The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut Chapter 40

After finishing my conversation with Yoo Sung and returning to my seat, I took a quick look around.

 

There were more dissolved guilds than I expected. 

 

I hadn’t realized it because I was too preoccupied with our own guild, but it seemed many had struggled while going through the Guild Match.

 

“Have you all finished speaking with your guild members?”

 

The trainees laughed awkwardly at the MC’s question.

 

“Since you’ve finished all your business, we will reveal the third main quest right now!”

 

The large screen behind the MC changed.

 

[The third main quest has arrived.] 

 

[Main Quest: Request Resolution]

 

Request Resolution?

 

It wasn’t a term as unfamiliar as “Guild Match,” but I couldn’t tell what kind of request we were supposed to solve. 

 

As the trainees tilted their heads, the MC began the explanation in a high-pitched tone.

 

“Since this main quest is not a ‘Guild’ Match, you are free to consult with your guild members and decide whether or not to be on the same team!”

 

In principle, other teammates besides guild members are decided 100% at random. 

 

However, a principle is just a principle. 

 

Only Jang Hyuksoo knows whether his influence went into the team compositions or not.

 

“Setting aside the complicated explanations… shall we meet the clients right away?”

 

The MC gave a wide grin, curling the corners of his mouth. 

 

It was an ordinary smile, but I knew the true meaning hidden behind it. The screen on the platform changed again. A man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties appeared on the screen.

 

[“Hello, trainees of EX-Class K-POP Idol.”]

 

Calm black hair and a clean white short-sleeved T-shirt. 

 

It was a neat outfit, but his ears were full of piercing marks.

 

“Who is he?” 

 

“Is he a composer? Or a lyricist?”

 

Naturally, no trainee recognized the man. No, wait—just one. Out of the ninety-nine trainees besides me, exactly one person knew the man.

 

“Hanul Hyung…?”

 

Seo Yijae, looking deeply shocked, muttered softly while his hands trembled. 

 

The man with the somewhat melancholy impression began his self-introduction.

 

[“I am Hanul, the main dancer of Winter Boys.”]

 

Winter Boys!

 

Belatedly grasping the situation, the trainees glanced toward Seo Yijae.

 

[“I’ve stood before the camera for the first time in a long while because I have a request for the trainees of EX-Class K-POP Idol.”]

 

Confusion spread among the trainees. 

 

They couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of request he intended to make. 

 

Amidst the confusion, Seo Yijae stared intently at the man on the screen with wide eyes, as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

[“My request is… a remake of our debut song, ‘Winter Boys’ by Winter Boys.”]

 

*    *    *

 

The third main quest, Request Resolution, involved remaking songs from idol groups that were active between the second and third generations. 

 

To be precise, they weren’t just any idol songs, but songs from failed idol groups, though no one uttered the word “failed idols” out loud.

 

A total of eight failed groups, including Winter Boys, requested remakes from EX-Class K-POP Idol. The trainees would be divided into eight teams to carry out the requests.

 

“Shall we start by introducing ourselves first?” 

 

I looked over my teammates for the third main quest, who had been decided at random. 

 

Yoo Sung, Han Theo, Kang Haesoo, and even Seo Yijae. 

 

Naturally, the song we would be remaking was “Winter Boys” by Winter Boys.

 

‘See, I told you it wasn’t random.’

 

If it were truly random, how could Seo Yijae be assigned to the Winter Boys team against a 1-in-8 probability? 

 

And it wasn’t just Seo Yijae; the situation was similar for other trainees from failed idol groups.

 

Members of their original groups had requested the remakes, and the trainees who used to be members were assigned to those teams.

 

‘That’s one thing. But I don’t know what Jang Hyuksoo was thinking, throwing three of the top-ranking trainees together like this.’

 

1st place Han Theo, 2nd place Yoo Sung, and 4th place me. 

 

It wasn’t as if Seo Yijae and Kang Haesoo were ranked low, either. 

 

I could already hear people around us whispering about us being an “Avengers team” or something.

 

‘An Avengers team? They only say that because they know nothing about survival audition programs. Having all the high-ranking trainees clustered together is never a good thing.’

 

In survival audition programs, what matters isn’t skill, but the narrative. 

 

The fact that I, who was at the very bottom in terms of skill, could reach 4th place was all thanks to my character and narrative. 

 

For an appealing narrative, trials and tribulations are necessary. 

 

There are two types of trials and tribulations frequently used to create appealing narratives in survival audition programs.

 

The first is a song that is too difficult for one’s skill level, and the second is….

 

‘Discord between team members.’

 

Ugh.

 

Realizing what Jang Hyuksoo was thinking, I barely swallowed a groan. Me, Yoo Sung, Han Theo….

 

‘Did he pack the three trainees with the most buzz into one team?’

 

Of course, becoming teammates with Yoo Sung was a decision made by me and Yoo Sung, but regardless. 

 

My head began to throb for a moment, and I rubbed my temples inconspicuously.

 

“Shall I go first? Hello, I’m Kang Haesoo. I’m nineteen.” 

 

Starting with Kang Haesoo, I, Yoo Sung, and Han Theo finished our self-introductions.

