Volume 4 2012 Chapter 789: People Chasing Dreams
In fact, who among all those who are idol trainees is not chasing their dreams?
They undergo high-intensity training and exercise every day, diet to manage their body shape at an age when they need nutrition and growth the most, and give up the opportunity to receive higher education, all for the chance to stand on the stage, be the focus of the spotlight, and receive cheers from fans.
However, this chance is too slim, and not everyone can persevere to the end.
Chasing your dreams comes at a price, and sometimes, that price is hard to bear.
Son Seungwan, Kang Seulgi, and Bae Joo-hyun are still trainees at the moment, and their biggest dream right now is to successfully debut and stand on the stage.
For idols who have already debuted, their dream is to gain recognition and support from fans and become a well-known and popular group.
This road is much more difficult than making your debut.
There are hundreds of idol groups debuting in the Korean idol circle every year, but only a handful of them become truly popular.
There are even more people who debuted in obscurity and disappeared in obscurity.
Even if some groups are lucky enough to stand out, it is difficult for them to maintain stability in the fierce market competition. There are only a few groups that are always popular, and there are more groups struggling between being popular and not being popular.
Days like this are even more tormenting.
If you persist, the effort you put in will obviously outweigh the reward, but giving up will mean all your efforts will be wasted.
Neither persisting nor giving up is easy.
But being an idol is a job for young people after all, and persistence has a time limit.
…
…
This year marks the third year since Girl's Day debuted. In these three years, they have released a total of four singles and two mini albums.
She also became popular with her third single "Twinkle, Twinkle".
But since then, he has been constrained by his style and his development has reached a bottleneck. His subsequent returns have not been as good as before, and his performance has been gradually declining as time goes by.
Although the company adjusted its strategy, it failed to achieve any breakthroughs after two consecutive returns... The effect of the strategy of developing in Japan was not ideal...
It seems that this road can no longer be continued.
But that's normal.
For idols from small companies, it’s luck if they become popular, and it’s normal if they don’t.
Like SM, it has grown from a small workshop to the industry giant today with the success of a single group. This has more to do with the times and opportunities, and it is not something that every company can do.
Basically, for a group from a small company like Girl's Day, it's already quite remarkable to be able to gain a little popularity after their debut.
The current situation is more like a natural law. Repeated failures and losses have made the president and members understand a cruel reality.
For an idol from a small company, it is considered a success if he can survive to this day. The rest may be a gradually powerless struggle and being slowly forgotten.
Finally, in this hopeless situation, someone couldn't hold on any longer.
…
"Unnie ! Are you going to quit?"
In Dream Tea's practice room, five girls sat together, their eyes focused on one person.
Yu Zhihai.
She's quitting Girl's Day.
"Mianye, it feels a bit disappointing to say goodbye to everyone at this time."
Yu Zhihai's eyes were red, and he was obviously reluctant to leave.
She has been a member of the group since their debut in 2010, and is a founding member of Girl's Day along with Park So-jin and Fang Min-ah.
As the second sister in the team, Yu Zhihai has experienced all the ups and downs of Girl's Day, from the initial failure of debut, to the change of members, to some achievements and the current decline.
She had always been a support for everyone, just like her elder sister Park So-jin. Her sudden withdrawal was a big blow to the other four people.
"It's just that I really can't hold on any longer. In fact, I have been thinking about what to do since last year. But there is no answer. The development of the group has been mediocre. I am getting older. As a student majoring in dance, it may not be appropriate for me to continue on this path."
Woo Ji-hae is a college student majoring in dance at Sungkyunkwan University. Compared to idol groups, her expertise is actually more towards professional dance.
During Girl's Day, she postponed her studies to focus on her idol career. But now three years have passed, the group's development is hopeless, and she is already 22 years old. Dance is actually an industry that has age requirements. If she delays any further, she will really delay her studies and even her life.
So a combination of multiple factors led to her final decision to leave.
"Mia, I'm so sorry to everyone. In fact, if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to do this..."
As he spoke, Yu Zhihai's tears couldn't stop falling from the corners of his eyes, and he looked very sad.
Humans are not plants or trees, so who can be heartless?
The years of hard work are not fake, and the memories of working hard with the members are not fake. Although the results are not outstanding, the youth we experienced together is real.
Giving up once is not an easy thing.
"Zhi Hai, I don't blame you. You've worked hard these past few years~"
Compared to the other sisters who looked sad and didn't know what to say, only the eldest sister Park Suzhen could keep calm at this time.
Born in 1986, she can fully understand Yu Zhihai's difficulties.
Because she has experienced all these things herself.
When Girl's Day debuted in 2010, Park So-jin was already 24 years old. She had already graduated from college before her debut. Choosing to be a trainee meant giving up the life of an ordinary office worker, and also giving up the education she had received.
This was a decision that required a lot of courage for Park Su-jin, who graduated with excellent grades in engineering.
She was once extremely conflicted and hesitant, had fierce arguments with her family, and even ran away from home for her dream of becoming a singer.
Living alone in Seoul for so many years, Park So-jin has never used a penny from her family, whether before or after her debut.
When she had no income before her debut, she worked part-time to support herself. She has done almost all the part-time jobs that young people in their 20s in Seoul can do...
After debuting, she started to earn money, although it wasn't much, but Suzhen kept the necessary part for herself and saved the rest to buy a house for her parents...
Now, Park So-jin is 26 years old, and she can understand Yu Zhihai's current choice because she still has the opportunity to choose.
The group's future prospects are unclear. Zhihai can return to campus to continue his studies and become a dance teacher or continue his further studies.
For Park So-jin, who has given up everything and has no choice left, her only option is to go all the way.
Sometimes, the reasons for persisting in pursuing dreams are not as beautiful and idealistic as imagined, but more about the helplessness and hardships that are unknown to outsiders.
