Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer the Entertainment Industry

Chapter 74

Not long ago, most of the True staff, including Gil Jun-yong, didn’t take the series of events related to On Raon very seriously.

This was because there had already been several instances where trainees had quit after being pushed to the point of breaking down.

It was a harsh environment.

True believed that enduring such hardships was a necessary sacrifice to become a star.

No matter how talented a trainee was, if they couldn’t endure the process until debut, they were finished.

However, recently, as On Raon began to shine in Pick Heart, there were whispers within True questioning whether the decision to expel him had been too hasty.

Currently, On Raon’s public image was quite positive.

After the ‘Eolssu Eolssu’ stage, Pick Heart 3’s non-drama buzz percentage soared past 30%.

On Raon also ranked in the top three in real-time search keywords during the broadcast, and his personal buzz ranking reached the top three overall as of the last episode.

There were even analyses suggesting that he could rise to the top ranks in the upcoming second ranking ceremony, with people questioning how someone like him could have placed 14th in the first ranking ceremony.

True had never before seen a trainee who had fallen as far as On Raon and then rebounded in such a way.

Gil Jun-yong, who had thought he had fulfilled his duty by recommending On Raon, whom he personally scouted overseas, for Pick Heart, changed his mind.

“Hyun-jin, I always thought it was inappropriate for adults to interfere in children’s fights.”

At Gil Jun-yong’s words, Oh Hyun-jin, who was already tense, felt his heart sink.

The staff had turned a blind eye to the bullying in the practice room, shifting the target each time. This had intensified the harassment.

‘Does he mean to bring up past issues now?’

Oh Hyun-jin had felt uneasy ever since he saw On Raon at the Pick Heart filming site for the first time in months, after On Raon had left the trainee dorm early one morning.

In the short time that had passed, On Raon, who had looked deathly pale, had reappeared looking full of life.

He looked just as he had when he first joined True, full of expectations, excitement, and dreams.

Moreover, he didn’t seem as docile as before.

In fact, during the first competition, Oh Hyun-jin had intended to form a team with trainees who held grudges against On Raon and bring On Raon in last.

Even though Ban Yo-han ended up on the same team due to some complications, he thought it wouldn’t matter much.

From what he saw during the mentor evaluations, On Raon hadn’t fully regained his skills yet, so he planned to crush him again before he could.

The reason the trainees harbored resentment against On Raon was that Oh Hyun-jin had distorted the truth, telling them, “He was bullied at our company, and he deserved it.”

But things didn’t go as planned.

The kid who used to be too timid to make eye contact with people was now confidently showing his presence.

‘No, maybe he was never really timid….’

Recalling On Raon, who used to persistently come to the practice room no matter what he went through at True, Oh Hyun-jin suddenly felt very afraid.

‘What if… What if On Raon reveals that I bullied him?’

With a guilty conscience, his anxiety wouldn’t subside.

Oh Hyun-jin had not lived a purely good and righteous life.

There were plenty of people who could confirm what happened to On Raon.

Even if On Raon himself didn’t speak up, no one knew when or where the truth might leak out.

There were employees who had come to pity On Raon late, trainees who had quit, and other trainees vying for his spot, backed by the company.

The matter was well-known enough to reach even Kang Ji-woo, a trainee from another company.

Once the word spread, it could come from anyone.

While it was publicly known that the trainees had intense rivalries, if the severe bullying beyond socially acceptable levels were revealed, it was clear he would be ruined as both a celebrity and a person.

Cold sweat ran down his back.

He knew what he had to say.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s a relief that Raon is a good kid.”

It sounded like he was implying that On Raon might cover up everything even if he knew.

“You said he doesn’t seem to remember much about the past?”

“Yes.”

Although On Raon had managed to get through crises so far, from the perspective of someone who remembered his old self, it was hard not to have any doubts since he seemed like a completely different person.

Gil Jun-yong’s gaze shifted back to On Raon’s medical report displayed on the monitor.

[Primary concerns: memory decline, cognitive decline…]

“Anyway, don’t provoke him further, and if it seems like he’s remembering the past, do whatever it takes—beg, compensate—to get his forgiveness.”

“…”

“Make sure there’s no problem. Got it?”

“…Yes.”

His brief reply clearly showed how much he hoped On Raon would remember nothing.

* * *

Today was the day of the second ranking ceremony shoot. The seventh episode, covering the latter part of the second competition, aired two days ago, and the second voting closed this afternoon.

And I was in a very bad mood.

First, PD Jo In-soo had come over and started talking at length about how he benefited from me, even though I didn’t want to hear it.

Second, Oh Hyun-jin had approached with a guilty demeanor and given me snacks.

Seeing the two people I least wanted to see at the shoot in succession like this ruined my mood.

While it made sense for PD Jo In-soo to be pleased with the high ratings, I couldn’t understand why Oh Hyun-jin would do this, given how much he hated me.

‘And I don’t want to know.’

The ranking ceremony proceeded in a subdued atmosphere compared to last time.

From our group, Day barely survived at 34th place, and Nagase Ritsu survived at 27th place, slightly higher than before.

And Kyle… seemed likely to be eliminated.

Seo Moon-gyeol ranked 7th.

He didn’t get much screen time apart from the stage, but the stage reactions were as good as mine, so I thought he’d rank higher.

