54. Various Ways to Bring Down a Nepo Baby (1)

"Ah, this really isn't suitable for defamation purposes, writer-nim."

Han Seong-woo's face twisted in a way that was almost comical to watch. Leaving behind the boy who couldn't even manage his expressions properly, Hajin moved toward the voice calling for him in the distance.

"Oh, they're looking for me. I'll head over first."

"Sure, sure. See you at the next recording, Hajin-ssi."

"Hyung, hang in there."

After giving Seong-woo's stiff shoulders a few encouraging pats, Hajin left. The writer who had been watching his retreating back with satisfaction suddenly became animated.

"So you two are close! I had no idea. Why didn't you mention this in the interview earlier?"

"...Ah, no. It's nothing."

Seong-woo's expression remained tense as he gave the writer an awkward greeting. An unfamiliar pressure and tension gripped his ankles, slowly weighing him down.

And—

'That fucking bastard.'

The one grinding his teeth with a hardened expression was none other than Hajin himself as he walked away.

'Han Seong-woo is a real nepo baby.'

This realization didn't come just because that bastard had beaten me.

'It's been suspicious since how he treated Joo Eun-chan.'

Han Seong-woo isn't that stupid. I heard he's been a trainee for a long time, and at least among the B-Class trainees, he's respected enough to be called their leader. Would someone like that hate Joo Eun-chan just because he got into the Special Class?

No, even if he did hate him, he should have hidden it. If Joo Eun-chan really was a nepo baby, then to a trainee desperate to debut, someone who could decide your debut fate is like a god.

'Seo Tae-hyun was like that.'

No matter how dirty and petty the department head's actions were, Seo Tae-hyun, who was desperate to debut, never said a word.

'Well, I guess since they're all just kids, they probably believed the rumors without thinking and joined in bullying Joo Eun-chan.'

When I asked Joo Eun-chan about Han Seong-woo, this was his response:

—It's hard to say he did anything wrong to me.

—It's just... after talking with him, I feel so frustrated. It's always my fault, always my problem...

—Anyway, it's better not to get involved with him if possible.

For Joo Eun-chan—someone so oblivious to social tensions that he wouldn't even realize he's being bullied—to sense malice to that degree.

The meticulousness to bully Joo Eun-chan while maintaining an angelic image of "fairly looking after the nepo baby" to others.

At first, I thought he was just a personality-disordered jerk.

"Hyung Kang-ha, you done with the interview?"

"Yeah. I'm stepping out for a bit."

"Where are you— Hyung!"

I recalled the moment I became certain Han Seong-woo was a nepo baby.

Earlier, when I was on the phone with Seo Tae-hyun:

—As long as you didn't run away, it's fine. Hurry up, they said you're up right after this.

—Got it, I'll be there soon. Thanks.

—Ah, and... for what it's worth, I thought you did way better than Han Seong-woo. Don't worry about the results.

—......? Ah. Well, thanks.

Seo Tae-hyun seemed more upset about my battle results than I was. Come to think of it, when he first nominated Han Seong-woo as his battle opponent, he was burning with determination to win no matter what. Then, I suddenly grew curious.

—Tae-hyun-ah.

—What? Ah, hold on. Yes, writer-nim. Hajin hyung is on his way now!

—Why do you hate Han Seong-woo?

Seo Tae-hyun, who had even considered apologizing to Cha Min-seok—his sworn enemy—just in case, wasn't the type to show malice even to the department head who looked down on him. Yet, he made no effort to hide his dislike for Han Seong-woo.

That's pretty unusual.

After hearing my question, Seo Tae-hyun hesitated briefly. From the sounds on the other end, it seemed like he was moving somewhere private. Once the surroundings grew quiet, he answered.

—The one who told me about Cha Min-seok was him.

—What?

—He told me. That the offer from Rene was originally for me, and that Cha Min-sek sold me out to the department head after finding out.

—Han Seong-woo told you that?

—But when he said it, he was smiling? We weren't even close, but he called me aside just to say that.

Han Seong-woo knew about the conversation between the department head and Cha Min-seok. He even knew that the original offer from Rene was meant for Seo Tae-hyun. That was something even Ji Soo-ho didn't know, since it involved the department head's private dealings with Rene.

'At this point, I can't help but be suspicious.'

As soon as I entered an empty practice room, I called Ji Soo-ho.

—Hello?

"Team leader. I need to see you right now."

—Right now?

"Yes. It's urgent."

Even when Han Seong-woo picked fights with me for no reason, or when I realized he was behind Shin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Young-ho's attempts to ostracize me, I thought he was just a petty loser blinded by jealousy toward a nepo baby.

Desperation can make people do stupid things. This industry is the perfect place to lose your grip on reality. Up to that point, he was just a messed-up jerk.

But if he himself is the rumored "nepo baby," the entire situation changes.

—This is really sudden...

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠think I've figured out who the real nepo baby is."

—What?

"So now I have two options. One, I discuss these suspicious circumstances carefully with you, Ji Soo-ho, the person in charge of this program."

—......

"Two, even if I get eliminated, I'll spread rumors on every community that Miro's upcoming survival show is rigged with pre-selected winners. Care to choose?"

