Chapter 602
Chapter 602
“We’re going to tear every group apart and split you into four teams!”
T-Holic, having made this bold declaration, really knew how to work a crowd.
“Originally, we were going to end up with an awkward number of five teams… but since one of our members is missing, it works out perfectly, right?”
“Exactly.”
“We shouldn’t even give that traitor who left to film a movie a life-sized cutout.”
I took a moment to appreciate the scene, which looked like it would eventually circulate on the internet under a title like ‘What happens when a T-Holic member skips a variety show alone.txt.’
“Now then, let’s pick the teams!”
The time had finally come to actually tear the existing groups apart…
“We can’t have a team where most of the members are from just one group, right? We’ve considered everything and found a very fair method!”
The production crew then went around to each group, handing out posters.
“A psychological test!”
“Huh?”
“People who pick the same answer? That’s your team!”
“Think of it as a clue that you’re compatible.”
How classic.
“Oh! For the groups where the total number isn't a multiple of four, the staff has already pre-set the number of people who can pick each option! Just look at the numbers in the parentheses!”
Good grief.
I sighed as I read the question on the poster.
Well, they were certainly thorough in their own way…
[Q. Wow! You’re walking down a path in the woods when a signpost appears. But it’s in a foreign language, so you can’t read it! ㅠㅠ Which way will you go? ☜☞]
“……”
A clue… This was supposed to be a clue?
“It’s just picking your favorite color…”
“Ahem! There’s a deep meaning behind it all, kids!”
Those guys have sharp ears.
“Whoops! Of course there is, seniors!”
“We’ll try our best to guess that deep meaning!”
“That’s the spirit!”
What a load of crap.
However, being the variety show veterans they were, everyone huddled over the posters and began to deliberate seriously.
Which color signpost was the right answer?
“RED!! I’m going with red. I dye my hair red a lot! It’s a good omen.”
“Oh~ okay.”
Bae Se-jin whispered.
“But isn’t red… the sign for danger and caution?”
“…Let’s just let him do what he wants.”
And so, Cha Yu-jin was the first to claim red.
Surprisingly… the remaining red slot was taken by Seon A-hyun.
“……??”
“I-It reminded me of the chorus of our… intro song!”
“Ah.”
- Red is yours…. Your color, your name.
Everyone nodded as he spoke with blushing cheeks, the chorus automatically playing in their heads.
‘I have to respect his attachment to his solo song.’
“Oh, right. Actually, that’s why I picked it too.”
“That’s a lie!”
“Yu-jin, there’s a proverb in Korea that says if you lie, horns will grow on your butt.”
“That’s cool. Why does something awesome happen when you lie?”
“……”
Everyone was rendered speechless.
I spoke up again.
“Let’s just let him do what he wants.”
“Yeah.”
As the members each picked a color after much deliberation and various excuses, the question finally turned to me.
“Where does Moon-dae-Moon-dae want to go?”
“I’m fine with just taking whatever’s left…”
“Ehey! No way!”
“Right. You should pick what you want, Moon-dae.”
Under the overwhelming pressure of variety show enthusiasm, I rubbed the back of my neck and finally made a choice.
“Then… yellow.”
“Because you’re a Welsh Corgi?”
“Because you’re a puppy?”
Are they serious?
“It was the color of my first dyed hair.”
“Aha~”
“I-It suits you, Moon-dae…!”
Sure, sure.
I successfully picked yellow amidst a round of applause.
Well, to be honest…
The fact that yellow only allowed for one person per group also played a part.
‘If someone has to be separated, it should be either me or Keun Se-jin.’
Shouldn't it be the ones who can maintain boundaries while creating broadcast-worthy banter among strangers and people they aren't close with?
But Keun Se-jin seemed like he wanted to pick blue for some reason.
“Hmm. Then should I go with blue? I like it because it feels like the ocean might appear~”
Just as I thought.
Anyway, once everyone picked a color and raised their hands, the production crew handed out colored cloths.
Everyone tied them around their heads, waists, or chests as they pleased, and then moved toward the fluttering colored flags…
Two people were already standing in front of the yellow flag I had chosen.
“Wow! Moon-dae!”
“Ooh~”
I blinked.
The VTIC guy who came running over was Jin Chae-yul, wearing a grin so wide his cheeks looked like they might burst.
Oh.
“You like yellow too, Moon-dae!”
“Yes… I suppose.”
And the guy next to him was T-Holic’s Ha Jin-tae, with a yellow string tied around his head.
“The symbol of a leader. Sunshine.”
