How to Avoid Debut

Chapter 28

༺ How To Avoid Debut – 28 ༻

The next day, Kim Seongwon did not come to the filming site. His departure had already been confirmed, and even an article was published about it, so all the participants were murmuring about that. Since I was not close enough to talk with the other participants, I deliberately sat alone in a corner, but then someone hesitated and sat next to me.

“Why are you sitting in this corner?”

“Why have you come all the way to this corner, Yejun?”

“It’s too noisy.”

I wonder if it was for the same reason as mine; Yejun pointed at the group of participants who were chattering excitedly with the tip of his chin. My hand, which had started to recklessly mess with my hair, was caught in just a few seconds.

“We’re filming soon, so you shouldn’t mess up your hair.”

“It’s not even styled.”

“Still, if it gets tangled, it looks a little bad. Your fans, Hahyun, might be paying attention to every single strand of hair.”

Yejun casually pressed down on my messy hair with his hand. The floating strands of hair were pressed down but only created more static electricity; however, I did not voice any complaints.

Unlike me, who had just washed my hair, Yejun’s hair looked a bit more natural but well-shaped, as if he had taken quite some care with it.

“It’s like a storm has swept through.”

“Ah.”

“Is the metaphor a bit off? Is he more of a hurricane? Or maybe a tornado would be better?”

I always thought he talked quite a bit, but today his lips seemed to move even more rapidly. His voice tone was a little higher, too. If even I, whose ability to notice changes around was significantly lacking, could feel it, it meant he was quite excited.

“Never mind, go play with Jun. … When did he become friends with Hwiyoung?”

“Hwiyoung is kind and receptive, so I’m not needed anymore.”

Yejun laughed heartily and slapped the floor with his palms. Jun was laughing and chattering; had he really switched from Yejun to Hwiyoung? I imagined that soon he’d be hanging on the shoulder over there. Imagining the tall figure of Jun, who was over 180 cm, hanging down, I suddenly felt sympathetic for Hwiyoung.

“Kim Seongwon is probably confined at home.”

“Pardon?”

“I overheard his phone conversation yesterday; he was saying that he needs to rein himself in now. They’re the kind of people who care about public opinion.”

Perhaps thinking that I would be curious, Yejun effortlessly spilled these unsolicited details. Shortly after, a strange thought occurred to me. How does he know all this? Yejun, noticing my puzzled look, opened his mouth again.

“We know each other’s families.”

“Ah, I see.”

To know Seongwon’s family… Yejun must have noticed my subtle gaze, as he slapped my shoulder lightly, laughing refreshingly.

“I can tell you where, but…”

“I’m not curious about it.”

“I figured you wouldn’t be. What I mean is, I’ve known Kim Seongwon for a long time.”

Nodding, I thought, if their parents knew each other, they must have been close. Yejun tilted his head back and continued speaking.

“Not to sound cliché, but you don’t need to think too deeply about his departure. It’s not a huge blow to his life. He’ll be much better off when he thinks about his future. It seems like they might even send him abroad soon.”

I knew the story without him telling me. People said you must pay for your sins, but Kim Seongwon could just flee abroad, backed by his parents, and that would be the end of it. Remembering his defiant voice until the end, it seemed unlikely that he would ever go to the victims to apologize one by one.

“Still, the atmosphere is…”

“If this had happened after his debut, it would have been many times worse. He… brought it upon himself.”

Yejun seemed to think of something terrible, his brow furrowing as he stopped speaking. He appeared to be recalling the past of Kim Seongwon, who brought ruin upon himself. Yejun’s face, which was scrunched up enough that I wanted to smooth it out, relaxed in an instant, and he smiled until his eyes narrowed. This person could really do both rapping and acting.

“But I found the hidden camera prank quite amusing. Regardless of the intention, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone get so angry, lose control, and rant. Some madman grabs the scruff of your neck right in public. He just dug his own grave, nothing more.”

Ha ha. Yejun brushed his shoulders as if it were nothing, even adding a laugh like something out of a drama, and got up from his seat. He started walking away with big strides without saying a word, and without realizing it, my mouth fell open slightly. He looked strangely happy when he was acting, and it was real. I felt a chill in my body for a moment and brushed my arm lightly. Besides the cold touch of my clothes, there was nothing else I felt.