It felt a bit strange.

“Next, we will announce the trainee who ranked 3rd. This trainee showed a great performance with a remix of ‘Royal Court Music’ and ‘I Will Soar.’ Their exciting rap even got the representatives dancing.”

The remaining top-ranked trainees from the Eolssu Eolssu group were Jing Xiao and me. Both of us rapped.

The other trainees’ eyes were on us, who were sitting front and back.

“Congratulations. The 3rd place trainee is On Raon.”

I smiled modestly, satisfied.

“Trainee On Raon has gained a lot of love from the representatives with his nicknames like Onbboomboom and FunRaon after the Eolssu Eolssu stage. He jumped an impressive 11 places to secure 3rd place from his ranking in the first ceremony. This is the highest ranking for an individual trainee, surpassing Lee Saetbyeol, who debuted in 6th place in season 2.”

Given the positive broadcast reactions, I had expected some rise in my ranking, if not all the way to 3rd place, so I wasn’t as stunned as last time.

I still spent a long time hugging and shaking hands with the remaining trainees.

Oh Hyun-jin also made an uncomfortably friendly gesture of affection. I had to accept it because of the cameras, but I didn’t like it.

When I went up on stage, Jena joked, “I guess you don’t need a hug this time?” as I calmly took the microphone.

“Let’s hear your thoughts.”

“First of all, I’m really grateful to the representatives who gave me such a high ranking. And to my Fun Team members, I cherish and appreciate each and every one of you. I’ll keep working hard to show even more improvement. Thank you.”

Just as I felt relieved for finishing my speech smoothly.

“Since it’s a shame to let you go just like that, how about a bit of aegyo before you leave?”

Jena dropped a bomb.

The trainees cheered. It wasn’t their problem.

In this day and age, aegyo had become a fate or a part of the job for idols, regardless of gender.

It had such a significant status that in foreign countries, it wasn’t translated and was used as a proper noun, “Aegyo.”

I saw Muk Hye-sung, who was nearly in his forties, doing aegyo in front of his fans on WeTube.

A camera with a red light on approached me, determined to capture my aegyo.

I shook my head once, refusing.

“I’ve never done aegyo in my life, so I’m not sure if I can do it well.”

“There’s no way that’s true.”

She was adamant.

“Actually, you’re already cute right now. Don’t worry.”

Your taste is a bit peculiar too.

“I can remember so many times, like when you were sad and said ‘I seeee’ on Pick Up Friend, when you attacked with your eyes during the chicken fight, and when you performed your part on the last stage. Should I continue?”

Whether that was actually cute is a secondary matter, but how could she so shamelessly reveal all these embarrassing moments from my past right next to me?

And I never stretched out my words like that!

It was all the result of subtitles fabricating and playing tricks.

How could I have fallen for that?

From today, you’re not just Jena; you’re King Jena.

“Chan-bin, do you remember the chicken fight?”

“Yes! Now that I think about it, it wasn’t just acting cute; it was genuinely cute, just like Raon said!”

While I was trying hard to keep my expression in check, Seo Chan-bin, who didn’t have a microphone, responded unnecessarily loudly.

I wanted to punch my past self.

“Just relax. No need to feel pressured.”

Why don’t superiors realize that saying ‘don’t feel pressured’ actually makes you feel more pressured?

In any case, I accepted reality.

Being considered cute could be beneficial rather than harmful.

“I’ll do it. But you all need to react. If I do it and it’s quiet, I’ll really feel sad. You know how to react, right?”

After receiving firm promises of enthusiastic reactions from the trainees sitting behind and in front of me, I quickly recalled the aegyo moves I knew.

“…I’m ready.”

“Wow, you’re even preparing. Alright, I’ll do a countdown.”

Determined to do it properly, I made circles with my hands and brought them to my mouth.

“3, 2, 1.”

“…Representatives, Onnanghaeyo!”

As soon as I finished speaking, I smiled widely and pretended to bite the circle. My fingers bent into a heart shape. It was the so-called ‘biting heart.’

Even though it was just two words and one gesture, the moment I spoke in a cute voice, my fingers and toes felt like they were curling up separately.

“You said you couldn’t do it! That was amazing!”

“On Raon is so cute!”

Everyone reacted well.

Even if it was just business, I was grateful.

Thanks to them, it was less embarrassing… or not!

‘Please, don’t let this be aired. Please.’

Rationally, I knew it would be good if it aired, but emotionally, I couldn’t accept it.

Wouldn’t people feel the same as me if they saw this scene?

If this aired, people might change the channel or turn off their TVs.

Jena, the instigator of this aegyo incident, suppressed her laughter and spoke.

“Oh, ‘Onnanghaeyo’. Even the pronunciation is so cute. The heart was adorable too. It might become a new catchphrase for Pick Heart. Does it mean something special?”

“Yes… If you say ‘On Raon’ quickly, it becomes ‘Onnang.’ So, it’s shortened from ‘On Raon says hello’ to ‘Onnanghaeyo,’ and it also combines ‘On Raon’ and ‘I love you’ to make ‘Onnanghaeyo’…”

Explaining this in detail was making me feel even more embarrassed.

Jena mercifully sent me back to my seat before I could finish, overwhelmed by the growing embarrassment.

Being an idol… is tough…