"Hello......."
Her voice was trembling, so she must have been nervous.
"Good to have you. You practice very hard."
"S-sorry?"
"You're a trainee, aren't you?"
"Th-that's right...!"
"How many years?"
"Five."
Five years.
It meant she had spent a full five years as nothing but a trainee.
If you can't quite grasp how hard that is, think of it as spending five whole years as an intern in order to become a permanent employee.
Without earning a single coin.
"The debut lineup is announced in a week, isn't it?"
"Yes!"
"Is that what's troubling you?"
"......."
After a brief silence, her small voice came through.
"Will I make the debut lineup and become a famous celebrity?"
"One moment."
When I closed my eyes and looked into the future, I saw two futures.
In the first future she was standing at the debut lineup announcement.
"Lee Arin."
"Y-yes!"
"Congratulations."
"Thank you... thank you so much...!"
I saw her, having made the debut lineup, rejoicing in excitement with the other trainees, but that happiness didn't last long.
Because not long afterward she took the debut stage with the other members, but her group unfortunately failed to make any impact.
To make matters worse, their music sales were poor as well, and in the end the group disbanded before even a year had passed.
She had worked herself to death for five years, but the time it took for it all to turn to nothing was very short, and she had no choice but to come back to the practice room.
In such a broken state that nothing of her current self remained.
'So if she debuts this time, she'll fail.'
But what can be done.
The entertainment industry is simply like that.
Every year dozens of new idol groups debut in a blaze of glory, but only a tiny handful make their names known to the public and survive.
And her group unfortunately belonged to the latter.
Next the second future came into view, and at the debut lineup announcement her name was called just the same.
"Lee Arin."
"Y-yes!"
"Congratulations."
But she shook her head and refused the offer.
"I'm sorry. I won't be debuting this time."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw the concept of the group debuting this time, and it doesn't suit my colors."
"...Understood."
As a result.
Having refused to terminate her contract, she was shunned within the company and had a hard time of it, but she never gave up her dream and practiced alone in the practice room, crying.
So that she could debut someday.
But the misfortune didn't end there.
"Go find the colors you want outside. Don't look for them at our company."
The company unilaterally notified her that her contract was terminated, and overnight she was thrown out onto the street.
'What have I done.......'
Just as she was wandering the streets, blaming herself.
Someone spoke to her.
"You're exactly the style we're looking for. Would you be interested in taking part in an audition?"
A chance encounter.
But that chance was the opportunity that would let her achieve the dream she had wanted so badly.
Isn't there a saying like this?
That an opportunity always comes eventually to the person who is prepared.
That opportunity was right now.
She passed the audition, signed with another company, and debuted as a solo artist.
The moment she debuted as a solo artist, as if being rewarded for all her efforts up to then, she stirred up every kind of buzz, and every song she released took first place.
As a result.
When she stood on stage the seats were packed, and she was singing with a happier expression than ever before.
The brightest I had seen her in any of the scenes so far.
'So this is it.'
I opened my eyes and spoke.
"IWantToDebutToo."
"Yes."
"There are two futures. Between being happy right now but unhappy in the future, and being unhappy right now but happy in the future, which would you choose?"
"......."
After a moment of silence, she chose the latter.
"Even if it's hard right now, I want to be happy in the future."
"Even if it means refusing the offer to join this debut lineup?"
"S-sorry?"
"Would you still choose the latter?"
She was silent as if thinking it over, then answered firmly, as though she had made up her mind.
"Yes."
"Do you know the debut lineup's concept?"
"No. They haven't told us anything yet, so I don't know."
"You'll find out soon. And you'll agonize over it. Over whether to debut anyway even though it doesn't suit your colors, or to refuse."
"What do you......."
"Refuse. Because it doesn't suit you."
At my telling her to refuse even if she made the debut lineup, she was stunned for a moment, but she collected herself and asked.
"Then is there another way?"
"Not right now. And the company will unilaterally terminate your contract too. But don't worry too much. Because another company will offer you an audition."
"Really...?"
"Yes. If you pass it, you can debut as a solo artist."
"......."
The only thing I could say to her, silent as she was, was probably this.
"The process of a pupa shedding its shell is painful, but only by enduring that process can it become a butterfly."
"That's......."
