The Dorm's Cute, But the Mission Isn't
I’m not really the type who likes training camps all that much.
Why? Because living in close quarters with strangers—or even people I know—feels a bit uncomfortable.
That said, after months of communal life at the Evergreen Sky Nursery, any such hang-ups had long since vanished.
By now, I’d been remodeled into someone who could adapt anywhere.
“Ooh, the dorm’s definitely nice.”
Some chaebol had built this villa, with the sea stretching out in front and even a beach volleyball court set up.
Stepping inside, I found a ping-pong table and a screen golf setup, too.
It was exactly the kind of lavish setup you’d expect from a rich person’s mansion.
No bowling alley, though. Kinda disappointing.
Because bowling’s about the only sport I’m decent at.
I’d been dragged to golf and tennis plenty of times at people’s urging, but I could never get into them, so my skills never improved.
Bowling, though? I’d been consistent since middle school, averaging around 200 points.
Anyway, the facilities were great and all.
“Whoa, the rooms are huge!”
For someone used to cramming four people into one room with two bunk beds, this was a whole new world.
The moment I saw my private room, that fresh airiness lifted my spirits, and I unpacked my scant belongings in no time.
I hadn’t brought much anyway—barely anything in my carry-on.
Just basic underwear, toiletries, and some clothes?
We weren’t stuck here indefinitely; we had time to shop in the city for anything we needed, so no point hauling everything.
“Ahh, this is nice.”
Of course, every reaction of mine was being captured on camera.
The only camera-free spots in the dorm were the changing area and bathroom in each room.
Thinking about it, it’s a little suffocating…
Compared to the Evergreen Sky Nursery, which had zero personal space, though, it wasn’t so bad overall.
Plus-minus, and the pluses outweighed the minuses—net positive.
I finished unpacking and headed down to the communal living room.
There was a massive TV, surrounded by tables and chairs.
Looked like we’d be eating our meals here.
I mentioned that to Yoo Seolha, who was already there, and she gave a surprising response.
“Nah, there’s a barbecue spot outside, Siyeon!”
“Huh? For real?”
It was real.
Just like she said, there was a large fire pit with plenty of chairs and tables in the outdoor area.
Bugs might be an issue given the location, but a barbecue party here would have some serious romance to it.
They really went all out to create photogenic moments.
“Whoa! Barbecue’s gonna be awesome! Think we’ll do it tonight?”
“Unnie! You done unpacking?”
“Yeah. The rooms are pretty nice.”
The one who’d wedged herself between us was Baek Yuyeon.
With her delicate features contrasting her husky voice, she was one of the contestants this season I had my eye on.
Her niche was unmatched.
Her voice and singing style were perfect for historical drama or martial arts webtoon OSTs.
Considering there weren’t many singers like her in this world, she could climb pretty high among the top 10.
And her future looked bright even after the audition.
I’ve got a few songs that’d suit her…
But helping a rival? Not happening.
“Hey, Siyeon.”
“Hi, Yuyeon-ssi.”
“Aw, so stiff! None of that ‘ssi’ stuff! Call me unnie. Unnie!”
“This feels more comfortable for me. Hehe.”
I’d never call her unnie.
I used the word for myself without issue—no hang-ups there.
But calling someone else unnie? Or oppa? Never in this lifetime.
Lemme check one thing.
“Siyeon’s just shy! Right?”
“Not really.”
“Aww, so cute!”
Yoo Seolha grabbed my cheeks, stretching them this way and that with a blissful smile.
“Ack! Lemme play with the cheek slime too!”
“Here you go!”
“I’m not public property or anything…”
I finally escaped those demon hands after getting thoroughly mauled and messed up by Yoo Seolha and Baek Yuyeon.
A male contestant was watching from the side with a weirdly envious look, but I ignored him.
No way was I sharing my cheeks with scruffy dudes.
Before long, nearly all the contestants had finished unpacking and gathered in the living room or started strolling the beach.
I turned down Blooming’s invite to walk and opted to watch TV in the living room instead.
A huge smart TV that even had YouTube!
Whoa! Big-screen TV!
After the puny piece-of-shit TV at the Evergreen Sky Nursery, this giant felt like Mount Tai looming over a tiny midday human.
Hard to explain, but it felt amazing.
The TV was playing reruns from the previous broadcast.
Unlike me, who’d performed in the first week, the heavy hitters—Joo Jinwoo, Blooming, Baek Yuyeon, and Han Seong-sik—had their stages in the next episode.
Now that the contestants’ skills were coming into focus, I figured these five, including me, were the ones grabbing finale tickets.
Only three teams could make it to the finale.
My picks for sure bets: me, Joo Jinwoo, and Blooming.
With win odds at 2.21, 2.34, and 3.56 respectively, those three had the highest shot at the finale—but the other two weren’t slouches either.
Baek Yuyeon had balanced high stats across the board plus her unique color, making her a popularity magnet.
Han Seong-sik was all about those freakishly high high-note stats.
His signature falsetto hitting mid-third octave was undeniably impressive.
“Heh heh… embarrassing.”
“Ah.”
“Perfect timing—my stage is up.”
The one who sat next to me while I was glued to the performance was none other than Han Seong-sik, belting it out passionately on screen.
This classic midlife uncle vibe guy had graduated from the same university’s engineering department as Joo Jinwoo and worked as a department head at a big corp.
No wonder Joo Jinwoo groveled extra around him.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about. You sing great.”
“Haha. Hearing that from a genius like Miss Siyeon makes me pretty happy.”
“Bet you’ve heard it plenty.”
“True enough.”
Time for the polite junior move with elders.
“Feel free to drop the formalities! You’re like my dad’s age.”
“You sure? My daughter’s two years older than you.”
His go-to songs were ‘90s hits.
Mostly tracks that stirred nostalgia for his generation, and he had the chops to recreate that vibe perfectly.
First time I saw him, I thought, Bet he wrecked some fine ladies back in the day.
Ivy League grad, that face, those vocals…
Prime alpha male.
For some reason, I started feeling a bit distant from Han Seong-sik.
The awkward chat with Han Seong-sik didn’t last long.
A screeching sound blasted from the living room speakers, followed by a familiar voice booming through the entire dorm.
It was Kang Junhyeong PD.
No sooner had he spoken than Blooming members from the beach and folks checking out the BBQ grill in the yard came rushing in.
The living room instantly filled with studio-like tension.
Kang PD grinned satisfactorily and continued.
He snapped his fingers, and the massive smart TV in the living room switched screens.
There loomed the faces of this season’s three judges, larger than life.
Mentoring.
The contestants’ eyes sharpened. This was huge.
One-on-one guidance from Big 3 agency heads or top producers? You couldn’t buy that opportunity.
The screen flipped rapidly, listing names.
Blooming and Boyfriend → Team-focused Jina
Baek Yuyeon, So Yujin, Han Seong-sik → Yoo Sanghyeon
Seo Siyeon, Joo Jinwoo, Lee Hye-na → Mentor: Kayseop
“Ooh.”
Kayseop.
YRK Entertainment’s CEO and main producer, he boasted the top skills among all active Korean producers.
How do I know? YRK’s stock was the highest among entertainment shares.
Money doesn’t lie.
Bit blunt and sharp-tongued, but what he demanded most from artists was self-producing ability.
His philosophy: If you’re an artist, you should write your own story.
Should mesh well with me.
But it wouldn’t take long to learn that thought was a bit off.