The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut Chapter 4

“We will start by evaluating the vocal stat.”

 

The vocal trainer holding the microphone continued with a serious expression.

 

“Trainee Kim Chowol’s vocal stat is C-.”

 

As soon as the vocal trainer finished speaking, the vocal stat appeared on the screen.

 

[Name: Kim Chowol

Age: 20]

 

[Basic Stats

 

Vocal: C-

 

Dance: ―

 

Appearance: ―

 

Charm: ―]

 

I received a stat one tier higher than the D+ vocal stat I could see on my stat window.

 

“We will evaluate the dance stat. Trainee Kim Chowol’s dance stat is D.”

 

Like my vocal stat, I received a dance stat one tier higher.

 

‘C- and D. If they ranked me based purely on these two stats… I’d probably be around 65th place?’

 

The judges, having finished evaluating the vocal and dance stats, put their heads together and began discussing.

 

This was because appearance and charm were the most tricky items for even the judges to evaluate. 

 

‘There’s no standard, no standard.’

 

In the case of appearance, unless someone is incredibly handsome, personal preference is bound to play a part.

 

It’s safe to say there is almost no difference between B and D.

 

There were many cases where it would jump or drop by three tiers depending on that day’s hair, makeup, styling, and stage quality.

 

“We will evaluate the appearance stat. Trainee Kim Chowol’s appearance stat is A.”

 

Two tiers higher than the B+ on my stat window?

 

I thought it would be around A- at best. 

 

Even though I had undergone stat evaluations dozens of times, the A- I received in the immediate past iteration had been the highest appearance stat. 

 

‘I performed really well back then.’

 

Because I had shown a perfect performance with my originally prepared song.

 

Compared to the previous regression, my vocal and dance stats had dropped by about ten tiers, but I received a higher appearance stat.

 

Something was strange.

 

As I mentioned before, the appearance stat is heavily influenced by the stage quality, in other words, the other stats.

 

Unless someone is outrageously handsome or ugly, the appearance stat was high if the other stats were high, and low if they were low.

 

“Lastly, we will evaluate the charm stat. Trainee Kim Chowol’s charm stat is…”

 

This time, Kim Junwoo took the microphone.

 

Kim Junwoo was the youngest among the judges, but he accurately evaluated the trainees’ skills and talents with sharp insight.

 

Kim Junwoo, who was staring intently at me, suddenly flashed a bright smile.

 

I froze up slightly at the smile attack of a professional idol who had debuted fifteen years ago. 

 

“A+.”

 

What?

 

For a moment, I doubted my ears.

 

My charm stat after using the item was B, but I received an A+ grade, which was four tiers higher. 

 

“We will announce Trainee Kim Chowol’s ranking. Trainee Kim Cho-wol’s ranking is… 19th place.”

 

“Thank you…!”

 

I bowed with a face full of deep emotion and walked up to find my seat.

 

On the stat evaluation stage of the first iteration, I had received 72nd place. 

 

The only things that changed from back then were the charm stat and the song selection, yet I rose by nearly fifty places.

 

‘No matter how difficult it is to evaluate the charm stat… does this even make sense?’ 

 

Because the evaluation criteria for the charm stat are vague, the judges’ subjectivity is reflected much more strongly than with the other stats.

 

I retraced Kim Junwoo’s evaluation.

 

Kim Junwoo said after seeing my performance that while my singing and dancing were lacking, it was a highly charming stage.

 

‘Could it be because I was too bad at dancing and singing…?’ 

 

When you’re bad at too many things, the one thing you’re good at tends to stand out distinctly.

 

Whatever the reason, the important thing was the fact that I placed 19th on the stat evaluation stage.

 

Taking my seat, I recalled the trainees who would come out after me one by one.

 

There was only one trainee who would receive a higher ranking than 19th.

 

‘Barring any unexpected twists, my final rank will be 20th.’

 

I decided to relax and enjoy the performances of the trainees who would follow.

 

“Now, next trainee, please come out!”

