Yesterday, while Hee-yeon was at her fan meeting, Jin-ah and the three trainees finished recording and spent time bonding as a team. Today, they all headed to K-Management’s practice room with the film crew.

“Whoah…”

“Do you guys actually practice here?”

The trainees and crew stared in disbelief. None of them had expected Blue Sherbet’s practice room to be so small and run-down.

Standing behind them, I pressed my fingers to my temples and held back a sigh. We were already working on moving to a better space with a proper singing booth and a real workspace. We were even looking to hire a band. 

I had been hoping we could say goodbye to this old practice room and our beat-up minivan for good, but now, this place would be forever captured on TV.

Jin-ah, however, didn’t seem to care. She snickered.

“Looks rough, huh? Sometimes, we have to practice here separately at the same time. Hee-yeon sings with her earphones in over there, Yoon-jung works on her choreography in that corner, and Yumi and I run through different dance routines.”

“Dang… that actually works?”

Instead of feeling proud of their company’s better facilities, the trainees were stunned with admiration. It made sense. Blue Sherbet was the hottest group right now in so many ways. Their skills were already beyond what most trainees could dream of. The fact that they had honed their talents in such terrible conditions was seriously impressive.

“Sunbae, how much do you usually practice?” Hyun-hee asked Jin-ah.

Though they weren’t particularly close, they had trained together long enough to be comfortable with each other. Still, they decided on a polite middle ground to avoid making the show’s viewers feel awkward. They settled on Hyun-hee calling her sunbae.

Jin-ah furrowed her brow, thinking.

“How much…? I don’t really know. I just practice until I feel like I might get worse if I keep going. President Kang gives each of us specific training plans, which is probably why we improve so fast. It’s fun seeing progress, so I end up practicing a lot anyway. And since the other members are so good, I work even harder so I won’t drag them down.”

The trainees let out soft gasps of disbelief.

“You were worried about holding back the group?”

“No way…”

Seeing their reaction, Jin-ah insisted.

“I’m serious! We got this good by following what President Kang told us to do. Before that, my vocals and dancing were way worse.”

At that, everyone turned to me. Including the camera.

Oh, come on.

According to Team Lead Na, they had already talked about me a lot in yesterday’s recording. Why was Jin-ah so determined to hype me up again? Unless… she was doing it on purpose to mess with me.

That little troublemaker.

Hyun-hee glanced at me, then turned back to Jin-ah.

“Sunbae, we’re supposed to pick our song today, right? What… should we perform?”

Even though she directed the question at Jin-ah, all the trainees were now staring at me, clearly waiting for my input.

I cleared my throat and looked away. Getting involved would only make things more exhausting for me. Besides, Jin-ah could handle this just fine on her own.

Before I could sneak off, the writer from the film crew hurried over and clasped her hands together, practically begging.

“The other teams will be getting support from their companies. Could you help out a little too, President Kang?”

With such a short preparation time, it would be tough for the artists and trainees to put everything together from A to Z on their own. Although Kid or Min-seok from Golden Tree might be able to, other teams would definitely be getting vocal and dance trainers hired by their supporting companies.

“You want me to plan their performance?” I asked.

“Not plan, exactly. Just some advice,” she pleaded.

“Would I have to be on camera?”

“Haha… How could you not?”

I clicked my tongue and scanned their faces. They all stared at me, wide-eyed and holding their breath. Of course, they knew my reputation. Even if they hadn’t before, they definitely did after the first recording when Jin-sil Kim and Kid mentioned me.

At this point, there was no way out of this. 

I let out a sigh and sat down on the floor.

“Can you each show me one thing you’re confident in?”

The trainees’ eyes widened. Then, they bowed quickly, practically glowing with excitement.

“Thank you!”

“Thank you so much!”

Judging by their reactions, they probably already thought they had this competition in the bag.

I couldn’t turn an average person into a genius.

I could, however, bring out the potential of a genius.

“I wanna watch, too!”

Jin-ah rushed over and plopped down right next to me. The camera zoomed in on both of us.

“Hey, go away. The camera’s on us.”

“President Kang, are you seriously worried about a scandal? Nooobody is gonna think anything weird. Just chill and watch.”

Soon after, the performances began. Neither Jin-ah nor I had seen their skills in action before, so this was our first time seeing what they were capable of.

Once all three performances ended, Jin-ah turned to me without a word. The trainees, meanwhile, clutched their hands nervously and bit their lips. Half-excited, half-worried, they waited for my feedback.

