Seongwoo Kim, who had snorted after hearing my song selection, even spoke to me.
"Wow, bro. You're really good at it. "I never imagined they would call it that."
"thank you."
"May I ask where you received your training?"
"Home training."
"yes?"
You pretend to be friendly and keep talking to me, but I'm sorry, but you are eliminated.
When I watched the pre-mission stage, there was nothing special about it.
If I were a judge, this is a character I would never select regardless of skill.
Anyway, the reason he is talking to me is because his performance is over.
Everyone waiting for their turn is ignoring me.
"… … ."
"… … ."
Well, I think it's a good attitude.
There is nothing you can change now, but you can change your mindset.
If I were a judge, I would have given more points to immersion than ability from now on.
Participants who can erase their performance from their minds and focus on their own performance are guaranteed to have mental health.
While I was thinking that, filming resumed.
"Fifth, Lee Ion participant."
Ion.
This is not the person I remember from my past life.
But I think I will remember it from the next life.
He's too handsome.
As soon as I saw it, I wondered, 'If I looked like that, how many albums would I have sold?'
However, the stage was so-so.
Should we say that it is a stage where effort is visible but talent is not?
I danced with my teeth clenched, and the song wasn't bad, but the tone was really bad.
Lee Ion's tone is harsh.
A tone that is uncomfortable to include in the team.
In order to be included in the team, you have to be at the center of the song, but your skills are not enough to do that.
Worst of all, it wasn't the type of tone that could be corrected.
Some timbres can be corrected and some cannot, and that was the latter.
however… … .
"and… … ."
"What is that?"
If you have a face like that, isn't there really a need to become a singer?
It's not like you have to sell the album because of infinite regress.
"thank you!"
The stage continued after that.
I am a person who is more sincere than anyone else in discovering good singers, and I am a person who has put in effort for a long time.
It wasn't until the early days of our return that we even thought about discovering new talent.
Since we all know who will have a hit in the future anyway, I thought we could use it.
But when I actually tried it, that wasn't the case.
In my last life, I became a vocalist for a band that had achieved great success, but the band failed.
Even though I am clearly much better than existing vocalists.
Is that it?
Amidst all sorts of tragedies, I brought in a vocalist to produce the debut album that went double platinum (2 million copies), but it only sold 800,000 copies.
Even though I protected him from experiencing any tragedy.
Fortunately, he sold 4 million copies of his next album, but he suddenly developed panic disorder and announced his retirement.
When I wasn't working, I was a steady singer who released 7 albums in 9 years.
After experiencing this countless times, I had no choice but to admit it.
Just because you recruit a future star, you can't get the same results.
After that, I devoted myself to discovering new talent and gained my own know-how.
From that perspective, among the cast members I met today, who would you like to be on the same team with? … .
There wasn't a single person.
Not all of them met my standards.
Of course, there were some who were attractive.
Koo Tae-hwan was the first in line.
Onsaemiro was the sixth in line.
These two people had charm and potential, and knew how to immerse themselves.
In particular, Koo Tae-hwan's skills as a dancer aren't that great right now, but if he can get a feel for it, he'll explode in no time.
I don't think I know it, but my sense of rhythm is excellent.
Onsaemi is still doing well.
Out of the ten participants, if you exclude me, he is overwhelming as a vocalist.
However, I don't want to have him as a teammate.
If someone hears these thoughts, they will judge them as arrogant.
Still, I can't help it.
To me, team members are not simply people who do activities together.
This is someone who should go along with the ridiculous goal of selling 200 million physical albums.
You must have a tremendous desire to improve, be optimistic, and have talent with a high ceiling.
At the same time, it is necessary to be sincere and not easily swayed by temptation.
There will be no such people among the cast of Coming Up Next.
Probably, with high probability.
"… … ."
The long-standing depression of the returnee began to creep in.
I thought Coming Up Next was a great opportunity, and that thought has not changed.
However, it was not long before the rational judgment was overtaken by unpleasant emotions.
Maybe all of this is useless.
Is there anything I can save from this idiotic show where the results are set and then filmed?
Wouldn't it be better to become a trainee at a large agency and check out those with potential?
Either that or… … .
Wouldn't it be right to just withdraw the challenge to this damn idol?
Depression mingles with my swirling thoughts.
We try to drive them out with rational judgment, but negative emotions do not go away that easily.
And finally… … .
Disappointment came.
Bwaaaaaaaaaa!
I feel like I can hear the sound of a car that I shouldn't hear from somewhere.
If you turn your head and look around, it is still a convention center.
But when I close and open my eyes... … .
I think it's a crossroads.
* * *
When did I first realize about the 'regression rule'?
Oh yeah.
I think it was an after party hosted by Billboard magazine.
Probably around the 12th episode.
Until then, I thought regression occurred naturally.
In my own judgment, I thought that regression would occur if there was no possibility of selling 200 million copies.
