Isn't That Song Too Old?
"Isn't that song a bit too old?"
Kim Jaehun threw out the nitpick just like that. Ha Suyeon's expression didn't change, but he figured it had gotten under her skin a little. You couldn't trust broadcasts entirely, but based on what aired... that girl just had a face like that—deep down, she was pretty soft and compliant.
"Is it?"
"I think it'd be better to go for a twist like this. Something mellow and laid-back."
Ha Suyeon's eyes looked a bit vacant. Jaehun stared straight into them as he replied, aiming to make her shrink under his opinion. Of course, he knew full well that the song he'd suggested didn't really fit this competition round. Aiming for a twist, mellow and laid-back... it was all just bullshit to justify his stance. He didn't really believe it.
The reason he was doing this... wasn't because someone put him up to it. It was his own call. More precisely, it stemmed from a joint decision by his band Muzaku and Velvet Monochrome:
"That PD fucker is such an asshole—let's fuck shit up this round!"
The night they'd made the decision. The members of Muzaku and Velvet Monochrome had been drinking when the idea suddenly hit them. It started as a chat about how to navigate this round, but after a few shots, it turned into "This whole thing is run so shitty, right?"
A few more rounds in, and they got serious about sabotaging the audition. The band leaders would audition properly to keep their chances open, while the members sneaked into promising rival bands to cause chaos. Troll a bit—if it looked hopeless, grab some points; if it seemed workable, wreck it.
"We gotta crush that Group Sound crew for sure. Such fucking pricks."
"They didn't even take the evil edit, and the PD's all over them—maybe the four of them gave him a proper . Lol kek."
"That Ha Suyeon girl, with a face like that—if you push hard enough, she probably can't say no, right? That's how it came off on the show."
"You believe the show? Fuckin' idiot~"
"If there's nothing there, why would they show it like that? I bet 50,000 won there's something."
Spouting vulgar crap like that, they all agreed: at the very least, they'd take down Group Sound. No real grudges against individual bands, but resentment toward the PD who wrapped himself up like the final boss in the edits.
Ha Suyeon stayed silent at Jaehun's words. To him, it looked like inner conflict. Should she follow his advice or not?
"That's my take. I think we could really play up the twist appeal."
He pushed once more to tip the scales toward disaster, toward picking his suggestion and tanking hard.
And the response...
"Doesn't seem like it at all."
Totally out of left field. Ha Suyeon stared at him like What the hell are you talking about? Jaehun faltered a bit.
"Doing a mellow stage..."
"You don't think we're in the losers' revival trying to go out with a bang, do you? Does shoegazing make any sense for an audition stage? Did you watch I Am a Singer Season 1 last night or something?"
Ha Suyeon's merciless sarcasm left the members fidgeting uncomfortably. But she pressed on with the vibe of Thank your lucky stars the cameras are here so I can't go harder.
"This isn't some 1-on-1 duel. It's a ranking show—we don't even know our slot. And audience scores matter big time, but you're saying do a song that leaves a faint impression?"
"No, wait—just let me..."
"Sure, you could make something polished. The original's already solid. But with other bands' songs unknown, some hyped, impactful act goes first, then we follow with a 'polished' mellow one? You have no idea how audiences react, do you? Ever done a band gig? Or are you just unpopular? Wait, are you doing this on purpose? Get paid or something?"
"Hey, hey, he's not trying to sabotage..."
Ha Suyeon's ice-cold barrage. Getting roasted to his face by a high schooler at least ten years his junior. Jaehun's face flushed red as the members jumped in to calm things down.
"It's not like he's trying on purpose. But listening to him drone on about 'mellow's better'—it's ridiculous. Sounds like some amateur who only does counting pay gigs."
"Enough already! You're being too harsh. Jaehun, our leader's just heated up—it's not his intent, okay?"
So ridiculous.
After the mood cooled a bit, a majority vote picked Myeongjeon's White Room. Then the rhythm guitarist mumbled about stepping out for a smoke and bailed, leaving the rest eyeing Myeongjeon warily.
"N-No need to get that mad..."
"It's funny, isn't it? I was polite, but it was basically 'let's tank the comp.'"
As the temp band members—who'd thought Jaehun's pick was "pretty solid"—flinched, Myeongjeon kept going.
"Lucky it wasn't unanimous, just majority... we'll make do. Just divvy parts and practice. Parts should follow positions, right?"
