Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus Chapter 76

‘Watching this on video is giving me unwanted PTSD.’

 

It was probably because I was seeing my past self, who had just fallen into this world and participated in a slave auction. As expected, the community reaction was anything but ordinary. This wasn’t some barbaric age, yet the image of human beings auctioning off other human beings in real time was being broadcast nationwide. I could only imagine how shocked the unsuspecting viewers must have been.

 

It was only natural that every online community started erupting in unison.

 

‘This is seriously insane, isn’t it…?’

 

It was something I hadn’t realized while I was actually standing in the middle of it, but seeing it now through a screen made the whole situation look even more unhinged.

 

The Slave class trainees, lined up in tension, wore desperate expressions, praying to be chosen by the Nobility. Their faces were shown in close-ups. Some shed tears of joy, while others were seen collapsing in sorrow. The host shouted excitedly while the slaves stood there with tense expressions, praying they would be sold.

 

At this point in the playback, the real auction hadn’t even started. From what I remembered, the auction only truly caught fire after the item known as Lee Unha appeared.

 

And then:

 

[MC: Yes! Here is our next item! A contestant who has already gathered a lot of buzz. It’s the Juicy Vitamin, Trainee Lee Unha!]

 

My face was shown in a close-up on the screen.

 

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: H-hello! Orange pop! I’m the vitamin, Lee Unha! Please take good care of me!]

 

My slightly flustered face was also caught on camera.

 

[MC: It seems there are many <Nobility> trainees aiming for Lee Unha. The heat is intense! Hahahaha! In that case, we simply have to see a talent show from our Trainee Lee Unha, right?]

 

[MC: Ah, but I’m told we must proceed with the auction quickly due to time constraints. Trainee Lee Unha looks quite disappointed. Well then, let’s begin the auction in earnest! To the <Nobility> trainees who wish to bid on <Slave> Lee Unha—please bid now!]

 

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: I look forward to working with you!]

 

Immediately after that…. It was exactly as I remembered.

 

[MC: Trainee Joo Wooyoung of the <Nobility> class has bid 100 coins for Trainee Lee Unha.]

[MC: Yes! Trainee Jegal Hwi of the <Nobility> class has bid 120 coins!]

[MC: Trainee Baek Suhyeon of the <Nobility> class has bid 150 coins!]

 

“Wait? You bid on me too?”

 

“Yeah, obviously. I ended up failing because I ran out of coins, though.”

 

[MC: Next! Trainee Baek Suhyeon bids 200 coins!]

[MC: The auction is heating up! Trainee Jegal Hwi bids 250 coins!]

[MC: He won’t back down! Trainee Joo Wooyoung bids 270 coins!]

[MC: Unbelievable!! Trainee Baek Suhyeon bids 350 coins!]

[MC: Hahahaha! Trainee Jegal Hwi bids 400 coins!]

[MC: Trainee Joo Wooyoung bids 420 coins!]

[MC: Trainee Joo Wooyoung bids 720 coiiiiiins!]

[MC: Trainee Jegal Hwi bids—wait for it—1,000 coins!!! A whopping 1,000 coins!!!]

[MC: He can’t let it go! Trainee Baek Suhyeon bids 1,100 coins!]

[MC: Yes! Trainee Joo Wooyoung has used all 1,300 of his coins to bid on Trainee Lee Unha!]

[MC: Any more?! Is there anyone else?!]

[MC: Are there no other <Nobility> trainees to bid on Lee Unha?!]

 

They didn’t even cut the scene; they just pushed the whole thing through. It almost felt like one long take, even though it wasn’t. The editing consisted entirely of close-ups on the MC, the bidding Nobility members, my bewildered and absurd expression, and the shocked faces of the other trainees.

 

And somehow, that alone made it feel incredibly captivating.

 

Actually, it was a bit much for me to say it myself, but it felt like Lee Unha was the protagonist. It was such a thrilling auction that it gave me goosebumps. Since it was a scene where everyone in the Nobility class fervently wanted Lee Unha, did it really need any other explanation?

