Chapter 8
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 8
Chapter Title The Shy Genius Producer
For now, Id succeeded in dragging Trainee No. 55 out from under the blanket.
We sat side by side on the bed, letting a bit of silence pass between us.
Then, perhaps unable to bear the awkward atmosphere any longer, Kang Siyoon clapped his hands and spoke up.
Okay, okay. Its natural to feel awkward when you first meet. From now on, well do some icebreakers, so itll be fine.
I agree with Siyoons words.
Karis, you specifically asked me back in the level test waiting room to speak casually.
Ah, my apologies. Its a habit, so I forgot for a moment. Should I just call you Siyoon, then?
That seems the most natural.
As Siyoon and I kept the conversation going, Trainee No. 55, whod been leaning against the wall, slightly lifted his head.
His eyes darted back and forth busily, like he was watching a tennis match live.
Then lets start with introductions. Nice to meet you. My name is Karis von Walden. Im twenty years old.
Uh, um, ththat...
When I extended my hand for a shake, Trainee No. 55 reacted like some kind of error had occurred.
I wondered if he still hadnt snapped out of his panic mode.
Soon enough, an incredibly frail voice piped up.
HHHello.... Im Heo Yubin, nineteen years old. Im so, so sorry for showing you such an embarrassing sight right from the start....
No, really, you didnt do anything wrong.
No, Im truly sorry....
It felt like Id be hearing at least ten more apologies before the production staff called us.
Swallowing an inward sigh, I quietly pulled up Heo Yubins status window.
Name Heo Yubin
Age 19
Vocal A
Dance C
Stamina C
Looks B
Charisma C
Trait Roombound Genius Producer
Status Ailment Hikikomori
An unexpected result appeared.
It boasted the highest vocal stat Id seen so far.
But even racking my memory, the name Heo Yubin didnt ring a bell.
That meant he hadnt achieved anything noteworthy in the Idol Training Simulation Id first participated in.
Those dismal dance and charisma stats were probably the main culprits.
And then theres this trait and status ailment....
Roombound Genius Producer paired with Hikikomori.
Even a regular person could spot Heo Yubins issues at a glance from those words.
His core stats were even lower than mine, thanks to a personality that went beyond mere shyness.
First things first I needed to pull him out of this shock mode.
Yubinah, you said being called friend makes you uncomfortable. Yubin, let me say it again you didnt do anything wrong.
NNo, I did. I couldnt even greet you properly and just hid under the blanket by myself.
I think its a perfectly normal reaction when meeting strangers for the first time. I wish you wouldnt worry about it so much.
As I spoke as gently as possible, Heo Yubin pressed his legs together and lifted his head a little.
His mind and body seemed a bit more settled now, and a softer voice came from his lips.
...Im sorry. I hate my own timid personality so much, and Ive wanted to fix it somehow. But it just doesnt resolve as easily as Id hoped.
I think I know why you came here, Yubin.
Kang Siyoon, whod been watching our tense backandforth, chimed in casually.
You thought chasing your idol dream would help you shake off the shyness, right?
YYes, exactly. Truth is, I really love singing and composing! Practicing alone at home, making beatsits so comfortable.... But the moment I try to sing in front of someone, I cant control the tension. Its hard enough with songs Im confident indance is a whole other level.
A deep sigh escaped Heo Yubins lips.
His body went limp in real time, like a balloon deflating as helium leaked out.
Our agency president said, You sing so well, so why are you sniveling here? Go on Idol Training Simulation, gain some experience, and come back. I knew I had to fix this personality if I wanted to be an idol, so I accepted.
Youve got some real determination, Yubin.
I psyched myself up, thinking Id definitely do well this time! So why, oh why did the production staff hit us with such harsh conditions right from the start?!
The moment the production staff was mentioned, Heo Yubinwhod been wilting like a fading flowersprang upright.
He even grabbed my arms with both hands and shook them wildly.
It was a nonstop parade of bewildering situations, but I decided to let Heo Yubin be for now.
Its not even the final ranking evaluationits just the level test, and they say we lose our names if we drop below Tier 2. My mentality was fine in the waiting room, but the second I heard that announcement, it all crumbled! In a survival show, how are we supposed to survive without our names? It doesnt make sense!
It was an incredibly tough condition.
And then my mentality went boom! first. I bombed the stage, lost my name, and when I looked at the others....
Heo Yubins emotions were on a full rollercoaster.
His expressions shifted so dramatically, it felt like watching a oneman show.
I barely held back a laugh as he suddenly widened his eyes and spoke in a flat tone.
Im really timid, you see. I spend so much time alone that I dont interact much with others. Even looking in the practice room mirror, its just me, so my immunity drops relatively speaking.
Im not sure what kind of immunity you mean, but anyway.
Of course, everyones threshold is different! But for me, when I see really handsome people, I freeze solid. Its like seeing someone from another world entirelyI cant even talk to them, and I just feel ashamed of my own pathetic self. Even Ive never felt scared just looking at someone before.
The topic, fluttering around like a paper airplane in turbulence, was finally coming into focus.