"What about that guy?"
"If he won't cooperate, talk to the PD and cut him. No point dragging him. He cools off after a punch or whatever, comes back clear-headed—boom, rhythm guitar."
At Myeongjeon's firm stance, someone muttered, "She's not like on the show."
Of course not? On the show with Group Sound—friends—she played nice. No ties to Myeongjeon, and these guys wouldn't listen or had zero skill. No reason to be sweet.
This wasn't just "Ha Suyeon"—it was how "Seo Myeongjeon" had always been. Famous for skill, not personality.
The first night of camp ended, breakfast done. Group Sound gathered on the bench by the women's dorm. Everyone sipping Americanos or café lattes—except Suyeon nursing a Maxim instant coffee alone.
Seeing her, Iseo asked, "That any good?" then muttered.
"Not really."
"Why? What's not?"
"Everything sucks. Doing it with just us is best. For real."
"Obviously..."
Seoha, picked by Mystica's vocalist, was in a comfy spot. But Iseo was stuck in a headache.
"Bass guy's like, just play roots. Thinks bass is a root-note shuttle. So I ask why pick me Round 1 if any bassist works—he says visuals matter. Fucking psycho?"
"Hey, cameras are rolling."
"Let 'em! He started it. No way the PD airs only my rant and not his shit, right?"
"Might... happen..."
Iseo vented endlessly, but at Hyeona's words, she whispered, "Fuck, we're screwed then?"
"How's yours, Suyeon?"
"Kinda iffy."
Suyeon chugged her coffee, chucked the cup in the trash, and plopped down.
"Song pick last night—guy spouts weird shit, so I chewed him out. He stormed off for a smoke at first, comes back like, 'My bad. I'll do it right.'"
"Sounds fixed?"
"Feels off somehow. But he does what he's told now, no grounds to boot him..."
Suyeon crossed her arms. Hyeona looked worried.
"Still, prepare for trouble..."
"Prepare? Not sure what, but yeah, gotta think."
"Yours?"
Iseo's sudden question made Hyeona recall last night.
"Gonna use the song as-is, I think."
Hyeona's pick: a jazz band. Her wheelhouse. She figured high score... but the meeting sucked.
"Even for auditions, no arrangement feels off."
"I get it, but no time to arrange. No one's good at it anyway. Anyone here who can?"
The team leader's song got voted down. But he insisted on jazz vibes. Team compromised to "find something fitting!"... but with a leader who'd picked members randomly, chaos reigned.
"Total mess."
Amid heated arguments, someone muttered it. Hyeona agreed.
But to score points, they had to sort it.
"Um... honestly... fighting now isn't key..."
The rising shouts halted at Hyeona's mumble. What? stared the band.
"I'll arrange it... just follow me."
"You alone? Possible?"
"Sorry, but if you're bad... just stay quiet... Wait, sorry, didn't mean it like that..."
Slipped out unconsciously—Suyeon's influence? Band gawked; Hyeona apologized, thinking But yeah, if bad, stay quiet...
"No biggie... it'll work out."
"Good."
Iseo grinned. Two were bumpy, but the other two okay—relief.
Still, Suyeon needs to push harder. If her side flops, we're done.
Suyeon's skill was unquestioned. But this mission needed teamwork. Uneasy, but Iseo shook it off. Suyeon would handle it. Our great leader.
"What's today's mission?"
"Dunno. All 'top secret' hype."
Bucket hat guy griped; mask girl grumbled back.
"Why so secret? Barely anyone but our girls watching."
They were new boy band WEKIDS fans. Specifically, recent "bias" front-page splash prompted a switch. First flames burn hottest—betrayal of old fave, thrill of new. Synergy landed them audience tickets here.
"Nose running again. Tissues?"
"Nah..."
"Here."
Allergic misery met salvation from beside.
"Thanks..."
Glancing: 2MAJOR merch.
Has-been stan... blind?
Ungrateful, but mask girl thought it. Kindness is kindness, taste is taste. Made sense why they clung to relics.
But pics are of different girls?
2MAJOR fan? Camera angle off—aimed elsewhere. At end: cold-faced girl.
Her... the winner fave rival?
Binged boring eps for preview knowledge. WEKIDS' top threat—band leader, bad personality, weird music.
She muttered, checking phone. Kill time till WEKIDS' turn.
Unaware it'd all fly out soon.