Chapter 5 |
In the blink of an eye, the first day of filming for the program arrived.
I spent a month preparing for the stage evaluation, coordinating with Do Yuda. He, who suddenly became a team with me and couldn’t leave the practice room except when sleeping, screamed when a satisfying performance was completed.
“Hyung, you’re so scary … how are you so good? You’ve only been a trainee for a short time! Is this what they call natural talent?”
I had a decade of experience, so how could I possibly be the same as these rookies who had only been at it for a few years at most? Watching him spout nonsense about talent, it was clear that this guy was still just a kid after all.
‘If we’re talking about natural talent, it’s probably this kid.’
I didn’t expect much, but Do Yuda was actually better than I thought. Especially his singing.
His strengths were his impressive vocal range and powerful voice. On the evaluation stage, he successfully hit a D5, and when he was just playing around, he even reached an E5. To have that kind of range in his chest voice at such a young age was truly a sign that he was blessed with talent.
‘No wonder SU Entertainment is confident to showcase him.’
Trainees might feel disappointed with a company that didn’t debut them, but from the company’s perspective, training trainees was just a business expense. It meant they wouldn’t hold onto someone with no potential for years.
“….Okay. Let’s do well.”
Without doubt, it will go well.
Before showcasing it on the program, our performance had already passed the company’s preliminary evaluation with flying colors. Objectively speaking, our stage was even better than those who had already debuted.
Today was the last day we could practice properly. We had just finished the last round of preliminary interviews conducted with each agency.
Click! Click!
“What are you doing?”
“Now that I’ve got my makeup done, don’t I look pretty decent? We should take a photo.”
“…….”
Before heading to the interview, we were shipped away to a makeup salon at Lee Yooin’s insistence, and we came out looking more dazzling than ever. Apparently, these days there’s makeup that looked so natural, it’s like we’re not wearing any at all.
‘Capital is frightening … those meticulous SU guys.’
Trainees from other agencies would have been filmed without much preparation. As for us, we had already completed everything, even a skincare clinic tour, over the past month.
“Okay, let’s take a picture of you too, hyung. Oh my, you’re handsome!”
Do Yuda, who pulled me out of my wandering thoughts and took several selfies, cheerfully packed up and opened the practice room door.
“Then let’s go back to the dorm now, tomorrow is an important day.”
“…….”
I stared at him in silence, smiling slyly, and his dark, round eyes started to shift nervously. Unable to withstand the prolonged silence, Do Yuda awkwardly took a few steps back.
“Hyung, resting is also important. I’m going to declare a strike. This is crazy! I’m going to die from all this practice!”
“Just kidding. We can’t go into tomorrow’s shoot with dark circles.”
“Aww, hyung. You’re so humorous! Haha!”
Do Yuda forced a laugh and patted his chest as if to show he was relieved. Then, in a hurry, he grabbed my bag and handed it to me.
“Come on, let’s get out. Get out! Get out!”
“…….”
It’s fun to tease him.
***
The next day, the two of us were all dressed in costume, hair, and makeup, and driven to the studio in a van provided by the agency. Just like the pre-interview, it seemed like we were given the last turn.
‘That’s understandable. SU Entertainment has never sent their trainee on a program like this. I’m sure they have high expectations.’
When we arrived at the filming studio, we were greeted by the production staff and given microphones. Name tags were lined up in the passageway before we entered the studio.
[SU ENTERTAINMENT / HAN SEUNGBEOM]
[SU ENTERTAINMENT / DO YUDA]
“If I were my mom and dad, I wouldn’t have named my child this.”
When Do Yuda saw his name in big letters on the name tag, he pouted.
“Honestly, something like ‘Do Yusae1‘ or ‘Do Yuknowtheway?’ or anything else would be more fun. Do you know how many times I was teased with ‘I didn’t ask, Yuda-ya, iyaiyao2‘ when I was young?”
“Be thankful you’re not Remi.”
Do Remi.
One of the production staff, who had been listening to our conversation from the side, spewed out the water he was drinking.
“I’ve heard that one a lot too, you know? Ugh, so lame.”
Boom! Sound effects echoed inside the studio, followed by the murmurs of dozens of boys.
“It must be SU Entertainment!”
“Wow, they’re coming here too?”
“Didn’t they say that CSAT guy was from this agency?”
