Chapter 35: Those Who Reach for the Sun (1)
35. Those Who Reach for the Sun (1)
"Got everything packed?"
"Yeah. More than enough. I'll be coming home on weekends anyway."
As I grabbed my suitcase and put on my shoes, my mom watched me before saying, "Let's go then," and picking up the car keys. Eat well, call often—I nodded at her stream of reminders while loading my luggage into the trunk of the car parked in front of our house.
"What are you doing? Get in already."
"Huh? Oh, right."
I absentmindedly moved toward the driver's seat when my mom gave me a look like she was wondering if her son had lost his mind from stress.
'Ah, right. I don't have a driver's license in this timeline yet.'
This is why habits are terrifying. I should get my license first thing when I come back for vacation.
"Now it's really starting, huh? As if three days was enough rest."
"Three days is plenty. Pretty sure I gained two kilos."
My three-day break was over. That meant the real survival show preparations were about to begin. I took out my phone and checked the text message I'd received the previous day again.
<[Notice] Monthly Evaluation Rankings and Survival Show Information
Recipient: Kang Hajin
Monthly Evaluation Rank: 10th (Strictly confidential)
Filming for the survival show will begin this Thursday after your break. Please carefully review the guidelines below before returning.
You will be held personally responsible for any issues arising from failure to comply.
Dorm address: XX City ** District @@ Road ####/Proceed to 5th floor upon arrival
Violations may result in immediate expulsion from the program depending on severity......>
Thanks to the quest completion notification, I'd already known I made top 10, but seeing it officially announced still gave me a strange feeling.
10th place. Tenth place. It was an unfamiliar ranking, but not bad at all.
'They're not telling us anyone else's ranks?'
I thought survival shows usually revealed the hierarchy right from the start, but they're even prohibiting leaks. They must be planning some kind of twist with this.
I deliberately didn't ask Ji Soo-ho for details about the survival show's format. I could've found out in advance if I wanted, but going in blind would make for more natural reactions and less overthinking.
Having too much information beforehand would just give me a headache worrying about what I could say on camera. I'd just reviewed some past idol survival shows during my break for reference before turning off my phone.
"Looks like we're almost there... Oh. Is this it?"
"Mom, turn right here. Yeah, I think so."
"Okay, must be here. Wow, nice dorm."
After driving for a while, the navigation announced we'd arrived. The car stopped in front of an imposing new building that clearly looked freshly constructed.
What? This is the dorm?
'...Is Miro made of money?'
They couldn't have built an entire new building just for one survival show, but the massive Miro logo at the entrance made me suspicious.
Did they get some crazy investor...? I kept glancing skeptically at the building even as I unloaded my luggage, until my mom—who'd even neatly packed the scarf I'd forgotten—patted my shoulder.
"Hajin."
"Yeah."
"......"
"Ah, you can stop worrying. If it gets too hard, I'll—"
"Come back in first place."
"......"
"Since you're doing this anyway, debut successfully as #1 and treat your mom to the good life."
I was speechless. I'd expected her to tell me to come home anytime if it got too difficult. Instead, she gave me her signature bright smile and practically pushed me toward the building, telling me to hurry inside.
"Okay."
But I didn't mind. It didn't feel burdensome or heavy like before.
"I'll do my best."
If anything, it cleared some of the fog in my tangled thoughts.
Let's do this, Kang Hajin. I walked with an extra spring in my step so my mom wouldn't worry.
The moment I confidently stepped inside, I blurted out loud:
"Is Miro actually insane?"
Shit, did I say that too loudly?
I quickly looked around, but thankfully no one was there. The interior of the glamorous tower was even more dazzling than its exterior. The fountain and topiary sculptures in the lobby alone were suspicious.
'Whose crazy idea was this?'
Though having seen Rene's artificial waterfall helped me recover from the shock faster. I hadn't heard anything about a new headquarters building.
What kind of money is this? (Did Director Son cough up all his embezzled funds? No way.) As I stared blankly at the fountain, the water suddenly changed colors.
"Whoa, they even have LED lights."
It wasn't just a fountain show—they'd added a light festival. The aurora-like hues shimmered mysteriously, with twinkling lights that probably represented stars. Watching them glitter between the water and topiary...
"This is annoyingly impressive."
For some reason, it made me irrationally irritated. And I wasn't the only one who thought so.
