Chapter 178

This is sooooo booooooooooring .

JooAh, who had partic.i.p.ated in the board meeting of directors, grumbled as she left the meeting room .

(T/N: Im not sure if its mentioned, but JooAh is an honorary director of MG Entertainment, so she is qualified to join the meeting . )

Looks like shes at it again .

Guys, lets just avoid her . There will be no good from talking with her .

The directors, who were leaving as well, quietly left the place .

It would only result in a loss if they decided to quarrel with JooAh, one of the top stars at MG Entertainment .

However, there was one person who talked to the devil without fear .

But this still is the highest authority meeting of the company, I dont think you should do that .

JooAh turned around with scary eyes when she heard the nonsense from behind her . However, she saw that it was director Lee HanSeo who stood there with a smile .

Oh, and here I was wondering who it was . You surprised me .

Hahaha, youre quite honest .

Anyway, nice time . I was just getting thirsty . Can I ask you for some coffee?

Even as the other directors left while clicking their tongues, JooAh did not give them a single glance . Facing those lumps of cancer was only exhausting for her . Director Lee HanSeo replied with a slightly disappointed expression .

But tea has a better fragrance than coffee .

I rather prefer the fragrance of black coffee .

Haha

Director Lee HanSeo shrugged his shoulders and took JooAh to his office .

Inside, JooAh closed her eyes while appreciating the fragrance of the coffee that director Lee Hans...o...b..ewed .

Ah, this is it! Your coffee is the best, director .

JooAh gave him a thumbs up . It seemed like he was just as good in brewing coffee as he was in brewing tea .

Director Lee HanSeo smiled softly . It seemed like he was happy to be praised by her .

I hope you can have some tea next time .

Ill ask you for some coffee next time as well .

Haha .

JooAhs pickiness made director Lee HanSeo feel awkward .

As the fragrance of tea and coffee spread in the room, director Lee HanSeo spoke about the things that happened in the board meeting .

Im worried about now . MG Star Tower project? The Chinese tourists are good and all, but this is not the time for investment . Its too dangerous .

You think so too, director?

JooAh put down after emptying half of her coffee . Her expression was full of worry as well .

Director Lee HanSeo heaved a deep sigh before speaking .

According to the plan, the location of the tower is in Samseong-dong, Gangnam . And its right next to the UO shopping mall as well . The land there is more expensive than gold, and there are construction costs as well as Director Kim JinHo says that MGs credit rating is enough to get a loan, but Im not so sure .

But didnt they say that it can be used as a tourist attraction once the tower is finished being built? I heard that there will be ma.s.sive profits once celebrity merchandise comes out

Director Lee HanSeo shook his head .

Yes . But thats IF we can finish building the tower . Who knows what may happen mid-way? I dont get what director Kim JinHo is thinking . If we somehow become unable to pay it back

. .

JooAh frowned .

Leaving aside the benefits of the Star Tower, she wondered if it was worth the risk to build the tower at all .

Haa Everything is going down the drain since the Chairman left .

. .

Director Lee HanSeo could not say anything as he watched JooAhs depressed expression .

Im almost done cleaning things up here, but who will take care of JooAh or JinSeo?

Facing JooAhs depressed expression, director Lee HanSeo swallowed his words .

***

Kim JiMin, whose activity period was over, focused on school .

KangYoon had Kim JiMin attend cla.s.ses no matter what happened . This was to make her look diligent to the public, and also to mix well with the general public .

During her after school self-study period

Miss Eunha can you give me an autograph?

Kim JiMin gave a girl from another cla.s.s her autograph and even shook hands with her .

Now that her name was becoming known, Kim JiMins school life had long turned into a fan meeting .

Eunha! Sing, sing for us!

Eunha-unni! Can you take a photo

The people of her cla.s.s had died down somewhat, but students from other cla.s.ses and her juniors frequented her cla.s.s . Thanks to that, her cla.s.sroom was filled with people from other cla.s.ses during breaks and lunchtimes .

Despite this though, she did not want to transfer to a school for celebrities . Although the downside was that she had to keep up a good image, there was the advantage that she could interact with the general public here .

Kim JiMin, who partic.i.p.ated in self-study periods even on a Sat.u.r.day, headed to the parking lot once it became lunchtime .

However, today, KangYoon came to pick her up instead of manager Moon JooMyeong .

Sir?

Get on .

KangYoon drove her to the company .

Inside the car, Kim JiMin asked .

Did something happen with JooMyeong-oppa?

He asked for leave to propose to his girlfriend . Thats why Im here .

Oh, so hes proposing now . He told me he had a fight with his girlfriend last time

She had heard that his girlfriend was very sad since she couldnt meet with him a lot due to the irregularities of a managers schedule . And now, he was going to propose to his girlfriend . Kim JiMin was glad to see that .

The car that the two of them were in stopped in front of a traffic light in a junction near the company .

KangYoon put the handbrake on and turned around to Kim JiMin .

(T/N: Im not sure why hes putting the handbrake on when its just a traffic light)

Theres an audition today .

