Episode 20. Respect (4)
Kang Dae-oh, waiting for his eldest daughter with Kang Yebin, listened intently to the sound of applause coming from inside the audition hall.
“The judges are applauding, right?”
“Yes.”
It was a kind of signal that the stage Kang Yera had prepared had elicited a positive reaction from the judges.
Only then could Kang Dae-oh feel relieved.
On the other hand, Kang Yebin spoke as if it were obvious, as if she had expected this outcome from the beginning.
“It would be strange if there wasn’t such a reaction in the first place. Amateurs and pros are competing together. And unnie didn’t just dabble in idol activities for a year or two.”
Even if she was unknown, it wasn’t that Kang Yera lacked skill.
The reason she couldn’t rise to fame was not a lack of skill, but rather external factors.
The almost non-existent push from her agency.
In addition, minor misfortunes piled up, causing Kang Yera to miss every opportunity to appeal to the public.
That’s why Kang Yebin always felt frustrated by her unnie’s situation whenever she saw her.
That frustration, feeling like something was about to unravel but never did, felt like her own problem.
So, Kang Yebin hoped that in this life, Kang Yera would be able to fully pursue the dreams she couldn’t achieve before.
The foundation of that dream began to be laid for the first time at this audition site.
Just by looking at Kang Yera’s expression as she exited the audition hall, Kang Yebin could immediately guess the atmosphere of the scene.
“Looks like you did well.”
“Of course! This is a piece of cake, a piece of cake.”
Kang Yebin let out a chuckle at her unnie’s confident demeanor, which she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Kang Dae-oh stroked Kang Yera’s head, who had returned after her hard work.
“Well done, my daughter.”
Kang Yera clung to her father’s leg with a bright smile.
Since the audition was over.
“Shall we go home now?”
“Yes!”
It seemed like a good idea to go home and think about how to approach the remaining auditions.
After sending his daughters to the elevator first, Kang Dae-oh went to the waiting room alone and packed his belongings.
Just then.
Someone who appeared to be a company official sought out Kang Dae-oh.
“Excuse me, is Kang Yera’s abunim here?”
“Yes, that would be me.”
The first worry that came to mind was whether there had been any problem when Kang Yera auditioned.
At the audition site, they might have applauded and cheered for Kang Yera, showing a positive reaction upfront, but a different evaluation could come out behind the scenes.
“I’m Director Lee Yun-bae from Dandelion. I have something to tell you briefly.”
Director Lee Yun-bae glanced at the other children and parents in the waiting room.
He had a feeling he was about to say something they shouldn’t hear.
“Shall we move somewhere else?”
When Kang Dae-oh suggested it first, Director Lee Yun-bae immediately nodded as if he had been waiting for those words.
The two moved their location just outside the hallway.
Still, just in case, Director Lee Yun-bae lowered his voice significantly compared to before.
A moment later.
The words he delivered were quite shocking.
“Normally, we notify the results after a certain period following the audition. But it seems like there’s no need for that with Yera-yang.”
Just as Kang Dae-oh was about to ask for clarification.
Director Lee Yun-bae first revealed the reason.
“She passed. If you wish, we can proceed with the contract starting tomorrow.”
Kang Yera became the applicant who received the fastest acceptance notification since Dandelion Entertainment was established.
Although Kang Yera learned from Kang Dae-oh’s words that she had been accepted directly into Dandelion.
Her answer was ‘hold for a moment.’
This was because there were still two agencies remaining where she hadn’t auditioned yet.
Usually, if one received an acceptance notification from Dandelion, they would try to join immediately.
Dandelion was well-known in the entertainment industry as a solid and considerably large agency.
They were also known for strongly supporting idol groups.
But just because the company was good, there was no need to join immediately without looking elsewhere.
This was because there might be another agency that suited her even better.
The more effort one puts in searching, the better the outcome.
In any case, Kang Yera possessed the ability and knowledge to seize any desired opportunity with just a little effort.
As a regressor, she intended to actively utilize her privileges, so she shouldn’t be tempted by the sweet fruit placed right before her eyes.
Should I call it fortunate?
Dandelion also sent a reply saying they fully understood Kang Yera’s position and that she could make her decision after auditioning sufficiently at other places.
Kang Dae-oh re-checked the reply message sent by Dandelion and let out an exclamation of admiration.
“Still, Dandelion seems like a decent company. I heard there are often agencies that pressure you by saying, ‘If not now, you won’t get another chance.’”
Kang Yebin answered first, before Kang Yera.
“Dandelion is famous for always asking its artists for their opinion before making any decisions, and it will continue to be that way. That’s the CEO’s nature.”
“Really? Then wouldn’t it be fine to go to Dandelion? I don’t know what the other two places are like, but the company is solid. If it’s a place that cares a lot about its artists, it seems okay to go there right away.”
“Instead, there’s a disadvantage.”
Kang Yebin subtly shifted her gaze towards her unnie.
It was an action implying, “You tell him the disadvantage, unnie.”
Kang Yera, who nodded briefly, explained the real reason why she didn’t choose Dandelion immediately.
“They have too many artists there. So, even if I were to debut, there’s a high chance they wouldn’t be able to pay much attention to me. In fact, even before I regressed to the past, many sunbaenim had complaints about this.”
The company is indeed good, but no matter how decent it is, if there are too many artists to manage, problems are bound to arise.
She had already witnessed such cases firsthand, which was why she couldn’t help but hesitate despite Dandelion’s quick acceptance notification.
