Chapter 381

Chapter 381

Wise, LeTi’s survival show, was rapidly expanding its viewer pool from a tiny well to a reservoir. They were doing this by harnessing the attention garnered by episode three.

[Seat stealing has led to one of the real contestants being disqualified on the LeTi survival show (spoilers)]

[The current situation with Wise (photos)]

[Ryu Gunwoo at risk]

In contrast to the early stages of the show, people were asking questions and fighting in the comments.

- He hasn’t been disqualified yet. Change the title

- Wait, the guy with the glasses lost?

- Can someone explain

└ There’s a really incredible trainee who lost to a non-trainee in a deathmatch

└ No way

└ What do you mean, no way? It was obvious that the former guy was much better

People clashed over a variety of topics including whether Ryu Gunwoo or Jin Chaeyul was better, the president had lost his mind, Ryu Gunwoo had really been disqualified, and so on. This was unsurprising.

The editing for this episode was better than I expected. Unlike the other deathmatch teams, who were depicted as tense and alert, ours had been framed like we were kindergarteners.

[Ryu Gunwoo: Let’s do our best.]

[Jin Chaeyul: Yeah!]

[Oh Yunshin: (Furious clapping)]

[The three little chicks get ready to dance]

The background music had also been childish and innocent. This same vibe was carried over to how Ryu Gunwoo’s role was depicted.

I had gone to some length to draw out my eagerness to please team members’ opinions, but that had been cut out. It now looked as though I had taken good care of my teammates and ensured that we worked together as a single team to put on a good performance.

[They are the perfect team]

[Jin Chaeyul: This is amazing!]

[Oh Yunshin: I agree.]

[Ryu Gunwoo: I’ll write it down like this, then.]

[They don’t seem capable of disagreeing]

I had been portrayed as slightly clumsy and aloof, but kind and open to opinions.

[Q: What was it like being a leader?]

[Ryu Gunwoo: It’s their first time doing this sort of thing… Since I’m older, I need to do better.]

In interviews, I had emphasized that I had no choice but to be the leader, and this was also included in the episode. I looked not just innocent, but naive.

“Hmm.”

It was quite interesting, and I popped open a can of beer as I watched.

I was portrayed as a random loony on Idol Inc. when I did the same thing. Both shows had the incredible power of editing at their disposal. In any case, the team wrapped up their sweet practice phase and managed to perform well in the end.

Then it was time for the president to deliver his cruel evaluation.

[President Kim Taein: This line of work isn’t about having fun.]

[!!]

[The producer looks grim]

He essentially told us that this wasn’t a children’s game. What was interesting was that the editing did not make it seem as though my team had been unfairly judged.

[President Kim Taein: Then shouldn’t you be trying to put your best foot forward right now? Even then, there is no guarantee that you will succeed.]

[President Kim Taein: Gunwoo, you let them have all the important parts, didn’t you?]

[Ryu Gunwoo: (silence)]

[Kim Taein offers pointed advice]

[Silence falls on the set]

It looked as though the president had given a team of amateurs a well-deserved wake-up call. This was obviously the direction the president wanted the editing to take. Anyone watching casually would be led to wonder if my team had really been too optimistic and out of touch.

The camera zoomed in on a tense Ryu Gunwoo who seemed to be sweating. The president shook his head slightly.

[President Kim Taein: I will now announce the winner.]

The screen announced that Jin Chaeyul had won.

Interesting. Up until this point, one might assume that public opinion would be swayed and they would see my team as not desperate enough for a survival show, but this was not the case. There was another element to be considered here.

- What bullsh*t is this? They did so well

Our performance had been good.

That much is undeniable.

- That cute performance from LeTi—it was so fresh. What’s happening here? T_T

- I was so excited by what I was seeing. Now the president has ruined it

- I was so shocked when Gunwoo turned out to be good at even that sort of concept… Their teamwork was incredible, too…

Because people were rebelling against the seemingly unfair evaluation, viewers with contrasting tastes began to fight.

- The president was a little harsh, but I think Chaeyul is a better fit for the concept

└ Excuse me, but Ryu Gunwoo is the leader LOL. Jin Chaeyul was a freeloader

└ What the hell? Didn’t you see him perform? I’m just saying he was not as alert as he should’ve been as the leader

- They had the marine outfits and refreshing cute concept, and they killed it on stage. Did they seriously just get a harsh evolution?

- To be honest, the guy from the supplementary team was much less talented than RG. The president was just upset that the performers didn’t match his tastes, that asshole. This is such a joke

- Both of them did well. I think the president is the one that deserves criticism here

Because the viewers were kicking up such a fuss, anyone who loved a good argument ended up checking out the performance. These newcomers began to insert their own opinions among the fighting as well, painting themselves as coolheaded and objective evaluators.

