Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus – Chapter 85

Author: LyraDhani

Lee Unha

[Glasses TV]

[SHOCKING!!! <Idol Classism>! Reasons why Lee Unha and Kim Haejun are likely on the same team! Why did Unha pick Kim Haejun?]

‘Now they’re even making ridiculous videos like this?’

The content was even more outrageous.

—Hello. This is Glasses TV. To get straight to the point, let’s start today’s video.

—If you had to pick the most important figure in <Idol Classism> right now, it would probably be Trainee Lee Unha, wouldn’t it? [[Photos and videos of Lee Unha pointing at the camera]] But today, I’m not here to talk to you about Trainee Lee Unha. Yes….

‘And then there’s this.’

—I’m going to dig into Trainee Kim Haejun, something I’ve been putting off for a while.

‘Doesn’t the presentation style feel way too much like those patriotic clickbait channels or fake-news compilation videos?’

Was it targeting the 50s-60s demographic? No matter how popular Idol Classism was, I hadn’t expected it to capture the middle-aged crowd, but this video definitely felt like it was made specifically for them. Or rather….

‘Was that intentional too?’

Maybe they had simply borrowed the visual style. Looking at the strangely high view count, the direction of the video, and the analysis provided by the NewTuber Glasses TV, I found myself nodding along unconsciously.

The video covered Kim Haejun’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as detailed habits and personal information. It even leaked info about him I didn’t know and highlighted the trainees he interacted with on the show.

Since the visuals in the video looked heavily color-graded and polished, it didn’t feel like something made just for a laugh or a prank. Consequently….

‘The view count is ridiculously high. And there are a ton of comments too…’

Regardless, there was no denying that this channel was helpful to me. For some reason, it maintained a favorable stance toward Lee Unha. In the midst of that, a phrase repeatedly mentioned in the video stuck in my mind.

—Lee Unha’s Pick.

‘…….’

—There must be a reason Trainee Lee Unha picked him.

At some point, the term Lee Unha’s Pick had begun to be used as a proper noun.

‘Was I being too obvious?’

I couldn’t help wondering whether I’d gone overboard with everything we’d been doing on social media—interacting with each other, encouraging vote trading, forming close-knit friend groups, moving around together… But I couldn’t sit still just because I was afraid of people criticizing us.

The moment Idol Classism allowed SNS usage, this phenomenon was already predictable. Strictly speaking, I wasn’t the only one doing this. Every trainee was appealing for votes for themselves or those they were connected to. Some trainees even formed teams to go out and campaign offline. Trainees from large agencies were likely receiving support from their companies as well.

From the first vote announcement until this very moment, trainees had been campaigning in their own ways. Even the production staff had even gone around filming all of it and actively encouraging those activities…

‘They’re clearly enjoying this too.’

I could say with certainty that they had anticipated this phenomenon from the very beginning. In my eyes, this program wasn’t made to make viewers happy; it was made to drive them crazy. They were trying to use things happening outside the program as content, so what was more there to say? Sending everyone home and closing the dorms might have been a meticulous design by the broadcast people from the start.

‘I’m telling you, those bastards are insane.’

There have been so many incidents since then. For instance….

“They’re saying he’s withdrawing voluntarily in the end.”

“Ah, the one who sent DMs to a fan?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? Didn’t he say he’d try to stick it out to the end?”

“Apparently, something new came out yesterday. They say this time it was 19+ rated content. Go check the forums. It’s a mess.”

Things like that.

‘Were they trying to filter out trainees with problems from the beginning?’

Whether they just needed controversy or not, after kicking us out of the dorms, the network just kept churning out content.

“And the guy who got caught with a girlfriend is trying to withdraw too.”

“Ah, well, that’s unavoidable. But Suhyeon, you….”

“Huh? Not me! I never even saw her face, and Unha, you said that guy… was a man? Right? So I was dating a guy. It was only for three days anyway.”

‘Is being known for ‘dating a guy’ better?’

I could guarantee that if I hadn’t been there, Baek Suhyeon would have met the same fate as those other trainees. And in the most miserable way possible. Completely unaware of how close he’d come to falling into the abyss, Baek Suhyeon simply smiled carefreely and spoke.

