LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 93
Chapter 93
“Do you want to be an idol?”
In response to the familiar question he had heard from someone else before, Ban Yo-han lightly smiled and countered.
“Now?”
“It’s not something you can think lightly about. You’ve tried it for three months, so you know. You look more glamorous and splendid on stage than anyone else, but in reality, it’s not always like that.”
Ban Ga-eul’s expression became slightly stricter at her nephew’s casual attitude.
“It’s a job where you have to smile even when you don’t feel like it at all. Even if you do well all the time, one slip-up in less than a second can lead to bad stories. It’s not something that happens occasionally; you have to live like that every day. Eventually, people will come to believe that the part of you they see is your whole self.”
Ban Ga-eul took a sip of water, perhaps because her throat was dry, and continued.
“There will hardly be any days when you can rest properly, and you won’t be able to eat the foods you want freely. At your age, you won’t even be able to have a nice romantic relationship, and as you already know to some extent, having no privacy is pretty much a given. Your body will wear out, and your mind will suffer a lot too.”
Ban Yo-han silently listened to his aunt’s words.
“Most importantly, you are stepping into a completely new field from what you have done so far. No one knows if you can succeed or not. You have to understand that even those who seem destined to succeed can disappear without a trace in this field.”
After listing the difficulties of being an idol, Ban Ga-eul sighed deeply.
“I’m asking if you seriously want to be an idol, even if it means bearing all of this.”
It seemed that Ban Ga-eul had really set a proper day for this conversation.
“Being an idol is something you can do well. But I don’t think it’s the thing you can do best. Yo-han, what do you think?”
It was true.
Despite having little to no training, Ban Yo-han had enough talent to rank 12th in Pick Heart.
But that didn’t mean it was the thing he was most suited for.
There were countless easier and more comfortable paths laid out in front of Ban Yo-han, who could succeed in anything he did.
“You know I never liked studying much.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t really have anything I wanted to do, so I just chose a school and major… just something decent. Anyway, I had to make a living on my own.”
“For someone like that, you’re good at doing things properly once you set your mind to them. That’s a good trait.”
She had watched her nephew since he was less than half his current height.
Ban Yo-han had always followed Ban Ga-eul well from then until now.
When he was young, he found his aunt who traveled the world and brought unique gifts with the money she made from music to be admirable. As he grew older, he realized that she was a good adult.
In their somewhat conservative family, the two, who were more relaxed and free-spirited, got along well.
Sensing that Ban Ga-eul’s stern tone had softened a bit, Ban Yo-han threw a direct pitch.
“It seems fun. This is the first time I’ve wanted to do something this much.”
“If that’s the only reason, I want to dissuade you. This isn’t something you can do just for fun, and I don’t think it’s fair to the others who will be working with you for years.”
Ban Ga-eul raised her guard.
“I saw Kang Ji-woo struggle for eight years. In his third year of high school, I studied here while hearing Gyeol and Seong-ha practice. And I’ve experienced it firsthand for nearly four months.”
Ban Yo-han calmly responded.
“Honestly, I don’t think I can be as desperate as they are.”
Originally, Ban Yo-han had considered the word “desperation” to mean a desperate clinging without any promise or alternative, and he furrowed his brow slightly.
“Ban Yo-han.”
Ban Ga-eul called his name with his full name as if slightly warning him, but Ban Yo-han continued without paying it any mind.
“But seeing all that, I’m not foolish enough to think ‘I’ll just give it a shot.’ Especially Kang Ji-woo. Do you know how he’s been holding on all this time? I can’t watch him fail.”
For a 21-year-old who hadn’t fully matured, his words carried a reliable weight, as if he could succeed in anything.
“And just because I’m not desperate doesn’t mean I won’t take it seriously. I’m being honest.”
“……”
“Honestly, I didn’t understand why Kang Ji-woo wanted to do this so much while suffering.”
“But now?”
“Now, I think I understand. And I want to understand more in the future.”
It was a fresh realization that changed his perspective on life.
Recalling the day when a clear, refreshing breeze swept into his heart like an open window, Ban Yo-han spoke in a cheerful tone.
“You said it’s uncertain whether I can succeed in this field, but I’m confident that doing this won’t be a loss for me, the company, or the others. Not only do I want to do it, but I think it will be fine.”
Ban Yo-han, who had lived a life where nothing was impossible, spoke with confidence.
“So, thank you for worrying, but stop and just be grateful that a talent like me is willingly coming in.”
Ban Ga-eul raised her hands in surrender to her nephew’s audacious spirit.
“I’m dead when I tell your dad.”
“It’s okay. I’m an adult, so I don’t need parental consent to sign a contract.”
“Wow, impressive.”
“But I’ll sign when I bring him over. You know you’d be a complete fool to let him slip away.”
