Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Despite being granted access to Teddy's studio, Lia's practice life hasn't changed much.

She had to go to school during the day, and the company's training took up almost all of her remaining time, so the opportunity to go to the recording studio was very rare. A few months passed, and she only saw Teddy two or three times.

Fortunately, the other party seemed to really appreciate her, and she benefited a lot from just a few contacts. On the other hand, after Bigbang debuted, Lia almost never saw them in the company again.

Debut artists and trainees are two completely different groups. Even if they train at the same company, it seems rare for them to run into each other. Lia lives in the same dormitory with fellow trainees Bo Eun and Chae Rin.

If all goes well, they should be teammates who will debut together in the future. Bo Eun has an outstanding vocal condition. Although she has not officially debuted yet, she has already participated in Bigbang's song Feat.

She seemed to have a good relationship with Quan Zhilong, and Lia would occasionally hear about his recent situation from her. "Zhilong has been crazy busy lately. He said he's only slept two or three hours for a week straight."

"That guy, he's even writing lyrics on his way to an announcement." ... Lia couldn't help but feel a little envious. If she had joined the company earlier, could she have practiced with him?

Cailin is one year older than her, and the two of them are enrolled in the same school - Cailin is in the high school department and Lia is in the junior high school department.

All three of them have lived abroad, so no one in the dormitory pays attention to etiquette between seniors and juniors. Lia often even skips the "sister" part.

Because she promised her parents not to fall behind in her studies, Lia often writes and draws with her books even when she's resting in the dormitory. Bao En often can't help but smile and praise her: "Our Lia is such a hardworking child!"

Lia herself didn't notice it. She simply tried to do her best in every task at hand, nothing more. But as her practice time increased, her progress, which had been noticeable to the naked eye, gradually slowed, and Lia began to hit a plateau.

When she first started practicing vocal music and dance, she could clearly feel her progress every day. But once she had mastered certain techniques and her body had adapted to the basic training, the things she needed to learn became more abstract.

She no longer just practices how to sing high notes, but wants to make her voice more textured; she no longer just worries about how to keep up with the movements, but wants to create her own style.

There are many aspects of a trainee's growth that can't be achieved through hard work alone. Star quality, personal charisma, camera appeal... In this industry, talent and hard work are equally important.

Lia is like a deflated balloon, full of energy one moment, then suddenly deflated the next. Her vocals aren't particularly impressive, she's only been dancing for a few months, and her looks aren't exactly the typical girl group look. Her only strength is her creative talents.

But the problem was—compared to Quan Zhilong, even this little advantage of hers seemed insignificant. It was too difficult. She couldn't help but start to doubt her future.

Despite still struggling with these directional issues, Lia diligently completed her trainee classes according to the schedule every day. Today was no exception. After dance class, she stayed behind to practice more.

Most of the trainees around her had been dancing since childhood, but she had to spend several times as long to catch up. Finally finishing the last rhythm combination practice, Lia looked up at the clock on the wall - it was almost midnight.

The lobby of the company building was exceptionally quiet late at night, with only the occasional sound of the automatic door sliding open, accompanied by a gust of night wind blowing in.

She was about to leave the company, her schoolbag in one hand and her aching neck in the other, when she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure not far away. It was Quan Zhilong.

He seemed to have just come back from outside, holding a cup of takeout coffee from a fast food restaurant, looking down at his phone, as if replying to a message. Lia subconsciously stopped and wanted to bow and say hello.

But in the moment she hesitated, she felt a strange sense of guilt. She seemed to have been paying too much attention to him lately. Although he couldn't possibly know what she had said on the forum under her fake account, she decided to lower her head and quickly walk away.

She had just turned sideways when Quan Zhilong suddenly raised his head and waved at her: "Lia." She paused, her heart beating faster than her voice. — He actually knew my name!

Quan Zhilong looked a little tired, but in good spirits. His eyes were bright and he wore a black woolen hat on his head, revealing his delicate features and pointed chin.

She didn't look much different than before, but perhaps because she had already debuted, even in a simple T-shirt, she looked quite distant. He nodded politely at her and asked casually, "Practicing so late?"

He looked like an older brother casually looking out for his junior colleagues at the company. Lia nodded and answered obediently, "Well, since I've only been in the company for a short time, I have to work hard to catch up with everyone." Kwon Ji-yong laughed.

"You're taking classes with Teddy, right?" He leaned in closer, his eyes sizing her up. "I heard you're a fast learner." Lia was a little surprised: "Teddy, did you mention me?"

No wonder he knew her name. "Yeah, that's all nice." Quan Zhilong raised an eyebrow at her and jokingly said. Thinking of her stagnant practice progress, Lia couldn't help but sigh: "I know, I'm still far behind everyone else."

Her head drooped, looking deeply depressed, as if she had been troubled for a while. Quan Zhilong wanted to pat her head. "It's not that practicing longer doesn't necessarily mean better," he said soothingly.

