I Was Trying To Debut My Baby, But I Ended Up Debuting Instead

Chapter 8

After Han Youngwon, a few more teams passed by, and Hyesung and Na Yeonwoo were called down together.

“What should I do, unnie? I’m so nervous.”

Na Yeonwoo, who had been watching the trainees being evaluated below the stage, grabbed Hyesung’s arm, unable to stay still.

“Oh? Oh. It’s okay. You’ll do well, Yeonwoo.”

However, Hyesung was just as frozen as Na Yeonwoo.

‘What is going on? There should be three people from Management A, but why are there only two?’

A trainee next to Na Yeonwoo came over and started shaking Hyesung’s arm as well.

“Unnie, you’re nervous too, right? Yeonwoo, I’m so nervous. We won’t get an F, right?”

“There’s no way we’d get an F… I’d be happy with just a Basic grade.”

“Well, I’d like at least a Middle!”

‘Dream on. What Middle. No, that’s not the issue. There should be one more person with you and Yeonwoo! Where did that person go? And…’

Hyesung glanced ahead. She saw soft brown hair that barely reached the shoulders.

‘Why is this person in front of me? The situation keeps changing and making me anxious…’

Overwhelmed by anxiety, Hyesung closed her eyes tightly.

‘Forget what I said about being burdened by performing after Han Youngwon. I wish myself luck as I’m the next in line.’

“Unnie, are you okay? Your face is pale…”

“Hyesung unnie goes before us. She must be nervous. Unnie, you’ll do great. Fighting!”

Na Yeonwoo and her fellow trainee mistook Hyesung’s pale face for pre-evaluation nerves.

“Yeah, you too… Ah, Yeonwoo, check your shoelaces again. You said they were uncomfortable earlier.”

“Okay.”

Hyesung remembered the scene from the class evaluation where Na Yeonwoo had twisted her foot and missed a step.

‘It was because her shoes were uncomfortable.’

“No, I’ll tie them for you again. Just a moment.”

“No, unnie! I can do it myself…”

Before she could finish, Hyesung reached for Na Yeonwoo’s canvas shoes. They looked slightly uncomfortable, possibly because they didn’t fit well.

‘Why put insoles in a tall girl’s shoes… no wonder it’s uncomfortable.’

“Yeonwoo, is this better?”

She loosened the shoelaces that were tightening the shoe around the foot.

“I think it’s okay.”

“Should I tie the knot tight?”

“Yes, thank you…”

Na Yeonwoo scratched her head with her long fingers, looking embarrassed.

“Unnie, can you check my shoes too?”

Na Yeonwoo’s fellow trainee puffed her cheeks playfully.

“Alright, let’s see. Hey, it’s Velcro.”

“Kya-ha-ha-ha, meh rong.”

“You’re teasing unnie, you little one?”

“Even though you’re shorter than me.”

The light-hearted teasing momentarily eased the tension.

“…is rated Middle.”

The three who had been chattering were drawn to the announcement from the stage.

“Another Middle.”

“Sigh, I hope I get a Middle too.”

‘More than 40 people have gone, but there are very few Aces.’

Instead, there were too many Middle and Basic grades. This was evidence of the ambiguous level of the participants.

“Next, Q Media trainee Lee Joo-ha, please come up.”

“Yes.”

Hyesung’s gaze turned to Lee Joo-ha, who was checking the microphone.

‘She’ll do well… but knowing the outcome makes it somewhat bittersweet.’

“Hyesung unnie, do you know her? You keep looking at her.”

Na Yeonwoo’s fellow trainee whispered into Hyesung’s ear.

“No. I met her for the first time today.”

“Oh, you were looking at her like you were seeing a celebrity?”

“Yeah, something like that…”

“I like Lee Joo-ha too.”

Na Yeonwoo interjected suddenly.

“I even voted for her before… It’s a bit strange to meet her like this.”

“You voted for her?”

‘I knew Yeonwoo followed Lee Joo-ha closely, but I didn’t know she liked her even before Supernova.’

“Yes. I hope she does well on stage.”

“Yeah…”

Hyesung watched Lee Joo-ha’s back as she went up on stage, her expression complicated.

“This is Q Media’s Lee Joo-ha.”

Minty’s eyes sharpened upon hearing the introduction.

“She’s from the same agency as Minty?”

“If they give her favorable treatment just because she’s from the same company…”

The rap trainer half-jokingly remarked, and Minty cut him off.

“They’ll be stricter, right? Because she’s representing our company.”

Though Minty spoke kindly with a smile, it sounded more like ‘cut the crap.’

“Then, let’s begin.”

“Yes.”

As the intro started, the trainees seated began to murmur.

“Oh my, wow. Snowy?”

“She’s doing this song.”

Minty’s eyes, which had been on edge for her agency junior’s stage evaluation, sharpened even more.

“Wow, isn’t this a new song? She’s doing a song that’s only a month old…”

Vocal trainer Yoo Jung-ah spoke with surprise.

The performance that followed was quite good. It was a harmonious stage as if it were her own song.

Choosing a song that was only a month old was a risk, but Lee Joo-ha, a debut trainee for Snowy, chose Snowy’s song *Candy*.

