The First Shoot

"Oh, Haeil's here. Long time no see."

"How have you been lately?"

Nothing had changed here.

Even though it had been a while, Halo entered the unchanged scenery.

The moment he nodded, the older guys welcomed him warmly.

These people who claimed to be busy were always here.

He didn't know if they were actually busy.

Especially Kim Deoksoo, who was never not here, might genuinely be unemployed.

"What's that? Did you get a new guitar?"

"A guitar?"

Merely waving hello at first, they showed great interest in the case Halo was carrying.

They swarmed around like a sale had started at the mart.

"Wow, you must have spent a pretty penny."

"Is that a Gibson? Looks like it."

"Is it in good condition? Where'd you get it?"

The guitar Halo showed them was a typical Gibson Les Paul with a mahogany body and rosewood fretboard. A deep wine color with a clean luster.

Han Jinyeong, who had briefly checked the tuning, let out a light whistle of admiration.

It probably cost at least 200.

"I got it at Nakwon Music Mall."

"...Did you say Nakwon Music Mall?!"

After silently nodding at first, he suddenly raised his voice loudly at the end.

Haeil looked at him puzzled.

There's a saying, "Yongpari."

Referring to the unscrupulous electronics salesmen at Yongsan Electronics Mall who rip off customers by overcharging for parts.

Just as Yongsan Electronics Mall has a bad reputation for electronics, the most infamous place for musical instruments is Nakwon Music Mall.

As Korea's most famous musical instrument mall and a well-known place, even regular people can easily visit, but you might get ripped off and pay double the market price if you're not careful.

"But there are so many scammers there. You should have told me, or I could have gone with you. What do you mean 200,000 won, it must have been at least 250,000. How much was it?"

"I paid cash-"

"You paid cash?!"

The older guys were aghast.

Halo couldn't understand them.

After all, the elderly man who insisted on just giving him the instrument had shown no ill intent. With moist eyes, he told Halo to come back if he ever needed another instrument.

He even gave his business card, saying he would try to get whatever he needed.

"It was 170,000 won, I think."

"...What? 270,000 won?"

"Did you get scammed?"

This was surprise of a different kind.

The older guys started doubting if it was really a genuine Gibson.

After comparing everything from the pickups to the tuners to the product warranty, they reacted one by one.

"Hey Haeil, where did you get this? I want to go buy one too."

"Seriously, it doesn't seem bad?"

Though he didn't explain the reason for the discounted price, Halo kindly showed the elderly man's business card. Seeing it wasn't just lip service, the older guys made a note of it.

After chattering about the guitar for a while, the guys circled back to the question they had originally asked.

"Come to think of it, we haven't seen you lately because of final exams, right?"

"Yeah, Jinsoo said you took the test three times. Tsk tsk."

"You have to experience that at least once. It's all part of the memories."

Did he say that?

That Jang Jinsoo kid has a light mouth to match his light actions.

Halo snorted and replied,

"He scored lower than me though."

"...Did Jinsoo take it once?"

"Three times is the rule. Jinsoo doesn't seem to know."

The guys refused to accept the reality that trying harder didn't necessarily lead to higher scores.

Since it wasn't worth mentioning further, Halo just shrugged.

He put the guitar back in its case.

The reason he had come wasn't because he had something to do with them, but to retrieve a notebook he had left behind.

The notebook belonging to No Haeil that he had left last time.

Picking up the notebook sitting atop the computer tower, Halo was about to head home.

"What? Leaving already?"

The guys seemed surprised he was leaving so soon.

Halo showed them his notebook.

"I just came to get this. I'll come back next time."

"You seem really busy lately. Doesn't look like you got scolded for grades, did you maybe join an agency or something?"

If he had been scolded over grades, there's no way Halo would be carrying around an expensive guitar. Halo shook his head at Bae Gonghak's question.

"No, nothing like that. I just have a lot going on lately."

