Chapter 10

010. There's a kid like this at our school.

In front of the club room, a corridor buzzed with the low murmur of many children's voices.

Half of them were from the class that Do-woong and Yun Jeong-ho belonged to,

and the rest were students from other classes who had come to see the commotion.

Inside and out, there were no fewer than fifty, or even sixty, people.

Hyung-sik, with a trembling heart, had secured a spot for himself.

He was peering inside through the corridor window.

The walls were entirely surrounded by sound-absorbing materials like sponges,

and various instruments such as a keyboard, drums, and guitars were set up.

And the band members were gathered in one corner.

‘Is this kid not even nervous?’

Do-woong was sitting in a chair set aside to the side, sipping on the bottle of water Hyung-sik had given him.

Yun Jeong-ho, too, was calmly enjoying the attention.

‘Do well, Nam Do-woong.’

The best thing Hyung-sik could do as a manager was to cheer.

He clasped his thick hands together, as if supporting his son entering the college entrance exam.

“Hey, hey, hey, has it started yet?”

A few latecomers ran up and squeezed in to where their friends were.

The club auditions at an ordinary high school.

To outsiders, it might seem like nothing much, but to these students, it was the biggest news.

A showdown for the vocalist position between aspiring singers and idols.

Not only was it a rare scene, but it could also be the biggest news of the semester.

A male student who had been observing inside for a while asked when he noticed something.

“But why is Ma Eun-yul in there?”

Indeed, Ma Eun-yul, who was not a band member, had taken a seat in one corner.

The seating for the applicants and band members was clearly separated, so she didn't appear to be a participant.

“Maybe they let her in.”

“Oh, so she's watching from the front row.”

“She often comes to the club room anyway.”

Someone who knew Eun-yul answered, and the male student voiced another curiosity.

“But I really don't know who will win.”

This was the reason everyone was here.

Thanks to that, the children, now intrigued, began to predict the winner.

“I'm voting for Nam Do-woong.”

“I'll vote for him too. Nam Do-woong's singing has a comfortable charm.”

“Yeah, the more I listen, the better it gets.”

Those who supported Do-woong were mostly students from his class.

Hyung-sik, listening quietly, nodded approvingly.

On the other hand, there were also those who predicted Yun Jeong-ho's victory.

“Have you heard Yun Jeong-ho sing? He's received professional training, so he's on a different level from ordinary people.”

“Yeah, it's a bit unfair to compare them.”

Yun Jeong-ho's close friends spoke sharply, as if the mere act of being compared hurt their pride.

As a result, the atmosphere became sharply divided between the Do-woong and Jeong-ho supporters, making it even more intense.

“Just because Yun Jeong-ho has had training, does that make him an idol? We're all just ordinary people.”

“Jeong-ho could debut right away if his uncle wanted him to, but he has goals, so he's working hard.”

“By the way, Nam Do-woong also passed an audition for a management company recently, but he didn't join to build his skills.”

Hyung-sik was surprised that the other kids knew such detailed information.

He continued to listen quietly.

“What kind of management company? Some ghost company?”

“Is Fantastar a ghost company to you? Then Ye-myeong must be a ghost singer, right?”

“Fantastar...?”

It was a well-known mid-sized management company, so the kids who heard this were abuzz.

The children gathered in groups and argued for a long time about who would win.

A hotter debate than any discussion hall.

But the result was something that had to be seen to be believed.

****

“Wow... there are so many people. Haha.”

“Yeah, what's going on?”

The area outside the Daicon club room had never been this crowded.

Such interest was rare unless it was a performance.

Being a band member meant they were already used to enjoying the attention of others.

So, the attention focused on them wasn't bad.

Daicon, the center of attention.

The leader, Jo Han-sung, was particularly aware of the outside gazes.

As the band's vocalist and leader, he was quite popular within the school.

Jo Han-sung believed his manly appearance contributed to his popularity.

“You two are quite the hot topics, aren't you?”

With the news of their participation, the other applicants had already backed off.

“I don't know how skilled you are, but I'm looking forward to it.”

He touched his eyebrows and sharply looked at the two applicants.

As the leader spoke, someone outside shouted.

“Hey, it's starting!”

The murmurs subsided, and the surroundings became quiet.

Jo Han-sung clapped his hands in the silence where everyone was focused.

“Who wants to go first?”

No introductions or explanations, just straightforward.

This was Jo Han-sung's style.

Yun Jeong-ho raised his hand and stepped forward first.

He wanted to quickly end this mismatched fight. From Yun Jeong-ho's perspective, the longer it dragged on, the more he would lose.

‘I’ll make him regret showing off in front of the classroom.’

Objectively, Do-woong's singing was worth listening to.

But the idea of dreaming of becoming a singer with just that level of skill seemed ridiculous to Yun Jeong-ho.

Although he was also preparing for auditions,

he knew the harsh reality of trainees better than most.

His uncle was the CEO of a small to medium-sized management company.

‘There are trainees who can sing like you everywhere. And you don't have outstanding looks either.’

In Yun Jeong-ho's view, with Do-woong's level of skill,

he would be buried among the numerous trainees and have no chance of debuting.

Of course, his own looks and skills had already been recognized by his uncle.

He had only failed the auditions of the top three management companies.

‘Only the top tier goes there. I just had bad luck.’

The song he chose was from a boy band group.

A song by a well-known management company's skilled young male group, which had gained considerable popularity.