Around this time last year, Q Media conducted a project where female trainees competed for a spot in the next debut group. Though not aired on TV, videos of trainees performing weekly mission songs were posted on the world’s largest online video platform, WeTube.

Votes were tallied based on the view counts and ‘likes’ of the videos. Thanks to its accessibility, global fans participated actively, which later translated into strong overseas fan support for Snowy after their debut.

Lee Joo-ha had been a popular trainee ever since the videos were released, but she wasn’t chosen as a member of Snowy. According to some, she was dropped because her image overlapped too much with another member who was practically pre-selected.

‘She didn’t choose this song during the class evaluation before.’

Hyesung’s brow furrowed as she watched Lee Joo-ha from below the stage.

Snowy’s *Candy* was one of the songs for the first mission round. Before the reset, it had been so.

‘She climbed to the top ranks with the narrative built from singing a song of the group she was dropped from. But… she failed to debut again.’

It didn’t feel like someone else’s problem. Lee Joo-ha, who would be dropped again, overlapped with Na Yeonwoo in Hyesung’s mind. But the constantly changing situation made her uneasy.

‘Moreover, this stat…’

After Lee Joo-ha’s stage, Hyesung was shocked when she saw her status window. The stats were lower than the performance she showed.

[Lee Joo-ha (21/Female)]

Visual ★★★

Vocal ★★★

Dance ★★★

Star Quality ★★★

‘All three stars. I thought she’d be similar to Han Youngwon… How much did she practice this song?’

Lee Joo-ha’s stage did not fall behind Han Youngwon, who was at a 4-star level. In fact, the notable song choice made it more memorable.

“Is there a reason you chose this song?”

Dance trainer Jade asked cautiously.

“…As you all know, it’s a song by friends I spent my trainee days with.”

Lee Joo-ha answered, catching her breath.

“I wanted to show that I didn’t give up just because I failed once, that I’ve been working hard out of sight. I thought this song would be good to show that.”

*Candy* was a song with hopeful lyrics about recalling the candy from childhood during tough times.

“In a way, it’s like a message to yourself?”

Including the storytelling, the trainers were full of praise. Even Minty, who said she’d be stricter because they were from the same agency, agreed.

“It felt like the candy was rolling into my mouth.”

Receiving the Ace grade sticker and coming down, Lee Joo-ha briefly encouraged Hyesung, who was next in line.

“Fighting.”

She seemed to have finally relaxed after achieving her goal. Seeing her bright, sunny smile made Hyesung feel even more uneasy.

‘Ah, this is bad. Really. What do I do?’

Even though she expected an F grade, the fear was unavoidable.

Hyesung forced her trembling body to move and went up on stage.

“Hello. I’m Yoon Hyesung, an independent trainee. Though my skills are still lacking, I will do my best.”

Worried she’d be asked about her past experience, she quickly emphasized her shortcomings and bowed deeply.

“Have you had any agency trainee experience?”

Vocal trainer S1 asked.

‘…Please don’t ask.’

“It says here you’re from D&F.”

Seol Hanna kindly pointed out.

“Hmm… A large agency, so I expect large skills as well.”

Minty shrugged and said.

Just from the introduction, sweat started forming on Hyesung’s forehead.

“I, I was only there for a very short time…”

“Alright, let’s hear the song.”

Without giving her a chance to explain, the trainers called for standby.

A faint violin intro flowed out.

“What song is this?”

“Is it an original song?”

“It feels like an old song…”

The seated trainees tilted their heads, looking confused. Meanwhile, the trainers’ eyes widened, recognizing the song from just the intro.

“Wow, it’s been so long since I heard this.”

“I’m being hit with nostalgia. This was my Tiny HomePage background music.”

The two vocal trainers giggled and smiled.

As the violin melody was joined by a bright piano tune, it spread through the studio like morning mist.

Hyesung adjusted her grip on the microphone and counted down in her mind.

‘Three, two, one.’

[Between the breaking sunlight

I see your faint figure

The sweet scent of lilacs, your breath

I close my eyes and trace back my memories]

The song Hyesung chose was *Love is… Lilac Scent*, released 16 years ago by solo female singer Lee Sookyung.

The title had an ellipsis (…) in it, reflecting the sentimentality of that time.

It was a medium-tempo dance ballad comparing the scent of lilacs to a long-lost first love. ‘Lila’ was the French word for lilac, which used to be called ‘lila flowers’ long ago.

The trainers’ expressions softened slightly. Just hearing the intro and first verse seemed to transport them back to that era.

Hyesung’s prediction hit the mark.

This song selection aimed to evoke the trainers’ nostalgia from their school days, bringing a positive bias through their fond memories.

‘Because music has that kind of power.’

[The lilac scent brushing my nose

Calls out your memory from the past

Ah, lilac flowers are first love

Fading away like a dream]

Though the melody was bright, the song felt somewhat sad. Hyesung focused all her energy on conveying the emotion rather than dancing much.

[Through the fluttering petals

I see your faint figure

When I close my eyes, I hear your voice]

The song was certainly bright, yet it had a sentimental tone that made one feel melancholic. Hyesung’s pitiful aura was imbued in the song. Her actual pitiful circumstances and slightly haggard appearance from rigorous practice added to this effect.

‘Phew. I finished without mistakes. I did my best within my abilities.’

Hyesung exhaled and bowed politely.