“……”
“…Actually, Martin took red first, saying it was the symbol of passion.”
I see.
And the person who arrived after me was…
“Wow!! Our team looks really strong!”
Mirinae’s Jung Yul-gi.
“No way! Moon-dae hyung-nim? Ah, this is killer!”
And Gold 2… Spacer’s Kwon Hee-seung.
“……”
“Should we make a chant? Man, I’m so excited!”
“Sounds great! Do our seniors or juniors have anything they want to do?”
“Waaaah, I do! I want it to be something like a sunflower! Pretty, big, and they taste good too!”
“A sunflower? Wow, that’s a great idea, Jung Yul-gi!”
“Thank you, Chae-yul sunbaenim! …Waaaah! Malang Dalkom’s Su-a sunbaenim is here!”
“Whoa!”
“Hello!”
This was bewildering.
‘What on earth just happened?’
I think I heard the word ‘Wow’ about ten times.
What was with this atmosphere? It felt like a gathering of kindergarten teachers in the middle of a recreational retreat.
I felt dazed looking at these people, every single one of them wearing a beaming smile.
What was even scarier was that these weren't "business smiles" fueled by capital; they were genuine.
“What are everyone’s MBTIs? I’m an ENFP!”
“No way, me too!”
“Me three!”
Yellow. Should I have just… given it to Keun Se-jin?
“Wait a second.”
Ha Jin-tae suddenly looked around at everyone, then placed a hand on his chin with a serious expression.
“Since we get along so well, isn’t our team… destined for 1st place?”
“…?”
“We’re a team made of survival show winners!”
“Gasp!”
Mirinae’s Jung Yul-gi and Spacer’s Kwon Hee-seung shrieked as they looked between themselves and me. Their eyes were sparkling.
……Are they asking for a reaction?
‘…As if.’
I mentally slapped my wavering brain and regained my reason.
“That was a long time ago, and there are many here who have never even been on a survival show.”
“Oh, come on.”
Ha Jin-tae whispered.
“Chae-yul and I… are the members with the most say in our teams.”
“……?”
“That’s true for you too, Su-a, right?”
“Ah, I… guess so!”
The Malang Dalkom member, famous for being the scaredy-cat and crybaby of her group, answered brightly.
[- LOL]
[- Jin-tae, get it together]
[- A Yellow Team made of survival winners and the members everyone teases in their groups… my heart is swelling]
“……”
How am I supposed to feel when I can practically hear the expected reactions in surround sound?
Meanwhile, Jin Chae-yul nodded brightly.
“Right! I also get to say whatever I want in our group!”
“I knew it!”
Get it together. You’ve been brainwashed.
After many twists and turns, the team recruitment ended.
“Everyone, are you satisfied with your teammates?”
“Yes!”
Bright, energetic voices filled the lawn.
If you were the type to say no here, you wouldn't have made it as an idol.
Anyway… well. It wasn't bad for me either. I looked at my teammates, whose faces were still full of smiles.
The composition was a bit… unexpected, and it seemed like it would be hard to keep them on a leash… but I decided to accept it.
‘Let’s just focus on the entertainment value. Just the entertainment.’
They were happy among themselves, so that was fine. As for my screen time… I’d figure it out somehow.
Looking around, I could see the other completed teams.
First, the faces under the green flag.
“Since it’s a signpost, I judged that green would intuitively be the safest, considering its symbolic meaning!”
“…! M-Me too!”
“Haha, I guess everyone was thinking the same thing.”
“Our team is the brainy one. This is great, guys.”
Kim Rae-bin, Mirinae’s Park Min-ha, and even Ryu Cheong-woo.
T-Holic’s Won-seok was looking at his teammates with a face so refreshed he looked like he’d just found inner peace.
When VTIC’s Shin-o joined them last, the Green Team welcomed him with unparalleled harmony and cheered each other on.
It was truly the "ideal version" of a group project.
‘They’re all the calm types.’
It was a combination that seemed like they’d try to make rational decisions but then spiral out of control in some weird way, creating humor. Interesting.
[- Ryu Cheong-woo doing a group project without a stomachache… Aju-sa feels like a past life]
I nodded at the expected reaction and looked to the other side.
Over there was the red flag, the Red Team.
They were already coming up with individual introduction gestures…
“I’m Martin!”
“I’m Eugene!”
“I-I’m Seon A-hyun. Please take care of me…!”
“……”
What is this, Team Rocket?
“Hey, juniors, feel free to introduce yourselves comfortably!”
