Chapter 14
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 14
Chapter Title Forum Frenzy and Rival Cell Battle
A lot had happened overnight.
First off, our stage that grabbed everyones attention with the K Countdown Special Stage debut.
The staging itself came out deliciously well, worth all those long rehearsals.
The set itself also earned plenty of praise for being clean and stylish, thanks to KNet gritting their teeth and putting in the effort to decorate it.
At the same time, the full video went up on YouTube.
A chance for viewers to closely examine the various faces that had only briefly flashed by during the live broadcast.
Viewers rewatched the full video dozens of times, desperately hunting for their favorites.
That night at 11 PM, the trainees profiles were all released on the homepage in a flood of additional info.
The impact of these events was about the same as last time.
Idol communities with huge active user bases exploded.
You could witness the bizarre phenomenon of 50 new posts popping up every time you refreshed.
It was now the next morning with the sun up, but the comment counts on the top posts were still insane.
I lay on my cell bed and turned on my phone.
This was the short break period before the next gathering, so it seemed like a good time to invest in checking public opinion.
Time to pop the lid open.
One thing Id realized since joining Idol Training Simulation was that public opinion shifted by the minute.
Depending on how the editing went that day.
Or how the screen time was distributed, the way people viewed the trainees kept changing.
This time, I decided to gauge community sentiment right from the start.
Anyone with a glass mentality might get KOd after just a few posts, but luckily, my mental fortitude had been tempered in the rotten game Grand Quest Saga.
First, I clicked on the current top post by firepower.
Idol Training Sim Quick Summary.txt For my own deduction purposes
This post summarizes the few breadcrumbs released so far, so it includes a lot of my subjective thoughts.
Anyway, the Awayke debut group kids were hyped up in the promos, so I checked em out and they definitely stood outespecially Song Hyeongbin? Tall and handsome, yeah. Seems like a solid pick? I also summarized the profiles of the other Awayke kids.
Photo
Visuals seem decent overall, but theyre from such a huge agency, I dunno how theyll debut them... Wonder if theyre even the debut lineup or just the ones pushed back...
Anyway, based on context, there are kids who got Arank A1 standard, obviously from the center positions... Oh, just realized while writingtheyre unique in not fixing a center and rotating among the Aranks? That was pretty fresh.
Anyway, I matched the central platform kids faces and names from the profiles. Total of 12!
Photo Photo .
There might be some hidden gems in B or C, but its hard to dig more lol. Rest we can see on the show.
Sorry to say, but the bottom tier members will probably all drop in the first round... Theyre just too weak and visuals are meh
The info summary post had gone up lightning fast.
As I read the post focusing mainly on the central platform traineesaka Tier 1 recipientsI felt anew the value of ranks.
No wonder viewers first impressions are decided by rank. Aiming for Tier 1 even if it was a stretch was the right call.
As expected, trainees from major agencies were drawing massive attention.
The members who had debuted in the previous Idol Training Simulation seemed to be off to a good start again.
Song Hyeongbin especially... Unless some freak accident happens, his debut is locked in.
His skills were solid, and his visuals were topnotch, so it was only natural.
Knowing his buzz factor well, the production team had given him quite a few solo shots during the performance.
Having previewed the video, I was harboring a slight worry.
In the fourminute clip, Karis von Walden only got about five solo seconds.
I wondered if we were losing the early attention war.
Whoa, this guys my pick right away, total stud...
Whats his name? Foreigner?
Yeah, profile intro says hes from Estonia, but has Korean blood from his grandparents, so hes loved Korea since before Plus selftaught Korean singing dance.
Profile pic checks out, but the video too? Not just photo magic?
Gif Seeing this, youll get why they say he doesnt rely on photo filters.
Wtf, how did I miss him? Was I dozing off?
Karis is currently the visual top dog in Idol Training Sim??? Westerner but zero of that weird foreign vibe, eyes are black too so no awkwardness.
Ah, I get that weird foreign vibe right awaysuper important Hes like a sculpture, total game avatar
Foreigner means no military duty too Perfect godsend.
So what, hell still get nerfed...
The ripple effect of my nominal Looks SSS was bigger than expected.
The footage was extremely short, but it hit a key highlight point with a solo shot, and the wink at the end wasnt cut, so I snagged some prime screen time.
A moment where the brutal payoff for mastering that wink through hellish practice hit hard.
This is smooth sailing territory.
I didnt get filmed a ton, but it clearly caught the eyes of experienced fans.
The perfect groundwork for building a narrative.
And that night, the first teaser boldly dropped on the YouTube channel.
Idol Training Simulation, That Epic Journey Starts Right Now!
Flashy editing techniques in the opening.
Seeing the sparkling Idol Training Simulation logo pop up made me feel anew how serious the production team was.
Trainees entering the grandscale set interior.
And the judges eyeing them like lions spotting fresh prey.
Their profiles have me hyped.
Dance looks killer, right?
Oho, got a good feeling. Good feeling.
Hope they do well.
A bunch of hypebuilding lines, then the mood crashes in an instant.