"You spent five years as a trainee. After enduring a long pupa stage as a trainee, you'll finally gain the right to fly like a butterfly across the wide sky that is the stage."
―This kid is definitely a humanities major, huh?
―That's why he's poor
―Hey now! It is not true that humanities majors are poor!
―But Jinwoo is poor, right?
―How cowardly to fight with facts, fight fair and square with propaganda and fabrication!
"You didn't waste a single moment of those five years, so you've already finished preparing to emerge. Now it's time for you to step up onto the stage."
"Then......."
"Yes. You'll soon find out what concept you'll be debuting with. When you do, check just one thing. Whether it suits your colors."
"Yes......."
At my blunt words she let her voice trail off, still confused, but time would take care of it.
Because her five years had been no short span of time.
"I'll be cheering for you until the day you become a Superstar of the Universe."
"If I debut someday and become popular, may I invite the shaman... may I invite you, Kim Jinwoo, to my concert?"
"That would be my honor."
"...Also, could you tell me the name? The name of that company."
"It's Adam Entertainment."
"Adam... thank you...!"
With a click she left the call room.
***
The moment Lee Arin came out of the call room, she sat blankly for a long while.
The quiet practice room.
Sweat-soaked hair and reddened eyes were reflected in the mirror, the same sight she had seen every day for five years.
'Refuse?'
It was a debut lineup she had waited five years for.
There was no trainee who had been there longer than her, and her seniors had already debuted or found their own paths and left.
The friends who had practiced alongside her had moved to other companies or given up their dreams.
The only one left was her alone.
And she was being told to refuse that debut lineup?
...Could the shaman's words be real?
Lee Arin took out her phone and opened the search bar.
[Adam Entertainment]
The search results showed a small company, but it did have several solo artists signed to it and its reputation wasn't bad.
'It's a real company.'
Lee Arin stared blankly at the screen for a while.
***
The long-awaited day arrived.
The day of the debut lineup announcement.
Dozens of debut lineup candidates gathered in the company conference room.
Out of this number, five would make it.
Lee Arin was one of them.
Then the agency president opened the door and came in.
"I'll announce the debut lineup today."
The many candidates held their breath, and Lee Arin was no exception.
When the president began calling out names one by one, her heart raced.
"Kim Seoyun."
"Yes!"
"Park Jimin."
"Yes!"
"Jeong Hyewon."
"Yes!"
"Choi Yuna."
"Yes!"
"Lee Arin."
"...Yes!"
"Congratulations to all five of you."
The moment she heard her own name called last, Lee Arin was overjoyed.
Enough to hold the others tight and cry.
Five years.
To debut after five years, how happy must she be.
But one corner of her heart was uneasy.
'The shaman told me to refuse.......'
Amid the laughter, one corner of Lee Arin's heart was heavy.
"All right, I'll announce the concept."
When the president turned on the screen, the group's image came up.
It was an idol group with flashy outfits, intense makeup, and a sexy concept on top of that.
"You know that ordinary groups disappear quickly these days, right? We're going to go a little unconventional."
At the president's words the other successful candidates nodded in agreement, but Lee Arin just quietly looked at that screen.
'This isn't my color.'
Lee Arin knew what kind of music she was good at.
The songs she had sung alone in the practice room for five years.
Ballads.
Acoustic.
And so on.
Warm, gentle songs.
But the concept on the screen was the exact opposite of her colors.
"Big sis Arin, what's wrong?"
When the younger girl beside her asked, Lee Arin shook her head with a smile.
"It's nothing."
After the meeting Lee Arin went back alone to the practice room and looked into the mirror.
'Refuse. Because it doesn't suit you, Arin.'
Lee Arin turned the shaman's words over for a long while and finally made up her mind.
Then she made her way to the president's office and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
When Lee Arin went in, the president looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"What is it?"
"President."
"Yes."
"I'm not going to debut."
"What did you say?"
At her words the president froze.
"This concept doesn't suit me."
"......."
The president was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"Arin."
"Yes."
"It's five years. Five years of preparing to barely get hold of this chance."
"Yes."
"And you're refusing it?"
"Yes."
At Lee Arin's words the president let out a deep sigh.
"If you refuse this time, there won't be another chance."
"I know."
"Are you really going to refuse?"
"Yes."
