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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Chapter 35
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Originally, 'Sonkkeut' was not a mission song for the vocal position.
It was a mission song for the dance position.
Of course, the winner was Kim Ryeo-yu.
Yun Cheong only managed to place third within the vocal position.
The broadcast claimed she was so nervous she cracked her voice.
But the truth was a little different.
Up until the rehearsal the day before, Yun Cheong had been a strong contender for first place in the vocal position.
Since she was finally able to set aside her weakness, dance, and focus solely on vocals, she felt at ease and her true abilities shone through.
Naturally, the other trainees and judges were very surprised.
They also grew wary.
By then, the debut lineup was already largely decided.
Yun Cheong was supposed to be the scapegoat, someone who would debut as a judge's pick.
But if she performed so well, it would create too many unpredictable variables.
Because the public wanted idols with actual talent.
So that day, Kim Ryeo-yu did 'something' to Yun Cheong.
At first, I couldn't clearly remember it either.
Yun Cheong's memories were so vast that it took time for me to fully absorb each individual event.
But the moment I saw the preview for this mission on my phone, certain memories flooded back.
As if they had been waiting for this very moment.
That memory was—
"Sonkkeut, huh? An unexpected choice. I thought it was more suited for performance than purely for vocals. What was your reason for picking this song?"
Do Hui-yeong said, sounding surprised.
Only then did my mind return to the present.
"Of course, I think it's a song that suits the dance position too. But I believe the vocal position can also showcase its own kind of performance."
I gave the answer I had prepared beforehand.
Sure enough, the vocal position trainees' reactions were subtle.
That's because 'Sonkkeut' was a song with a unique East Asian-inspired melody.
The song closer to a typical ballad was 'Medeia'.
Most of the trainees probably thought I would choose 'Medeia'.
That's because it was quite difficult to sing, and with its wide vocal range, it was a song that could definitely showcase one's vocal skills.
But it's not only such songs that showcase vocal ability.
Because 'Sonkkeut' is also a very tricky song to sing.
"That's true, of course. 'Sonkkeut,' you say. I think trainee Yun Cheong made a good choice. Honestly, just looking at the song itself, and the lyrics, I thought it was the most captivating song. You chose well, trainee Yun Cheong."
Do Hui-yeong smiled gently at me.
Hmm.
My choice wasn't wrong, after all.
But the other trainees still didn't seem to understand my choice.
Ryu Bo-ra, Lee Gyeong-a, and Jo Hui-on all had a very chilling aura about them, even if they didn't curse.
...Just trust me, guys.
"...Unnie."
Just then, Ryu Bo-ra placed a hand firmly on my shoulder.
"Hm?"
"I truly hope this was the best choice."
She's genuinely unsettling in a different way.
She was smiling, but her pupils seemed to be slightly unfocused.
Clutching my trembling heart, I placed my hand on top of Ryu Bo-ra's.
"Just trust me."
Because this might be the song that maximizes your charm even more than mine, Bo-ra.
***
And so, the other positions also finished selecting their songs.
Vocal Position: Sonkkeut
Dance Position A (Yeon Ju-hong, Seo Baek-yeong, Kim Ryeo-yu): The Pendulum
Dance Position B (Lee Ju-seon, Bang Su-in, Shin Yu-hyeon): Medeia
Rap Position: Tan
Kim Geum definitely has a good ear.
To choose 'Tan'...
She picked something that perfectly suits her.
"Excellent. Everyone seems to have chosen songs that suit them well."
That was true.
It seemed like everyone had picked a song that suited them.
Perhaps it's because of their extensive experience, but they certainly knew their own charms.
Even as trainees, their skills were beyond that.
"Now, let's begin with part distribution. You don't necessarily have to divide it equally, but think carefully about what will be best for the outcome. You should have realized from the last mission that taking many parts isn't always the best solution."
At Do Hui-yeong's sharp words, Kim Ryeo-yu's face flushed slightly.
Do Hui-yeong was not someone to be trifled with.
She wasn't the type to hold back what she wanted to say.
Well, that's probably why she was chosen as a judge.
"Then, please begin your part distribution."
The four of us gathered closely and listened to the demo track once more.
"This song is really difficult."
"It'll be really hard to capture the right feeling. It has a bit of a traditional Korean music vibe..."
"Like music that would appear in a historical drama?"
The conclusion was 'difficult.'
