Prince From Another Dimension Becomes An Idol [EN]: Chapter 20

#20.

It was Ki-joon’s self-composed song that had kept him up at night half a year ago.

However, it had changed so much that it was hard to call it the same song anymore.

‘Has he been revising it ever since?’ Do-jae wondered.

It was already a highly polished song back then, but now it sounded like it was crafted by a seasoned professional.

Yet, it wasn’t old-fashioned or stale.

It was fresh and undeniably catchy.

Do-jae was genuinely impressed.

‘He really kept working hard at it.’

While Do-jae and Kyu-sung’s singing skills were rapidly improving, the other members were also constantly honing their own abilities.

“……”

The members were surprised to hear Ki-joon’s song being played, but Ki-joon himself was the most astonished of all.

He hadn’t expected it at all, and he listened with a somewhat stiff expression.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young noticed Ki-joon’s reaction and subtly smiled.

She hadn’t included the song on the list simply because it was a member’s creation, but because she genuinely loved it.

Only Team Leader Jung Hee-young, Director Lee Jung-yeop, and the members knew that this song was Ki-joon’s.

However, the audience reaction was just as positive as when Director Lee Jung-yeop’s song had been played.

Do-jae felt the same way.

He honestly couldn’t decide which he preferred, song number 4 or song number 5.

In fact, his problem was that he couldn’t pick just one.

‘His song could actually be the debut song……’

Just the thought of it made his heart swell with pride and excitement.

Even though it wasn’t his own composition, Do-jae felt a surge of emotion.

‘I need to study composing even harder……’

He was already pushing himself, but Do-jae resolved to dedicate himself even further.

In the meantime, all the candidate songs up to number 5 had finished playing.

There was a brief silence in the conference room as everyone absorbed what they’d heard.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young immediately moved forward with the voting process.

The result seemed almost predetermined, but the formality was still important.

“Songs number 4 and 5 each received 6 votes, so they are the final candidates.”

Song number 1 received 3 votes, creating a tie for third place.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young, after announcing the results, revealed the composer information for songs number 4 and 5 on the screen.

Those who hadn’t known the composers exclaimed in surprise.

“I know you won’t hold back even if I ask you to. Don’t worry about me and decide objectively. I’ll try to be as impartial as possible,” Director Lee Jung-yeop said with a wry smile.

Everyone laughed lightly at Director Lee Jung-yeop’s words.

In fact, Big Boyz’s second album title track had been chosen from a composer other than Lee Jung-yeop.

They were all seasoned professionals who understood what truly mattered, so there were no concerns about objectivity.

A full-fledged discussion began, focusing on which of the two songs should be selected as the debut title track.

“As you know, Director Jung-yeop’s name alone carries significant promotional weight. He’s a proven hitmaker, and many people trust his musical judgment.”

“If we use as the title track, it will highlight the fact that Director Jung-yeop is nurturing his second idol group after Big Boyz, which will create a unique brand identity.”

“I’m of the opinion that we should use it in order to differentiate ourselves from Big Boyz and establish a clear and distinct identity.”

“If we use a member’s self-composed song as the debut title, we can definitely gain a reputation as a talented and self-sufficient group.”

Team Leader Jung Hee-young had revealed the composer information for a specific reason.

When the preference for the songs was evenly split, the composer became a crucial deciding factor.

Especially for a debut song.

The composer’s identity could be a significant selling point.

However, in this case, it seemed like a compelling selling point could be made regardless of which song was chosen.

“From a conceptual point of view, this team is planning to appeal to something fresher and more unique than Big Boyz, so I think would be a good fit. The song has a much more distinctive feel.”

Team Leader Kim Seok-cheol of Planning Team 1 agreed, but also offered a counterpoint.

“I think can convey youth and strong energy while also being unique. I think it aligns better with the overall team image.”

“But also has that aspect……”

An A&R [Artists and Repertoire] representative from Planning Team 2 muttered, sounding genuinely conflicted.

The staff in charge of the visual aspects also stated that both songs were a good fit for the group’s image.

‘Socks,’ the team’s exclusive dance trainer and choreographer, chose .

She explained that it would allow for dynamic performances that would highlight each member’s individual charm and strengths.

“I think would be good for showcasing the vocals,” Vocal trainer Kang Chang-shik added.

Indeed, the bridges in verses 1 and 2 of Ki-joon’s revised version of were specifically designed to highlight the vocalists.

‘If Kyu-sung nails that part……’

He felt a jolt of excitement throughout his body.

Kyu-sung’s high notes were incredibly captivating.

‘Ki-joon hyung [older brother or male friend] must have had that in mind when he revised it.’

Do-jae’s intuition was correct.

As Do-jae and Kyu-sung’s vocals improved day by day, Ki-joon, as the composer, had gained much more freedom with the notes he could incorporate into the song.

“I……,” Ki-joon began, finally breaking his silence.

At that moment, Ki-joon, who had been quietly listening to the opinions, also opened his mouth.

“I think is a better fit for the title track than .”

“Why?” Director Lee Jung-yeop immediately asked, curious as to why Ki-joon was seemingly opposing his own song when he clearly wanted it to be the title track.

“As Chang-shik said, this song focuses a lot on the vocal parts, especially vocals that can hit high notes. So it’s hard for all the members to stand out equally. The other members may be relatively overshadowed…….”

His opinion was that the song had originally been written with a B-side in mind, and therefore wasn’t ideally suited as a title track.

As both a composer and the leader of the group, Ki-joon was prioritizing the overall harmony and balance of the team.