“Come to think of it… voting’s already going on, right?”

“Yeah, it opened exactly at midnight yesterday. That’s why I tagged the other hyungs and Taehee this morning and asked people to vote.”

“Ah, right.”

“Voting’s already been going for a while, but I think it’ll really take off after today’s episode airs… Ah! It’s starting.”

“Ah! Unha. Today’s episode is going to be quite long, right?”

“Yeah. Probably almost two hours. They already showed a little in Episode 7, but…”

‘There were just so many performances.’

“And considering they’ll cram in all the drama in between… it might even be over two hours.”

“Ahhh. Then I should order now. Unha, you’re having ice cream, right? Mint chocolate?”

“Mmm… sure! But I feel bad always being treated by you….”

“Come on… it’s not like you’ve got any money…”

‘This guy… really has a way with words…’

“Anything else you want to eat?”

‘I am still grateful, though.’

“No, just ice cream is fine. Just make sure it’s loaded with mint chocolate.”

Time would likely fly. I had already seen the stages in person, but watching the edited versions was a different experience. Furthermore….

‘This episode is important.’

It was important both for the broadcast and for me personally. It was the episode featuring the long-awaited Citizen Revolution mission—our performance of [TOP9]’s Dangerously with Kim Haejun, Jung Taehee, and the Elder Duo.

Even someone like me, who normally didn’t monitor the broadcasts all that seriously, felt that Episode 8 deserved my full attention. It wasn’t just because voting was currently underway, or because today’s footage would be reflected in the ranking announcement filming tomorrow morning. Those factors mattered to some extent, but there was something even more important in Episode 8.

‘I used <Siren’s Voice: F-Rank> in Dangerously.’

This stage was the first time I showcased Siren’s Voice. It was the skill I became able to use after Joo Wooyoung cast a spell on me and cleansed my mana circuits. Contrary to the confidence with which I used it, there hadn’t been a big reaction at the time.

Because I lacked mana, I could only use it for a few seconds… but I clearly remembered the sensation of the skill activating.

‘But Benok was the only one who noticed.’

The other two didn’t seem to feel anything was out of place. Was it because it was just one sentence, one syllable?

‘They were probably distracted… so it’s understandable they missed it. Maybe it’d have been different if I’d kept Siren’s Voice active throughout my entire part, but I didn’t.’

I had to see for myself if it actually had an effect. As we settled in, the curtain rose on Idol Classism. Perhaps because they intended to show the Citizen Revolution stages as promised, even the opening music felt a bit different today.

However, the format itself was no different from any other competition program. Before showing the stages, they naturally highlighted the internal problems or circumstances of each group.

Incidents hadn’t just happened to our group. Every group had its struggles. Whether their stories could gain public empathy was another matter, but I could bet that the desperate trainees were ready to sell their sob stories.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before various behind-the-scenes stories related to the competition began appearing.

[Trainee No. 55 Baek Suhyeon: Center position… I’ll think about it.]

[Benok: Have some confidence. Trainee Baek Suhyeon, you’ve never once shown anything lacking since coming here, so why are you so used to stepping aside? You should be leading the other trainees in the Slave Class.]

Stories like that, or….

[Trainee No. 78 Woo Youngha: What do I do? Hyung… I think I sprained my ankle.]

Things like that.

Because they had to cram every stage into limited screen time, unfortunately, some narratives seemed to have been cut. That was unfortunate for the trainees involved. but thankfully, the stages themselves didn’t seem to be skipped.

V.I.P – Big Bang Theory
ESPERO – Hope
ELEVEN – Lone Wolf
5KIDS – Limit
Vex – BOOM
Boy Revolution – Dyed in Red
TOP9 – Dangerously

Seven songs, 14 performances—they were airing the full Citizen Revolution stages where the Nobility/Slave teams faced off against the Commoner teams.

Immediately, the image of Baek Suhyeon performing Big Bang Theory filled the screen.

[Trainee No. 55 Baek Suhyeon: Expanding into space! Expanding into space!]

