Idol in a Gender-Reversed World

One week.

It has been 7 days since I officially started my trainee life.

After spending a week, I finally felt like I was starting to adjust to this lifestyle.

After a few days of awkwardly attending the debut team's lessons, the manager began taking me around, making various requests.

The first demand was exercise.

Although it was the first thing mentioned, there were many other things that came from it.

I had to manage my diet and also work out intensely for weight loss.

The second was a foreign language.

Honey Entertainment aims to create idols who can work globally.

As a result, foreign languages are highly valued. When choosing the debut team members, those who are proficient in a foreign language get extra points.

"Why are there so many things I need to improve?"

The foreign languages I could learn were Japanese, English, and Chinese.

Since English was the one I was most familiar with, I decided to learn that.

Before debut, I was also told I would undergo some minor procedures, but I decided to skip that.

They were planning to promote me as a natural beauty, and I was told that even small procedures could raise doubts.

Additionally, managing personal relationships came into play.

They started investigating whether I had any connections from my school days that might cause trouble after my debut.

It was a bit of an overreach in terms of privacy invasion, but I was told it was unavoidable for the sake of safety.

"The whole school bullying scandal caused a huge mess, didn't it? One group that Honey Entertainment worked so hard to build can't even continue its activities now. They're trying to ensure such things don't happen with the next idol group, so they're being really thorough from the start, making sure they have a perfect team."

Honey Entertainment's stance was clear: if you didn't like it, you could leave.

Trainees, who had no choice but to debut, could only reluctantly agree.

I, too, had no way of stopping this kind of investigation.

"I guess Pony has already taken care of that."

They must have ensured that my past wouldn't cause any problems, especially since I'd already been shaped as an idol.

Anyway, the company was clearly showing their determination to debut me.

The manager of the debut team continued to come to take me away, and rumors started circulating among the trainees that I was the most likely to debut.

"Anyway, the atmosphere is getting a bit tense lately."

Woo-yeon cautiously shared this with me.

"Seeing how the manager is looking out for you, I guess some people are getting jealous and feeling insecure. But even if they try to pressure you, that doesn't mean they'll be confirmed for the debut team. Anyway, hyung, be careful."

"They won't do anything just by trying to pressure me, will they?"

"You never know. We're on the edge right now. Some will make it, others will fall and be forgotten. Who knows what could happen? It might look peaceful on the surface, but even if they're smiling, it's not necessarily genuine."

Woo-yeon reminded me that my situation was a bit unique, and that there was a reason why I might be disliked by the others.

"So I'm just a stone that rolled into their midst, huh?"

Since we had all spent so much time together, we hadn't been able to hate each other, but with my sudden appearance, they finally had someone they could openly dislike.

What if I gave them a reason to hate me?

"After hearing you, I guess I really need to be careful."

"Yes. This group will only debut perfect trainees. Everyone knows that. Those who are desperate to debut will try to make trouble to create opportunities for themselves."

If I caused any conflict between the trainees, even if my debut was confirmed, it could still be canceled.

Besides, I wasn't joining based on my skills, but rather because of my visuals.

"Thanks. But I feel bad about always relying on you."

Woo-yeon smiled meaningfully.

"Actually, it's a secret, but I'll tell you. I heard something from the manager."

"Hear something?"

There was only one thing that could mean hearing something from the manager at a time like this.

"Could it be about debut?"

"Yes! He told me last Friday that I'm confirmed for the debut team."

"What?! That's crazy! Congratulations!"

So, he'd been hiding it all this time?

I playfully draped my arm around his neck and teased him.

We laughed and then got back to the conversation.

"Shh! Don't let anyone know before it's officially announced. The members aren't completely confirmed yet. They're still deciding between a few people. So don't let any rumors about confirmation spread."

I understood it was a sensitive matter.

I nodded and lowered my voice further.

"Is it just you and me confirmed?"

"I only heard about myself. I'm not important enough to know all the details. But you're the one who's so obvious that the manager has been taking you around, so it's pretty clear. They must be starting to narrow things down now."

It seemed like a significant number of trainees were already being considered for elimination, and they were doing final checks.

"They even give early hints to those who are definitely out. It might seem harsh, but some trainees actually see it as a form of consideration. Sometimes they connect them with other agencies or offer other work opportunities. If they want to leave, they'll let them go. Anyway, this is the most stressful period, and the competition is fierce."

Even though I kept Woo-yeon advice in mind, I was skeptical that something like that could really happen to me.

But surprisingly, the situation he warned me about did happen, and it happened just days after he'd said that.

It all started with a small incident.

••••••••••

"Ah, damn!"

When dancing, it's common to accidentally bump into someone nearby.

Since you never know who will bump into whom, we usually just brush it off.

If it had been a momentary slip of the tongue, it wouldn't have turned into an incident.

"Jae-hoon, are you okay?"

"Are you okay? Does your ankle hurt a lot?"

"Ugh, you've been a nuisance ever since earlier. Give me some of that spray."

"!!"

"…!!"

There was no way anyone could miss that those words were directly criticizing my lack of dancing skills.

Woo-yeon cautiously came over to grab my arm.

He must have been trying to stop me from making things worse, since reacting harshly wouldn't be good for me.

I smiled at Woo-yeon and then squatted down in front of Jae-hoon with the spray.

"Did you get hurt badly?"

"No need."

Thud!

When I tried to hand him the spray, he slapped my hand away. It seemed like he was determined to start a fight with me.

