Chapter 33 Chapter 33

After the filming schedule for the fifth episode was finalized, Bao Heng approached Lia again. "The company agreed to your withdrawal," she said, "but they want you to complete this episode." Lia nodded, unsurprised.

She had originally expected that she might have to cooperate with the filming of the entire content and then be "reasonably eliminated." This result was actually better than she expected. "I will cooperate with the filming, Sister Baoheng." "Yes. In addition,

You'll need to cooperate with the production team to film a withdrawal statement, and they'll discuss the details with you. "Okay." "And..." Bao Heng paused, then continued, "about your contract..."

Lia nodded slightly, indicating that she was listening carefully. "Your contract will expire in more than a year, and the company will not terminate it for the time being." As if worried that she didn't understand the meaning, Bao Heng added: "Even if you don't debut as an artist,

The company also intends to continue cooperating with you in other areas..." Her voice became softer and softer. She knew in her heart that this was not fair to Lia. On the surface, she hoped to continue cooperating,

In fact, it only cut off her possibility of debuting with other companies. Lia was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "No problem, I have actually considered this issue." Bao Heng was slightly stunned. The girl opposite was calm.

Even with a hint of calmness beyond his age. "I have thought about what I want to do after retiring - I like music,

I also enjoy working in the recording studio. If possible, I would like to apply to convert my trainee contract to a trainee contract focusing on production support."

"I don't have much experience yet, so I won't ask for too much in terms of contract benefits. I just hope the company can keep my accommodation and give me time to prepare for college." "If the company is willing to give me a chance,

I will work hard to grow into a real producer." In just a few weeks, she recovered from the pressure of public opinion and regained her vitality, even stronger than before.

Baoheng suddenly felt that no matter what kind of environment the person was in, he could grow well.

"Okay, I'll discuss the contract with other departments. The company will probably be busy with the debut of a new girl group for a while, so feedback may not be as timely. After the next recording is finished, I will help you arrange accommodation."

"Well, thank you, Sister Baoheng. I'll wait for your notification." Lia thanked her earnestly. ... It was already past one in the morning when she returned to the dormitory. Lia quietly changed her shoes and walked in. At the end of the corridor, the small light in the living room was still on.

She had thought everyone was asleep, but she saw Cailin sitting on the sofa, a notebook for recording exercises on her lap, her gaze fixed on a point in front of her, lost in thought. "Why are you still awake?" Lia asked softly as she approached.

Cailin raised her head, her eyes somewhat empty: "Ah... I don't know either." After a moment of silence, she pushed the notebook forward and patted the edge of the sofa: "Come and sit down."

The dormitory was very quiet. The doors of the other rooms were all closed, and only the faint sound of wind could be heard through the windows. They sat there for a while, and the atmosphere was a little depressing.

In the end, Cailin spoke first: "Has something happened recently? You are always away, and the company sent someone to move the computer away." "Well...something happened." Lia was silent for a moment before answering slowly.

She looked at Cailin, who had a hint of worry on her face. "It's not a big deal," she patted the back of Cailin's hand, "but I probably won't debut." "..." Silence.

Cailin lowered her head, staring at the ground in front of her, and said in a low voice, "I guessed it." "Eh, is it so obvious?" Lia was a little surprised. "Not really. Except for Baoen and me, no one else noticed."

Lia nodded, and seeing the other person's frustrated expression, she comforted him: "Don't be so bitter and resentful. I haven't terminated the contract. We should still see each other often in the future." Cailin raised her head: "Not terminating the contract?"

She didn't quite understand the current situation.

"Hmm..." Lia scratched her head in annoyance. "I'm not really sure about the details. I have to wait for the company to decide. If I want to do music-related work in the future, I will probably stay with the company. That's what I mean."

"Is that so?" Chae-rin frowned. For the trainees before them, almost all of them left the company, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, once they lost their debut qualification. But Lia's situation seemed a little different.

"Maybe in the future, I'll become your producer." Lia said lightly, as if jokingly. "Really?"

