Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 52

“Of course, we should ask for Haejun’s opinion first… but through the process of elimination, I think [TOP9] is the best choice. Judge Vex’s song is a solo track, so it has its limits, and as for Eleven sunbaenims, Unha and Taehee have already performed their style before. Honestly, I’m not even sure if Eleven’s style suits us.”

 

“…….”

 

“To be frank, our image is quite far from the ‘beast-idol’ concept… that goes for Unha… Haejun… and Taehee….”

 

“Ahaha… that’s true, but….”

 

“And above all, isn’t Dangerously a song Haejun has practiced before? It’ll be easier to pick up the choreography, and wouldn’t it be advantageous for us in many ways?”

 

“I feel the same. Sure, it doesn’t have the same level of recognition as the other songs… but I still think it’s a better choice than the rest. Taehee, what do you think?”

 

“I think it’s best to do whatever Unha wants. Unha always knows the right answer.”

 

“I-is that so? Then what about Unha? What do you want to do?”

 

‘I want to just bulldoze over all of you.’

 

Mainly because….

 

‘Your scheme is way too obvious.’

 

I could roughly guess exactly what kind of picture they were trying to paint. I hoped I wasn’t just being overly calculating or cynical, but their intentions were so transparent that all I could do was shake my head.

 

‘Did these guys actually get coached by the writer noonas?’

 

Picking a [TOP9] song was already enough to generate buzz. Turning the most avoided item on the list into a top-tier result to give the viewers a sense of catharsis was a classic cliché in survival programs.

 

Add to that the fact that [TOP9] was the group Kim Haejun almost debuted in—the interest would be sky-high. And after Kim Haejun’s controversy, TOP9, who had quietly faded into the background, was beginning to attract attention again.

 

Yes, in my eyes, I could see the Elder Duo drawing a grand plan to lead the team with ‘hyung leadership’, help Haejun overcome his trauma, and ultimately secure a stable high ranking for themselves.

 

‘They know this team has strong members.’

 

They knew that no matter what kind of garbage they were handed, this lineup could still produce a respectable performance. Taehee’s vocals combined with Haejun’s rap would stick perfectly to any track. The atmosphere would change entirely depending on how it was rearranged.

 

And as mentioned before, with my level of recognition, they could also benefit from the vote counts. All the Elder Duo had to do was lead the team passably and show a human side to the audience.

 

Since No. 123 was still being hostile toward No. 12, they likely envisioned a narrative of unifying a divided team.

 

‘They must be desperate if they’re resorting to this.’

 

Desperate was exactly the right word. That made it hard to flatly criticize them. If I were in a tight spot, I might have agreed with them too.

 

‘The problem is that I don’t have any reason to gamble.’

 

Literally… the current Lee Unha had no reason to take unnecessary risks. I had already gathered all the attention I could through my previous performances and was already at the center of the recent incident. Now was the time to win with the quality of the performance itself rather than forcing a narrative, which was why [TOP9]’s Dangerously was the last thing I wanted.

 

It wasn’t that the song itself was bad….

 

‘It’s just that the difference in recognition is real, so we’d naturally be at a disadvantage.’

 

At a time when we should be pushing forward with legendary stages to solidify our spots… or even just coasting with average performances to debut….

 

‘To put it bluntly, if we screw up even once, we could end up on a downward spiral from there…’

 

My thoughts weren’t fully organized yet, but since the Elder Duo was looking at me with such longing, I had to speak up cautiously. My first move was a refusal.

 

“I….”

 

“…….”

 

“The one I’m drawn to is Vex sunbaenim’s BOOM. It’s a solo song, but….”

 

“Ah… is that so? That’s unexpected.”

 

“Right? Of course, I respect your opinions, hyungs. The fact that we even have the luxury to debate this is because you guys did so well in the run. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t even have a choice…. But if I may add my two cents regardless….”

 

“No, it’s fine. Just say what you think. Setting the mission aside, we want to hear your opinion.”

 

“Yes… then I’ll speak plainly. The reason I think Vex sunbaenim’s song would be better is… because it’s based on Pop. It’s the most mainstream-friendly and has a classic structure, yet it’s sophisticated.”

 

“I-is that so?”

 

“I don’t know much about composing, but wouldn’t this song have the most potential when rearranged? I think Haejun hyung could have fun working on it. Also, part distribution would be interesting… as you said, it is a solo song, but that’s why it’ll stand out more. We could even create a separate rap part.”

 

I looked at No. 12, hoping he would support me. But the support came from elsewhere.

 

“I think Unha is right. Then I’ll go with BOOM too!”

 

It was No. 123, Jung Taehee. His constant agreement with me had become tiresome, but at this moment, I was genuinely glad to hear it. Since he sided with me, the vote was essentially 2 to 2. The song would be decided by whatever choice Kim Haejun made.

 

It went without saying, but Haejun was in the same position as me. He had no reason to take the risk of picking [TOP9].

 

However….

 

Contrary to my expectations, I saw a look of resolve on his face.

 

“Haejun, what do you think?”

 

“Haejun hyung.”

 

His gaze seemed fixed on [TOP9]’s Dangerously.

 

Was he thinking of getting some kind of revenge by creating a better stage?

 

“Haejun.”

