Dance.

What if I could conquer dance—something my motor skills were so terrible at that six years as a trainee hadn’t improved it at all?

I lost count of the debut opportunities I’d missed during my trainee years. Friends who joined after me debuted first.

I’d barely reached the debut lineup, only to be cut.

All because of dance.

The reason I gave up on being an idol—and TNT cutting me was merely the pretext—was dance.

But if I could overcome dance...

To find out, I repeated the exact same experiment as before.

First I performed the dance I already knew.

Then I watched the original performer on MiTube and recorded a second take, mimicking it.

When I compared the results, I couldn’t close my mouth.

My goodness It works

I’d wondered if it might be possible—and it really was.

Less than a minute elapsed between recordings, yet my movements had changed astonishingly.

I was at a loss for words.

It felt as if the stars stitching the night sky were falling toward me.

It was far away and unreal.

My lifelong regret—and the reason I’d been cut from the debut lineup—had been resolved so easily Was this a dream

My legs gave way and I collapsed.

Jeans against the hard winter sand rose a chill, but I sat dazed and gazed up at the sky.

Stars sprinkled across the night sky.

A half-hidden moon hovered amid the clouds.

Taking it all in, I recalled today’s events.

From saving the old man to watching an action movie in the hospital.

From doing the interview to coming to the field to test my ability.

None of it was a dream.

At first I denied reality, thinking it impossible, but the more I experimented, the more certain I became.

For some reason I had gained an ability.

A kind of superpower.

It was so absurd I laughed.

Ha ha

Laughing as if insane, I sat there a long while, then brushed off my pants and stood.

Now... dance was no problem.

I’d told Seok-hwan hyung I’d given up on idols, but even after leaving TJ Entertainment I’d auditioned several times.

And I’d failed each time.

Judges who had beamed at my visuals and vocals frowned when they saw my stilted dance, and upon learning I’d trained six years, they shook their heads.

Six years and still that bad meant more training wouldn’t help.

But now it was different.

Dance was no longer a hurdle.

So I could walk that path again.

The path I had given up on.

Idol.

Perhaps now it could be possible.

“Hurry up and eat Your meat will burn”

“Oh right”

I gathered myself at Seok-hwan hyung’s urging.

The barbecue he’d brought me to was a renowned restaurant in Eunpyeong-gu.

As a trainee I’d drooled over photos of it but never visited—perhaps hyung knew my envy.

I put a perfectly grilled slice of flower-cut sirloin in my mouth.

The nuttiness and the charcoal-grilled richness of beef.

As I wore an ecstatic expression, Seok-hwan hyung, holding tongs, looked touched.

“If someone saw you they’d think you hadn’t eaten in days Take your time Does anyone plan to take you away?”

“Not that I know of”

“What makes you think that”

“I mean you ordered five portions of fifty-thousand-won snowflake sirloin without hesitation That means it’s not your personal card And you said you brought the corporate card So this isn’t personal—it’s business, right”

“Sherlock Holmes over here”

“Go on hyung”

As thanks to the sponsor I carefully wrapped lettuce with meat and handed it to him.

He smiled and said

“So if I come to take you away will you go”

“Depends”

I glanced at the menu as I answered

“If you add a steamed egg my heart might be swayed”

Seok-hwan hyung laughed and ordered a steamed egg.

While we ate the meat a steaming bowl of steamed egg arrived.

I scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to my lips when Seok-hwan hyung watched me and spoke cautiously.

“By the way are you okay”

“What about”

“The CSAT exam You read that you prepared for two years since the military Mock test scores at the top”

“It’s a shame but it can’t be helped I can’t change what happened”

“It must sting inside”

“I’m okay I’m used to this now”

I smiled as I replied

“Has my life ever gone the way I wanted If everything I wanted came true I’d be Asia’s star by now Studying was a waste but it can’t be helped I’d only hurt myself dwelling on it”

“Your mental is still like diamond”

“Not diamond—maybe gold But not pure gold a little alloy mixed in”

At my joke Seok-hwan hyung laughed as if exasperated.

“What did Grandma say”

“What did she say”

I shuddered recalling our phone call hours earlier.

“She cursed in every primate’s insult imaginable Do you know what a chinchilla is hyung”

“You heard chinchilla too”

“She used enough animal curses to fill the zodiac If she weren’t my Grandma I’d sue”

“I’m sure she said it out of worry”

“I know”

So she feels sorry and worried. I’d feel terrible putting my grandmother through this as she only thinks of me at her age.

“Hyung can we talk about something else The mood’s killed my drink”

“What are you talking about You’re drinking cola”

“Cola is liquor”

“When did cola become alcohol”

“If it’s bad for you and makes you feel good it’s liquor”

“I drank soju so why are you saying nonsense”

I took a gulp of cola with a “kyah”

I couldn’t drink alcohol My face flushed so much you’d know I was drunk at first sip.

“Let’s toast”

Clinking glasses I grabbed another piece of meat.

