Chapter 1110: Lemon Boys... Jump with all your might! (2)

X Busters, DNS Media's rookie boy group.

The moment they stepped inside Lemon Entertainment, every one of them froze.

"This is insane."

"Dude... the lobby's huge."

The trainees' eyes grew as round as saucers as they looked around.

Everything felt like another world.

"Did you see that? They have three elevators."

"Wooow..."

"Look over there. They even have someone at an information desk."

It felt less like an entertainment company and more like a famous museum.

A soaring ceiling.

Customers browsing the merchandise store.

Tourists crowding the café.

Artwork lined the walls, and an information desk stood in front of the marble-finished lobby.

"...Wow."

As the trainees stood there with their mouths hanging open, someone suddenly stepped between them.

"So?"

It was Hanjo, the handsome leader of Street Boys.

Wearing a gray cardigan over his broad frame, he smiled warmly.

"Pretty huge, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes. The headquarters are... really enormous."

"You know what? Once you debut, you'll get to practice here too."

"Really?!"

Hanjo nodded.

"You know how you'll need huge rehearsal spaces when you're preparing year-end stages? When you're practicing with dozens of dancers? Lemon has some really massive studios. You can just reserve one."

"Year-end stages..."

The members of X Busters blinked.

It still didn't feel real.

They couldn't picture themselves debuting, appearing on music shows, or performing at year-end festivals.

Gye Hongju asked cautiously,

"But... will we even get to perform on year-end stages right after debuting?"

"If we were the Street Boys of 2014? No way. Debuting in October and making year-end shows by December..."

Hanjo smiled at the younger trainees.

"But you guys can."

"..."

"Because you're part of a major agency now."

If DNS Media had still been the company it once was, that would've been impossible.

Agency influence mattered enormously when it came to year-end festivals.

A rookie from a small company had to produce remarkable results months in advance just to have a chance.

That's why we worked ourselves half to death after debut.

One of the reasons both Street Boys and NewBlack had practiced relentlessly during their rookie years.

"A major agency..."

One trainee quietly repeated.

"It still doesn't feel real, does it?"

"...No."

"We've only really started feeling it ourselves recently."

Giwon nodded beside Hanjo.

DNS Media had become part of Lemon Entertainment, a label under what had grown into one of the industry's major agencies.

At first, even the Street Boys members hadn't noticed much difference.

—

"They say we got sold."

"Seriously?"

"The CEO already signed everything."

"Oh."

"...Want to finish bench pressing?"

—

Even after hearing the company had been acquired, they had calmly gone back to lifting weights.

But before long, everything changed.

Especially after Lemon Entertainment acquired SNH Entertainment.

—

"Our comeback got booked on a weekend variety show?"

"That... happened surprisingly easily."

—

Programs that even top idols from smaller agencies struggled to appear on.

Suddenly they were receiving invitations without difficulty.

The number of scripts arriving at the office multiplied as well.

It almost felt as though every television station now treated them as Lemon artists.

—

"...This is awesome."

—

LB's reaction when they'd landed another famous variety show perfectly summed up how everyone felt.

These kids won't understand yet.

The trainees had joined DNS before the acquisition.

To them, this new reality was simply normal.

"Wow... year-end stages..."

"So this is Lemon..."

As X Busters quietly repeated the words to themselves, Hanjo spotted CEO Lim Hyunsik approaching and lowered his voice.

"The CEO's coming."

"Yes."

"Don't mention any of that in front of him."

"Got it."

Hanjo immediately walked over.

The perpetually grumpy expression on Lim Hyunsik's bulldog-like face softened.

"Oh! Hanjo, you're here."

"Yes, sir."

"Finished your schedule already? You must be tired."

"I came straight over. Couldn't miss supporting our juniors."

Watching Hanjo smoothly navigate the conversation like a seasoned professional left the debut team staring in admiration.

Will we ever become like that?

Street Boys.

One of the five most successful groups in the entertainment industry.

Just like NewBlack, they were legendary for rising from a small agency.

