Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 10

#10.

“What’s going on? What’s the matter?”

Team Leader Jung Hee-young asked the employee, glancing at the vice president.

The employee quickly whispered the reason to Team Leader Jung Hee-young in a low voice.

“Um, Team Leader…”

Team Leader Jung Hee-young’s face turned pale as she heard the employee’s words.

“What? Really?”

“Yes. They’re here in the office.”

“Oh my god…”

“What’s all the commotion about?”

The vice president asked with a stiff face.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young hurriedly told the vice president the news.

The expressions of the vice president and Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol, who were nearby, quickly hardened.

Do-jae and Louis found it hard to understand what was going on.

It was a bewildering situation where they couldn’t properly feel the joy of passing the audition or the sadness of failing.

After a while, Team Leader Jung Hee-young said, trying to remain calm.

“I’m so sorry, but something urgent has come up… I think you two can head home now. I’ll contact you separately.”

There was no problem since the results had already been announced.

Do-jae and Louis quickly said their goodbyes and left the audition hall.

As they came out of the building, the sun was already setting.

“I hope nothing’s wrong with the company.”

“I don’t know. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious.”

Do-jae replied to Louis’ worried question, checking Louis’ mood.

His bright eyes, which are somewhat rare to see in Koreans, were shining transparently in the sunlight, but he didn’t seem too heartbroken.

Do-jae carefully asked.

“What are you planning to do now?”

“Me? I’m… I don’t know. Hyung [older brother or male friend], don’t you have any agencies you were planning to go to if you failed here? I was just going to follow you no matter what. Or should I just ask if I can be a trainee here? Can’t I be a trainee?”

“You don’t have to go that far…”

Aside from feeling sorry, it was a level of trust that felt burdensome.

As Do-jae dissuaded him, Louis frowned and muttered.

“I thought everything would be fine if I followed you… My gut feeling was totally right.”

“Think about it carefully. You definitely have the potential to go to a big agency.”

“Yeah. It’s not like I have nowhere to go, right? It’s just that you’re not there.”

Do-jae shook his head and chuckled at Louis, who was whining like he was joking.

“Let’s go home and rest today… and contact each other again.”

“Okay!”

With that, the two turned around and headed to their respective homes.

***

Meanwhile.

The members of Planning Team 2, including Team Leader Jung Hee-young, were going through emotional stages similar to the five stages of grief.

To be exact, they were beyond denial and anger, and had reached the stages of bargaining and depression.

“So, both your mother… and Hee-min… you’re absolutely not going to change your minds, are you?”

“No, Team Leader.”

“I’m sorry…”

A middle-aged woman who looked like a wealthy housewife at a glance answered firmly.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young sighed openly after an hour of repeated persuasion and appeasement.

“Haa…”

The second idol group that Kingdom Entertainment was planning.

Planning Team 2 and Team Leader Jung Hee-young were in charge of everything, from casting the group to determining the concept and members.

Jung Hee-young, who moved from Sunyul Entertainment, one of the top 3 agencies, to Kingdom Entertainment, was recognized for her skills and formed Planning Team 2.

Since then, she had been working tirelessly for two years to create a large idol group that was as good as the top 3 agencies.

‘I thought everything was ready now…’

Team Leader Jung Hee-young pressed hard on her throbbing temples.

“I’m sorry, Team Leader. But please let me go…”

Lee Hee-min, who had bleached his hair blonde, said hesitantly.

Lee Hee-min was one of the core members of the next group that Team Leader Jung Hee-young was planning.

He was fifteen years old when he was cast.

Now he was seventeen, young and full of talent.

He had received many casting offers from other places, so in the beginning, it was difficult to persuade him to stay with Kingdom.

In the end, he stayed with Kingdom, and Lee Hee-min was always included in the next group that Team Leader Jung Hee-young was planning.

‘Five people weren’t enough… It took a long time to gather six people.’

But Do-jae had joined a little while ago.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young was momentarily filled with anticipation, thinking that she had found an even better member than she had expected.

But the news she heard was that Lee Hee-min was immigrating.

It was like a bolt from the blue for Team Leader Jung Hee-young.

“Mother. Hee-min’s debut is really just around the corner. In fact, we found all the members through today’s audition, and now we’re just in the preparation stage.”

“I’m sorry, Team Leader Jung. I trusted Team Leader Jung and entrusted our child to this… agency with a mediocre name… Huh? But how many times have I heard that it’s just around the corner?”

“Hee-min. You know best. It was right away once one member was filled. Is there any problem with the hyungs [older brothers or male friends]?”

“No. Nothing like that… I’m just… practice is too hard…”

“You’ve endured it well for two years. Aren’t you wasting two years?”

“It was too hard… I think it’ll be hard even if I become an idol… I just want to study art.”

Lee Hee-min lowered his head and answered.

“Our child is still young. You can think of two years as studying life. I’m going to have him study in the United States.”

Team Leader Jung Hee-young barely swallowed her words.

The people of Planning Team 2 had not worked hard for two years to have Lee Hee-min study life.

Hee-min’s mother continued in a firm tone as if driving a wedge.

“I’m here to tell you that I don’t think I’ll be able to come here anymore to prepare to leave the country next month.”

She had finished preparing everything and was just here to notify them.

