God Idol Project: Hope [GIPH]

Chapter 29: Preparing for Debut

The recording studio was easy to find. According to my dad, we were lucky to inherit a professional's studio. When I checked it out in photos, it was more of a full-fledged recording studio than I expected. I couldn't help but wonder if he had paid extra for it.

In any case, the studio was perfectly designed for music production, with top-notch soundproofing and equipment. All that was left to do was show up. The studio was spacious, so we decided to move Hyun-Oh's belongings there since he would spend more time at the studio than at home.

Although we managed to secure the studio, my schedule was packed, leaving no time to work on songs. I would start practicing early in the morning and return late at night, with little room to spare for songwriting. Most of our activities were done as a group, making it impossible to slip away by myself.

I eventually decided to wake up early and head to the studio to write songs for an hour or two. Luckily, the studio was within walking distance. However, sneaking out of the dorm without Seohon, the roommate, or the sensitive Chorok and Oran noticing was a challenge.

In the end, I got caught quickly and had no choice but to tell them the truth. I initially planned to say I was going for an early morning workout, but...

The three of them followed me to the studio, making sure I was safe before returning. Chorok handed me a phone, telling me to call if anything happened. I thought, "If this is the shared phone, none of us would be able to answer, right? Maybe he meant to contact the manager or our parents. Hmm..."

With their implicit permission, I began a routine of going back and forth between the dorm and the studio every morning.

˚˖✧✧✧˚.

The debut preparation was progressing smoothly. However, as if to remind us never to let our guard down, an unexpected event occurred.

"The atmosphere at the company feels off."

"They're keeping quiet around us, but it seems like they're hiding something."

"Did something happen?"

"Is it because we don't have personal phones? I feel like we're falling behind on news."

We huddled together and searched the company name online. The latest news articles popped up.

[Will SEED from Hanul Entertainment crumble? From unauthorized departures to school violence!] 
[SEED member Danwoo entangled in school violence scandal? Hanul Entertainment is investigating] 
[Endless controversy: Is SEED heading for disbandment? Hanul Entertainment's next move] 
["Power abuse controversy" – Hanul Entertainment denies, saying, "We were the ones harmed."] 
[Former SEED member accuses Hanul Entertainment of power abuse – the truth behind the claims]

The articles were all recent. The controversy began when a former SEED member accused Hanul Entertainment of power abuse after leaving without permission.

Fortunately, the power abuse claim had been debunked with clear evidence and was being resolved. However, while dealing with that, a current member's school violence controversy erupted, creating chaos.

"Power abuse and school violence scandals... no wonder the company's in turmoil."

Chorok's comment was calm, as if he was too accustomed to such incidents to be surprised. SEED had a history of frequent scandals. Public opinion was shifting towards the belief that individual activities might be better than group ones.

SEED members were individually talented, but the group seemed to attract noise rather than synergy. Rumors of discord had been circulating for a while, despite no concrete evidence.

"Chorok, if the company's in trouble, aren't we at risk too?"


Park Ha expressed concern about how this scandal might impact us. Would our debut be postponed or canceled due to the company's instability?

"Are you worried our debut might be scrapped?"

"Just in case...."

After all, we had worked so hard to get here. Park Ha, in particular, had been a trainee for a long time and had seen other debuts canceled or companies go under.

"Hanul Entertainment is more solid than you think. And I'm sure the CEO won't sit idly by this time."

Hanul Entertainment had a reputation for being weak at media handling, but that was because they wanted to protect their artists. If the artist in question was no longer under their care or was acting hostile, things would be different.

The CEO, Son Joong-ki, had worked his way up from a manager to the head of the company. He wasn't someone to be underestimated. With strong connections in the industry and decisive leadership, he could easily flip public opinion without the PR team.

"Don't worry. I've heard enough to know we'll be fine. Danwoo isn't a bad person either."

"Chorok, how far does your network go?"

I couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"Since my dad was in the industry, I've been close with a lot of people in entertainment since I was young. My network has spread like a web throughout the broadcasting world."

Chorok comforted the team's worries. "It's not something we can control anyway. We just need to focus on our work and trust the company. Getting anxious won't solve anything."

"If we're already nervous, how will we handle the real challenges after debut?"

"Exactly. This is nothing compared to what we'll face later."

Oran, standing nearby, joined in, and their lighthearted approach eased the tension. Other members started to relax as well.

"Then we'll trust you, Chorok! We've got a great leader!"

Park Ha, who had been down, quickly regained his upbeat energy. Jion, sitting beside him, shrugged playfully. The others gave Chorok pats on the back.

Feeling I should join in, I approached, but hesitated. Sensing my awkwardness, Chorok reached over and ruffled my hair roughly, making my head bob up and down.

"Just act naturally. You're part of the team, too."

With that, we got past the small scare.

˚˖✧✧✧˚.

The controversy surrounding SEED senior members took a sharp turn when the former member's devious plan to garner sympathy by accusing the CEO of Hanul Entertainment of abusive behavior, in an attempt to restart their career in Korea, was exposed to the public.

