Chapter Thirteen: Pick

Entertainment Around Us Without Pop-ups
Story begins: December 2004
Recommended song: Machi Di Di – Sweet as Honey
Statement: This story is purely fictional; please do not project yourselves onto the characters. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!

December 3rd, clear skies. Since the test ten days ago, winter in Korea had entered its “peak phase,” so cold it seemed as though one’s nose might freeze off. For Jiang Yihan, a child raised in the watery towns of Jiangnan, this weather was difficult to adapt to, but no matter what, he continued with the routine of his life as a trainee. The company was currently collecting songs; according to Li Ran, they had already gathered nearly a hundred. However, the few songs Jiang Yihan submitted were of such outstanding quality that the framework of the album quickly took shape, and it was estimated that recording could begin in a few days.

Li Tong explained that there was just under a month left; producing a single was not an issue, but Li Tong hoped to create a full album of ten songs to make a splash in the market. Ambitions aside, the most important thing now was Jiang Yihan’s state in the studio. If an artist is in good form, producing an album in a month is not a problem, so as long as quality was assured, Li Tong hoped Jiang Yihan could shed his newcomer’s nerves and create a little miracle in the studio, allowing the company to catch the New Year’s schedule. This was Li Tong’s plan, and the company was making active preparations.

Li Ran’s resignation and contract signing with ABC Company were straightforward. He’d been at the previous company less than a year, hadn’t been made permanent, and thus hadn’t signed a work contract; resigning and signing with ABC Company took less than an afternoon. Afterwards, Li Ran signed a manager contract with Jiang Yihan. Aside from basic stipulations, what surprised Li Tong most was the manager’s commission. Managers are often called artists’ vampires, as a large portion of an artist’s income goes to the manager, though the manager’s work is complex and crucial—a star’s success depends greatly on the manager and the company working together. A 20% commission is standard, and for newcomers it can go even higher, sometimes over 30%. But in Li Ran’s contract with Jiang Yihan, the commission was just 15%, a rate Li Ran set himself, which stunned Li Tong.

Now, apart from training at the company and manager training, Li Ran had begun working with his artist, essentially acting as Jiang Yihan’s nanny. The nanny image was unanimously considered by ABC Company to be the least fitting for Li Ran’s icy demeanor, yet Li Ran’s coldness froze everyone at the company—including President Li Tong and veteran Zheng—but not Jiang Yihan. One could say that around Jiang Yihan, Li Ran brought not winter, but spring. And so, the nanny was in action again.

“Lazy cat, get up, get up, get up!” Waking Jiang Yihan was a task akin to running three thousand meters: pulling, dragging, pushing, pressing—all verbs applied, yet still took over half an hour. Today, however, Li Ran was more direct and simply carried Jiang Yihan out of bed and into the bathroom. The reason was that there was a cameraman in the room—a director of the program, or rather, an accompanying director, simply called PD—filming. To protect his image, Li Ran chose a “gentler” approach.

Why was there a PD in the room, and what show was it for? The answer lay in a conversation the night before, before Jiang Yihan returned home, when Li Tong explained, “Yihan, we’ve made a plan. You should be able to enter the studio this weekend and aim to produce a quality album in a month. As I’ve said before, we intend for you to debut around New Year’s. So I’ve arranged a schedule for you—M!Pick starts filming tomorrow… Alright, you go home now.” Li Tong ended the conversation quickly, because Jiang Yihan was already asleep, likely not listening at all. It was Li Ran, who had to help Jiang Yihan home, who was fully awake, his mind spinning: signing in late November, only a month of training before debut—this might happen in China, but in Korea it was unprecedented, and no one could predict the outcome. Surprised as he was, the schedule was set, and today was the day for M!Pick, a show under Mnet TV, dedicated to introducing new faces in entertainment, primarily in music. It followed their daily lives and schedules, capturing every detail to show a different side of the artist, helping audiences get to know them and boosting their popularity.

The PD in charge of Jiang Yihan was a woman in her mid-twenties, experienced and considered a senior among Mnet’s staff, named Han Seung-yeon. Being close in age, after some initial awkwardness, Han Seung-yeon gradually revealed her lively and cheerful personality. Seeing Jiang Yihan sleeping soundly, Han PD found it endearing and asked Li Ran, “When did he go to bed last night? It’s nearly 8, and he’s still not up?”

“He went to bed early, but he’s always had this habit of sleeping in since he was little. I doubt it’ll ever change.” After finally waking Jiang Yihan and sending him to wash up, Li Ran began talking about him on camera.

“Since childhood? You’ve known him a long time?” The experienced PD immediately picked up on something worth asking.

“Oh, that…” Li Ran was a bit uncomfortable with the camera and talking so much. Luckily Jiang Yihan came out, still just washed, not fully dressed, but his innocent, handsome look amazed Han PD. How to explain? Maternal instinct, perhaps; Han PD’s nurturing side burst forth.

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“I’ve known him as long as I’ve been alive,” Jiang Yihan rubbed his eyes and explained, “Hey, why is there a camera in the house? What’s going on?” Suddenly realizing, Jiang Yihan hurriedly questioned Li Ran. Li Ran leaned in and whispered a brief explanation. Once he understood, Jiang Yihan fully woke up. “So, miss, does this mean I’m filming a show right now?” he asked Han PD, wide-eyed and curious.