Trainees hanging their heads, biting lips hard, pupils shaking like earthquakesall flashing by fast.
The judges eyes turn icy cold as they sigh and rub their foreheads.
What a letdown.
Why come out as a group if this is it? Harmony sucks, vocals suck, no communication among yourselves.
Is this... really all youve got to show here? For real?
No, no. Ugh... Thats kinda harsh?
You expect me to judge based on this?
As the finisher, Bae Kangwoos face zoomed in with a chilling smirk.
He picked up his pen in disbelief and paused dramatically.
No BGM kicked in during that time, ramping up the desolation.
Who the hell are you messing with?
I bit my lip and scrutinized the phone screen.
KNet had gone for some seriously provocative, intense editing.
I closely checked what scenes followed Bae Kangwoos highheat line.
Luckily, not our session.
Probably the cell session he had guided that got roasted.
The parade of tearful trainee shots seemed pulled from all over too.
If youre gonna patchwork, at least match the outfits.
Guess they rushed the teaser and skipped doublechecking.
We can do it.
I wont give up.
We didnt come here to drop in the first round. Ill definitely... definitely show you.
What I can do.
Quiet vows filled the audio.
Then, the judges cheers hit like a 180degree flip.
Yes, thats it!
Did way better than I expected.
Finally, I can breathe. That was the best, for real.
Outstanding stage. Man, sounded so good!
Personal opinion, but that visual alone will shut down all the debates.
I was inwardly anxious that Karis von Walden got zero footage here too.
But hearing Choi Sias last line put me at ease.
It was from after my level test, so at least I wouldnt get butchered in early edits.
The first broadcast starts February 12 at midnight, when the first global vote for Idol Training Simulation opens.
The first global vote runs until March 8. Check the KNet Idol Training Simulation homepage for details.
Important A new Fever Time vote will open after the first global vote, so keep that in mind.
After the teaser ended, subtitles dubbed in Choi Sias voice appeared.
Firsttime viewers probably wouldnt get what that Fever Time vote meant.
I recalled the second vote that would cause a huge stir later.
Now, all the preliminaries were done.
To debut properly and solidly, the real work started now.
Round 1, Rival Team Battle, was about to begin.
Everyone, get some good rest?
In the grand hall of the Idol Training Simulation dorms.
The 96 diligently gathered trainees nodded at Choi Sias question.
The air was tense as usual, but today it felt thicker.
Everyone knew what that big panel up front meant.
Today is Idol Training Simulation Round 1 Rival Cell Team Battle. As you probably guessed, up front is a panel with the 8 mission songs for Round 1. Before revealing them, Ill explain how teams are formed.
The murmurs among the participants cut off instantly.
Pleased with the sight, Choi Sia gave a faint smile and continued.
As the name says, its Rival Cell Team Battle. Remember your cells and roommates you spent time with?
Yes!
Each cell is guaranteed to be one team. Then, in the song selection process, youll pair with another cell to form a groupsix people per group total.
Hearing wed definitely do Round 1 with our roommates, the first to grab my arm was Heo Yubin.
KKaris brother! This is really, really great!
Youre happy were on the same team?
If I got stuck with total strangers, Id just shut down and go mute...
We still have to group with another random cell anyway? Isnt it the same?
Meanwhile, Kang Siyoon yanked my other arm and dropped the fact bomb.
Heo Yubin slowly opened his mouth at those words.
...What do I do.
Its fine, its fine. With me and Karis here, just dont tense up too much. Dude, youre Tier 2. Tier 2. You wont lose anywhere.
Sharing a room had let Kang Siyoon master the art of soothing Heo Yubin.
He defused the prepanic situation.
But thats not all, right? Eight songs total, six per group. Meaning, each song needs 12 people total for perfect distribution.
Choi Sia raised her hand to emphasize the key point.
One song will be shared by a Red Team and a Blue Team. After each cell picks a song, they decide Red or Blue. Then, they randomly match with another cell for the group. The resulting Red and Blue Teams battle as rivals over the same song. Got it?
Totally random.
Cant predict what song other cells pick, and even then, Red or Blue splits it further...
100 luckbasedfeels like a real game.
The hall buzzed again.
But that wasnt the end.
What if multiple cells pick the same song and team?
Yes!
If that happens unavoidably.
Choi Sias voice dropped.
The team with the lower average rank gets automatically bumped. In other words, higher final rank evaluation means you secure your desired song.
With the extra rule revealed, trainees frantically eyed each others clothes.
Wwhats our average rank?
Dude, were screwed! All Tier 3.
What now...
Dont wanna get bumped from the start...
Lowrank cells slumped in despair, rubbing their faces.
Highrank cells nodded in relief.
Meanwhile, the two guys next to me got hyped.
Hey, hey! Our ranks are toptier!
With two brothers at Tier 1 and me at 2, well never get bumped unless its crazy! We can basically pick any song we want!
Feels too good.
Me too!
I get youre thrilled.
But quit yanking my arms like a rubber band.