Chapter 51 |
“Isn’t it hilarious how the Top Two completely messed up the mini-missions? This is what equity looks like.”
“Look at his expression. Nicholas is angry.”
“Han Seungbeom looks like he’s going to kill someone sooner or later. He’s scary…….”
The leader for the third competition round will be determined based on the results of the mini-missions. It had only been two days since this shocking announcement was made.
I was silently holding back a string of curses at that absurd announcement, and Lee Hwayoung wasn’t much different.
‘.…Are they trying to sabotage the whole program?’
No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense. What the hell did taking a lot of authentication shots have to do with actual skills on stage?
The role of a leader in an idol group was far more important than one might think. If someone without the ability or sense of responsibility became the leader, the group was bound to fall apart.
‘These spineless bastards…….’
But even if you’re going to spoon-feed them, at least do it appropriately. I couldn’t help but wonder if a trainee from an agency that bribed the main PD was in the lower ranks.
“What’s the difference between this and drawing lots? We might as well just do arm wrestling.”
“Hyung, cheer up. You should also have a time when you’re not the driver and get on someone else’s bus.”
“…….”
Get on the bus, what bus? The bus just ran over me, and Do Yuda was just sitting there saying useless things.
“No matter how bad it gets, it will still better than how I was during the second mission! I have nothing to fear now! Ah, but I guess hyung won’t just sit back and take it like I did. I didn’t think of that. Haha!”
“…….”
Neither Woo Kangwon nor I could find anything to say in response to Do Yuda’s self-deprecating joke, so we lowered our heads and entered the room. Then, we began to slowly pack our belongings.
“Hahahaha! Ahahaha!”
I could hear Do Yuda’s maniacal laughter behind me, but I clenched my teeth and pretended not to hear.
Even though we haven’t been eliminated from the program, why are we packing up our things? Well, it’s because the production staff instructed us to pack our belongings regardless of whether we were eliminated or not.
“But why are they asking us to pack up too?”
“There were quite a few eliminated trainees …. they’re probably trying to rearrange the rooms.”
Just in time, Woo Kangwon calmly answered Do Yuda’s question.
As trainees started gaining fandoms, more and more fans began to raise concerns about the environment they were living in. Since the number of surviving trainees in each room was quite different, there was a need to rearrange the rooms.
‘Well, as the program progresses towards the latter half, grades become less and less important, and what really matters is the ranking.’
Since the S-Class trainees lived in the best environment, they would likely complain about moving to a less favorable one, but for the lower-grade trainees, it was good news. It was hard to believe that there was finally a space to breathe in this Lucky Center, where human rights didn’t exist.
“I see … maybe I can make new friends again then.”
“Ah.”
I paused at Do Yuda’s comment.
Now that I thought about it, I would have to get used to my new roommates again once the rooms were rearranged. I had forgotten about that because the benefits of the mini-mission were so shocking.
“Ha. Haha.”
‘Damn it…..’
The time had come to proudly showcase the full extent of my social skills.
I’m not worried at all. I’m confident.
After hearing my forced laughter, Do Yuda stared at me with a skeptical expression and started lecturing me.
“You can’t control things as savagely as you did when you were at SU Entertainment. That’s not communication. You’re not a wild animal, No glaring, no getting angry, no flipping things over, no mental attacks.”
“…I know.”
“You don’t seem to know. Even if you glare at me like you’re going to kill me, reality won’t change.”
“…….”
Ouch. I really wanted to argue back, but I couldn’t.
‘I’m an adult. I don’t easily get angry with children.’
This guy only gets bold in situations like this, bombarding me with lectures. He must know for sure that I can’t argue back.
If it weren’t for Do Yuda, I might have ended up in a similar situation to Lee Hwayoung.
“Haha. Yuda-ya, don’t push Seungbeom too hard like that. Seungbeom is probably doing his best in his own way.”
‘….In his own way?’
Seeing the sour look on my face, Woo Kangwon stopped Do Yuda. But while it seemed like he was comforting me, there was a subtle nuance that he agreed with Do Yuda’s opinion.
