Chapter 12
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 12
Chapter Title Flawless Interview
The trainees, having checked their final grades, headed straight to the interview room next to the announcement hall, where they faced a barrage of questions from the production staff.
Its been a while since Ive seen him this up close, but damn, he really is handsome.
The writer, organizing her script, watched Karis von Walden take a seat in the interview room chair and inwardly clicked her tongue.
Even though he was called in the midtolate order, meaning shed already interviewed many trainees before him, no one else had made her react like this.
Karis wiped the sweat from his forehead, and even that simple motion looked elegant.
Snapping out of it, the writer selected her question.
Looking back on the level test and practice sessions, I remember there were a lot of comments about your dance skills being lacking. You showed a great performance todaywhat was your practice like?
Honestly, I barely did anything myself. Thanks to the judges pinpointing my weaknesses so accurately, I was able to find the right direction. And for my lack of knowledge in dance, I got a lot of help from my roommates.
Your roommates?
When dancing, I was always too busy memorizing the choreography to pay attention to other aspects. My roommate Siyoon... Siyoon gave me all sorts of tips, and Im so grateful. And since the song basically has high notes and is tough to control your breathing, Yubin, whos great at singing, helped me out wholeheartedly with that part.
Karis von Walden slowly lifted the corners of his mouth into a faint smile.
Id always practiced alone a lot, so being able to work hard together with great roommates made me incredibly happy. And seeing the fruits of that effort turn into a Tier 1 result makes me even prouder.
Ah.
The writer nodded unconsciously as she listened to his fluent, flowing Korean.
It was that same cognitive dissonance shed felt when she first saw him.
And if you looked closely at his word choice and sentences...
Hes only saying exactly the phrases that fit his situation perfectly. No extra impressions or dragging on to fill airtime like the other kids.
In short, it meant patchwork editingthe flower of survival audition showswas impossible with him.
The patchwork technique of cutting and splicing trainees statements to create stimulating previews or scenes.
With someone like Karis von Walden, who had such a firm speaking style and explained specific situations so clearly, it was impossible to connect his interview to others.
Still, just in case, the writer probed a bit more.
Were there any tough parts? Like the session divisions, or maybe todays stage setup.
There were no difficulties. Standing on stage in front of others is an honor in itself from the start.
There were sightings of you practicing late into the early morning, from one of the judges.
I knew my dance skills were lacking, so I invested personal time to avoid being a burden to my friends practicing together. During that, I happened to run into Judge Bae Kangwoo and received help in various ways.
For some reason, not a single complaint about hardship ever came from the mouth of this twentyyearold boy.
It wouldve been useful later if hed mentioned any discomforts from practice or stage performance.
The writer scratched her head and quickly drew a line through Kariss name.
From a narrative or looks perspective, hes definitely going to build a fandom early on, so I wanted to shoehorn in some reactions to sell... But at this rate, I have to air the interview as is.
There was nothing usable for editing, and it didnt make sense for a confirmed Tier 1 trainee to have zero screen time.
In the end, the writer surrendered inwardly.
Well end the interview here. Good work.
Thank you. See you next time.
Ah, uh... Sure.
Even at the end, Karis bowed politely and left.
Watching his retreating figure, the writer sighed.
If youre that handsome, at least be a little arrogant. Being too perfect is a problem too.
This was a success.
Of course, I never imagined Id get Tier 1.
Even with the newly unlocked proficiency feature letting me add some dance details, I figured itd be hard to fully satisfy the skyhigh standards of the judges.
Somehow, luck aligned in my favor.
Not that Id turn down Tier 1.
I thought to myself while stroking the new silver training uniform Id been given.
When I first challenged Idol Training Simulation, Id been stuck at Tier 2 and never even touched this silver outfit.
But now, in this game worlds crown prince body that wasnt even mine, it was hard to believe Id made it this far.
Youve completed the hidden linked quest!
Reward 1 Lucky Draw Coin granted.
Hard work pays off, Possessor. Congratulations.
Just like the level test, thered been a hidden quest in the final grade evaluation too.
I glanced at the popup giving me another Lucky Draw Coin and reflected on the weight now on my shoulders.
Karis von Walden still isnt at a level where he overwhelmingly dominates Tier 1, so I need to be extra careful.
Getting a high rank early is obviously good.
