Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Team Selection
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After the break, all the contestants gathered once again.
It seemed like the official filming was about to begin.
I still hadn't figured out what the badge Lee Ho-jun told me about meant, but I had tucked it into my pocket for now.
“This mission is a legendary K-pop cover.”
No one looked particularly surprised; everyone had expected a K-pop cover mission at this point.
I was no different.
‘It’s a survival show to pick K-pop idols, so of course there’d be a mission about K-pop idols.’
“We’ll tell you about the songs after the teams have been selected.”
Team selection.
Nothing was more important.
One bad teammate could drag you down with them, no matter how well you did.
‘And I’m a prime example of that.’
I didn't care what song I got. I just prayed for good teammates.
“You’re all curious about how the teams will be selected, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
The PD naturally prompted a response from us.
He must have thought our reaction was more lukewarm than he’d expected.
“The method for team selection is simple. Before you all arrived here, the production team hid something.”
I had the illusion that the gold badge in my pocket suddenly felt heavier.
“It seems the quick-witted contestants have already found them, haven't they? This. Would those of you who have one please come forward?”
The object in the PD’s hand was unmistakably a gold badge.
I cautiously stepped forward.
Looking around, I saw there were about ten of us, including me.
“Would you please show me your badges?”
Everyone fumbled to take out their badges.
I also placed the badge from my pocket onto my palm so it was clearly visible.
“They are indeed the items we hid.”
The PD quickly scanned the badges we presented and spoke.
“Excellent. These ten people standing here will be the team leaders.”
Leader?
If I could, I would have thrown the badge to the ground right then and there.
I knew better than anyone the weight that came with being a leader.
‘This makes the team members even more important.’
I turned my head again to look at the others standing beside me.
Somehow, most of them were A-rank and B-rank contestants.
‘Anyone watching would think the production team deliberately set this up.’
“The leaders will pick four teammates through a simple game.”
This meant that as long as I won the game, I could avoid the worst-case scenario.
I calmly thought about who I wanted to avoid picking the most.
‘I should probably avoid Kang Ju-hyeok, right?’
The first name that came to mind was Kang Ju-hyeok.
Honestly, he was objectively A-rank, his visuals weren't bad, and he had the ability to turn any potential trouble into a positive atmosphere.
To the others next to me, he was probably a desirable teammate.
‘Someone will pick him before my turn comes.’
“The game that will decide your teammates is right over there.”
Everyone’s gaze followed the tip of the PD’s finger.
A staff member was wheeling in a cart.
Something was on the cart, but it was covered with a black cloth, making it difficult to identify.
“What is that?”
“Hmm.”
Curious murmurs filled the air.
“Let’s see what the game is.”
The staff member whipped off the black cloth.
A transparent rectangular box was revealed.
The box was filled with what looked like white paper confetti.
‘What kind of game are they going to play with that?’
I had seen and heard of all sorts of bizarre games from watching and appearing on many variety shows, but this was a first.
They presented something as a game, yet I couldn't predict what it was at all.
“Inside that box are keywords for the contestants. It’s a simple game where you match the keyword to the person, and they become your teammate.”
He called it simple, but this format was just asking for criticism.
I didn't know what kind of keywords were written in there, but I couldn't assume they would all be positive.
This was a variety show, not a documentary.
‘Besides, even positive words can instantly sound strange with a slight change in nuance through editing.’
“What if you get it wrong? You can’t move on to the next turn and must keep trying to guess that person. You might think it doesn’t matter since it’s a random draw, but there’s a clear difference between having many possibilities and few, right? Well then, without further ado, let’s have the contestant on the far left start by picking a keyword.”
One by one, we reached into the box and drew a keyword.
“Everyone got one? You can’t change it now.”
“Yes.”
I was deeply worried about what word might be written on the slip of paper.
“Now, please unfold it and check your keyword.”
I carefully unfolded the paper.
[Sea]
The moment I saw the keyword, my mind filled with question marks.
Sea.
‘Isn’t this me?’
No matter how I thought about it, this keyword had to be referring to me.
Seo Yoon-seul.
My name itself was related to the sea.
Besides, I had even sung a song called ‘Water Shimmer’ during the first ranking evaluation.
“Alright, in the order you picked, please state your keyword and the person you think it is.”
Following the PD’s instructions, each person revealed their keyword and their guess.
And then it was my turn.
“The keyword I picked is ‘sea.’ Isn’t this… me?”
As I spoke in a slightly flustered voice, the PD gave me a meaningful smile.
He hadn't revealed whether the keywords were correct or not, so my turn passed quickly.
“I picked ‘chocolate.’ I think it might be contestant Jung Ji-min.”
When the last person had gone, the PD nodded as if he had been listening intently.
“I thought you might not know each other well since you haven't spent much time together, but it seems I was wrong.”