I couldn’t bring myself to be rude to someone who was smiling so innocently, so I hid my annoyance and finished packing.
Then, a crackling sound came from above my head along with the production team’s instructions.
[“A new room assignment list has been posted on the central pillar of the 3rd floor. Trainees, please quickly finish packing your belongings and move to your assigned rooms.”]
Apparently, the new room assignments were all decided. When we went to the location mentioned in the announcement, there was a large sheet of paper taped to the pillar in the center.
‘Please, Do Yuda Woo Kangwon, Do Yuda Woo Kangwon, Do Yuda Woo Kangwon.’
In that moment, I lost my composure and silently yelled the names of the two guys.
“I’ll look at mine first! I’ll check out the hyungs’ ones too.”
“Okay.”
Do Yuda, who had no idea what I was thinking, shot toward the assignment list like a bullet. Then, with his eyes sparkling, he shouted.
“Wow, hyungs! We’re in the same room again. Awesome! I think we just need to go to the room that the S-Class Room 2 used before.”
At the sound of Do Yuda’s voice, blood suddenly rushed to my entire body, and I felt warm.
“I knew this was going to happen.”
“Stop lying.”
As I spoke with a proud expression, Do Yuda replied with a stern face. He had too little respect for his hyung-nim.
The guy who had been staring at me with half-closed eyes shook his head and then turned his gaze back to the list.
“Instead, four people ended up sharing one room, and the last person … huk!”
‘What do you mean with huk? There are no cameras, just say it.’
“Don’t overreact.”
This guy always overreacted to the smallest things. That’s probably why he got so much airtime, but now that there were no cameras, there was no need for him to act like that.
I sighed heavily and asked, “Who is it?”
“Nicholas-hyung is in the same room with us.”
Huk.
“Don’t lie.”
“It’s real! Look here!”
I remained still, denying the reality I didn’t want to believe.
Then, step by step, I barely managed to walk over and check the room assignment list with my own eyes.
[Room 1: Do Yuda, Lee Hwayoung, Woo Kangwon, Han Seungbeom]
“Nothing much changed, they just added Nicholas-hyung to the S-Class Room 1. Do you think it’s because Nicholas-hyung didn’t get along well in S-Class Room 2?”
“…I don’t think that’s the reason. Nicholas has such a strong personality. I’m sure he wouldn’t care about that kind of thing.”
Woo Kangwon spoke to Do Yuda, who seemed to feel a strange sense of kinship with Lee Hwayoung. Then, he stole a glance at me.
‘I know, so stop staring.’
Woo Kangwon had seen with his own two eyes the way Lee Hwayoung was loitering around me during the second mission. So, he seemed to think that Lee Hwayoung had pulled some strings, which led to the results we were facing now
And indeed, that assumption was valid.
[“Trainees who have checked the room assignments, please quickly move your belongings to your assigned rooms. Once all trainees have finished organizing, we will move to the audiovisual room for the announcement of the 3rd Mission.”]
I followed the announcement that rang out once again, and when I entered the room, I found Lee Hwayoung waiting for me with a piercing gaze.
“You’re late.”
“…….”
The day I had a conversation with the main PD, Lee Hwayoung had a “private communication” with the production team.
Something trivial enough to not require contact with the main PD, and something trivial enough to be conveyed right after the second competition. It was highly likely that Lee Hwayoung had a hand in the room assignments.
‘How can you do something so useless?’
My head hurt as all the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly.
“Did you check the room assignment list?”
“No?”
“…….”
At least show some effort to check it, please.
I turned my head briefly to see if Woo Kangwon and Do Yuda had heard Lee Hwayoung’s remark. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to have heard because they were talking about something else.
“You really are…..”
“Why am I?”
I sighed heavily as I looked at Lee Hwayoung’s indifferent face.
***
“Hello, this is Trainer Jay!”
When we arrived at the audiovisual room, Jay was standing in front of the screen. In that room with seats arranged in rows, like in a cinema, we took our places, starting from the front.
“Today, as you might have guessed, you will be given instructions for the third mission.”
“Wow!”
