translation by mourningmoor
The day of the 4th round competition arrived.
Perhaps because the music industry had been buzzing due to <Survival, Music Genius> over the past week, the number of reporters watching the commute increased. The number of Filaments who came to cheer also grew.
On the other hand, the number of One Tiers noticeably decreased.
“Tsk, it’s over. Taei.”
Why did you have to do something like that?
Muttering to myself, I entered the waiting room with Seo Hanul.
Inside the waiting room, it already felt like a picnic.
Perhaps because the number of contestants had been reduced to twelve, the atmosphere was much more lively. And at the center of it all was Sniper’s Seokwoo.
“Ichan, you’re here?”
Like Kim Jeongsoo, this guy’s social skills were no joke.
Both of them had round and gentle personalities, which made them very approachable.
The difference between Yang Seokwoo and Kim Jeongsoo was that Seokwoo wasn’t as nosy.
Ah, and he doesn’t cling openly. He clings subtly.
“Wow, the snack menu today is fancy, huh?”
Somehow, the snack menu feels more extravagant each time.
Competitions and mid-check filming. We only meet twice a week at most, but the number of people bringing snacks keeps increasing. Naturally, the variety of snacks has grown.
Today, it’s almost at party level.
“I think everyone’s paying attention to snacks because you mentioned them on Twittle.”
Seokwoo came over and quietly informed me.
Seeing VJs scattered around, it seemed the waiting room sketch filming had already started.
By now, everyone was used to the cameras, so they naturally continued chatting while sharing snacks.
Still, everyone ate in moderation.
To look good on screen, you need to stay slim.
Then, my gaze landed on Seo Hanul.
Before leaving, he devoured two bowls of steak rice at the employee cafeteria for lunch, and now he was picking up a box of rice cakes again.
That guy. If we sign him, we’ll have to manage his eating habits first.
I tapped his back to signal him to eat in moderation and grabbed a drink and a fruit box.
Then, I approached Taei, who was sitting alone in the corner of the waiting room.
He had his ears plugged with earphones and his eyes closed, but his mind was in turmoil.
Yeah, he should be troubled. His pride must be hurt.
Regardless, I suddenly handed him a drink.
“Taei sunbaenim, have some snacks.”
Taei reluctantly lifted his eyelids.
He glanced at me sideways and then closed his eyes again.
“Let’s not do this, okay?”
I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
“The cameras are rolling.”
His eyelashes fluttered, and his closed eyelids lifted again.
With a stiff face, he forced a slight smile and reached out his hand.
“Oh, thanks.”
I also handed him the fruit box.
“Have some other snacks too.”
I spoke formally in a loud voice and informally in a whisper, making Taei aware of the situation.
“Even if you don’t like it, you have to act naturally. If you don’t want your image to plummet.”
After the infamous photo was posted, I contacted Taei through Kim Junmo.
Taei tried to deny it angrily, but it didn’t last long.
All the evidence was too clear.
In the end, the panicked Taei admitted everything. And the CEO of Mega Entertainment was just as panicked as Taei.
[This could blow up. If we leak it to the press, it’ll be great fodder. But Ichan is reluctant to do that.]
PD Pyo was an excellent messenger.
[It’s not something the whole team did, so it’s heartbreaking to see the team fall apart because of one member. So, if we can reach an agreement, let’s cover it up. Do you want to agree?]
Instead of staying silent and letting it slide, I made it clear that I didn’t want to hear the “copycat” remarks from T.I.ONE’s fandom again.
I also knew that Taei was leading the charge and that if I could shut his mouth, I’d cover this up.
I also hinted that if any rumors about L.I.T being a copycat of T.I.ONE surfaced in the future, the situation would change.
[Just looking at this incident, isn’t it clear who the copycat is? Oh, not a copycat? Plagiarism. A global-scale idol stealing the creative work of a junior group in their second year? Even a passing dog would laugh.]
The CEO of Mega Entertainment and T.I.ONE’s leader quickly agreed.
They wanted to kick Taei out and clean up the mess immediately, but with the recently released album activities, they couldn’t. They promised not to cause any more trouble if we let it slide.
After that, T.I.ONE’s leader personally called me to thank me.
[I heard you forgave Taei for the sake of our members. Thank you so much.]
Of course, you should be grateful.
