Chapter 23
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 23
Chapter Title Aftermath of Episode 1
The first episode of Idol Training Simulation, which had been like a storm, had finally ended.
With fullscale filming right around the corner, I took a moment to catch my breath on our last day of rest and turned on my phone.
Monitoring was essential.
Honestly, I wasnt too worried, but there was a chance that Karis von Waldens appearance in episode 1 might not have landed well with some people.
Fortunately, the reactions were unfolding more or less as the production team had intended.
Ketchup confession....... honestly, this edit wouldve tanked hard if his face wasnt objectively hot, but hes so damn handsome I was just gasping the whole time
I saw the promo post calling it viral and read that apology note, and I dismissed it as total BS... Im sorry....... Karis I love you Im sorry thank you
The special effects exploded when he first showed up so I thought his face was CG?? Turns out its not what the hell Gif
Sounds fake but its one of a kind
Fr why didnt a big agency scout him
Who the hell scouts all the way to Estonia....... Overwhelming gratitude that this guy walked in on his own to do Kpop
Karis von Walden appearing with flowers had been personally embarrassing as hell for me, but it looked like my SSSgrade Looks stat had done its job.
I was shocked to see public opinion forming in a way that perfectly understood this editing direction.
Beyond visuals, the character image Id crafted was also pulling its weight in generating buzz.
photo Guys you see this?? He does his SM bow all shy like that, pulling his foot back a bit
Lmao so elegant bow method fml
This is the guy who put loves romance fantasy in his profile?? Total otaku fr
From now on SM crew bows with the SM method
Gif Karis interview scene, answers normal questions all chill but his eyes light up like stars when fantasy comes up He really loves it
Cant hide that otaku vibe
But otakus are always wholesome and total nerds
True
Face aside, personally I think if you come to Korea to be an idol you should at least learn basic Korean as courtesy? Especially someone Western like SM, Korean mustve been super hard but his pronunciation is flawless and he speaks better than me wtf you can do anything Sma
Sma pls take my CSAT for me
Fr at Smas level he could handle nonfiction reading too
Words are one thing but how tf is his pronunciation that good?? So curious
Some people are just wired for languages? Back in old Afcon there was a trainee who did Korean English French Japanese
Yeah his brains specialized that way damn Im jealous I know zero languages
The comments highlighting things that could boost favorability among fans made up a huge chunk.
But it wouldnt be right to say everything was smooth sailing.
Even watching the live broadcast, there was this nagging sense of unease.
Narrowing my eyes, I typed Karis von Waldens searchavoidance nickname into the search bar.
Id been curious how theyd twist a foreign name.
Never expected them to slap a ma on Karis to make Sma for charisma.
I scanned the massive flood of posts that had piled up in just a day.
I clicked on a few with intriguing titles and read.
Fine, Ill admit the visuals are good
But no matter how you slice it his skills suck?? He could turn into total deadweight guys wake up Level test stage was shorter than his face closeups? Basically the production team pulled some shady shit cuz they didnt want his lack of talent exposed
That was the general vibe.
Watching my screentime in episode 1, the concerns Id had were playing out exactly.
Lots of praise for looks, but hardly any for the performance itself. Same with the other trainees reactions.
Its true that killer visuals get you halfway in the idol biz.
But in a survival show rife with overinvestment and nitpicking, even tiny flaws become prime ammo.
I scrolled down deep in thought.
Next episode would show the rest of the level tests and practice for the theme song leading to final evaluations.
Karis von Walden going from Tier 2 to Tier 1 probably wouldnt get cut.
Itll give some ground to quiet the hype with no skills narrative. But......
Longterm, shaking the talentless visualsonly label ASAP was the smart play.
Even if there was footage from final evaluations getting Tier 1 and snagging center in the first team battle to show skills.
I still needed to plant that certainty deeper.
Balancing stats evenly is top priority ahead of the next team battle.
I turned off my phone and checked the time.
Dinner was almost here.
Those two said they were hitting the canteen quick and still arent back.
No way Im eating alone, so first things firstfind Kang Siyoon and Heo Yubin.
I threw on the training suit provided as standard Idol Training Simulation gear and stepped into the hall.
The big practice room down the way was buzzing, clearly packed with trainees.
Glancing at the window, I spotted Kang Siyoon chatting animatedly with five or six others.
Heo Yubin...... uh. Was zoned out halfway, munching peanuts hard.
Definitely a bit underwhelming, more screentime wouldve been nice. Oh, Karis youre here?