As the trainees looked at those senior artists—

"Shall we?"

Giwon smiled.

"Yes!"

For security reasons, filming wasn't permitted inside Lemon Entertainment's lobby.

The cameras had instead been set up in a restricted area on the second floor.

A staff member guided everyone inside.

"This is the merchandise store."

"Whoa! They have our seniors' albums!"

The trainees excitedly held up Street Boys CDs.

Hanjo smiled.

After giving a small wave to the fans taking pictures, he followed the guide.

...I'm a little jealous.

Lemon had grown into such a giant that it now owned its own headquarters.

He usually avoided thinking about it, but moments like this reminded him of the distance between Street Boys and NewBlack.

Hanjo quietly picked up one of NewBlack's albums.

"..."

They had started around the same time.

They'd once stood in similar places.

Now NewBlack seemed to exist somewhere above the clouds.

Street Boys had also reached heights every K-pop idol dreamed of.

But compared to NewBlack, who seemed to be writing history in real time...

The gap felt immeasurable.

He'd never admitted it aloud, but there had been times he'd felt jealous.

That was before they'd become close friends.

Now he understood.

—

"Hey... are you okay?"

"...I'm fine. Just stressed about the album."

—

Sun Wooju, vomiting from the pressure while preparing the album that would launch their global expansion.

Hanjo looked at Wooju's bright smile printed on the album cover.

Nothing worthwhile ever comes easily.

From the outside, NewBlack's success looked effortless.

He knew better.

He knew how much sweat and tears had been poured into it.

He'd seen Wooju staying up all night studying English for overseas promotions.

Seen him cry because his body couldn't keep up with practice.

Seen him stare at a monitor for days because the song he wanted simply wouldn't come.

As he smiled faintly at the album, he almost heard Wooju's voice.

"If you're going to worry about me, just give me money~~ So Wooju can buy snacks~~!"

Hanjo chuckled.

Then he carried NewBlack's White Night album to the register.

The random bonus plush happened to be Junghyun.

Satisfied, he caught up with the others.

"Wooooow!"

"Wooooow!"

X Busters might have looked like fierce rookie idols thanks to their styling...

But they still chirped around like baby chicks.

Hanjo and Giwon couldn't help smiling.

NewBlack probably feels exactly like this watching their own trainees.

I hope they grow up well.

Now that they belonged to a major agency...

He hoped these juniors would be spared as much of the hardship Street Boys had endured during their own rookie days.

"Hm?"

"What is it, hyung?"

"I got a message."

It was from his best friend.

Wooju: Tell the staff you'd like to see the lobby screen before you leave~~

Wooju: We prepared a little gift~

Following the instructions, Hanjo asked the guide.

The staff immediately led them to the giant display in the lobby.

CEO Lim Hyunsik stood nearby with folded arms and a gruff expression as Lemon Entertainment's artists began appearing one after another.

Top actor Kwak Sihyun.

A long lineup of famous actors.

Then came Lemon's musicians in order of seniority.

HAITIAN

The legendary first-generation rapper who now headed Lemon's acquired hip-hop label—and who had once taught Street Boys rap.

DAYLIGHT

The iconic second-generation girl group from SNH Entertainment, still active today.

Then—

YOON CHANHYUK

One of Korea's greatest ballad vocalists, considered Cha Woohyun's equal.

After him appeared a handsome man in a tailored suit with ash-gray hair swept neatly back.

JANG HANBYUL

One of Greater China's biggest superstars, earning hundreds of millions every year.

A member of TNT.

"Whoa! Senior Jang Hanbyul is with Lemon?"

"Looks like it."

Scarlet.

La Vie en Rose.

Autumn Girls.

Then a stylish nine-member group appeared in street hip-hop fashion.

STREET BOYS

"WOOOOOOO!"

"Our seniors are so cool!"

As cheers erupted from their own juniors—

Another image appeared.

NewBlack.

Dressed in black suits, seated upon the thrones of Olympus itself.

THE NEW BLACK

A fresh wave of applause filled the lobby.