"Should we start by dividing the parts?"
Lee Gyeong-a cautiously spoke up.
As the oldest, she seemed to feel a sense of responsibility, like she had been forced into the role of group project leader.
But I knew.
That the true eldest here was me.
...So I wanted to tell her she could relax.
You're not the only one feeling the responsibility of being the oldest...
"I want to distribute the parts fairly, so that everyone's charm can shine through. I figure everyone here is confident in their skills, which is why they applied for the vocal position."
Jo Hui-on's pupils seemed to waver slightly at my words, but I ignored it.
"So! How about we do this?"
I wrote 'Part A, Part B, Part C, Part D' on a piece of paper.
"Let's divide it into four parts, evenly distribute the chorus into all of them, and then pick parts randomly!"
"…!"
I could feel everyone flinching at my suggestion.
It was understandable.
Because this method was borrowed from somewhere.
"Since no one knows what part they'll get, everyone will try to distribute the parts fairly... Is that right?"
"That's right."
I immediately nodded at Ryu Bo-ra's question.
"Isn't that completely...? Something I heard in high school class...?"
"The Veil of Ignorance."
I continued speaking in front of the three people who were deep in thought.
"Personally, I don't think there's anything better than this when it comes to fair part distribution."
They all thought for a moment, then eventually nodded.
It was probably because they couldn't find a more equitable method.
In the end, we divided the parts bar by bar.
Not so that one person took all the killing parts, but so that each person could have at least one killing part.
"Alright, then we'll decide with a ladder game now."
"Yep."
When we played the ladder game on a phone app, everyone's parts were divided.
My part was 'Part D'.
It was the part that contained the killing part I wanted to try.
A good start.
"Alright, everyone. Have you all finished distributing parts?"
Just then, Do Hui-yeong announced the end of the time.
"Then, I'll give you one day starting now. After you've practiced individually, you'll meet with the composers and proceed with recording."
"!"
A wave of tension spread through the trainees' eyes.
The composer of this song was Danha.
The most popular member of the most popular male idol group these days.
How did that sound to female idols?
'Number one person to avoid...!'
Get involved, and you're dead.
You'd be dead before you even debuted.
Everyone was putting all their mental energy into it.
Romantic feelings?
Those weren't needed for debut.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, they shouldn't even make eye contact.
Nothing but eyes of respect was needed.
"Alright, then, take your individual practice time. We'll meet again tomorrow at the recording studio."
At Do Hui-yeong's words, the staff began preparing for movement in perfect order.
The same went for us.
We all had to head to the practice room for tomorrow's recording.
As soon as we got in the car, Ryu Bo-ra subtly sat down next to me.
What was up with her, someone who'd never come close to me before?
Ryu Bo-ra didn't show any particular closeness with anyone except Kim Geum.
Of course, the fans seemed to love even that, calling her an aloof Baby Kitten...
I wasn't exactly brimming with social skills either, so the awkwardness was unavoidable.
"Unnie."
"Hm."
"What were you thinking when you chose that?"
"Because I thought it would be fun."
"…?"
Ryu Bo-ra truly maintained a consistently neutral expression.
She didn't frown like Kim Geum, nor was she overly cute like Yeon Ju-hong.
She was simply calm and rational.
But somehow, that was also—
"Why, are you not confident?"
"Haha."
Funny.
"No. Honestly, it doesn't really matter what song it is to me. I was just curious. I thought you'd need to pick a song that best highlights your skills if you want to debut."
"That's right."
"But that song, rather than showcasing incredibly flashy skills—"
"It's closer to a song that showcases emotional depth."
I knew that too.
That 'Sonkkeut' wasn't a song that demonstrated incredible high notes or vocal prowess.
But 'Sonkkeut' had something beyond that.
Narrative.
And for a one-time performance, narrative is the most important thing.
"This time, I wanted to try a fun stage."
"A fun stage, you say."
Ryu Bo-ra thought for a moment, then soon opened her mouth.
"Unnie, do you find performing fun?"
That's a suddenly difficult question.
"I do it because it's fun. If it weren't fun, I couldn't do this job, honestly."
"..."
Ryu Bo-ra showed no particular reaction.
I didn't expect an answer from Ryu Bo-ra either.
If she had wanted to speak, she would have answered without me asking.
She must have some reason for staying silent.
I've thought this from the beginning, but she's a truly difficult person to have a conversation with.
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