I heard the company is moving forward with legal action. Senior member Danwoo's school bullying allegations were debunked as fabrications when a classmate came forward with evidence. Hanul Entertainment declared they would respond aggressively to baseless accusations.

The general sentiment was one of surprise, as Hanul Entertainment, which previously either let scandals fizzle out or showed leniency towards malicious commenters, had now decided to take firm action. Public reactions ranged from shock to satisfaction:

"Finally, they've had enough... Hanul must have been really pushed to the edge for them to respond like this."

"I feel so relieved. Do you know how much I've been holding in all this time?!"
"Did they revamp the PR team? Bravo!"

"Put an end to the drama already and focus on releasing your next content!"

Although not widely known, SEED was reportedly scaling back group activities. One member, notorious for previous scandals, voluntarily left, while the remaining members began to focus on solo careers under the SEED banner.

From a financial standpoint, individual activities were more profitable, and the company seemed to recognize that rehabilitating the group's image would be difficult.

However, they avoided an outright disbandment announcement, likely to prevent backlash from fans. Instead, they opted for a strategy where SEED would gradually fade from the spotlight.

Meanwhile, the debut preparation for the new group, tentatively named Teorra, was progressing smoothly. In fact, the effective dissolution of the senior group seemed to have a positive impact on us, as staff members who had worked with SEED began transitioning to assist us.

With about five months left until debut, we would soon need a dedicated team.

Following our schedule, we began acting practice, ensuring we nailed the basics before the music video storyline was revealed. There didn't seem to be any weak links in our lineup, as everyone's expressions were natural, and no one froze or overacted in front of the camera.

Seohon, who had experience as a child actor, was stable in his performance. Oran was bold, Chorok slyly comedic, and Jion's acting wasn't awkward either.

Personally, I was concerned I might be the weakest link since I had never acted before, but I even received compliments. I had been observing the others' expressions closely and mimicking them, and apparently, no one caught on.

The biggest surprise was Parkha. Based on his usual emotionally expressive self, I had expected more.

He was often in front of the camera as a fitting model for an online mall, so I had high hopes, but... why was it that he couldn't seem to immerse himself in the scene where a couple, forced by circumstances, had to part ways?

"Parkha... I didn't expect this from you."

"Isn't it fine?"

He didn't even realize his acting was subpar. I thought about pointing it out but stayed quiet. There were plenty of others, like the acting coach, who would.

"At this rate, your scenes in the music video are going to be completely cut. Or no, we might just use footage of you sleeping or standing still."

"...Is it that bad? Really?"

"For real. How do you pose for the mall shoots? The pictures came out looking stylish. Just do it like that."

"While modeling? Should I tell you how I do it? Don't say it's annoying!"

We nodded with question marks on our faces. What could be so self-indulgent that even Parkha felt the need to warn us?

"While modeling, I keep thinking to myself. The concept is loneliness, but no one is cooler than me! When I show my perfect side profile, people will be floored. How can someone look this good? The clothes are being overshadowed by my good looks—is that okay?"

We were left speechless. What was that? Everyone stared at him, too stunned to respond. Looking at his face, we couldn't even argue that it was nonsense. It was frustrating, though. His confidence in his appearance was sky-high.

"The photographer always tells me to act cool, like a boyfriend anyone would want to show off, or to look down as if there's no one better looking than me. I've gotten used to it..."

His excuse wasn't convincing. Even with the photographer's direction, not everyone would be inwardly praising their own handsomeness.

"That's why you can't act. The scene requires you to show despair and anger—where you need to let yourself fall apart."

The acting coach tried to uncover the mechanism behind Parkha's bad acting to find a solution.

"Parkha's bad acting! He's finished! You're doomed!" Jion started mock-rapping, clearly trying to tease him. Everyone, except Parkha, burst into laughter. Even the acting coach chuckled.

"Jioooon!"

"What? I'm right. Just act like you're despairing but still cool. Problem solved!"

"Oran, why is that being self-absorbed? It's confidence!"

Even while being teased, Parkha didn't lose his pride in his looks.

"No, we can fix this. Let's study some good-looking actors."

The acting coach surmised that Parkha's reluctance to let go and "fall apart" was the cause of his poor performance. While the coach looked up reference material on his tablet, we all playfully ganged up on Parkha.

"Parkha, where do you get all that confidence?"

Instead of answering, Parkha rested his chin on the back of his hand, striking a pose that emphasized his face. Seohon was defeated. He couldn't deny the truth in front of him.

"Don't you know? Good acting makes you look even more handsome. You can act handsome too."

This was true. The top-tier actors had an aura that made even their faces appear more attractive. Of course, achieving that took acting skill far beyond average. Chorok coaxed Parkha gently, leaving out the hard part.

"Really?"

"Why would we lie? You're the visual of our group. But if this keeps up, I might have to give that title to Iwon. He acts better than you."

"No way!"

He blinked, processing Chorok's words slowly. Am I, a visual threat to Parkha? It was clearly a compliment to my acting, though exaggerated. Nonetheless, I felt good.