Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 16

They hadn’t been like this when Joo Wooyoung first rescued them—specifically, when he brought that Hopeless Trio over from the remaining failed-bid pool.

 

Maybe it was because they got swept up in the atmosphere, but I distinctly remembered them crying their eyes out. Trainee No. 45, the selfie specialist, wailed as he celebrated his survival, and Trainee No. 98, the thug whose tough guy ego usually controlled his body, also had misty eyes.

 

As always, it had been one of those situations where the mood practically forced everyone to cry. It was a brutal mission where 22 people were dropped at once. Those who failed were crying because they were out, and those who survived were crying because they made it. 

 

Since crying felt natural rather than dramatic or embarrassing, most trainees threw their pride out the window. On top of that, there was the event of parting with teammates they’d spent a short but intense time with, so it felt like you’d be the villain if you didn’t cry.

 

For some reason, even Unha’s team—which had managed to keep every single member alive—had ended up crying.

 

‘No. 123 was the worst of them all.’

 

Thinking back to No. 123 clinging to me like a koala and refusing to let go makes me feel flustered all over again, but… compared to this Hopeless Trio, No. 123 and No. 141 were practically angels.

 

“Ah! Unha!”

 

‘Speak of the devil.’

 

As I left the room, leaving the answerless Hopeless Trio behind, I heard a voice. I turned my head to see No. 123 looking down at me.

 

“Where are you going? To practice?”

 

“Yeah. Might as well.”

 

“Ahhh. I see.”

 

“What about your group? Are you all practicing right now?”

 

“Ah, no. They said we’re starting in the afternoon today. We worked until dawn yesterday.”

 

“Does your ‘Master’—I mean, your team leader—say that’s okay?”

 

“Jegal Hwi hyung? Yeah. He said let’s start in the afternoon.”

 

‘Am I… pushing too hard?’

 

I wondered for a moment if my standards were too high. Hearing that every other team had decided to rest made me feel like I was the only one overdoing it. However…

 

‘No. Their team is different from ours.’

 

The situation for Jegal Hwi’s team, where No. 123 was, and our team under Joo Wooyoung, was completely different. Jegal Hwi, who ranked first in the Nobility class, started the auction with 1,500 coins and finished it successfully. He recruited solid goods like No. 123 and No. 141 at a reasonable price and picked two other usable Slaves. He even had coins left over to take a generous amount of benefits.

 

Not only that, despite having a punchable face that clearly looked down on Joo Wooyoung, he had decent leadership skills. He had already reined in the Slaves and was making rapid progress. Honestly, that team could afford to pace themselves and conserve their energy.

 

“But what were you doing here?”

 

“Ah. Just… I was bored. Now that I’m trying to rest, there’s nothing to do. I was wandering around and suddenly thought of you….”

 

“Really? Hmm… how’s your team atmosphere?”

 

“I think it’s pretty good. It’s not as nice as when you were with us, Unha… but I’m gradually getting used to it. The atmosphere’s kind of stiff, and Jegal Hwi hyung can be a little intimidating… but in a different way, it’s actually more comfortable. Ah! I don’t mean it’s more comfortable because you’re gone! I meant it’s nice being able to walk around without cameras and microphones following us.”

 

“Ahhh… that makes sense. But don’t get too comfortable.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Don’t adapt to this situation. Don’t let yourself feel at ease.”

 

“Uh… okay.”

 

“When people get comfortable, their true nature starts coming out. This environment only feels unfamiliar at first. Eventually, everyone adapts. If you let yourself slack off just because there aren’t any cameras around, sooner or later you’ll start slacking off even when the cameras are there. You know this show’s kind of weird, don’t you?”

 

“W—what’s weird about it?”

 

“The format is an idol survival show, but it feels like a social experiment or a reality documentary. The way they categorize us into classes and make us live together… I don’t know how the broadcast will turn out, but honestly, I think they’re intentionally turning off the cameras during these gaps.”

 

“What do you mean intentional?”

 

“What else? They want us to get comfortable. The more comfortable you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes and show your true self. Even when we’re being careful, off-camera conversations start leaking out—what happens when we actually get used to it? This is exactly the kind of timing when you have to be the most careful.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You have to be most careful right now, before the show even airs, when it doesn’t feel real that this is going on TV.”

 

“I see… so I shouldn’t get comfortable?”

 

“No. Absolutely not.”

 

“Th—thanks, Unha.”

 

“It’s nothing. Nothing to be thankful for.”

 

“Still… I’m grateful that you tell me these things and help me out.”

 

“Not really.”

 

“By the way, how is your team?”

 

‘Our team?’

 

I wanted to spit out a bucket of curses. But after I’d just finished telling him to keep his guard up, there was no way I could immediately start cursing everyone out myself, so I had to settle for an ambiguous smile.

 

“I think I liked it better when I was in the same group as you.”

 

“Really!?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Heh. Hehehe.”

 

‘What’s with that laugh?’

 

“Anyway, I’m going to see my Master.”

 

“Ah. Joo Wooyoung?”

 

“Yeah. Wooyoung hyung.”

