GIJS

Chapter 6

Praise Moves Even a Gentleman to Dance

From the moment he stepped into this place, Gunja felt utterly out of place.

An audition. He had never experienced one before, but from what he understood, it was like a martial arts competition where contestants battle with dance and song.

Surely, there would be fierce exchanges. He needed to steel himself.

Swallowing hard, he firmly tied the strings of his traditional hat and entered the audition hall.

But from the moment he stepped in, all he heard was constant admiration.

'...This is a bit embarrassing...'

He had dressed appropriately like a scholar, maintaining his dignity, but he couldn't help but notice the continuous 'oohs' and 'aahs' at every little gesture he made.

Had they never seen a scholar before? That couldn't be.

But upon thinking it over, he realized the answer.

They were reacting like this because they could sense his inexperience.

He had spent so much time in the hospital that he had little time to prepare for the audition. Though he approached the audition with confidence, it was clear to these people that he was still quite unpolished.

It must have seemed so unusual to them that someone so inexperienced had entered such a competitive field. Taking his inexperience into account, they must have granted him a pass, despite him doing nothing at all.

These were truly generous people, but also sharp-eyed.

It meant they could see his inexperience at a glance.

While he was lost in these thoughts, So Ye-jin spoke up.

"I need to see some of Gunja's skills."

What she said was absolutely right.

Even if they were giving him the benefit of the doubt as a novice, it didn't make sense to pass the audition without showing a performance.

Whether it was dance or song, So Ye-jin asked to see something.

His dance was rated C, and his singing was rated D.

Neither was particularly impressive, but his dance was rated slightly higher.

These people could probably assess his abilities just by watching him.

To receive a higher evaluation, it would be more advantageous to showcase his dance.

However.

"I will sing."

"Yes, please do."

Gunja chose to sing instead of dance.

Even if he received a good evaluation through trickery now, it wouldn't change the essence of who he was.

Moreover, when he thought about it, this was a tremendous opportunity. To receive direct feedback from such masters.

He had studied literature with his mentor, but he had never learned to sing or dance.

Now was the chance to find out exactly what was wrong. Honestly, he was still puzzled as to why a song he was quite confident in was rated as a 'D'.

Vocal trainer Jang Min-hyuk rubbed his hands together with anticipation.

"Gunja."

"Yes."

"Let's be mesmerized once again."

Mesmerize? As soon as Gunja heard those words, something flashed in his mind. Yes, there was no better poem to enchant someone with.

While the long iron microphone was being set up, Gunja cleared his throat. Unlike his previous life, where he constantly sang, he had never sung with this body before. His vocal cords were also untrained.

His heart pounded as he prepared to sing. Would he run out of breath? His body was untrained, so his diaphragm pressure would likely be insufficient.

But when he stood before the audience, he sang.

That was the singer's way, as Gunja knew it.

"I'm ready."

"Thank you."

Finally, all preparations were complete.

How long had it been since he last sang before an audience?

Suddenly, memories of his days in the marketplace came flooding back. The time and place were different, but the excitement and nervousness before singing were always the same.

Yes, this is when he's the happiest.

He calmed the rising emotions and slowly opened his mouth.

"Under the moonlight, all the paulownia leaves have fallen-."

At that first line.

"...!?!?"

Vocal trainer Young Eun-chae, who had been slouching with disinterest, suddenly jumped up from her seat.

* * *

Composer Young Eun-chae was one of the industry's most successful 'fanatics.'

She became a composer to gift a song to a singer she admired and became a vocal trainer to cultivate voices worthy of her admiration.

Before going to sleep, she would spend at least an hour scouring SoundCloud, searching for a new target. It was her daily routine.

However, finding a voice worth 'fangirling' over was never easy.

Most voices she encountered were imitations of someone else, trying too hard to be cool, or were cluttered with bad habits.

Even during this audition, she had kept her ears sharp, but achieving her goal seemed unlikely.

Most of the contestants had similar voices and techniques.