"Well, of course. But--" Lia blinked, "If you're not famous enough, I might not..." "Yeah--" Cailin finally smiled.

He laughed and then lowered his head: "But I don't know if I can stay..." The anxiety of debuting is like a mountain, pressing on everyone's shoulders.

"You will." Lia looked at her seriously, "You are the best Ace I have ever seen. In the future, there will be very, very, very many people who like you." In order to increase her persuasiveness, she said many "very" in one breath.

Cailin laughed, and the oppressive atmosphere immediately dissipated a little. "So, this is the plan for the next stage?" Lia leaned forward and glanced at the notes on her lap.

"Well, but it seems that no one is very good at this style..." Cailin nodded, looking distressed, "It seems that "Now" is more suitable for us, right?" "Indeed..." Lia sighed.

The theme of the fifth episode was group concept show. The program team provided two groups with different concepts: Group A was "Now", which emphasized female power, and Group B was "To My Boyfriend", which was retro and sweet.

The songs selected are all from Fin.KL's classic repertoire, and the trainees draw lots to decide the stage. This stage is not only a test of the trainees' ability to adapt to different styles, but also a preparation for the group's image in the future.

Unlike the previous group where only performances were required, this time, both the song arrangement and the stage proposals had to be completed by the trainees themselves. Bo Eun, Chae Rin, Lia, and Min Ji were assigned to Group B.

YG Entertainment, which originated as a hip-hop company, often cultivates trainees with strong, stylish styles. This time, the program team included a retro and sweet style as one of the options, likely influenced by the popularity of Wonder Girls.

It was just a pity for the few people who drew this song, as they obviously had some indigestion.

"Let me think about it," Lia took the notebook and winked at Cailin, "I did something similar for the school's New Year's performance before. I have some ideas in my mind. Let me sort them out and discuss them with you tomorrow." Cailin felt relieved.

That's great! She really couldn't do this job. "What would I do without you?" She looked at Lia with tears in her eyes. "Okay, go to bed, it's too late." Lia stood up and pulled her up from the sofa with a smile. ...

After washing up, Lia sat back at her desk and turned on a small lamp. A soft orange glow shone down, and the night was silent. She opened a drawer, her fingers pausing between pages. The black notebook lay quietly there, as if waiting to be opened again.

She hesitated for a moment, then pulled it out. This was probably her last stage. Such an important moment should be recorded well. She turned a new page, twirled the pen between her fingers, and put down the first stroke.

My Boyfriend》 "Look at me, just look at me once, praise me for being beautiful now, and honestly, I wore a skirt for the first time in my life to charm you... It's still a bit awkward to say I love you.

"When will my love mature in your heart?" She hummed the melody softly, and the picture gradually emerged in her mind. The summer light spread out like fine floating gold.

A lively tune blared from the radio station, boys ran on the court, and girls sat in the stands eating ice cream. Sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, and the air was filled with the scent of chalk dust and orange soda.

She drew a small outline of the playground in her notebook, with an old-fashioned radio set in the center, making a rustling sound when it turned on. The main color scheme of the stage soon emerged: a light blue and white with accents of cream and yellow.

The outfit, with its denim blue base and bright mustard yellow accessories, was both retro and lively, echoing the sweetness of the original song. She carefully marked several directions in her notebook, roughly noting the four people's positions.

Then she lowered her head and pieced together the song's rhythm and melody. She planned to keep the light and dynamic electronic drum machine in the introduction.

The background sound can be superimposed with a layer of rustling electric sound to simulate the noise when the radio is started, and combined with the sound of the maracas in the original song, it creates a sense of nostalgia for the old times.

The original song's abundant harmonic stacking was its greatest strength. She marked the key points of each section in her notes, intending to rearrange it to suit the four members' timbre. Thoughts raced through her mind as she meticulously wrote down detail after detail in her notebook, her concept gradually taking shape.

An unknown amount of time passed, the night deepened, and the wind outside the window died down. ... The next morning. Because of their different schedules, the four members of Group B gathered directly in the practice room. Seeing Lia, Bao En walked over and hugged her tightly.

