At seventeen years old, Go Eun-Seo's polished appearance already surpassed that of most lead actresses and her vocal skills rivaled seasoned veteran singers. On top of that, she had trained professionally in both dance and piano since childhood, giving her a strong edge in both choreography and instrumental performance. She was so impressive that PD Ji Yung-Sik, an audition show expert, had fallen for her at first sight and declared she would become a star. However, she had one serious flaw. Her father was a three-term lawmaker named Go Joon-Taek from Incheon, and her mother was former top actress Han So-Ye. Both were notorious for constantly interfering in company affairs. Worse yet, Go Eun-Seo knew how talented she was and had a selfish, self-centered personality. Back in Top Entertainment, attempts to build teams around her ended up destroying no less than five different groups. Because of this, her nickname was 'Go-Centered Theory.' Just like the geocentric and heliocentric models, everything supposedly revolved around Go Eun-Seo. In the end, I had no choice but to piece together a pseudo-group of three members who followed her every word, debuted them, and even pushed them to first place. The group's name back then was PEONY, which had been chosen by Kim Dong-Soo himself. He told the media it meant the flower of all flowers, the best of best—implying the idol among idols. But in truth, it was sarcasm and he meant it as a scentless flower. He had enough of Go Eun-Seo's uncontrollable personality and her mother Han So-Ye showing up at the company every other day making unreasonable demands. Even the infamous Kim Dong-Soo had thrown up his hands in defeat, and no ordinary talent agent could handle the mother and daughter duo. For such a reason, I had taken her on myself. "Go Eun-Seo... did you say?" I spoke the name in surprise without meaning to, and Ji Yung-Sik nodded. "Yes. Do you know her?" Since I hadn't watched the second-round audition videos, I couldn't admit I recognized her. "Oh, no. The name just sounded similar to someone I know." "Ah, is that so? Then make sure to watch her later. That girl's definitely going to blow up." Being a former contestant on audition shows himself, Ji Yung-Sik looked as excited as if he were participating. Among the two hundred fifty contestants attending the morning audition, Go Eun-Seo stood out the most, he said. Come to think of it, I had felt the same way when I first saw Go Eun-Seo Up until she wrecked three teams, and her mother Han So-Ye showed up five times demanding song and choreography changes. However, since Ji Yung-Sik hadn't mentioned Han So-Ye, he probably didn't know who Go Eun-Seo's mother was yet. Then Ji Yung-Sik exclaimed as if he had forgotten something. "Oh, right. We need to shoot two scenes in the waiting room right now. Please get ready quickly." Updates are released by novel{f}ire.net Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi nodded, signaling that they were ready. "Yes, sir." Ji Yung-Sik turned his head toward the hallway and called out. "Camera crew, come in." The filming team entered the waiting room and began recording Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi getting their makeup done. They were capturing footage for the Project I.O.A's intro segment and interviews. Meanwhile, I began contemplating what to do about Go Eun-Seo. Though I had veto power over member selection as an advisor, I had already said I wouldn't interfere much in the casting decisions. Besides launching I.O.A and promoting it successfully, the bigger purpose behind Project I.O.A was to help the talent agents in Singer Division 2 and Division Jung grow through managing the group. So I made a difficult decision: Unless Han So-Ye or the lawmaker exerted outside pressure, I would not intervene in the selection. After all, we had built many filters into the show to weed out poor character anyway. On the first day of regional auditions for Project I.O.A, there were a total of seven judges. They were Director Ahn Ye-Eum, who had run a music agency since the cassette tape era; Chief Lee Dong-Min, a producer and creator now leading Singer Division 2; and Choreographer Park Seon-Nyeo, now the hottest name in Korean entertainment. They rounded out the three main judges who would stay on throughout the program. The rest—Cherry Blossom's Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi, Dance-Vocalist Baek Yoon-Joo with twenty years of experience, and Blit's leader and my friend Kim Jong-Hoon—were guest judges who might rotate depending on their schedules. Currently, all seven were seated at the judges' table, reviewing the first and second audition videos on their tablets and discussing their impressions. I sat in one of the side seats with a clear view of the judges' table. Next to me, Jung Sang-Bong was also seated with a tablet in hand. Then Jung Sang-Bong asked as he watched the audition clips on his tablet, "Mr. Jung. With how good phone camera quality is nowadays, couldn't we just use the second-round videos for screening? Why are we calling in a thousand people for in-person auditions?" "Oh, that? You'll understand in a minute." "It's better to see than explain." Then, Lee Dong-Min spoke from the center seat. "Alright, let's get started~" He raised his hand, and a staff member in a black T-shirt opened the door to the waiting area. "Okay~ Contestant number 1, please come in." Just then, contestant number 1, nineteen-year-old Lee Na-Rae, walked in with a lively step. "Hello, I