I turned to Jin-ah.

“What do you think?”

“Uh… um…”

Her eyes darted around in surprise. She clearly hadn’t expected me to ask her. 

The trainees’ faces fell. If the performance had been good, Jin-ah wouldn’t have hesitated like that.

“Forget it. I’ll say it.”

To sum it up, they weren’t bad.

Well, they had to have talent to make it this far. However, they weren’t exceptional. And in this industry, if you’re not exceptional, it’s hard to survive.

But this wasn’t about picking my own artists. My job was to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

For that, I had the perfect song in mind.

“A Blue Sherbet song should work well.”

“What…? Our song?”

In a way, the trainees were like a lower-level version of Blue Sherbet. They weren’t as skilled, but they had the same vibe. The performance didn’t need to be exactly like the original anyway. They could switch parts, change the choreography, or even rearrange the song.

That was what made it the perfect choice. The song was the one and only song Blue Sherbet had ever released as a group. 

Their debut song, ‘ICE.’

“Jin-ah, you’ll take your usual part. You, take Hye-yeon’s part. You, Yoon-jung’s part. And you, Yumi’s.”

“Thank you!”

“Thank you!”

“Thank you!”

The trainees I pointed to looked determined and almost solemn. Their eyes burned with resolve, as if they would willingly commit seppuku if I asked them to. By the looks on their faces, I could tell they were running on fumes, barely holding back exhaustion. Yet, not a single one showed any sign of giving up.

Did they really believe everything I directed turned into success? Their trust felt a bit overwhelming.

Jin-ah must have sensed their determination, too. Her voice was eager.

“President Kang, can we start practicing right now?”

“Yeah. Jin-ah, you take the lead. Adjust the parts and choreography as needed. Once it’s roughly in place, I’ll fine-tune it.”

“Got it!”

Hell broke loose in the cramped, basement practice room. Jin-ah showed no mercy with her criticism. She knew better than anyone how sincere they were, which only made her feedback harsher.

“Why can’t you do this? When you step back, keep your knees and elbows loose. More!”

“Relax your fingers! You’re not just shaking your wrist. Your fingers should move, too. Not too much, just slightly.”

“I don’t think you’re handling Yumi’s part properly… President Kang, to make it more balanced, maybe we should give some of Yumi’s part to Hyun-hee? Oh, you say you can do it? Really? Then show me one more time.”

“You’re already tired? It’s only been four hours. Right? You can do more, can’t you?”

As practice grew more intense, Hyun-hee felt anger boiling inside her. Watching Jin-ah’s relentless pace brought back memories of herself. Jin-ah’s insane training intensity, sharp eye for detail, and unyielding standards were all achievable with more focus, discipline, and sheer effort.

It was beyond what any company would teach.

This wasn’t about talent. It was more about effort.

Even if President Kang was able to point them in the right direction based on their abilities, the finer details were a reflection of how strictly Jin-ah held herself to a higher standard.

Never satisfied. Always pushing.

Hyun-hee’s eyes narrowed with quiet resolve.

After what felt like a death march, they finally earned a short break. The trainees collapsed, gasping for breath, barely holding on.

I clapped once, sharp and loud, to draw their attention.

Clap!

“Alright. I think we can start fine-tuning now.”

The trainees shot to their feet as if they had never crumpled in the first place. If we were going to do this, we might as well do it right.

The first mission was structured so that one member from each team would be eliminated. There was no official ranking within teams, but the truth was obvious. The staff, the participants, and the viewers would know who came out on top. The battle within the teams had already begun.

‘Losing would be annoying, wouldn’t it?’

Compared to veteran idols like Golden Tree’s Min-seok or the members from Kid’s group, Jin-ah might still be a step behind.

That didn’t make losing acceptable. Losing individually might be inevitable at times, but winning as a team was the only way to feel at ease.

“Our goal is first place. If you think this is just a competition between the three of you, you’re dead wrong.

“You all heard what Jin-sil Kim said, right? One of you will be eliminated. But if we create a legendary performance that the viewers can’t forget, that’s what really matters. 

“Even if you survive to the end here, if no one remembers you, you might as well have failed as an idol. But if you leave a lasting impression, you can still succeed even if you get eliminated.

“Got it?”

The trainees shouted in unison.

The brief relief of their break vanished, and the practice room turned into a battlefield filled with sweat and grit once again.

