Prince from another dimension becomes an Idol chapter 21

After finishing the morning practice.

The members went out to their usual spot nearby for lunch.

The company covered the expenses, making this place a frequent hang out for Kingdom trainees.

Not only was it close, but the food was also delicious, and the owner was generous, so the members were highly satisfied.

Even Dojae, accustomed to the cuisine of the Imperial kitchen, found the food excellent.

“Dojae, what do you want to eat?”

“I’ll have the tteokgalbi.”

Having tteokgalbi, a traditional Imperial dish, on the menu was a significant plus for Dojae.

“Owner! One tteokgalbi, one bulgogi, two pork stir-fries, and two kimchi stews, please.”

As Heungmin called out the order loudly, the owner peeked halfway out from the kitchen and nodded.

“Just wait a bit, I’ll get it ready quickly!”

“Give us plenty, plenty!”

When Woochul emphasized “plenty” several times, the owner responded playfully, “When have I ever given you little?”

While waiting for the food, Dojae habitually checked his phone messages.

[I’m about to eat now. Enjoy your lunch too.]

[Okay, I’ll contact you again after practice.]

[Sure, have a great day!]

There was a reply to the message he had sent during the practice break.

Dojae smiled slightly and chose an emoji he was now familiar with to send back.

Woochul, who was sitting next to him, glanced over and asked, “Hyung, who are you always messaging? Could it be a girl…?”

“Park Woochul. You see what you want to see.”

“What? Isn’t it a reasonable suspicion?”

“You couldn’t even think of the word ‘reasonable’ just now.”

“No, I did!”

As Woochul and Heungmin started bickering, Dojae put his phone in his pocket and chuckled.

“But it’s true. Dojae hyung is really popular. Even the girls come to me asking about him.”

Woochul, who was friendly with the female trainees at Kingdom Entertainment, muttered.

Dojae was popular not only with female trainees but also with male trainees.

A few months ago, after a mid-term team evaluation in front of all trainees and staff, his popularity had surged.

However, Dojae had no interest in such things.

All he had in mind was a successful debut.

‘Relationships… should be only with the chosen princess.’

The Imperial Family had to set an example for the empire’s citizens even when starting a family, and as a prince, Dojae could only have a deep relationship with the chosen princess.

Even though he was not a prince now, that deeply ingrained belief kept Dojae from showing much interest in the opposite sex.

“Dojae isn’t interested,” Heungmin said, to which Woochul replied, “That’s true,” but still asked, “Then who do you keep messaging? You seem to do it at the same time every day.”

“My mother.”

“Huh?”

“You should pay more attention to Dojae and try to be more like him.”

In fact, Heungmin, too, had been curious about who Dojae was always messaging around the same time and had asked him the same question.

He had found out only recently, but he focused on teasing Woochul instead.

“No way. You message your mother every day?”

“It’s a habit to greet her…”

Since moving to the dorm, Dojae had been sending morning and evening greetings every day.

‘Since I can’t visit in person…’

Initially awkward, Hyekyung now seemed satisfied with her more attentive son.

He had always been a good son, but he seemed brighter than before.

Hyekyung thought it was because Dojae had transferred to a new company and was about to debut.

In fact, Hyekyung herself was in a brighter state than before.

With the money Dojae gave, she had paid off most of her debts and increased the deposit to reduce the monthly rent.

The new job was still tough, but it was better than cleaning buildings.

‘Though there was no word from the Sunghwan side until the end… It was good to quit.’

Dojae thought quietly.

At the mention of greeting, Woochul shook his head.

Living together for a long time, he sometimes suspected Dojae had come from Cheonghak-dong. (Neighborhood for the wealthy)

“If it were the Joseon Dynasty, there’d be a monument honoring you as a filial son.”

At Heungmin’s additional comment, Dojae flinched but the food arrived, ending the conversation.

“Ah. I always wished lunch time was super long. But today, everyone’s eating quickly, right?”

Louis asked as he took a spoonful of kimchi stew.

Louis’ face, tone, and the red broth in his spoon were a picture of contradiction.

But the members had grown used to such contradictions.

“Of course. It’s nerve-wracking.”

In response to Woochul, Kijoon, drinking water, added, “But eat slowly. You don’t want to get indigestion.”

Kijoon, who said this, looked like he might get indigestion at any moment with his pale face.

But Louis and Woochul nodded.

Whether they showed it or not, it was clear that everyone was filled with nervousness and anticipation during this lunchtime.

‘I wonder what song will be our debut track…’

Dojae thought as he chewed the sweet and savory tteokgalbi.

It would be the first time he had his “own song.”

He couldn’t wait to hear it.

***

“Wow. It’s the first time everyone’s come to the meeting room this early, isn’t it?”

1:40 PM.

The team leader, Jung Heeyoung, was amazed to see the members, who had arrived 20 minutes early without using the entire lunch break.

Assistant Manager Lee Jungyeon, who was setting up the meeting room’s sound system, also smiled as if finding them adorable.

“We’re just too curious! You’ve already heard it, team leader.”

At Woochul’s words, Team Leader Jung Heeyoung nodded, “That’s true.”