am contestant number 1, Lee Na-Rae! I'm currently active on MeTube as BJ RenaRena!" At that moment, Jung Sang-Bong blinked in disbelief. "Huh...?" He glanced at the profile and second-round audition video on the tablet, then looked back up at Lee Na-Rae. Lee Na-Rae's profile said she was 161 cm tall and weighed 45 kg. In the video, a tall and slim beauty with ideal proportions was dancing energetically. However, the girl now standing before us was different. Lee Nae-Rae looked about 155 cm tall, and her narrow face was slightly rounder. She had used filters to make her face appear slimmer in the video. Lee Na-Rae was naturally cute, but objectively, she looked like a different person. I said, "This is why we hold in-person auditions. With technology these days, you never know what people will pull." Jung Sang-Bong made a bewildered face. "Wouldn't it all get revealed anyway? Why even try...?" "It's just academy marketing." With the rise of audition programs, some dance and vocal academies used those programs as a marketing tool. They often advertised things like '2 contestants made it to Idol Project finals' or '8 advanced in Super K Idol,' just like cram schools hanging banners about college admissions. They would use that for promotion and recruit more students, so they resorted to these tricks. "That's so ridiculous..." "It's all because there's money in it. Still, there are some decent kids from those academies. So let's just watch for now." Then Lee Dong-Min also showed signs of suspicion and asked, "You look a little different than in your profile and video, don't you think so?" "Oh. I've been feeling unwell lately, so I gained a bit of weight in the past few days. I'll be back to normal soon." 'Yup. She's definitely from an academy.' After all, they always taught their students how to spin things . Lee Dong-Min caught on immediately. "Are you attending an academy right now?" "Please answer honestly. If we find out later, you could be disqualified even after passing the audition." At that, Lee Na-Rae gave an awkward smile and confessed, "Actually, I attend Top Idol Dance School." "Oh~ The one run by Director Sung Dae-Heon?" "Huh? Do you know Mr. Sung?" Lee Na-Rae's face lit up. However, when Lee Dong-Min said he knew him well, he meant it in a very different way. It meant he knew the guy as a borderline scam artist. Still, there had been successful idols from that school, so Lee Dong-Min decided to hear her out. "Alright then. Let's begin. You're performing Cherry Blossom's 'Hurry Up!,' right?" Lee Na-Rae raised her chin toward Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi and spoke with confidence. "I prepared with determination not to lose to my sunbae-nims. I'll show you my own fresh charm." Maybe she was trying to show confidence, but it only provoked the judges instead. "I hope your skills match that confidence. Go ahead and start." Lee Na-Rae struck a pose, waiting for the music to begin. Jung Sang-Bong grumbled in disbelief. "Mr. Jung, don't you think she is way too arrogant? How could she say something like that about Yeon-Hee and Eun-Bi?" "Well, at least she's got spirit. Let's hear her out first." Jung Sang-Bong seemed puzzled as to why I wasn't angry. The reason I wasn't the least bit upset was because people who talk that confidently rarely had the skill to back it up. 『Hurry~ Up! Listen~ Up!』 Although Lee Na-Rae had vocal training at an academy and sounded somewhat decent, her pitch was unstable and her breathing and timing were uneven. Even to my ears it was off, so there was no way Lee Dong-Min, a professional musician, would find it acceptable. It turned out the song in her second-round audition video had been recorded at her academy, polished by a professional using software before being submitted. In the end, Lee Dong-Min hit the rejection buzzer in less than thirty seconds into the 'Hurry Up' instrumental. Then like a wave, the rest of the judges followed suit. It was a unanimous rejection, but Lee Na-Rae couldn't accept the result and snapped. "Why? I thought I sounded exactly the same!" Lee Dong-Min barely held onto his patience and replied, "No. It was completely different." "Then let me try again! My academy teacher and my family all said I sounded just like it!" "Sigh~ Alright. Just a moment." Lee Dong-Min immediately turned to Woo Yeon-Hee. "Yeon-Hee, could you sing a line? Just the intro part. She might understand better that way." Woo Yeon-Hee nodded and began singing without any accompaniment. 『Hurry Up~! Listen Up~!』 Though not the main vocalist, Woo Yeon-Hee's clear and pure voice filled the stage with powerful resonance. Her vocal range was far beyond what any ordinary person could match with crisp high notes and clear lyrics. Her English pronunciation was flawless, her tone relaxed and effortless, and yet the melody line stayed intact. Woo Yeon-Hee's performance was on a completely different level and it made any comparison feel embarrassing. "Alright. That's good, Yeon-Hee." Woo Yeon-Hee gave a small nod and bowed. Lee Dong-Min turned back to Lee Na-Rae. "See? I'm sorry, Miss Na-Rae. But your volume, vocalization, and technique...none of it compares. Did you think being an idol would be easy?" Seeing the stark difference for herself, Lee Na-Rae looked away and reluctantly admitted it. "I... I guess I didn't practice enough." At that moment, Ahn Ye-Eum spoke up after a bit of thought. "No, Miss Na-Rae. This isn't about practice. Even with raw talent and training, the entertainment