Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 37

In a scene that hadn’t even been organized yet, I saw guys taking photos together, pretending to be the best of friends.

 

They felt way too close for a bunch of late-teens and early-twenties guys who hadn’t even escaped their wild competitive instincts yet. Even after looking closely again…

 

‘Was the atmosphere always like this?’

 

Of course, I didn’t pay it much mind. Everyone had their own way of surviving in this jungle, so it wasn’t really any of my business. But… after my eyes landed on another group, I couldn’t help but swallow hard.

 

‘Huh? What’s wrong with them?’

 

My mouth went dry again. I simply couldn’t understand what was happening. Something—something was spreading like a plague.

 

I hoped it was an illusion, but the sight before me was definitely real. Everywhere I looked, trainees were acting excessively close. Pairs were huddled together in every corner of my vision. Seeing them take photos with such exaggerated intimacy made a deep suspicion bloom in my mind.

 

‘Did the world change while I was asleep for 16 hours? Did I get sucked into a weird alternate dimension?’

 

I was almost convinced. Of course, I knew that wasn’t the case. I could guess why this phenomenon was occurring.

 

‘Is this because of Joo Wooyoung and me? No, it couldn’t be… right?’

 

The answer was painfully obvious.

 

‘There’s no way… they didn’t all learn this from us… did they?’

 

Did they watch that live stream?

 

‘Wow. These guys are terrifying…’

 

I couldn’t shake the suspicion that they’d analyzed every last detail of the livestream and its aftermath—examining, dissecting, discussing, and picking it apart from every possible angle. Otherwise, there was no way this sort of atmosphere could’ve formed.

 

Since Joo Wooyoung and Lee Unha’s chemistry had caused such a massive stir, the trainees here were now manufacturing their own narratives to do the same. They had begun acting to somehow increase their followers, survive, and become the ‘second Joo Wooyoung and Lee Unha’.

 

‘Was the effect really that good?’

 

I hadn’t been able to check the proper reactions since waking up, but judging by the momentum of the viral clips, the related communities must have exploded. And since I actually gained a lot of followers…

 

Even if they didn’t fully understand the ‘how’ or ‘why’, they probably thought it was worth a shot. No, even if the trainees themselves didn’t think of it, there was more than enough chance that those signed to agencies had received marching orders from their companies.

 

‘I seriously never expected it to snowball into this kind of butterfly effect…’

 

Even the duo from the former Hopeless Trio, No. 78 and No. 45, seemed to have hit it off.

 

“Oh! Unha!!”

 

No. 78 and No. 45 were waving with overly bright faces, standing closer than usual. Without thinking… a question slipped out before I could even greet them.

 

“What are you guys doing?”

 

“What else? We’re drawing aggro. This is all because of the seeds you sowed, Unha.”

 

“Wait… I sowed them?”

 

“We’re going for a sort of dominant and submissive pair. It might be an old trope, but classics work anywhere.”

 

‘What the hell are dominant and submissive pair? What are these people even doing?’

 

“Our most recent post has the most likes we’ve ever gotten. Our stagnant follower count is finally creeping up, too. As expected, doing it as a pair is way more effective than going solo. Unha, did you talk about this with Joo Wooyoung beforehand? What’s your concept?”

 

“What do you mean ‘talked beforehand’? I don’t even know what’s going on right now.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

The final piece of the former Hopeless Trio, No. 98, approached from a distance and joined the conversation.

 

“I told you guys. It’s not like that. They just had good chemistry, and it became a topic…. Not that I thought they looked that good… but anyway, you guys shouldn’t waste your time on useless stunts. You might see short-term effects, but you have no idea how it’ll turn out later. Half the trainees are doing this crap right now. Tsk… if you’re going to win, win with skill, not weird gimmicks.”

 

“……”

 

“Besides, you already have a lot of followers.”

 

“He’s right. You have plenty, hyung.”

 

No. 45, who seemed to be a social media veteran, already had a follower count within the ranking range. He’d been making some bizarre short-form videos, and apparently they’d become mildly popular. His superior editing skills were finally paying off.

 

“The more followers, the better. It feels good, anyway… and since it’s just us, I’ll be honest: I think I’m more suited for this than being an idol.”

 

“I agree. If you don’t debut, you could definitely make a career out of this.”

 

“Unha, that promise to appear on my channel after you debut is still valid, right? Right?”

 

“Ah… yes. B—but you don’t have to give up already… You might debut too, hyung.”

 

“Well… we’ll see about that later.”

 

No. 78 was also in the upper ranks. The thug No. 98 standing in front of me and No. 123 next to me were also in the upper tiers. Even the physically gifted No. 141, who had wailed after making a mistake in the slave mission…

 

‘He’s in the upper ranks too.’

 

Coincidentally, everyone who had taken a photo with Lee Unha was now at the top. Once again, I could feel people’s eyes on me. Some were already looking at me as if I were a celebrity.

 

‘Am I already famous?’

 

Sure enough, one of the trainees who had been gauging the mood gathered his courage and approached me.

 

“Um… Unha. Could I maybe take a photo with you?”

 

“Yes, hyung. Of course. Let’s follow each other back, too.”

 

“Ah! Yes! Th—thanks!”

 

‘No need for thanks. It benefits me too.’

 

“L—Lee Unha. Can I take a photo with you too?”

 

“Y—Yes. Certainly.”

