Chapter 65
Chapter 65
It was common for groups debuting through a survival show to film a reality program. It allowed them to carry over the characters and buzz they had generated during the audition.
‘…Still, I didn’t expect us to start filming immediately after just one meeting.’
Even during that meeting, they hadn't told us much. They just interviewed the members about what we wanted to do.
‘At least the dorm is nice, so that’s a relief.’
Perhaps they were conscious of the filming, but the dorm was more glamorous than I expected. It was my first time staying in such a large, newly built apartment with great security. Of course, there were cameras mounted in every corner.
“Ah, cameras!”
“Hello…?”
The guys, who had been kicking off their shoes and rushing into the living room, acknowledged the cameras. This was a behavior we had been asked to do beforehand.
‘Did they say looking like you’re trying too hard to ignore the cameras feels unnatural?’
In the first place, with this many cameras, it would be harder not to notice them.
As we entered the living room, several cameramen and production staff were waiting in the blind spots of the automated cameras. I heard they would only be here briefly today for the initial reality show shots, and then the staff would withdraw, leaving only the automated cameras.
“First of all… congratulations to everyone on making the cut!”
“Whoo!”
“Let’s take a commemorative photo!”
The members sat in a circle in the living room, clapped, took a group photo, and then the reality show officially began.
“Man, being here like this makes it feel like a new team match has started.”
“I think you’re right, except for the fact that this team match lasts for five years.”
“Oh~ Rae-bin, nice comeback!”
Fortunately, everyone seemed natural.
‘I guess living with cameras every day on Idol Inc. is finally paying off.’
Moreover, the atmosphere was warm and friendly, fueled by the joy of having debuted. The guys, three times less sensitive and far more generous than they were during the audition, cracked jokes and exchanged well-wishes with bright smiles.
“Everyone really worked hard.”
“You’re right. I feel like I can enjoy just about anything now!”
“L-let’s have fun together…!”
At the right moment, a robot vacuum cleaner suddenly popped out from the production crew’s blind spot. It was the mascot and a major PPL (product placement) for this reality program.
“Huh?”
“It’s carrying something!”
A card covered in glitter glue dangled near the vacuum’s head. The quick-handed Cha Yu-jin snatched the vacuum up and pulled the card off.
“Is something written on it?”
“Yes!”
With the robot vacuum still tucked under his arm, Cha Yu-jin excitedly read the card’s contents.
“Ahem, ‘Everyone… from now on, you will receive missions through cards! To become a true group, please clear the missions!’”
“Ah.”
“M-missions.”
The atmosphere turned solemn. It was nothing short of a traumatic response. Ryu Cheong-woo laughed as if he had reached enlightenment.
“Haha, we passed the audition, but the missions never end…”
I thought bitterly.
‘…If we want to become a true group, I think the agency needs to get its act together first.’
I recalled Tnet, which, until just three days ago, had repeatedly notified us three times a day that our management had changed, only to cancel it moments later. I had a bad feeling.
‘They’ve definitely gotten ahead of themselves.’
Since the program was such a hit, it seemed T1 wanted to create a new direct subsidiary to manage TeSTAR themselves. However, because of existing contracts with Tnet’s subsidiaries, it seemed difficult to just snatch us away.
As a result, they were so busy with their internal power struggles that the group was actually being neglected. I even found out through a news article this morning that our debut song would be released within a month. Yet, we hadn't even met our manager.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
I suppressed a sigh. Just then, Cha Yu-jin raised his hand.
“Oh? There’s more! ‘Today’s mission is… free time’!”
“Ooh!!”
The tension vanished instantly. I also accepted high-fives from those around me, putting on a reaction that said, ‘I am very happy with the rest we got today.’
‘Let’s not think about it.’
It was almost certain now that we were under T1’s new subsidiary. A rookie with no seniority had no power. I just had to accept it.
‘…Please, just don’t stick any relatives in the planning department.’
I sincerely hoped the higher-ups would handle sales, accounting, and operations however they liked, but just leave the planning alone. I prayed they would hire experienced professionals.
“Let’s go see the rooms! Let’s pick our rooms!”