* * *

“Congratulations to those who have survived thus far!”

The lively voice of the MC awakened the atmosphere of the filming set. It was the time to announce the third mission. The 18 surviving contestants applauded vigorously. Among the solemn clapping, Jun’s boisterous applause was noticeably off-beat. He was out of step with everyone else.

While everyone’s minds were cluttered with thoughts of the impending third mission, I alone was ruminating on the path that led me to this point. I was supposed to be neatly eliminated after the first mission, but somehow, I had come this far. If someone had told me from the start that the things I had tried to ignore would suddenly rush in and take over, I wouldn’t have even started.

“Now that you’ve enjoyed the joy of survival, shall we begin the competition again?”

A bright smile crossed the face of the MC, and for some reason, I thought of Yejun. People who speak while smiling can be subtly ferocious. The MC, who had no idea what realization I had gained from his smile, flipped over one of the cue cards he was holding.

“The third mission is…”

The MC’s voice stopped abruptly without completing the sentence. Silence filled the room for a few seconds, so intense that you could hear the sound of someone swallowing. Then something popped out from behind. What entered with a rattling noise was a box that had been used to determine teams during the second mission. A box filled with red balls, mounted on a wheeled cart, stopped right next to the MC.

Another team drawing? The atmosphere among the contestants became chaotic as various speculations began to arise. If it’s a team mission, I’ll work hard, but it seems like it will be uncomfortable. Since the recording of the music broadcast, my uncle had not spoken to me about missions. The only information I had gleaned from a past conversation was that the order of the second mission had changed because it was awkward to proceed with a large number of people.

“19 participants, no, 18 participants.”

It was now time to introduce the mission, but the MC had made a slip of the tongue. The number 19 naturally slipped out, momentarily forgetting the fact that Kim Seongwon had dropped out. He quickly corrected himself, but the recording was stopped. The MC awkwardly smiled and apologized, and the PD signaled an ‘okay’ sign as if it was no big deal.

“Ah, send Kim off quickly.”

“Since Kim Seongwon is out, will only 6 people be eliminated instead of 7?”

As soon as the recording was paused, the atmosphere immediately became chaotic. The hot topic of Kim Seongwon’s departure, significant enough to be in the top 3 in entertainment news, seemed like it would take quite some time to die down.

The preparations did not take long. The MC, after coughing a few times, smoothly began speaking as soon as the recording resumed, as if nothing had happened.

“The mission that the 18 participants will carry out is a teaser shooting.”

“……”

The room was enveloped in silence as the mission’s details fell from the MC’s mouth. Asking for a teaser to be filmed, not even a performance, was quite challenging for the participants who were ordinary people skilled only in singing and dancing. It was immediately clear why this was too overwhelming for a larger group.

“Inside this ball are the songs for the teasers you will be filming. You won’t know what songs are in there, so of course, you can’t choose. You must leave it to luck.”

The twinkling smile on his face looked devilish. The MC continued to add explanations so the participants could understand. They were to film a short individual teaser lasting 15 to 20 seconds, and they would be responsible for the overall screen composition in a high-difficulty mission. Moreover, there were a total of 6 songs written on the balls, creating a perfect situation to be compared with two other participants.

After hearing the explanation, there were no thoughts coming to mind. The brain just felt entirely empty, filled only with the MC’s face.

Why did they have to include such a mission? It was clear that having 18 participants carry out this task would be enormously burdensome. There would likely be limits to revisions or requests for re-shooting. If they wanted to proceed on a low budget, the participants would have to adjust the quality themselves. It seemed like those lacking creativity would struggle greatly.

For example, someone like me.

“……Calm down.”

Unknowingly, I had been clutching my head when Jigu, who was standing quietly in front of me, turned around and awkwardly smiled, chiding me. With a gentle touch, he restored my hand to its original position, and I found myself staring at the back of his head, which was looking forward without lingering thoughts.

“We’ll start the draw from first place.”