- The performance was good… But I guess the president didn’t like it. It can’t be helped since this is his agency’s survival show

- The member who showed off a new type of performance as well as the member who performed a concept that suited them very well both did a good job. But this is a deathmatch, and I think the member from the high-tier team didn’t try as hard

- I don’t get what the president is saying. Ryu Gunwoo did even better than during his first performance

“Done.”

I put down my phone. There was nothing more to see. I had no regrets about playing the role of the fuse that set off an explosion in interest from the public. The playing field was rapidly growing as a result.

Things are going to change during the next team battle, anyway. Be it thanks to a misunderstanding or otherwise, it was good that people had differing opinions about my attitude right now.

It’ll make it all the more satisfying when people begin to realize that I’m not as unlikable as they think. The members who occupied my companions list were doing great in the meantime.

“Hmm.”

I leaned on one arm as I sat on the sofa, mentally assessing my situation a little more. First of all, Kim Raebin’s deathmatch had aired on the show. It was his first public performance and had sparked an immediate reaction.

- Kim Raebin is really not a LeTi trainee? He so looks like one

- A producer? LOL. He needs to debut no matter what. Don’t let him get away

- I thought it was a lie that he would win and Ryu Gunwoo would lose to the supplementary team T_T

Because the person he had beaten hadn’t gotten much attention in the first place, and thanks to his good looks, Raebin was accepted as a contestant that deserved his place in the competition without any problems.

Things were going so well, it was hard to believe he’d ever had problems during Idol Inc. People did say that his attitude was rather interesting, but that was about it.

- What is with him? He acts like a private in the army LOL

- He’s an intern under the stage, but when he’s on the stage, he da boss. I love it

My efforts to coach him had paid off. And as for the battle between Shin Jaehyeon and Cha Eugene, which had been teased in the trailer for the fourth episode, it had already garnered a huge amount of excitement after their practice and interim evaluation aired.

Organized chronologically, their performance would no doubt produce this sort of response:

- That supplementary team member is so not LeTi… LOL why is he here?

- Why is he so good?

- Wait, did Cha Eugene win?

- That can’t be possible. Shin Jaehyeon’s too good. But you saw how the president f*cked Ryu Gunwoo over… I have a bad feeling about this.

The show was interesting. In most survival shows produced by a single agency, the flow was predictable. In most cases, those who were going to succeed were obvious from the start. However, this time, there were too many variables, and the story was impossible to predict. Viewers found themselves enraptured.

It was refreshing to see the supplementary team members actually winning. The show was proving itself to be fun.

- That is surprising. So there is no telling where this is going to go

- Yeah it’s a hell of a lot of fun

- I don’t really know much about idols. Will I still find this interesting?

└ Yep. Just watch it like a drama

Embers had been met with firewood, and the result was a roaring fire. The show had even made a final splash at the end of the episode, by including an announcement following the trailer.

[Recruiting now]

[We are taking new challengers who will attempt to debut as members of the supplementary team.]

[Please log on to the Wise website and use the button you find at the bottom of the screen. Looking forward to seeing you on the show!]

In order to make the show even more unpredictable, they had made a public announcement. The scale of the show was growing.

Not bad. This was actually thanks to a suggestion I’d made, which Cheongryeo had carried out.

“Not a bad idea. And there aren’t many risks involved. I’ll make it happen.”

This isn’t at all bad for the agency either. It would produce controversy, but the new members could all easily be removed from the show if things didn’t go well. If someone with promise joined, they could be set aside for the next season. And that wasn’t all. An incredible announcement followed up behind the recruitment notice.

[Opening global votes!]

[Send your support for the contestant of your choice. Your suggestions may decide their fate.]

They were starting viewer voting straightaway. The producers were careful not to share what impact the votes would actually have, which drove the viewers nuts. How much power would this agency backed survival show actually give the viewers?

They put up a recruitment notice at the same time that somebody was nearly booted off the show—they’re good at this. In any case, thanks to all the chaos, we were enjoying all the benefits of being on a survival show—early recognition and the foundations of a fandom, in addition to becoming popular characters. People were also starting to see me in a very specific way.

- He’s like a huge labrador retriever with a calm, loving personality… The guy with glasses is like the dream boyfriend on campus

I had a gentle giant dog vibe and came off as a nerd, to boot.

But why? It was hilarious that I was being compared to a dog again, even though my early characterization was so different to that of Park Moondae. But in any case, my popularity was skyrocketing. People were starting to recognize me on the street, and had even begun camping in front of the apartment. This was causing a bit of a problem.

