After the morning class ended at 12 PM, the manager appeared. He then led us all to the cafeteria.
"Remember, the next class starts at 4 PM after you eat."
"Yes."
"Yes!"
"Yes."
"Take good care of the new recruit, Hae-sol. Help him adapt easily."
"Oh, Manager, do you really need to worry about that with me around?"
"True, Woo-yeon, you're great at this. I trust you."
Since the trainees are competitors, emotional conflicts can arise. From the agency's perspective, this is a situation they want to avoid. With the debut team not yet finalized, any conflict among potential members is unwelcome. Starting off with tension is not ideal. Although they can't stop the trainees from competing, they need to prevent excessive tension. Woo-yeon's friendly nature is a valuable asset to the agency in this regard.
"I'm already exhausted, and it's only lunchtime. Why is the day so long?"
"Hehe. Hang in there, Hae-sol! You'll get used to it. Oh, but the afternoon class is even tougher."
Two classes a day. If you don't have the stamina, just enduring can be challenging.
"What do you do after eating and before the 4 PM class?"
"Personal practice."
"Even though there's a class at 4 PM?"
"In the debut team, you have to perform well in class too. Your usual performance is also evaluated. They assess how much you've improved since the last class. The teachers love seeing trainees who show progress."
After 5 years as a trainee, the knowledge this kid shares is incredibly insightful.
'Hmm? A pleasant scent?'
Suddenly, a pleasant scent caught my attention.
'Wow.'
I almost let out an admiring sigh at the stunning beauty who was the source of the scent. Even without makeup, her features were so distinct that she was unforgettably beautiful. However, her expression was so melancholic that I wanted to ask what was wrong.
"Oh? Is that Joo-ah?"
Woo-yeon raised his hand and waved at the beauty.
"Over here, Joo-ah!"
She noticed Woo-yeon, looked surprised, and after a moment of thought, sat across from him.
"Hi."
"Hehe~ Joo-ah, long time no see. Join us if you don't have company."
"Hmm, where's the manager?"
"He seems busy. He stopped by for a moment, said a few words, and then disappeared."
"So, you haven't heard the news?"
"News? I'm always up for gossip. Is there new news?"
"It's nothing big. I'm terminating my trainee contract at the end of this month."
"Huh?"
Woo-yeon's eyes widened in shock. I was also surprised and stopped eating. Someone with such beauty couldn't debut and was being kicked out?
"Joo-ah, are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious."
"But that's such a waste! You sing so well! Shouldn't you hold on a bit longer?"
"I've thought about it a lot. But I don't see a future for myself here. As you know, they're forming another male idol group. This is the second time. Female idols are less competitive and fierce, making it hard to debut. The company seems to have no intention of debuting female idols."
"No way! There are so many female trainees in our company."
Woo-yeon tried to persuade her to stay, but she seemed to have made up her mind.
"Even if they form another female idol group, I don't think I'll get a chance."
She was also concerned about her age. With the new male idol group launching, the company will focus all its efforts on supporting them. Time will fly, and it will take 4-5 years before talk of a new group starts again.
"By then, I'll be 26. Debuting as an idol in my mid-twenties? With 17 or 18-year-olds? I think it's time to give up."
"It's such a waste of your talent."
"The manager tried to keep me. He said he wouldn't hold onto someone without potential, so it was a bit comforting."
"What will you do after leaving the trainee program?"
"I want to try acting."
"Wow! Acting?"
"I have the looks for it. Acting is a field where you can succeed even in your thirties. I think it's not too late to start now, so I want to give it a try. I already have a contract with an agency, but keep it a secret."
"Of course!! You know I can keep a secret. Hehe!"
Although she's leaving the trainee program, she doesn't plan to leave the industry entirely. I also thought it would be a waste for her to disappear, so I'm glad she's trying something new.
'She'd be better off as an actress.'
Suddenly, our eyes met. You know how it's hard to look someone extremely beautiful in the eye? I instinctively looked down. But she showed interest in me.
"By the way, who is this? I haven't seen him before."
"Oh right! I forgot to introduce you two. He just joined the debut team. This is Joo-ah. Please introduce yourselves!"
"I'm Jin Hae-sol."
"Joining the debut team at this stage… you're lucky. You'll definitely debut."
"So, it's not just me who thinks that. You think so too, right?"
"You clearly got in because of your looks. Your team's visuals were a bit lacking. I'm jealous. Sometimes I wish I were a man."
"If you were a man, you'd have debuted already. Later, when you debut as an actress, sing an OST. Your fans will be amazed."
Woo-yeon, relieved that Joo-ah wasn't completely leaving the industry, spoke excitedly again.
"Thanks for the support. I'll pray for your debut too. I hope you succeed first."
"Yes! I'll pave the red carpet for you. You just walk on it!"
"You're such a charmer. Haha!"
But I was a bit confused. A sudden urge had risen within me.
'If I'm going to do it, I want to do it with someone like her.'
I wasn't sure if I could approach her, given my status. On Earth, I wouldn't dare approach someone so beautiful. But this is a reverse-gender world, and my looks are at an idol level.
'Should I try?'
I tried to act casual and continue the conversation, looking for an opportunity. I wasn't really paying attention to what was being said.
'Should I do it? Should I not? Damn it, should I go for it?'
To get a beautiful woman, you need 'courage'! Just as I was about to stand up and return my tray, I decided to ask for her number. But before I could, she spoke to me.
"Excuse me…."
"Yes?"
Joo-ah spoke to me first. Woo-yeon was busy returning his tray, so it was just the two of us.
"Um, if it's not too much trouble, could I have your number?"
"…Huh?"
"I know it might be inconvenient since you're in the debut team, but you're exactly my type."
I was about to ask for her number, but she beat me to it.
"It's 010-XXXX-XXXXX."
"Oh! I didn't expect you to give it to me so easily. Thank you! I promise not to bother you!"
Joo-ah smiled shyly. It was unbelievable that such a beautiful woman was interested in me and promised not to bother me.
'Pony was right.'
I thought the talk about pregnancy and such was ridiculous, but this world really is on the brink of collapse due to a lack of men. Even someone as beautiful as her has to initiate contact with a man to have a chance at a relationship. It's a brutally competitive world for women.
'This is crazy.'
---
In the afternoon, the debut team trainees started gathering in the practice room after school. After eating, I had received some dance lessons from Woo-yeon and was taking a break. I needed to recover my energy for the next class, as Woo-yeon had advised.
'Gyeong-tae is here too.'
Gyeong-tae, who had a breakdown during the morning class, had disappeared, saying he had an appointment. Now he was back, looking composed. Meanwhile, Woo-yeon was busy introducing me to the other debut team trainees.
"Hae-sol's face is glowing, isn't it? It's amazing that someone with such visuals is still available."
"Who cast him?"
"Whoever it was, they'll probably get a big bonus."
"You're really handsome."
"What have you been doing? You must have been scouted a lot."
I thought the afternoon team would be wary of me like Gyeong-tae was in the morning. Surprisingly, no one showed open hostility. In fact, many seemed eager to befriend me. I was briefly confused but soon understood.
'This is actually normal. Gyeong-tae's open hostility is amateurish. The smart ones smile to your face and stab you in the back.'
In a competitive environment, openly making enemies is dangerous. In social settings, you sometimes have to bow to people you despise and flatter them. From that perspective, Gyeong-tae is naive. The real danger comes from those who smile to your face and stab you in the back.
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