Didn't he mention it?

It didn't seem like he had mentioned it separately.

Originally he figured his manager would just take care of keeping people informed about him.

It wasn't his personality to go around telling others about his personal business detail by detail.

His mother had actually followed through on her promise faithfully.

She went with him to buy the musical instrument he wanted, looked into gyms near their house, and seriously considered a workspace for him too.

In fact, he wouldn't have cared if her promises were just empty words.

Now that he was going down a different path than them, they could have opposed it. But he could see them carefully approaching the situation.

To the point of making him feel apologetic for considering them to be alike.

So Halo treaded carefully too, albeit awkwardly.

Because he didn't dislike the people who loved him, he tried to act thoughtfully in an uncharacteristic way.

"I'm trying to exercise."

"Ah, exercise is important!"

"..."

The older guys looked Halo up and down and nodded in agreement.

His self-esteem took a sudden hit.

"Yeah, you need to grow taller."

That casual remark stung deeply.

"You're a late bloomer, so if you really work at it you'll shoot right up."

Even disregarding race or innate conditions,

Did his shortness compared to his peers bother No Haeil?

"...I heard that one when I was young too."

Setting down his comic book, Kim Deoksoo mumbled in a trailing voice.

"...Nevermind."

"Oh right, you're not even 170cm tall..."

"Ha."

A short sigh.

The foot that kicked out, as if to say watch your words, left both Kim Deoksoo and Halo either more hurt or more shaken.

He suddenly realized why his feelings had soured.

Recalling his appearance over 190cm tall, Halo compared it to No Haeil's.

So scrawny and underdeveloped like this.

His face paler than the girls his age too.

If his height never grew beyond this stage.

"Fuck." (TLN: In English)

He absolutely couldn't allow that.

While Halo enjoyed showing off his looks to others, he wouldn't be able to flaunt an appearance like this without getting laughed at.

"Goodbye."

With a grim expression, Halo climbed up the stairs.

Watching his retreating back, the three older brothers remarked,

"Did Haeil get pissed? Why provoke the kid like that?"

"I didn't mean to push his buttons, but he got that riled up? He's just a kid."

"Am I a kid for getting pissed too?"

Kim Deoksoo snorted, his self-esteem wounded for no reason.

"Jinsoo gets touchy about height comments too."

"That's because Jinsoo is a kid."

"I'm saying don't needle the kids pointlessly."

"But it's honestly kind of fun, isn't it?"

"True."

It was just annoying for the two taller guys - 184cm and 176cm - to act that way.

Kim Deoksoo instinctively found a kindred spirit.

"I wonder if Jinsoo is doing well at the shoot?"







"With how capable Jinsoo is, everyone will probably like him."

Since the song Haeil made for him was good too, maybe he could pass the second round.

Having no prior broadcast experience, they vaguely thought so.

#

In Ilsan, Goyang City of Gyeonggi Province, a major studio was in the midst of filming 'Show Your Show' to air in early-to-mid December.

The successful auditionees took the stage to showcase their performances and receive critiques from the judges - a true recording.

Initially excited and constantly reacting, even Jang Jinsoo had grown weary from the endless filming session.

Cold, hungry, tired, sleepy.

His turn, who knew when it would come, made him desperately wish to go home.

Bundled up in a blanket, Jang Jinsoo twisted and turned restlessly.

The hard plastic chairs weren't just cold but made his butt go numb.

The endless, drawn-out filming session was just boring.

More than anything, the stifling atmosphere was the most uncomfortable factor.

'It would be nice if there was at least one person I knew.'

He should have told No Haeil to come.

Like a stray cat abandoned in a new environment, Jang Jinsoo huddled up tightly, only perking up occasionally when he heard a sound like a meerkat.

No Haeil would definitely click his tongue or turn away if he saw him looking like this.

That unpleasant attitude of his that usually irritated him was sorely missed right now.