A modern pop genre with a catchy chorus and a sophisticated rap part.

Yun Jeong-ho, enjoying the focused gazes of the children, finally began to sing.

-♩Look at me, look at me. Look straight at my face.

Yun Jeong-ho swayed his body and rhythmically entered the beat.

He quickly drew the audience into his pace with the fast-paced song.

‘...He's better than I thought.’

This was Do-woong's first impression of Yun Jeong-ho's singing.

Yun Jeong-ho had debuted as an idol in his senior year and had been seen on TV by chance.

It was a music program, but his part was so short that it was hard to gauge his skills.

However, his short but skilled techniques and the trembling in his voice at the end of each phrase were clearly the result of professional training.

-♩I've never stopped thinking about you for a moment.

The rap part in the middle.

Yun Jeong-ho showed a relaxed gesture while keeping the beat.

Thanks to this, a few girls watching from outside made murmuring sounds.

‘If we recruit him, we'll definitely gain popularity.’

Most of the band members had similar thoughts.

His looks, showmanship, and quite good skills.

He would fit perfectly on the festival stage.

When Yun Jeong-ho finished his song, the band members clapped as if they had been waiting for it.

The children outside also began to murmur.

“Wow... he sings well, and he raps well. Isn't Yun Jeong-ho too perfect?”

“He's so handsome.”

“See? I told you to listen first.”

“His training is really showing... This is bad for Nam Do-woong, isn't it?”

The song he chose, from a flower boy band, resonated with the audience.

It not only matched his image but also showcased his various strengths.

Yun Jeong-ho returned to his spot with a satisfied smile.

‘Phew, a bit nervous.’

The unexpectedly skilled Yun Jeong-ho.

Do-woong began to feel a bit nervous.

It was indeed difficult to face him with just basic vocal training.

He had to rely on the two-tone breathing technique he was newly training.

‘It's only about 30% complete, but... I have to do my best.’

Do-woong closed his eyes and focused.

He recalled a song by a female rocker who represented Korea.

A song with a neutral vocal that men often sang in karaoke to show off their high notes.

Although he was still in the early stages of training, it was a time for a bold move.

Do-woong let out a rough sound.

-♩Your short life, even if you live it lovingly, it's not enough.

The powerful two-tone voice pierced the ears of the audience, who were caught off guard.

“Wow, that's a really high-key song, isn't it?”

“But he's singing it so steadily?”

A song with a cool message about living life lovingly.

The clear high notes cut through the listeners' hearts.

Do-woong sang with the emotion of making a significant declaration to the audience.

The resonance he pulled up from his head and the breath support from his chest echoed through the space.

‘He's a natural. I didn't know there was a kid like this at our school.’

Yoo Ji-phil, who had come to observe the auditions, straightened his posture.

Although he still had an amateurish feel, he had long surpassed the level of a typical band audition.

Yoo Ji-phil wanted to suggest he start performing in an underground band right away.

At that moment, someone came to mind.

‘He reminds me of In-hyuk in the early days.’

He began to listen to Do-woong's song with his characteristic seriousness.

-♩Come on, come on, come on!

The highlight.

The three high notes climbed the octaves in a staircase pattern.

With a thick, powerful voice, Do-woong poured all his breath into it.

-♩Feel love!

And he squeezed out the remaining breath for the final high note.

Although it was a reckless attempt that still felt beyond his capabilities,

Do-woong finished the song with a sigh of relief.

‘My breath was lacking at the end, so it was a close call.’

“Wow...”

“Amazing...”

On the other hand, those listening to his song were mesmerized.

The continuous high notes left their ears ringing.

The space above, where even the sound of applause couldn't be heard, seemed to have stars floating up.

-♩Chalalalalang

**

As Do-woong came out of the room, many children rushed to him.

“Wow, Nam Do-woong!!”

“I didn't know you could sing such a song, always singing ballads!”

“You're a complete rocker!”

“It seems your skills have improved a lot recently?”

From their enthusiastic reactions, it was clear where the atmosphere was leaning.

Even those who had predicted Yun Jeong-ho's victory were starting to change their minds.

“Well, he did sing well.”

“Does he also receive separate training?”

-Click.

At that moment, Yun Jeong-ho came out of the club room late.

A few children surrounded him.

“You did well, Jeong-ho.”

“Yeah, what was the result?”

However, Yun Jeong-ho, looking unhappy, glared at the crowd gathered around Do-woong.

‘What a cheap kid. Did he just do it half-heartedly because the teacher told him to?’

Anger rose as he thought Do-woong had been hiding his true skills.

He had to admit that he had been complacent against Do-woong.

Yun Jeong-ho approached Do-woong with a stern expression.

“Hey, Nam Do-woong. You seemed to be in good condition today? If I had known you would give it your all, I would have tried harder too.”

“Of course, you should always try your best.”

“What for this kind of band audition? Besides, your opponent is just you?”

Yun Jeong-ho tried to maintain his last bit of pride.

But the more he tried, the smaller he felt.

“Hey, move.”

Yun Jeong-ho, still angry, pushed a male student's shoulder nervously and walked past.

“You're no good, no good.”

As Yun Jeong-ho walked away, someone there said.

“When will the results be announced?”

“In two days.”

“Pfft, what's there to see in the results? Of course, it will be you.”

That was a result Do-woong could predict.

But unexpected things always happen,

and Do-woong was soon faced with a choice.