“It’s already the third mission.”
The trainees overreacted as they realized that the third competition was officially starting. Of course, this was only natural, as everyone wanted to be filmed more often by the camera.
“Just like the previous season, the third mission is a concept competition. A total of five songs, one for each concept, will be given, and each trainee will be assigned a concept based on votes from the public.”
Following Jay’s words, five preview images of choreography drafts appeared on the screen, showcasing Sexy, Chic, Cute, Refreshing, and Charismatic concepts.
“The only thing we’ll reveal to the public is the concept keyword. No other information about the song will be shared. It’ll be fun to anticipate what concept you’ll be assigned to, right?”
“I think I’m most attracted to the refreshing concept!”
Do Yuda leaned in, made eye contact with me, and whispered. I nodded and simply listened to what he said. I also thought that out of the five concepts, the refreshing concept would suit him best.
“Trainee Han Seungbeom, who already has many fans! Trainee Han Seungbeom, what concept do you think you’ll be chosen for?”
While I was lost in thoughts about Do Yuda’s concepet, Jay asked me a question. His constant glance at the script suggested that it was the script’s instructions, not due to his personal interest in me.
“Of course, it’s Charis…..”
The moment I opened my mouth without thinking, a memory flashed in my mind.
The memory of when I unintentionally found out about the fans’ raw reactions thanks to Do Yuda’s trick.
“Wow, hyung. Look at this. Hyung’s fans are fighting with each other so viciously.”
“What?”
— Han Seungbeom is definitely the baby angel? Isn’t he? They confirmed it on the broadcast? Didn’t they? He admitted it himself? Yes? Hmmm?
└ No way, it’s so f**king gross to turn someone who’s already grown up into a baby LOL Ah, and are you the only one using SNS~ I searched because I wanted to see a real baby, but out of nowhere, an adult came up, and it ruined my mood.
└ LOL You acted like you rented the entire SNS
└ It’s amusing to see people who are two peas in a pod fighting.
— You’re suggesting cute concept for GodHan? What kind of b*llsh*t is this. It should obviously be the Charisma concept, right? He’s the Han Seungbeom? Ah lol. Let’s let the Captain do whatever he wants, you tasteless people~!~!
— Guys, let’s think about it rationally. Considering the Captain’s preferences and the trainees who are in a stable position for debut, how many chances do you think we’ll get to see a refreshing or cute concept? Honestly, the four of them, Captain, Lee Hwayoung, Woo Kangwon, Do Yuda, are pretty much guaranteed for debut, but except for Do Yuda, they all suit serious concepts. I think this is our last chance.
└ Agree. Have you guys been an idol fan only for a day or two? A refreshing concept is something you have to do while you’re still young … it gets realistically harder as you get older. This is something I learned from my own experience.
└ Who do you stan?
└ QDWGF
└ DAAAAAAAAAAAMN ME TOO LOL We reunited here. Guys, listen to the advice of those who died first … it’s something that can’t be undone ㅜ
└ In order to get the benefit, we have to give him the concept that he’s most confident and good at ㅠㅠ Regardless of our greed, this is a survival ㅜㅜㅜㅜ
└ No need to worry about first place, this is Han Seungbeom anyway. Let’s give shorts and knee-high socks style for Captain haha. Well, he’ll have plenty of chances to do cool stuffs later, so it’s fine to try a refreshing look just once
└ This bastard is consumed by desires. Your desires have overcome your reason. You’ve thrown your humanity away.
└ Go away
“…….”
For a moment, I felt dizzy.
….My fans loved that kind of thing.
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Translator’s Corner:
Friendly reminder that when Seungbeom met Nicholas some chapter ago, he already finished talking to the production team so it’s not after Seungbeom said they’re friends JHSKJDHDJD
Nicholas really be like:
> Be a conglomerate from powerful local family
> Not using power abuse to rig ranking or to get nice edit
> Power abuse is when I want to live together with my bff
LIKE …… I CAN’T WITH HIM
Anyway since you guys here …. please give a click to Irene’s debut JKDFHSFDJKHDJK