Second Try Idol

Just as we were about to head back to our place once practice was done, I was called by Su-Hwan and Reina. Su-Hwan caught me at the entrance of the practice room, and I followed him to a small conference room in our accommodation after sending the members ahead. The filming had concluded and there were no cameras around. There hadn't been any issues during practice, so I was curious about the nature of this sudden meeting.

As soon as I entered the conference room and saw Reina already waiting there and engaging in a video call with Supervisor Kim, I realized this was no trivial matter.

“Hyun-Woo, come in."

“Hello."

“Take a seat and relax. Why are you so tense? It's nothing scary, just make yourself comfortable."

“Okay..."

Despite her reassurance, the serious atmosphere made it hard to relax.

‘I wish the members were here.'

Having them around would've provided some solace in this nerve-wracking situation. I nervously took a seat, my gaze flitting between Supervisor Kim on the laptop screen and Reina.

- Your idea is indeed excellent, Reina, but the timing is a bit... You are scheduled to dive straight into producing your first full album upon returning from the US.

“Oh, is that so? Are you saying it would interfere with the schedule?" Reina asked, to which Supervisor Kim nodded regretfully.

- Yes, we are planning to go all out for the first full album. It's going to be tough for Hyun-Woo.

“Hmm..."

- We can't even delay it since we plan to make a comeback right around the start of the Again After Rainfall broadcast to ride on its momentum.

What were they talking about? As I listened to their conversation with a somewhat dazed look, time seemed to slow. I felt stifled by the vague nature of their discussion and eventually raised my hand.

“Excuse me, Supervisor Kim and Senior…"

“Yes?"

- Hmm?

“Sorry, but could you please explain what you are talking about? I'm completely lost here."

Reina then turned to me and began to elucidate the situation. “...Oh right! We got so caught up in figuring out the scheduling issues that we forgot to explain it to you. I've been working on a secret project."

“Secret project?"

Reina nodded. “Well, I suppose it's more like an addition to my career. I'm looking to produce an artist myself."

Reina producing an artist? Did she mean launching a project meant to train and debut a singer?

Seeing my confused expression, she elaborated further. “It's a project to turn a no-name artist into a star using my own compositions. I've personally taken a liking to you."

“Oh."

“I was in the middle of saying that I'd like to work with you." Reina sighed. “There's no one among our agency's trainees who catches my eye, and you seem perfect."

“But I've already debuted."

“That doesn't matter."

“Huh?"

Her indifferent response sounded like, 'Debut? What's so significant about that?' It made me blurt out in surprise. I thought I understood what was going on, but there were still things that were unclear to me.

I had already made my debut and was already known, at least to a degree that wouldn't label me as obscure in Korea. How could I fit into a project that aimed to make a no-name artist rise to fame, especially when Reina seemed intent on training someone from zero?

“Hyun-Woo, your voice just now was so cute. Huh? Huh? Ah, so adorable!"

Instead of addressing my serious concerns, Reina merely smiled and playfully commented on my voice.

“Ah, no… Ummm, thank you, but..."

“If I were to become your producer, I wouldn't reveal your identity."

“...Pardon?"

“The project will consist of just two songs. I will give it my all, using the best compositions and marketing strategies available to significantly boost your fame." Reina paused, then smirked, a hidden meaning behind her smile. “But here's the catch. You will be a faceless singer."

“...A faceless singer?"

Reina nodded and explained the details. The preparation period would overlap with the time we would be deep into preparing our first full album, right after the filming of Again After Rainfall ended. The debut of the singer Reina was launching would be slightly after Chronos's.

While there would be a lot of promotions since Reina was personally launching the artist, only the voice would be made known. The plan was to gain fame solely based on talent without any visual effects and, once Reina was satisfied with the achieved level of fame and people became curious about the identity and the real appearance of the singer, she would reveal my identity through a variety show. It would be a second wave of publicity, transferring the anonymous singer's popularity and recognition to me and concluding the project.