After looking at her for a long while, the president set a sheet of paper on the desk.
"Then let's terminate the contract."
Lee Arin took the paper, but her hands were trembling.
Five years.
It was a company she had been with for a full five years.
But getting cut took only an instant.
Still, she had already made up her mind before coming to the president's office, so she picked up the pen and signed.
"You've worked hard. Pack up your things and leave by the end of today."
"Thank you for everything."
Having finished her farewell, she came out of the president's office, and her expression was worse than it had ever been.
As she was packing up her things back in the practice room, the younger girls who had joined the debut lineup with her heard the news late and came running.
"Big sis Arin, did you really refuse!?"
"Why!?"
"Are you out of your mind!?"
At the girls asking whether she had lost her senses, Lee Arin answered with a smile.
"I'm sorry."
"Big sis......."
"You'll all do well. My share too......."
With those words Lee Arin gathered her things and left the company.
It was a company she had commuted to every day for five years, but strangely, her heart felt unburdened.
"...Feeling unburdened in a situation like this probably means I'm crazy."
But what could she do.
She had already crossed a river there was no crossing back.
Carrying her things, she sat down in a nearby park and searched Adam Entertainment on her phone.
At that very moment.
"Hello."
"Yes?"
Someone spoke to her, and when she raised her head she saw a woman in a suit.
"You're exactly the style we're looking for. Are you currently signed with an agency?"
"No. Not at the moment."
"Then would you be interested in taking part in an audition?"
The woman took a wallet from inside her jacket and handed her a business card, and written on it was 'Adam Entertainment.'
In that instant the words the shaman had said came back to her.
'You didn't waste a single moment of those five years, so you've already finished preparing to emerge.'
She hurriedly took the business card.
"Yes. I'll come!"
"Then could you give the number on the card a call? I'll send you the schedule by message."
"Y-yes!"
Even after receiving the schedule by message from the casting manager and exchanging farewells, Lee Arin stood in the sunlight for a long while.
"...He really was the real deal."
And she made a vow.
That if she succeeded as the shaman said, she would repay the kindness then.
No matter what it took.
***
―Wait, didn't a future singer just come out of our room?
―Huhhh? Did she? Did our broadcast produce her?
―When she gets really famous I'm going to go around bragging about it
―Hey! From our broadcast, I'm telling you!
Watching the viewers chattering excitedly among themselves, I spoke.
"All right, let's pick the next person."
At my words the donation window started scrolling up like mad again.
―OctagonRuler has donated 10,000 won!―
[Sir, I'm counting on you]
―OctagonRuler has donated 10,000 won!―
[I'm really in a hurry]
―OctagonRuler has donated 10,000 won!―
[Please]
―OctagonRuler?
―Is that nickname for real
―An armchair fighter has arrived
―How many times is that guy donating 10,000 won?
What is with this person.
There were plenty of other viewers, but OctagonRuler kept firing off donations.
"You only need to send one donation. Sending several doesn't raise your odds."
―Huh? It doesn't?
―Since when did you think it did?
―Maybe it goes up if you send over 10 million won?
―That's just because it stands out
I looked into that nickname for a moment.
A gym?
I saw a huge cage, and inside it a man was training with someone who appeared to be a coach.
"Faster! You call that a punch!?"
"If that's how you're going to throw it, quit right now!"
"A grub would be faster than you!"
He was training with his teeth clenched even while taking every kind of foul abuse, and he looked to be in his early thirties.
His muscles were enormous, and the sweat was pouring off him like rain.
But when I looked closely, his expression was strange.
His eyes looked anxious. Did he have something worrying him?
When I looked further around, there was a large martial arts tournament poster on the wall.
[Championship Bout]
Was it this?
...The championship bout is three days away and he came to a shaman for a reading?
Well, if he's this desperate, I should help him.
"OctagonRuler, come on in. The password is 1004."
―DubaiCookieMalatangPie has donated 10,000 won!―
[The odds do go up, don't they?]
―DietStartsTomorrow has donated 10,000 won!―
[What, do me too]
―PressLikeAndSubscribe has donated 10,000 won!―
[Jinwoo, have you been deceiving us?]
"That's a misunderstanding."
―Misunderstanding? More like oh yesss
―OH YESSSSSS!!!!!!
―Look at that one, so excited
―So what's the story?