Objectively, they remained on screen no longer than any other artist.

Yet somehow...

Their presence overwhelmed everything else.

It seemed as though the showcase was ending after NewBlack and SNH's artists.

Then another image appeared.

EX BUSTERS

The members instantly covered their mouths.

Gye Hongju looked seconds away from tears as he fumbled for his phone.

At that exact moment—

Elegant lettering appeared.

"A heartfelt welcome to Lemon Entertainment."

The message slowly faded in.

"Congratulations on your debut."

Tears welled in the members' eyes.

Hanjo quietly smiled.

They're unbelievably good at this.

No one understood how to win people's hearts better than Wooju.

He knew perfectly well this was a carefully planned production.

Even so...

He couldn't stop smiling.

That crafty bastard...

"Wooooow..."

"They're congratulating us! Look!"

The atmosphere among X Busters changed completely as they posed for commemorative photos in front of the display.

Hanjo felt it too.

For some reason...

Only now did it truly feel as though DNS had become part of the Lemon Entertainment family.

Everyone was smiling.

Everyone except one person.

CEO Lim Hyunsik's lips twitched.

In his imagination, Park Gyuho suddenly appeared.

A bald cloth doll dancing on puppet strings.

Lucky bastard... Baldy!

Then behind him, cackling like the mastermind of some grand conspiracy—

Sun Wooju.

Lim Hyunsik burned with envy.

"Kids, stand up for a moment."

"Huh?"

"Just for a second."

As I got up from the sofa, the CEO busily arranged seat cushions beneath us.

"Memory foam cushions. Your backsides won't hurt as much with these."

"Thank you."

"Are you thirsty?"

"We're okay."

We quickly stopped him before he started pouring water for us too.

Turning around, I saw the trainees getting their makeup done.

Jinho kept fidgeting until the makeup artist scolded him.

"Jinho. Stay still."

"Ah! Yes!"

His face had gone completely rigid.

I smiled and walked over.

"Feels awkward?"

"Yes... I'm really nervous. It's my first time getting proper TV makeup."

"You'll get used to it."

His fingers kept twitching.

He simply couldn't stay still.

Meanwhile, beside him, fellow second-year high school student Jihyuk sat calmly.

"Looks like you're already used to this."

"Yeah. After getting makeup a few times during the survival show's finals."

"How is it?"

"I'm just amazed by the chief artist's skills. How can you make someone look like this..."

The compliment brought a pleased smile to the makeup director's face.

While she happily continued brushing away, I checked on Yoonsu and the other trainees as well.

Then—

"Boksu. Picked your stage name?"

"Yes."

Our trainee Kim Boksu.

A surprisingly intense name for someone with such a gentle appearance.

He'd mentioned he'd be using a stage name for the broadcast.

Jiho, who had been wandering around feeding snacks to the trainees, immediately asked,

"You picked one? What is it?"

"I'm VEN now."

"V-E-N."

"Ven..."

Jiho's eyes widened.

"You like SUVs?"

"Uh..."

Boksu awkwardly trailed off.

Ri Hyuk sighed.

"It's obviously from 'vengeance.'"

"Ohhhh."

Junghyun nodded.

"It's okay. The cameras aren't rolling."

"Exactly."

Biju immediately accepted the explanation, and everyone smiled warmly.

As long as it wasn't caught on camera...

"All right then. We'll call you Ven during filming."

"Yes!"

"I like it. Nice choice."

Replacing Boksu with Ven somehow made the gentle-looking boy seem much more like an idol.

After checking on everyone's makeup, I walked over to Jihyuk, who kept reviewing choreography diagrams and lyric sheets.

"You're leading the evaluation team this time?"

"Yes."

"Did Jinho hand it over? What happened?"

I remembered Jinho originally serving as the trainees' leader.

He was the most outgoing one.

Jihyuk answered calmly.

"Yeah... after talking things over a few times, everyone suddenly voted unanimously to make me team leader."

"Why?"

"To quote them exactly..."

He paused.

"'We need a brain.'"

