Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 57

PD Ahn

 

“You really scared me! Why did you suddenly scream!?”

 

“Unha!!!”

 

My brother was saying something next to me, but I couldn’t hear him properly. Actually, there was no way I could. All my senses were focused on the small screen. I was so concentrated that it felt as if I were actually at a concert.

 

The direction was that vivid. I was under the illusion that I could see every splash of sweat.

 

‘This is legendary.’

 

“…….”

 

‘This is seriously on another level.’

 

Well, actually, it wasn’t the best ever. In terms of sheer perfection, the Dark Mage stage in the upcoming Territory War mission had a higher quality. 

 

But that didn’t mean this performance had any less value. Rather, it felt more valuable precisely because it was so unprofessional. It was a strange way to phrase it, something I’d be embarrassed to say out loud… but that was exactly how it felt.

 

‘It’s perfect.’

 

It was perfect precisely because it wasn’t perfect. It was perfect precisely because it wasn’t perfect. Knowing that as time passed, we’d never be able to see this kind of performance again probably made it even more special.

 

‘Right… once he debuts, we’ll never see a performance like this again.’

 

A stage with that hint of clumsiness added like seasoning—we would never see that after this moment. The Lee Unha I saw in person possessed an incredible professional spirit, and even at this very moment, he was growing. Since the teammates beside him were growing as well, a raw stage like this would become a rarity.

 

‘It’s such a shame.’

 

It made me realize all over again why I’d fallen in love with idols and why I jumped into this industry. I wanted to see this version of Lee Unha forever. That was why I felt such overwhelming regret.

 

I knew how this stage was going to end. Soon, Lee Unha would fall. He would be sent flying by the arm of the over-excited Trainee No. 141 and hit his head on the ground.

 

‘Oh no. Oh no.’

 

Even though I already knew, my heart started thumping. And just as the stage reached its climax, sure enough, the screen showed Lee Unha collapsing onto the floor.

 

[Crash!!!]

 

[Trainee No. 123 Jung Taehee: Ah! Un… Unha!]

 

Even so, the performance didn’t stop. Jung Taehee rushed toward Lee Unha in panic, and the other trainees hesitated for a split second, but Lee Unha sprang back up so fast it made them look awkward. He immediately stared into the camera, and the performance concluded.

 

He was staring into the lens, seemingly unaware that blood was trickling down his forehead.

 

[Staff: Let’s cut for a moment!]

 

[Trainee No. 123 Jung Taehee: Un… Unha… your forehead… you’re bleeding.]

 

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Oh? You’re right.]

 

The medical staff rushed onto the stage, examined Lee Unha, and the broadcast even showed the entire process of stopping the bleeding.

 

[Trainee No. 141 Park Deokoh: Sob… Waaaaah… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… Unha… hic….]

 

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Ah… no, it’s—]

 

[Trainee No. 141 Park Deokoh: Uuuuugh… Waaaaaaaah….]

 

‘They’re really broadcasting every single bit.’

 

Even though it was practically ruining the traditional editing flow of a variety show, they were airing every second of what happened on stage. They even showed the friction between Benok and the Main PD. It felt as if the show had suddenly switched genres from variety to documentary.

 

Yet, it didn’t feel out of place. It might be because they had been showing the behind-the-scenes alongside the stage all along, or perhaps the situation itself possessed such a powerful grip.

 

[Benok: Seriously, hyung!!! I know you want to make a good show! But you have to draw a line. You push these kids to their limits and don’t even give them proper time to practice—that’s why accidents like this happen. And look, the stage is slippery too.]

 

[Main PD: Ah. Well… I’m sorry, Hyungchul.]

 

[Benok: You know you shouldn’t be apologizing to me, but to Mr. Unha, right?]

 

[Main PD: I know. I know, I really do. Um… are you okay?]

 

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Ah, yes. I’m fine.]

 

[Benok: What were you going to do if he was left with a scar? Hyung! Ah… seriously… Mr. Unha, you’re really okay, right?]

 

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Yes. I’m truly fine. You don’t have to worry.]

 

The chaotic story behind the stage continued to unfold. Staff and medical personnel running back and forth, a heated Benok and the frozen trainees, Lee Unha insisting he was fine, and area around them still in complete disarray.

 

The show finally returned to its usual format when a staff member’s voice was heard.

 

[Staff: We will now begin the judges’ critique for Slave Group 6!]

 

And with that….

 

The broadcast ended.

 

I was a bit surprised by myself, but….

 

‘That was… immersive.’

 

I had been so focused that I had momentarily held my breath. I glanced to the side and saw that my brother had the same reaction. From the moment Lee Unha fell until the show ended, the pacing was so relentless that we didn’t even realize how much time had passed.

 

And if I remembered correctly, the whole sequence had been filmed almost like a single take. The viewers, who had gone up on stage with Lee Unha from the start, were forced to stay with him backstage after the accident. And that intention had worked perfectly.

 

‘I hate to admit it, but….’

 

There was a lot to learn. Honestly, I thought the Main PD was just some guy who did whatever it took to get provocative shots, but he definitely had skill. It was even more surprising that he didn’t rely on instant replays—the staple of Korean variety editing where the same scene was shown over and over from different angles.

