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Even when Jaemin was nine years old—the age when he first dreamed of becoming an idol—he had never imagined he would debut at a place like this.
Back then, while enthusiastically copying idol dances for his school talent show, the only thing he worried about was which major entertainment company he would join.
The idea of ending up at a company no one had ever heard of had never even crossed his mind.
Then again, expecting a second grader to think that far ahead would have been a little cruel.
“Rejected.”
He couldn’t understand it.
How someone who was obviously idol material could fail audition after audition.
Jaemin replayed every audition in his head.
They nodded while watching me. What was that supposed to mean?
Were they feeling my performance… or were they just dozing off?
Holding back tears, he ran four laps around the school field.
“I heard that guy passed the audition for that company.”
Jaemin had just finished dance practice and was gulping down water.
The moment he heard someone had passed the very audition he’d failed, he nearly choked.
Coughing violently, he covered his mouth and quietly listened to the other trainees.
“No way. He’s that good?”
“Exactly. Honestly, I thought Hyung Jaemin would pass and he’d be the one who got rejected.”
“Dude… he’s right next to you.”
Only then did the boy notice Jaemin standing beside them.
His voice immediately died.
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
“It’s not something you need to apologize for…”
Why?
Why exactly?
What does he have that I don’t?
I’m handsome.
I’m not short.
I dance well.
I sing well.
I even have a good personality.
Jaemin felt like jealousy alone was enough to kill him.
“You’re just… too average.”
Contrary to what Jaemin believed, his dance instructor simply shook his head.
“It’d be one thing if you stood out in some way, but you’re good at everything without being exceptional at anything.”
“And that’s exactly the problem.”
If only he had one overwhelming talent.
Sure, Jaemin was handsome…
But there were trainees who were even more handsome.
He wasn’t short…
But there were taller ones.
Some couldn’t sing or look good, yet completely crushed him in dancing.
As for singing…
He wasn’t good enough to be considered main vocalist material.
Naturally, he got pushed aside.
And having a nice personality wasn’t enough to become an idol.
If it were, the old man running the tteokbokki stall outside the academy would’ve debuted as center years ago.
“And your age is the biggest issue.”
Age.
He knew that.
Male idols already had relatively short careers.
Unless they were exempt from military service, debut age mattered.
Companies preferred idols young enough to finish a standard seven-year contract before enlistment became an issue.
“You’re already at the age where you’re standing on debut’s doorstep.”
Jaemin bit his lip.
He was anxious.
Which was why, over the past year, he’d stopped chasing only the biggest agencies.
Instead, he’d been auditioning for respectable mid-sized companies with established senior artists.
“You need to lower your standards.”
He had.
Almost a year ago.
Yet somehow everyone still believed he was stubbornly chasing only the major labels.
In reality, he’d already been rejected by more companies than he cared to count.
Only now did he realize that the “mid-sized” companies he’d aimed for weren’t actually small at all.
Compared to the giants, maybe.
Compared to everyone else?
Not even close.
Did that mean he had to lower his standards even further?
The thought alone was crushing.
The holidays were always the worst time of year.
“So… when are we finally going to see Jaemin on TV?”
“Oh, don’t say that. You’ll discourage him.”
“I’m not discouraging him~”
“At this point, he could’ve prepared for the civil service exam and passed it twice.”
“But didn’t he finally join some company this time?”
“What was it called again?”
Every family gathering felt like a public trial.
Sitting there on his knees like he’d committed a crime was humiliating enough.
Both his parents came from families of eight siblings.
That meant countless relatives.
If each one made a single comment…
He’d have to endure dozens.
The company he had recently joined wasn’t his dream.
It was simply the place he’d entered because he desperately needed to debut somewhere.
Anywhere.
“Q2P.”
“…Where?”
“Q-Two-P!”
Jaemin accidentally—perhaps not so accidentally—sprayed a mouthful of spit toward his uncle while answering.
His uncle wiped his face and glared.
Trying to lighten the mood, his aunt quickly changed the subject.
“Q… what? Never heard of it.”
“Who are the singers there?”
Jaemin couldn’t exactly answer,
“They all refused to renew their contracts and ran away.”
So instead…
He quietly left the house.
He walked.
And walked.
Eventually reaching an empty lot.
With no one around, he finally felt himself calming down.
Sitting on the ground, he looked up at the dark night sky.
Just like those stars…
Will there ever be a day when I shine too?
Still…
Life wasn’t entirely cruel.
The days he’d spent suffering through endless auditions felt like yesterday.
Yet somehow…
He had become a trainee.
Not just any trainee.
One who had been promised a debut.
“Let’s shine together.”
Jaemin looked at the hand extended toward him…
Then at the man’s face.
He’d told himself this would be his final attempt.
If he failed now…
He would give up.
Instead—
He’d finally passed.
His vision blurred with tears.
“Yes!”
Of course.
I was born to be an idol.
If I don’t become one…
Then who will?
“This is Yoo Jaemin, our newest debut team member.”
Naturally, Jaemin had assumed he’d be the oldest.