An audition? Do you mean for me?

Kim JiMins eyes widened as she hadnt heard this before . KangYoon shook his head with a smile .

No, if that was the case, I would have told you a few days ago . There will be a new trainee candidate .

Really? Wow, Im getting a junior?

Kim JiMin smiled with eyes filled with curiosity . A junior already? She felt joyful just thinking about it .

KangYoon smiled as well .

Perhaps . Lets go and see .

Yes .

Expectations filled Kim JiMins chest .

The two headed towards the studio as soon as they arrived at the company .

When they arrived, Lee HyunJi as well as the artists of World Entertainment, had all gathered around .

JiMin, youre here .

h.e.l.lo .

Her senior artists all greeted Kim JiMin, their youngest members . From Lee HyunAh, Kim JaeHoon, and Eddios . Kim JiMin bowed towards her seniors .

There were 20 minutes until the audition .

The door to the studio opened and In MoonHee, who was here for the audition, followed Yoo Jung Min, who guided her here, in .

Hiccup!

The first reaction In MoonHee had after seeing the artists of World Entertainment gathered around in one place was a hiccup .

She was thinking that only 3 or 4 people would oversee her audition and did not think that all of them would be here .

Despite that, she came to herself quickly and greeted them .

H, h.e.l.lo . Im In MoonHee .

KangYoon, who was seated, also greeted her

h.e.l.lo . Im Lee KangYoon, the CEO of World Entertainment .

KangYoon offered her to sit down and spoke .

Ill call you Miss MoonHee from now on . Is that okay with you?

Yes .

In MoonHee replied with a trembling voice .

Both KangYoons calm and rational eyes and the presence of the artists of World Entertainment gave her a lot of pressure .

Lee HyunAh .

Among them, Lee HyunAh was special to her since the two of them both got an award at the College Pop Festival .

They had met once in the past, but now they walked completely different paths . When she glanced at her, she saw that Lee HyunAhs eyes were deep .

KangYoon spoke calmly after seeing that she was dazed .

This is an audition, but I hope you can relax as much as possible . Ive prepared some snacks over there as well . You can just take them whenever you want . I hope to see a lot today, so this may take some time . Is that alright with you?

Yes . Ill do my best .

In MoonHee gave a typical answer and started clearing her throat . Hearing that, Lee HyunJi and the artists focused on In MoonHee as well .

First, could you please sing a song of your choice .

At KangYoons request, she closed her eyes and started singing .

I was like that I always said lets break up at that time I thought that was love

This was the song Time the song that In MoonHee sang to win an award back then at the College Pop Festival . KangYoons eyes became deep as he focused on the acapella .

I reminisced numerous times in remembrance

However, KangYoons eyes narrowed seeing that the white light wasnt bright at all .

Behind him, Kim JaeHoon tilted his head and asked Lee HyunAh who was next to him .

She got the silver prize right? I think youre better off, HyunAh .

She was really good back then . Her bouncy voice was really charming . But now, I can definitely see that some of that has died down .

Lee HyunAh replied with a bitter expression .

In MoonHee opened her eyes slightly and had a glance at KangYoon and the others . But

Ugh, looks like they dont like it .

She panicked .

Everyone seemed disappointed and she could clearly feel some displeasure from their expressions . Kim JaeHoon and Lee HyunAh especially were noticeably shaking their heads, and In MoonHees voice started shaking unknowingly .

At that time, KangYoon raised his hand .

Wait .

Yes?

In MoonHees heart thumped .

Sorry for interrupting you . It looks like youre still very nervous .

Oh, thats

Lets do it again in 5 minutes .

A break just because she was nervous? In MoonHee wasnt touched, but was shocked instead . She had partic.i.p.ated in several auditions before, but most of them only lasted around 5 minutes .

Ugh

In MoonHee collapsed on her seat in embarra.s.sment . However, KangYoon approached her and calmly spoke .

We can give you plenty of time . Miss MoonHee, dont consider us as judges, but as the audience .

The audience?

Yes, the audience . You can sing however youre comfortable with .

Having said those words, KangYoon returned to his seat .

It hadnt even been five minutes, but she sat upright as though she had become a lot more relaxed than before .

Im fine now .

When KangYoon nodded his head, In MoonHee cleared her throat a little before singing .

I was like

Her second singing of Time spread throughout the studio .

KangYoons eyes narrowed while looking at the white light that her note created .

Someone said that the past cannot be held but I wanted to hold the you back then

However, the white light was still very weak . No, it even contained a hint of grey this time .

Ugh

This was even worse than before .

KangYoon frowned unintentionally due to the influence of the grey light . Grey influenced his emotions and made him feel agonized .

Despite that, In MoonHee kept singing .

KangYoon smiled despite all the pain and tried to focus on the song .

Its like shes wearing clothes not suited for her .

The voice was definitely pleasant on the ears . However, it didnt seem to fit with the song . It felt like it was unbalanced .

It sounds weird .

I think so too .

Christie An and Han JooYeon, who was listening from the back, shook their heads as well .

