Chapter 17
-Though we’re sitting down now,
You know we’ll rise again.
Naturally, 1st place Choi Taeri occupied the largest portion. Even without focusing, once he entered the camera frame, your eyes automatically went to Choi Taeri.
It wasn’t because he was tall or handsome. He was just that kind of presence.
-Look at me, look at me, Look at me…
Team 3’s turn came and Juha was caught on camera. Seeing himself dancing and singing with a lively smile felt awkward, so Juha flinched.
Despite memories of filming over thirty times, everyone had good expressions.
But to Juha’s eyes, those bright expressions were a little heartbreaking. They had put smile masks over the desperation of young boys. Those paradoxical faces also aroused masochistic pleasure in viewers.
Your dream depends on my one vote, so if you want it, smile for me, dance for me, break down for me. You say that’s your dream job but you can’t even do that?
The greater the gap between the pretty boys’ tears backstage and smiles on stage, the more thrilled consumers became.
Lee Juha’s situation wasn’t different. To receive their approval in the future, how much forced crying and laughing would he have to do? With bitter feelings, beer naturally went down his throat.
After the stage ended, the final debut benefits were introduced through brief narration and screens.
Gnet’s ‘My Job is Idol’ debut members would be guaranteed 5 years of activity under the management of Gnet’s subsidiary agency G-Ants. First place would get group center position and model contracts for 3 PPL products.
While existing idol survival shows had short contract periods of maximum 3 years, ‘My Job is Idol’s merit was offering 5 years, not much different from regular idols.
Especially considering trainees’ basic contract periods were 6-8 years, existing agency contracts might end during the 5-year contract period.
That way, G-Ants could pick up quality trainees who dropped out with better contract conditions.
The four masters were briefly introduced and immediately the audition scenes of 80 people began. The screen time varied for each.
The order progressed and it was 47th Yoo Youngin’s turn.
Juha secretly observed Taeri’s reaction. Taeri brought beer to his mouth with an indifferent expression.
Gulp. As the beer went down, Taeri’s Adam’s apple moved. Juha swallowed his saliva too. The fine muscles attached smoothly along the masculine neckline leading to his shoulders looked good.
As scenes changed, the screen reflected colorfully on Taeri’s glasses.
“What?”
Feeling his gaze, Taeri turned his head toward Juha.
“Yo, Youngin does well, right?”
Juha pointed at the TV and threw out words haphazardly. It was exactly the kind of question waiting for denial.
“You weren’t watching properly because you were looking at me.”
Taeri said with his lips curving up.
How did he know?
Juha flinched at Taeri’s words.
“I was watching…”
Being naturally bad at lying, Juha’s answer lost strength.
Right. Actually, he couldn’t concentrate on the kids who appeared earlier because he was distracted by Taeri sitting next to him.
At least he wanted to watch Youngin properly, but even this he couldn’t watch because of Choi Taeri.
“You were watching. I couldn’t watch properly because of you though…”
Taeri muttered to himself and turned his gaze back to the screen. For a moment, Juha’s chest tightened as if blocked. The words “because of you” were enough to make Juha’s face burn.
“You’re on.”
Taeri spoke as if talking to himself.
On screen, Youngin went in and 48th Lee Juha’s name was called. Patting his chest a few times, Juha turned his head to the screen.
Glancing at this sideways, Taeri smiled satisfactorily. How could Lee Juha trip over the same stone every time like that? Like a snail that hides in its shell at the slightest touch, he was cautious and timid about everything.
That appearance seemed to build walls, but also felt like trying to defend his tightly wrapped emotions, making him increasingly curious.
Unaware of Taeri’s meaningful gaze, Juha focused on the screen.
The iron door opened and Juha stood in the center of the stage.
‘Was I that frozen?’
The Juha on screen had no expression whatsoever. He just blinked while looking at the masters like a doll that didn’t know how to smile.
His light brown hair covering his forehead also looked stuffy.
“You must have been really nervous.”
Choi Taeri muttered like talking to himself.
“Not really… I wasn’t that nervous but it came out like that on screen.”
He was nervous, but didn’t think it would be to that extent.
During his trainee days, he’d watched countless videos of Juha’s stages recorded by the company with camcorders, but seeing himself on TV, he looked exactly like a child thrown alone onto the streets.
[6 years as trainee]
With a warning sound effect, desperate subtitle font was embedded. The face of Juha on stage also looked gloomy.
After brief questions were exchanged, Juha’s dance and song began. As Juha’s expression brightened dramatically with the music start, the masters in front exaggeratedly widened their eyes.
“You do well.”
Choi Taeri looked down at Juha with proud eyes. While some trainees got nervous and messed up lyrics or forgot choreography, Juha’s stage flowed naturally like water. His gaze handling toward the camera was also accurate, and his dance lines had leisure unusual for a trainee.
When the stage ended, Juha returned to his nervous face. Until he received approval and returned to his seat, Juha watching TV held his breath tightly.
Even knowing the results already, his mouth went dry throughout his close-up.
Come to think of it, Choi Taeri was next after him. Contrary to expectations, a low sigh flowed from Juha’s mouth.
“Ah…”
As expected of shameless Gnet, commercials came right before Taeri appeared. Beverage and chicken commercials. Perfect menu to drool over at this hour.
“They edited it pretty cheaply.”
Taeri swallowed the remaining beer while watching the chicken commercial.
During the commercials, Juha recalled his stage that had just ended. With that stage, Juha ranked 24th.