It was a win-win system for Reina, me, YMM, and Chronos. It seemed like a far-fetched plan to create a major artist just with songs and voice, but it was Reina's project after all.

- I think it's a great opportunity.

Both Supervisor Kim and I had no doubt that Reina could make this seemingly impossible plan work with her talent and influence. That was probably why Supervisor Kim looked so regretful. He seemed inclined to refuse, so I too felt disappointed.

- This really is a good opportunity for Hyun-Woo. If he debuts as a faceless singer and succeeds, people will truly recognize him for his talent. Plus, during the period when people will be wondering 'Who is this? Who could it be?,’ being in the list of candidates itself will serve as a small promotional effect.

“..."

- But the schedule... It's going to be tough. Reina says there won't be any broadcast activities, so you’ll just release songs. But still, there's a preparation process, and that won’t be easy. I can't bear to see you collapse from exhaustion, Hyun-Woo.

Supervisor Kim shuddered at the thought. He and my previous manager In-Hyun were wary due to past incidents, like when Allure's Sae-Yeon collapsed from an overpacked schedule, and the controversy that arose from scheduling a wasabi show right before Chronos' music show. They often said that if another incident like that occurred, they'd just resign.

Reina shrugged. “That's what they said. I've had my eye on you for a while now, and it's really disappointing and sad, but we can't push you too much."

Everyone seemed resigned to give up due to the impossibility of the situation. Give up? No, that couldn’t happen. Absolutely not.

I immediately spoke up. “I want to do it!"

It was natural for me, the person directly involved, to feel more disappointed. More than anything, I believed it was possible to handle two schedules at once. If given the chance again, I was confident I could commit fully.

Considering my previous aspirations and desperation, I couldn't just let go of such a golden opportunity. If it was just a matter of being busy due to overlapping schedules, it wasn't something I should give up on.

- Hyun-Woo, you’re going to be really busy. You know how it feels. Album preparation periods are tough. Preparing for the group’s first full album will be even busier than before. There will be a lot of broadcast schedules for its release. How will you manage the schedules in between?

“I still want to try. Isn't it just like the year-end concert schedules?"

That hellish schedule was when we prepared three special stages and more in less than a week. The members nearly withered away each day during that period of time. This was just about enduring a similar level of hardship for a bit longer, wasn't it? Sure, it would be tough, but I believed I could persevere through sheer willpower.

Moreover, Reina mentioned that apart from preparing and releasing the songs, there wouldn't be many schedules on her end.

- …It won't be as busy as the year-end period.

“Perfect. Then, it's fine. Honestly, opportunities like this don't come often. If I let it slip by and you find someone else to promote, both Supervisor Kim and I would be really sad."

- That's true... Ah... But you are really not that strong physically. That’s why I’m concerned.

As Supervisor Kim continued to show hesitation, Reina quickly interjected.

“Supervisor Kim, if he looks tired, you don't have to send him to me for that day. I won't complain. We will prioritize Hyun-Woo's health if we proceed with this. How about that? I've written a song with Hyun-Woo in mind, and it would be such a shame to let it go."

I wasn’t sure how many fax and email terror attacks Supervisor Kim had to tolerate to react so strongly. After wrestling with his thoughts and tugging at his hair, he finally sighed and nodded in agreement.

- Sure, let’s give it a shot. After all, it’s a great opportunity. And you mentioned recommending the members for Again After Rainfall.

Reina clapped her hands with a bright smile. “Thank you so much! Wow, I was worried it would not work out!”

“Thank you, Senior. I look forward to working with you!”

- Let's discuss the details when you guys return to Korea, including the schedule and settlements.

“Okay, I will head over to YMM. Please set up a meeting time and contact me."

After Supervisor Kim approved this decision, the conversation about the project swiftly progressed without much input from me. I listened to the discussion and realized the magnitude and importance of the responsibility I took on. But, honestly, I couldn't help but smile. I had seized an opportunity to take a significant leap forward.

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