“I wonder how many people will show up.”
“I auditioned over there, but I didn’t get in.”
When the producers decided they’d gotten enough reactions from the rest of the trainees, they signaled to us.
“Okay, SU Entertainment will be in shortly. Let’s start the count.”
‘3, 2, 1.’
The production team’s outstretched fingers gradually decreased, and we slowly walked into the studio after confirming the signal to enter.
As soon as we entered, the first thing that caught my eye was the pyramid-shaped seating arrangement according to rank, and since we were last, most of the seats were already taken by trainees.
“Wow, look at their faces.”
“Crazy. I saw that guy on the news.”
“Their legs are so long. The camera just keeps going up. I think both of them are around 180 cm.”
“He’s so handsome. I saw the news, and I think he got even more handsome in the meantime.”
“The guy standing next to him is handsome too?”
“That guy, that’s him. The one who got first place in the SU Entertainment vocal audition.”
“As expected, the big agency is different. Why does it feel like their face is shining?”
The huge screen above the studio seemed to be reflecting our faces. I turned my head to look at Do Yuda.
“Where do you want to sit?”
The production team told us, the last ones to enter, that “it doesn’t matter where you sit, just take any seat“. What they really meant was that we should either sit in an available seat or push another trainee aside to take theirs.
‘Obviously, they want the latter.’
In the first episode, the competition for those debut ranking seats was usually the focus. But by the later parts of the program, you wouldn’t even really remember who sat where.
If you sat in the upper rankings, you would get everyone’s attention and get a little more screentime, but if you sat in the lower rankings, you would be able to pass by quietly.
No matter where we sat, we’re from a big agency, so we would definitely get our fair share of screentime. At this point, I thought Do Yuda could sit wherever he wanted.
“Wow! Can I sit wherever I want?”
“Yes.”
“Chicken. Stir-fry. Soup. Delicious. If delicious. Then. Eat. More.”
This kid was a real weirdo. He started singing while pointing with his fingers, one by one, from 1st place to 7th place, the last of the debut spots, while singing. As soon as he did that, the trainees sitting in the debut seat desperately avoided making eye contact with us.
“Doctor.Cheok.Cheok.Guess.What.I’m.Saying.Ding.Dong.Daeng.”3
Do Yuda’s fingers stopped at 2nd place.
“Let’s go to the 2nd and 3rd place.”
“….Okay.”
The trainees seated in the second and third places looked dejected. Do Yuda ran over excitedly and spoke to them.
“Hello. What do you want to compete with?”
“Yes?”
“Let’s play a game to decide who gets the best seat. What do you like? Rock-paper-scissors? Cham-cham-cham? Dibidibidib? I like dibidibidib4.”
Do Yuda pulled me aside as I stood there blankly and asked me a straightforward question.
You, you punk. Are you going to make me do that?
“I don’t want to do it. I’m not doing it. I don’t want to do it.”
Seeing me panicking and resisting, Do Yuda tilted his head and said “Ah, okay, okay“, then gave a thumbs up. What’s okay? Did he really understand?
“You two are from the same agency, right? Let’s have one person represent the team. My hyung is very shy. Hyung, just trust me. I’m a master of Dibidibidib.”
The guy who did the Dibidibidib’s scissors pose said dramatically. He looked strangely like an ostrich, the perfect image of a fool.
‘Don’t do that.’
Long story short, Do Yuda won. We ended up sitting in second and third place.
“Ah, I showed them. That broadcast must have looked cool, right, hyung?”
No. You destroyed SU Entertainment’s reputation, you idiot.
I’ll pretend to be asleep when the show goes on the air and Lee Yooin calls.
During the intense three minutes of Dibidibidib, I stood there like a borrowed sack of barley5. I didn’t want to get involved in that. I felt sorry for the two trainees who were being pushed out of their seats over such a ridiculous competition.
Baam! There was another loud sound effect and all the lights in the studio went out. Someone jumped onto the stage, one arm spread out horizontally.
“Survival Idol Project! Survive IDOL Season 4!”
The stage lights came back on. And the slot machine on the screen rolled to 777.
“Out of the 77 boys, only 7 will survive! The boys’ dreams are in your hands! Bet on your idols!”
‘Are you freaking kidding me……’
They were making a chaotic atmosphere, turning the lights off and on just to make a dramatic scene.
