The pre-shooting of the one-minute interview was almost finished.
"Uh, my name is Kim Joo-an... I will work hard so that I can debut..."
〈Targeting Star〉's main producer, Joo Cheol-young, frowned at the trainee mumbling in front of him.
'Does this kid want to debut or not? Why is he so timid?'
It was a surprise project, though the PD told the trainees it was just a simple camera test because he was worried they'd be nervous, yet it still turned out like this.
There was no other spectacle.
'They have to make it this time. The program I'm in charge of has to be a huge hit.'
Joo Cheol-young called the main writer, Lee Hyeon-jeong, and sent away the trainee who had just finished the interview.
It was for a meeting to discuss ideas for the first episode filming.
"Who do you think did it best?"
Hyeon-jeong snorted.
"Does it matter who's good or not? They're not the kids AG asked us to push for."
"Don't be like that. There are 18 trainees. There must be others besides them. Tell me."
Hyeon-jeong thought for a moment, then began to fold her fingers one by one.
"Well, excluding the AG purebloods... among the individual applicants we selected, there is one from England, and a student of the Popular Music Department."
"That's all? No more?"
Actually, Joo Cheol-young already had a trainee in mind.
And he believed that the writer was thinking about the same person.
"What about that kid with a country name? Chunsik, I think."
"...Kim Chunyong?"
"Ah, right. Doesn't he feel a bit… prepared?"
"I knew this writer would think that way too."
Joo Cheol-young leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile.
"An individual applicant went to the salon? Of course, everyone who heard about it in advance went. Regardless of whether they knew or not, the result is the same. But Kim Chunyong.. his gaze felt different."
However, Hyeon-jeong was skeptical about Joo Cheol-young's words.
"What kind of tenacious theory are you having again? PD-nim, do you believe things like that?"
Joo Cheol-young raised his voice and tapped on the armrest of his chair.
"No, writer. I'm not talking about physiognomy or anything. Have you seen the way he talks and looks straight into the camera? He doesn't look awkward at all, like he's been doing it for five years. Even Son Jae-ha, the ace male trainee at AG, isn't like that."
Was he like that? Hyeon-jeong thought back to Kim Chunyong's pre-interview.
'Well, it did seem like his naturality was a bit different from others...'
Joo Cheol-young drew a large star on Kim Chunyong's personal information with the pen in his hand.
"It might be a good idea to give Kim Chunyong a little push this time. This guy will definitely take care of the ratings. I'm absolutely certain. My gut tells me so."
"I know that you care about ratings... but what about Director Shin's pick? If you don't support him, I'll feel pressured..."
"Wait a minute, writer."
Joo Cheol-young put his finger to his lips and made a 'shhh' sound.
Then he pointed somewhere with his other hand.
'...ah.'
Hyeon-jeong shut her mouth when she heard footsteps lingering behind the office window.
She forgot for a moment.
This place was still inside AG.
Soon the sound of footsteps grew fainter, and when Joo Cheol-yeong nodded, Hyeon-jeong continued speaking.
"...he'll come in. There's already a part we agreed on."
"Director Shin isn't in Korea right now because he's trying to attract Chinese investors. So, until he arrives, I can do whatever I want."
"Huh, PD-nim, you'll get stabbed if you do that."
"You can think about that after it happens."
Joo Cheol-young stroked his chin and frowned.
That was the attitude that came out naturally when Joo Cheol-young had great confidence in something.
"And so what if Director Shin disagrees? I guarantee even President Do will be thrilled when he sees me pushing Kim Chunyong. Remember Lady Swan? Are there any foreign members there?"
"...That's right. They're all Korean."
"Roughly speaking, if Kim Chunyong joins, we'll end up with about six to eight members. We're not the ones doing the voting. The mentors and the public do it. That's what I'm saying."
'But we're the ones who create the broadcasts that enable that vote.'
Hyeon-jeong couldn't say these words out loud.
It was because Joo Cheol-young, known as the Midas of the idol survival program world, was smiling sinisterly.
