Read Raise Three Idols Well And They'll Launch a Confession Attack - Ep.9: Demons From The Past

The next day, Gyeoul and I searched the internet for a cheap practice room.

It was due to Gyeoul’s strong desire to practice properly for five days.

Knowing Gyeoul’s potential from her status window, I didn’t think it was necessary to go that far.

I judged that whether she practiced intensively for five days or not, it wouldn’t make a difference in showcasing her talent.

I wasn’t going to sell a gem.

I was going to sell an uncut stone.

And I thought a producer like Cheon Jonghoon would recognize the high quality of Gyeoul as a raw talent.

But since it was good that she was being proactive, I helped her a little.

We found a cheap rental practice room near the closest station and went to visit it.

“By the way, what about school? You’re a high school freshman, right?”

“Oh, I’m kind of a hikikomori? I don’t go to school anyway, so it’s fine!”

It wasn’t fine at all.

But it wasn’t something I should interfere with.

“Well, these days, some people drop out and take the GED after the first semester if they think they can’t get into college with their grades. It’s not a bad plan if you have one.”

“Hehe, I don’t have such plans. It’s just hard to get along with people.”

Gyeoul’s grandfather, how do you trust and support such a granddaughter?

If it were me, I would have yelled at her to come home immediately after hearing she lost her wallet.

Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, Gyeoul glanced at me and smiled every time our eyes met.

Well, would it be a big deal if she missed some school?

I only graduated high school and lived well.

Just make a good impression on Cheon Jonghoon.

We arrived at the location of the practice room after walking for a while.

“This must be it!”

The place Gyeoul pointed to was an old building that made me question whether it was operating properly.

It looked so dusty that I didn’t want to go in, but the map app said this was the place, so we followed the directions down to the basement.

The rental practice room on the basement floor was quite small, and being in the basement, it wasn’t well-ventilated.

However, the full-length mirror was intact, and the floor was well-finished, making it suitable for solo use.

Above all, the price was very reasonable.

Just like me, Gyeoul seemed quite satisfied with the practice room she would use for five days.

“It’s narrow and dark like my room, so I feel at ease.”

It didn’t seem like she had the same impression as me.

“…Well, anyway, I’m glad you’re satisfied.”

I used the money I received from Gyeoul’s grandfather to book about four hours with the studio staff. Then I handed Gyeoul some money and said,

“I’ve booked four hours for now, so if you need more time, use this money to book extra. Also, have some good food at a nearby restaurant. Call me if anything happens.”

As I got ready to leave after finishing my task, Gyeoul spoke dejectedly, like a puppy whose walk had been canceled.

“Are you leaving?”

Gyeoul probably wanted me to watch her dance and sing.

For a hikikomori and nerd, she seemed to want an audience for her dancing and singing.

It was strangely commendable.

To become a celebrity, you need at least that much of an attention-seeker’s trait.

In fact, I thought that despite Gyeoul’s talent, her timid attitude might make her easily lose interest in being an idol and give up.

But it seemed I was wrong.

Yes, with that level of talent, she should be confident in her main job.

I sat down with the mindset of checking the performance of an S-rank character I pulled from a gacha.

“Well, I’ll watch for a bit before I leave.”

Gyeoul smiled brightly and said,

“Wow! Then I’ll show you the song I practiced.”

Gyeoul fumbled with the laptop she brought, and music started playing through the speakers.

The song Gyeoul chose was Seven Stars’ ‘Oof’.

Oh, the song choice was quite bold?

Seven Stars’ ‘Oof’ was a summer dance song with intense brass and tracks, catchy hooks, and refreshing vocals.

Although it felt like a light and fun song to enjoy due to its addictive hook, the aggressive whacking and high-pitched notes in the middle made it a difficult performance, causing many trainees to fail.

If imitated poorly, it would look really cheap.

I felt nostalgic for my Flower Entertainment days and looked forward to it.

Gyeoul’s eyes sparkled as if she were determined to meet those expectations.

Then, the song began.

<Oof! I fell into the sea of love!>

“…”

2 minutes and 54 seconds passed quickly.

The song ended.

Despite the difficulty, Gyeoul performed all the moves of ‘Oof’ and sang the parts of four people live.

Although she panted at the end, unable to catch her breath, considering the vocal distribution, her stamina was enough to pass.

I thought she was just a shut-in, but it seemed she worked hard on her stamina.

However, my expression after watching that performance was as scrunched up as if I had bitten into a whole lemon.

Gyeoul, noticing my expression, spoke between pants.

“…Haah, haah, how was it?”

“How was it?”

I barely held back a curse that almost slipped out reflexively.

Gyeoul’s dancing was a sight to behold.

No, not just the dancing, but the singing too.

The mental shock made my head throb and ring, but I tried to evaluate it as rationally as possible.

“You’re underestimating idols.”

It was an objective and rational evaluation.

“Who taught you like that?”

Gyeoul’s dancing and singing weren’t bad.

They were maliciously bad.

For example, if you have a friend who sings poorly at karaoke, you just think they haven’t sung much or lack talent and move on.

There’s no room for emotion.

But Gyeoul’s dancing and singing were different.

Her dance and song were full of elements that were usually divisive, expressed in an exaggerated way.

It was like a malicious impressionist, mimicking every bad habit, nasal sound, and exaggerated pose.

Anyone who takes singing seriously would want to punch her.

It was as if she collected every bad habit and put them into her moves.

At this point, it was an art form.

It was about pushing the limits of how many bad habits could be included in one move.

“Are you provoking me? Testing how long I can endure that dance and song? Do you want to fight? I give up. Please, just do it properly!”

“I just did my best…”

Gyeoul explained and began to tear up.

She must have been practicing sincerely, not trying to mess with me.

It just appeared to be filled with human malice.

I felt sorry for being harsh to this fragile nerd.

“I was too harsh. I’m sorry.”

Gyeoul glanced at me and asked.

“Yeji told me to do it like this… Is it strange?”

“No, that crazy Yeji again.”

I imagined Yeji laughing like the Joker after teaching Gyeoul the wrong way to dance and sing.

Making fun of Gyeoul with her friends was just a bonus.

If there was some benefit for her, I might understand.

But there was no benefit.

Could someone in this world have such pure malice?

The devil was in a training center in Jeonnam.

“…What should I do?”

Tears were welling up in Gyeoul’s eyes, ready to fall at any moment.

It looked like she would start crying again if I nudged her.

I didn’t know how she would endure trainee life with such a weak mentality.

But the problem was passing the audition first.

This wasn’t just Gyeoul’s crisis.

It was also my crisis.

It didn’t matter if her dance and singing were unskilled.

Talent can’t be hidden by mere lack of skill.

A producer like Cheon Jonghoon would strip away the veil of inexperience and see Gyeoul’s talent.

But those bad habits weren’t something that could be stripped away.

They were like staples embedded in every corner of paper.

Talent or not, they wouldn’t be seen if they weren’t removed.

Of course, Cheon Jonghoon wouldn’t see Gyeoul’s talent either.

It would be a relief if he could endure for ten seconds and not grab me by the collar.

Originally, I planned to work on loading and unloading during the five days Gyeoul practiced.

Having the seed money for stocks wouldn’t hurt.

I scrapped that plan.

Now wasn’t the time to think about a little money.

“You… really, you’re lucky. I’ll make you a decent person in five days.”

Five days left until the meeting with Cheon Jonghoon.

It was a tight time frame for a monkey to become a person.

In that time, I had to remove those bad habits.

And five days later, the day of the meeting with Cheon Jonghoon arrived.

Episode 9

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