NOT EDITED, THE EDITED ONES WILL BE UPLOADED ONCE AN EDITOR WORKS THROUGH THESE.
Upkey Girl 5
< Please Don't Bet Your Life On Singing >
What is this…
It didn't have a special technique or high notes.
Ignoring the original song's R&B ballad mood, she sang clean and pure as though it were a children's song. But it didn't feel immature at all. Each syllable she held a particular feeling she wanted to portray.
The song was over, but the emotion lingered.
I wasn't a professional so I couldn't judge her singing ability, but I knew at the least that her voice had the ability to pull people in.
Her expression and body posture while singing wasn't awkward, so that was good.
If I had the power to decide, Yu Eun Bit was 100% accepted.
This was my personal commentary, but I wonder how the professional judges heard it.
I glanced over and saw them slowly nodding.
It was the first time I saw that sort of reaction even though I've seen them judge over 200 participants.
Is something wrong?
Or are they feeling the lingering emotion like me?
As if he finished his evaluation, Yeom DaePyo broke the silenced and opened his mouth first.
"First, thanks for singing…Mmm…"
"Thank you…"
Yu Eun Bit looked at each of the judges and tried to discern their evaluations.
She was confident when she was doing her senseless dance, but strangely enough she was tense after doing well on her singing.
Yu Eun Bit, who was glancing nervously from left to right and checking the gazes finally reached me.
Her eyes were different from when she was looking at the others. Her eyes were welling up like a child's as if expecting praise. Was she buddying up to me because she met me first?
I lightly nodded to her to say she did well.
Then, Yu Eun Bit's lips fluttered a smile, and she forced it down to hide her expression. As if she were a female coworker in a secret relationship at an after-work outing… wait.
Why do I feel like I became her guardian without realizing it?
"Have you learned to sing before?"
At Yeom DaePyo's question, Yu Eun bit was startled as if being interrogated for a crime she didn't commit.
"No, I haven't."
"Then how did you start singing?"
"I just liked singing ever since I was young, so I sang every day at home."
"Mmm, it doesn't seem like you have KuSe? I think you were born with your vocalization…"
As Choi Hoon Min hyung murmured as if it were unexpected, Yu Eun Bit asked anxiously.
"What is… KuSe?"
"Bad habits while you sing."
It was the first time I've seen Hoon Min hyungnim reply directly to a contestant.
Yu Eun Bit murmured nervously.
"Then did I sing in a bad way…?"
"No, it means you sang very cleanly. Normally the kids that practice themselves copy the singing styles of the originals or interpret them however they want, turning it into something weird. But you sang with just your voice. You didn't overdo it, you did it honestly. Like your song."
I didn't know what that meant, but I think it was a big compliment.
I heard from Hyun Dong earlier, and they prefer clean, honest vocal styles for idol vocalists.
Because the groups had a lot of members, it was better to have a harmonious vocal tone rather than a conspicuous one as it was easier to train than one with technique or bad habits. Technique is something that can be taught later as well.
But Yu Eun Bit just nodded because of the atmosphere and looked as though she didn't understand.
Why can't you understand a compliment?
Hoon Min hyung added.
"You haven't heard compliments on your singing I'm assuming?"
"Yeah."
"That's normal. You sing with too much ease that it'll sound ordinary to an untrained ear. What's your key?" (TLN: 키 key means height in korean.)
"163."
Everyone laughed except for Yu Eun Bit.
Ah, excluding me as well.
Yu Eun Bit flushed up and corrected herself.
"161…"
Then larger laughter broke out.
What, why are they laughing?
I felt like I was dumb for not understanding and added a ahahaha laugh.
Yeom Dae Yoo corrected her that it didn't mean stature and it meant musical register.
Oh, that's what it meant. Sorry about laughing along when I didn't know either.
"You said earlier that you can rap, did you prepare a rap as well?"
"Yup!"
Yu Eun Bit nodded confidently.
I felt a chill from the spirited head movements.
I think she's going to be fucking terrible at this.
"Let's hear it."
Hyun Dong flicked his fingers to signal, then Yu Eun Bit also flicked her fingers behind where there was nothing. As if there was a DJ box there.