industry is tough. With your current level, it'll be hard," she continued. "And since Director Sung Dae-Heon is known in the industry as an audition-focused instructor, don't waste your money. Look for a different path for your own sake." Ahn Ye-Eum was offering Lee Na-Rae guidance as an adult for the sake of her life. She knew all too well how badly kids could be hurt by false hope in this industry. However, Lee Na-Rae ran out the right door with her face flushed red. It would be hard for her to accept it now, but I still hoped this audition would serve as a valuable lesson. As for Sung Dae-Heon, I needed to meet him myself someday. He was selling false dreams at the expense of these kids' futures, and someone had to stop him. "Alright, contestant number 2. Please come in~" The judges were far more thorough and precise in their evaluations than I had expected. Thanks to them, it gave me strong hope that the program would be a success. After auditioning up to contestant number 100, only five pink dolls with the "I.O.A Seoul Regional Pass" ribbon were handed out. "We'll take a short break now." When Ji Yung-Sik announced a break, everyone let out a sigh and headed to the waiting room. I also headed there, wanting to talk to Lee Dong-Min. When I entered the waiting room, Lee Dong-Min and Kim Jong-Hoon were getting their makeup touched up. "Mr. Lee, great work today." "Thanks. Still, it's been a while since I was on a show...it's not easy." After greeting Kim Jong-Hoon, I looked at Lee Dong-Min. He asked, "What's with that face? Did we miss someone who should've passed?" Even though I had given him full authority, Lee Dong-Min kept looking to me for confirmation. That alone reassured me that it was the right call not to interfere in this audition. If he could successfully lead such a major project without me, it would give him even more confidence. Still, I thought I should at least mention Go Eun-Seo's mother, Han So-Ye, who might exert outside pressure. That's when we heard murmuring in the hallway, followed by a knock at the door. -It's me, Kang Dae-Woong. It was Kang Dae-Woong, the chief CP of Project I.O.A. Kang Dae-Woong opened the door and entered. Behind him were Department Head Park Han-Jong and Ji Yung-Sik. "Oh, Mr. Park. You're here." "Hahaha, yes, yes. Stay seated. Chief Lee Dong-Min, you were pretty sharp with your critiques today." "My apologies. I tried to hold back, but too many contestants didn't even have the basics..." "No, you don't need to apologize. It reminded me of your prime years. It's better to be blunt than bland. Makes for good screen time too." His compliments were dragging on strangely and it felt like the real topic was yet to come. Just then, a high-pitched voice came from the hallway. Loud heels clacked down the hallway, and a beautiful woman in her 40s entered wearing a wide-brimmed hat. It was Go Eun-Seo's mother, Han So-Ye. "Well, well! If it isn't Mrs. Han!" "Haha! Don't call me Mrs. Han. You can just call me So-Ye like old times." "But what brings you here?" "I came to see you, Mr. Park." Han So-Ye debuted at nineteen and was a top actress for years, but retired after marrying a politician. Now, she had shown up with two suited men who looked like aides. At that moment, I realized why she was here. 'She's here to apply pressure.' Han So-Ye had clearly coordinated with the director to show up in the waiting room. After all, it wasn't a place anyone could enter without staff help. Whatever else she was, she wasn't subtle. "Is that so? Well, what could it be? Are you taking on a role again?" "Oh please~ I'm not an actress anymore. I'm busy supporting my husband and raising my daughter~" After some superficial greetings with the director, she turned to Lee Dong-Min and smiled. "Mr. Lee. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Lee Dong-Min gave a stiff nod. "Ah, yes." Han So-Ye had released three albums back in the day thanks to her popularity as an actress, so they had met before. "My daughter Eun-Seo is auditioning today, so I thought I'd stop by. I heard you're filming family interviews too. I haven't been on TV in a while, but if Eun-Seo's appearing, I thought I'd show up to cheer her on. My husband gave the okay too." Han So-Ye was offering to appear on camera, using her daughter as an excuse. It was tempting bait for higher viewership ratings from the broadcaster's perspective, but this was exactly what influence-peddling looked like. If a star like Han So-Ye appeared on the show, it would become nearly impossible to reject her daughter. Then Lee Dong-Min spoke politely. "I'm sorry, but that won't be necessary. We don't want to raise questions about the fairness of the selection." Han So-Ye scrunched her nose, a telltale sign she was annoyed. "Oh, Mr. Lee. You're still as uptight as ever. We're all friends here, so why be so formal? And honestly, even though she's my daughter, Eun-Seo is prettier and more talented than I ever was. There's no need to worry. Plus, if I'm on TV, won't the viewership ratings go up? Don't you agree?" Lee Dong-Min was trying to handle Han So-Ye, but he wasn't pushing back strongly enough. At this point, someone needed to stand firm and even get angry if necessary. 'Looks like I'll have to step in.' I had promised not to interfere with casting, but I wasn't about to stay silent on this kind of pressure. 'Alright then. Let's drive Mrs. Han So-Ye out of here.' I got up from my seat and began speaking clearly and firmly to Han So-Ye to drive her out of this place.