I burst out laughing.

"That's fair."

Our trainees loved practicing.

Using their brains?

Not so much.

And considering Jihyuk had actually won a survival audition show, he really was the ideal choice.

"Hmm..."

I looked over the group.

Seven trainees.

Jihyuk and Jinho were the oldest.

"Who wants chocolate?"

Jinho naturally handled the emotional side of leadership.

Meanwhile...

"Hmm..."

Jihyuk seemed to be the strategist quietly steering the team behind the scenes.

As he continued muttering over his notebook, I asked,

"How's everyone doing?"

"Huh?"

"Settling in okay?"

"Ah..."

He carefully searched for the right words.

"I think they're... stronger than I expected."

"Hm?"

"At first I thought everyone was gentle and innocent. But the more we practice together... the tougher they seem."

He thought for a moment.

"They're like... tofu made of steel."

The comparison instantly reminded me of something TeenSpirit had once said.

I couldn't help smiling.

I was about to continue chatting when I noticed him repeatedly glancing back at his notebook.

I simply patted his shoulder.

"See you later."

Trying to encourage them before the evaluation would probably only make them more nervous.

After handing out snacks and telling everyone we'd see them later, we headed out.

Right then—

A familiar face appeared in the hallway.

"Yo!"

Jiho waved enthusiastically.

Hanjo and Giwon waved back.

The moment I saw Hanjo's clothes, I frowned.

"What the heck? Why are we wearing matching outfits?"

"I should be saying that."

"Go change."

"You should be the one changing."

Everyone burst into laughter as we glared at each other in identical outfits.

I looked toward Giwon.

"Doing well?"

"Yep."

"Looking good."

Slim as ever in a knit sweater.

Unlike the rest of Street Boys, who had slowly transformed into gym addicts, their main vocalist somehow looked exactly the same.

As we naturally walked toward the practice room together, I asked,

"Did you see the video downstairs?"

"The kids cried."

I laughed after seeing the photo of X Busters sobbing in front of the screen.

Jiho looked up.

"Oh right! Didn't LB say his younger brother's in the debut team?"

"Yeah."

Hanjo pointed at one member glaring coolly into the camera with the expression of a leopard.

"...He feels completely different."

"He kind of reminds me of Ri Hyuk hyung."

That explained why LB occasionally told Ri Hyuk, "You remind me of my little brother."

Though LB's actual brother looked like a leopard.

Ri Hyuk was more of a cat.

While everyone examined the mischievous older brother's complete opposite, I proudly pulled out my phone.

"Heh heh heh."

I showed them pictures of our trainees.

"Look. Our trainees."

"Oh."

"I think we win in the visuals department."

"...!"

Hanjo bristled immediately.

"Maybe you do. Lemon's always been known for visuals. But!"

"But!"

Giwon joined in.

"Our kids have incredible talent! They're the rightful successors to the authentic hip-hop boy group, Street Boys!"

"Oh? So you're saying our trainees have no talent?"

"Not that! But everyone knows debut members are miles ahead of trainees."

"We'll see about that."

As we stood forehead to forehead, laughing while growling at each other—

Ri Hyuk suddenly held out several sheets of paper.

"...?"

"...??"

He spoke calmly.

"Arguing here won't settle anything."

"True."

"What matters is evaluating their actual abilities."

"Exactly."

"So."

He distributed the forms.

"Evaluation sheets."

"I divided everything into twenty separate categories."

"Each worth five points."

"This will let us assess the trainees quantitatively."

"Then we'll know objectively who's better."

"..."

"..."

Hanjo and I looked over the evaluation criteria.

If these results were ever shown to the trainees...

Half of them might retire on the spot.

"So?"

Ri Hyuk looked at us with terrifyingly sincere eyes.

Hanjo and I slowly turned toward one another.

"..."

"..."

Then we silently reached out and shook hands.

"The kids can fight it out."

"Exactly."

"Winning or losing isn't what's important."

"That's right."

Faced with true madness, every one of us instantly came back to our senses.