Idol in a Gender-Reversed World

"Is that the trainee recommended by Director Jo?"

The first question from the Honey Entertainment CEO, who had been silent until now, was related to Director Jo Yeon-ju.

"Yes, I recommended him."

"Director Jo has an incredible eye for talent. This one seems like another hit. We'll benefit from Director Jo's recommendation."

"Not at all."

"With that level of visuals, even if his skills are lacking, it's okay. Skills can be improved over time."

"CEO, his skills are also beyond expectations. This trainee has a talent for the arts. He's only been training for a little over two months, but he's keeping up without standing out in the group performances."

"Two months? Wow, hearing that makes it even more amazing. Isn't this kid a genius?"

Rising to a level where he doesn't feel out of place among trainees who have been working hard for years in just two months seems worthy of being called a genius.

"Now that I think about it, that's true."

"Seriously, where does Director Jo find these monsters? I really want to learn that eye for talent."

"Is that something you can learn just by wanting to? It's something you're born with."

As the teachers chatted excitedly.

♬♪♩♬♪♩

The music started.

In an instant, the space that had briefly felt like a neighborhood gathering returned to its cold, sharp business atmosphere.

'Still so handsome.'

Hae-sol dance showcased solid fundamentals, and his singing also revealed well-established basics.

"It seems the teachers have taught him well. His fundamentals are properly in place."

"Trainer Rose's skills are already so well-known that praising them further would be redundant."

"Hae-sol has been following along nicely."

"There's no need to be modest.Trainer Rose's skills are already well-recognized."

The outstanding talent, Trainee Rose, was an employee who earned her high salary. She always exceeded expectations, so the company took great care to ensure she wasn't poached by another agency.

As the music ended, the teachers began their evaluations in earnest.

"The stage clearly showed that you've mastered the basics over the past two months. However, as a debut member, you're aware that you're lacking in many areas compared to the other trainees, right?" 

"Yes."

"Still, I appreciate that you didn't try to show off. That must have been difficult."

"Thank you."

His posture was also excellent, making him very pleasant to look at. While some people might come off as vulgar, Jin Hae-sol exuded elegance in his everyday actions. Director Jo Yeon-ju thought that the strange aura radiating from this child might have caused them to do something they would normally never have done.

It had been so long since they had felt such emotions.

'He makes me feel possessive….'

A beauty that could bring down a nation. Indeed, he was so handsome that he could be called a national treasure. And Jo Yeon-ju wasn't the only one who thought so. The CEO of Honey Entertainment was also gazing at Jin Hae-sol with sparkling eyes.

"He has a unique presence."

"Right?"

"Yes. How is his acting?"

"He says he's not good at acting. Of course, that's compared to his dancing and singing."

"Take good care of him. He's going to be a big star."

"Yes."

After the final performances, the teachers and Director Jo finalized the debut team members. The five members who had already been decided were outstanding and received unanimous approval. The task now was to decide whether to add a few more trainees.

"Honestly, it felt like there wasn't even a need for the end-of-month evaluation. The five of them were so outstanding." "

"Yes, the other kids aren't bad either, but those five really stood out, so the others kind of got overshadowed."

"These days, most groups have at least eight members, so five seems too few."

"Should we add three more members?"

"The problem is that those three might end up being just background players."

"Even though they didn't stand out today, many of them have their own unique charms. Let's give them one last look."

They needed to be cold and rational, but as teachers who had been training these trainees, they wanted as many of them as possible to have a chance to debut.

"I want to add someone with a different image, not overlapping concepts…."

"Woo-yeon is the cute one, Hae-sol is the elegant noble boy, Jackie is the charismatic leader, Gyeong-tae is the all-around talent, and Kang jun is the vocal genius."

"Listing them like this, it feels like we're missing some softness."

"A soft, almost school senior vibe? Like an art school oppa? Is there a trainee like that?"

The discussion continued, with trainees being added and removed from the list. The staff in charge of debuting new male idols huddled together for a meeting that lasted almost an hour.

"Let's decide on this. Any objections?"

"No, none."

"The meeting took longer than expected. This is all thanks to the teachers who have polished these rough diamonds so well."