Fifteen people attended today’s meeting.

Starting with Vice President Jung Hyungseok, who always participated in important decisions, Manager Kim Seokchul , Team Leader Jung Heeyoung, and some new members were also present.

There were employees from Planning Team 2, dedicated trainers, and even Director Lee Jungyeop, the core composer of Kingdom, and the team leader of Planning Team 1, who had nurtured Big Boys.

Because they had arrived so early, the members had to stand up and greet each new person who came in.

However, the trouble of standing up and sitting down was nothing compared to their nervous excitement.

Once Vice President Jung Hyeongseok took his seat, the meeting began.

“As I mentioned, today we are here to decide on the title track for Kingdom’s upcoming group debut album.”

Although she seemed composed, Team Leader Jung Heeyoung had been working on this project for over three years.

Even she couldn’t hide her slight nervousness.

“As you know, the title track influences the entire group’s concept, so please evaluate carefully.”

The process was to first listen to all the candidate songs, select the final candidates through a vote, and then decide the debut song in a meeting.

Though it was a one-day schedule, the issue was so significant that an immediate answer might not be possible.

“There are five candidate songs in total, selected by our team based on concept and quality.”

The songs were a mix of those sent by external composers and those written by the company’s internal composer, Director Lee.

“First, we’ll listen to the candidate songs without revealing the composers, in a blind test.”

After a brief explanation, Team Leader Jung Heeyoung signaled Assistant Manager Lee Jungyeon.

On the screen, the text [NO.1, DELIGHT (working title)] appeared, and music started playing through the speakers.

Everyone in the meeting room focused on the song.

Thump, thump, thump-thump—

The song, which started with a cheerful beat, was an upbeat dance track.

‘It’s good, but…. something’s missing.’

While practicing and studying composition for the past six months, Dojae delved into Korean songs.

The music trends in this world were similar to those in the world Dojae had lived in but changed much faster.

Especially idol music, which needed to be popular yet conceptually innovative….

This song seemed to lack that aspect.

It was at the level of a follow-up song for a famous idol group.

Even Kijoon, who usually maintained a stoic expression, seemed unimpressed.

‘He always looks stern, but when he likes something, his lips curl up without him realizing it….’

Thinking this, Dojae closed his eyes and pondered how to revise the song.

There were hardly any perfect songs from the start.

Picking a song that could become perfect through revisions was also a matter of discernment.

“Next song, please.”

They continued in this manner to the next and the one after that.

After listening to three songs in a row, Dojae felt the excitement he had at the beginning of the meeting wane.

All were good, but something was missing.

‘Will it get better with revisions?’

For Dojae, the answer was ‘no.’

‘Of course, my skills are still lacking…. unless more skilled individuals take charge of the arrangements.’

He had no choice but to pin his hopes on the remaining two songs.

[NO.4, I’m Different]

Soon, the fourth song title appeared on the screen.

Dojae listened attentively to the next song.

Tap, tap, tap.

[I’m Different] began with the sound of drumsticks clashing.

The following drum sounds matched well with the future bass.

The lively and flashy sound resonated in his ears.

It was an exciting song that made his toes move automatically.

He noticed Louis, sitting to his right, shaking his shoulders to the rhythm.

The melody of the following chorus was unique but became more ingrained with each repetition.

‘Just like the title says.’

It was different.

It was significantly better than the previous three songs.

As the beat quickened, Dojae felt his heart race.

Even Kijoon’s lips were curling up slightly.

Standing in front, Team Leader Jung Heeyoung sensed the previously subdued atmosphere of the meeting room lift with each candidate song.

Without needing to ask, she could tell the opinions of the members and others.

‘It’s inevitable.’

Jung Heeyoung thought.

Songs 1, 2, and 3 were all from external composers who had sent their works to the company.

Although many sent their songs, few were skilled, and most were novice composers.

This was because Kingdom Entertainment’s position as an idol agency was not strong.

‘It’s thanks to Big Boys’ popularity that we even get songs of this quality.’

No matter how much they filtered, it was hard to get more than mediocre quality.

Although they contacted famous composers to get songs, these composers ultimately gave the best songs to famous idol groups first and passed on the leftovers to Kingdom.

This was why successful companies continued to thrive, while struggling ones continued to falter.

‘If we’re lucky, a rookie composer might come up with a hit song.’

However, such rookie composers were often snapped up by major agencies.

So, they had no choice but to rely on internal talent.

That was also Kingdom Entertainment’s remarkable strength.

It was because they had Director Lee Jungyeop, undeniably the best composer and hitmaker in Korea.

And it was Director Lee who composed [I’m Different].

‘Though the overall producer is Director Lee, we tried to bring in external composers to avoid having too similar a sound to Big Boys…. but in the end, it’s Director Lee again.’

Jung Heeyoung thought with admiration.

He even produced a completely different song that matched the concept.

After the fourth song ended, the slightly elevated atmosphere continued as the fifth song played.

[NO.5 Dynamic (working title)]

As soon as the fifth song, which began with an electronic piano performance, started playing, the members’ mouths simultaneously dropped open.

‘This is……!’