 

I could see the trainees realizing who was at the top of this ecosystem’s food chain. Of course, some trainees didn’t approach me until the end. I didn’t know if they were protecting their pride or if they were resisting the Succubus Eyes and harboring hostility…

 

Especially one of them…

 

‘He’s bothering me. Did I do something wrong?’

 

The guy who suddenly joined Idol Classism after terminating his contract with a major agency. Trainee No. 12 was staring at me with a look of pure disgust. When our eyes met and I gave a slight smile, I saw him frown.

 

‘He’s the type I’d rather not get close to.’

 

Because of that small incident, I vowed not to get involved with him. But usually, whenever I got thoughts like that, I ended up getting involved.

 

‘The broadcasting station’s meddling, obviously.’

 

“Trainee No. 112, Trainee No. 12. You are 5th in line. Please stand by.”

 

We had been paired up for the Courage Test.

 

What a coincidence. I heard it was supposed to be random, but of all the Commoner trainees, Lee Unha and No. 12 were put in the same group. Whatever the case, I could feel the production’s strong desire to squeeze out some drama. It was much more convincing to think they wanted screen time rather than believing that the two people with top-tier followers and fandoms just happened to meet by chance. 

 

Even I, who had almost no information on other trainees, knew about No. 12, so their intent was obvious.

 

While sitting quietly side-by-side waiting for our turn, I turned my head and stole a glance at No. 12.

 

He had a sharp impression. If Joo Wooyoung gave off bright, positive energy, this guy was the very definition of dark energy. His hair was blacker than normal black, likely dyed, and his eyes were long and sharp, almost like they had been surgically slit.

 

Overall, he was handsome. He wasn’t a textbook beauty, but he was taller than me, and despite his sharp eyes, he didn’t have that thug vibe like No. 98. And while there wasn’t exactly anything wrong with him…

 

‘He has… a lot of piercings….’

 

I guessed expressing individuality was important to him. Still, he didn’t actually look that intimidating. It was more like a straight-laced honor student who had suddenly gone edgy and was trying a little too hard to look tough.

 

Was that why his agency dropped him?

 

What a confusing guy. Given Korean public sentiment, there had to be plenty of fans criticizing his style, yet his core fandom remained remarkably solid. It was proof that his aura and skill were enough to captivate the public, though ironically, he wasn’t that great at dancing.

 

His real talents were rapping, songwriting, and composing. He had uploaded self-composed raps to his account, which supposedly received a good response. I hadn’t heard them, but I knew he had even featured on tracks for a few rappers.

 

He definitely had an artist vibe. In his style and his personality. I felt he wouldn’t look out of place even on a show like Show Me the Rapper instead of Idol Classism.

 

‘Once this guy debuts and settles in, he’ll definitely get tattoos. No, he might already have them somewhere on his body. He just has that kind of vibe.’

 

After staring at No. 12 for a while, I concluded that there was no harm in becoming friendly. Unless he did something incredibly trashy, he had a high chance of making the debut group.

 

Taking a breath, I put on a shameless, friendly face and spoke.

 

“H—hello. Hyung… I’m—I’m a fan.”

 

It was a good start.

 

“……”

 

“I’ve really wanted to introduce myself to you, so I guess this is how it finally happens. I’ve even listened to the song you featured on.”

 

“……”

 

“Since we’re in the same group, let’s do our best during filming.”

 

‘Wow, this guy is something else.’

 

“Oh, hyung, by the way, the people in your class… that mission last time…”

 

‘Impressive. Truly.’

 

“Hyung, where did you get your piercings done? Did they hurt a lot? I’ve always wanted to get some too…”

 

No. 12 stared straight ahead without saying a word. I thought he wouldn’t be able to spit on a smiling face, so I kept trying to break the ice with an awkward smile, but with no response, I was out of options.

 

Then, apparently irritated, his eyebrow twitched before he finally spoke in a quiet voice.

 

“Don’t talk to me. It makes me want to vomit.”

 

‘Wh—what? This guy…’

 

“Don’t pretend to be close, and don’t smile. It’s disgusting.”

 

‘What’s his problem? Seriously… what the hell?’

 

“I’ll do the broadcast because we have to do this Courage Test, but I’m uncomfortable exchanging words with a piece of sh*t like you outside of official business.”

 

It had been a while since I’d received such direct malice, and I was flustered. My mind went blank for a second. Regardless of whether there were mics or cameras around, I never imagined he would pour out words with this level of intensity.

 

“Pardon? That… what… excuse me? What did I do so wrong…?”

 

“Guys like you, who act differently depending on who you’re looking at… you make me sick.”

 

“What did I… what?”

 

“Are you really asking because you don’t know? The type that treats everyone around them like idiots. The type that only pretends to be friendly on the outside while looking down on them on the inside.”

 

“Huh? No… why are you being like this all of a sudden. I’m… a bit flustered. I haven’t done anything wrong to you, hyung… if you’re like this suddenly… I haven’t ‘pretended’ to be friendly, and I’ve never looked down on others.”

 

After a short snort, No. 12 quietly continued. His answer was quite a shock to me.

 

“You. Except for Joo Wooyoung, you’ve never called another trainee by their name once.”

 

At those words, my face stiffened automatically.

 

“If that’s not looking down on them, what is it?”

 

It was because I realized I hadn’t yet been able to discard my habits from my days as a slave.