Why Heo Yubin had hidden away until I entered the cell.
Why hed reacted like that the moment he saw me.
But heres the shocking part? The instant Karis stepped onto the stage, I got goosebumps all over. And I realizedah, all those handsome people Id been avoiding were just average. It turns out visuals alone can truly overwhelm someone.
Such undeserved praise
Watching your stage, I was genuinely terrified! No, its a problem when someones too perfectly handsome. Other people, you could maybe squeeze out enough courage for next year to say hi. But with you, Karis, it feels like even mustering five years worth wouldnt be enoughI could never speak to you. And then hearing that the guy who left that impression would be my roommate!
It felt like the whole world was collapsing, right?
Exactly that feeling!
Heo Yubin reacted hugely to Siyoons words.
Pounding the bed like that, he looked just like a contestant nailing the final answer on a quiz show.
Sharing a room with someone I thought was utterly untouchable until moments ago? Thats impossible! This isnt a hidden camera prankhow does this even happen? It doesnt make sense!
Why not think of it as good luck? Thanks to the hidden cam setup, we get to chat freely with Karis like this.
GGasp!
Heo Yubin clamped his mouth shut and sucked in a sharp breath.
It was like he hadnt even realized until now that hed been talking with the very person whod overwhelmed and terrified him so much.
...Looks SSS has more destructive power than I imagined.
The judges had said as much.
When they called it visuals transcending nationality and race, Id felt in my bones how it could swallow up even dance and song.
And now, witnessing Heo Yubins enthusiastic reactions firsthand made the advantages of this crown princes body hit even harder.
If I just oiled this hardware right....
I gazed at those wide eyes that looked ready to burst into tears any second.
This might actually work out pretty well.
Looking back at the level test stages, no trainee had jumped out at me vocally based on my old memories.
Heo Yubins vocal stat was higher than Song Hyeongbins, whod debuted in first place.
We hadnt connected last time, but things were totally different now.
This was Heo Yubins chance to rebound from underground.
And for me, it was another card for my growth story in Idol Training Simulation.
Having sorted it all out in my head, I flashed a faint smile and stepped in to tidy up the chaos.
As I said earlier, I think its a perfectly normal reaction when meeting someone new. My feelings arent hurt at all, so you can stop apologizing.
RReally?
I dont lie.
My calm tone settled softly over the dorm room.
Heo Yubin, whod spilled his heart out and deflated back into a limp state, straightened up properly.
His spinning pupils had steadied, so it seemed we could finally have a normal conversation.
By the way, Karis.
Hm?
Your speech isnt just for conceptits really like this. So intriguing.
Its because I selfstudied Korean in a bit of an odd way since I was young.
NNo, I didnt mean its weird or anything! Its like noble speech from comics Ive only readits addictive, and I want to keep hearing it, so
Anyway, lets get along. Well be in the same cell until the end of Round 1, so I hope we can share any difficulties without hesitation.
As I extended my right hand, Kang Siyoonwhod been lounging against the bedframe with a relaxed expressiongrinned and leaned in.
See, his speech is weird, but the guys a softie. Yubin, lets get along! Im not exactly in a position to teach anyone, but if youve got questions about dance, ask away. Ill help as much as I can.
WhWhy would someone like me deserve such kind words....
Still lacking confidence, Heo Yubin started mumbling to himself.
But when he saw us still holding out our hands without a word, he placed both hands over his chest and took a deep breath.
...Thank you. Ill do my best, too.
Cell 31s first facetoface meeting wrapped up somehow.
After a short break, the production staffs call came to gather in the main hall.
Seeing the 96 trainees in casual workout clothes brought back a flood of memories.
And with those memories, the outrageous bomb Choi Sia was about to drop from the podium came rushing back too.
Idol Training Simulationthe moment marking its true start is here. Its time to reveal the theme song.
The song wed have to perform for the final ranking evaluation, Savi.
The demo choreography video on the massive screen had groans erupting from spots all around.
It was packed with intricate linked moves that hit at sharp timings, obvious at a glance.
Savis basic range was high too, so singing it solo could easily lead to pitch breaks.
But soon after, news even bigger than the theme song hit the trainees.
The final ranking evaluation will proceed with the theme song Savi. Youll all need to invest a lot of time to pass this hurdle, right?
Yes!
And for that, the training sessions with us judges participating directly will be crucial. Heres the important announcement.
The eyes of the boys gathered in the hall wavered.
Undeterred, Choi Sia continued her lines steadily.
The training sessions will be conducted in groups of 11 cells. In other words, 33 trainees will practice together in the same session until the final ranking evaluation.
Theyre dividing by cells...?
Wait. Does that mean our tiers...?
The moment Choi Sia finished, the hall grew noisier than ever.
It was only natural.
Because grouping by cells for training33 per groupmeant....
Thats right. In Idol Training Simulation, all practice until the final ranking evaluation will proceed regardless of your tiers. Even Tier 1 and Tier 4 trainees could end up in the same class.
Not splitting into classes by rank, but mixing everyone randomly.
It was the prelude to the mentalityshredding spectacle Idol Training Simulation was famous for.