 

Even the fellow trainees clearly regarded Lee Unha as an exceptionally valuable asset, so the viewers watching this must have felt it too. Joo Wooyoung’s nervous expression, in particular, stood out. Back then I had been too flustered to pay close attention to him.. but now, his desire for Lee Unha was evident everywhere. He even looked uncharacteristically anxious.

 

‘He really wanted to buy me.’

 

It was only natural to feel good about it. At the time, I’d assumed he’d gone all in because he wanted to observe the mysterious boy named Lee Unha, who possessed unknown supernatural abilities, but looking at that face, it didn’t seem quite like that.

 

‘Was I… really chosen to be Joo Wooyoung’s companion?’

 

His reaction was enough to make me think that. Every time he fell behind Baek Suhyeon or that Jegal Hwi guy, he clenched his teeth and continued bidding. He must have worn that exact expression when looking at an item or a magic book he really wanted—or when he sent a party invite to someone he absolutely had to recruit.

 

I’d already believed I was halfway to becoming Joo Wooyoung’s companion, but confirming it in reality made the corners of my mouth lift.

 

And then…. In the midst of all that….

 

‘Baek Suhyeon… this guy is no joke either.’

 

His deeply regretful face was also captured on screen. While Jegal Hwi seemed to be bidding just to keep Joo Wooyoung in check, Baek Suhyeon, much like Joo Wooyoung, seemed to bid out of a genuine, desperate desire for the asset known as Lee Unha.

 

Of course, the scenario where Baek Suhyeon got Lee Unha never happened. As everyone already knew, the auction ended with Joo Wooyoung’s victory.

 

[MC: If there are no more bids, Trainee Lee Unha will naturally belong to Trainee Joo Wooyoung’s team. Are there truly no more bids?!]

[MC: 3!]

[MC: 2!]

[MC: 1!]

[MC: Yes! Trainee Lee Unha of the <Slave> class now belongs to the team of Trainee Joo Wooyoung of the <Nobility> class! Congratulations to you both!]

 

Immediately afterward, the broadcast transitioned straight into the private interview segments.

 

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Wooyoung hyung? Of course I’m happy. I’ve always wanted to perform together with him.]

[Trainee No. 111 Joo Wooyoung: I thought I absolutely had to bring Unha. The reason? Because he’s special.]

[What is the fate of these two, who formed a team with 0 coins remaining?]

 

“I mean, me aside, I seriously thought Joo Wooyoung had lost his mind. How could he go all in and spend every coin he had?”

 

“I know, right….”

 

“In the end, looking at the results, Joo Wooyoung’s choice was right. Honestly, even back then, the Dark Mage performance got the most attention. Anyway… you probably don’t know this, Unha, but after this episode aired, Joo Wooyoung got a ton of hate.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. Because he had no coins left after betting everything on you, he had to take all the ‘unsold’ items. Who were they again… their names….”

 

‘Number 98, 78, 45.’

 

The ones I had dubbed the Hopeless Trio.

 

“Anyway, those trainees ended up doing great on the actual stage. Especially… was it Taeyeol hyung? He really stood out too….”

 

“Taeyeol hyung was good….”

 

“Anyway, it’s a shame. I really wanted to perform with you….”

 

“There are still more missions ahead. I’m sure we’ll get the chance someday.”

 

After giving Baek Suhyeon a generic answer, I immediately picked up my phone to check the reactions. I didn’t even have to scroll much or search specifically. I’d watched both Episodes 4 and 5, yet even after Episode 5 ended, the only thing I clearly remembered was the auction.

 

I could barely remember Episode 5, where the Dark Mage remark became a meme, so I could only imagine how it was for the other viewers. There were certainly plenty of posts criticizing Idol Classism itself, but to people who prowled around looking for something to attack, this was probably the perfect target.

 

In specific communities, a massive debate was raging over Joo Wooyoung’s auction tactics.

 

[Anonymous]: Seriously, why did Joo Wooyoung bid like that?

 

[Anonymous]: He’s obviously just trying to ride Lee Woonha’s popularity. Weren’t there people saying they didn’t like them being grouped together? Did you see this episode? Unha is gonna go down with Joo Wooyoung at this rate. Who do you think is clinging to whom?

