Chapter 70
Chapter 70
"Chaegyeom!"
It was in front of the training camp dormitory.
From the manager's frantic appearance, it seemed he had rushed over the moment he got the production team's message.
Once I got in the car, he spoke in a worried tone.
"You must be very confused. Let's go home and rest up first."
"I'm fine."
Since I had expected it to turn out like this.
No, it was something I had even planned for, beyond mere expectation. There was no reason to be shocked.
"......."
However, even though I had achieved my goal, I felt no sense of accomplishment for some reason.
Was it because the production team had abruptly halted filming right at the moment we were taking a sentimental group photo?
—We will stop filming. We will relay the details through your companies.
—What's going on?
—We will pass the explanation on to your companies.
The production team gave the trainees no explanation at all, even though the ones directly involved were the trainees, not the companies.
But because each team had been issued a tablet, everyone was aware that a massive uproar over manipulation allegations was raging outside.
In Hyun-i hyung's case, even after seeing that chaos, he couldn't believe actual rigging had happened; he looked completely flustered when filming stopped.
On the other hand, the pre-selected members who knew the truth...
—What happens now?
—Please return to your agencies for now.
Song Se-ho had repeatedly fired off questions focused on 'what happens now', and he froze ashen-faced at the production team's repeated answer.
The other pre-selected members probably had similar reactions.
...To be honest, I didn't really know. Because it felt uncomfortable to watch any more than that, I followed the staff's directions and went straight to the dorm.
—Hey.
While I was packing, Baek Gyeonwoo called out.
—What's going to happen?
I had no choice but to answer that I didn't know.
'Forget it.'
Anyway, I had practically achieved my goal of returning to Sorasum, right before my eyes.
This was all caused by the production team; it wasn't my job to worry about the treatment of the pre-selected members or what happened to the others after.
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them.
And I asked the manager.
"...Who's at the dorm right now?"
"All the kids are there. Shall we get something delicious today?"
Still walking on eggshells around me, the manager's tone was softer than usual.
I said I was really fine and leaned my head against the window.
'Is that hyung not there?'
Judging from the case of Jeong Sowol, it seemed like the trainee recruitment completion only popped up once the contract was finalized.
The System was quiet.
'Anything at all would pop up, just anything.'
While I was pointlessly toggling the System on and off, trying to placate my complicated feelings, we arrived at the dorm before I knew it.
The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, I found Kim Sanho and Jeong Sowol standing side by side in the entrance.
Honestly... they looked like Dumb and Dumber, or Pat and Mat, but their expressions were so serious I couldn't bring myself to tease them.
"......."
"......."
"Why?"
"We wanted to ask if you're okay, hyung..."
Kim Sanho barely managed to speak, and Jeong Sowol quickly added, not to be outdone.
"Hyung."
"Yeah."
"I'll be the Benz."
"Yeah, go for it..."
It was the moment I was about to tack on "fighting."
Beep—beep—beep—
"Yo, Cha—! Cha, Cha... you're here already?"
Han Neuti was making a noisy entrance when he spotted me in the entryway and his eyes went wide.
Perfect timing. I grabbed his arm and asked.
"Hyung, haven't you heard from the production team?"
"Huh? Uh, no, I haven't... they're coming? To me?"
"...You do know the situation, right?"
"Hey, of course I know the situation! But are you okay...?"
Right then. A vibration buzzed from Han Neuti's trouser pocket.
We all went silent at once.
Han Neuti calmly rummaged through his pocket, took out his phone, and checked the screen; his face drained of color.
"...Fuck, crazy, it's really them."
"Is it a text?"
"Yeah."
Han Neuti slowly unlocked his phone with tense fingers and opened the message. Then he haltingly relayed its contents.
"Uh... it says they have something to discuss regarding the current situation and are asking if I can visit the broadcasting station."
"Will you go?"
"I have to."
"When are you planning to go?"
"Ah, shit... I don't know, this is my first time with something like this and it's a bit scary."
"Make sure you bring a voice recorder."
"Hearing that makes it even scarier."
'Hm.'
I thought for a moment, then asked the manager.
"The President hasn't received any contact?"
"Uh, well, I've been continuously checking the situation..."
The manager trailed off. Apparently not.
They said they'd explain the situation through the agencies, but we hadn't heard a word, and they went ahead and contacted Han Neuti first?
This... it was obvious what they were thinking.
'Looks like they've got something to deal with Han Neuti.'
The only victim who had surfaced immediately was Han Neuti.
So they must have thought that if they could just placate Han Neuti, they could safely reset things back to square one.
They would probably claim it was a small error that occurred during the tallying process and either re-qualify Han Neuti, or keep the elimination but offer a condition to debut him through a broadcasting station subsidiary.
Whatever the compensation, they would try to manufacture a scenario where Han Neuti, the victim, personally acknowledged this incident as a 'production error'.
'Think I'll let that slide?'
I took a breath, more tense than ever.
"Hyung, just a moment. I have something to say."
"Huh?"
It was only natural for an individual to be swayed by a large company's compensation.
So, to make Han Neuti refuse the production team's deal, we had no choice but to make the first move.
I steered clear of Jeong Sowol, Kim Sanho, and the manager, and led Han Neuti into a room.
From here on out, it might be a little... embarrassing.
"What is it?" Han Neuti asked.
I chose my words carefully and barely managed to start.
"You got photographed hanging out with our kids."
"Well, you told me to... Hey, is that supposed to be a letter? My mom writes longer notes than that when she sends me on errands."