Han PD wanted nothing more than to pinch his cheeks—such an adorable child! “That’s right. We’re the M!Pick production team. Now, say hello to the viewers and introduce yourself.”

Li Ran stepped out of the camera frame, returning to the room to prepare for the day. Jiang Yihan looked at the camera, bowed thirty degrees as per Korean custom, and introduced himself: “Hello everyone, I’m Jiang Yihan. I’m nineteen years old, still studying, and preparing for my debut. I hope you’ll support me in the future.”

Han PD asked, “Since we’re here, can we take a look around? Is this the company’s dorm?”

“Oh, this is our own home; we haven’t moved into the dorm yet. Maybe in a while.” Now fully awake, Jiang Yihan became talkative. “Let me show you my room.” He led the cameraman in. The big bed was unmade, but the desk was tidy, the walls bare, nothing scattered or messy as Han PD had expected. “I didn’t expect your room to be so clean and neat,” Han PD said, surprised.

“Heh, both Jin and I like things clean; we’ve always had a habit of tidying up, so it just seems normal,” Jiang Yihan scratched his head and grinned. “Alright, Han PD, room tour’s over. Next, I need to change, so…” With a chuckle, he ushered Han PD out and closed the door, leaving room for imagination.

“Jiang Yihan, do you know you’re already quite famous?” On the way to the company, Han PD posed an unusual question.

“Huh? Why’s that? I haven’t done anything!” Jiang Yihan was puzzled, fiddling with his thick coat, debating whether to keep it on or take it off in anticipation of the temperature difference outside.

“As far as I know, you only signed recently, but you’re already preparing to debut. That’s big news in the Korean entertainment industry,” said Han PD, clearly amazed.

“Oh, is it?” Jiang Yihan clearly didn’t understand why. “In China, overnight success is common. Actually, the trainee system is rare there, so from our perspective, my experience is surprising but acceptable.”

“Haha, but with your pretty-boy looks, you’re bound to have many fans once you debut,” Han PD teased.

“Haha, is that so?” Jiang Yihan played along. “Then does Han PD like me? Haha.”

“Of course! I’m Jiang Yihan’s first fan.”

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Chatting with Han PD along the way, Jiang Yihan was restless—sometimes grabbing Li Ran’s head, sometimes teasing Han PD, sometimes eating non-stop, a true little troublemaker. “Is he always like this?” Han PD asked, voicing the viewers’ curiosity.

“Occasionally,” Li Ran replied, “maybe every few days. Today, I guess he didn’t get enough sleep, so he’s acting up.”

That seemed right—after tiring himself out, Jiang Yihan really fell asleep again, living up to his lazy cat reputation.

After arriving at the company, Jiang Yihan entered the recording studio for practice. With recording set for the weekend, he had a day or two to familiarize himself with the studio and the process, practicing singing and adapting to the special environment.

He sang his own song, “Castle”—the main track, so it deserved attention. Before singing, there was a small incident: Han PD turned off the camera, as this was confidential debut material. Han PD understood industry rules and cooperated by turning off the camera, knowing she hadn’t been asked to leave—a sign of trust, since she was still, technically, an outsider.

Jiang Yihan cleared his throat and sang “Castle” a cappella. It was a somewhat sorrowful song, the lyrics depicting how, in love, everyone builds a castle for their beloved, but when that person leaves, only an empty castle remains, and so does an empty heart. More importantly, the castle becomes a high wall around the heart, and entering again requires more than just love. The chorus, with its soaring notes, seemed to cry out betrayal, sadness, and pain; the ending returned to calm, heartbreak left only with silence. The melody spanned wide ranges, demanding strong control in switching between chest and falsetto voices, a challenge for most, but Jiang Yihan handled it with ease and great emotion. When he finished, the studio was silent.

After a few seconds, the self-styled exceptional composer was the first to applaud, followed by the vocal coach, both moved by Jiang Yihan’s performance—a good song became even better in his hands. Seeing Han PD’s stunned expression, eyes almost sparkling with affection, it was clear he’d gained his first recognition from industry insiders; next would be publicity, and finally the embrace of fans would follow naturally.

For two days, Han PD followed Jiang Yihan everywhere except at night, capturing the real Jiang Yihan in his daily life. It was hard for Jiang Yihan to adjust; knowing about it was one thing, but facing it was another—having someone unfamiliar always nearby, filming nonstop, asking questions to dig into his background and personality, it was hard not to feel annoyed! But Han PD’s easygoing nature made the filming tolerable.

Finally, it was time to enter the studio and record.

The first track, of course, was the main song, “Castle.” Jiang Yihan drank water repeatedly—his way of warming up and calming his nerves. Several teachers watched him with trusting eyes, helping him relax.

Recording in the studio was different from singing elsewhere: the studio was divided into an inner room and an outer room; the singer inside, others outside. In the inner room, the singer wore headphones and sang into a large mic. The headphones let the singer hear their own voice instantly, which many find uncomfortable and hard to perform at their best. The mic filtered noise, capturing the cleanest possible sound. Outside, several staff listened to the raw vocals, picking out flaws and constantly adjusting—challenging indeed.

Recording began!

Cat’s Note: M!Pick probably wasn’t produced at the end of 2004; the earliest I found was about SS501 in mid-2005. Let’s not worry about that—story comes first, so let’s pretend the show existed in late 2004!

PS: Regarding Jiang Yihan’s height and weight—don’t worry, Cat knows people like that and they’re perfectly healthy, haha.

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