Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Sensitive Literary Boy
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Following the release of the performance video for the song Heart Attack, my name began to circulate among the public as the wistful boy from the final seconds of the recording.
This recognition occurred despite the fact that my individual screen time in the video was almost non-existent.
I realized once again why people in this industry are so desperate for a single close-up shot.
I paused the playback at the precise moment my face appeared and studied the image for a long duration, yet I could not identify any specific wistfulness in my expression.
I suspected that the lighting had enhanced the clarity of my eyes and made them appear unusually bright.
The face that never quite met my personal standards possessed eyes that were as perfectly cut and beautiful as rare jewels.
A series of one-minute promotional videos began to be released daily over the course of the following week.
Approximately fifteen trainees were featured each day, leaving me in a state of constant anxiety regarding the content of my own forgotten recording.
The various participants utilized their sixty seconds to appeal to the audience through a diverse range of talents and costumes.
One trainee performed in a whimsical doll costume while another chose to parody a traditional historical drama.
The presentations that left the strongest impression on me were those of Ban Yo-han and Seo Moon-gyeol.
Yo-han declared that his personal talent was his intellect and spent the entire minute reciting the digits of pi with elegant precision.
I confirmed that he successfully reached the one hundred and twenty-eighth decimal place without a single hesitation.
I reflected that he likely could have recited hundreds more if he had been requested to do so.
He served as a perfect example of an individual whose innate intelligence and appearance required zero effort to captivate an audience.
Seo Moon-gyeol also presented a unique talent by utilizing a carving knife to create art from a block of soap.
He introduced himself in a pleasant voice before the video was filled with the rhythmic sound of the blade against the soap.
The resulting audio resembled a specialized relaxation recording as he worked with intense focus.
He concluded the video by displaying the program’s logo that he had meticulously carved before the timer expired.
I wondered about the logic behind such attractive individuals choosing such unconventional methods for their self-promotion.
My own promotional video was finally released on the final day of the week.
The title identified me as a sensitive literary boy, a description that felt entirely foreign to my personality.
I noted that those two specific words seemed to be an unlikely combination for someone with my harsh life experiences.
I questioned the true nature of the character named On Raon who was attributed with such a sensitive and academic disposition.
I stared at the thumbnail of the video for a long time before finally clicking it with trembling and nervous hands.
The program logo appeared briefly on the screen before giving way to the image of On Raon.
I observed a version of myself that felt entirely unfamiliar and strange.
I recognized that this recording would provide essential clues regarding how I should conduct myself in the future.
I scrutinized every detail of his appearance and noted that he was handsome enough to compete with the top visuals of the season.
I felt a measure of relief that my future improvements in charm would not be attributed to surgical intervention.
I inwardly cursed the system for making such an attractive face appear so unremarkable in the earlier stages.
The version of myself in the video was wearing a school uniform with every button and accessory perfectly in place.
The attire appeared impeccably neat yet possessed a somewhat stifling and restrictive quality.
He looked remarkably thin and gaunt, suggesting that my low physical statistics were a trait of the original body.
The character began to speak and announced that he had prepared a poem for the audience.
I noticed that his intonation had become stiff and lacked the natural flow of a native speaker.
I wondered if he had spent a significant portion of his life residing in a foreign country.
I lamented the system’s failure to provide even the most basic biographical information regarding my current vessel.
The boy on the screen took a short breath to steady his nerves before beginning his recitation.
He spoke of a desire to become a pure white moon that would never tire of its long orbit around a blue star.
His tone was soft and melodic, as if he had carefully refined every syllable to remove any harshness.
I held my breath as I listened to the whispered words flowing from the speakers.
He expressed a wish to become a blue wave that would never cease its efforts against a stone cliff for a thousand days.
I could instinctively sense the profound emotions and the desperate hope that he had poured into those lines.
I realized that I was likely the only person in this world who truly understood the depth of his sentiment.
The poem was unpolished and raw, yet the sincerity of his low voice made it a pleasant experience for the listener.
I wondered how much of his own heart he had sacrificed to make his clumsy command of the language sound so natural.
I reminded myself that he was ultimately a fictional entity within a digital simulation.
He appeared as a figure from a monochromatic world amidst the vibrant and flashy background of the program.
As the minute drew to a close, he looked directly into the camera lens for the first time.
He requested the audience to take good care of his tomorrow before the screen went dark.
Unlike the other participants, his video did not feature any supporting messages from celebrities and ended abruptly at the one-minute mark.
The presentation truly captured the isolated and unique essence of On Raon as an individual.
I paused the playback and felt a sense of profound confusion regarding my true identity.
I worried that the production staff would be baffled by the contrast between my recorded image and my current behavior on set.
I wondered if I should attempt to adopt a more subdued and quiet demeanor to match the promotional material.
My thoughts were interrupted by a flurry of messages arriving on the mobile phone resting on my desk.
The sender, identified as Baby Fox, questioned my identity and asked if I had suffered a head injury before the show.
He wondered aloud if I possessed a twin or perhaps suffered from a split personality.
I felt a sudden chill as he joked that even a story of possession by a stranger would be believable now.
I attempted to defend myself by claiming that I was a calm and reliable leader, but his response was filled with digital laughter.
He suggested that I should spend some time in self-reflection rather than making such claims.
I typed and deleted several responses while realizing that imitating the version of myself in the video was an impossible task.
Even the elderly Go Su-jong remarked on the creepy difference between my on-screen persona and my actual personality.
I resolved to continue living as I have been, recognizing that a sudden shift in behavior would only cause further suspicion.
***
The online communities were buzzing with discussions regarding the one hundred trainees after all the promotional videos were released.
Some users expressed their frustration with the lack of creativity in the costumes and presentations.
Others countered the negativity by pointing out the high visual standards of certain participants like Ok Do-yoon.
There were also rumors and predictions regarding which trainees would be forced to leave the show early due to past controversies.
One fan uploaded a personal photograph of Kim Jun-woo and praised his kind nature and academic dedication during his school years.
A particular discussion thread identified a trio of participants as the masters of quiet and focused promotional videos.
Users noted the contrast between On Raon’s original poem, Yo-han’s recitation of pi, and Moon-gyeol’s soap sculpting.
The term OnSumi was coined by fans to describe the wistful aura that seemed to surround On Raon even when he was merely breathing.
Some fans expressed concern for my ability to survive in such a competitive and cutthroat environment.
Others defended the unique nature of our presentations, noting that being memorable was far more important than following a traditional script.
There were also reports from fans who had witnessed us during the public fan meeting in Sangam.
One user noted the kindness of Seo Moon-gyeol in providing a hand warmer while another remarked on the cold demeanor of Ban Yo-han.
The discussion became heated as fans debated the true personalities of the trainees based on their limited interactions.
The day before our second group training session had finally arrived.