Holding the ‘Free Time’ card, the members stood up and began touring the house. There were three rooms and three bathrooms—a good layout that allowed us to divide up comfortably. A numbered sign was attached to the front of each bedroom.
“TeSTAR’s first~ mini-game! The theme is room assignments!”
“It’s exactly the same.”
“R-really.”
Kim Rae-bin volunteered to impersonate the Idol Inc. MC. It wasn't so much funny as it was so accurate it triggered PTSD, making the mood somber again. Still, the game proceeded without a hitch.
We drew slips of paper from a box in an order determined by several board games that relied heavily on luck.
“This also feels like a strange case of déjà vu…”
“Tell me about it…”
The kids were getting sentimental every time something overlapped with Idol Inc. Anyway, I was the second to draw a slip after Cha Yu-jin.
It was Number 1.
‘I avoided Number 3.’
Bedroom 3, the master bedroom, was structured for three people. It was obvious that two people were much better than three.
‘I hope I end up with someone quiet.’
I had already avoided Cha Yu-jin.
‘I just need to avoid Keun Se-jin.’
As soon as I thought that, Lee Se-jin, who was next in line, drew the Number 1 slip.
“…….”
Just before an awkward silence could settle, Keun Se-jin and Ryu Cheong-woo jumped in.
“Oh~ Moon-dae and Se-jin hyung are in the same room~”
“You’re both the straightforward type, so I think you’ll get along well.”
“Right?”
I was glad there were some quick-witted guys around.
“I look forward to working with you.”
I quickly extended my hand, and Lee Se-jin slowly reached out to accept the handshake.
‘I’m a bit worried about the filming, though.’
From the looks of it, I liked that he seemed quiet. However, the cameras would be rolling for two to three weeks, and the key was whether this guy would at least pretend to be friendly during that time.
‘The production crew will handle it.’
This was a reality show, not an audition, so I figured they would edit it well. There was no benefit for the production crew if a controversy broke out.
“Let’s hurry up and draw ours too~”
The remaining room assignments ended in extremes. Kim Rae-bin and Seon A-hyun were in one room.
“L-look forward to working with you.”
“I also look forward to working with you from now on.”
Watching the two awkward guys having a greeting battle, I thought they must be quite uncomfortable too. Of course, their situation was much better than mine. At least neither of them had a personality like Lee Se-jin.
“Oh~ our room is going to be really fun!”
“I like the big room!”
“Right! Let’s get along.”
And Room 3, the one for three people… ended up being shared by Keun Se-jin, Cha Yu-jin, and Ryu Cheong-woo. It was already noisy. However, Ryu Cheong-woo looked fairly satisfied.
‘Come to think of it, Ryu Cheong-woo’s position was a bit floating.’
Among the members, Ryu Cheong-woo didn't have anyone he met privately except for Cha Yu-jin. It would be better for him to enter a room with more people and establish his place quickly. Having the sociable Keun Se-jin, who was respectful to his elders, made it a perfect match.
Following the production crew’s signal, we immediately moved to the bedrooms to film shots of us unpacking and resting.
“Which side of the bed do you want to use?”
“I don’t care.”
“Is that so?”
If you say so.
I immediately went to the left bed and started unpacking. It was on the opposite side of the living room, so I figured there would be less noise vibrating through the wall.
For the record, Lee Se-jin had also been eyeing this bed. Because of that, he went silent again.
“…….”
This isn't a survival show anymore; why should I go out of my way to cater to your mood? I intended to do as I pleased, as long as I didn't give him anything to criticize.
Lee Se-jin watched me silently before going to the opposite side to unpack. I began organizing my things with a peaceful mind. Actually, I didn't have much, so there wasn't much to organize.
Ah, I did buy some clothes because I had so few. It was with the prize money I earned because my team won by a narrow margin in the finals. I heard the show got some flak for announcing the results online after the program ended due to time allocation issues in the finale, but whatever—they gave me the money, so I was fine.
By the way, the kimchi refrigerator… I still haven't received it. Those scammers.
‘It’s a bit annoying.’