"Okay, DJ. Drop the beat."
Kfft, a short laugh escaped the PDs.
Eun Bit went on with a shameless expression and did hiphop gestures while riding the beat.
"Check, Check. Uh-huh, Uh-huh, YO. A maestro to heal your injured soul, U, Eun Bit."
Her pronunciation was terrible from the intro.
It was a goner without having to see it through.
I strengthened my hands and feet to make sure they wouldn't curl up. (TLN: from the embarrassing situation.)
At last, the rapping started in earnest.
"Is there nobody that can heal the wound, if you leave it alone it won't heal, love and people are all frightening. Being alone is scary, I'm afraid I'll be forgotten!"
Hey hey, that's not it!
Stop it right now! (completely unrelated TLN: this is actually the title of a blog I really like)
As I expected it was like throwing the ashes of rap into a well-done bowl of singing, and the embarrassment was left to the listeners. (TLN: Korean idiom, 다된밥에 재뿌린다 to throw ashes into well-done rice/meal. Bap = meal & rice)
Yeom DaePyo raised his hand to stop her as if there was nothing more to hear.
"Heheheheh, yeah, good job."
"Well, it's cute."
"Kukukukuk."
Yu Eun Bit quickly changed her stance as if it wasn't the reaction she expected.
"I'm good at TaekGyeon, should I show you my specialty TaekGyeon?" (TLN: TaekGyeon is a traditional KOREAN martial art. Also part of a meme cuz of the sounds they make EX: Lee Sin's IKU sound is part of the IKU EKU sounds used for defense/offense in TaekGyeon)
"You're an all-rounder entertainer."
"Yeah, yeah, do everything that you have prepared."
She spread her legs to shoulder width and took her position.
She started to kick towards the inside form the outside as if doing JegiChagi. (TLN: 제기차기Jegi Chagi is a traditional Korean game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyLjuoY225w )
"Iku, Eku, Iku, Eku."
"Kffp!"
"Puheheheheh…."
Ignoring the laughs, she did the opposite motion this time.
Kicking outwards from the inside.
"Iku, Eku, Iku, Eku."
"Kffkekekekek, what is that."
"Hey, are you sure you've learned TaekGyeon? I think something is off?"
"Yeah? Ah, is it because I learned through Youtube…?"
"She said she learned through Youtube. Jesus Christ, kffkfekek."
The atomic-laughter went off.
Nobody could avoid laughing louder than they have this whole day.
Hyun Dong cluched his stomach, collapsed beneath his chair.
"Hkhahahaha, are you crazy!"
Yu Eun Bit was a hit no matter what she did. She would've made it to the 2nd round even if her singing a moment ago was bad.
I wondered if the purple aura I could see on her was the aura of an end-level boss. Like Conqueror Haki from One Piece.
The Conqueror's Color of Charm.
CharmCharm fruit.
Whatever it was, she passed unanimously, and she succeeded in attaining and capturing unseen-before levels of interest interest from the PDs.
Are you not interested in becoming in an idol, you said your home was on JejuDo so what are you going to do for your trainee life if you're accepted, was your family ok with this, and other myriad of questions flooded her.
Yu Eun Bit declared her aspirations with the look of Choi Bae Dal going to snap an ox's horn. (TLN: Korean meme? apparently some KR/JP dude snapped an ox's horn or something idk)
"I'm ok with being an Idol. I'll do my best if I can just be on stage. I finished my negotiations with my grandmother before coming."
"What negotiations?"
"That I won't return until I become a singer."
Huh?
Everyone had the same expression
Huh?
Yeom DaePyo asked her.
"Earlier you said your birth registration went wrong and you were nineteen, but doesn't that mean you're nineteen on your national registration card? You're only twenty from when you were actually born."
"Yeah."
"Then you're a senior in highschool. What about school?"
"I dropped out before the school break."
"Huh?"
"I'm all-in on becoming a singer since I'm started later than the other trainees."
"Jesus, kid…"
"Uhoo."
Pitying sighs broke out all around.
Everyone told her a piece of advice as if dealing with their own apprentice.
"I know what you're thinking, but that's not good."
