Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus – Chapter 88

Author: LyraDhani

“Congratulations, Unha.”

“Ah! Haejun hyung! Congratulations to you too!”

“Haha….”

“Congratulations, Unha!”

“Taehee, congrats to you as well.”

“Come on, it’s all thanks to you! Besides, you’re the one who got first place. Honestly, I already knew you’d take first. I just had a feeling… But seeing you actually get first was seriously amazing. You just couldn’t stop crying, you know?”

“Ahaha… I-Is that so?”

“Yeah. What you said on stage was really touching too… I hope we get to debut together like this. Right?”

“Yeah. If that happens, I don’t think I’d have any wishes left.”

After putting a little distance between myself and Trainee No. 123, Jung Taehee, who always approached me a bit too enthusiastically, I turned my attention to Baek Suhyeon in 8th place and Kim Taeyeol in 9th.

The expressions on their faces practically screamed that they wanted to come over, but they must have felt awkward approaching the Seven Thrones where the Top 7 were seated.

“Suhyeon! Taeyeol hyung! Come over here.”

“Is it okay if I come too?”

“Ah, of course.”

“Damn… I’m so jealous. Seriously. I wonder if I’ll ever get to sit in one of those chairs.”

“Come on, you can sit in one right now. Want to try? Actually, you don’t even need my permission. Filming’s over, so go ahead and have a seat.”

“What’s the point if it’s not my actual rank?”

“Can I… Can I try sitting in one?”

“Of course. Instead of just that, let’s all take a photo. Suhyeon, Wooyoung hyung! Younghun hyung! Hocheol hyung! If you’re okay with it, let’s take a group photo here!”

I’d definitely gotten too close to them. It was exhausting….

“Hyungs, what are you all doing! Come over here!”

Honestly, taking care of them one by one was a chore. Some trainees were satisfied with their rankings, while others weren’t, so I couldn’t act too happy. I even had to offer words of comfort to a few of them. By nature, human relationships forced you to care about these things whether you wanted to or not.

Sure enough, I spotted a few people looking dejected. In moments like this, I had no choice but to force my energy up.

“Let’s take a photo together!”

The bait was a proof shot. There might be people who found it a hassle, but there wasn’t anyone who disliked having their picture taken. Since everyone had been given their best styling for today, things took even longer. A quiet desire had begun to spread among some of the trainees to leave today with the most satisfying photos possible.

The dejected No. 45 seemed to have perked up, as he was busy taking photos not just of himself, but of others as well.

“How’s this? Is it okay?”

“Yeah, looks good.”

I heard the voice of No. 45, who had become particularly close to No. 98, Kim Taeyeol. Naturally, plenty of other conversations drifted over as well.

It wasn’t just our group. Elsewhere, other trainees had also gathered in small groups, chatting and taking pictures together. It felt strangely remarkable seeing everyone acting so comfortably that it was hard to remember how stiff and awkward the atmosphere had been during our first filming.

I suppose this was what happened once we’d gradually become familiar with the staff we’d once found intimidating and unfamiliar, and grown attached to them as well.

Sure enough, I could hear trainees greeting the staff from all over the set. Bright voices shouting ‘Good job!’, ‘Great work, Writer-nim!’, ‘PD-nim!’ were all tangled together.

I was no different. I approached the staff members I’d become friendly with, pulling them by the arm to take photos together, acting cute to leave the best impression possible.

“Our Unha is really going to debut at this rate.”

“It’s not over yet. Don’t say things like that all of a sudden—you’ll just make me nervous!”

“Shouldn’t I get an autograph in advance?”

“Ah! Seriously, stop teasing me!”

“Hahahahahaha.”

“Hahaha.”

Meanwhile, I also caught sight of Jegal Hwi and the other three trainees who had made the top rankings alongside him. I considered going over to talk to them, but each of them was surrounded by so many people that they felt a little difficult to approach.

Starting a conversation… isn’t easy. Now that we’ve all made the debut zone… I should really get close to them from here on.

The ongoing quest was still on my mind. We had exchanged congratulations and said ‘good job’, but unfortunately, we hadn’t had any private conversations. Each of us already had our own group, and because we stayed focused on those groups, we’d never really had the chance to talk.

‘I wonder if we’ll have a chance to be in the same group.’

There were only two performances left, including the final live stage…

‘If luck isn’t on my side, we might never get the chance to meet…’

Actually, even if we were assigned to the same group, it wouldn’t be easy to find an opportunity for heart-to-heart talks or to find common ground. The first reason was that we had left the dorms, and the second was that we were heading straight into Crunch Mode.

Yes, immediately after the first vote ended today, Idol Classism unofficially entered Crunch Mode.

I had no idea what kind of filming was scheduled for next week, but after finishing that content, we’d immediately begin another ranking announcement event. After that, we’d prepare and perform, followed by another ranking announcement. Even after filming the ranking announcement, we’d have to immediately monitor the episode that aired that day.

While handling all of that, we also had to prepare for the final live stage….

There was no way there would be time to get to know each other. Since time was tight, we’d have to show up at the practice rooms every day and practice until we were exhausted.