It naturally increases screen time, and draws more attention from the other trainees.
But more attention means more scrutiny.
Especially not just rivalries between trainees, but with the production staff.
The staff, aiming to generate buzz by any means, will try to cook up the Tier 1 trainees effectively.
Even firsttimers in Idol Training Simulation know that.
It was the same during my personal interview earlier. Not directly, but questions mixed in to induce specific statements.
Rather, thanks to this crown prince speech pattern, I got through it relatively easily.
The noble way of speaking, specialized in creating textbook, rigid sentence structures.
Even if they tried patchwork on purpose, they couldnt easily cut and splice my statements. Itd be too obvious.
Plus, Id efficiently laid the groundwork for a growth narrative by mainly talking up my roommates relationships.
Oh, speaking of roommates.
Brothers! Ive finally reclaimed my name!
Whoa, Yubin! Finally!
Heo Yubin returned to Cell 31 proudly holding his Tier 2 uniform.
Even if you got Tier 4 in the final grade evaluation, you could get your name tag back, but the thrill of ranking up was still there.
Kang Siyoon had also settled into Tier 1 with much more stable vocals than in the level test.
Thus, our cell achieved the feat of everyone ranking up.
It matched perfectly with the narrative of practicing together as roommates, making it even more satisfying.
You might think after a big event like the final grade evaluation, we could rest a bit. Big mistake.
Recording starts now!
Idol Training Simulation, truly stepping out into the world, began by completing the theme song Grand Quest Saga, mixing all participants voices.
Waiting for your turn to record was work in itself.
But practicing for the largescale stage was the bigger issue.
The positioning here is off! Move a bit to the side!
Is the timing for the Tier 4 kids rushing in okay? Looks like it needs to come a tad earlier to me.
Should we pull that one back? What do you think?
Just like in other survival shows, theme song positions were divided by rank.
Tier 1 naturally took the center platform proudly.
Tier 2 and 3 came riding in on platforms from left and right the moment the chorus started.
And the lowest rank, Tier 4... sprinted in right before the dance break and stood at the very bottom of the stage.
A tearjerking class system, but nothing to be done.
Theyd given everyone two fair chances at evaluation, and now they stood according to skill.
Oh, and a special thing about Idol Training Simulation...
The Tier 1 kids will practice way harder with me. You all get center moments, right? So even if position switches are tough, work hard. Got it?
Yes!
There was no fixed center for the theme song.
Instead, Tier 1 trainees swapped center positions organically while moving.
A clear perk for the top rank, going to individuals.
The Tier 1 guys looked even more relieved at the news they wouldnt have to compete for center.
Other shows had them doing 1on1 dance battles for center and causing a huge fuss.
But memorizing the complex positioning under Bae Kangwoos intensive training was more grueling than expected.
The intensity was so high that even Kang Siyoon, with his high dance stat, collapsed on the floor after practice.
Ugh, Im dying. Choreos hard enough, but constantly switching spots is killer.
...Tell me about it.
Hahaha! Gotta slap on some pain patches and crash later. Legs are killing me.
My dance proficiency kept rising with the repetitive practice, but since the stat itself was still C, my brain felt like it was exploding.
Still, I endured, not wanting to waste the proficiency filled to 2730.
Itll be plenty to hit B by music show day.
After the Tier 1 special session ended, we rejoined the other ranks for more grinding.
Heo Yubin waved both hands vigorously every time our eyes met.
Fortunately, he seemed less intimidated even without me or Kang Siyoon around, which was a relief.
If the guy we needed to build narrative with ended up in firstround dropout territory, itd be a headache for us too.
After about a week of extreme practice.
Whoa, were really at K Countdown.
The stage is huge!
I wasnt nervous at all until we got here, now Im shaking.
We finally arrived at the K Countdown set, hosted by KNet.
Everyones jaws dropped at the stage, far more vast than on TV.
But the awe at the atmosphere didnt last.
Hair and makeup, lets go!
The reality of performing on a special stage for one of Koreas top music shows sank in.
Kang Siyoon and Heo Yubin, whod been looking around beside me, swallowed hard.
Seeing that, I patted their backs with a smile.
Haha, no need to be that tense.
KKKaris brother. I feel like I might puke all of a sudden...
Youll probably dance the same choreo at least five or six times minimum, so hold it in till then.
Eek!