Damien stepped through the double doors of Starlite Media and felt a swirl of nervous excitement in his stomach. The lobby of the audition room was bustling with young teens and even children—aspiring idols—some stretching, others humming to warm up their voice. A large sign beside the counter read "Starlite Media Open Auditions." He quietly joined the registration queue, clutching his phone and papers. Despite trying not to attract attention, he could feel dozens of eyes sneaking glances at him.
As much as his skill [Unshakable Resolve] lessened his psychological discomfort, it could not get rid of it completely.
Damn... A lot of people are staring.
System: [It might be due to your high visual stat, host.]
I always feel exposed during times like these. Damien resisted the urge to sigh.
Then, a pair of girls behind him whispered excitedly, one nudging the other.
"Is he a trainee?" One girl whispered. "He looks like he walked out of an MV."
Damien pretended not to hear, focusing instead on the front desk as his turn came. His cheeks warmed slightly, but he kept his posture straight and eyes forward. Good looks might get him noticed, but they wouldn't secure him a spot as a trainee if his actual skills fell short.
At the registration table, a staff member checked his ID and paperwork. "Name and category?"
"Damien Yeong. I'm auditioning for the vocal category."
The staff at the desk cleared him. "Alright, Damien. Looks like everything checks out." She then grabbed something behind her. It was a black bag filled with sticker tags with numbers on them. She shuffled through the bag, picked one out, and handed it to him. "#9. Please put this on your chest."
Damien pressed the number onto his shirt. "Thank you."
"Just take a seat over there. We'll call your number when it's your turn." The staff pointed at a room beyond the desk, giving him one quick once-over. He just nodded and stepped away.
As he entered the room, the air immediately changed. It was thick with tension and almost electric. In front of him rows of chairs were set up and a single door was in front of the chairs. He assumed that that was where the judges were.
A crowd of auditionees filled the space, too absorbed in their own nerves and preparations to notice his arrival. Some stood stiffly by the wall, anxious, while others sat composed, quietly rehearsing.
He made his way to an empty seat in the back corner.
He checked the clock on the wall. It was 10:30 am. Since he was given the number nine, he guessed it would soon be his turn. Damien exhaled slowly and rolled his shoulders. To review his progress, he summoned his status window.
[Accessing Status Window]
[Name: Damien Hertz (Alias: Yeong Myeongho/Damien Yeong)]
[Age: 16]
[Gender: Male-Alpha]
[Physical Condition: Excellent]
[Group: TBA]
[Agency: TBA]
[Mission Progress: 0.5%]
[Base Attributes (Ratings)]
Vocal: B-
Dance: C+
Rap: D
Charm: A+
Visual: S
Artistry: A+
Fame: D- (Notable in a tight social circle only)
Seeing his stats reassured him. It seemed like the air in the room had affected him.
Over the past week, he had managed to push his vocals from a C+ to a B-, and nudged his rap up from an F to a D.
Damien closed the status screen. He allowed himself a small smile. All that grinding in the past week was paying off. Just thinking about his restless nights made feel ill.
...
It was seven days before the audition.
Damien sat hunched over his his laptop in the dim light of his bedroom. He was scouring the internet for any tips on improving his skills, especially rap.
"Hah..." He sighed, propping his head with his hand. "This is hard. It's like telling me to complete a report in just three days."
Then, he looked at his bouncing system floating in front of him.
"System, are you sure that my levels can be raised naturally?"
System: [Yes host, you can train your skills naturally through hard work and dedication or use the points to easily level up your skills. The only difference between the two is that one takes longer while the other is immediate.]
Hmm... Thats good. That way, I have a few years to naturally level up my skills. In turn, it's not suspicious, and I can save my points to unlock new skills or attributes.
"Can you tell me everything I need to know about Starlite Media?"
System: [Starlite Media is a South Korean entertainment company established in 20XX by South Korean singer Kim Sunghoon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. Although Starlite Media was founded only 15 years ago, it has slowly built a reputation for being a rising force within the industry.]
System: [The company is known for for giving their artists creative freedom, particularity when producing their songs. Every artist that has debuted under the label has seen moderate success. The downside, however, is that they tend to take their time with debuting new artists. With their hit girl group Cosmiq recently announcing they won't be renewing their contract, it's safe to assume the label is now eager—maybe even desperate—to find fresh talent to fill the gap.]
Damien mulled over the information, committing it to memory before asking, "Do you know what style the company usually leans toward?"
System: [The company doesn't favour one particular style. It varies depending on the group they're building. They've explore multiple genres and styles over the years. That said, a consistent thread across their discography is narrative-driven music, if that's what the host is referring to.]
"Got it. Then... do you know what the company is looking for?"
System: [Not exactly, host. Plans for a new group are in motion, but the final concept hasn't been decided.]
"I see..."
He sat silently for a while, letting the information settle. The more he understood the company's situation and preferences, the better he could strategize his audition.
After a few minutes, Damien reached for his specialized notebook and began scribbling down points from his earlier discussion with the system. Once finished, he shut the notebook with a soft thud and turned toward the clock on his desk.
7:00 a.m.
Right on schedule.
He stood, hiding the notebook inside his desk drawer.