"Unnie knows too?" Lia asked in a low voice. "Hmm..." Boen replied sullenly. Lia patted her back and teased with a smile, "It would be nice if you were this gentle when you were grabbing the bread."

Bao En let go of her hand and glared at her angrily. "No, I love bread the most." Lia chuckled. They sat down together. Lia took out a notebook from her bag and spread out the sketch she had drawn last night in front of them.

"To put it simply, I want to create the atmosphere of this song like a campus radio play," she said, pointing to the sketch. "The setting is the school playground and the radio station. As for the movement, we'll start in our respective positions and then gradually come together."

Cailin was a bit surprised. Although she knew Lia was good at arranging music, she had never expected that she could come up with such a complete performance plan in just one night. Baoen and Minzhi didn't say much, just listening quietly and occasionally responding.

"So, what's going on?" Lia said, looking up at them. "I like it very much. I'll listen to you, unnies." Minji was the first to express her opinion with a smile.

This stage was more about creating atmosphere than emphasizing complex dance moves, so she had no additional suggestions. Bao En opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped herself, her mind not entirely focused on rehearsal.

Cailin flipped through her notes and after a long moment, she whispered, "Then let's do as you say." Minzhi looked at the others and seemed to notice something unusual, but couldn't put his finger on it. The rehearsal process was not easy.

The arrangement needed to be revised, the harmonies re-honed. With insufficient props, I had to make them myself. Even the camera positions had to be simulated by drawing lines on the practice room floor.

The underground practice room hadn't seen sunlight for years, and they just kept repeating the same moves they'd practiced tens of thousands of times, over and over again. This was one of the few areas they could control. * The day of the show's recording.

The stage was set, but the actual rankings wouldn't be revealed to the trainees until the actual filming. Because the public computers had been taken away, they waited for the results without any prior knowledge. The spotlight shone down in the center of the stage.

Lia stood at the edge of the line, her eyes lowered as she stared at the flickering light on the floor. Although she had already decided to withdraw, she couldn't help but feel a wave of unease. The big screen announced the rankings one by one. As the numbers scrolled by, the air seemed to freeze.

"Boom, boom, boom—" She heard her heart, beating powerfully against her chest. Then, she saw her name. First place. A moment of silence fell.

Cailin instinctively turned to look at her, her eyes filled with mixed emotions: surprise and joy for her. She herself was stunned. It wasn't that she hadn't anticipated this possibility, but when it actually happened, it felt unreal.

My heart felt like it was being enveloped by something warm and soft. Then, a subtle emotion slowly emerged. — So, this is what it feels like to be seen. ...

After the show was recorded, each person was interviewed individually, which would be used as material for later editing and interspersed into the stage performance. The interview area was set up in a temporary shed, with white cloth blocking the background and soft lighting.

Lia sat on a folding chair, her headset just attached, when the camera pointed at her. The staff member hesitated. Unlike the other interviews, he was told that Lia's recording was a statement of withdrawal from the competition.

"Is this part... just for you to write it yourself, or can we write a script for you?" he asked tentatively. She was still wearing a denim skirt for stage performances, with small sparkling sequins stuck to the corners of her eyes, looking lively and playful.

She didn't look like someone about to withdraw from the competition. Lia smiled and nodded, "I'll do it myself." She had prepared her words in advance. But at this moment, her mood was subtly different from what she had originally imagined.

"If you're ready, let's get started." "Okay." The camera lights came on, and she looked at the camera with a gentle expression and a clear voice. "Hello everyone, I'm Lia."

"Thank you all for your support during this time. It means a lot to me, especially in times like this."

"Everyone has their own path to take. I'm probably not very suitable for expressing myself in front of the camera, so... I decided not to continue to participate in the show."

"Leaving the show doesn't mean the end of everything. Music will always be with me, just in a different way." "Maybe you'll see me again in the future. It would be great if you could cheer for me then."

She pursed her lips, then added with a smile, "Thank you, and... I'm sorry." Then, she lowered her head slightly. The interview lights dimmed. This brief period of her trainee life had finally come to an end.

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