Chapter 26
Chapter 26
In the center of a stark white screen, Gothic-style captions typed themselves out with the sound of clicking keys.
[Dream: A Hope You Wish to Realize]
[I still remember the first performance I ever saw as a kid. It was seriously intense.]
[I got on stage at a festival... and that's when I knew. This is my life.]
[Or, a vain expectation with no chance of being realized]
[Why does everyone tell you to dream? It's so hard.]
[I think nothing is scarier than a dream.]
[It stops you from judging yourself objectively and makes the future even hazier... It's like a photo filter. The reality is dull, but it makes things look pretty. That kind of thing.]
"......."
'What's with the funeral vibe?'
There wasn't even any generic background music, just an oppressive silence that felt like it would make cold sweat stream down your back.
Even Kim Sanho had frozen mid-reach for his drink and was staring at the screen with a solemn expression. The temperature in the room seemed to drop two degrees.
[This is my last chance. Really.]
[I've come too far to give up now.]
[With the mindset that I can't back down any further....]
Since their recycled devil's editing probably wasn't working anymore, had they switched lanes to emotional manipulation?
I wasn't sure it was the right turn. Who wants to watch a bunch of unfamiliar faces whining right from the start?
'Maybe I should stop watching.'
But just then, a chilling BGM in D minor started playing.
[So... I can't go easy on you.]
[If I fall, he goes up. If he goes up, I fall.]
[I came here to debut, you know?]
[Why should I yield? This is a survival show.]
Heavy sound effects, like some birth secret was about to be revealed, slammed in one after another, and each time, the trainees' venomous lines were spotlighted one by one.
Following that, shots of the trainee who had sat in the 100% Seat during the grade evaluation flashed by, along with the icy glares from other trainees watching him.
[Really? Him?]
[Doesn't he know his place? Thinking like that....]
[It's not like I didn't sit there because I didn't want to.]
[Hmm, sitting up there is a bit... (isn't he lacking?)]
For reference, the 100% Seat was the highest seat, so anyone looking up from below automatically had a sharp, glaring look in their eyes.
The lines were probably just taken from other contexts and spliced together.
'Was that bit in the parentheses a real quote?'
Was it a shred of conscience that you couldn't identify who said it because only the voice played?
Anyway, true to a production team skilled at balancing tones, some heartwarming scenes followed.
[Aaaagh! So cute!]
[I should be paying an admission fee to be on this show.]
[If this wasn't being broadcast, I would've confessed. For real.]
[Wow, I really want to debut together.]
"Hold on."
[Wow, I really want to debut together.]
'That's me.'
As I looked at my own image in the video with a grim face, Kim Sanho chimed in.
"From what I see, you came off well."
"That's not the issue."
Getting some screen time this way was good, but...
I couldn't remember who I had said that line to.
'Well, it's not a problematic statement, so it should be fine, right?'
When I pressed play again, this time the grade evaluation stages were edited down to seconds and whipped past in a blur.
[This season is seriously fierce?]
[The only thought I have is that this is truly my last chance.]
[It's so obvious he's scheming.]
[I just want to show them. Because I don't want to have any regrets.]
[No, what's his deal? This is cheating!]
The transitions cutting between mentors and contestants picked up speed, and by the end, the entire screen blacked out completely.
At the same time, the escalating music cut off abruptly.
Silence hung in the air, and just as I thought, 'Is that it?'
On the still pitch-black screen, static crackled and fizzled, then it started flickering like a broken TV.
And then a voice played, unpolished and full of raw, on-site intensity.
[No.]
[Yielding... I don't think I can do that.]
'That's me.'
And that wasn't even a week ago.
They spliced in what I said during the first competition here?
Honestly, it wasn't even a particularly intense line.
[MAKE100% Season 7 — The Final Competition]
While I was still questioning it, the trailer ended, announcing its cheesy subtitle, and dutifully displayed the replay progress bar.
"......."
Comments (1k)
Guys from the Kes fandom, let's seriously not fight this time (Likes 361)
Just as I was about to tap on the comment section as if possessed, Kim Sanho cautiously spoke up.
"Hyung, but..."
"Yeah?"
"Are you really planning to drop out?"
"Ah."
Right. I did say that, didn't I?
'Is it time to bluff for security reasons again?'
Damn, this periodic fabrication was starting to get annoying. Time to brush it off.
"You don't believe me?"
"It's not that I don't believe you."
"But?"
"There seem to be a lot of decent people here. And our company doesn't even have any trainees."
"Ah. ...Well, hmm."
There were some decent people, sure.
Except for the infuriating fact that it felt like I was acknowledging the System's judgment. Han Neuti... Yeah, I had a good feeling about him.
Such a good feeling, in fact, that I'd even gained a rival for his attention.
It had happened on the way back from the first competition, after finishing the interview and before I moved to Manager's car.
―Think it over carefully. You've got plenty of time until the program ends.
―Th-thank you.
―Our company is seriously good, okay? Everyone there's a hipster try-hard, so they're pushovers.
―Ah, n-no... yes...
―Here, the agency business card. Think about it, got it?
Even though it was a fragmentary scene, I grasped the situation immediately.
The rap mentor from Licks Hour had been pitching his own company to Han Neuti.
And knowing that the company had been acquired and merged last year by Indeowol, a major idol agency, this wasn't something I could just brush off lightly.
'Seems they're in quite a hurry over there too.'
I knew brokers were rampant, but I hadn't expected a big company like that to move so fast before there was even any real buzz.
I had sneaked a picture of the business card while pretending to greet them, but I still felt uneasy. Since I hadn't heard any warning sounds, it probably meant things were fine for now, but still.
But telling him to come to our company right now felt like a completely reckless suggestion, even to me.