He usually looked so airheaded when I was right next to him, but he looked surprisingly serious on stage. And….

‘He really is in the Nobility class for a reason.’

He was skilled.

“Suhyeon, you performed Big Bang Theory? Your segment’s pretty long.”

“Yeah. Our team had a lot of problems too. Some people got injured… when the practice period was short, I didn’t notice because I was just focused on the fact that I had to perform, but as the practice period got longer, more problems cropped up. Especially—as you saw in the last broadcast, Unha….”

“Yeah.”

“I kept hearing that I’m good at everything but have nothing that stands out. I’m good at singing, rapping, dancing, and expressing myself, but it’s just ‘good’. Just a big hexagon… so I struggled with that a lot.”

‘Sorry. I don’t remember how you were in the last broadcast.’

But I understood what he meant. He was competent and versatile in everything but lacked a heavy blow’. However….

‘That’s difficult too. Do you know how hard it is just to be above average at everything?’

To use another world analogy, it meant he was proficient in everything. He felt like someone who could use magic, swing a sword, play the priest, and have thief skills. Of course, such all-rounders didn’t exist in the other world. If they did, they’d surely be in the Hero’s party. Though perhaps that wasn’t the best comparison.

I glanced sideways. Baek Suhyeon spoke with a mischievous look on his face.

“I’m good, right?”

“I’ll tell you after the next stage.”

“Ah… Wooyoung hyung’s?”

The 2nd Revolution: [ESPERO]’s Hope.

It was Joo Wooyoung’s performance.

***

‘I have to watch this properly.’

Even though I knew the results, I had to check his performance. I was curious how the camera captured Joo Wooyoung. Of course, I’d watched his stage enough times to be sick of it already, but as I’d said before…

‘This performance is important. Furthermore….’

“…….”

‘This stage was a bit special.’

It had crushed the Commoner Class’s resistance with an overwhelming score difference. The Commoners had put up a respectable fight, but that was all it amounted to. Compared to Joo Wooyoung’s team, they were like a ragtag army.

Of course, just like always…

‘He’s not great at catching the broadcast-worthy moment.’

It was a shame that there was no narrative to speak of. Since he kept trying to create a smooth, harmonious atmosphere himself, there was no way any dramatic storyline could naturally come out.

‘Even the Slave Class trainees don’t dare challenge him.’

It was because of Joo Wooyoung’s unique aura. I wasn’t quite sure how to describe it, but it was just… difficult. You felt intimidated in front of him, like you had to follow his orders—no, his words. And on top of that….

‘He doesn’t smile much.’

Rather than saying he hardly smiled…

‘It’s different, isn’t it?’

I felt a difference from the way he smiled at me. Of course, it could be my imagination. No, realistically speaking, it probably was my imagination. Still, his attitude felt a little different from how he’d been during the Dark Mage performance.

[Trainee No. 111 Joo Wooyoung: Hahaha… you’ll do great.]

[Trainee No. 39 Lee Inha: Hehe… Wooyoung hyung… thank you.]

‘And who is that guy? Why is he acting so close?’

[Trainee No. 111 Joo Wooyoung: No need to thank me.]

‘No, but… doesn’t something about this feel a little off?’

It was different. Definitely different. I wasn’t sure what it was, but….

‘Maybe… he feels pressured? Doesn’t it kind of look that way?’

He looked like he might be feeling pressured. The slaves following him were looking only at him, waiting for his orders, taking a stance of wanting him to direct them, so he looked even more burdened. On the surface, it looked like a family game between Nobles and Slaves, but it wasn’t.

Maybe he….

Isn’t used to this kind of position?

‘Even though he’s the Hero?’

Various thoughts struck my mind, but I soon cast aside the useless worries. Or rather, I buried them in the back corner of my mind. Not because of anything else, but because…

Joo Wooyoung’s team’s performance had begun.

“Wooyoung hyung… his facial expressions are actually really good, aren’t they?”

“Suhyeon, quiet. Let me focus.”

“Ah… okay….”

‘Well, of course he’s the center…’

“…….”

‘His presence is definitely on another level.’