His eyes were filled with malice as he glared at me.

If I were a naive 20-year-old, I might have been upset at being rejected, but to me, he was just a teenager throwing a tantrum because of his "middle school syndrome."

"Oh, are you really angry? Does it hurt that much?"

I had spoken to Jae-hoon a few times before, so teasing him wasn't awkward.

"Do you think I'm joking?"

"Aw, you're so angry! It hurts, so you're mad? Don't worry, I'll make it better. It hurts, right? Let's spray some and it'll feel better."

Screech-!

"Damn! Get lost!"

Jae-hoon grabbed my wrist tightly, trying to make the atmosphere more menacing.

Then he glared at me and threatened.

"Do you want to die? Just because you one year older than me, do you think you can mess with me?"

A furious little kid.

At best, Jae-hoon was only 19 years old.

It was a sad situation, but Jae-hoon was one of those trainees who Woo-yeon had mentioned might have a hard time debuting.

It was tragic that he knew it himself.

"It's okay. It's okay. It's just a little red. We have the end-of-month evaluations coming up, so I guess Jae-hoon's extra sensitive. I made a mistake, I should've been more careful, right?"

"Damn…!"

The end-of-month evaluation was Jae-hoon's only chance to debut.

Even though I hadn't stepped on his foot hard, it was still a problem that would naturally make him more sensitive.

"It's all over if you get injured."

As an adult, I couldn't scold him for his childish behavior.

I carefully massaged Jae-hoon's ankle, soothing him despite his harsh words.

Eventually, he stopped cursing, and his face began to soften.

He must have realized that he had overreacted.

Seeing his friends watching him with concerned eyes must have made him even more embarrassed.

"It's true, this end-of-month evaluation is really important."

"I'm just glad you're not seriously hurt, Jae-hoon."

As things started to settle down, other trainees who had been watching stepped in.

Soon, practice resumed with Jae-hoon, who had recovered.

Since the incident didn't escalate, it was quickly brushed off like nothing had happened.

That is, unless it was caught clearly on the CCTV.

♣ ♣ ♣

"They're starting to lose their minds now."

"I feel bad for them, but it can't be helped. Debut isn't a joke."

"By the way, that friend, their personality is actually better than expected."

In the process of deciding the debut team, unbeknownst to the trainees, every move was being captured on camera and sent to the company's higher-ups as information. 

It costs tens of billions of won to nurture just one idol, so the company had to be extremely cautious. 

Launching a new idol group, even for a major agency, wasn't an easy task. 

In fact, the larger the agency, the more thorough and perfect the preparation had to be. 

As a result, the company didn't feel guilty at all about monitoring the trainees' every move.

"With a face like that, he must have dated a lot of women, right? Is there anything in his past we should know? He's so perfect that it actually makes me worried."

"He says there's nothing, but with a face like his, do you think women would leave him alone? He must've been snapped up long ago. You shouldn't create too perfect of an image for him. He definitely has a seductive aura."

"Yeah, he's only twenty but he definitely gives off the vibe of someone who's been with a lot of women."

"He looks like he could be an actor. Does he have any thoughts on acting?"

"He says he's not good at it."

Even for a major agency, it wasn't possible to turn every idol group into a star. 

No matter how much effort the company put into supporting them, if luck didn't favor them, or if they made a mistake, they could be quickly forgotten in the entertainment industry. 

If there was any way to get exposure, they had to use any means necessary.

"Anyway, let's skip the personality part. Since Woo-yeon is younger, I was worried if he'd be able to keep things together, but he'll probably work well with Hae-sol."

"He seems to have a good mentality too."

"He may seem smooth on the outside, but he's really tough inside. He's the only one who never shed a tear during my lessons."

With the addition of Trainer Rose's testimony, doubts about Hae-sol's mental resilience were completely dismissed.

"He's very cooperative when it comes to studying, and his English skills aren't bad. He's been focusing on conversation because his English grammar isn't perfect."

"But isn't his singing and dancing a bit lacking? No matter how handsome he is, I don't think he should be the first one put in the debut team. And in terms of visuals, Kang-jun isn't bad either."

"Kang-jun's too introverted. He doesn't know how to use his face properly."

"So, how is Hae-sol's skill level, trainers?"

"He has talent. He hadn't learned much, but once he started, his improvement was really fast. I was genuinely surprised. If he continues like this, there's no problem with his debut. I think he could even compete with Woo-yeon later on."

The unexpected words of dance trainer Hwang Seong-man shocked everyone in the meeting room.

"He could compete with Woo-yeon?"

"Not right now, but in the future. He needs at least a few more years of training. However, I don't think he'll hit a wall due to lack of talent. Just yesterday, he was like a squid flopping around, but in just a few days, his body posture improved dramatically. I was so surprised. I thought, 'Why was he wasting this talent?' I really regret it. As far as dance talent goes, he has nothing to be criticized for. Just give him enough time."

"Wow~ Then it would be perfect if they did a unit activity with Woo-yeon and Hae-sol later on! They're close, so if they ask to do a unit, I'm sure they'd love it."

"Wow, I can't believe this is happening! No wonder I had the feeling from the moment I saw him that we had to grab him. It felt like destiny. I was right! We picked him for his visuals, and now he dances well too. Hahaha! I knew Hae-sol would be a big hit. You all know I brought Hae-sol in, right?"

The sudden self-praise made everyone in the meeting room burst out laughing.