Chapter 56: Various Ways to Drop the Nepotism Bomb (3)
56. Various Ways to Drop the Nepotism Bomb (3)
The day of the second mission announcement dawned.
'Ugh, I'm dead tired.'
The makeup artist chuckled as she worked on my half-conscious face. "Hajin-ssi, you look like you're about to pass out."
"If I don't open my eyes after this, call 911 and report me unconscious," I quipped back, closing my eyes as instructed. The relentless schedule of the past days flashed through my mind.
'Profile shoots, performance videos, additional filming...'
Trainees who needed early narrative setup or company-backed promotion had separate reality VCRs shot to highlight their characters. Naturally, I fell into both categories, so extra filming was inevitable.
...With Kang Hawon.
—Your younger brother?
—Yes. Hajin-ssi seems close with his brother, and it makes for a nice picture. The musical older brother and artistic younger sibling.
—An artistic family vibe... we already have Jung Siwoo for that though?
—No, not like that. More like... wholesome brotherly support for each other's dreams?
—Ah... I'll ask. But your brother will probably refuse.
I expected Hawon to decline immediately—the kid doesn't even use SNS, let alone appear on TV—but surprisingly, he agreed right away.
—He said yes? Seriously?
—Why are you making such a big deal out of it?
—You hate that kind of thing.
—...If you don't need it, forget I asked.
—No, please do it. Teacher Hawon, please. Thank you.
At least we didn't have to visit his high school for nostalgic "he stood out even back then" interviews with his homeroom teacher, so it worked out for me. And I got to hang out with Hawon properly for the first time in ages.
"You've been pretty hot lately though, Hajin-ssi?"
"Me?"
"You know, because of your profile."
"Ah."
A few days prior, profiles of all 18 trainees had been uploaded to Miro Maze's official SNS—six per day over three days. To maintain buzz, production strategically spread out the top contenders: Cherry Boy Seo Taehyun and Jung Siwoo (son of a famous pianist) on Day 1; Miro's hidden card Joo Eunchan and underground artist Lee Doha with existing recognition on Day 3.
The impact was undeniable:
[Compilation] Yesterday's Miro survival trainee profile roundup (pics included)
—Damn Taehyun got even hotter
—Miro's taste is insane, they got everyone from Yupia to Endap
—How did Jung Siwoo end up at Miro? Was he kidnapped?
└ Now we know why they let Cha Minseok go to Rene
—Han Sewon overlapping with my taste for 10 years straight is infuriating;; When does voting start?
—Joo Eunchan is god-tier, gives Seo Taeil vibes
—OMG Taehyun's finally backㅠㅠㅠ
—Are Yugeon and Lee Doha brothers? Look kinda similar (meaning they're my type)
All day, the topic trended across SNS platforms and communities. But the most overwhelming response was...
Cherry Blossom @ch_blossom
(Photo)
Taehyun crying at Boyhood's final concert.
This time, I won't let you shed tears
#MyCherry_SeoTaehyun_Debut
1.3K shares 2.9K quotes 37K likes 159 mentions
TaeRi Day @tae_day
#RT #MiroMaze
Seo Taehyun broadcast return + Miro Maze participation event!
One lucky winner gets XX brand perfume (Tanny's handpicked item)♥
Drawing after first broadcast at 11:21pm Taehyun Time :)
#MyCherry_SeoTaehyun_Debut
4.2K shares 1.2K likes
Seo Taehyun Updates @tadadoo
(Photo) (Photo)
(Photo) (Photo)
Miro Maze Seo Taehyun profile
—Message: "We parted at sixteen, meet again at nineteen. Thank you for waiting."
My precious Taehyun, I'll cheer for your nineteenth too
#MyCherry_SeoTaehyun_Debut
2.1K shares 1.3K quotes 5.9K likes
...Seo Taehyun had single-handedly reactivated every dormant fan account and big-name fan. The initial momentum was on another level—just a few concept photos and handwritten interviews, yet a 20K-follower fan account closed submissions.
'Well, I expected this much.'
Given the situation, I assumed my mid-tier profile drop would get buried quietly among the lower-ranked trainees. But then...
—Which one's the hoodie oppa here?
└ Third one
└ ?????THE third one?
—What's wrong with hoodie oppa? Did the photographer get soju poured on their head?
—(Photo) How is this the same person?
└ WTF what's the problemㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Wait same person? Don't lie
└ Huh? This face looks fine???? Which one's real?