Do-jae also thought that would be a good choice for highlighting Ki-joon and Heung-min’s unique individuality through their rapping.

Team Leader Jung Hee-young, who seemed to agree with Ki-joon’s assessment, said, “But originally, it’s considered a success if you can make even one member stand out in the beginning… so there’s a valid argument for focusing attention.”

No matter how much you prioritize the team as a whole, it was undeniably a bit unfair to the members who might not become the initial focal point.

However, looking at the general trends of successful groups, it was often the case that initial success hinged on one member capturing the public’s attention.

The conference room was once again filled with a mixture of confusion and thoughtful silence at Team Leader Jung Hee-young’s words.

The basic concept of the group would remain the same, but it was clear that the team’s detailed strategy would shift depending on the choice of title track.

“I like both,” Woo-cheol muttered quietly.

“Me too……,” Louis echoed in turn.

The advantages of each song were similar yet distinct, and honestly, it was difficult to make a decision because they genuinely liked both songs.

Even though the lyric writing and arrangement work hadn’t even started yet, both songs were already incredibly well-made.

It was, in reality, a happy dilemma to have.

When it seemed like a consensus wouldn’t be reached anytime soon, Vice President Jung Hyung-seok spoke up.

“Let’s take some more time to think about it, since it’s an important decision.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Then we will solidify our opinions and finalize them in a week.”

Vice President Jung Hyung-seok turned his head towards the members.

“We will actively listen to the members’ opinions, so I hope everyone will think carefully about it.”

“Yes!” Heung-min answered on behalf of the group, and Vice President Jung Hyung-seok nodded and stood up.

***

One week until the final decision.

Even amidst their continuous hard practice, the members listened to and during their breaks, carefully considering which song would be the better choice.

Even though it was a holiday, they chose to gather in the living room to listen to the songs instead of sleeping in.

“Ah, seriously. Why are Director Lee and Ki-joon hyung geniuses… and making us worry like this?” Do-jae chuckled at Woo-cheol’s words as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

However, Do-jae was also feeling the pressure.

As a long-time listener, as a member of the group, as the team’s vocalist, and as a composer himself.

Even when considering it from all these different perspectives, his thoughts just went around in circles, much like the meeting.

‘Both are definitely good songs.’

Of course, success wasn’t guaranteed simply because a song was good.

Both songs had the potential to succeed, and both had the potential to fail.

This was evident from the fact that even the meticulously planned strategies and well-crafted songs of large agencies with extensive know-how sometimes failed to gain traction.

Even if both songs were well-received internally, there was no way to predict how the public would react.

‘When there’s a limit to deciding with your head… you have to follow your gut feeling.’

Do-jae was generally good at both logical judgment and trusting his intuition.

However, even when trying to choose based on his gut feeling, both songs felt equally promising.

“I can’t give up,” Do-jae muttered quietly.

If you choose one, you inevitably have to give up the other.

Of course, they could postpone it to the next album, but there was only one opportunity to have the ‘debut title track’.

‘But do I really have to give up?’

Do-jae, who had been deep in thought, suddenly made a sound as if he had realized something. “Ah.”

“Oh! Jackpot! Total jackpot!” Louis, who had been fiddling with his phone, suddenly shouted.

“Why, why? What’s wrong?” Woo-cheol asked eagerly, and Louis immediately answered, “Big Boyz seniors won first place again!”

“What?” Heung-min, who was sitting in the corner of the sofa, was also surprised and quickly checked his phone.

Do-jae glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was definitely the time when the music show was ending.

“Wow…. Then how many weeks has it been now?” In response to Woo-cheol’s question, Louis held up five fingers.

Five consecutive weeks at number one.

It was undeniably an amazing achievement.

Big Boyz, who had been steadily building their fanbase, had completely exploded in popularity with their new album released a month ago and were on a so-called ‘jackpot road’ [a path to great success].

They were evolving from a group that was only popular within the idol fandom to a group with widespread public recognition.

“Wow. Seniors. They really sharpened their knives [prepared thoroughly] and this time they really hit the jackpot.”

“I heard they’re going to be on that public broadcasting representative entertainment show because they keep getting first place…. If they go on TV, they might even get first place for 6 or 7 weeks?”

“WoW……”

Listening to the members’ conversation, Do-jae once again confirmed that his initial assessment had been correct.

‘It’s going well.’

It wasn’t Do-jae’s group, but they were in the same company anyway.

Big Boyz’s success would undoubtedly have a positive impact on those who would become Big Boyz’s follow-up group.

“Will we be able to get first place when we debut?” Heung-min paused for a moment at Woo-cheol’s sudden question.

“…We have to. You idiot,” he said, shaking off the momentary excitement.

It was only for a brief moment that they had allowed themselves to be excited.

It was the constant reality of a trainee’s life to be plagued by an uncertain future.

The same was true for the members who had already been confirmed for their debut.

Do-jae, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. “We can do it. Definitely.”

Woo-cheol nodded, because Do-jae’s words always carried weight and conviction.

The members refocused their attention on choosing their debut song, as if trying to shake off the encroaching anxiety.

Do-jae also wanted to see the news of their seniors’ first place with his own eyes, so he typed ‘Big Boyz’ into the search bar on his phone.

Numerous articles about their five consecutive weeks at number one popped up.

Do-jae’s eyes lit up at some point as he scrolled through the articles.

‘This is it.’

The thought that had come to him a little while ago might be a dream that could actually come true.

***