 

The MC called the next trainee in a high-pitched voice.

 

An agency name popped up on the giant screen opposite the judges’ table.

 

[LMH Entertainment]

 

The judges and trainees began to murmur.

 

“LMH? LMH is coming out?”

 

“Why would trainees from one of the Big 3 agencies… aren’t there plenty of places that would want them besides here?”

 

“I heard a lot of trainees left the company after the debut lineup was finalized recently… I guess it’s them.”

 

Five trainees stepped onto the stage.

 

Trainees from a Big 3 agency were different, starting from their hair, makeup, and styling.

 

Perfectly styled hair, heavy makeup, and stage outfits that fit their bodies perfectly.

 

They looked more like a rookie boy group than trainees.

 

I swept my gaze over the faces of the five trainees.

 

They were all familiar faces.

 

“Wow, everyone is so handsome. Can we expect a lot from your skills too?”

 

The dance trainer said with sparkling eyes.

 

The five nervous trainees stiffened and answered, “Yes!”

 

I closely watched one trainee who stood out exceptionally among the five.

 

Long, slender limbs, a face the size of a fist, and distinctly formed, compact features.

 

‘Yoo Sung.’

 

Among the five—no, among all 100 trainees gathered here, his face and physique were so unrivaled he could be counted in the top three.

 

Yoo Sung, who had been looking down with a serious expression, suddenly raised his head and looked my way.

 

Meeting his slightly blue-tinted eyes, I thought to myself.

 

Having gone through dozens of regressions, I had become able to define him in a single sentence. 

 

‘A troublesome fellow.’ 

 

I smirked at Yoo Sung.

 

*    *    *

 

“Sung hyung. Do you want some water?”

 

“Forget it.”

 

Yoo Sung flatly rejected the offer of the youngest trainee, who kept hovering around him.

 

Another trainee grabbed the youngest and pulled him away.

 

“If he’s thirsty, he’ll take care of it and drink on his own. Mind your own business and come here.” 

 

“But…”

 

“Do you have no pride? He skipped practice saying he felt like shit looking at our faces, what’s there to like…”

 

The youngest trainee looked at Yoo Sung with eyes dripping with lingering attachment, but Yoo Sung turned away, pretending not to notice.

 

‘I can hear everything. You b*stard.’

 

Hoo.

 

Yoo Sung let out a deep breath and suppressed his irritation.

 

‘Why do I have to be in a place like this with these losers.’

 

Yoo Sung retraced his thoroughly twisted life.

 

When he was sixteen, Yoo Sung beat the odds of 500:1 and passed the audition for LMH, known as one of the Big 3 agencies.

 

Yoo Sung, who wanted to become an idol, practiced harder than anyone else and became an ace trainee who ranked 1st in monthly evaluations as naturally as breathing.

 

Yoo Sung’s skills were outstanding, and his visuals were overwhelming. 

 

Yoo Sung naturally thought that he would debut under LMH.

 

‘F*ck.’

 

The curses he had worked hard to quit kept trying to slip out of his mouth.

 

“Hey, we have to go up now.”

 

A trainee gestured with his finger toward Yoo S ung, who was standing apart.

 

‘It’s not like you’re calling a damn dog.’

 

Yoo Sung pushed down his irritation and started walking.

 

The trainee, who had been glaring at Yoo Sung, brought his face right next to Yoo Sung’s ear and whispered quietly.

 

“If you get in our way, I’ll kill you.” 

 

Hah.

 

Yoo Sung swallowed a scoff that almost slipped out without him realizing.

 

Who’s getting in whose way?

 

The youngest trainee, who had been fidgeting anxiously nearby, approached Yoo Sung and whispered.

 

“Sung Hyung. Don’t be too angry. I’m just happy I get to stand on stage with you.”

 

“Hey, you…”

 

Yoo Sung closed his mouth, trying to continue out of frustration.

 

‘Spineless punk. You know exactly what kind of b*stards they are, so why are you groveling like that? It’s not like you lack skills either.’

