Chapter 1 - Becoming a trainee
Y/N was a 17-year-old girl living in Seoul, South Korea. Her infatuation with K-pop started when she was in middle school, but she never aspired anything serious in that direction. … That all changed with Mnet's survival show Produce 48. Or more particularly, with Kim Chae- I mean, also Miyawaki Sakura and Huh Yunjin… but, honestly, Y/N only had eyes for Wollim trainee Chaewon.
For Sakura, she had been a member of the popular Japanese idol group, HKT48, before joining the show. She had always dreamed of becoming an idol in South Korea, but the language barrier had been a significant obstacle for her. Chaewon, on the other hand, had been a trainee for a little under a year before appearing on Produce 48. She had almost given up on her dream of becoming an idol, but the show gave her a new opportunity. Her powerful vocals and stunning visuals caught the judges' attention, as well as captivated Y/N. And Huh Yunjin? She was just a powerhouse vocally and incredibly funny to watch.
Putting aside the evil editing, Y/N was fully immersed in the program and her favorite trio. Voting round after round for all of them, and choosing Chaewon for her one picks, Y/N was thrilled when both Sakura and Chaewon made it into Iz*one. Yunjin's elimination left her sad and disappointed, but she decided to look forward to her other favorites' debut. Yunjin would make it someday, she was simply too talented not too.
After Iz*one's debut, Y/N watched all music videos and variety show appearances on YouTube. Suddenly felt a surge of inspiration. She could see herself on stage, performing in front of thousands of fans, just like Sakura and Chaewon. She could imagine the thrill of hearing her fans scream her name, and the feeling of satisfaction that came with a successful performance. It was shortly after Iz*one's debut, that Y/N made the decision, she was going to audition to become an idol herself.
“I want to debut. If Chaewon and Sakura did it, maybe I can do it too,” Y/N said firmly to herself. “I wanna try this.”
Y/N had been waiting for this day for a long time. It was shortly after her 18th birthday, and she had decided to audition. She had always been passionate about music and dance, and she spoke Korean and English fluently, and she hoped this would give her an edge in the industry. Her first audition, however, would be for Hybe Labels, one of the most renowned entertainment companies in South Korea. Intimidatingly enough for a first audition, considering Hybe was the company of THE BTS. This was a long shot, Y/N was very aware of that, but she wanted to at least give it a try once.
As Y/N arrived at the audition venue, she felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement. She knew that the competition would be tough, but she was determined to do her best. She had practiced for weeks, practicing her singing and dancing skills as much as she could on her own. However, she was also aware that perfection without training was impossible, and she hoped that her potential would be enough to impress the judges. Y/N performed a song and dance routine that she had prepared specifically for the audition. As a Wiz*one, Y/N originally intended to show La vie en rose, however she recognized the difficulty in elegant dancing, and opted to a fierce concept. She performed the new song Dalla Dalla by Itzy. Her performance was far from perfect, but her passion and dedication shone through. She could feel her heart racing as she finished her routine, and she waited anxiously for the judges' feedback. Her mind didn't stop racing, recounting every single slip in her performance.
After what felt like an eternity, the judges called out her name. Y/N, already with tears swelling in her eyes, walked back into the audition room. Inside, however, she was nothing but praised and complimented on her potential. The judges said that while she had a long way to go, she had a unique voice and good dancing skills to start-off with. They offered her a spot as a trainee, causing Y/N to shriek out and failing to contain herself in front of her future mentors. But she didn't care. She had achieved her dream of becoming a trainee, this was the first step. As Y/N left the audition venue, she couldn't help but feel grateful, but also scared. She knew that the journey ahead would be tough, but she was ready to work hard and give it her all.
When Y/N shortly after returned to Hybe to finalize her contract, her mind switched to some of her biggest idols in the industry. Among them was Chaewon. She had been a trainee for 11 months before joining Produce 48. Y/N knew that she also had to endure long hours of practice and sacrifice a lot to get to where she was now. And somehow, all of her hard work had paid off, and she had debuted in such a popular girl group.
As her mind was fixed on Chaewon's story to success, Y/N set her goal to be just like her. It might take long, and it would definitely be difficult, but she was willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her dream.
"I know it's going to be tough, but I'm determined to become the best I can be," Y/N thought to herself as she set the pen to sign her trainee contract.