Most of the singers seemed to think the same as they exchanged opinions with each other .

Despite the unfriendly att.i.tude from everyone, In MoonHee ended up finis.h.i.+ng the song .

After clapping, KangYoon calmly spoke .

Thank you for that . Phew .

KangYoon shook his body a little in order to shake off the effects of the grey light . The murky feeling was shaken off somewhat .

In MoonHee was a little perplexed by KangYoons actions but could not say anything since he would give her a judgment . She only waited nervously for the evaluation .

However, his following words were out of her expectations .

Can I ask you to sing Longing for your next song?

Yearning?

In MoonHee thought that she would receive her evaluation so she tilted her head but she still accepted nonetheless .

This was the song shown in the video . She was wondering why he wanted to listen to the same song again, but she cleared her throat before starting to sing again .

I long for you but you are far from me please look at me

A very enchanting voice filled the studio, a drastic difference compared to before .

The note and the light had completely changed as well . The white light from the orange notes made KangYoon widen his eyes .

I knew it . Her voice fits perfectly with trot .

KangYoon clenched his fist .

I miss you I cry I search for my

The sad and resounding melody resonated within everyones hearts .

The other singers seemed to think the same as KangYoon and they immersed themselves into the song .

As the song continued, something different appeared within the white light .

Silver!?

KangYoon was shocked .

This was the first time someone produced a silver light with their voice alone ever since Min JinSeos acting . Didnt that event also trigger his ability to see notes rather than just the lights?

The soft feeling that enveloped his heart made KangYoon close his eyes .

However

Uhm .

That feeling only lasted an instant . In MoonHees singing was already over . However, KangYoon still could not get himself together .

At that time, Jung MinAh, who was right behind KangYoon, approached KangYoons face before blowing into his ears .

Whoa!

KangYoon was surprised and abruptly stood up .

*Chuckle* .

The other singers snickered at KangYoon panicking and Lee HyunJIs expression turned awkward due to the sudden prank .

That girl!

Lee HyunAhs eyes turned scary instead . Such daring moves!

Heh .

Jung MinAh grinned towards her rival . She was provoking her to do the same if she was bold enough .

At that time .

*b.u.mp* .

Ouch!

The consequences were harsh .

KangYoon gave Jung MinAh a solid smack on the head .

Do you think Im playing around here?

Im sorry .

Jung MinAh lowered her head due to KangYoons retaliation, but she stuck out her tongue cheekily in secret .

*Ehem* .

Meanwhile, KangYoon, who had come to himself, turned around to In MoonHee and gave her his judgment .

Thank you for singing . Youre exceptional when it comes to putting emotions into your songs . The resonance was splendid .

Thank you .

Can I ask you for another song?

Of course .

Can I ask you to sing On the way to Busan this time?

This was a signature song of a veteran trot singer named Lee MiRa . It was a song that most people knew about .

O, of course .

It was another trot song, but In MoonHee cleared her throat again .

Like that, her audition continued .

***

2 hours .

In MoonHee had to spend 2 hours for her audition at World Entertainment .

Thank you .

After the audition ended, the other singers left the company for their respective schedules .

In MoonHee felt strange when all the artists left as soon as her audition was over .

She sat down on the chair powerlessly as she was exhausted .

Yoo JungMin gave her some water .

Thank you .

In MoonHee drained down the water . The gulp was loud enough to ring inside the studio .

KangYoon stood up and approached her .

Thank you for staying with us for such a long time .

The president right? Thank you too . You brought all those busy artists here and had them listen to my bad singing Today was like a dream . Thank you so much .

She looked exhausted, but she had a smile on her face .

Today, she could sing to her hearts content . It was also in front of all the latest famous singers .

She felt that she wouldnt have any regrets even if she failed her audition today .

KangYoon dragged his chair closer and sat in front of her .

Feeling that an important conversation will occur, In MoonHee sat up nervously .

I wont beat around the bush . Thank you for singing 9 songs today .

Haha, thank you .

As they had some breaks and conversations midway, the 9 songs took 2 hours .

Ill be honest . You seem to have taken a long break from singing .

Youre right . Its been at least 3 years .

In MoonHee replied bitterly .

After she left her old entertainment company due to issues with the company, she did not have many ties to singing . KangYoons mention of that made her feel sour .

Regardless, KangYoon continued to speak .

I had a look at the materials from the College Pop Festival and found that your current voice is very different to back then . As for skill, I believe that the past you were better .

. .

In MoonHee became silent hearing KangYoons honest words .

Although she did think that she wouldnt have any regrets even if she failed today, it felt bitter to listen to a bad evaluation .

However, his words didnt end there .

However, the emotions in your voice are much thicker now . I can feel very thick emotions from your singing . Although your techniques may have diminished, your sound has deepened now . That is my conclusion .

Ah .

In MoonHee gulped . What was about to come next would be the deciding factor .

Miss MoonHee . Would you like to sign a contract with World Entertainment?

The what if became a reality .

A contract!

In MoonHees expression turned into that of joy and bliss .