Shouldn't I at least have an outline figured out before I make the pitch?
"Five? Seven?"
"Huh?"
"What number do you prefer? For our team's headcount."
"I like even numbers."
"No. Odd number."
"Okay..."
Even numbers were awkward for formations.
Anyway, excluding the two of us, we needed at least three more people.
Though I'm saying this a bit late, there was practically a limit on the number of trainees we could recruit from the program. If the majority of the group came from survival show backgrounds, it would be hard to build a fresh image.
So... that meant we had to get the rest from outside sources.
Did I just have to trust the President on this part?
―Trainees? I'm looking into them. I'm still the boss, aren't I?
―Yeah, yeah, we'll handle things on this end just fine, so you just focus on coming back safe, Chaegyeom. Trust the company!
"......."
I had absolutely zero trust. What now.
'Ha, since things are already like this, I kind of want to be a little greedy.'
From the 4th generation onward, the distinctions between positions were getting blurrier, but I still wanted to secure all the main positions.
We'd need a production lead, which was especially crucial for small to mid-sized companies without a defined color, and to keep up with K-Pop, which was evolving into a total art form, we'd need a visual director...
Why were there so many things we needed?
And to think there were plenty of people who just rashly started a company without even thinking about stuff like this. It was a reality I didn't want to believe.
If only I could use some kind of friend advantage at times like this.
"Do you have any trainee friends hidden away?"
"I think you'd have more connections than me, hyung."
"I don't have friends."
"Neither do I."
As expected.
"Not even a single one?"
"I'll show you my contact list."
I thought, why would I want to see someone else's contacts, but Kim Sanho had already pulled up his list on his screen.
President
Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara Statue
Older Bro (Little)
Older Bro (Big)
...
(11)
"You really have no one."
"Told you, it's true."
To have a list of only (11) even with telecom service numbers meticulously saved.
Just as I was thinking what truly pitiful social connections he had, I subtly checked my own contact list.
Contacts (13)
'...Birds of a feather.'
I put my phone back in my pocket with a cold, deadened look in my eyes.
"But why don't you have my number saved?"
"What? I do."
"No, you don't."
Taking his phone back, Kim Sanho scrolled through his contacts.
"Ah."
Letting out a short exclamation, Kim Sanho drank his beverage as if nothing had happened.
And silence fell.
'What's this?'
Watching his suspicious behavior, I crossed my arms and stared quietly at Kim Sanho. The way his eyes darted around nervously was an attitude no one would call confident.
'I never said anything like a curse word... No way.'
That one name, stored with a uniquely distinctive label among all the straightforward ones.
"......Why am I the Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara Statue?"
"......."
Ignoring the silent Kim Sanho, I opened up a search.
[Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara Statue]
Immediately, a list of Buddhist statue images popped up.
There was nothing strange about it. It was literally just a statue of the Buddha.
'Isn't it a good thing?'
A Buddha. I guess I had been somewhat benevolent toward Kim Sanho.
Wondering if there was some hidden meaning, I searched more but found nothing specific. Shrugging my shoulders, I turned off my phone's screen.
Kim Sanho, who had been walking on eggshells the whole time, quietly opened his mouth.
"Don't be mad."
"Why would I be mad? It's not an insult,"
"You sit in that position every day, hyung..."
"......Position?"
I frowned and recalled the image I had just seen.
Sitting cross-legged with one knee raised, an arm casually draped over it in a relaxed posture...
'That's me.'
Indisputably me.
"You're not mad, right?"
"I'm not."
For real. Only a narrow-minded jerk would get mad over something like this.
It's just that I had also secretly changed Kim Sanho's saved name too.
* * *
As with every season, the first episode was a group viewing for the participants.
It was the waiting period as the contestants began to gather one by one. I sat in the chair the production team had assigned to me and checked my phone.
[Wabul: Waiting for Episode 1]
[Wabul: So excited]
[Me: We don't have a TV]
[Me: What are you watching it on?]
[Wabul: President's tablet]
[Wabul: You can watch it live on the app]
[Wabul: Oh right, I need to vote]
"Who are you texting? Girlfriend?"
I turned my head at the voice coming from beside me.
'Why is the word girlfriend coming up?'
I was so dumbfounded I couldn't manage my expression properly. It probably looked similar to the face people make when they hear a really lame joke.
"No?"
"Of course not."
"Is it that much of an 'of course'? Idols are people too, they can date a little."
"......."
"Haha, relax your face. Can't even crack a joke around a born-to-be idol, huh."
Did dating really have any bearing on someone's character?
No, I figured it differed from person to person. What happened afterward was each person's own business.
'So who is this?'
The guy who plopped down next to me with a grin draped his arm over the back of my chair. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be a participant.
"Ah, you don't know my name, do you? Figures."
"......."
"Lee Jae-young! Nice to meet you."
This was the battlefield of social life, so it was proper to put aside personal feelings. After staring blankly at the offered hand for a moment, I lowered my phone to accept the handshake.
However, the handshake between Lee Jae-young and me never came to pass.
"Hyung!"
"......Ah, Jiwon."
It was because Ahn Jiwon, who had approached with perfect timing, had grabbed my arm and was shaking it wildly.
As my arm did an unintended wave, I thought to myself.
'Bombs on both sides.'
Lee Jae-young was watching me with his legs crossed so tightly his spine might have been bending, and Ahn Jiwon, having finished his enthusiastic greeting, plopped down into the remaining seat next to me.
It seemed this was Ahn Jiwon's assigned spot. Lee Jae-young's too, apparently.
'So it's not that I'm popular, it's just that everyone's sitting in their own designated seats.'
The production team had thrown me right into a minefield.
A surge of gratitude toward the production team welled up inside me. Just as my survival instincts were creeping up from deep within, someone caught my eye.