The entertainment company and label "P-rosper" that the representative rapper of South Korea, Samjang, and the hit song producer Nokjin co-founded could be considered the entertainment company and label that Jang Jinsoo most desired.

This label had features that differentiated it from other labels, and the most well-known feature was its active recruitment of talented amateurs.

While other labels focused on recruiting existing famous artists, P-R worked hard to discover new artists buried in the underground scene.

Until now, they had recruited many artists.

Each had their own distinct color, and unlike other labels, they did not release collaborative works. Some criticized this as a failed mash-up of entertainment and labels, but surprisingly, P-R's artists built up thick fanbases while fully maintaining their individual colors.

The public even coined the phrase "P-R that you can trust" since none of the artists P-R selected turned out to be a failure. P-R had sufficiently proven that their approach was not mistaken.

Among the artists recruited by P-R, the youngest prodigy Gillaon, who received the "child genius" evaluation, was adapting well to Soyou's second round of filming.

His manager followed him around, taking care of everything from start to finish, and most importantly, helped him expand his connections by frequently going out to meet people. Since he had successfully completed the second stage, all he had to do was wait for the long period of time.

"Were you here? I've been looking everywhere for you. What are you doing here?"

As Gillaon quietly sat on a plastic chair observing the filming set, his manager approached with a drink.

"Hey, am I not allowed to watch Jinsoo's performance?"

"Who's Jinsoo?"

"A friend! He's performing soon, I heard."

"This isn't middle school, what do you mean friend..."

The manager stopped speaking as he seemed to recall something.

Come to think of it, he had heard that there was another middle school student among the first-round passers. He had glossed over the unfamiliar name at first, but it seemed Gillaon was glad to have a peer.

Well, most were adults, and even if there were minors, the barriers between high school and middle school were high.

"Friends, my foot. They're all competitors."

The manager dismissed it coldly.

It was uncertain if they would even see each other again after this, and getting too friendly only to have one of them eliminated would just make things awkward.

"It would be good if we both passed though."

"You think that'll happen?"

The manager, aware of the general consensus, denied Gillaon's words. Soyou would be unlikely to accept two kids unless it was exceptional. That's why there was a separate "minor category" to begin with.

Having already heard Gillaon's singing a lot, the manager was confident that there were no other kids who could beat him.

"If we're both good, it'll work out."

Gillaon's bright remark made him seem so pure.

At a loss for words, the manager didn't shatter his innocence any further and folded his arms as if to let him think as he wished.

"It's starting now."

The manager decided to see for himself what Gillaon's peer was capable of.

"Hmm..."

Contestant #56 began rapping without any accompaniment.

The manager let out a groan not long after #56's performance began.

He glanced at Gillaon.

Gillaon had his eyes closed, listening to the music.

There was no disappointment or amazement on his face, just a blank expression.

But he must have realized it to some extent, right?

The manager judged that while better than his peers, #56's skill was likely not enough to pass, at least not with Gillaon around.

In fact, the manager couldn't understand how he had even passed the first round. The judges' expressions didn't seem too positive either.

Hmm.

They seemed to be carefully choosing their words.

Only the camera director seemed excited, capturing their expressions, likely to use the footage later.

Seeing #56's slightly stiff expression, the manager was certain he would be eliminated.

"For the evaluation, we'll listen to the second song. You said the second song is your own song, right?"

"...Yes."

A dejected voice replied.

Until then, the manager had no expectations.

The panel of judges, consisting of songwriters, rappers, singers, idols, and famous producers, seemed to feel the same way.

But when the MR track played...

The manager's head snapped up.

"Oh"

And he wasn't the only one.

The participants who had been zoning out at the dull filming site, the broadcast staff, and studio managers.

Most notably, the judges' expressions changed.

Glinting eyes, intrigued gazes, slightly parted lips whispering to those beside them.

Unmistakably positive signals.

The beat was not fast but lively.

The lyrics that had sounded amateurish before now sounded intentionally loose, and the beat tightly held together the rapping that had previously felt shaky, eliminating that precarious feeling.

They wondered why he didn't just play this from the start.

If he had, the evaluation would have been different. The acapella rap didn't even need to be heard.

The shortcomings of the first performance were already covered up by the beat.

And the hook that followed was simply a scam, leaving the manager speechless.

The judges nodded along mouthing the lyrics. A more enthusiastic reaction than they had shown anyone else.

"What is this, it's insane?"

Even the seated participants seemed to forget that the performer was their competitor, murmuring in amazement.

And when the hook continued, a chair screeched back as someone stood up.

Followed by a sigh.

"No way... this is a scam."

The hook was catchy.

A beat with a strong repetitive chord and a simple, singable melody flowed out.

To bring something like this to an audition...

It wouldn't be out of place at all as Soyou's mid-season evaluation song. Wasn't it just like that song that topped the Watermelon Top 100 charts last season after just 33 hours of release?

That song was at least created by a famous singer and a scammer hookmaker.

This was not something an amateur should be able to bring.

At this level, it was clear that a skilled professional producer must have worked on it.

"Not good."

The manager stroked his chin with a serious expression.

He didn't mean the music wasn't good.

If someone said this wasn't good, either their ears were messed up or their taste was messed up - one of the two.