By the time I was folding the last of my clothes while suppressing a sigh, the quiet room was filled with the sound of voices.
“Ta-da!”
“As expected, Room 1 is nice. Is it because the first-place winner is staying here?”
It was the guys from Room 3. It seemed Ryu Cheong-woo, being a former national athlete, had taught them tips on how to unpack, so they finished in an instant. Cha Yu-jin and Keun Se-jin were roaming around the room gleefully.
“Is there anything you want to eat for dinner?”
Ryu Cheong-woo sat on the edge of the bed with a smile.
“Galbi!”
“Jokbal!”
Cha Yu-jin was one thing, but that guy Keun Se-jin seemed to be acting even more like that on purpose to get more screen time.
…I suddenly had an ominous feeling that as long as the reality show continued, I wouldn't be able to escape this cycle of noisiness.
For dinner, we had to cook together. Thanks to that, I cooked for more than two people for the first time in a long while.
‘Cooking is better than going grocery shopping.’
If you go out, you have to talk more since there are fewer people. Besides, entering a large supermarket with three cameras required a fair amount of courage.
Anyway, the cooking was quite successful. Surprisingly, I had good assistants. Except for Seon A-hyun.
“I-I’m s-sorry…”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
I thought he should be more sorry to his own hands than to me. I kicked Seon A-hyun out of the kitchen after he almost cut his hand for the third time. Seon A-hyun, who had been anxious, finally looked relieved when I gave him the task of setting the table instead.
‘…I wondered why a lady came to his studio apartment.’
I had wondered why someone who was good at housework had a helper. It was because he was catastrophically bad at cooking.
Regardless, the jjimdak (braised chicken) turned out well. It was the pick of Ryu Cheong-woo, who had won at rock-paper-scissors.
‘I tried making this on my birthday once because I didn't want to waste money eating out, and now I’m putting it to use.’
I shrugged, recalling my birthday during the first year I made money as a data seller.
“It looks delicious.”
“It really does.”
“…….”
Lee Se-jin didn't give a particular response to Kim Rae-bin’s words, but he was surprisingly cooperative during the cooking.
‘Is it because I’m holding a knife?’
I put away the kitchen knife I was still holding. Meanwhile, the jjimdak was carried to the table by the grocery shopping team.
“Oh~ the jjimdak is really good!”
“The soy sauce seasoning soaked in well, and it’s tender.”
The meal was a success.
“Maybe I should learn how to cook too.”
“I’m good at cooking.”
“Huh? Then you should cook!”
“But I like grocery shopping more.”
With Cha Yu-jin’s bright remark, the intro to the reality show came to an end.
“Good work, everyone~”
As the filming crew withdrew, they installed a claw machine in the living room. All the dolls inside were placed with the backs of their heads facing up.
‘It’ll look a bit creepy at night.’
Anyway, they wanted us to be surprised when we saw it in the living room tomorrow and then pick one of those dolls.
‘It’s a content draw.’
Tomorrow, we were supposed to meet the manager and finally start the album meeting with the agency. If we had to do that on top of this, a quick night's sleep was out of the question. With the sole determination to sleep as much as possible today, I hurried into the room.
Lee Se-jin was already in bed, looking at his smartphone.
“Goodnight.”
“…You too.”
Maybe it was because he’d had a good meal. He seemed a bit softer than he was this morning.
I immediately put in my earplugs and started sleeping. In my final field of vision, a camera in the corner was running by itself.
‘I hope the officials I meet tomorrow don’t say anything stupid.’
And that wish was only half-fulfilled.
The manager was a decent person.
“Tell me if you need anything!”
He was genial and seemed to have a high tolerance level. Just by looking at him, he seemed like the type who wouldn't lay a hand on the kids.
‘Then again, we’ve already become too famous to be pushed around like typical rookies.’
“Once album promotions start in earnest, another manager will join me, so don’t worry!”
“Yes, sir!”
Since the atmosphere would likely follow the tone set by the first person, I decided not to worry about that for now.
And then, the meeting with the agency.
This was…
“Our talented TeSTAR will take charge of the songs and put it all together, right?”
“……? What?”
To put it in one word: we were screwed.