One week left until the audition. He'd already mapped out a training plan—vocals in the morning, rap in the afternoon, and physical exercise and basically dance drills in the evening—and he planned to stick to it down to the last minute. If he wanted to compete, he couldn't slack off.
Time to get to work.
Damien started with breathing excercises and vocal warmups. Then, came the real challenge—his audition song. It was an older English track that was popular some years ago, but it suited his voice perfectly. Unfortunately, there were some challenging parts, mainly the fast runs and high notes near the end of the song. Still, it was the perfect piece to showcase both range and control.
By the time he ran through it for what felt like the hundredth time, Damien's voice cracked on the climactic high note. He winced, immediately cutting himself off.
System: [Host, your stamina is heading towards dangerous levels and you are starting to strain your vocal chords. Any more and you can permanently damage your voice.]
Panting, Damien checked the time. He'd been at it for nearly four hours straight, stopping only for five to ten minutes here and there. "No wonder..." He muttered, reaching for his water bottle and downing it in a few gulps. His throat was borderline sore and not to mention scratchy. He had pushed too far.
Good thing the system was there to stop him before he completely ruined his voice.
Damien opened the shop and bought a Recovery Vial for 20 points.
A tiny glass bottle filled with blood red liquid materialized in his hand. Damien didn't hesitate. He popped the cap and gulped it down in one go. A soothing warmth spread through his body, instantly melting his fatigue and ache away.
Just like that, he felt refreshed—just like he'd just woken up from a full night's rest.
After a short break, he dove back into practice, following his training regimen.
During those long hours, Damien found himself slightly regretting quitting vocal and dance training at Fujimori Academy. After a few years, he'd thrown himself entirely into art. And now? Here he was, preparing for a f*cking idol audition. Definitely not the kind of main mission he imagined.
Still, he adjusted. At least tried to.
He tried to get back the skill he used to have.
As the week progressed, the results started to show. His breath control improved. His tone was even and the high notes didn't seem so high. Even his rap, while still stiff, gained some rhythm. Every slight increase on his stat screen gave him a small rush of satisfaction, motivating him to keep pushing.
But it wasn't all smooth.
By day four, fatigue hit hard. After running his audition song multiple times, Damien collapsed onto the wooden floor, chest heaving. Every muscle in his body ached. His shirt stuck to his back with sweat.
Furthermore, he had never slept this past week, using potions to regain his stamina. Every day was starting to feel like a blur.
He lay there for a long moment, eyes on the ceiling.
"How'd I get here? I hate being in the spotlight yet I'm auditioning to become an idol..."
He questioned his life choices.
But the next day, he was back at it.
And by the end of the week, his hard work paid off.
The night before the audition, Damien stood before his mirror and ran through his song one last time at a gentle volume. The notes came easily now, even the high note that nearly killed him on day one.
A final status check showed that his vocals were finally at B- and rap at D.
It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. Enough for him to step into that audition room knowing he'd done everything he could.
...
A burst of applause down the hall snapped Damien back to the present. Auditions were moving quickly, each hopeful teen coming out in turn. Some emerged looking neutral or crushed, but a few came out with subtle smiles—likely those who were confident of their abilities.
At last, the door opened and a staff member poked her head out. "Numbers six through ten please enter."
Damien's heart thumped. Squaring his shoulders, Damien walked into the audition room.
Inside, the space was a standard practice studio: a mirrored wall on one side, hardwood floors, and bright fluorescent lights overhead. A long folding table was set up at the far end where three judges sat. One was a woman with short hair and glasses, a pen positioned over a her clipboard. Beside her sat a middle-aged man in a suit jacket, hands folded as he watched. The third judge was a younger silver-haired man, he was dressed more casually than the other two, wearing a simple hoodie and beanie.
All three nodded as the group entered. Then, their eyes zeroed in on Damien. He saw their eyes flick up and down, taking in his appearance. For a brief moment, the judges exchanged quick looks—even the professionals weren't immune to being impressed by visuals. Damien fought the urge to shiver and instead gave a deep, respectful bow.
When his turn came, he introduced himself briefly.
"Hello, my name is Damien Yeong—Korean name, Yeong Myeongho," he said in clear Korean, his voice echoing slightly in the quiet room. "I'm part German, part Korean, and fluent in several languages. I'm sixteen years old, and I'm here to audition in the vocal category."
The woman with glasses nodded and gave a slight smile. "Welcome, Damien. What song will you be performing today?"
"I'll be singing Sweet Abyss," he replied confidently.
The man in the jacket gave a small nod, while the younger judge tapped a key on the laptop, ready to take notes. "Alright," the woman said. "You can start when you're ready."
Damien moved to the center of the room, where a faded X was marked on the floor. He took his spot and caught a glimpse of himself in the wall mirror behind the judges. He looked composed—shoulders relaxed, posture straight—but his fists were clenched tighter than he realized.
His heart was racing, but his skill kept his mind clear enough to focus. He recalled all his rehearsals, and a calm washed over him.
He nodded once to the panel to signal he was ready.
Closing his eyes, Damien recalled the opening lines of the song.
Then, he opened his mouth and letting the first note ring out.