 

Haa.

 

Letting out a small sigh, Yoo Sung snapped his head around.

 

“Forget it. Just get ready.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Yoo Sung and the trainees stepped onto the stage.

 

He could see everyone murmuring in surprise.

 

It was an expected reaction.

 

Because most of the trainees here were from small or medium-sized agencies.

 

But no matter how fascinated and amazed they were, from the moment they stood on stage, everyone was a competitor.

 

The trainees sitting opposite them scanned the LMH trainees as if probing them.

 

Yoo Sung stood at the back and lowered his eyes to avoid attention.

 

Just then, he felt someone watching him intently.

 

‘What is it?’

 

Jerking his head up, Yoo Sung found dark eyes looking at him.

 

He barely paid attention to the other trainees’ performances, so he didn’t remember them, but he definitely remembered that guy’s stage.

 

‘That’s the guy who performed Look at me now.’

 

A guy whose dancing and singing were a complete mess, despite having been a trainee for five years.

 

Yoo Sung couldn’t understand how that guy managed to place 19th.

 

‘What are you looking at?’

 

He glared back with that sentiment.

 

But the guy just smiled brightly at him.

 

Yoo Sung averted his gaze and decided to focus on the stage.

 

The song Yoo Sung and the trainees had prepared was Titan’s Burn up.

 

Titan, the 3rd-generation boy group representing LMH.

 

Burn up was Titan’s second title track, and at the time of its release, it only gained popularity within the fandom due to its difficult concept and overwhelming sound.

 

Burn up, which everyone thought would remain only in fans’ memories, succeeded in climbing back up the charts at the year-end performances that year, thanks to Titan’s god-like performance and a clean, sophisticated arrangement.

 

“Ooh, Burn up.”

 

“LMH is bold right from the song choice.”

 

At the judges’ words, Yoo Sung let out a scoffing laugh without realizing it.

 

‘Not a bold song choice, but a stupid one.’

 

When they suggested doing Burn up so they wouldn’t be looked down upon, despite lacking the skills, Yoo Sung dropped all his expectations.

 

Instead of trying to sync up with the other trainees, Yoo Sung focused on raising the perfection of his own parts.

 

They did check their formations after individual practice was over, but…

 

‘Forget it. It’s an individual evaluation anyway, not a team one.’

 

Yoo Sng shook his head, recalling the trainees’ abysmal skills.

 

I just need to do well, only me.

 

A subtle synth sound flowed through the speakers.

 

“Burn it all down.”

 

The trainee taking the intro stood in the center.

 

For the intro, natural facial expressions and powerful vocals are crucial, but the trainee’s facial expressions were awkward, and his vocals lacked power.

 

An intense EDM beat layered over the subtle synth sound.

 

The mood of the song began to steadily heighten.

 

“Burn this and that, burn it all. Burn Burn Burn.”

 

When the youngest trainee, who was phenomenally good at rapping, took the center, the look in the judges’ eyes changed.

 

He had the skills to take the main rap, but he ended up taking the sub-rap because of the other trainees keeping him in check.

 

“Don’t have the courage to burn it all? Stop saying funny things.”

 

The pre-chorus right before the chorus.

 

It was Yoo Sung’s part.

 

Yoo Sung stepped into the center, following the formation.

 

The intense sound softened, allowing Yoo Sung’s vocals to stand out.

 

The judges’ expressions brightened as they watched the youngest trainee’s and Yoo Sung’s parts.

 

Now it was time for Yoo Sung to step back and another trainee to take the center.

 

Remembering the formation in his head, Yoo Sung moved his feet.

 

“…!”

 

Startled, Yoo Sung pulled back the foot he had moved.

 

Because a trainee was standing right there, in a spot where absolutely no one was supposed to be.

 

The trainee, who noticed Yoo-sung, looked like he realized his mistake and tried to return to his spot, but it was already too late.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Yoo Sung’s and the trainee’s feet tangled, and the two of them tumbled onto the floor just like that.