 

Did he realize that even if we tore up the stage, the ultimate benefit would go to [TOP9], not us? I wanted to talk him out of it right then and there, but all I could do was…

 

Watch as Kim Haejun opened his mouth. In the end, he stepped onto the path of the wrong choice.

 

“I… want to go with [TOP9]’s Dangerously.”

 

“Y-yeah. Good choice.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“No, wait, Unha said he wanted to do BOOM….”

 

“It’s okay, Taehee. It’s best to go with the majority. Haejun hyung surely has his reasons. It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.”

 

“But still….”

 

“And I like Dangerously too. I just thought BOOM suited our team better… but I think Dangerously could be fun as well.”

 

“Sigh…”

 

Taehee let out a long, exaggerated sigh, and Haejun kept awkwardly glancing at me, while the Elder Duo was walking forward gleefully to select [TOP9]’s Dangerously.

 

Immediately, shocked reactions erupted from all around. It was a reaction I had expected; it was natural. The camera operators immediately focused on the older duo for choosing the most unexpected song, and even the writers looked pleased that such an interesting storyline had fallen into their laps.

 

They’d probably pull them aside for interviews soon—centered around Haejun and the Elder Duo.

 

After our team selected the song, the other teams followed suit. I wasn’t particularly interested in who picked what, so I didn’t pay much attention, but the production staff seemed overall satisfied with the lineup.

 

Sure enough, the PD stood up and started giving instructions to the staff. Suddenly, subtitles appeared on the giant screen on stage, and the MC walked out from behind the scenes.

 

*‘Why? What are they doing now? Ah….’*

 

— All teams have finished selecting their songs. I hope everyone is satisfied with their choices!

 

‘Satisfied or not, why the hell did you pop out again?’

 

— As you’ve already heard, the theme for this mission is Citizen Revolution. Before I explain the details, first!! Trainees from the <Nobility> and <Slave> classes, please come up onto the stage!

 

‘Ah!’

 

At the MC’s call, the Nobility and Slave trainees emerged from backstage.

 

‘So we’re doing the same songs. It’s a competition using the same tracks!’

 

Looking at the screen, as expected, the Nobility team that chose the same song as us appeared.

 

‘Good! This is actually better!!’

 

The corners of my mouth rose without me realizing it. I figured that just as [TOP9]’s Dangerously was an avoided choice for the Commons, it would be the same for the Nobility. I didn’t know if they had played a mini-game to choose, but the team that ended up with [TOP9] was likely a weak one. And indeed, they were.

 

We had avoided Joo Wooyoung.

 

“What a relief….”

 

“What is? Unha?”

 

“We don’t have to compete against Wooyoung hyung.”

 

“Ahhh.”

 

Joo Wooyoung’s group chose Espero’s Hope. It seemed they’d done quite well in the earlier linked mission.

 

On the other hand, the guys we were up against for [TOP9]… strictly speaking, weren’t a threatening opponent.

 

Of course, those who reached the Nobility class like Joo Wooyoung were mostly skilled in dance and song, but the Slaves who had to perform with these nobles were not. A performance wasn’t made by one person, and no matter how desperately one person tried to stand out, there was always a limit..

 

The ones who fell from Commons to Slaves were in a better position and had potential, but those who had been stuck in the Slave class from the start… honestly, it felt like the team would be better off without them.

 

The Nobility team we were facing was exactly like that. A team consisting of one skilled Noble and five Slaves who had lived as slaves from the very beginning.

 

Objectively speaking, the only things we really had to worry about were some forced underdog storyline and the sympathy votes that might come with it.

 

‘The probability of winning is high. This is a game we can definitely win.’

 

Sure enough, even Nobility No. 30 looked like he’d run into a major disaster. Our line-up consisted of Lee Unha, Kim Haejun, and Jung Taehee, plus the Elder Duo, who were expected to reliably pull their own weight.

 

I could bet that No. 30 wasn’t worrying about how to win, but rather how to ensure he wouldn’t be the one eliminated.

 

And so, the filming concluded with the 14 teams glaring at each other.

 

Soon, shouts of ‘Good job!’ echoed, and the trainees gathered in groups to chat. Our team was no different.

 

“Alright, let’s wrap it up!”

 

“Filming for today ends here!”

 

“Good job, everyone!”

 

“Good work!”

 

“Please return to the dormitory and wait. Trainees needed for individual interviews will be called separately.”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Um, Unha.”

 

“Yes? Ah, Haejun hyung. What is it?”

 

“About earlier… I’m sorry. You seemed to really want to do BOOM.”

 

“No, it’s fine. You don’t need to feel sorry. It was a majority vote.”

 

“Still, after what I did to you, and then you helping me out… I feel like I only thought about myself. But [TOP9]’s song carries a lot of meaning for me… I’ve already memorized most of the original choreography, and I actually have an arrangement plan in my head….”

 

“Huh? Really?”

 

Just then, the Elder Duo spoke up.

 

“Unha, Haejun.”

 

“Ah… yes, hyungs….”

 

“How about we watch today’s broadcast together and finish discussing everything afterward?”

 

‘Ah, right… today is the day the second episode airs, isn’t it?’

 

Honestly, I didn’t really want to get closer to the Elder Duo….

 

But I smiled and nodded.

 

“Yes. Let’s do that. Do you want to watch it in my and Taehee’s room?”