"You should at least graduate from highschool."
"Ahh please, don't bet your life on singing. There's no reason to."
But everyone probably knew somewhat.
That it wasn't possible to talk sense into this one.
I've known since the beginning.
Just as I've expected, she asked with the expression 'what's the problem?'
"But am I accepted?"
The acceptance results were sent out later, individually, but Yeom DaePyo deplorably licked his lips as if that wasn't of importance right now.
"Well, you're accepted… but do you have a place to stay in Seoul?"
"Huh?"
"Do you have a place to stay in Seoul."
Then jumping like a startled cat, she trembled and asked back.
"Huh? Isn't food and boarding provided if I participate in the audition?"
"What? Who told you that? We never said that kind of stuff?"
"Jisikin."
"What jisikin? Naver jisikin?" (TLN: Basically, quora that's hosted on naver.com)
"Yeah…"
"What are you talking about."
"I asked and they told me the company would provide everything…"
She didn't even have a smartphone, but logged in using the practice room's computer to show the page with her question and answer.
Q: I'm a female high school senior and aspiring singer living in JejuDo. I'm about to participate in the Find Dream audition hosted by Heungul Heungul Sound, and hoping to stay in Seoul until the final results are announced, but do I need to deal with lodging personally? It wasn't on the announcements, it's also my first audition, and my first time going to Seoul so I'm not sure what to do;;
A: Hi. As a pro-auditioner who has taken part in over 3000 auditions not just domestically but overseas as well, I'll answer your question. No matter what audition, whether it's in Jeju or mountainous regions food and lodging is provided to the participants. That's determined as per the 'Public Audition Law' so if they don't, the company has to pay fines. It's applicable until the final audition dates, so you can just head over worry-free. Travel and food expenses are all reimbursed so take the most expensive ones. When you travel in Seoul always take a taxi and stay at a nice hotel for yourself. Personally, I recommend Shilla Hotel. I hope you're accepted and you achieve your dreams ^^
ㄴㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋCrazy fucker
ㄴㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ'Public Audition Law'ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴWTF is a pro-auditioner ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴThat's not true you devil
ㄴQuestioner-nim, you have to take your shoes off when you board an airplane. I didn't adhere to those rules so I was about to be dragged off by Interpol. ㅠㅠ
ㄴThis is true. Someone I know was imprisoned for two weeks because the person boarded with muddy shoes
ㄴQuestioner-nim, the above are all jokes ^^;; if you come to my blog, there's a lot of audition related information so add me as a friend. I hope you have good results.
She couldn't have possibly believed this.
Please tell me you're not that much of an idiot.
Yu Eun Bit's face went bleak.
"Uh… I didn't see the comments before…"
No.
That's the wrong thing to focus on.
The comments aren't the problem, the answer itself is nuclear-waste level trash.
The person is trying to be funny no matter how you lookat it.
You're the one that's bad for believing that without a second thought.
Personally, I think it's probably better that she didn't read the comments. If she saw the comments she would've taken her shoes off when boarding the airplane.
"Huhuhuhuh…"
"Ugh, I don't know anymore."
"Let's go for a smoke."
"I'm heading out."
"Ah, right. Lu Joo you have a SoGaeTing at dinnertime." (TLN: SoGaeTing is blind date. Please replace)
"Lo Joo, again? You're doing a SoGaeTing again?"
"Ah, why, it's been a while."
What more could be said.
After verifying the true character of applicant number 374, they all left after saying a few words as if they wanted nothing to do with it.
After coming back to my senses, Yu Eun Bit was still sitting in front of the computer.
She was scrolling up and down as if she couldn't believe it and reading the other comments.
"Kim Yoon Ho, you're not gonna smoke?"
"Yeah, go on ahead."
I couldn't leave her.
It looked as though Yu Eun Bit was sincerely hurt.
Just like a dog abandoned by its owner.
< Please Don't Bet Your Life On Singing > End
burn8
Author's words
The mood is getting chilly.
What is it, a surprisingly fun audition? (TLN: reference to KR meme 뭐지? 개꿀잼 몰카인가?)
Side note: please consider donating so I can pay the editor to work on this. Thanks!