I rose from the sofa and glanced out the window of the indoor balcony.

“Hmm.”

I could see a few taxis that seemed suspect even from here.

This is not going to be good for Ryu Chungwoo. He had gotten an apartment with good security because he was a former national athlete, but this was too much.

“I am going to have to have a word.”

[W-with those people?]

“No. With Ryu Chungwoo.”

In a show of perfect timing, he had just come home after a club meeting. I approached him with a question as soon as he came out of the shower.

“Chungwoo.”

“Yes?”

“Are you finding all those people hanging around uncomfortable? They have a spot open at the agency’s dorm. I think it would be better if I leave.”

He frowned slightly, then said, “No, it’s not an issue for me. But are you doing all right?”

“Hmm.”

What is he talking about?

“It can’t feel good to be misunderstood by people you don’t know.”

Oh, that’s what you meant. It seemed that he had seen the third episode himself, in addition to checking out the comments.

Oh, come on. I wondered how he would react if he learned he himself had been on a similar show. I merely laughed.

“There are a lot of people who work on the show. I don’t think it’s surprising that they don’t have my measure. And sometimes people are criticized more than they deserve. But it’s also a good way to get far more recognition. And it’s an opportunity to prove yourself.” I locked eyes with Chungwoo and nodded. “I like what I’m doing. Especially when I’m on the stage.”

“I see…” he said with a sigh, though I wasn’t sure why. He quickly recovered his smile. “Then I guess I should congratulate you. You’ve found something you can really throw yourself into.”

It felt as though we were having a feel-good family meeting or something. I pushed aside the odd sentiment and sat down.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. You got this, Gunwoo.” We bumped fists, and then he asked, as if it had just occurred to him, “Do you have anything on tomorrow? Would you like to go for a drink?”

“I think I’m going to have to leave again,” I said.

“Work again?”

“Yes.”

It was true, in a sense.

[Oh! Finally?]

Yes. I waved to Chungwoo, who had gone back into his room, and finally summoned the window. I probably didn’t have to wait any more.

[Awaken the companion Lee Sejin?]

- Uses 1000 EXP

It was time to awaken Bae Sejin. I pushed the button without hesitation this time, and there was a burst of light.

[Unlocking potential…]

“Phew.”

It didn’t matter if I failed. I had accrued plenty of reputation, and I would keep going until I succeeded.

[First awakening successful!]

Yes! It felt good that at least the awakening didn’t seem to fail all that often. Balling my fists, I tried to check Bae Sejin’s status on the list—or I would have if I hadn’t gotten a message.

[Companion event! (Lee Sejin)]

[Lee Sejin has understood… ∑(oOo)]

What? The pop-up began to shake, and golden fireworks shook the room.

[Companion renaming event complete!]

[Lee Sejin → Bae Sejin]

I decided I would have to get his number and contact him right away.

***

“Here you are…”

“Thank you,” Lee Sejin said, accepting a bottle of water from a staff member.

His manager had disappeared again, and the guy hadn’t been seen for four hours now. This had delayed his return home, but he took it in stride.

I don’t expect much from him at this point, anyway. All Lee Sejin cared about was being able to work. And he had plenty of work. He decided he would review the script for the next day.

What the? He grunted, doubling over.

“Sejin?”

His head rang, and chills spread throughout his body as his vision slowly began to return. Then everything became clear.

Huh? It wasn’t that something alien had been crammed into his brain. It was like a veil had been pushed aside, or perhaps he’d just put on glasses so he could now review information that had previously been blurry. He recalled conversations, thoughts, and a variety of incidents.

“Why is he on Idol Inc. anyway?”

“I do want to keep going… but no.”

“You could change your surname. Adopt your mother’s name instead.”

“I’m TeSTAR’s Bae Sejin. Let’s have a good shoot today!”

It was brief, but it was overwhelming. As time went by, however, the truth took root in his mind. Lee Sejin—that is, the newly reawakened Bae Sejin, got to his feet unsteadily.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes…”

He felt no pain. He did not try to explain the situation to the staff as he sat back down. To be more precise, he was not capable of explaining anything. He had no idea what was going on.

Why am I here? Actually, it would be even stranger if I was anywhere but here… But then again… It was only after the manager returned that his mind was able to filter through the new world that was so different from his reality in order to figure out his own identity.

At about that time, Park Moondae was delivered a shocking message in the communication tab of the status window.

[You do not have Bae Sejin’s number yet…]

“Ha!”

He stared at the empty contact information for Bae Sejin and came to a decision.

No number? That won’t be a problem. He would go to Bae Sejin himself.