“It’s okay. It’s fine, I’m… just happy to be on a variety show……”
“It’s a miracle if I even act as a flag stand. Please use me however you like.”
‘…??’
A bunch of people with polar opposite personalities had gathered.
Apparently, the composers from both Mirinae and Spacer happened to pick this color, and both seemed to have quite unique personalities.
‘Is this just a collection of natural attention-grabbers?’
And then, the final boss arrived…
“The colors of each team member here are quite unique. Hmm, that’s a good sign. We might be able to create synergy while acknowledging each other’s differences.”
‘……’
“Ooh~”
“I really think so too…!”
“Yes. In the short term, I actually see us as a very efficient combination. Hmm, in that sense, if we were to name the team, we could take inspiration from the red spectrum and…”
……It was VTIC’s Ju-dan.
I inwardly shook my head as I watched the guy looking somewhat triumphant.
‘He’s excited because there’s no one to keep him in check.’
I’d have to grab Cha Yu-jin and tell him to keep an eye out. …And tell him not to mouth words like ‘Nerd’ at Ju-dan.
And finally.
If I craned my neck, I could see the blue flag.
The Blue Team had gathered early and already finished creating their team name.
“Oh~ Cheong-ryeo sunbaenim! You’re so reliable~ Please take care of us.”
“Haha, you flatter me, Se-jin. I’m the one who should be asking, since I don’t appear on variety shows much… I’ll try my best not to be a burden.”
“It’s an honor, seniors. I’m Mirinae’s Seong Ha-rin, I’ll work hard!”
“My, my. Everyone is so dependable. This is great!”
VTIC’s Cheong-ryeo, TeSTAR’s Lee Se-jin, Mirinae’s Seong Ha-rin.
‘……’
Every single one of them was burning with ambition, yet they sat there with nothing but smiles on their faces.
It was nothing short of a tiger’s den.
“……Please take care of me.”
And Bae Se-jin was squeezed in among them, looking like he wanted to bolt.
His face looked like he might faint at any moment.
‘……Maybe I should have given him the yellow cloth.’
It couldn't be helped. Stay strong, Bae Se-jin.
Looking at it like this, I could already see the future of how this program would go.
‘Those guys are the type who, before winning a game, will have already set a strategy to hog all the screen time.’
A team full of people who prioritized practical benefits over winning. Could there be a more threatening combination in a variety show?
But let’s not be mistaken.
‘This is an individual match.’
Whether the Yellow Team wins or the Blue Team wins doesn't matter.
What matters is which TeSTAR member gets the most screen time in each team.
I returned a smile to Cheong-ryeo, who was beaming at me when our eyes met.
‘Yeah. No matter which way we go, I’m going to win.’
Just watch.
“Now, now, our kind juniors….”
“Uh-oh?”
At that moment, T-Holic’s Yoon from the Blue Team tried to lead the conversation but was interrupted by Ha Jin-tae’s loud objection.
“Maknae, what kind of way is that to speak to your senior?”
“…?!”
Ha Jin-tae waved his arms.
“A senior is right here with his eyes wide open. How can you just call them juniors!”
“What are you talking about?”
“That person!”
Ha Jin-tae’s hands pointed respectfully at one member of the Blue Team.
It was… Bae Se-jin!
“He debuted two years earlier than you! The genius child actor!”
“Gasp.”
For a moment, the morning sun even sparkled behind Bae Se-jin as if he had a halo.
“……Um, it’s okay.”
But the T-Holic maknae bowed his head!
“I’m sorry, sunbaenim!”
“…!? No, it’s really fine……”
“Goodness, to a senior as high as the heavens! Do you realize what kind of mistake you made?”
“Uwaah, I feel it deep in my bones!”
“……”
“Are you just going to say that?”
“Nooo! From now on, Bae Se-jin sunbaenim is the team leader! How dare a junior even think about being the leader!”
“…??”
“Right, I’ve decided! Our team name isn't Bluebird, it’s the Blue-Bae Team!”
Bae Se-jin’s face said it all.
‘Me?’
However, as a result of the discussion…
In the end, he was hoisted up in front of the flag like the Lion King.
Flutter.
“Blue-Bae Team, let’s go!”
Against the backdrop of the blue flag, Bae Se-jin covered his face with one hand.
“Wow, the only team leader who isn't from T-Holic!”
‘Brilliant.’
I gave a mental round of applause to the true screen-time maker.
“Now then, everyone has decided on their team names, right?”
“Yes!!”
“Okay, then…… let the MT begin!”
And finally, with a cheer, the full-scale filming began.
…Naturally, from this point on, it was pure chaos.