The production team, wanting to show that the trainees have grown, would pour in even more manpower to break the previous records. Instead of us trainees discussing things, debating, and reaching our own conclusions like before, we’d simply hand ourselves over to the professionals and work through the remaining schedule.

Judging by the constant stream of future schedules arriving on my phone…

‘Looks like we’re going to be worked to the bone for a while.’

There was no way we’d have time to gather separately to build friendships. I might not even have enough time to meet or contact the trainees I was already close with.

Looking at my phone, I unconsciously let out a sigh. A short time later, we left the set, took off our mics in the standby area, and walked through the somewhat narrow, damp corridor toward the waiting room.

“…….”

I dragged along a body that felt completely drained after having to constantly watch my facial expressions, actions, and every little gesture…

That was when I heard a quiet voice from somewhere.

“…….”

“Cliques are f*cking disgusting, seriously….”

“…….”

‘What?’

“…….”

It might have been a monologue. It might simply have been that, by chance, the venue had suddenly fallen silent at just the right moment, allowing that trainee’s voice to reach my ears.

When I turned toward the source of the voice, sure enough, I saw a trainee looking slightly flustered. As everyone’s attention focused on him, I could also see his face turning red.

Anyone could tell he was overwhelmed with embarrassment and shame, but unfortunately, it seemed his way of overcoming that shame was by redirecting the blame onto someone else.

He glanced in my direction before lowering his head again, and I heard him mutter under his breath once more. It was meant to be a mutter, but everyone had probably heard him.

“They just tag all their close friends on SNS and ask for votes… Honestly, isn’t that unfair?”

“…….”

Instinctively, I looked for Jung Taehee. I was worried he’d snap at the trainee.

It wasn’t exactly a relief, but the one who answered the complaint was an unexpected person. The trainee who had been walking in front of me:

Jegal Hwi.

He didn’t even bother looking at the guy. Instead, he just muttered to himself as he continued walking.

“What exactly was the problem?”

“…….”

“I recall the production staff encouraging us to promote the voting. Is my memory wrong?”

“…….”

“If someone fails to make proper use of the rules that already exist, that’s their own fault. If they fail to build a group they can socialize with, that’s also their own fault. So what exactly is supposed to be unfair about this?”

‘Wait. What? Is this a power struggle? What’s happening?’

I never imagined I’d witness this level of tension just as we were finishing up.

“Besides, don’t the number of votes keep decreasing? Five votes next, then three, then one. Once that happens, today’s rankings won’t really carry much significance anyway…”

Actually, ‘power struggle’ wasn’t the right word. Even though they were on the verge of clashing head-on, the dissenter who had been dissatisfied with the current system simply lowered his head. It was probably because he couldn’t think of a rebuttal.

Even to me, there wasn’t a single thing wrong with whatever Jegal-whatever-his-name-was saying. We were just utilizing the rules provided within Idol Classism….

As time went on, the effect of promoting as a clique would likely lose its luster. Since the system would eventually lead to people voting for their one-pick, those who hadn’t secured their own individual fandom were highly likely to fail in the end.

The trainees who received the trickle-down effect from Lee Unha’s SNS would probably drop two or three ranks as well.

‘There are a few people in this group I should be careful about, too….’

“…….”

‘Jeon Hocheol and Na Younghun will definitely drop… Will Taehee drift away from the debut zone too? Kim Taeyeol? No, it seems he’s actually picked up quite a few personal fans.’

Anyway, there was no need to worry about the group that would be dropped. Right now, it was more important to strike up a conversation with Jegal Hwi. Since a chance had finally presented itself after so long, I couldn’t just sit still.

I quickened my pace. It wasn’t a long distance, but I wanted to get closer to Jegal Hwi. When I cautiously made my presence known…

“Ah… um….”

Jegal Hwi turned his head to look at me.

“He-hello… I think this is the first time we’ve introduced ourselves. Hehe….”

“What is it?”

This was the first time I’d ever seen his face from this close.

‘No wonder he’s popular… He really is handsome.’

He had sharp features and piercing eyes, and—I wasn’t sure if this was the best way to describe it—he carried the air of a noble. Not a corrupt noble or a fallen one, but a young lord who had received a professional education in a prestigious family. He definitely had the aura of a nobleman who fulfilled Noblesse Oblige, someone everyone admired.

His eyes looked full of self-confidence, without a hint of wavering. He felt similar to Joo Wooyoung, yet subtly different. If Joo Wooyoung was someone who had rooted himself and blossomed after many ups and downs in a wild meadow, Jegal Hwi felt like someone who had taken firm root in a well-kept environment.

Even though I’d never really had the chance to get to know Jegal Hwi, the atmosphere surrounding him alone told me what kind of person he was.

‘Seeing him up close… I can understand why he’s so popular.’

Moreover.

‘He’s kind.’

Even though I’d completely missed the timing to speak because I’d been staring at his face, he quietly waited for me without saying a word.

Once I regained my senses, I continued. I wanted to thank him.

“Thanks for helping me back there.”

Since I’d made the first move to be friendly, I expected a positive reaction in return. But his answer was unexpected.

“Not really.”

“Huh?”

“Not really. There’s no need to thank me.”

“Uh….”