 

“Seo Yijae, I’m twenty-three.”

 

“Then am I the youngest? Yijae Hyungnim is the oldest.”

 

Kang Haesoo was nineteen, while me, Han Theo, and Yoo Sung were twenty, so the age gap was wider than expected. 

 

“Shall we listen to the song first?” 

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Since no one seemed to want to open their mouth, I made the suggestion first. 

 

Fortunately, Kang Haesoo responded. 

 

I played the stage video of Winter Boys’ “Winter Boys” on the tablet provided to each team.

 

‘The concept of Winter Boys is winter, as you can tell from the group name and the song title.’

 

Sure enough, it was snowing from the start of the video. It looked as if they had just bought and sprayed cheap artificial snow from a mart, though.

 

[“A night when white snow falls.”]

 

The members were frozen at the center of the stage. As the song began, they started moving one by one. Like icicles melting under a hot sun.

 

[“I am standing in the cold wind. On this frozen street. I am waiting for you, baby.”]

 

The members expressed the falling snow with delicate hand movements. However, perhaps they were very nervous, as their movements were slightly out of sync, making the choreography look disorganized.

 

[“We are the winter boys, we are hot in this cold season.”]

 

A synth sound, which isn’t used much these days, filled the stage. A weightless bass line made the overall mood of the song feel light.

 

[“We are the winter boys, we will melt your frozen heart.”]

 

The song began in earnest, and the center of Winter Boys came forward. But the center, being overly conscious of the camera, had a stiff, frozen expression.

 

[“Dancing in the snow, snow, snow, just you and me.”]

 

The transition from the bridge to the chorus wasn’t smooth, giving the feeling that the flow of the song was abruptly cut off.

 

[“We are the winter boys, this winter is ours.”]

 

We didn’t say a single word while watching the performance. When the song, which lasted a little over three minutes, ended, a heavy silence descended. The first person to open their mouth was Seo Yijae.

 

“You can tell why it failed, right?” 

 

“….”

 

 “First off, the synth sound is too tacky, and the bass line is weak, so it lacks weight.” 

 

“….” 

 

“The part transitioning from the bridge rap to the main melody is also awkward. The lyrics are full of clichés, and the storytelling is trite and childish. And also….” 

 

“Yijae Hyung.”

 

I cut Seo Yijae off before he could run wild any further. 

 

Belatedly coming to his senses, Seo Yijae took a few deep breaths and hung his head low.

 

“…Sorry.” 

 

“No, it’s not something you should be sorry for, Hyung.” 

 

“No, it’s not that. I’m… sorry.” 

 

Hmm.

 

I spoke nonchalantly toward the dejected Seo Yijae.

 

“Winter Boys didn’t fail.” 

 

“What?”

 

 “It was a debut song, and it entered the Top 100. Then it didn’t fail.” 

 

“Ah….”

 

The group Winter Boys failed, but the song “Winter Boys” did not. I wasn’t saying this out of personal bias. It was an objective fact.

 

“I think the concept itself wasn’t bad. There are singers who live off a single Christmas carol for their whole lives. The debut song was decent too. It captured the winter sentiment well, and the melody is addictive.”

 

As I poured out my objective analysis, Seo Yijae fell into a stunned silence.

 

“Well, it’s not like there weren’t any disappointing parts, but honestly, it was surprising that a small agency pulled off a song of this quality.”

 

The problem was that they botched it from the next song onward, though.

 

‘Come to think of it, who is the composer?’

 

Suddenly curious, I manipulated the tablet to check the song information.

 

‘Huh?’

 

Checking the song info, I doubted my eyes for a second.

 

“How about we think about the direction of the arrangement first?”

 

Kang Haesoo raised his hand cautiously and suggested. 

 

He seemed to have realized that I and himself were the only ones who could properly lead the team right now.

 

“Is there anyone among the hyungnims who can arrange?”

 

“I can’t.”

 

 “Me neither.”

 

Yoo Sung and Han Theo shook their heads in turn. 

 

There aren’t as many idols as one might think who are capable of composing and arranging at a professional level. 

 

It’s bound to be even rarer among trainees than debuted idols.

 

“Can the other two Hyungnims arrange?” 

 

“No, I can’t eith—” 

 

“Yijae Hyung.”

 

I quickly cut Seo Yijae off. 

 

Why hadn’t I known this until now? 

 

How ridiculous must I have looked every time I prattled on about being a fan of Winter Boys?

 

“You can do it, Hyung.” 

 

“Uh…?” 

 

“The rearrangement, I mean.” 

 

Seo Yijae kept his mouth shut. 

 

It was a silent affirmation. 

 

I let out a hollow laugh and showed the tablet to the three teammates.

 

[Winter Boys Lyrics: Hwang Minwoo (Winter Boys) 

Composition: Seo Yijae (Winter Boys), Hwang Minwoo (Winter Boys), JiU 

Arrangement: Hwang Minwoo (Winter Boys), JiU]

 

Composition: Seo Yijae.

 

I asked firmly toward Seo Yijae, who had been avoiding my gaze for a while.

 

“You can arrange it, right?”