Prince from another dimension becomes an Idol chapter 10

Chamberlain Kim was seated at the judging panel.

Lee Jungyeon and Louis looked at Dojae curiously at his sudden outburst.

“Chamberlain?”

Louis, who lacked interest in academics, still knew what a Chamberlain was from his favorite historical drama, ‘The Moon Embracing the Sun’, which featured a character named Chamberlain Kim.

“…Ah, no.”

Dojae quickly closed his mouth, as if he hadn’t said anything.

Management team leader Kim Seokchul.

Not only did the temporary nameplate confirm it, but his face and name were the same.

Even his suit and upright posture resembled Chamberlain Kim.

‘But he’s not Chamberlain Kim.’

Despite recognizing this, Dojae couldn’t help but feel surprised and pleased.

‘I was shocked when I saw my mother too, but…….’

He hadn’t expected to meet someone like Chamberlain Kim in this world.

For ten years, Chamberlain Kim had managed Dojae’s education, health, and schedule.

Dojae had spent more time with him than with his mother, who was busy attending to the Imperial Family’s duties and the crown prince.

Chamberlain Kim was one of the reasons Dojae tried to fulfill his minimal duties despite feeling exhausted by Imperial life.

He knew that if he caused trouble, it would be Chamberlain Kim who would bear the consequences.

‘He was always such a diligent person.’

Looking at Manager Kim Seokchul and thinking of Chamberlain Kim, Dojae quickly bowed in greeting when their eyes met.

It was an unfamiliar gesture, as Chamberlain Kim was always the one to bow first, but it didn’t feel bad.

‘Regardless of his inner thoughts, having someone like Chamberlain Kim here… I really hope I can debut with Kingdom Entertainment.’

With this thought, Dojae strengthened his resolve for the audition.

“Please come this way.”

Dojae and Louis stood in the center of the practice room, following Lee Jungyeon’s guidance.

“Wow. Even Baek Johee……”

Standing side by side, Louis recognized the judges and muttered in surprise.

Besides Manager Kim Seokchul, the team leader of Planning Team 2, the vice president, and famous ballad singer Baek Johee were seated at the judging table.

Cameras were set up behind the judging panel, likely for a camera test since it was a live audition.

It was an unusual setup for selecting trainees.

‘This is the kind of setup used when selecting members for a debut group…….’

Dojae was now convinced this audition was to select members for the debut group following Big Boys next year.

“Please introduce yourselves.”

Once Lee Jungyeon sat down, the team leader of Planning Team 2 started the formal audition.

“I’m Kim Louis, eighteen years old! I’m not mixed race, I’m fully Korean. My hobby is watching TV or YouTube, and my specialty is dancing! I’m especially confident in street dance!”

“I’m Kang Dojae, twenty years old, and I’m confident in singing. I can also play simple musical instruments.”

They added a bit more to what they had written in their email applications.

“Oh. I thought you were from abroad just by your name. I’m sorry.”

Baek Johee smiled at Louis.

“No problem. It’s understandable considering my appearance and name.”

“Is Louis really your Korean name?”

“Yes!”

“We called you because we thought you were good at foreign languages…….”

The vice president of Kingdom, listening to Baek Johee and Louis, muttered in disappointment.

Louis quickly showcased his English skills.

“I studied abroad, so I speak a little English. Very little bit…….”

A bit, he said.

Dojae thought it was uncharacteristically humble of Louis.

“Oh, really? Where and for how long?”

“Three months in the Philippines……”

A brief, awkward silence fell over the practice room.

Baek Johee broke the silence with a smile, easing the tension.

The team leader of Planning Team 2 turned to Dojae.

“Do you have any foreign language skills, Dojae?”

Dojae reflected on how much was expected of an idol in Korea.

Singing and dancing were just the basics.

Acting, foreign languages, and musical instrument skills were also expected.

Large agencies often provided extensive training.

Some parents even sent their children to agencies instead of regular academies.

‘This was one of Kang Dojae’s points of frustration.’

Although New Entertainment provided basic foreign language and instrument training, it was minimal.

Most trainees learned these skills independently, which frustrated Kang Dojae.

‘He couldn’t even afford to buy instruments.’

However, unlike Kang Dojae, Dojae had received extensive education as a prince.

“I’m fluent in English and can hold daily conversations in Chinese, Japanese, French, and Arasa- I mean Russia.”

Dojae quickly corrected himself from saying “Arasa” to “Russian,” as Arasa was how Russians were referred to in the Korean Empire.

Thankfully, the judges seemed unfamiliar with the term Arasa. (“아라사” (Arasa) was commonly used during the late 19th century and early 20th century, particularly during the Joseon Dynasty and the early years of the Korean Empire.)

They were more surprised by Dojae’s unexpected foreign language skills.