The reason I gave this hyung the somewhat elementary-school-parent-like order to go out and about as much as possible... was so the news of his elimination would spread as quickly as possible.
So that his fans could seize control of the narrative before the window closed.
Once Episode 10, themed around 'healing' and 'camaraderie', aired, the circumstances of the eliminated trainees would inevitably become a distant story.
By then, those trying to make the manipulation public would instead be painted as malicious trolls disturbing the remaining trainees' dreams.
That was why, right after the ranking announcement ended, while everyone was still confused, we had to solidify the momentum.
And another thing.
'I told him to go around with the kids.'
Of course, there was a reason for that, too.
[The kids captured with Han Neuti in the sighting photo are presumed to be Sorasum trainees]
Info from a sasaeng so it's confirmed
The tall one is an existing trainee and the bleached one looks like a new trainee; they were seen with Chaegyeom a lot
Comments
―Oh... thank goodness Chaegyeom wasn't the only trainee there
―Wait, don't tell me Neuti's going to Sorasum?
└Huh
└No, shit, no way
└If he's going to promote with Chaegyeom it would at least be after the project group ends;;;
└You escape from a shitty survival show just to end up at a tiny company with three employees?...
The first sighting photo of Han Neuti that popped up had everyone except Han Neuti blurred out. The only intel was that the photo was taken in front of the Sorasum building.
But from that moment on, the connection between Han Neuti and Sorasum was already rising as a hot topic.
True to sasaengs who never miss a chance for attention, the unblurred version of the photo was quickly released.
[Unblurred version of Srs trainees]
(Photo)
It's blurry but you can roughly see them
Comments
―Woah what's this
―Huh they're decent...???
―Sorasum Han Neuti... I'm starting to think it could be okay
―Hey, these days even major agencies don't have trainees like this
―Wow if Chaegyeom joins them then shit
―As expected... a guy who trained at Mary for years wouldn't just pick any random tiny company
―Guys, this is a sasaeng photo, don't consume it and report the post
The photo, repeatedly deleted and re-uploaded, was eventually left alone on the grounds that it was 'already widely circulating.' And it became an established fact that Sorasum had decent trainees.
'Looks are good for grabbing that initial attention.'
It was now certain that our kids' looks were decent.
...Anyway, the reason Han Neuti's fans brought the manipulation to light wasn't because they wanted him to participate in <MAKE100%> again.
They had already fallen out beyond repair, and they just... wanted to rightfully exercise their rights. And screw over the production team while they were at it.
So if there was one agenda they valued most right now.
'Obviously, the agency.'
Since it had become conventional wisdom that major agencies avoid survival show trainees, they probably thought that if Han Neuti chose a company, a mid-tier one would be the ceiling.
These days even mid-tier companies tend to fold their trainees, so Sorasum, which had at least two decent trainees guaranteed, was a roughly equivalent option.
His fans, who had no way of knowing Han Neuti had received an offer from Indeowol, one of the Big 4... had started fervently pushing for 'Sorasum Han Neuti'.
So, here was the persuasion method I chose in this situation.
"Your fans think you've already signed with our company."
"Hm?"
It was straight-up blackmail.
"They think you're debuting with our kids... um, they seem to be expecting quite a lot."
"Ah, uh."
Ah, fuck.
I'd even run through simulations in my head a few times, but since I didn't expect I'd have to do this today, my words got all tangled up.
"So, if you don't want to disappoint the fans, you should willingly... no... coming to our company is... it would be good if you..."
Fuck...
This wasn't working. I'd collect myself and try again.
As I thought that and fell silent, Han Neuti, who had been wearing a puzzled expression, cut in.
"Ah, so what you're trying to say is."
"Yes."
"Isn't it that you want me to join your company?"
"......."
I silently nodded.
Han Neuti, who had been gauging my reaction, leaned heavily against the bed frame.
...And laughed.
"Then you should just say that. Why beat around the bush so much?"
And then he said.
"Alright."
"......."
"What? I said okay."
"Is that a yes or a no? What's with your expression?"
I glared at Han Neuti.
Han Neuti blinked as if he had no idea why.
'Is he just that simple?'
No, even so, to this extent?
Was he such a single-celled organism that he'd decide on a company that required at least 7 long years of his life... based on a few words from an acquaintance?
Shouldn't he at least hear the terms first?
'.......'
The back of my neck felt hot.
I realized only then that I was disguising my embarrassment as misplaced scolding.
"Before you go meet the production team... sign the contract first."
"Sure, sure."
"Still, read through the whole contract before you sign."
"Yeah, don't worry."
* * *
Meanwhile, the internet was still overflowing with chaos.
―Let's just scorch the earth clean and vote again
└Reset, not scorched earth
└Nah, scorched earth is correct
―Airplane-z are moving way too fast, they haven't even debuted yet and they're already about to disband
―Ugh, why did they rig it, seriously this debut lineup was one of the best ever, damn it if they just hadn't rigged it we'd have gotten a legendary group, you idiots sob sob
└Why do you think they did it? They wanted to debut their picks
―Fuck I get where Nㅌ fans are coming from but... I can't help but feel resentful, my pick has really... nowhere to go...ㅠㅠ They say our guy's CEO has gangster rumors...
―No, is it real that there are still people dragging Rei by the hair? He's the victim, the ones who wrecked the program are the producers who rigged it, not the victim, the arrows are flying in the wrong direction
└Right
└For real
In a situation where the manipulation had become an undeniable fact.
Cursing at the production team was meaningless. That had already been routine for a long while now.
Thus, the viewers' anger was now directed toward a more sensational phase.
[So who the hell is the PD Pick?]