Just like the last mission, the MC gave each participant, according to their ranking, a chance to determine their fate. As I was blankly staring at the balls neatly stacked in the box, Jigu lightly touched my leg. I was startled by the sudden touch and sharply looked up, only to find the MC looking straight at me, smiling.

“Are you thinking about which ball to choose? It wouldn’t make any difference~.”

The MC spoke teasingly, dragging out the end of his sentence, and I finally remembered the fact that the first-place participant had dropped out. Since Kim Seongwon, the undisputed first place, had dropped out, everyone’s ranking had automatically risen by one, and I was no exception.

“Relax and come forward. Haha.”

The MC was particularly talkative today. Even though there was only one step difference between first and second place, I couldn’t understand why the pressure suddenly felt greater. I walked forward with an unsteady gait, picked up a ball, and returned to my place. Other participants also came forward in turn.

Although only the highlight part needed to be filmed, the atmosphere of the teaser would inevitably change according to the mood of the song. You couldn’t capture the mood of an upbeat song by sitting on a chair and gazing blankly, nor could you shoot a dark and melancholy song while running around a playground.

Everyone else was busy making secretive expressions as they checked the songs they had drawn, but I rolled the ball in my hand for quite some time without opening it.

As soon as everyone had drawn a ball, the filming ended. I caressed the smooth surface of the ball while watching the participants share the songs they had picked. Of course, I was no exception.

“My goodness, the title alone is quite curious.”

Yejun shook the ball with a deflated smile. “Party Night” was indeed a curious title.

“Awesome. Ah, I got a NOBLE song.”

Jun alternated between looking at Yejun’s face and the ball, laughing uproariously before thrusting his ball forward. A piece of paper was attached to the side with NOBLE’s debut song neatly written on it. Upon Jun’s confession, Hwiyoung silently raised his right hand. It meant they had drawn the same song.

Jigu, who like me had not yet checked his ball, came into my view, his eyes rolling uneasily. Since Jun and Hwiyoung had taken that song, there must have been one left. His face, which seemed anxious about whether he would draw a NOBLE song since the rumors hadn’t completely died down, settled down calmly after opening the ball.

“It’s quite a serene song.”

“Coffee in the Afternoon.” It was a song by a solo singer who dominated the charts every time the ethereal ballad was released. I briefly imagined Jigu sitting on a chair, quietly lifting a cup of coffee, then quickly came to my senses and hurriedly opened my own ball.

[FLY – Jane]

The concise title was quite common, so it was hard to know whose song it was without checking the artist’s name written below. It was a song and artist I had never seen before, so I was a little confused. Looking at the title, it seemed like it might have a hopeful atmosphere.

“What kind of song is this?”

“It’s a song about dreams. It’s refreshing and nice to listen to.”

I thought no one knew my song since no one was showing interest, but then Jigu blurted out. A song about dreams – it seemed my guess about it being a hopeful song was right. Various scenarios whirled around in my head. I would have to listen to it to understand, but how to capture it in 15 seconds?

“Does anyone have an image in mind for their song?”

“Not at all.”

Jun was the first to shake his head vigorously in response to Yejun’s question, expressing his disagreement. With a serious, furrowed brow, it seemed like Jun had thought of something as he suddenly clapped his hands and perked up.

“Shall we all go have an idea meeting together?”

“No need.”

Yejun coolly poured cold water on Jun’s enthusiastic suggestion. I thought it was really fortunate that Yejun had said what I wanted to say. However, Jun wasn’t deterred by this degree of dismissal.

“We might have different songs, but it would be good to share ideas with each other. There’s also a saying that two heads are better than one.”

Jun, proudly using the proverb as if he had just learned it yesterday, began to persuade the others, but everyone seemed indifferent. Gaon was the only one who agreed. Even Hwiyoung, who usually didn’t refuse much, was exercising his right to remain silent, wearing a kind smile, so the likelihood of the meeting being called off seemed very high.

And a short while later, we all found ourselves sitting in a café, ostensibly for an idea meeting. In front of Jun, a beautifully arranged honey bread, paid for by Yejun’s wallet, was placed, and within the stillness, only the sound of the crisp crunching from within mouths resonated widely.

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