It was a completely impossible situation to persuade.

If she had decided a little sooner.

If she had told me before confirming the members.

It wouldn’t have been so futile.

It was daunting to think about filling Lee Hee-min’s vacancy again, re-determining the positions, and reorganizing the group’s color.

‘I barely filled one person, and one person is leaving again… What should I do? I can’t delay the debut plan any further.’

It was a problem for the company, but the other members had to wait for their debut day again.

All of them had been trainees longer than Lee Hee-min.

However, Team Leader Jung Hee-young had no justification for holding onto Lee Hee-min.

Trainees do sign a contract with the company, but it is not the same concept as an exclusive contract.

This was because companies usually release trainees rather than trainees leaving.

‘Even if I hold on now, I don’t know when he’ll cause another problem… Okay. I should think of it as fortunate that he came out like this before the exclusive contract. Let’s think positively. Positively…’

Team Leader Jung Hee-young quickly passed through the stages of depression and acceptance.

“I understand. Hee-min and your mother’s intentions… I understand.”

Team Leader Jung Hee-young nodded with a sigh and answered Lee Hee-min and his mother.

After clearing the table and getting up, Team Leader Jung Hee-young immediately reported the situation to the higher-ups and summoned all of Planning Team 2.

A very long and long countermeasure meeting was about to begin in a bad atmosphere.

***

However, the meeting ended faster than expected.

“Wow. Suddenly immigrating and leaving a spot open. Aren’t I a completely lucky guy?”

It was thanks to Louis’ existence.

At the meeting, there was talk of filling the position with existing trainees and holding a new audition.

Everyone was too lacking in skills to fill the position with existing trainees, and the audition was hesitant because there was no guarantee.

‘The youngest position… Skills to replace Hee-min… Can such a person be easily found?’

Before Team Leader Jung Hee-young’s worries deepened, Deputy Lee Jung-yeon asked.

“How about Kim Louis, who auditioned today?”

Certainly, Louis’ skills were more than enough to replace Hee-min.

However, the only concern was that he was so unique that it was uncertain whether he would fit in with the team.

This was the biggest reason why Team Leader Jung Hee-young ultimately chose Do-jae over Louis in the audition.

However, it seemed that Do-jae would be able to control Louis sufficiently.

It was a bit embarrassing to reject him and call him again, but it was not the time to be picky.

In that way, Louis stepped into the Kingdom Entertainment office again with Do-jae after only a few days.

“I knew everything would be fine if I followed you, Hyung [older brother or male friend].”

“Life is full of twists and turns… You never know how things will turn out.”

Do-jae muttered to himself with his hands behind his back.

“If you go that way, it’s the conference room now.”

“Yes.”

The two were being guided around the Kingdom office by Deputy Lee Jung-yeon.

Do-jae’s impression after seeing Planning Team 2’s office, two practice rooms, and the break room was this.

‘It’s cozy.’

It felt smaller overall compared to New Entertainment, but it seemed to have most of the necessary things.

Do-jae preferred the Kingdom Entertainment office, which was free of frills, to the excessively flashy New Entertainment.

“First, the two of you will come in as trainees, and then you will proceed with exclusive contracts with the other members in a month. It would be good to adapt well by then.”

Do-jae and Louis nodded quickly at Deputy Lee Jung-yeon’s explanation.

It wasn’t obvious, but Do-jae was actually as excited as Louis.

‘A trainee…’

It was a first for Do-jae.

It was unfamiliar and amazing for him to audition and enter an agency on his own.

‘To belong to a place other than the Imperial Family without the Imperial Family’s permission is truly new.’

He was thinking that things would go even better now that Louis had joined.

Two men were walking from the opposite side of the hallway with a loud noise.

The two men bowed to Deputy Lee Jung-yeon as soon as they saw her.

Deputy Lee Jung-yeon immediately expressed her delight at receiving the greeting.

“Oh! It’s good to see you here. I thought it would be good to say hello before going into the conference room…”

Do-jae looked at the two men to the extent that it did not violate etiquette.

Judging from their appearance and style, they seemed to be Kingdom’s trainees.

‘Judging from the fact that she’s telling me to greet them, it seems like these guys have been selected as members of the next group.’

“This is Kang Do-jae and Kim Louis, who have just joined. They will be on the same team.”

As expected.

As Deputy Lee Jung-yeon introduced Do-jae and Louis in turn, the other party’s eyes lit up with curiosity for a moment.

It wasn’t an unpleasant gaze.

However, Do-jae was bothered by the fact that both of them had dark complexions since they were walking down the hallway.

“This is Woo-cheol…”

Deputy Lee Jung-yeon introduced Park Woo-cheol, who was standing on the left of the two.

“Park Woo-cheol, here.”

As Woo-cheol bowed his head, Do-jae naturally reached out his hand to shake it.

He belatedly realized that ordinary people, especially young people, do not shake hands unless it is a very formal occasion, but it was an unavoidable habit.

Woo-cheol awkwardly grabbed Do-jae’s hand with a dark face.

“Welcome to hell.”

Do-jae was at a loss for words at Woo-cheol’s greeting, which he didn’t know whether it was a welcome or a curse.

Thud!

The next thing that happened was that the person on the right hit Woo-cheol hard on the back of the head.

“Wow!”