It was somewhat inevitable. Many idol vocalists use standardized breathing, enunciation, and techniques. Those who take them as role models naturally start to sound alike, like mass-produced products.

But Gunja was different.

The moment he opened his mouth and sang the first note, Eun-chae's eardrums tingled.

What is this?

Honestly, she hadn't expected much.

She had only passed the most bizarre contestant because the PD had begged her to choose the most interesting ones.

But this was completely unexpected.

Her dormant 'fangirl' instincts suddenly awakened.

Her slouched shoulders straightened. She could feel strength returning to her feeble calves. Before she knew it, she was already standing.

"Uh, Eun-chae? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Jang Min-hyuk tried to crack a joke, but she wasn't paying attention. Min-hyuk himself had fallen silent since Gunja began to sing.

But how could she score this?

Out of 10... Oh, forget it.

This voice was impossible to rate.

It was mournful yet clear, clean yet subtly powerful.

There wasn't a trace of unnecessary affectation. Every nuance in his delivery was focused solely on expressing the lyrics.

This is insane.

What is he even doing here?

Eun-chae felt an overwhelming urge to drag Gunja to her studio and lock him in the recording booth. She had only heard eight bars, but inspiration was already flooding her mind.

"Frost-touched chrysanthemums bloom yellow in the fields-."

"The pavilion stands tall, reaching the sky."

"Though the cups pass, the night of drinking shows no end-."

While the song continued, no one dared to speak.

Even PD Kim Seok-hoon, who had been glued to his monitor, was now staring blankly at Gunja. In his right eye, a heart, and in his left eye, the symbol '₩' was shining.

Jang Min-hyuk was equally stunned.

He had just thought of him as a hardcore concept player, but seeing him sing made him reconsider.

Could you even call this a gimmick?

'Holy... A real scholar has popped out of nowhere...'

It was so absurd he couldn't help but laugh.

Honestly, if someone asked whether his voice was suited for idol vocals, the answer would be no.

Maybe for some conceptual song with an oriental theme, it would work wonderfully.

But dismissing him with such an evaluation felt impossible now.

Everyone had already fallen under the spell of this song, something none of them had ever heard before.

Even So Ye-jin, who had insisted Gunja sing, had to admit it. It didn't hurt that the song matched her oriental preferences perfectly.

Although So Ye-jin didn't have much expertise in vocals, when she heard a voice like this, she couldn't help but imagine. Already, she could see a performance unfolding in her mind, with this voice as the backdrop.

'...This could actually be fun.'

And so, as everyone held their breath.

"With endless longing, like waves without end-."

Gunja carefully sang the final line, bringing the song to a close.

Clap, clap, clap.

Starting with the thoroughly mesmerized PD Kim Seok-hoon.

Clap, clap, clap, clap-.

Everyone in the audition hall began to shower him with applause.

* * *

"Phew—"

After finishing the song safely, the first emotion Gunja felt was relief.

It was truly a close call.

He barely managed to complete the performance, but due to a lack of breath, he almost missed the final emotional flow.

His training was still insufficient. His body was not accustomed to singing.

Since it was a newly acquired body, he would need to start from the basics, training his lung capacity and core strength.

After exhaling to complete his final breath, he finally had the leisure to look around.

Clap, clap, clap, clap—

Everyone was applauding him.

Such warm-hearted people.

Of course, it was applause meant to encourage a beginner, but even that made Gunja's heart swell with emotion.

How long had it been since he last connected with an audience through song?

Filled with deep gratitude, he bowed his head. The applause did not cease until he lifted his head again.

As the applause finally subsided, So Yejin spoke. She was the one who had initially suggested testing Gunja's abilities.

"Hm, first of all."

He wondered just how harsh the criticism would be. He was already prepared for it, but he couldn't help feeling a little nervous.

As he struggled to calm his pounding heart, waiting for the evaluation,

"It was good."

"!?"

The first words were unexpected praise.

Gunja had to try his hardest to control the smile that was threatening to break out. He was dressed as a scholar, so he couldn't afford to be reckless.