***

The sharp sound of footsteps echoed through the production company, ‘Your Pictures.’

“Hic!”

“Khoff…!”

“W-what?”

“Hm…?”

Everyone reacted differently.

Just walking in was enough to fill the room with shock and disbelief.

“I told you we should’ve made an appointment first.”

“Manager Jang, it’s better to show up unannounced. That way, they’ll be even happier to see us. Ever heard of a surprise?”

Manager Jang turned to the receptionist.

“Is the CEO or Director Min-woo Sung upstairs?”

“I-I’ll call them right away.”

Still dazed, the receptionist hurriedly picked up the phone.

“Actress Sung-ah Kim is here to see you. Yes… she’s really standing in front of me.”

About ten seconds after the call ended, a loud crash echoed from upstairs. A middle-aged man appeared, wide-eyed.

“She’s really here.”

Another man followed behind him, wearing the exact same stunned expression.

“Hello, CEO, Director. Sorry for dropping by unannounced.”

“Not at all! You’re welcome anytime. Please, come inside!”

A subtle silence filled the CEO’s office as they entered. The pregnant silence brimmed with anticipation and excitement.

“What brings you here…?”

At the CEO’s cautious question, Sung-ah Kim smiled. It was a smile that was begging to be captured on film.

“It’s about Director Min-woo’s new script. It looks interesting.”

“…!”

“…!”

“Has the casting been finalized?”

“N-not at all! We haven’t even started yet!”

The CEO frantically waved his hands. Forget keeping up appearances. None of that mattered now.

Director Min-woo stared at Sung-ah Kim, as if trying to see right through her. She was the kind of actress top directors all coveted, a masterpiece in her own right. She was someone who could raise the overall quality of the work by fully embodying a character from the script.

Now, she was here, saying she loved his script. Was this a dream or reality?

Director Min-woo’s voice trembled as he spoke.

“You’re saying… you really like my script? So much that you came all the way here even though we never even reached out?”

“Of course. I liked it so much that I had to do this project. Also… I heard it’s going to be a success.”

Manager Jang remained silent. Even though he already knew whose name would come up next, he didn’t interrupt.

“From your company?”

“No. From President Hyuk Kang of K-Management. He’s managing the idol group Blue Sherbet now, but he used to be my manager.”

The CEO clapped his hands together and feigned understanding.

“I heard about that! One of Blue Sherbet’s members is actually participating in our choreography. Wow, I’m really glad we gave the script to President Kang! Who knew he’d recommend it to you! Hahaha!”

Sung-ah Kim’s smile remained graceful as she continued.

“President Kang has a great eye for talent. Remember all my past projects that became massive hits? He recommended every single one of them.”

“Of course!”

“He also mentioned that one of Blue Sherbet’s members has a knack for acting. So, as a thank you for recommending this film, I’ve agreed to train her for the role of ‘Hyun-ah’ in this movie.”

The CEO and director stiffened. Though, only for a second. The calculations were finished in a flash. 

With Sung-ah Kim herself in the picture, adding a supporting role was a no-brainer. Also, she would be worth considering if she was recommended by President Kang.

Even if he had exaggerated the idol’s acting talent, it didn’t matter. Sung-ah Kim alone was more than enough to tip the scales.

Even with average acting skills, having a popular idol group member was a win. There was a reason productions casted idols in movies and dramas. 

Professional actors weren’t always spectacular. 

Idols brought their fanbase along, boosting viewership and brightening the atmosphere on set. Plus, whether it was by company orders or not, idols tended to act extremely polite on set.

Not to mention, their fans could be mobilized as extras for cheap. When that happened, the extras also tended to be remarkably well-behaved.

The CEO beamed.

“Haha! I’m looking forward to it. I suppose we won’t be holding auditions for Hyun-ah’s role, after all. With CEO Kang’s insight and your guidance, I’m sure she’ll do great.”

Sung-ah Kim shook her head.

“No auditions? Just because I’m training her? I wouldn’t take away opportunities from other actors like that. I’m only teaching her. I just wanted to ask if you could push back the auditions a little. Now that I’m on board, I’m sure the audition process will move faster, right?”

Her voice was firm as she continued.

“Even if she doesn’t pass the audition, I’ll still be in this movie. I hope you don’t misunderstand that part.”

The CEO and director could only hope that she would turn out to be at least an average actor. In the end, they had no way of knowing how this would play out.

“It’s a deal!”

—

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