“Hello. I am actor Yang Hajun who will be hosting Survive IDOL.”
“Wow!”
“So handsome!”
The trainees, who were still far from becoming actual celebrities, cheered and clapped enthusiastically. As someone who wasn’t really into dramas or movies, I wasn’t familiar with many of the actors.
‘I don’t know him.’
“Before we start the official grade evaluation, let me introduce the trainers who will skillfully refine and polish the trainees.”
Boom. Boom. Boom!
The trainers appeared in a row, accompanied by thumping music.
‘I recognize all these faces.’
In other seasons, there were more professional dancers and vocalists, but this season, the percentage of idols has increased dramatically. Perhaps the accident of the dance trainer during filming in the previous season had an impact.
‘Idols who are actively promoting are under the control of their agency, and since they are very conscious of the broadcasting stations, the risk of them causing accidents will be less.’
I recited the trainers’ years of experience.
‘Junior, junior, senior, junior, junior, senior … and.’
There were only two seniors, and they weren’t idols, but singers and rappers. It was funny that I was standing here as a trainee when there were so many of my juniors.
‘Hmm?’
Something was familiar. The one who was last to arrive.
“The head trainer is Jay from the legendary boy group Prism!”
He was the youngest member of the idol group I had been a part of for several years in my former life.
That guy, that kid. He used to get scolded by me for not being able to dance, but now he’s at a level where he could teach the kids. It was almost moving. He started his solo activities after I left group. I didn’t keep track of how he was doing, but I figured that if he’s appearing as a trainer, he must have become pretty skilled.
Jay, who entered with a coat draped over his shoulder, scanned the trainees. When our eyes met, I clenched my fist tightly. He seemed to think I was admiring him.
However, I, who watched him since he was a snot-nosed kid, was directly hit and wounded.
‘Tear the coat. Take off the beanie and use it to wipe the floor. Stitch up the damaged thigh so he can never take it off again.’
Don’t put on airs. I’m seriously annoyed.
Translator’s Corner:
- Do Yusae is 도요새. The joke is the name sounds like the english “Do you say” so you can joking around with the name. Same with the next “Do you know the way”. ↩︎
- This joke is lost in english. This is some kind of … children rhyme? in korea that you usually used when you jokingly tell someone you’re not curious / not asking (for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1JQqKPFGuE). The joke here is the lyrics are “anmul-eobwassda yudaya iyaiyao”. Yuda name when called by someone close is “Yuda-ya”
Well, since I used it often to keep the original tone, I’ll explain the common name suffixes used by Korean too in below the footnotes section. ↩︎
- He was doing what people usually call random counting-out rhyme.
Doctor Cheokcheok (척척박사): is a knowledgeable person, a person who can answer any question (the “Doctor” here refers to doctoral degree).
The full rhyme well expresses the feelings of a child who wants to leave their fate to someone transcendent (the Doctor Cheokcheok) and pass the responsibility because they don’t know what to choose. ↩︎
- Dibidibidib is a korean game where the goal of the game is to copy the person’s action after saying “Dibi dibi dip”. ↩︎
- Borrowed sack of barley (꾸어다 놓은 보릿자루 같다): A metaphorical expression for a person who sits alone in silence while many people gather to laugh and chat.
It’s kinda similiar to “Wallflower” in english. ↩︎
-nim(님): a high-level honorific used to show respect to someone. This is used with people’s names and titles. This is the most common way to address someone with respect. It also usually used after a job title. Like when calling “teacher-nim”, “manager-nim”, “director-nim”.
-ssi (씨): used to address people that are roughly on the same level of the social hierarchy. (slightly older or younger than you) An example of this might be two students in class (not close friends). This is used with a person’s name + 씨. For example, your classmate is named 배지훈. Or to be used to a stranger. It’s kinda like Mr./Mrs/Ms in English.
-ah (아) / -ya (야) : used with people who are close to you and younger. If the name ends in a consonant, then you’ll use -ah. ㅑIf the name ends in a vowel, then you use -ya.
The other common things you’ll find in this story are sunbae (선배) that means “Senior” and hoobae (후배) that means “Junior“. Sometimes I’m going to write it as it is without translating to keep the original tone. (Like “sunbaenim” hits much harder than just “senior”)