After watching everything, Juha felt he understood why he ranked 24th after 6 years of training. Juha’s dance, song, and looks were clearly upper tier.
But none were the best level. He was handsome enough for people to turn around several times on the street, but over half of the 80 contestants had that level of looks.
Even with a 6-year trainee story to gain sympathy votes, he didn’t have the temperament to beg with such things. Not knowing how to actively appeal what he had, Lee Juha was simply 24th place.
At the very least, he should have good reactions while other trainees showed their stages, but Juha was truly a background character.
While people around him might like him for not being cunning and being prudent, the public’s eyes were different.
Juha gulped down the beer he was holding to soothe his burning insides. After draining every last drop, Taeri silently brought a new beer can and placed it in front of Juha.
“Thanks.”
Juha greeted lightly and opened the beer can. Swallowing the even colder beer was mind-clearing.
The noisy commercials ended. Juha cut off his self-reproach and turned his head to the screen.
As soon as Taeri appeared on stage, the screen atmosphere completely changed. It was editing elaborate enough for anyone to know the main character of this program had appeared.
[500K YouTuber Teri Us operator]
[Yeseon Arts High School Dance Department valedictorian]
[Fandom Entertainment trainee]
Compared to Juha’s subtitle of [6-year trainee], it was such a glamorous screen that he wanted to borrow even one of the subtitles attached to Taeri.
Juha glanced sideways comparing the real Taeri with him on screen. Perhaps because he was relaxed at home now, he looked much sharper on screen.
The first impression he’d thought of as a cold handsome guy was revealed exactly on screen.
Before starting his stage, Taeri took off his shoes and went barefoot.
The intro of Lee Cheong’s “Moon” that he chose started with dramatic melody. Taeri’s arms spread long like spreading wings. Though he was tall, his particularly long limbs made his dance lines dynamically alive.
-Every time the moon rises, I think of you
The you shining within it, I just watch
Master Lee Cheong’s solo song was both feminine and strong. The music that Choi Taeri expressed overflowed with power. The tempo control of pausing briefly before strong movements then releasing was so excellent it made viewers’ hearts flutter.
It was dance that could rank in the very top even in dance survival shows, not idol survival.
Juha stopped trying to drink beer and watched his stage helplessly.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t main vocal level singing ability. But his deep voice had no discord with Taeri’s luxurious image and lingering dance.
Frankly, with dance at that level, demanding 3-octave high notes was absurd in itself.
Choi Taeri’s stage ended with the music. The screen alternately showed the faces of stunned masters and trainees. Some trainees were shocked and overreacted.
Taeri looked at himself on screen emotionlessly.
“Satisfied?”
Juha asked.
“Well, so-so.”
The next trainees passed by quickly. Due to Choi Taeri’s stage impression being too strong, other participants were hard to notice no matter how well edited.
After the ranking announcement ended, the scene of Choi Taeri designating his roommate appeared.
Juha sat leaning against the sofa hugging his knees and concentrated on the screen. He was pointlessly nervous about how it would be edited.
‘I don’t have close friends yet, but there’s someone I’d like to become friends with.’
To Park Jusung’s question about who he wanted to room with, Taeri said with a gentle smile.
‘Who might that be?’
Park Jusung’s face flushed with the question.
‘Trainee Lee Juha.’
With Taeri’s answer, the camera urgently close-upped Juha’s face.
A face that had no presence mixed among 80 contestants until now showed raw, unadorned expression with no pretense at all.
Even someone who knew nothing of the context could clearly see the inner thought of ‘Why me?’
Soon Juha’s behind-the-scenes interview appeared.
‘How did you feel when trainee Choi Taeri designated you?’
‘I’m still a bit dazed…’
When Juha fumbled his words, subtitles showed […]. He’d definitely said something more, but the editing team cut it and attached his expressionless face. He couldn’t blame the editing since even then, Juha hadn’t said anything impactful.
Really terrible at speaking.
Juha found himself pathetic for ruining even interviews that could have gotten viewers’ attention.
“Who did you think was good?”
While his face burned and he hung his head low, Taeri asked. Juha’s face disappeared from the screen and commercials appeared again.
“Everyone did well. Eunwon did well too, and Yeop hyung.”
“Me?”
Taeri looked at Juha sideways with expectant eyes.
“…You did well.”
So that’s the answer he wanted.
Juha reluctantly gave Taeri the answer he’d been expecting. Come to think of it, it sounded exactly like what you’d say to a dog that brought back a ball. Moreover, Choi Taeri smiled fluffy like a dog that had really been praised.
The cold handsome guy on screen was smiling only for him. Juha almost exclaimed “Ah” in admiration.
So this is what fans flock to fan meetings and such to see.
After commercials ended, assigned room scenes appeared one by one. When large boys entered narrow 4-person rooms dragging luggage, it was complete chaos. Juha unconsciously chuckled at editing mixed with slapstick body comedy.
Finally, the penthouse scene unfolded.
Lee Juha entered the spacious room contrasting with other rooms, and Choi Taeri came out of the bathroom shirtless.
“Gasp!”
The moment he saw the screen, Juha inhaled.
The production team had put mosaic over Taeri’s naked body. An upper body that would have been nothing special looked more erotic with the mosaic.
A subtitle appeared under Lee Juha staring at him obviously.
[Why are his ears turning red?]
With ridiculous sound effects and absurd subtitles bursting out, episode 1 ended.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