“Hyung”

“Yes”

“So why did you ask me to meet”

As a person I like Yoon Seok-hwan But business is different No matter how much I like someone hyung is a social being fighting in the world He wouldn’t call me to share memories over beef

“There must be a reason you called me Honestly saying you saw me on the internet and wanted to meet feels like an excuse”

“That’s true”

“What”

“You’re more famous than you think”

“No way”

“Based on today’s visibility you’re a mid-tier idol”

“Stop inflating me”

As I waved my hand

“Excuse me”

“Yes”

I turned and saw a woman approaching our table. She looked in her twenties Eyes shining as if she wanted something

“You’re him aren’t you Galhyeon-dong Hero”

Hearing “Galhyeon-dong Hero” in print was one thing but hearing it aloud made me blush Seok-hwan hyung snickered at my cringing face

“Yes that’s me May I help you”

“Wow amazing”

She laughed heartily

“I saw you on the internet today It’s really incredible”

“Oh uh”

“You’re more handsome in person”

“Thank you”

“Can I take a photo with you”

“Photo Yes sure”

I felt like a celebrity Before opening the camera app I noticed her wallpaper was a photo of the famous idol group Sixty Seconds A fan

After the photo she asked “Can I post it on Facebook?” then departed. She seemed out with family Glancing at their table the younger brother seemed to be a test-taker Watching their cheerful family I muttered

“My face really is known now”

“Believe it yet”

“A little”

“You doubted and asked why I called right Do you have business or what”

I nodded

“So you want to be an en....”

“I’m not”

Before I finished he blinked

“Listen to the end damn it”

“They want me to act Obviously”

I dipped my medium-rare sirloin in oil The blood floated fatly I enjoyed the fatty yet chewy taste of 1++ grade beef and held it in my mouth

“TJ said the same They cut me saying idols aren’t everything Your looks would sell anywhere So why not switch to acting”

“You hate acting that much”

“No”

I filled hyung’s glass with soju

“Now whether acting or idols who cares Actually something special happened today”

I’d saved the old man and tumbled on ice and gained a strange ability The power to copy any movement upon seeing it On the school field I tested this and realized there were no limits to what I could copy Punches, kicks, gymnastic moves, b-boying, even idol dance The dance that had plagued me for six years was solved Meaning I didn’t need to pursue acting

“I haven’t decided yet but I’m thinking of challenging idols again”

“Now?”

“There are people debuting at twenty-five I’m twenty-one, a bit late but still in time”

“You’re just giving up on the CSAT”

“I’m considering it”

I scratched my cheek as it felt awkward

“I said idol isn’t definite I haven’t decided about the CSAT either”

“So you do want to be an idol for now”

“Huh”

Seok-hwan hyung’s reaction felt odd I tilted my head at his bright eyes

“Good news Woo-joo”

“What”

“If you want to be an idol come to our company”

“Wait”

I raised my hand to interrupt him

“Why is this conversation going that way Didn’t you ask me to act”

“When did I”

“Huh”

“You assumed on your own So listen to people till the end”

“Sorry I misunderstood”

Seok-hwan pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to me

[Yoon Seok-hwan Director Lemon Entertainment]

I widened my eyes at his new title on the card

“Director You got promoted”

“Not really It’s like being a department head in a big company then moving to a smaller one as director”

“Congratulations You joined a good company”

Lemon Entertainment was a solid mid-tier agency. Started as an actor agency, now expanding into music. They had a famous girl group debut recently

“Scarlet is with Lemon Entertainment right”

“Right”

Scarlet is a successful four-member girl group A rising star last year known for real talent

“I’m preparing a boy group after Scarlet So audition for us”

“Are you serious”

He nodded

“I am Would I feed you expensive beef as a joke”

“You remember I was cut because I dance terribly”

“How could I forget”

“And yet”

I eyed him suspiciously He shrugged with a deflating smile

“When I asked you I first thought of your dance skills Didn’t want to crush someone wrongly But the higher-ups said it didn’t matter and insisted we bring you in”

“Higher-ups”

“Oh shoot I haven’t told you yet”

Yoon Seok-hwan tapped his glass and began

“You know composer Jo Gyu-hwan”

“Of course Anyone studying composition knows him”

“He’s the production director at Lemon Entertainment Second-in-command He handles casting actors and singers and producing Scarlet is his work”

He continued

“But he’s unusual Nicknamed The Fortune Teller”

“Fortune Teller”

“He nails what will succeed or fail Almost a 99 percent accuracy”

“That’s impossible”

“I’m telling you man”

When I laughed he grew serious and gave examples Everyone thought one song would fail but it topped the charts in a day He persuaded the company to cast an actor in a minor film predicted to flop—he became a blockbuster star

“Most I heard secondhand But I saw Scarlet casting I was there”

Scarlet members were scouted wandering Hongdae, handing a card to a high schooler on the subway—grabbed on a whim—and Scarlet became 2012’s top rookie group

Seok-hwan hyung shook his head as if tired and said

“Anyway Director Jo wants to pick you as the new boy group member”

“What”

“Literally”

I thought it over and stared at Seok-hwan hyung

“Hyung”

“Yes”

“Be honest Tell me about this boy group you want me to join It doesn’t look healthy”

“Huh Your ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) state isn’t good”

“What do you mean not good”

“No company adds members to a healthy group If they’re adding someone it means there’s an internal problem”

His offer was tempting. A boy group produced by the Midas touch made by Midas himself wanting me personally. But nothing good flows without question. When a huge opportunity comes, you must ask why it remained until my turn. Especially now I’m not a trainee but a test-taker when it’s offered

“Well it’s not exactly a problem”

Seok-hwan hyung scratched his nose Bridge and said

“The situation is complicated”

He explained in detail The boy group project at Lemon was first The management team was preparing a seven-member boy group while Jo Gyu-hwan was busy with Scarlet The goal was seven members But a trainee was released for poor character That alone wouldn’t cause delay But then two of the remaining six left before debut and had already filmed profile photos The four left had their morale shattered And two years passed in that state

“After Scarlet settled earlier this year Jo Gyu-hwan became the boy group producer”

“And so”

“They decided to debut as five instead of seven They held auditions but no one impressed Director Jo until today”

Until today What could it mean