—Feels like the world's scamming me rn oppa if you're not using those facial features give them to me
—Is he bad at photos or was that eyewitness pic legendary?
└ Seems like photos don't do him justice, other candids match the eyewitness pic better
'Why is this trending?!'
That damn Cat's Gratitude thing had more staying power than I expected. Damn it.
"He was all over OneStarGram's popular posts too. But he looks completely different?"
"I don't look that different, do I?"
"Yeah. I thought I messed up the editing."
Ouch.
But spilled milk can't be unspilled. I cleanly erased thoughts of my profile from mind. Some negative posts about me surfaced occasionally, but they'd get buried under new topics soon enough.
"Alright Hajin-ssi. Eyes up."
"Okay."
"When's that MV thing coming out, by the way?"
"Should be up next week, I think."
Things like the performance video for the program's title track <No Spring>, for instance.
If you can't recover spilled liquid, might as well soak everything with it—tissues, towels, the works.
This industry thrives on attention. If even one or two out of ten viewers watching the performance video think...
'What does Kang Hajin really look like?'
...and click because of that curiosity, I'd call it a success. Because—
[System Notification: ☆★System Update Complete!★☆]
[System Notification: (Fixed) Regressor privileges upgraded.]
[System Notification: Skill <As You Say> (LV.6) active.]
[System Notification: Skill <What's Like Me?> active.]
—thanks to the System coming back online, I absolutely killed it in that performance video. Even I'm satisfied with how well it turned out.
Even Lee Doha, who'd been grumbling about greed this and that, shut up after monitoring it. Not sure why I keep caring about this kid's judgment, but whatever.
"Hajin-ssi, you were amazing. You were flying out there!"
"Haha, thanks."
"Done. Keeping your hair like this?"
"Yeah. Comfort's best for now."
"You always finish too quickly, Hajin-ssi."
I checked my reflection and stood up. My practically unstyled black hair fell naturally. While others bleached or permed theirs into all sorts of styles, my plain look had its reasons.
'If I debut, they'll style me according to concept anyway—no need to waste my image now.'
This isn't some 16-episode marathon; eight episodes will be over in a blink. Any major changes can wait until episodes 6-7 for a light image shift.
Viewer reactions? Perfect actually.
—The true joy of trainee survival shows is that... raw authenticity
—The pinnacle of tuning is stock configuration
—Facts over-decoration ruins the flavor We're here for that awkward rookie charm
Black hair and natural styles are timeless classics for good reason.
But appearing exactly the same every episode lacks appeal too, so my strategy focuses on details like this:
"Hyung, you're wearing glasses today?"
"Model student cosplay."
"...With two ear piercings?"
My black horn-rimmed glasses covering half my face drew attention everywhere. Seo Taehyun stared at me with "How dare you claim to be studious with that face" eyes, which I casually ignored.
"Hyung, hyung! Are these prescription?"
"Nope."
"Why are you poking your eyes out again?"
"Can I try them on?"
Dan Haru, who'd fried his hair into fluffy curls, caused chaos with Joo Eunchan—trying them on, putting them on each other.
"Ta-da!"
"Dan Haru, why are you copying again? Give them back to Hajin-hyung."
"Kay..."
"What if you poke your eye out with a fingernail?"
Dan Haru, who'd been mimicking me by poking at the empty frames, got stopped by Taehyun. I casually hooked the glasses over my ears and took my seat. As Wings-tier, I got a prime spot with comfy seating.
"Hey."
"...Ah, hello."
Jung Siwoo and Lee Yugeon were seated beside me. Siwoo, calmly sweeping back his long brown hair, greeted me lightly—for a second, I hallucinated floating pollen. That face never gets easier to process. We hadn't talked much, so I prepared to zone out, but surprisingly, Siwoo initiated conversation.
"You sing well."
"...Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"
"I like your singing style."
What kind of practical music major, vocal specialist says that to an amateur?
"I envy your voice."
"Mine?"
"Yeah. Calm and pretty."
"......"
"I just get told mine's loud a lot."
My previous agency always gave that feedback too. How much criticism I got for standing out.
"Really? Let's perform together sometime. If there's a chance."
"Sure, why not."
The conversation ended there as recording signals circulated. Across from me, Han Seongwoo sat looking impeccably styled. Meeting my gaze, he flashed a confident smile.
The lights dimmed. Cameras rolled. A spotlight illuminated center stage where Seo Taeil entered in a light suit.
"Those who seek the sun, soar high."
"Welcome, everyone, to Miro Maze's second gate."
Finally, the second recording had begun.