Because it's always been like that until now.
It was the same when I appeared on
When it occurred to me that no matter what I did, I couldn't escape the image created by Snumje.
When I came to the conclusion that I couldn't get anywhere near 200 million copies because of this image.
Bwaaaaaaaaaa!
Because my body was at a crossroads.
But that wasn't the case.
"Zion. Do you expect this third album to go diamond (10 million copies)?"
A question asked by a reporter who attended the after party.
It was a trivial question.
It's not meant to be malicious, like 'you can't do it', it's just pure curiosity.
It was a question that could be felt as a favor to write a good article.
However, the moment I heard the reporter's words, everything fell apart.
It took a lot of time for me to leave the familiar Korea and adjust to living in the United States.
When I first chose to go to the U.S. in the 8th round, I couldn't even get out of the underground, and it wasn't until the 9th round that I entered the mainstream.
It took another time to enter the Billboard Hot 100, and the album 200 was not easy.
From the 8th to the 13th session.
I haven't counted exactly, but it's probably close to 60 years.
Those times came together and we finally achieved real success.
It ranked first on the Billboard Hot 100 and first on the Album 200. He was treated as a superstar all over the United States and went on a world tour.
In Korea, my success made headlines, and I was a spokesperson for all Asians.
No matter what anyone says, it is a perfect success that cannot be faulted.
But… … .
'What does that mean?'
I don't have a single diamond album yet.
Although it seems to have been a huge success, the first and second albums combined only sold 8 million copies.
3rd album achieves diamond status?
So, the total sales volume is less than 20 million copies.
How many more albums do we need to release to reach 200 million copies?
10 things? 20?
How many years will it take?
Will my popularity remain until then?
Will the public prefer me?
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you really not confident? "Zion?"
I don't remember what I answered then.
But the answer didn't matter.
Because my body had already moved as if it were being sucked into a black hole.
All the scenery around me is distorted and pushed away, passing me by.
Landscapes that seemed colorful at first gradually passed by quickly, turning orange and finally white.
and… … .
Bwaaaaaaaaaa!
I was at a crossroads.
Then I realized.
What are my regression rules really?
The moment you give up, you return.
In fact, it wasn't a regression when we couldn't sell 200 million copies.
If my mind gives up, it will return.
Giving up is arbitrary.
Even if you can actually do it, it's over if you give up.
Also, giving up is unconscious.
Depression comes easily to a returner who repeats the past life, and disappointment maximizes it.
Disappointment attracts despair, and despair attracts giving up.
So I don't remember exactly what number my regression was.
There was a time when I came to my senses while going through immigration after arriving in the United States and was at a crossroads.
There was a time when I was discharged from the hospital while being seen off by Uncle Hyunsu, and when I opened my eyes, I was at a crossroads.
so… … .
This damn regression is cruel.
* * *
"… … Mr. On."
"… … ."
"Mr. Hansion!"
I blinked.
There is no sound of cars everywhere, and people are looking at me.
Before I knew it, all the participants except me were on stage at the convention hall.
"Did you doze off?"
"sorry. "I felt dizzy for a moment."
"Do you have any chronic illness?"
"no. no."
"Please come up to the stage."
I quickly went up to the stage, but something felt a little strange.
No matter how well I did in the previous performance, I have to feel disappointed in this situation.
Even if it's not broadcast, the judges need to see that side of themselves on a regular basis.
Otherwise, there is no reason to film me now, but the main camera is following me.
Are you gathering sources for the devil's editing?
But I soon realized that wasn't the case.
This is because of my parents.
At this point, I am a pitiful bastard who has only been in a vegetative state for a month.
What I'm saying is that by combining it with my backstory, I came up with a usable picture.
Well, it doesn't matter.
You can sympathize with me, and you can look at me and feel an advantage over me, thinking, 'I'm happier than that person.'
It doesn't matter if they mock me and say I'm a fashion orphan, saying I don't know if I have parents or not, and even if they make fun of me by saying I intentionally caused a car accident and took my parents' money.
No matter who it is or what kind of heart it is.
If you just buy my album.
So if only you could save me.
It doesn't matter.
At that time, the judges who had been throwing out meaningless words began to announce the scores of the pre-mission.
"The first place winner is a participant from Hansion who received a perfect score of 40 points."
"thank you."
I bowed, but honestly, I don't think the performance was good enough for all the judges to give it full marks.
This is because of the unique tone of the audition program, which is passionate about freshness and is serious about making an ace.
"Second place… … ."
Second place went to Onsaemi.
Because it is a pure Korean name, it is easy to remember.
The meaning was probably 'unchanging state'.
If it changes after it opens, does it become Offsaemiro?
hmm. You shouldn't say it out loud.
It shows my age.
"Third place… … ."
The presentation of only ten people ended quickly, and the rankings were displayed on the screen above the stage.