He commanded attention from the intro. Every single movement did. And even worse….

He had improved.

‘Wait… he definitely improved.’

“…….”

‘He really did?’

The improvement was obvious. And it was an improvement that was unmistakably Joo Wooyoung. Healthy, clean, and refreshing. Back when I’d first watched his self-introduction stage, I’d thought he simply lacked experience…

‘That wasn’t it.’

I realized Joo Wooyoung had never intended to pick up any unnecessary habits in the first place. He discarded bad habits, unnecessary flair, and useless movements entirely. He stuck to the basics, and more basics, looking as if he had found a direction to grow in a terrifyingly clean way.

And as if to prove that right….

[Trainee No. 111 Joo Wooyoung: You, who holds my hand, are my hope. The thumping breathing inside is my answer.]

‘This is incredible…’

I could see only Joo Wooyoung.

[Trainee No. 39 Lee Inha: The heartbeat is my answer!]

The slaves next to him were struggling to be noticed, but ultimately all the spotlight went to Joo Wooyoung. To exaggerate, they looked like ornaments meant to decorate him. No, right now, they were definitely ornaments. I didn’t know how the internal meetings went, but it looked like the team had decided to give all the screen time to Joo Wooyoung.

Baek Suhyeon had certainly stood out during the previous performance, but this was overwhelmingly different. It made me wonder if the criteria for the Hero’s comrades should be those who could actually steal the gaze away from Joo Wooyoung.

It was shocking. At least to me, the stage shown on the screen was shocking.

‘It’s overwhelming.’

Naturally, the evaluation was also good. While not as high as our stage—which was inflated by Judge Kim Minhyuk’s outburst—praise rained down. Especially from Paige, who seemed to have been watching Joo Wooyoung particularly closely.; praise after praise poured out of her mouth. Maybe it was because performers like him fit the style of her agency, but actually….

‘No, it’s different from that.’

There was a feeling unique to Joo Wooyoung, one that didn’t mix with any impurities.

When I leaned back on the sofa as my tension eased, Baek Suhyeon spoke up again.

“Can I speak now?”

“Huh? Yeah….”

“He really was good, wasn’t he?”

“I think it was way beyond just good. The editing makes him look even cooler…”

It wasn’t just limited to Joo Wooyoung, either. After his stage ended, every performance that followed felt the same way. I didn’t remember all the trainees’ names, but I saw many who stood out, like Trainee No. 115 who prepared Eleven or Trainee No. 28 who did 5KIDS. With the extended preparation period, everyone had found their own way of putting on their own unique performance.

The same went for the comrades I had asked for support for on SNS. Not just Joo Wooyoung and Baek Suhyeon, but also No. 98 Kim Taeyeol, No. 45 Han Yohan, the Hopeless Trio, and even No. 141 Park Deokoh—I could feel that everyone had grown. Furthermore….

‘The narratives weren’t bad either… and they gave everyone a highlight.’

The hard work of promoting on SNS paid off. Even the screen time felt somewhat fair. Did the production crew, after practicing unfair editing until now, want to be judged as ‘fair’ right before the voting?

But… that fairness would likely pale in comparison to Lee Unha’s group.

‘See? It’s already different.’

Even the background music felt more wistful. The editing and atmosphere felt distinct from the other groups; that alone said it all. Baek Suhyeon, seemingly thinking the same thing, muttered, ‘Unha’s team has a different vibe’, right before our stage started.

It was only natural. To show our team’s narrative properly… they had to highlight the accident that happened between Kim Haejun and Jung Taehee.

Deciding not to avoid it, the screen suddenly cut to black and showed Kim Haejun’s interview.

[Trainee No. 12 Kim Haejun: Honestly, I have nothing to say. To the trainees who were there, and to Unha and Taehee… I’m just so sorry. Ah, I don’t resent anyone. It was my own fault for failing to control my emotions.]