"An idol group doesn't need all-around artists. It's enough for everyone to focus on their own strengths." Focus on their own strengths? Lia repeated in her mind.

However, before her brain could react, her mouth had already asked the question: "But...senior, aren't you an all-rounder?" Quan Zhilong chuckled.

He looked a little smug and couldn't help but bragging, "It's hard to find another person at my level." Before he finished speaking, he saw the expression on the other side as if he was very regretful for complimenting him.

"Besides, there are things more important than being good at something, like passion." He added, feeling a little guilty. Lia listened quietly without saying a word.

Although he intuitively felt that the other party did not seem to fully understand what he meant, Quan Zhilong did not say anything else.

The trainee period is always the most confusing. Although she looks mature beyond her years, she is still just a teenager after all. When Teddy talked about her, he still listened carefully.

Smart and hardworking, she understands everything I say immediately. Although her emotional connection is a bit weak due to her young age, it's easy to tell she's a very intelligent child. Plus, her appearance...

Quan Zhilong thought as he looked at the other person again: Although he still looked a little childish, it was indeed a face that was easy to remember. Sometimes, being memorable is more important than being beautiful.

Judging objectively, she could definitely secure a debut spot in one of YG's upcoming girl groups. He just felt she lacked a bit of energy, the burning ambition to debut not gleaming in her eyes.

It's often the case that children who have it all too easily aren't eager enough. Lia looked up from her thoughts and hummed softly. Not wanting to let her annoyance affect him, she thought about how to change the subject.

She was actually very curious and wanted to ask about his life since his debut. However, since this was only their second meeting and they were unfamiliar with each other, she couldn't ask about his concerns as naturally as Kwon Ji-yong did.

Questions raced through her mind, but ultimately died in her throat. If she had a computer nearby, she'd probably immediately post a question: What should I do if I run into my idol but don't dare to speak?!

After hesitating for a long time, she only said thank you dryly: "It's too late, I have to go back, senior, you should go back and rest early." Quan Zhilong nodded, waved to her, and said goodbye casually: "Don't practice too hard."

Lia nodded and said goodbye to him, then walked out of the company gate. It wasn't until she returned to the dormitory and lay down on the bed that she recalled the conversation just now: Was he just caring about me?

This thought brightened her slightly depressed mood. They were officially acquainted now, right? * The aftereffects of this conversation surfaced in the following days.

As she repeatedly recalled the chance encounter that night, Lia suddenly realized that he seemed to be reminding her. More important than being good at something, was passion? Did even he see through her own poor performance?

Lia couldn't help but reflect on herself. Up until this point, everything she'd done seemed driven by inertia: simply following the trainee path and unthinkingly accepting every lesson the company assigned her.

She was like a part on an assembly line. As long as she trained at a fixed pace, she would eventually be installed in her own position. She had done nothing wrong; in fact, this was exactly the reality for most people.

To become an artist, one must gain and lose far more than an ordinary person. So she has to think hard about whether this is what she wants.

Quan Zhilong's words made her suddenly realize that she didn't seem to have a strong desire for the stage. She knew what the look of longing looked like. Bao En, Cai Lin, everyone around her...

When discussing debuting, everyone's eyes burned with eagerness. And what about her? Even her initial motivation was simply due to her peers' strong urging, so she recorded a demo and sent it to the agency.

Did she really want to be the one standing on the stage? She couldn't help but feel distressed. But this question was too difficult for her to answer at the moment, so she had to put it aside for the time being.

At the end of 2006, YG carried out a large-scale adjustment to the trainee system. This kind of adjustment happens every once in a while: some new faces join, some are eliminated, and some are adjusted to different training directions.

After the adjustment, the trainee dormitory also welcomed new members: Park Sandara from the Philippines and the young dance genius Kong Minji. Lia almost saw Park Sandara's position at first glance.

——She is so beautiful that even if she just stands still, she can gain a large group of fans.

She is already a well-known artist in the Philippines. If the new girl group needs a member who can quickly attract public attention, it will definitely be her.

Minzhi is a talented trainee. Despite her young age, her dancing skills are already formidable. Her dancing sense, the power of her movements, the precision of her rhythm, and even her understanding of music are far superior to her peers.

This is clearly what the new girl groups are currently lacking. Standing beside them, Lia suddenly felt something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She wasn't the prettiest, nor was she the best dancer.

Although she was exposed to music production earlier than other trainees and was able to learn arrangement from Teddy,... creative ability is only a plus for idols, but not a decisive factor.

For an idol, appearance, voice, and dancing are the core factors that determine whether or not she can debut. Creative ability is merely an added bonus, not a foundational factor. What is her true role? Is she truly suited to being an idol?

Although this adjustment did not affect her, she still felt tremendous pressure.

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