—I'm on my way. Let's meet at the café from last time.

As soon as I hung up, I hailed a taxi. The moments of the mission results announcement kept replaying in my head.

The B-team guys celebrating their first win, the A-team guys who received inexplicably low scores, and Joo Eun-chan, who ultimately fell from the Wings tier due to accumulated points.

"......"

If all of that was rigged just so Han Seong-woo could beat me...

"...I might actually kill him."

If that's the case, I swear I'll drag that bastard down by the collar and make sure he never debuts in this lifetime—even if he's not just a regressor but the goddamn regressor grandfather.

I mean it.

Ji Soo-ho, who was soon to be promoted to department head, maintained a stiff expression throughout my explanation.

'Well, I did drop the rigging issue right after the results were announced.'

Moreover, since I only had circumstantial evidence and nothing definitive, Ji Soo-ho had every reason to be cautious.

'Even the most successful survival show can crash and burn with just one rigging scandal.'

In my 0th life, several PDs had been ruined because of that. And this is an in-house survival show that hasn't even aired yet—rigging before debut? Do they want the group to be called "rigged idols" before they even debut?

"Just to be clear, I'm not making baseless accusations just because I lost to Han Seong-woo."

"Ah, yes. I understand. But... Seong-woo entered as a trainee through auditions and was even pushed out of the Special Class. He doesn't fit the nepo baby image."

"The person in charge of those auditions was the former department head."

"......"

"Before Joo Eun-chan was labeled a nepo baby, Seong-woo was always the one who barely squeezed into the Special Class at the last minute."

"That's... true."

"Of course, this isn't solid proof either. There's still more to investigate. I'm just bringing it up because if it's true, we need to address it."

As I shrugged and spoke, Ji Soo-ho sighed and took a sip of coffee.

"Then I'll... start by checking if there's any possibility the results were rigged."

"You said the first mission's scores came from the mentors, Miro's new development team, and the production staff, right?"

"Yes. The mentor scores would be known by Tae-il, and I reviewed the new development team's scores myself. If there's any discrepancy... it would have to be from the production side."

When I thought of the production staff, the first people that came to mind were the two who had been forced to resign. Would they rig the show for Han Seong-woo? They were the type to edit ruthlessly for ratings and buzz, but from what I remember in my past life, they were far from corrupt.

'If anything, they were the type to flip the table during a rigged game of Go-Stop and ended up starting their own production company.'

Wait. Their own production company?

Something flashed through my mind. I felt like I was missing something obvious.

"Team leader, which channel is this airing on again?"

"Ah, NTV."

This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠program is outsourced. The main PD is Kwon PD, but since he's from an external production company, the broadcasting station must have assigned their own PD as CP or executive producer. And if it's NTV...

"The NTV-side PD—the CP (Chief Producer)—who is it? Who's the head?"

"Ah, just a second... It's this person."

Ji Soo-ho seemed to realize something too, hurriedly pulling out his phone. After scrolling through his messages, he stopped at a profile picture and showed it to me.

And I knew exactly who this was.

"Oh my god."

"He seems like a very high-ranking person... Do you know him?"

"...You could say that."

About five years from now, this guy would be forced to step down due to a rigging scandal in a massively popular national audition program.

"This guy is the CP?"

"Yes, actually..."

As if something had just occurred to him, Ji Soo-ho furrowed his brows.

"Originally, Miro Maze wasn't even planned for TV broadcast. The scale was much smaller. But out of nowhere, Yoon CP proposed airing it on their channel. He even secured sponsorships."

"No wonder. I was wondering why they were spending money like there's no tomorrow on an in-house survival show."

"Of course, we cut out any excessive PPL that would overshadow the main content. But the broadcast offer was too good to refuse..."

Ji Soo-ho rubbed his forehead, as if realizing that might have been a mistake.

I took a moment to organize the information in my head. This would be the perfect time to have the System's memo function, but of course, the timing never works out. Resting my chin on my hand, I spoke to Ji Soo-ho, who still looked troubled.

"Let's leave it at that for now."

Well, at least we've figured out the situation. Does it even matter?

A few days later.

"Okay, let's try smiling a bit more! Brightly!"

A studio in the Seoul metropolitan area.

"No, umm. That's not... uh..."

"......"

"O-of course! Of course it's good! It's just... you seem too tense right now. Let's try one more time!"

We were filming profile photos to be released early to viewers. One set in formal poses, another with free individual concepts.

A simple shoot where we just had to look as good as possible.

With his hair neatly styled and pinned, Seo Tae-hyun, who was watching someone's shoot, asked with genuine curiosity:

"How does that hyung even perform on stage?"

Kim Won-ho, who had already finished his shoot and changed into his next outfit, chimed in:

"Wow, what is this? This hyung really doesn't photograph well."

"No, he's just bad at taking photos."

"Ugh, come on. This is too ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠much."

"Guys, I can hear you."

And the subject of this conversation—Kang Hajin—stood under the bright studio lights in front of the photographer, thinking:

'Fuck. The nepo baby might not even be the main problem right now.'

An unexpected obstacle had appeared!