God Idol Project: Hope [GIPH]

Chapter 23: Unknown Goodwill and Malice

The day after the debut team party at home, I visited the teachers' office before the first class started. Since I had been selected for the debut team, I needed to ask the school for understanding. The busy schedule of preparing for the debut was hard to balance with school life. Moreover, with such a short preparation period, it seemed impossible.

It didn't matter much to Park Ha and Oran, who didn't attend school, but Jion said he would submit a withdrawal form if he couldn't find another way. Seohon hyung, who was in college, said he would take a leave of absence next semester, as this one was almost over. Since Chorok hyung was in the same situation as me, I figured he'd be in the third-year teachers' office.

I approached my homeroom teacher's desk and gave a polite bow. My teacher, taken aback, accepted my greeting with a puzzled expression. It made sense—I'd never come to the teachers' office on my own before. My teacher, a young man in his early 30s, had a strong intellectual image, possibly because of his glasses.

"Teacher."

My homeroom teacher's eyes widened as he leaned back in his chair, causing it to rattle. It seemed like I'd startled him.

Ah, this is probably the first time he's heard my voice.

"Iwon... you can speak now?"

Even after I regained my voice, I'd hardly spoken at school, out of habit. Lately, I'd been busy sleeping through my classes. As a result, the teacher had never had the chance to hear me speak.

"I heard you had issues with your vocal cords, but you've recovered.... That's good."

My homeroom teacher knew about my condition. Of course, it would've been strange if a student who never spoke in class hadn't caused any issues. My teacher had probably asked the other teachers to show me some leniency.

I had been so indifferent. I'd really gone through life without paying any attention to the people around me.

"Teacher, I've been training as a trainee, and I've been selected for the debut team. So, about my attendance...."

"Trainee? You're training to be an idol?"

The teacher's surprise was understandable. An idol trainee wasn't a typical path for a violin major.

"I'm in the same company as third-year senior Nam Chorok. I've been training for about three months now."

"Nam Chorok from the dance department? Iwon, how did you end up as an idol trainee?"

Explaining why I wanted to become an idol would involve bringing up Hyun-oh hyung.

But I wasn't emotionally prepared to talk about him. Those memories were like treasured keepsakes to me, yet they also felt like sharp blades.

"I just assumed you were going to become a jazz violinist, Iwon."

It wasn't hard to see how he reached that conclusion. However, I had never once thought of becoming a violinist. I had been playing the violin, and other instruments, out of habit—because I couldn't speak.

If I hadn't developed the dream of becoming an idol, I might have followed the path my teacher suggested, pursuing a career as a violinist. But if that had happened, it wouldn't have been because I wanted it—it would've been a reluctant compromise with the situation.

"You've talked to your parents about this, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll ask the other teachers and let you know what we should do. I've never dealt with an idol trainee before either."

"Thank you so much, teacher."

"For what? I'm just glad I got to hear your voice, Iwon. Your voice is quite lovely."

Chorok hyung had warned me that if I ended up with a strict teacher, I might have to argue my case. I'd mentally prepared myself for that possibility, but my homeroom teacher turned out to be really kind. I felt guilty for only realizing that now.

I had been living surrounded by goodwill, unaware of it.

˚˖✧✧✧˚.

The company was in a bit of chaos.

The trainees who didn't make it into the debut team had to decide what to do next. Hanul Entertainment didn't string along desperate trainees for years by dangling the promise of a debut in front of them.

From the start, Hanul Entertainment was known for being picky about selecting trainees. As a result, most of the trainees were older, many having previously trained at other agencies.

Because of this, while some trainees narrowly missed making the debut team, they were often sought after by other agencies. In those cases, Hanul Entertainment usually facilitated a smooth transfer between the trainee and the other agency.

The company allowed trainees to make their own decisions, and if they wanted to quit, they reached a reasonable agreement. Some trainees, familiar with the horror stories from other agencies, chose to stay, realizing that it was worth the wait.

As I was opening the practice room door, someone blocked my way. It was Koo Daemyung. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder, as if he was leaving the company. I guess he's leaving.

"If it weren't for you, things would've been fine."

"...What?"

His voice sounded chilling. Did he have a grudge against me? When the debut team was announced, Koo Daemyung had glared at me. For some reason, he harbored animosity toward me.

"This isn't over. Got it?"

Koo Daemyung snarled at me through gritted teeth before shoving my shoulder hard and walking past.

I had no idea what he was talking about. Tilting my head in confusion, I entered the practice room, where Park Ha was waiting, getting ready for practice.

"Park Ha, do you know why Koo Daemyung doesn't like me?"

"Huh? Koo Daemyung? I'm not really close with him either. But does he hate you?"

He seemed just as clueless as I was. Other than practicing together a few times, I had no real interaction with Koo Daemyung. We'd never shared any personal stories or even had a meal together. I had no idea where or why he developed a grudge against me.