"This could be a hit, writer. My gut tells me. The mentors, the protagonists, and even the supporting cast are perfect."
Joo Cheol-young calls the young trainees who've put their lives on the line his followers.
Hyeon-jeong felt that he was a bit of a distant and disgusting presence.
"If everything goes well, go on a trip with your family after you finish. I'll make sure you have a nice vacation."
...He had no intention of getting off the unsinkable ship called Joo Cheol-young.
It's now two days until the first shoot.
Only two days left until the first filming.
* * *
The buzz around 〈Targeting Star〉, aka Tata was growing rapidly the day before filming.
The mentors whose identities were kept secret had been announced to the mass media.
Soloist Min Si-young, who is practically the one who built AG, and rapper Na Ji-hyeok, who is responsible for popular songs every summer.
Above all, there were two more mentors who attracted the public's attention: visual director Moon Yoon-ha and street dancer Jin Dasol.
[AG Corporation @HARDWARE_store
Seriously? Is it true that Moon Yoon-ha will be the visual director of AG's new boy group? ㅋㅋㅠㅠㅠ]
[AG Corporation @HARDWARE_store
Wow, what the heck, I was just sucking my thumb in envy while watching Serenia yesterday, but Moon Yoon-ha is back in AG now? AG is also releasing proper compositors and mood samplers now? Is this the golden age of AG idols?]
[Walking to the entertainment world @Workingcl_ass
Why is this AG Corporation person doing this? Why are their retweets like that?;; Is Moon Yoon-ha going to AG such a big deal?]
[LAG Corporation @HARDWARE_store
How did you make it in the entertainment industry without even knowing Moon Yoon-ha? Moon Yoon-ha was the one who planned all the hit girl groups in the past 5 years ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ You don't even know Moon Yoon-ha, and you're saying stuff like this?]
[ Walking to the entertainment world @Workingcl_ass
What the f*ck, did you search up my name just to bash me? I'm blocking you.]
[Male idol 1st hit instructor @Mega_Sky11
The mentors for AG's upcoming male idol survival show have been revealed. I believe these individuals demonstrate AG's ambitions. Continued in the thread >]
[L Let's first look at a previous example, AG's first and last female idol group, Lady Swan. They're pretty, they sing well, and each member has unique charms. But did they do well as a team? No. They failed. >]
[L There are many reasons why Lady Swan failed, but I think the biggest ones were the concept and choreography. They interpreted the classic masterpiece too roughly, and the choreography was poor. They attached carefully crafted gems to a gold-plated ring. Gold-plating is bound to fall off eventually. >]
[L But it seems like CEO Do Jae-chan wouldn't repeat that mistake this time. Other mentors are really mentors, but Moon Yoon-ha, considered the top visual director among current idols, and Jin Dasol, a legend in the street dance scene, are the key players]
[L With the recent surge in Chinese investment, AG is rapidly expanding its presence, and amidst this backdrop, 〈Targeting Star〉 will begin filming. I'm very much looking forward to its premiere. It could be a turning point for Korean male idols.]
[L This is how you live and die, Mentolgi @mennnnheeriS2
So basically AG's new boy group will be the turning point for Korean male idols? Dreaming rather than dream interpretation~~ You're quite the expert~~ Yeah, but still, the top tier male idol is Sledix♡]
[Submit drawings by 8:00 @DANFJAKWGG372
Min Si-young is there, Jin Dasol as a mentor? He's cool, but it seems like he won't say a word in an hour…]
[L Jin Dasol: (Opening his mouth at the end of the recording) Uh... well… I didn't see it.]
[J.Choi @Wakwakj
(Photo) (Photo) (Photo)
Dasol hyung's new challenge! I've always supported his efforts to promote the street dance scene. They're photos with Dasol hyung at the LA Street Battle competition. ^&^]
"...ho."
Kim Bomi let out a sigh while scrolling through her SNS account timeline.
So, these great figures will appear in the idol survival program as mentors.