[Trainee No. 12 Kim Haejun: I don’t know if I should say this, but I actually planned to withdraw. But Unha told me he wanted to stand on stage with me… that he’d use his benefit on me. I thought he was just saying it to be nice, of course… (omitted)…]

[Trainee No. 123 Jung Taehee: I only thought about having to protect Unha… I’m sorry. Sob… I think it’s all my fault. Unha told me not to, but I kept being hostile… I just couldn’t understand why Unha was being like that to Haejun hyung… I think I let my personal feelings get mixed in too…]

‘I told you, you don’t need to be that detailed! You don’t have to bare your entire heart in an interview like that.’

Startled by Jung Taehee’s interview, I quickly checked the live reactions on my phone, but fortunately, no one seemed to be saying anything bad. They seemed more focused on the event that would follow the short interviews.

Apparently, without me even knowing, the two had met privately and apologized to each other. Though it felt a bit formal….

[Trainee No. 123 Jung Taehee: I’m sorry for being so harsh. Haejun hyung….]

[Trainee No. 12 Kim Haejun: No… I should apologize too.]

It was only Jung Taehee whose apology felt somewhat formal. But because Kim Haejun handled it maturely, it really looked like the grudge between them had vanished. Afterward, scenes of them together on camera followed. They were just sharing opinions, but with the emotional BGM, it felt like they had become one through this incident.

“Th-That’s… a lot of screen time.”

“Because there were so many incidents.”

It wasn’t just Kim Haejun and Jung Taehee. The Elder Duo were also receiving the benefit of screen time. Jeon Hocheol’s solo interview alone was nearly three minutes. Na Younghun’s was a bit less, but still significant.

The narrative of ‘trainees who don’t give up on their dreams’, falling again and again right before debut but ultimately standing here, was enough to tug at the heartstrings. Especially the sight of the two elders crumbling after receiving harsh words from Benok during the interim evaluation was beyond just provocative.

In the end, after admitting their shortcomings, they took on the roles of teaching and caring for me and Taehee, volunteering to be the ones who made us stand out—it was perfect. Honestly….

‘This episode… turned out incredibly well.’

No, it wasn’t just good….

They practically poured their souls into it.

They seemed to highlight every single member.

The same went for me. Scenes of me struggling between Kim Haejun and Jung Taehee, or doing my best to be considerate of the Elder Duo, were all captured on camera. It perfectly depicted the process of individuals who didn’t know each other—or even disliked each other—becoming a team.

Before I knew it, I was rooting for our team. Baek Suhyeon, emotional as always, had tears welling up in his eyes.

And….

The performance that would cap off that narrative….

Began unfolding before our eyes.

***

It felt surreal.

Even though I’d already lived through it and it was all over… it genuinely felt surreal. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about the other stages. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Dark Mage stage with Joo Wooyoung, but since so many things happened during this [TOP9] performance, it felt more meaningful. I was probably not the only one feeling this way.

‘I honestly don’t know what Taehee is thinking, but….’

“…….”

‘Kim Haejun definitely feels it… no, probably even more than I do.’

Because the mission song was [TOP9]’s song. The group he almost debuted in with JH. This performance was probably more important to Kim Haejun than anything else. I couldn’t imagine otherwise.

The pleasant melody hit my ears, and I, equipped with the Succubus Eye, took my place in the center to open the intro.

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Shh, it’s dangerous]

“Wow….”

‘Even I have to admit my expression is good.’

If even Baek Suhyeon felt the same way, then I hadn’t been imagining that we’d gotten off to a strong start. Just as I remembered, Kim Haejun’s first verse followed immediately afterward.

[Trainee No. 12 Kim Haejun: Moving forward is a habit for you and me. It’s a broken engine that can’t be stopped.]

I knew he’d been gritting his teeth, but he looed even more determined than usual. His eyes held a venom uncharacteristic of him. He didn’t make it obvious, but he must have been subtly thinking about sending a message to [TOP9] through this stage.

‘Venomous Kim Haejun is scary.’

People didn’t say ‘experience speaks for itself’ for nothing.As I watched our performance with a broader, calmer perspective…

No. This isn’t what I should be paying attention to.’

I suddenly realized there was something more important.

‘Siren’s Voice… I have to check for Siren’s Voice.’

