t you have more of your own unique feel?”

Even towards me, precise factual points flew logically.

I was used to Muk Hye-sung’s style and understood him well, so I listened without much emotion. I even asked questions to gain additional understanding.

However, trainees like Ji Yeon-woo, who hadn’t experienced Muk Hye-sung outside of mentor evaluations, had visibly dark expressions.

Guys, lighten up. This teacher only gives advice that becomes our flesh and blood. Although we’ll have to separate some flesh and bone in the process, think of it as a rebirth process, and it’s bearable.

After everyone, including Ban Yo-han, who had the least part, had been criticized, Joo Yeon-ho finally spoke up.