If there was one good thing about that annoying brat, it was his nonchalant demeanor anywhere.

Instead of getting tense no matter where he was, he would act like the king looking down disdainfully at Jinsoo. It pissed him off, but at least it helped him relax. Though the level of relaxation was almost a problem.

It was a hundred, a thousand times better than the occasional sideways glances from the other contestants - no, competitors - silently sizing him up.

"Number 37. Mad Hatter-ssi, please come to the backstage."

They were now up to the 37th performance out of 101 successful auditionees. Jinsoo swallowed hard, his turn was coming up soon at number 56. He went over the number he already knew.

He wondered idly if this order was the actual ranking.

He hadn't paid attention to the order from the start.

He didn't think much of it when there were already famous people in the single-digit numbers.

But when number 27, who looked to be around his age, came out, he started paying attention.

In previous seasons of Soyou, seasons 1 and 2, there had also been contestants around Jang Jinsoo's age.

One time it was a middle schooler, and another time an elementary student.

While the sample size was small, making it hard to conclude this would always be the case, he couldn't help feeling uneasy about it considering the precedent.

There was always talk about Soyou's past contestants.

For example, that sort of thing. The lunch tray category.

Despite having no chance of passing with their skill level, they would say things like, "There's definitely a 'lunch tray' or 'young and cute' category since a young elementary or middle schooler always makes it through."

In fact, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Jang Jinsoo.

He didn't know if such a category truly existed, but if it did, he wanted to take advantage of it.

He wanted to pass the audition by any means.

At first, he thought he was the only elementary or middle school student there.

But when a peer around his age appeared in an earlier order, he couldn't help becoming conscious of it.

If that kid scored higher ratings, Jang Jinsoo's chances of failing would increase.

In other words, up until now, each Soyou season had only featured one middle school student.

"...He was pretty good though."

Jang Jinsoo remarked anxiously.

Number 27 performed so well, you wouldn't think he was a middle schooler. For his rapping, vocals, and showmanship - the judges gave positive feedback saying his age never even crossed their minds.

He was even signed to a famous label.

Having seen a kid from the very label he dreamed of joining, Jang Jinsoo felt a sense of inferiority similar to what he felt toward No Haeil.

Fortunately, it wasn't a new feeling for him, so he didn't despair.

'But I'm confident in my song.'

What he believed in most was his own song.

The song he had thought of as his own from the first time he heard it - composed by No Haeil with lyrics written by himself.

Taking a deep breath, Jang Jinsoo waited for his turn on stage.

He believed his skills must have improved since applying, thanks to his dedicated efforts.

"Jinsoo! Fighting!"

A short break was given before his turn.

Number 27, who had been greeting a senior from the label he was following his manager around, spotted Jinsoo and ran over happily.

"You'll do great."

This kid was unnecessarily bright and cheerful.

If he was a brat like No Haeil instead, Jinsoo could have at least cursed him out.

"Y-Yeah."

"Let's both make it through to the finals together!"

The people around them looked at number 27 with envious glares.

They must have also assumed number 27 was a shoo-in.

"Let's do it."

Jang Jinsoo raised his fist together with him.

Number 27 waved as if telling him to go ahead.

From start to finish, number 27 remained bright and cheerful.

In a way, it was like he didn't view Jang Jinsoo as a rival at all.

Right, he was just that good. He could afford to be so relaxed because he knew his own abilities.

But it was impossible to avoid feeling slighted to his self-esteem.

He wished number 27 would react surprisedly to his performance, wished he would view him as a rival.

As a competitor.

"Number 56. JJ-ssi, please prepare for your stage."

Finally, it was his turn.

Once more, number 27 cheered him on encouragingly.

'I can show him.'

Resolving to put number 27 in his place, Jang Jinsoo headed to the backstage.

His performance would consist of an acapella rap and the song.

Just like the first round, nothing had changed except performing it live.

Jang Jinsoo took a deep breath.