[Anonymous]: It’s so obvious. Lee Unha is famous, so he’s just using him… Unha, escape while you still can.

 

[Anonymous]: Are there still people who haven’t seen their live broadcast? They seemed like actual best friends…

 

[Anonymous]: Time to look up a compliation of Joo Wooyoung’s sus moments ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 

Even communities that didn’t guarantee anonymity seemed busy tearing Joo Wooyoung down. In fact, I could even find people leaving hate comments on Joo Wooyoung’s personal SNS.

 

 @AHN118: Did Lee Unha rub honey on himself or something? If you’re gonna die, die alone; why drag Unha into it… and those guys you picked from the unsold items? We see right through you, Trainee Joo Wooyoung.

@MAD-VI: It’s so obvious he’s gonna suck Lee Unha dry and then dump him… Am I the only one who sees this?

@CREAMCAT: I see it too. I didn’t think so at first… but he seems like one of those trainees who’s completely different on the inside than he looks.

@kanna90: Hello, my name is Kanna. I am a fan of Lee Unha. I was supporting you too while watching the show, but after Episode 4, I’ve started to curse you.

@adcoum: Can you please leave the show! I am from Colombia! You are too despicable…

 

‘Wait, why are even the foreigners…?’

 

There were a lot of guys, too. I knew Idol Classism was gaining some popularity in male-dominated forums, ut I’d never imagined they’d be invested enough to join in something like this.

 

StormStudent: Don’t drag Unha hyung down with you and just die alone, you piece of sh*t ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 

‘And who the hell is this guy?’

 

He was even using his real profile picture. Out of curiosity, I clicked on his profile….

 

‘…Wait… isn’t this the kid I saw on the subway earlier?’

 

I realized it was that middle schooler from just a few hours ago. He’d proudly pinned a photo of my autograph to the top of his profile. He was still busy writing comments.

 

StormStudent: Man, I really want to beat him up.

 

‘Hey, what’s wrong with you?’

 

StormStudent: Don’t let me catch you on the street. Seriously, f*ck… I’d kill you.

 

‘No. You’re the one who’s going to die, kid. Stop right there.’

 

The fact that he was writing comments in real-time was even more bewildering. Winning over such a devoted fan with nothing more than one brief fan-service interaction should have been something to celebrate, but this kid seemed to be trying to protect Lee Unha in a very strange direction. He was even infiltrating the SNS of Number 98 and Number 45, expanding his territory.

 

 @StormStudent: If you’re an unsold item, act like one and stay quiet. You’re acting up so much. Seriously, if I catch you giving Unha hyung a hard time, you’re dead. Hehe.

 

This was a comment left for Number 98….

 

@StormStudent: Stop trying to act cute. It makes me want to puke. What the hell is a grown man doing? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

fairyfairy45: Please look at me kindly~

StormStudent: I’d have to find something worth liking before I could look kindly on you.]

fairyfairy45: (Crying emoji)

StormStudent: Triggered? You know you’re not gonna debut anyway, right? Stop holding Unha hyung back.

 

This was a comment for Number 45. Number 45, the SNS expert who helped everyone, had made the mistake of replying because he couldn’t handle the kid’s tyranny.

 

‘Should I send this kid a DM? Or should I post on my story asking people not to leave hate comments?’

 

I didn’t have the courage to watch his behavior anymore. Actually, looking closely, it wasn’t just this one guy. Every middle schooler who got an autograph on the subway had collectively turned into cyber-phantoms, struggling in their own way to protect ‘Unha hyung’.

 

I began to worry they might have just poured gasoline on an atmosphere that had finally started to settle down.

 

‘Wait, why are they doing this? I thought everyone knew Joo Wooyoung and I were close now?’

 

Where were all those seeds I’d planted in preparation for this situation? I scrolled toward the community I had bookmarked before.

 

And….

 

‘What? What are these guys doing?’

 

I witnessed an abyss of a different kind from the middle schoolers earlier.