Chapter 89:
Chapter 89
Did the audition plague spread there too?
Awi had successfully finished their concerts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
Ian and Kim Joo-young turned their stiff necks and said.
“I’m tired even though we’re in business class. Is it just me?”
“Me too. Let’s go to the practice room and have some pig’s feet.”
“I like that idea.”
They had a week left until the next city concert. It was a brief visit to Korea.
“The choreographer hasn’t arrived yet?”
Awi had been on a world tour from late May to early September, and they had to prepare a new stage during the tour. After the tour ended, they also had to start working on their next album, and it was the award season from October.
“Let’s start with stretching.”
The members arrived at the practice room as soon as they came to Korea and loosened up their bodies. It wasn’t over with preparing for the award stage.
They also had schedules in Korea, such as a chicken commercial tomorrow and a magazine photo shoot the day after.
“How about a light song? What do you want to do?”
“Of course, ‘Side Effect’. It’s our Joo-hyuk hyung’s first number one song.”
The members cheered as Ian said. Among them, Lee Joo-hyuk smiled happily. ‘Side Effect’ had done so well that it made it to the annual chart, not just the daily chart, and it was still in the upper ranks of the chart.
“Guys, hold on.”
“Huh? Hello, teacher!”
“Did you have a good tour?”
The choreographer from BHL Entertainment patted the members’ shoulders.
After exchanging greetings with the choreographer, they looked at the door and saw a bunch of trainees gathered behind the transparent door.
“They said they wanted to see you practice. Is that okay?”
“Guys, what do you think?”
Lee Joo-hyuk looked around at the members.
The members nodded with indifferent faces.
They had performed in front of countless people until two days ago.
There was no reason not to show their practice scene to just 30 or so trainees.
“Thank you!”
The trainees bowed their heads and thanked them, then stuck to the wall of the practice room.
They looked at the mirror with eager expressions.
“I’ll play the music for you.”
“Okay.”
The music played, and they matched the picture one by one.
The trainees opened their mouths blankly.
They had felt that their bodies were unusually light lately when they danced, but it wasn’t an illusion.
Ian felt that he was dancing differently than before in the mirror.
‘It’s true that world tour boosts your skills.’
As he confirmed it with the mirror, he realized that although their group had always been known for their sharp choreography, it was different from before.
The seven members’ movements and steps were perfectly aligned without an inch of error.
It was almost mechanical.
“Wow…”
When the music ended, the trainees clapped and cheered.
Lee Joo-hyuk scratched his back of his head.
“Did we match this well?”
“It felt great. Let’s do one more song.”
The members agreed to Park Jin-hyuk’s suggestion. This time it was ‘Dawn’.
They also danced perfectly and the music ended.
“Wow… we’re awesome.”
“We’re almost crazy.”
The members praised themselves, forgetting that the trainees were listening.
The trainees who had witnessed Awi’s settlement scene laughed as if they were immune.
“They say world tour is a skill booster.”
They shouldn’t have fallen into self-praise.
They should have noticed that the choreographer’s eyes were sparkling.
***
“So, there’s a Sea Music Award at the end of October. Do you have any concept in mind?”
The choreographer asked as he sat down on the floor. BHL Entertainment cared about the stage, so they didn’t just follow the choreography that the choreographer made, but they participated in the choreography concept from all members.
“Well… our main stage is ‘Side Effect’, right?”
Last year’s award stage was a hot topic, so this year some awards gave Awi a lot of stage time, which made them more worried.
Lee Joo-hyuk asked around at the members.
“What comes to mind when you think of side effects?”
“Drugs…?”
“Not that.”
Lee Joo-hyuk dismissed Kim Joo-young’s words.
The lyrics of the song were about ‘side effects in my life because you’re gone’, so it would be a bit controversial if they went with drugs as a sensitive topic.
“But I can only think of drugs?”
“What about plastic surgery?”
Cho Tae-woong and Kim Hyun said.
Their thoughts were not much different.
Ian tapped his finger on the floor and pondered.
‘Drugs… drugs… sleeping pills.’
Ian raised his head.
“How about insomnia?”
“Insomnia?”
He was sleep-deprived and love-sick. He felt like he was going crazy.
“Wow! Ian, I like your idea, but how about something more fantastical? Like a dream character?”
“Or what about a ghost? A ghost that keeps him awake. We did horror before, so let’s make it a ghost with a backstory.”
As soon as the topic was opened, ideas sprang up from everywhere.
The choreographer listened to them all and stroked his chin.
“Not bad. Hyun, what do you think?”
“I like it. How about putting a bed in the center of the stage or paying homage to a movie? It would look nice, right?”
Kim Hyun, who had recently developed an interest in stage direction, expressed his opinion proactively.
The choreographer smiled with satisfaction.
“Good. Let’s think about it together.”
At that moment, someone opened the door of the practice room and peeked in.
It was a staff member from their agency.
“Is Ian here?”
“Yes!”
“Can you come with me for a minute if you’re not busy?”
What is it? Ian headed to the hallway.
“Are we going to the conference room? Did I get a schedule?”