Across the sparkling water, I spotted someone wearing an expression identical to mine as he stared at the same sight.
"Lee Do-ha."
"...? Oh. Hey."
"Uh, hey."
Lee Do-ha, sporting a duffel bag with prominent branding slung over one shoulder, noticed me and gave a small wave. Just looking at his physique, you'd believe he was an athlete. His casual wear was sporty too—a matching tracksuit covered in brand logos as he slowly walked over.
'Ah, right.'
Seeing Do-ha reminded me of something. The reward claim section I'd received after completing the quest had included him. I'd marked it as important but set it aside when my mom told me to fold laundry, and only remembered now.
[System Alert: I'm done nagging. Just figure it out yourself.]
Are you sulking?
Anyway, as I was searching through the system window to check again, Do-ha—who'd circled halfway around the fountain with his long legs to reach me—suddenly fired the first question in an urgent voice.
"You made it? Special class."
"Huh?"
"Top 10?"
Checking your competition right off the bat? This bastard was sneakily ruthless. But asking if I'd made top 10 as his first words after three days apart still stung a little, making me respond curtly.
"Dunno, man. They said not to tell."
"Ah."
"Read the guidelines. Don't cause problems later."
I shrugged and played dumb, making him awkwardly scratch the back of his neck. Sorry. His quiet apology came as a bonus. I was about to say it was fine when—
"Oof."
"...?"
"...Never mind. Let's go up."
What, is this guy made of stone?
Unlike Do-ha, who didn't even blink, I gritted my teeth, feeling like I'd just punched a boulder bare-handed.
Well, we're the same age, right? I rubbed my soft, squishy arm for no reason as we walked.
"We're going to the 5th floor, right?"
"Yeah, they said to go to the 5th floor."
When Do-ha and I entered the elevator, even this had some weird concept—the dark elevator gradually lit up from the floor as we boarded, becoming brighter. The floor indicators were mechanical, and the display screen continuously played media art and MVs of Miro's artists.
...Miro, did you win the lottery?
But this absurd display of wealth—which would require winning first prize 500 times and investing it all in some overnight meme stock—didn't end there. Amazingly.
[5th floor, 5th floor—]
"What? Is this the right place?"
"Yeah, it's the 5th floor."
After exiting at the friendly AI's announcement, we were greeted by a dead end. The short hallway only allowed about three big steps before being blocked by a very suspicious dark green topiary wall.
"...Wrong floor?"
Just as I thought that, the monitor embedded in the wall (I hadn't even noticed it in the dark) flickered on, displaying text that was clearly carefully crafted.
〜〚Welcome to Miro Town〛〜
Life is sometimes like an unsolved maze.
We welcome our trainees who will become Miro's new wings.
Are you ready to escape this maze and reach the sun?
If you're ready, open the door and enter.
※You may leave your belongings here※
"They're starting like this without even mic'ing us up...?"
"......"
"No script reading, no pre-meetings? No debriefing at all, just straight into it?"
Flustered, I forgot we were probably being filmed (not that there'd been any chance to notice) and started rambling until Do-ha—who'd been rereading the monitor's text with an equally confused expression—turned to me. Shit, was I being too realistic?
"Ah, sorry. I panicked. I mean, this—"
"There's no door."
"Huh?"
"The wall... there's no door."
Do-ha firmly pressed against the topiary wall (probably a temporary set piece) as he spoke. The monitor still only showed that initial instruction. Our eyes met midair. Simultaneously, we looked at the only "door" in the space.
"...No way."
The elevator we'd just exited, which had darkened again. When we pressed the button, the "door" opened, restarting the light show from before. Following the monitor's instructions, Do-ha and I first piled our belongings to the side before boarding the elevator again.
Miro, you bastards, how big is your budget?
"But we don't know which floor to go to."
I was looking around the elevator for hidden cameras when Do-ha called me over with a troubled expression by the control panel. Should we go back to the 1st floor? When he asked again, I briefly recalled the monitor's message before shaking my head and pressing the button for him.
The very top floor on the panel.
"No, we go up."
"......"
"They said to reach the sun, didn't they?"
Ding— With a clear, cheerful sound, the elevator began moving again.
No script reading, no pre-meetings, no cameras or directors in sight, not even the PD or writers, and—most shocking of all—no microphones. (How are they going to sync audio, production team?)
The survival show had begun!