If everyone’s profiles hadn't been released, we probably would have given all sorts of wrong answers, but not now.
Everyone here was a competitor; it was unlikely that anyone hadn't at least skimmed through the profiles.
Besides, even if you didn't want to look them up, just refreshing your social media timeline would bring up countless posts about the pasts of the 51 ‘RED CUBE’ contestants.
“You are all correct.”
Which meant I was right about picking my own name.
‘So this can happen.’
“Since contestant Seo Yoon-seul picked himself, his turn will be skipped, but he will be matched with the contestant who is left alone at the end.”
“Okay.”
The team selection process resumed.
“Let’s do our best.”
“You too. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”
I exchanged greetings with my teammates with vacant eyes.
‘How could this happen?’
“Let’s work hard.”
“That’s right.”
“We have to work hard so we can all move up together.”
I couldn't bring myself to join in with the others who were steeling their resolve.
Hwang Jae-hyun, who made a series of mistakes during the B-rank group video shoot.
Choi Seon-il, who, despite being C-rank, had the lowest individual view count.
Lee Seok-kyung from F-rank.
And on top of that, Kang Ju-hyeok.
This was a team of despair.
* * *
Seo Yoon-seul's family was waiting for the clock to strike eight.
Eight o’clock sharp.
They shifted in their seats.
But the show didn't start; instead, a few commercials played.
[A refreshing taste! CCC Lemon. Ahh. So refreshing.]
Among them was the ad for the drink that was product-placed at the end of the A-rank group mission video.
“Isn’t that the one? The one our Yoon-seul was holding at the end. Is it that bad?”
“Mom, don't even ask. I took one sip and spat it out. That’s not a beverage. Even a vitamin drink wouldn't be that sour. I'd rather just chew on a whole lemon.”
At her daughter's words, the mother’s curiosity vanished.
[New members are being assembled, RED CUBE.]
In the meantime, the show finally began.
The family leaned forward, focusing on the TV.
It was a gesture that showed their determination not to miss a single moment.
[We’ll be back in 60 seconds.]
Just as things were getting good, another commercial appeared.
“What? We have to wait again?”
“Just how many commercials are they going to run? Hmph.”
The father expressed his displeasure without filter.
“The internet is going crazy right now too, Dad.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Everyone’s complaining about too many ads.”
Seo Yoon-seul’s older sister shook her head as she checked the real-time reactions on her phone.
“What if people stop watching the show because of it?”
Her mother's face was filled with worry.
“Mom, don’t worry too much. People who are going to watch will watch, even while complaining.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. And having a lot of commercials means it's a highly anticipated show. It's starting!”
As the broadcast began, they all fell silent as if on cue.
[Hello, viewers! RED CUBE. Begins now.]
The show opened by showcasing the contestants' past failures.
It showed what kind of setbacks the participants had faced.
Some due to their company going bankrupt, others because their CEO skipped town overnight.
Every story was heartbreaking.
“Oh dear. They’ve all been through so much.”
“I know. It reminds me of what our Yoon-seul went through, so it doesn't feel like someone else's problem.”
Watching the contestants who had experienced similar hardships as their son, the parents felt a sense of compassion.
[From a 4-member group to school violence, premarital pregnancy, and drugs.]
When it was Seo Yoon-seul's turn, a news article headline flashed on the screen.
It was a very fitting way to summarize everything that had happened at once.
“Oh my.”
Although she already knew the facts, the mother clutched her heart as if it had dropped and looked away.
However, showing all 51 stories would have taken too much time, so the show had already moved on to someone else’s story.
“Mom, Yoon-seul’s part is over.”
Only then did the mother turn back to the TV.
[First contestant, please enter.]
The ranking evaluation began.
Listening to the judges' scathing critiques, the family's faces grew anxious.
[Did you really practice this before coming? It wasn’t just improvised?]
“He wasn’t great, but their words are harsh. Do you think Yoon-seul can handle it?”
Worried about the evaluation her son would receive, the mother repeatedly clasped and unclasped her hands.
The father didn't show it outwardly, but his lips kept twitching.
The entire family was in a state of extreme tension.
[This is a program for a second debut, isn't it? Since it gathers only people who have already debuted, not trainees, there's a certain image we want to see. I've been saying that all along. This is it. Haru, you are exactly the kind of person this program was looking for.]
Finally, a contestant received a positive comment.
“Well, at least they’re not scolding everyone. Right. Our Yoon-seul is talented, so he’ll be fine.”
The mother reassured herself, as if talking to herself.
But just then, the show seemed to be ending as a preview for the next episode began.
“What? What about our Yoon-seul?”
“I guess he’ll be on the next episode.”
[To be honest, that question is very uncomfortable.]
While the family was in confusion, a clip of Seo Yoon-seul’s evaluation appeared in the preview.