“You’re quick on the uptake.”
If he had a schedule, the agency would have notified him after reviewing it. But calling him to the conference room meant that he had received a rather important offer…
‘What is it? An ad? A drama?’
Ian opened the door of the conference room.
“You’re here?”
“Hello, director.”
Inside, there were the director, Seo Suryeon, and his vocal coach, Lee Heejin.
“What am I doing here? Heejin teacher, why are you here…?”
Ian sat down across from them. Seo Suryeon got straight to the point.
“Ian, do you want to go on the Chinese version of ‘Project Idol’?”
Jin, who had disappeared for a while, stuck to Ian’s side.
[Chin-Pro-Idol?]
‘Damn, you scared me. Where did you go?’
[Your stage talk was boring, so I went somewhere else.]
Anyway, Chin-Pro-Idol out of nowhere. Ian looked puzzled.
“Why would I go there?”
“Oh, I skipped too much. They want you as a vocal trainer.”
“Me?”
He had only debuted for three years.
Well, technically two years if he counted by months.
It didn’t make sense to call a foreign singer with such a short career as a trainer.
Seeing his expression, Lee Heejin took a sip of coffee and opened her mouth.
“Director, let me explain. Ian, I have a friend I met when I studied abroad in China.”
Lee Heejin used her study abroad experience to teach vocal lessons to Chinese idol trainees.
“That friend is an investor for that show. I recommended you to him.”
“Can I ask why?”
“Remember how Taewoong improved his skills? You taught him, right?”
“I gave him some feedback… But he was good from the start.”
Modesty is… Lee Heejin chuckled.
“The truth is, since Project Idol did well in Korea, they also have idol audition programs popping up everywhere over there.”
They also caught the audition plague. Ian looked gloomy.
“So they thought their show lacked buzz. So they decided to bring in idol members who are active in Korea as trainers. Korea makes good idols, right? Like P.I.”
“Oh…”
“But they can’t be mediocre, they have to be popular too. And you were perfect for that. So when he asked me if I knew anyone good, I recommended you right away.”
That made sense. Ian nodded.
[Wow, lucky bastard.]
What were the chances of having a vocal trainer who knew a Chinese investor?
Anyway, things were going well for Awi. If they gained a Chinese fandom, their initial sales would change.
“You guys might not feel it much, but Awi is pretty popular in China.”
Awi had gained fans after their debut with their reputation as stage masters. And thanks to Ian’s cameo appearance and short drama series, his recognition had increased. They also attracted new fans from scandals and incidents involving other idols and water bombers. China was no different.
“And that friend likes good-looking people.”
“Oh my, that’s the same for everyone.”
Lee Heejin and Seo Suryeon laughed heartily.
“But can you call me? Aren’t they under Hallyu ban?”
“You can do it. It’s a bit of a loophole…”
“I can do it?”
He felt like he became a killer of question marks as soon as he entered the conference room. Jin sighed at Ian’s bewildered face.
[Idiot… What’s your nationality?]
‘…Ah!’
He was a Korean singer, but did it matter if he wasn’t Korean? Ian quickly realized something and Heejin smiled and said.
“So, are you in?”
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with our team activities.”
Ian accepted without hesitation. He couldn’t miss this opportunity. If the investors liked him, he would have no problem getting in.
“The schedule can be adjusted. It won’t overlap. But it will be tiring, right? You have to fly back and forth to film during the end-of-year stage preparation period.”
“I like being busy.”
He always thought that it was better to be exhausted than to twiddle his fingers at the dorm. Heejin picked up her phone at Ian’s cheerful agreement.
“Good. Then I’ll tell them you’re on board. Oh, director. The official document will be faxed to you. They might send someone over from their side…”
“Okay. Ian, you can go practice now. I’ll try to arrange the schedule as best as I can.”
“Yes.”
Ian got up from his seat and opened the door of the conference room, then stopped.
“Director, please assign me a Chinese teacher too.”
“Sure.”
[Ask for the program name too.]
“Hee teacher, what’s the name of the program?”
“It’s Idol Uni.”
Idol Uni… Ian frowned. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he heard it.
‘Do you know anything?’
[Idol Uni? Hmm… It rings a bell.]
Ian didn’t go straight to the practice room, but sat in the lounge and drank a soda. The light on Jin’s camera was blinking fast.
[Oh, there’s Cheon Shin-hwi as the MC.]
‘Cheon Shin-hwi? The guy I saw at the Olympics?’
[Yeah. His Korean group flopped and he flew away like a dove around this time.]
‘Why is he a dove if his group flopped…’
[Anyway, he went to China and joined a big agency and starred in dramas and stuff. He’s doing well. Be friendly with him.]
It wasn’t just because Cheon Shin-hwi was there that he felt this uneasy. Ian sighed deeply. As he kept thinking, his temples throbbed.
[There, the trainers and trainees form teams and do joint stages and stuff.]
‘Really? That’s different from Korea…’
[Well, it’s because they didn’t buy the official license for the show… But you’re lucky, aren’t you?]
‘What’s so lucky?’
[Idol Uni, that’s the female version.]
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