Even Louis looked at Dojae in astonishment.

“Wow. That’s impressive. Did you live abroad too, Dojae?”

“No, I just happened to learn……”

Dojae couldn’t explain that he had received one-on-one tutoring as part of his prince training, so he left it vague.

“I’ve never actually heard anyone speak Russian! How do you do it? Can you introduce yourself in Russian as you did earlier?”

Baek Johee asked, seemingly fascinated.

“Меня зовут Кан Чжэ Чже.” (My name is Kang Dojae.)

Dojae, who had mentioned he could only hold casual conversations in Russian, spoke quite fluently.

In reality, no one knew Russian, so they couldn’t tell if Dojae was speaking correctly, but everyone was impressed regardless.

Even the usually stern Vice President of Kingdom looked somewhat impressed.

“You mentioned that you can play musical instruments. Which ones can you play?”

The team leader of Planning Team 2 asked the next question.

“I’ve learned piano since I was young, and I’ve been learning guitar for about half a year.”

Dojae couldn’t learn the guitar while living at Gyeongbokgung Palace but started learning when he moved to Cheongju Palace.

Although he was a quick learner, his skills were not yet at a level worth showcasing.

In fact, he was better at playing the danso or haegeum (Traditional Korean Instrument), but he refrained from mentioning this, thinking it might seem unusual.

“It seems like you’ve put in a lot of effort.”

Baek Johee praised him as she looked over Dojae’s printed email content with admiration.

As a prince, these were obvious accomplishments, so the praise felt somewhat odd to Dojae.

Meanwhile, the Vice President, who seemed to be in thought, began speaking in a firm tone.

“Impressive. I think that should cover the introduction… Now, we need to talk about this audition.”

Dojae and Louis focused on the Vice President’s words.

“As you might have guessed, we’re not looking for trainees to nurture from scratch. We’re looking for a member to debut with a group next year.”

Louis, who had been following Dojae’s lead, was taken aback.

“Since we don’t have any internal trainees ready to debut, we planned this audition to recruit members externally.”

The Team Leader of Planning Team 2 added with a sigh.

Unlike major agencies where trainees from across the country and the world gather, lesser-known agencies struggle to attract good trainees.

Kingdom Entertainment, being relatively unknown, also faced difficulties in recruiting trainees.

Although the situation had improved since forming Big Boys, it was still unsatisfactory.

Therefore, they lacked trainees ready to debut next year.

There were remaining trainees, but they weren’t up to par, so they had been holding auditions for half a year now.

This was in contrast to major agencies like New Entertainment, where trainees who could debut immediately competed fiercely.

“We want an experienced person, not a novice. Is that alright with you?”

“No problem! That’s us! Absolutely no problem! We’ll show you our skills!”

Louis confidently replied to the Vice President’s firm question.

For Dojae and Louis, who had some skills and trainee experience, this was an excellent opportunity.

“If we can debut next year, that’s even better for us.”

Following Louis, Dojae calmly responded, and the Vice President nodded.

“The issue is, we’re looking for just one member.”

One member. This unexpected development made Dojae and Louis look at each other.

Louis’s face darkened considerably.

He had followed Dojae with the hope of staying together, but the idea of only one of them remaining was disappointing.

“We’re planning a group of six members. We already have five, and we just need one more. We don’t need additional members. You can stay as a trainee if you want, but…”

The Vice President knew that becoming a trainee at Kingdom Entertainment, with an uncertain debut date, held no appeal for former New Entertainment trainees.

Without presuming that one of them would become a trainee, he continued speaking.

“Both of you have a good presence and seem capable based on today’s conversation. Despite the different atmospheres, either of you would fit well with the team. So, we think we can choose one of you as a group member today.”

The Vice President looked around as if seeking agreement.

Everyone nodded.

Since watching the song videos sent by both, the staff had been determined to secure one of them.

Seeing them in person solidified this determination.

With the consensus seemingly reached, the team leader of Planning Team 2 spoke.

“We’ve already confirmed your singing skills through the videos you sent.”

Louis’s singing was characterized by a clear, pure voice, as if he hadn’t gone through puberty.

His singing wasn’t exceptionally outstanding, but he had solid basics and would improve with some practice.

Dojae’s singing was flawless.

Though there was already a main vocalist, Dojae’s skills were so impressive that he might even take over that position.

His tone, vocalization, and breathing were impeccable, and his eye contact with the camera was perfect.

It seemed as if he had performed on stage multiple times.

However, they already had an excellent main vocalist, and the position they wanted to fill was different.

“We need a member with overall superior skills rather than someone excelling in just one area. So, we’ll be evaluating your dancing in today’s audition.”

While Louis felt relieved at the mention of dancing, Dojae’s expression hardened imperceptibly.

If there was one thing he had never done in front of others, it was dancing.