I saved your team from falling apart.
So, cooperate. Kwon Taei.
“I’m not covering this up because I like you, sunbaenim.”
To reach the top, we need good relationships with the industry’s top players. We need their fans to like us too.
To achieve that, harmony is easier and more effective than confrontation.
Naturally, Taei becomes the sacrificial lamb.
Taei, who had taken the fruit box from me, whispered quietly.
“You little brat. Did you cover this up just to show off?”
“Why? Should I reveal everything now?”
Since he still couldn’t tell if it was a bluff, I added a slight threat.
The camera was also approaching us.
“If you want, I can do it. I can even cry loudly here, asking how you could do this to me, sunbaenim.”
Taei’s face turned pale.
“I went out of my way to cover for you, so let’s not stir up trouble. Okay?”
I spoke softly and smiled slightly, causing Taei’s lips to tighten.
By now, the camera was right in front of us.
Then, a bright smile spread across Taei’s face.
As expected of a trained idol, his ability to switch gears was exceptional.
“Hey, you’re taking care of me too. Thanks.”
Taei suddenly stood up, tapped my shoulder, and even slung his arm around it.
He moved toward the snack table, avoiding the camera, and greeted the other contestants with a smile.
“Wow, there are so many snacks again?”
His intention was to avoid a two-shot with me, but it wasn’t a good choice. There was a VJ filming the scene on this side too.
Instead, Taei’s sudden friendly approach made the other contestants visibly flustered. Unfortunately, that was also captured on camera.
This would definitely come up during individual interviews.
―Taei-nim suddenly approached and started talking, and it was awkward. He’s a bit hard to approach.
―Unlike Seokwoo hyung or Ichan, who were easy to get close to from the start, Taei-nim is different. He’s such a star.
―Are we bullying him? Us? No way. He’s the one putting up walls. It’s clear from his attitude. I’m different from you. I’m on another level. Like that.
Knowing that Taei’s antis were pushing the “Taei bullying” narrative, the contestants would unanimously point out Taei’s attitude problem.
There was no reason to tolerate Taei’s consistently arrogant behavior since the 1st round.
No, they knew that if they stayed silent, they’d be eaten alive, so they’d likely speak more aggressively than before.
In many ways, Taei was in trouble.
Well, I can leave Taei’s fate to the other contestants now.
They’ll handle it themselves.
And Taei will definitely not make it to the 5th round.
* * *
The order for the 4th round missions was decided.
It was supposedly based on luck, but it was pretty much predetermined.
The production team, who had kept my role as Seo Hanul’s singer a strict secret, rigged the draw to place Seo Hanul last. This matchup was worth making a fuss about.
By now, Taei was forgotten, and <Survival, Music Genius> Season 2 was all about the showdown between Kang Ichan and Seo Hanul.
It was a good setup.
The battle between 1st and 2nd place, 1st being the genius idol and 2nd being the idol of the indie scene.
On top of that, 2nd place claimed to be a fan of 1st place and even prepared a song for him.
Both had great visuals and exceptional skills.
After spending a week together, they had also grown much closer.
It was a perfect setup for narrative and storytelling.
The broadcast team must be going crazy.
I also recognized Seo Hanul’s musical talent, so this matchup felt quite entertaining.
That’s why the production team is hyping up Seo Hanul producing Kang Ichan as today’s highlight.
But that’s absolutely not going to happen.
Today’s biggest highlight will be Kang Ichan producing Kim Jaewon (feat. Roa).
Fifth out of twelve.
As the next performer, I headed to the producer’s seat next to the judges’ panel.
The fourth performance had just ended, so the producer’s seat was empty.
A VCR of my performance from the previous round played on the screen.
As I took my seat, the assistant director signaled the host.
“The protagonist of the fifth performance, Producer Kang Ichan, has taken his seat.”
The host, with his eloquent words, asked me a few questions and then gave the judges a chance to ask as well.
Immediately, Yoon Jooeon grabbed the mic.
“Kang Ichan-ssi. I heard you’ve prepared a fantastic duet stage?”
Her eyes sparkled with high expectations.
“I did my best to create it.”
I went all out, determined to showcase our members.
Not wanting to drag it out, Yoon Jooeon smiled and asked.
“Will you be telling your story through music again this time?”