Chapter 9
Chapter 9
"Oh, I'm the first one in here? Then let's see the dance too. You can expect at least this much from a Tier 1, right?"
"Yes!"
"Yeol, good energy. I'll cue the music then."
Producing mentor Kim Ikhyeon crossed his legs with a flap of the lyric sheet.
As the trainees got into formation, a refreshing EDM sound immediately signaled the start.
"Yes, finally, Awake! Heuh-eok, heok."
The roughly 90-second stage composed of the first verse and a dance break came to an end.
Listening to the trainee right next to me gasping for air, I calmly caught my breath and straightened my posture.
'Thankfully my stamina hasn't dropped much.'
Maybe because I rested fully for a year. If anything, my condition felt better than the days I used to sleep three hours a day and practice.
......The thought that hoping for good rest and a good Suneung score was truly shameless of me suddenly crossed my mind.
"You guys."
Kim Ikhyeon, who had been watching the stage seriously, hardened his expression.
The click of his tongue on his already intimidating face made him look like a real street thug dragged in from somewhere.
Just as the sound of nervous breaths being sucked in here and there filled the space because of his murderous aura.
"Wow, you crazy bastards. How did you memorize this much already? Is this really the Tier 1 difference?"
"......Th-thank you!"
"You see that? See? The mentors' eyes are damn accurate, I'm telling you! Whoa, the killer instinct is different. The killer instinct. I thought I'd turned into Medusa for a second! Eu-hahak."
"Hahaha......."
The trainees, flustered by the profanity flying around so openly even in front of the cameras, laughed awkwardly.
It'll probably get bleeped out, but naive trainees playing along with cheap sensibility was the selling point of this program, so I figured that was also a request from the production team.
So this is the audacity of cable channels.
After joking and laughing to himself for a while, Kim Ikhyeon wiped the corner of his eye and finally got a hold of himself.
"So who led the practice here?"
"We just kind of separately each......."
"Cha-gyeom hyung did!"
Huh?
At the bright voice suddenly popping out, I tilted my head to find the source of it.
And on the far end of the opposite side, I locked eyes with Ahn Jiwon, smiling brightly.
"Cha-gyeom did? Ha, as expected....... As expected is as expected, I guess."
'No, I didn't exactly lead it?'
Normally I'd take the credit without hesitation, but not here.
If I take praise for something I didn't even do and the facts get found out later, how am I supposed to handle that blowback?
And on top of that, if it's thanks to a fabrication by a strong pre-selected candidate....... Wow, this is bad. He's basically grabbing me by the scruff of the neck and saying let's die together, right?
I dodged the emotional gaze of Kim Ikhyeon, who was looking at me all moved on his own, and clarified.
"I just pointed out a few parts people were struggling with."
"Yeah, yeah, even I can see that you're the best, Cha-gyeom."
Was my pronunciation off just now?
With an answer that slightly missed the point, Kim Ikhyeon looked around at the trainees and spoke with a grin.
"It's only right that the one who's good teaches. Let's make Cha-gyeom the temporary Tier 1 leader. If there's anything confusing, ask Cha-gyeom."
"Ah......."
"......."
"Cha-gyeom, that's fine with you, right?"
Was there anyone who could say it wasn't fine here?
I didn't miss the sour reactions from some trainees, but I had no choice but to nod.
"Yes."
"Good! Then let's move on to the vocal lesson."
* * *
"I did it all by myself, what's with the leader?"
The point after training ended and all the cameras had withdrawn.
Sure enough, a grumbling voice appeared.
"......!"
A trainee approaching me seemed to have heard it and stopped dead in his tracks.
He couldn't do this or that and just rolled his eyes around, so I pretended not to hear and asked first.
"Hyun-i hyung, what's up? Are you stuck somewhere?"
"Th-that, uh, the part after the turn in the dance break......."
"Ah, that. That part's tricky. Let's practice together,"
"─If you're the leader, doesn't that lock in your screen time? Swiping that up when you haven't even done anything. Do you even feel bad about it?"
So many words, seriously.
I let out a small sigh, looking at the trainee who came here just to practice diligently but ended up standing around reading the room.
'I can understand it.'
They must have watched scenes over past seasons where a trivial title like this decides rankings and survival. It could be irritating that I, who never really stepped up, got it so easily.
Still, that's that.
I turned around and looked at the origin of the backtalk.
"If you have something to say, say it to my face."
The four clustered in the corner clamped their mouths shut as if they'd never been grumbling.
"No?"
"......."
Even when I set the stage for them, they pretend they did nothing.
If you have complaints, you have to voice them for me to listen. If you just mutter behind my back, do you expect someone to come and perform an exorcism or something?
'Wow, one of the guys I taught is in that bunch, too.'
His flip was so fast I didn't even have time to feel betrayed.
I spoke in the most peaceful voice possible, as if I had absolutely zero intention of causing a scene.
"If anyone wants to be the leader, I'll give it to you. Say so."
"......."
Please, just take it. I don't want to be caught up in pointless misunderstandings either.
But since the mood suggested they'd stay quiet forever, I figured I'd just take a sip of water and go back to practicing, when.
"Loser bastards."
"Khm, kheum!"
Startled by the unfiltered curse along with the water, it took a detour on its own and pioneered a new path.
I coughed a few times trying to expel the water that went down my airway and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, calming down a little.
'Did I really just hear that curse word?'
No matter how few cameras there are around, that's not exactly a word you should be hearing in a place like this, is it?
"Uh, Jiwon."
"Yes?"
"I get that you're trying to take my side, but don't. It's burdensome."
To be precise, it was less burdensome and more anxiety-inducing.
Ahn Jiwon put on a disappointed expression uncharacteristic of him and asked again with a pout.