Apparently not.
There was another trainee a year older than him.
His heart sank.
I’m already considered old for a trainee.
If someone older than me debuts too… won’t he be enlisting after only a few years?
“Hello!”
He greeted everyone brightly.
No one really responded.
Feeling awkward, he quietly moved to the back and joined dance practice.
Sure, he’d heard the previous debut lineup had fallen apart…
But still.
These were supposed to be teammates they’d spend years with.
Couldn’t they at least pretend to care?
Thankfully, the brutal choreography left him too exhausted to keep dwelling on it.
“Hi.”
Honestly…
He hadn’t expected much from such a tiny company.
Yet the debut team’s visuals were surprisingly impressive.
Actually…
More than impressive.
They could easily compete with already-debuted idols.
How did people like this end up here?
The boy speaking to him even looked incredibly young.
“My name’s Eunhan.”
“Seo Eunhan.”
Cute face.
Excellent physique.
Exactly the kind of man today’s industry loved.
Jaemin couldn’t help staring enviously at someone well over 180 centimeters tall.
Even his name sounded fake.
It almost felt like the company had tricked some innocent kid with zero life experience into signing a contract.
“The CEO said you’d be the final member of the debut team.”
“So… I was really looking forward to meeting you.”
“Ah…”
Was that disappointment?
Or satisfaction?
It was impossible to tell.
People in this industry rarely meant exactly what they said.
Jaemin simply smiled awkwardly.
If he’d been better at chatting naturally, maybe the atmosphere would’ve loosened.
But he wasn’t in the mood.
“How old are you again, hyung?”
Saying twenty-four out loud felt strangely embarrassing.
Instead, Jaemin simply held up four fingers.
“Then James hyung is still the oldest.”
“That’s James over there.”
You’re kidding.
There’s someone even older than me?
Is this group just going to disband after everyone enlists?
James waved brightly.
Feeling guilty for his own thoughts, Jaemin waved back.
“James hyung’s a foreigner.”
Oh.
That was… a relief.
At least foreigners didn’t have mandatory military service.
Guess I can mentally subtract two years.
“But he’s still learning Korean.”
“Are you good at English?”
“Or maybe Chinese?”
“Uh… not really.”
“…That’s a problem.”
“We’ve been communicating through Papago for an entire month.”
Jaemin immediately broke into a cold sweat.
Can this group really survive?
“That hyung over there is two years younger than you.”
Why is everyone here so old?
Sure, early twenties was young in normal society.
But in the Korean idol industry…
Most male idols debuted around seventeen.
Even though he himself was older…
Learning someone only two years younger already felt late somehow made him even more impatient.
“This is a secret…”
“He used to be one of the key trainees at Agency A.”
“…What?”
Eunhan leaned in and whispered.
Jaemin had assumed the guy was just another cold, difficult trainee.
But Agency A?
That was the company Jaemin had auditioned for ten times…
And failed all ten.
“So… why did he leave?”
If someone moved from a place like that to here…
There was only one explanation.
He’d been kicked out.
Nobody in their right mind would leave voluntarily.
“He doesn’t really talk about it.”
“So I only heard rumors.”
“They said his musical style didn’t match the company’s.”
“Woohyung writes and composes songs.”
“But Agency A wouldn’t even include them as B-sides.”
“They argued…”
“And I think he stormed out.”
What an idiot.
You’re throwing away a major company because of artistic pride?
Then become a composer instead of an idol.
Jaemin instantly developed a grudge against Woohyung.
“But our CEO promised to fully support his music.”
“He even said his songs would definitely be included on the albums.”
“In fact…”
“We don’t even accept songs from outside composers.”
“We only use Woohyung hyung’s.”
Noticing the two of them glancing his way, Woohyung looked over.
Eunhan waved.
Woohyung ignored him completely and walked out of the practice room.
His personality’s terrible too.
Jaemin decided that even if Woohyung’s musical style had matched Agency A’s, he probably would’ve been kicked out sooner or later anyway.
“Our leader will probably be Yoonbin hyung.”
“He’s been at this company the longest.”
“He’s twenty-two…”
“But he’s trained here for eight years.”
What shocked Jaemin wasn’t the eight years.
It was the fact that this company had even existed eight years ago.
How on earth did someone stay here that long?
There had to be some family connection.
There was simply no other explanation.
“I’m four years younger than you.”
“So I’m probably the maknae.”
“You can speak casually to me.”
Lucky you.
Being young.
“You’re cute.”
Jaemin smiled while saying it.
Inside, he clicked his tongue.
“Sure.”
“You don’t need to be formal with me either.”
Woohyung returned to the practice room after apparently getting some fresh air.
Jaemin slowly looked around at every member.
Alright.
Let’s see.
The oldest-member role?
Gone.
The visuals?
Gone.
The maknae position?
Gone.
The songwriter and producer?
Gone.
The leader?
Gone.
…
Then what exactly…
Was his role?
For the first time,
Jaemin felt a genuine sense of crisis.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read The Standard of Contract Dating! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : The Standard of Contract Dating
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