"Thank you all for your hard work today."

Although the teachers had been harsh in their criticisms, they were secretly impressed by how much the trainees had improved. Seeing the trainees pour their hearts and souls into their performances was truly admirable.

"These days, it's hard to find such passion in young men, but these trainees are full of enthusiasm. Even if they don't make it this time, I hope the teachers will encourage them."

The launch of a new group is often when many trainees terminate their contracts and leave. Although the company tries to recommend them to other agencies, losing so many trainees at once is a significant loss. From the company's perspective, it's best to keep the trainees and let them mature.

"Oh, and Manager, you can tell the kids about that now."

"The reality show?"

"Yes."

Honey Entertainment has traditionally produced a reality show for their debuting idols. This time would be no different. Once the members are finalized, cameras will follow their every move, documenting their journey for fans to see.

---

"The final additional member is one person."

A murmur spread through the room. Only one more member? That's too few! We thought there would be three more. Please, please, please…!!

The trainees, who had been anxiously awaiting the results of the month-end evaluation, were shocked when the manager announced the news. The trainees' faces paled as they realized the harsh reality.

"Nam Eungyu. You are the final debut member. Congratulations."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

With the announcement of the single additional member, the faces of the ten debut team trainees were filled with disappointment. Most of them couldn't hold back their tears. In the midst of this desolate atmosphere, the manager delivered a cold dose of reality.

"Even if you didn't make it this time, don't give up. Keep working hard, and good things will happen. Don't be too disappointed. Giving up is easy, but it will only lead to more disappointment. Also, the debut team will be disbanded for now and you'll all be merged into the A-Class group, so keep that in mind."

This meant starting over from scratch. For the trainees who had worked their way up from the C-class to the B-class, then to the A-class, and finally to the debut team, this news was devastating.

Leaving the crying trainees behind, the manager gathered the debut members and moved to the conference room. The company staff and trainers were all waiting for them.

"Seeing you all together like this is already heartwarming."

"We haven't even started yet."

"I can already picture it."

"Team Leader Hong, you must have been born with an artistic sense. It's amazing that you can see a picture just by looking at their faces. You should have gone into art. What a waste. The art world lost a genius."

"Haha, you have no sense at all. How can you not feel anything looking at these kids? You won't survive in this industry without a keen eye."

The atmosphere was friendly yet chilly.

'They're fighting.'

Office politics were all too familiar, but the members who weren't used to this seemed tense.

'They're so young.'

Wow, working with kids like this for idol activities. It's starting to sink in. I'm really going to be an idol.

'I can't believe a drunken remark led to this. The saying that all troubles start with the mouth fits this situation perfectly.'

The staff arranged the members like art decorations, moving them around to check the overall vibe. Idol groups often take group photos, so the positions had to be carefully planned.

"I think this order looks the best."

After much rearranging, the final lineup was decided: Nam Eungyu, Gi Woo-yeon, Jin Hae-sol, Jackie, Kang Gyeong-tae, and Kang Jun. 

Kang Jun, despite his good looks, was too short to stand in the center, so he was placed on the edge. Jackie, as the leader, stood next to me. The new member, Nam Eungyu, accepted his position without complaint, and Woo-yeon and Gyeong-tae also seemed satisfied.

"From now on, remember this order when you stand in front of the camera. You have to stand like this."

"Yes!"

"We need to decide on a group name. Do you have any suggestions?"

"No."

"You have two days to come up with a few ideas. We can't accept all your suggestions, but we'll consider them."

Although the group name was important, it seemed that the company would only 'consider' their opinions. It was a bit disappointing, but they understood the reality of the idol industry.

'We won't even get to choose the songs we sing; the company will decide that for us.'

This was the cold reality of being an idol group member. They didn't have the right to make decisions yet.

"Oh, and starting next week, you'll be followed by reality show cameras. You expected this, right? The entire debut process will be filmed to show the fans, so you need to do well."

Reality show? Cameras following us? I vaguely remember hearing about this, but I don't know the details. The other members seemed to know about it already and weren't surprised. I clenched my fist, feeling a sense of unease at the word 'reality.'