"It's burdensome?"
"Yeah, a bit."
"Got it......."
Looking back, maybe I was too blunt, but I had no choice. Since my objective was clear, I had to definitively eliminate risk factors.
I deliberately ignored the dejected Ahn Jiwon and threw myself back into practice.
* * *
The training time that came back around for the second time. The one who entered this time wasn't Park Hyeong-tae but a dance mentor I hadn't seen before.
Originally, MAKE100%'s policy was one mentor per field, but it seemed like they had invited additional guest trainers since it was still early in the show.
"The Tier 2 leader was doing incredibly well. You guys are in big trouble. If you get totally swept here, that's straight-up humiliation, you know?"
It was before we'd even shown anything. It was probably just something he said offhand, but the complexions of several trainees rapidly darkened.
"I wonder if you guys will be able to defend well. Let's see it, first of all."
This time it proceeded as a live without accompaniment. Even my ears could tell that everyone's vocalization had gotten cleaner after just one round of training.
As expected of a program known among small agencies as a famous free training venue. So this is why more than a couple of companies send trainees straight to survival shows to get cost-effective training without any investment.
"Hmm, okay. Who's the leader here?"
The mentor, looking reasonably satisfied, asked.
Seeing Ahn Jiwon trying to throw glances my way again from afar, I raised my hand first.
"I'm currently serving as the temporary leader."
"Ah, Seo Cha-gyeom."
Nodding, the mentor wrote something on the clipboard he brought. It looked like he was jotting down ahead of time comments to use during the final evaluation.
And then, as if genuinely curious, he asked again.
"But why stick with temporary? You've only got barely two days left for this mission, why not just be the leader?"
"Because Yun-hwan hyung wants to do it!"
At those words, 'Yun-hwan hyung' flinched his shoulders hard. He was the loudest of the three who had been dissatisfied with me.
......For reference, that thing just now wasn't me who said it.
Ahn Jiwon had stepped in to advocate for Yun-hwan hyung's confidence on his behalf, with a tone utterly devoid of malice and completely bright.
Entirely regardless of Yun-hwan hyung's own intentions.
"Huh? Yun-hwan? Who's Yun-hwan....... Ah, it's you. O Yun-hwan."
The mentor, who had been scanning the trainees to find Yun-hwan hyung, no, O Yun-hwan, wore an unimpressed expression.
O Yun-hwan's face grew steadily paler.
"No, that... I never said I wanted to......."
"But isn't it right for the most skilled one to be the leader? Yun-hwan, you seem to have a bit of a habit of exaggerating. From what I've seen."
The mentor cut off O Yun-hwan's late attempt at an explanation and hurled merciless sharp words.
O Yun-hwan, whose complexion had been shifting back and forth between red and blue, mumbled something about trying his best and then hung his head low.
Having just killed off one trainee, the mentor nonchalantly tapped his foot and lifted his vertically held clipboard to point.
At me.
"Seo Cha-gyeom, you don't want to be the leader?"
.......
"I'll do it."
"Good, you take responsibility and teach the kids."
'So it ends up like this anyway.'
Leader or whatever. Hearing the word responsibility felt heavy, but teaching a bit wasn't hard.
That wasn't what was important right now.
"Hyung, fighting!"
Ahn Jiwon.
Why is he really acting like this toward me?
* * *
The dorms were assigned by grade, and fortunately, O Yun-hwan's group and I were completely separated.
......No, wait. So it was because they were in the same dorm that the four of them formed that clique. I had the cause and effect backwards.
Anyway.
The members of this room were Hyun-i hyung, who had practiced with me throughout the signal song mission, myself, and Ahn Jiwon.
Lying on the bed, I glanced sideways at the spot next to me.
"This one is Gomi and this one is Dori, dear Kes-nims."
Whatever his concept was, Ahn Jiwon had laid two teddy bears on either side of his pillow and was having a conversation with the camera.
'Being in the same room as him seems like a completely terrible variable.'
I was finally certain as of today.
Ahn Jiwon was definitely a pre-selected contestant. Otherwise, there was no way a guy who's distinctly aware of when cameras are on or off would go around acting out like that.
Aren't those actions only possible with the confidence that he'll get a favorable edit no matter what he does?
"I can't sleep well without these friends. They're precious to me, always staying by my side on important days......."
"Jiwon."
"Yes?"
"The cute act doesn't suit you."
"Huh! Suddenly?"
Audiences of audition shows like this inherently hate it when young-looking guys act young.
And plus, if a nineteen-year-old says he sleeps with teddy bears, it's obvious he'll get cursed out for doing a concept act.
Although it does kind of seem like he's genuinely doing a concept act.
"Let me ask you one thing."
Listening to the sound of water from Hyun-i hyung's shower, I carefully broached the subject.
It felt a little premature given we'd only known each other for barely a day or two, but it's better to remove the anxiety early so things are easier down the line.
"You......."
But what do I even ask?
'Why are you being so nice to me?'
No, that line sounded a bit too pink-tinged.
In the first place, was it even accurate to call what he's doing to me 'being nice'?
'Why do you act like you're being nice while also screwing me over....... Why do you keep making it confusing?'
Ah, why does the nuance keep getting weird.
"Because I think you're going to debut, hyung."
"Huh?"
While I was still choosing my question, Ahn Jiwon spoke up first.
"That's why I acted that way, because I wanted to get close to you. Isn't this what you were going to ask?"
"It is... yeah, it is."
"Let's debut together."
Ahn Jiwon hugged the teddy bear in his arms and looked at me with bright, clear eyes.
And once again, as if securing a promise, he asked.
"You can do it, right?"
Hmm.......
I probably can't?