I figured I'd never know and decided not to waste time thinking about it.

We packed up our things in the practice room and headed to the external practice space assigned to the debut team. Since our schedules were different from the other trainees, and it could create tension, we were given a separate space.

"Iwon hyung! Have you seen the dorm yet? I didn't have high expectations since we're not a big agency, but it's better than I thought!"

"Not yet. I'm moving my stuff later today. How is it?"

"There are four rooms and two bathrooms! The company must've gone all out!"

I'd have to see it for myself, but it sounded like living there wouldn't be too inconvenient, which was a relief.

"When everyone's there tonight, we should figure out room assignments! If I'm lucky, I might get a room all to myself!"

Park Ha wiggled his hips in excitement. Watching his antics with his sculpted face made it seem ridiculous. He was overreacting, so I observed him carefully.

His eyes were swollen and a little red. Although he was jumping for joy during yesterday's announcement, it seemed like he went home and cried his heart out.

Maybe he was the type to put on a bright front. That's what I thought to myself.

The practice room we were assigned to was only a five-minute walk from the company. I'd heard they chose a nearby location because we'd still be receiving occasional vocal and dance lessons.

The building itself was one you'd see anywhere—fairly old, with a slightly shabby exterior.

The practice room was in the semi-basement, but the facilities were clean and spacious. The bright lighting and the mirror covering one wall made the space seem even larger.

"Our practice room. Ooooh!"

Park Ha was so thrilled about having our own practice space that he ran around inside. I couldn't keep up with his energy, so I just set down my stuff and waited for the other members to arrive.

Oran was the first to enter, followed by the rest of the members. Soon after, our new manager walked in.

Oh, it's that military-like manager....

"You saw me yesterday, right? I'm Choi Joonhyun, your manager. I'll be speaking informally for convenience, so I hope you understand. You can address me casually too. Now that everyone's here, let's go over some announcements."

The six of us stood in a line, listening to Manager Choi's announcements.

"Try to move your stuff into the dorm by the end of today. Starting tomorrow, I'll be picking you up from the dorm and bringing you to the practice room. You can consider the debut as practically confirmed with these members. However, if any of you act inappropriately as a trainee, you can be dropped at any time. No dating, right? Let me emphasize again—dating is absolutely forbidden."

Dating? I didn't even have any friends, let alone a girlfriend, so that wasn't something I needed to worry about. The other members didn't seem too concerned either.

Honestly, with such a packed schedule, if anyone managed to find time to date, I'd be impressed. There's barely time to sleep as it is....

"You won't be able to date anyway. We'll be confiscating your phones tomorrow. We'll provide a shared phone for you to contact your family, but you can only use it for necessary communication. Chorok will be in charge of that."

"...Has the company already decided I'm the leader?"

"...Haha."

"Judging by how you're brushing it off with a laugh, it seems like they have. Do I really have to be the leader...? If anyone has any objections, speak up now. Don't hesitate."

No one objected; they just laughed. Chorok hyung seemed burdened by the responsibility of being the leader, but he couldn't deny that he was the best fit.

In the end, he was unanimously chosen as the leader.

"Guys, a lot of things will happen simultaneously without any particular order. It'll be overwhelming, but you need to participate actively. As you know, our company's strength, but also its weakness, is that it respects the artist's opinions. We don't think forcing you to follow our decisions will lead to good results."

Success as an idol is all about probabilities. To increase those odds, everyone involved in this battle needed to have a clear goal and devote all their energy to it.

"You need to be involved in the decision-making process so you can own the outcome and express it as your own. It'll be tough, but you'll feel more accomplished and proud because of it. Be ready."

"Yes!"

Satisfied with our enthusiastic response, Manager Choi chuckled. His laugh was warm, but somehow intimidating.

"I trust you'll all do well. With that in mind, here's your first mission: think about what concept suits you. It'd be good if you could also come up with group names and stage names. There's a meeting in three days, and you'll be attending. Be prepared to share your ideas."

Some companies chose their debut members after deciding on a concept or desired image. It seemed like Hanul Entertainment preferred to fit the concept to the members instead.

"Wowww!"

It hit me that our debut was right around the corner. It felt real.

"Rarely is anything decided in one meeting, and it'll feel like endless discussions. But just know this—it's for your sake."

Debut trainees could be formally involved in meetings, but would anyone really listen to our ideas? I had my doubts. After all, we weren't experts, and big decisions involved a lot of money.

"And keep polishing your singing, rapping, and dancing skills. There's a lot to wrap up this week, but starting next week, there'll be weekly evaluations. If your skills fall behind too much, we might have to reconsider the debut team. Stay sharp."

Manager Choi threatened us to stay on our toes, but his smile was lighthearted. He seemed confident none of us would be dropped from the team.

"I'll be back later, so practice in the meantime."

"Yes!"

We responded in unison, full of energy and determination.