Even though I should have been sending messages every three seconds begging him to join, Ban Yo-han sighed as he thought about the fools who, worried about burdening On Raon, refrained from contacting him and thus might cause him to give up on a better option for himself.
Living with such overly kind people, who never replied to his messages, seemed daunting, but it wasn’t an entirely bad feeling either.
“Well… I’m not sure if I can bring him over. Almost every company must have called him by now. Do you think he’d choose our company over others?”
“He will come. Besides, you’re especially good at things like this.”
“If things go as you say, that would be wonderful.”
Ban Ga-eul sighed deeply as she looked at her overly confident nephew, not knowing what he was so confident about, and then picked up her phone to make a call.
* * *
While I was habitually working on music in my studio apartment after leaving Muk Hye-sung’s house, Ban Ga-eul, the CEO, contacted me. As expected, it was a contract proposal.
CEO Ban Ga-eul asked me to come to the company, and I agreed.
Disguising myself as much as possible with a hat and mask, I took a taxi to Seed Enter.
“You have an appointment with the CEO, right? I’ll guide you right away.”
The staff member, who let out an involuntary gasp upon seeing my face after I took off my mask for identification, spoke.
“Oh, yes.”
It was an employee I had seen a few times before. They hadn’t been this courteous before.
The interior, always neat, seemed especially spotless today, as if they had done a meticulous clean-up.
Knock, knock.
“CEO, On Raon is here.”
A soft voice from inside invited me in.
I entered the room carefully opened by the staff.
“Hello.”
Ban Ga-eul stared at me for a moment, as if she had lost her words, and then spoke.
“Welcome.”
After quickly regaining her composure, Ban Ga-eul asked me to sit down and then inquired if I preferred green tea, orange juice, or coffee.
“Orange juice.”
“Two orange juices, please.”
Shortly after, an employee brought two cold bottles of orange juice and placed one each in front of Ban Ga-eul and me before leaving again.
“Thank you for coming all the way here. Did you rest well after the live broadcast?”
“Yes. But why do you keep…”
Ban Ga-eul smiled and answered.
“This time, we’re meeting for business.”
At her polite explanation, I clenched my fists on my knees.
‘Wow, I almost asked for the contract right away.’
…No.
The reason I’m acting like this is because I’ve always dealt with terrible companies. Get rid of the subservient mindset.
I calmed myself down to avoid the mistake of signing the contract immediately just because I was treated with basic respect.
“You must be busy, so I’ll get straight to the point. I want you to join the boy group Seed is launching as the final member. Of course, I’m proposing an artist contract, not a trainee contract.”
Ban Ga-eul pulled out a contract and briefly explained the profit distribution ratio.
It was more favorable to me than the industry average that Muk Hye-sung had mentioned for reference.
In fact, a few other places had also offered me similar terms, considering I was not a complete rookie, so it wasn’t that groundbreaking.
I recited the lines I had prepared.
“I appreciate the help you provided before. But I don’t think it’s right to sign a contract just because of that one thing.”
“Of course, that was purely…”
Ban Ga-eul paused and then chuckled awkwardly.
“To be honest, I did want to offer you a contract back then too. Yo-han told me that he had found a trainee who would be perfect for our debut group. Gyeol was also a case where Yo-han saw him working part-time and brought him over. He has such a good eye that I immediately told him to bring you in as soon as he heard about your situation.”
Ban Ga-eul took a sip of juice and continued.
“Anyway, I wasn’t suggesting you sign with us because of that incident.”
Oh, of course, she wasn’t.
“To be honest, there are many companies better than ours. Capital, manpower, connections, brand, know-how… Companies like AJ, SS, CY, TRUE are much better suited for immediate debut than we are.”
“That’s true.”
Muk Hye-sung told me to stay alert during talks like this, but I started to feel a bit defeated the moment I agreed too easily with “That’s true.”
“But I believe you came to us because you have something in mind.”
“That’s right.”
Did I blow it?
“It’s a bit presumptuous of me to say this, but none of the artists who signed with us have been dissatisfied. Not just the artists, but the staff as well. My philosophy is for artists and staff to grow together like a forest, rather than recklessly throwing in various things for immediate gain.”
With a tone full of pride, Ban Ga-eul explained her company’s philosophy in more detail.
“We may be new to idols, but we understand that a good song is crucial for a singing artist. It’s not just important; it’s essential for success as a singer.”
Every word made sense.
A good song was the most powerful weapon a singer could have.
“And I don’t give anything but good songs to my artists. Good songs are my pride and the pride of the company.”
Ban Ga-eul elaborated on the foundation that allowed them to provide good songs, noting their extensive connections with composers both domestically and internationally.
She spoke sincerely.
“Realistically, we may not be able to give you the best right away. But I promise you that we will provide the best we can and strive to make our best the best possible.”
Ban Ga-eul asked me to choose Seed, hoping I would accept her offer.