“Anyway, I’m confident I’ll get immediate acceptance notifications from the remaining two places as well. Don’t worry too much, appa.”
“No, I’m not particularly worried. I trust my daughter.”
Kang Dae-oh didn’t need to stay up all night studying the entertainment industry.
Because he had his daughters’ future knowledge.
Kang Dae-oh’s role was to be a pillar of support for his children, someone they could lean on when they wavered.
This was something even a successful entertainment agency couldn’t do; it was something only Kang Dae-oh could do.
Kang Dae-oh began to roughly examine what kind of companies the remaining two were.
“One is Ripple, and the other is Irowool, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ripple was a place Kang Dae-oh had heard of before.
He remembered it as an entertainment agency of a similar scale to Dandelion.
On the other hand, Irowool Entertainment was new to him.
“This is also an entertainment agency, right?”
He searched again on his smartphone, but there was almost no related information.
Kang Yera and Kang Yebin nodded simultaneously and spoke.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“It hasn’t been established for long, so you won’t find much information even if you search the internet.”
“No wonder.”
Kang Yera wouldn’t have arbitrarily sent an audition application without properly researching the company.
Compared to Dandelion or Ripple, it seemed like a company with a significant difference in scale.
Yet, the fact that Kang Yera submitted an application here meant that…
“It must be a company with high potential for future growth.”
This time too, Kang Yera and Kang Yebin’s heads moved up and down.
Having spent time with his daughters, he had now reached a level where he could understand things without needing explicit explanations.
Since his eldest chose the company after careful consideration, there wasn’t much to worry about regarding this aspect.
Kang Dae-oh was concerned about something else.
“You have to audition twice a day, in the morning and afternoon. Will you be okay?”
Kang Dae-oh, who visited an audition site for the first time in his life.
Its unique atmosphere and tension made even an adult like Kang Dae-oh feel suffocated.
Even Kang Dae-oh, who wasn’t auditioning, couldn’t help but feel significant psychological pressure.
He worried whether Kang Yera, the one actually auditioning, would be okay experiencing this twice a day.
Kang Yera grinned and replied:
“When I went to many auditions, I even did three a day.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Because I wanted to become an idol that much.”
Kang Yera’s eyes were sparkling more than ever.
Kang Yera’s desire to become an idol was even greater than Kang Dae-oh had worried.
Only after hearing a clear answer from his daughter could Kang Dae-oh erase the remaining worries in his heart.
Since Kang Yera had firmly made up her mind.
Kang Dae-oh also decided to stay with his daughter until the end.
A few days later.
Kang Dae-oh, who arrived at Ripple Entertainment for Kang Yera’s audition, clicked his tongue as he looked at the skyscraper reaching endlessly into the sky.
‘I heard the company was big, but I didn’t expect it to be this big.’
Indeed. A successful agency was different in every way.
The number of people who came to the site for auditions was also enormous.
‘It seems even more crowded than when we went to Dandelion?’
Kang Dae-oh, who had taken a seat in the waiting room with his daughters, scanned his surroundings.
Kang Yebin, who came with them, also clicked her tongue.
“Ripple is very popular.”
“I know, right.”
Unlike Kang Dae-oh, who answered nonchalantly, Kang Yera gave her dongsaeng a dumbfounded look.
“Why did you come along again?”
“I told you last time. This is all for unnie.”
“I don’t need it.”
Just as they were about to start bickering again.
This time, it was Kang Yera’s turn quickly.
“Applicant number 51, please come to the audition room.”
“Yes!”
Just like at Dandelion, Kang Dae-oh waited outside the door with Kang Yebin until Kang Yera finished her audition.
After about 10 minutes.
Without fail, the judges’ applause continued.
Kang Yebin shrugged her small shoulders.
“Looks like unnie did well without getting nervous.”
“That’s a relief, I guess.”
Kang Yera, who came out of the audition room, rushed Kang Dae-oh without even a moment to rejoice.
“Appa! Let’s go to the next place quickly!”
“Okay. Appa will pack the bags and come, so wait in the elevator with your dongsaeng like last time.”
“Yes!”
Kang Dae-oh quickly headed to the waiting room and packed his belongings with skilled movements.
Just then, two judges from the audition room came to find Kang Dae-oh.
“You are Kang Yera’s abunim, correct?”
“We have something to tell you briefly. Do you have a moment?”
Is this déjà vu?
The same situation as with Dandelion unfolded.
What they said was also the same.
“Yera-yang, how about sending her to our company?”
“We will also adjust the contract terms well. Abunim, you just need to make the decision.”
Kang Dae-oh shook his head with a bitter smile.
“I will tell you after asking Yera first.”
“No, abunim. There’s no need for that.”
“Huh?”
The judges exchanged meaningful smiles.
“Don’t kids this age usually do what their parents tell them to?”
“That’s right.”
“And you, abunim, should judge and decide rather than the kids. What do kids know?”
“Abunim, you just need to make the decision. An adult’s opinion is the most important.”
Kang Dae-oh, who had been quietly listening to their words, hardened his expression.
He did not like their attitude, which showed absolutely no respect for children.
“I apologize, but children know everything. Sometimes they even notice things that adults don’t. And…”
Kang Dae-oh said with a serious expression.
“Children are not their parents’ possessions. So, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t say that parents can do whatever they want with them.”
Kang Dae-oh didn’t know what Kang Yera would think about Ripple, but…
In Kang Dae-oh’s mind, this company was already branded as a flawed place.