But he couldn't help the tingling sensation that spread throughout his body due to So Yejin's evaluation.

He felt good.

Praise was indeed something that made him feel deeply fulfilled!

"I'm a dance trainer, so honestly, I'm not very knowledgeable about singing. But I can tell that your voice is rare, Yu Gunja."

"... ..."

"How should I put it, it's a voice that paints a picture. I've been in this industry for a long time, but voices like that aren't common."

"Thank you."

"While listening to your singing, I couldn't help but imagine a performance that would match it. It would have been even more amazing if it had been accompanied by dance, but that's probably too much to ask."

Oh, perhaps he should have added dance after all.

He briefly regretted it but soon shook his head. He had struggled with breath control just singing, so if he had danced as well, the song might have fallen apart.

First, he would train his body, and then he could combine singing and dancing afterward.

Next, Jang Minhyuk took the mic. He seemed to have a lot to say as well.

"I'm really surprised. I thought a real scholar had stepped out of the Joseon era."

"!?"

How could he have figured that out?

Gunja started sweating. They were indeed incredibly insightful. He could never underestimate these trainers.

"I was curious about the song, but it turns out it was based on Hwang Jini's poem Bongbyeolsoyanggokseyang?"

"Yes."

"You arranged it to the rhythm of Gyeonggi Minyo."

"That's correct."

"You're not just good at singing, but you're smart too. That poem was recited by Hwang Jini when she enchanted So Seyang, right? I bet you chose this song because I told you to 'enchant' us. Am I right?"

"You are amazing."

"Haha, Eunchae! I told you I was this good."

Although Jang Minhyuk was acting a bit playful, he quickly changed his expression and continued,

"But to be honest, it was a bit hard to judge this as an idol vocal performance."

"Yes."

"It was great today, but from now on, you'll need to learn a singing style that fits idol music. Standing out alone is great, but harmony with other members is also important."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Haha, relax! I'll teach you everything."

Trainer Jang Minhyuk—his words might have seemed lighthearted, but he possessed extensive knowledge and insight.

The thought of learning from such people filled Gunja with confidence.

Next, Trainer Young Eunchae took the microphone. She had seemed unenthusiastic before, but now she appeared energized. Did she have that much to criticize?

Young Eunchae stared at Gunja for a while, then began to speak with a somewhat eerie smile.

"...Haha, Yu Gunja..."

"Yes."

That smile was already unsettling. What kind of critique was she going to give?

"...I want to lock you up in my studio..."

"Yes-!?"

"...And make you sing all the time..."

A studio? What is that?

And she wants to lock me up? Is it like some modern version of a grain storage house!?

I don't want that, I like singing, but I don't want to be locked up!

"That, that won't do!"

"...Huh?"

"I'm sorry!"

"Wait, hold on..."

She was a scary person; I need to escape quickly!

With a pale face, Gunja hurriedly left the stage.

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

As if he had remembered something, he suddenly went back up to the stage and gave a 90-degree bow to the trainers.

"Thank you so much!"

After finishing his whirlwind bow, Gunja exited the stage. Watching him go, Jang Minhyuk burst into laughter.

"Haha, Eunchae! Gunja rejected you."

"... ..."

"How are you going to deal with the disappointment?"

"...I like it..."

"What?"

"...I like it even better..."

"Eunchae, you're scaring me!"

* * *

After returning from the audition, Gunja felt completely relieved.

He had passed the audition with all four judges giving him their approval. Even the singing, which he had expected to receive harsh criticism, was met with quite a bit of praise, leaving him satisfied.

They said his voice was precious.

Remembering those words made his heart tingle again. Thinking back, praise was truly something wonderful!

Moreover, the good news didn't end with just the compliments.

[You have qualified to participate in the national audition Idol Training Simulation.] 
[Mission Accomplished!] 
[You have been awarded 1 point as a reward.]

"Oh—"

[Please select the attribute you wish to invest the point in.]

As expected, the system had never broken its promise.

With an excited heart, Gunja opened his status window. Now it was time to use the earned reward to enhance his abilities.