Lee Unha was not just a viewer. I know very well how successful that performance was and what it left behind. There was only one reason I was watching this episode—our stage in particular—so carefully.

<Siren’s Voice: F-Rank>

It was the pre-chorus section I did with the Elder Duo.

[Trainee No. 66 Jeon Hocheol: Burn the danger with the flame blooming in your heart.]

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Dangerously, burn the danger.]

[Trainee No. 17 Na Younghun: Burn the shadows with the heat inside.]

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Dangerously, burn the shadows.]

After exchanging lines for a while….

‘Here.’

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Take a step, and we go together.]

‘Yes, exactly here.’

Just one line. In a part that lasted less than three seconds….

‘It’s different.’

“Whoa?!”

Even Baek Suhyeon was startled. The judges—especially Benok—showed surprised expressions.

‘It activated? It definitely activated.’

The fact that the production team had intentionally highlighted that exact moment through editing was proof enough. Even to my ears, it sounded different. No, there was a clear difference from before. It sounded like a similar voice—well, technically it was the same voice—but there was an unexplainable difference.

It felt as if the vocal tone had changed completely. It wasn’t soaring through the sky the way Jung Taehee’s main vocal line did, but it had a tone that was undeniably appealing.

Although <Siren’s Voice> at a mere F-Rank didn’t have other additional functions, it’s….

‘It’s usable.’

It gave me enough confidence to think it would be worth using consistently.

“Unha… what was that just now?”

“Huh?”

“‘Take a step, and we go together.’ Here. In this part. Didn’t your voice sound completely different? Huh? Unha, have you still not found your real voice? What was that part?”

“I—I don’t know… I don’t really remember? I guess I just got excited while singing. Why? Is it weird?”

“No… I already knew your vocal tone was good…”

“…….”

“Seriously… it’s so good.”

“…….”

“It’s only the pre-chorus… but it sounds like the killing part of the song. Even now, that’s the only part I can remember.”

‘Really?’

The thought that I had snagged another weapon I could use alongside the Succubus’ Eye made the corners of my mouth keep turning up.

Of course, my mana was limited. If I used the Succubus’ Eye and Siren’s Voice at the same time, the circuits wouldn’t hold. But assuming I gott some kind of miraculous chance to increase my mana capacity….

‘It might be too early to think about this, but….’

It would work even after debut. Yes, it would definitely still work after debut.

While I was lost in thought, the stage reached its climax.

[Trainee No. 123 Jung Taehee: Wading through the danger, Dangerously together.]

Jung Taehee’s vocals came to an end…

Revolution.

Following Lee Unha’s outro.

The beginning of the Death Part.

A heavy drum-bass crashed with a thud, followed immediately by the orchestra. The backup dancers handed over the flag, and Lee Unha, slamming the flag down, drained the light from his pupils as the screen went black.

‘It’s good.’

Even the sound cut out completely.

‘It’s too good.’

“It deserves… the highest score.”

Baek Suhyeon’s quiet remark reached my ears once again. The judges’ evaluations came afterward, but I wasn’t particularly curious about them. It was a Kim Minhyuk one-man show anyway, and I remembered everything that happened.

Unlike Baek Suhyeon, who remained completely absorbed, this felt like the perfect time to pick up my phone.

‘I need to check the reaction.’

I was curious about how the public felt, not just Baek Suhyeon.

‘Ah, maybe it’s still too early for anything to be uploaded.’

“…….”

‘It’ll be a while before videos are uploaded to NewTube….’

“…….”

‘And it’s too early to clip things.’

I thought maybe someone wouldn’t have clipped and uploaded just that section yet, as it was still too early. No, wait.

‘It’s already up?’

It wasn’t one of the communities I’d checked before. When I searched for ‘Lee Unha part’ on a search engine, I saw another SNS community with a user base as large as Insta’s.

‘It’s even getting reposted like crazy?’

Sharing had already begun. The tiny video showed Lee Unha…

[Trainee No. 112 Lee Unha: Take a step, and we go together.]

The part where I sang using Siren’s Voice was being played on loop. Naturally, reactions flooded in beneath it.