"Ah, noona. Hey, put it there. Ah, I'm dying, really...."
...this ugly little brother is leaving.
Kim Bomi looked at her younger brother, Kim Chunyong, who was making a dying sound with his back covered in paste.
"What if I can't debut...?"
"Then learn how to do dad's job or prepare for the civil service exam."
"Noona, is the civil service exam that easy?! I heard i t's incredibly difficult!"
"What are you talking about, you idiot. Be quiet."
After he was cut from the debut group, he became depressed and hysterical, but then suddenly, as if he had changed, he started hitting the private practice room like crazy. And today, out of the blue, he asked her to put a patch on him because his back hurt so much.
'...No matter how much I think about it, it's still a bit unsightly.'
Kim Bomi yelled at her younger brother in a voice mixed with worry.
"Hey, Kim Chunyong. Are you practicing properly? Is it okay to go on a survival show like this?"
Kim Chunyong, face down on the floor in pain, mumbled an answer.
"It's okay... My stats aren't going up right now, but I'll do it somehow..."
When Kim Chunyong, who was having a hard time spending time with his family for the first time in a long time, started talking about his 'stats' that only he knew, Kim Bomi's eyes widened.
Stats? What stats?
No way.
Swish!
"Ah!"
Kim Bomi's palm struck Kim Chunyong's defenseless bare back, and with a squeak, Kim Chunyong rolled across the floor. Kim Bomi was practically spitting fire.
"You little punk. You weren't going to the practice room, but to the PC room to play games? Right before the survival show? Mom, Mom! Kim Chun-ong-"
"Ah, no, it's not like that!"
"What the hell! You were just talking about stats! What game is it? Did you spend your money on a game instead of paying for the practice room? You're completely out of your mind...."
"Oh, no, noona...."
Kim Chun-yong, who was unable to fight back against his older sister, showed no resemblance to the trainee who had acted so brazenly in front of PD Joo Cheol-young during the day.
A person only becomes this weak after regaining what they've lost.
So what could he do about it?
"Haha, noona. That's right. I once caused trouble and lost our entire family, but I made a deal with the devil and came back. The stats I mentioned earlier are not about my game, but about me."
Kim Chunyong, who had a sharp face and was crying, was only able to catch his older sister right before she went to find their mother in the living room.
"S-Sign, sign!"
"Huh? What?"
Kim Chunyong whispered softly into his older sister's ear with a solemn expression on his face.
"Noona, Choi Ga-on... You like him, right? I'll get you an autograph. So don't tell Mom. I'm worried. And seriously, I went to practice!"
Bomi's eyes opened wide.
The host of Kim Chunyong's survival show 〈Targeting Star〉 was the popular singer Choi Ga-on.
Bomi, the owner of the SNS account 'Gaonni(•0•)', had been an ardent fan of his since his debut.
But that was supposed to be a secret that no one in the family other than Kim Na-ri knew about.
"...You ahem. How did you know I like Choi Gaon?"
"There's always a way, you know. So, do you want the signature or not?"
Kim Bomi, who had been rolling her eyes, slapped Kim Chunyong on the back once more and spoke firmly.
"I'll give you an album, so get his signature. And if you're not actually going to practice, then get lost."
"Kkhn oh, ow..."
Kim Chunyong, catching his breath while rubbing his back, smiled bitterly as he watched his sister who was walking away with her hair tied up high.
Whether they fight and argue like this or make up after the argument.
It's something you can do when you're together, when you're alive.
"Hey. Can you get Choi Ga-on's autograph? He's your senior from your agency."
"I'm still a rookie... I think we should get to know each other a little better. What will you do for me if I get his autograph?"
"You wanna die? I'm your older sister. What can you do for me? You worthless little brat."
The previous Kim Chunyong was ultimately unable to get Choi Ga-on's autograph for his older sister.
But I'll give it to you this time, certainly.
Meanwhile, everyone was struggling to do their own things.
The first filming of 〈Targeting Star〉 is fast approaching.