Especially for the manager who frequently used the Watermelon charts and had a very mainstream taste, this song was good enough to want to listen to it repeatedly.

And that was the problem.

The manager glanced at Gillaon.

Whatever he was thinking, he still had a bright expression as he watched #56's performance.

It didn't seem to occur to him that if #56 passed, he himself could be eliminated.

"Hey, hey."

"Yeah?"

Gillaon tugged at the manager's collar. His energetic personality had already turned the collar into a rag.

"Jinsoo will pass, right?"

"Well, it's giving off that vibe."

Unsure of what to say, the manager spoke honestly after observing the judges, and Gillaon's face brightened.

"That's great."

"What is?"

What was so great about a competitor making it through in this place full of competitors? Saying a competitor did well was essentially the same as saying he could be eliminated.

However, Gillaon didn't just say it for appearances or courtesy - he genuinely thought it was great.

"The song is really good. I want to sing this song too. I can sing it well."

Gillaon's eyes sparkled.

"Hey, can I become friends with Jinsoo?"

"Well, do whatever you want. It's not like I can dictate who you're friends with. Just don't hang around girls with complicated relationships, people with money problems, or just straight-up weirdos."

"I wish Jinsoo would come to our label."

"He probably already has an agency though."

The manager figured a song of that level of completion must have been worked on by an extremely skilled producer. He claimed it was his song, but it was definitely beyond a middle schooler's ability.

"He said he doesn't have an agency though."

"Huh?"

The manager's head snapped up at Gillaon's words.

"He doesn't have an agency?"

"Yeah, he definitely said he doesn't have an agency."

"Then-"

Was that really his own song?

A middle schooler made that?

Is the world really that vast, with so many prodigies out there? Even so, could child prodigies like this really gather in one place?

The manager looked back and forth between Gillaon and #56.

"If it's his own song, the CEO will probably go nuts."

"Right? I think CEO Nokjin would really love it. And Samjang-hyung too."

He still seemed eager to become friends.

Seeing his completely positive expression, the manager thought it might not be a bad idea.

Now that a song like that has come out, the main character of the first episode has been decided. In other words, the more friendly they are, the more beneficial it will be. Plus, they're the same age, aren't they? The broadcasters won't miss out on a storyline like this.

"Get friendly with him. Get more camera exposure."

"...That's not why I want to be friends though."

"It's all for your benefit."

"Yes, yes."

Gillaon brushed it off with a vague reply.

Well, since it seemed they would get friendly either way, the manager felt reassured.

"But seriously, that song is really good."

He was saying the same thing for the third time, a testament to how good it truly was.

Gillaon hummed the lingering melody in his head. The captivating vocals that even the CEO had marveled at flowed out. The manager even preferred Gillaon's version. Of course, if the song was good, anyone would sound good singing it.

"Especially this part, isn't it good? The spotlight's on the place I should be, a life going round and round~"

"The hook is just a scam. If it airs, it'll definitely chart."

"Oh, you think so too? I thought the same. Then, what rank do you think it'll reach?"

"How would I know? If I could predict that, I'd be a fortune teller, not a manager."

"But give a rough estimate."

Well, unless he was God, who could make such a precise prediction?

Still, since the song was good, the manager cautiously estimated based on factors like it being by an amateur, unknown artist in middle school, as well as the previous season's viewership ratings.

"Around 23rd place?"

"23rd? What kind of wishy-washy number is that? It's not even a Baskin Robbins 31 flavor. Boring."

"Why are you bringing up Baskin Robbins out of nowhere, you mint chocolate brat. Then what place do you think it'll be?"

Gillaon smiled brightly.

"I think it'll be number one?"

"...What did you say? What place?"

The manager doubted his ears.

Number one wasn't some rank that just anyone could achieve so casually. Number one?

Regardless of the manager's bewildered expression, Gillaon smiled radiantly and said genuinely:

"Number one. I think it'll be number one."

#

"Now we'll move to Mapo-gu to film the interview segments. Contestants, please follow the staff's instructions and move in order."

The long two-day journey had finally ended.

Jang Jinsoo rubbed his eyes as he stood up.

A diverse array of individuals - those with gloomy complexions, frowning and stretching, and those yawning nonchalantly.

A veritable spectrum of human personalities was on display.

'Well, it's more like they were split based on the results rather than personalities.'

The results of the second audition had not been announced yet.

They said the results would be revealed after the interviews were conducted and they had disbanded.

But that was just the "announcement" – the results were easily predictable.

The second audition was decided solely by the judges' evaluation, without any viewer voting. Based on their evaluations, the results were clear enough.

'I must have passed, right?'

His second audition had been a success.

The judges had praised his singing a lot and asked him many questions. While they did offer some harsh feedback about his rapping or vocal delivery that needed improvement, they ultimately gave a positive conclusion that there was room for growth.

When they spoke about the results, all Jinsoo could say was "Thank you" and "I'll work hard from now on."

Jang Jinsoo smiled happily as he boarded the bus.

Having dreamed of advancing to the semi-finals and even the finals to win a prize and give a thankful speech to his parents, No Haeil, and the hyungs, Jang Jinsoo thought only a path of roses - no, a path to victory - lay ahead.

At least until the brief intermission for a one-on-one meeting with the writer before the interviews.

"You can't say it like that on broadcast. Let's change your answer."