 

While I remained silent for a moment, a voice broke the silence. It was Ahn Kyeongnam.

 

“Ah. Why… why did it end like that!? Noona, what happens next?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“That was real, right? Not scripted? Is it okay to just show stuff like that on TV? Did Lee Unha really bleed from his head? Huh? Is that it? Did Park Deokoh push him?”

 

“I told you, I don’t know. He said he’d handle it himself… Originally, today’s episode was supposed to include the critiques and the next mission… I don’t know what they’re going to do about next week’s footage….”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it.”

 

“Ah, come on, tell me! What happens to Lee Unha’s team? What’s the next mission? Did Benok and the PD really fight? Is… is someone getting kicked off? Does Lee Unha’s team pass?”

 

“Just wait until next week.”

 

“I won’t tell anyone, noona. Please, just this once….”

 

“I said wait until next week! I don’t have time to talk to you right now!”

 

“How am I supposed to wait until next week! Noona! Hey! Noona!!!”

 

I didn’t have time to bicker with my sibling right now.

 

‘This is definitely… this is… definitely… going to be a controversy.’

 

Every online community would be flooded with talk about the broadcast that just ended. The content made it inevitable. The mission itself was already controversial enough, and then an accident happened.

 

Even the way it had been presented was controversial. Benok openly scolded the PD for his mistakes, and the PD admitted them. They laid everything out, showing exactly what happened on-site without any editing filters. It was no different from standing naked and asking the viewers to beat them up.

 

Considering that all the past controversies would be reignited too… by now, the viewer message board would be….

 

‘The website… it’s down….’

 

It was total chaos. So many people had flocked to the site at once that it crashed. Needless to say, every kind of post was being uploaded before it went down.

 

On top of that….

 

Number 1 on the real-time search terms.

 

And even….

 

Clips were already being circulated. Everyone was demanding the current PD’s resignation.

 

Slogans like [Fire the Main PD of <Idol Classism>!] were appearing on the trending lists, and articles like [Controversy over abuse of underage trainees on <Idol Classism>] were popping up. It was as if all communities, public opinion, and the media had unified the moment the broadcast ended.

 

‘I knew it! I knew this would happen!’

 

Lee Unha’s massive fan base, the fans of the Slave class who had to watch the humiliating stages, the fans of the Commons class who were cut indiscriminately, those swept up in the mood, and even the internet trolls who were just excited for a drama—they were all demanding the PD’s head.

 

The fire showed no sign of dying down. Because of this, the controversy surrounding Kim Haejun and Jung Taehee had temporarily taken a back seat, but that would only be temporary. Once a bit more time passed, it was obvious they would be attacked together for ‘negligent trainee management’.

 

‘Are they not having a meeting? Sh-should I go to work now? Why is no one calling? Should I call first? Is everyone… just waiting to see what happens?’

 

It was only natural for my mind to race. If the one causing the controversy was an individual, it might blow over, but as a broadcasting station, they couldn’t just ignore it. They needed to issue an apology and a formal statement.

 

And regardless of the statement… if they were unlucky, or rather, almost inevitably, someone would have to take the fall.

 

Considering the buzz Idol Classism currently had….

 

‘Who wouldn’t be drooling over this opportunity?’

 

Who wouldn’t be thinking about pushing out the current lead and taking the top spot for themselves? Everyone knew by now that Idol Classism was no longer a poisoned chalice.

 

Like most companies, this broadcasting station was overflowing with office politics. They would surely use this controversy as an excuse to swap out the lead or look for a suitable scapegoat. The least disruptive option would probably be promoting one of the assistant PDs already working on the program.

 

‘Is that guy going to get fired… or de-demoted?’

 

Of course, whether that man got fired or not had nothing to do with me… actually, I kind of wished he’d just disappear… but….

 

‘Is there… anyone who can actually replace him?’

 

That was another problem. That man was the one who created the current Idol Classism. He was the one who knew the direction the program needed to go better than anyone. Yes, I hated to admit it, but he was the creator. Despite the controversies, his presence was necessary for the show to sail smoothly. That was the kind of conclusion only someone working on the front lines, rather than watching from above, could come to.

 

‘Forget it. This isn’t the time to worry about someone else.’

 

Right now, protecting my own position came first. While it was common for the person in charge to lose their head, you never knew. Maybe he had someone powerful backing him.

 

Like every office worker in Korea, the safest thing for me to do was simply read the room and keep my head down.

 

One day passed, and an apology was posted.

 

Another day passed, and it was time to go to work.

 

And after heading to the workplace with a slightly anxious heart, once I saw that man reflected in my eyes….

 

‘He really… had one.’

 

“…….”

 

‘Who is that? The president’s son or something? Or connected to one of the investors? Or… I-is he secretly the youngest son of some chaebol family?’

 

I couldn’t help realizing that someone powerful was backing both <Idol Classism> and the Main PD. He clearly had a massive figure as a backer, someone I couldn’t even imagine.

 

For now, all I could do was slip my phone into my pocket and get moving.

 

[DARK.WIZARD has followed you.]

 

‘Who is it at a time like this?’

 

I didn’t have the time or the mental energy to check right now. I just had to tuck the phone away and get to work.