 

“Ah. I see. See you later then.”

 

‘Usually, when slaves slack off, the standard procedure is to tattle to the Master.’

 

Of course, that was a method I couldn’t use back where I came from. My former master—no, that mad dark mage—was the type to kill anyone regardless of age or gender if they crossed him. Snitching meant you were essentially wishing for the slave sleeping next to you to die.

 

I never informed on other slaves, but… I had been reported myself.

 

One slave, who didn’t like that I was the favorite of the master, tried to sabotage me. I couldn’t just sit there and die, so I did my best to defend myself… in the end, I won that power struggle, but I never wanted to experience that kind of terror again.

 

Yes, if the Master was firm, the slaves had no choice but to fall in line.

 

‘There’s no point in the underlings turning on each other. In a place like this, it’s the master who has to step in and take charge.’

 

The same would apply here. The <Nobility> class could impose penalties on the <Slave> class members of their own team. Of course, no sane person would actually use those penalties and willingly invite that level of public backlash, but the mere existence of them was intimidating enough that everyone would inevitably become conscious of Joo Wooyoung.

 

It also helped that my words and Joo Wooyoung’s words carried completely different weight. Let me say this again: guys this age were nothing but beasts. If they were more mature, they’d be ranked by social status, but right now, what gave power to someone’s words were external factors like age, looks, and physique.

 

Of course, since the first episode hadn’t aired yet, this hierarchy might change once public evaluation began. But for now, the only one who could rein in this team was Joo Wooyoung.

 

‘He has charisma, too. And a bit of a scary side….’

 

If there was a problem, it was this:

 

‘How am I supposed to… snitch?’

 

I was worried about how to bring it up. I didn’t want to look like some traitor who ratted out his teammates. This was a dilemma born from knowing how much Joo Wooyoung cherished his companions in the other world. Granted, we were closer to slaves than comrades, but we were in the same boat now, and I didn’t want to give the impression of someone who ruined team unity.

 

“Whew….”

 

I let out a sigh as No. 123 disappeared into the distance. I stood in front of Joo Wooyoung’s room and knocked. The door swung open, revealing Joo Wooyoung.

 

‘It’s Joo Wooyoung.’

 

“Oh? Lee Unha?”

 

“Wooyoung hyung.”

 

“What’s up? Didn’t we agree to meet in the practice room?”

 

“Can I come in for a second?”

 

“Oh, of course. Come in, come in. Want something to drink?”

 

‘This room is ridiculously clean.’

 

Even though there weren’t any cameras installed, the room was impeccably tidy. But more than that, the quality of the room was striking. It was large and spacious. I had no idea why they were spending the budget on something like this, but it really was the kind of room a noble would live in.

 

‘Can’t I just sleep here too?’

 

“So, what’s the matter?”

 

“Well… the thing is….”

 

“Yeah?”

 

I took a sip of the water Joo Wooyoung gave me and set it on the table.

 

“Is something bothering you?”

 

‘There are plenty of things bothering me.’

 

“I was a bit much, wasn’t I? I wasn’t thinking at the time, but looking back, I think I messed up the auction….”

 

‘You didn’t just mess it up; you turned it into a total disaster.’

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to apologize properly.”

 

‘Ah, whatever.’

 

I decided that putting on a sad face was the right choice. My best bet was to act as if I were on the verge of tears, appealing to him that something was wrong.

 

“What—what’s wrong, Unha?”

 

As expected, he looked very flustered.

 

“W—well….”

 

“?”

 

“I think the hyungs are having a hard time.”

 

“Yeah. Why?”

 

“I asked them to go to the practice room… but they said since there’s no filming in the morning… they can just practice in the afternoon… and told me to go by myself if I wanted to… so….”

 

‘This should be… within the acceptable range, right?’

 

“I’m having a hard time too….”

 

I didn’t think I’d sounded like an obnoxious tattletale. I evaluated myself and thought it felt more like someone who was forced to vent their worries. But since all the key points were included…

 

‘If it were the mad dark mage, he would have stormed into the room and slaughtered the slaves by now.’

 

Naturally, Joo Wooyoung’s face turned serious. His eyes were so firm it made me wonder if he was taking this more seriously than I expected. I saw him scratch his chin—a habit of his I’d heard about.

 

I didn’t think Joo Wooyoung would be possessed by the mad dark mage and kill the slaves or put them in torture chairs, but his expression gave me confidence that he would come up with a satisfying answer.

 

Then Joo Wooyoung slowly straightened up and quietly muttered,

 

“I think it’s better for them to rest.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“If everyone is having a hard time, it can’t be helped. It’s not like we’re skipping practice entirely. Let’s rest in the morning as the others said. We overdid it since dawn yesterday… everyone must be tired. You said you’re tired too, Unha.”

 

“N—no. I am tired, but practice is more….”

 

“No. Pushing yourself too hard is bad.”

 

“What?”

 

“Let the teammates rest enough, and let’s practice from the afternoon.”

 

‘Wooyoung, what the hell are you talking about?’

 

Incredible words came out of the mouth of the Joo Wooyoung I had trusted.