Wondered why the guy who went to the canteen wasnt back.
What, missed this big bro that much?
Room was too quiet, hard to adjust.
I tilted my head sideways, and the trainees chatting with Kang Siyoon greeted me warmly.
Hello! Wanted to say hi but never got the chance. You look even better in person.
Nice to meet you. No, you flatter me.
I shook hands with the trainee whose bangs covered his eyes.
His strikingly pale skin stood out.
Didnt introduce myself. Im Baek Sihwa.
Karis von Walden.
Hows your name that cool too? So jealous. And you got tons of screentime in episode 1, even more so.
Haha....... Lucky break.
My mouth smiled, but my eyes snapped back to Kang Siyoon.
He caught my intentasking the contextand smoothly jumped in.
We were talking episode 1 before you came. Half these guys got pushed to episode 2 so they were stressing.
Well, level tests were later in the lineup, nothing we could do.
Baek Sihwa shrugged.
Then, his eyes chilled just a touch.
If that rude asshole Yoo Minha had gone before me it wouldve pissed me off more. At least we got bumped together, silver lining.
Rude asshole......?
Haha, yeah theres this guy. Used to be same agency way back, but hes got this annoying vibe. We didnt click.
Never thought the convo would spill into this.
I quickly scanned around.
Good, not a fixedcam practice room.
Talking smack about someone right in front of others. Balls of steel.
We couldnt forget every move was under surveillance.
These were juicy fruits ripe for the production team.
I was itching to bail from the awkward spot when Heo Yubin, staring blankly while eating peanuts, tugged my sleeve.
Bbro. Im hungry.
What, Heo Yubin. You ate snacks earlier and peanuts now.
Yeah, I was getting hungry too. Dinner time, lets head down.
I mentally thanked Heo Yubin as I stood.
Then gave Baek Sihwa and the others a casual nod.
See you next time. Enjoy your dinner.
The second we were out, Heo Yubin exhaled.
Phew. Crowds still dont suit me.
Perfect timing, Yubin. Thanks.
Karis bro hungry too?
Mm. Lets say that.
Got some peanuts left, want some? Hehe.
As we walked munching peanuts, I heard Kang Siyoon sprinting up panting.
Hey, you jerks. Ditching me like that?
Seemed like you were having fun, figured wed leave you to it.
Just scoping other cells. Theyll be teammates or rivals later, gotta know em.
Preemptive research turning into a group gossip sesh?
I dipped quick cuz it felt off too.
Kang Siyoon smoothed his messy hair.
Big difference between making the cut and not. Psychologically too.
You know the rude trainee Baek Sihwa mentioned?
Name was Yoo Minha? Dunno. No one that flashy comes to mind.
Whoever he is, if hes really that bad I dont wanna team up ever.
I silently agreed with Heo Yubin.
Shaking Park Sehan was tough enoughif another landmine joins, its headache city.
Seeing Baek Sihwa had me replaying old memories nonstop.
But no matter how I racked my brain, something was off.
Even if its a decadeold memory, everythings matched perfectly so far, but zero recall of a Baek Sihwa in Idol Training Simulation.
My memory could be wrong, but odds were slim.
Which meant.
......New faces joined this round of Idol Training Simulation.
Unknown territory, basically.
Even the ones whose names I knew, I hadnt talked to directly plenty of times, making it tricky.
No slacking on vigilance now.
Low chance of running into him right away.
But I had no clue what insane chaos awaited tomorrow.
WEEOO WEOO! WEEOO WEOO! WEEOO WEOO!
Huh?
Sso loud......
The blaring siren slammed my eardrums.
Kang Siyoon, dead asleep, bolted upright like a spring, while Heo Yubin yanked the blanket over his head in fierce protest.
And me? Knowing full well what event was waiting, Id woken early, showered, and was already out.
......Why are you so fresh and clean?
Not much of a sleeper.
Bullshit.
Kang Siyoon glared with bleary eyes, but no time to lounge.
Announcement to all cells! Check the box in front of your door immediately! Announcement to all cells! Check the box......
Someone bellowed through a megaphone.
Casually turning, I cracked the door just enough to snag the small box inside.
Karis bro....... Whats this?
Heo Yubin staggered over, wrapped head to toe in blanket.
I flashed my junior a grin.
Better wake up quick, everyone.
Impossible....... Brain wont boot......
Cuz from now on, we fight hard.
Huh? Huuuh?
Grab a sip of water.
Finally, the time had come to put this body to proper use.