Chapter 6

"When you said it was a song you wrote yourself, that was so cool," Wang Qi said while playfully jumping around Jacan, whom he regarded as his 'number one brother' in this survival show.

"You talk too much. It's your turn to go shower," Yeo Unche tossed a towel over his shoulder. He was fully dressed because every corner of the dormitory was equipped with cameras, preventing them from wandering around shirtless as they might at home.

At least the bathrooms didn't have cameras...

"Yes, yes!" Wang Qi diverted his attention from Jacan and quickly grabbed his own towel and clothes, dashing into the bathroom to tend to his personal needs.

Jacan watched the moving bundle of energy with a sigh. Everyone else was exhausted from the day's activities, eager to collapse into bed, but this kid still had energy to spare, running around inspecting the dorm building, popping in and out of rooms until he could see through them. He even came back to report that their room was the smallest, so it was arranged for just three people to sleep there, unlike other rooms, which accommodated four.

By this time, all 99 trainees and the four judges had left the filming studio. The entire evaluation had wrapped up right at midnight.

The evaluation a few hours ago categorized the trainees as follows:

Class A: 5 people

Class B: 24 people

Class C: 12 people

Class D: 13 people

Class E: 45 people

The evening's assessment left many trainees nearly devoid of confidence to continue competing. If it weren't just the first tape and they weren't waiting for another round of audience voting, more than half might have packed up to go home.

Naturally, Jacan was in Class A; all four judges unanimously agreed without requiring the young man to sing or dance any further.

In this show, members of other classes might switch around as their abilities develop or decline, except for Class A, which will only have five members. If they want to debut, they must push themselves to be one of those five.

The trainee dormitory for the show was a bare apartment block in the suburbs owned by Dong Hyeonin, the president of the company. Previously, it was used as a temporary off-site filming studio. When Im Heewoo was unsure where to house the trainees, the young president suggested renovating this building, which, although it took up one-third of the budget, was still cheaper than renting a hotel.

Each bedroom dint separate trainees by class like during training. The show randomly assigned both roommates and room numbers fairly. Each room housed four people, making up 24 rooms in total, and one room had only three people.

In his room, there were two from Class A—Wang Qi, the first trainee to achieve Class A status at age 16, and Jacan. Another was Yeo Unche, a 17-year-old trainee from Class B under MI Ent., a new music agency run by his father.

It appeared that he was several years older than the others in the room…

“I'm the first artist from the company, so I wanted to make it known. When I heard SKM was recruiting trainees for a survival show, I applied immediately. It's incredibly fortunate to have made it this far.”

“You're selling yourself short. Your evaluation put you at a B level. With a bit more effort, you might move up,” Jacan didn’t just offer words of comfort to appear kind; Yeo Unche's skills shouldn’t be underestimated. Being complacent about being on top could mean being pulled down unexpectedly.

“Yeah, yeah, Brother Unche is awesome. Hey, hey, teach me some b-boy moves. I've never danced b-boy before,” the youngest, who had just passed by after showering, overheard the conversation and jumped into the discussion energetically.

"You showered too quickly, and all I can really dance is b-boying, I can’t do much else," or he wouldn’t be in Class B.

Yeo Unche grabbed the younger, more playful roommate to keep him still, then instinctively checked everything was in order due to habit from being the eldest brother in a family of four boys. He only snapped out of it when he caught the puzzled gaze of Wang Qi.

"Ah, sorry, it's just a habit. Don't take it personally," the older boy said, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"It's fine. My brother at home treats me the same way," Wang Qi replied, surprised that even abroad he was treated like he was at home.

"I almost started crying just now," Wang Qi joked, pretending to sniffle, lightening the mood instantly.

"Overreacting," Yeo Unche flicked his forehead, then dodged a playful bite as a form of retaliation.

"Let's head to bed. Although tomorrow starts at 10 am, who knows what they might throw at us. Better to get plenty of sleep," Jacan said, heading towards the light switch, pressuring the two to head to their beds. Without their phones, confiscated at the start of the show, there was no social media to scroll through before sleep.

…

Jacan correctly predicted that since they were all grouped together based on looks, a little service to the audience was expected, or it might be seen as a disservice.

Bang, bang, bang.

[Fire! There's a fire!!!] Park Insa, holding his usual microphone, stood outside the building, holding a skillet to make noise with a ladle. Thankfully, the area was open enough to allow the loud sounds without disturbing the public, even at 5 am….

[Wake up, wake up!!]

!!!!!

Bang, bang, bang.

The once-quiet building erupted in noise with doors and windows flying open.

[Hey, hey, don't jump out the windows, I'm just kidding!] Park Insa quickly retracted his joke upon seeing a trainee ready to jump out from a third-floor window.

"What a nonsensical prank," Im Heewoo walked over, slate in hand, ready to hit the legendary artist on the head. His prank nearly ended the show in disaster with a potential fatality!

[Ahem, let's restart. I want all trainees to gather in front of the dorm now. You have 5 minutes for a quick wash and brushing your teeth. No need for a shower; it takes too long. After your personal care, come down immediately.]

The 99 trainees quickly exited the building, worried that being the last could result in punishment.

[Let's sound off this morning. Did everyone sleep well?] Park Insa looked at the disorganized group of trainees, some still in their costumes from the previous day and a few even clutching their pillows. Did they really manage to take care of personal hygiene, or was it just for show?

"...," there was silence for ten seconds.

"Slept well, " Jacan, who managed to regain his composure, responded loudly, nudging nearby trainees to join in, fearing potential punishment otherwise.

[Oh, really? But your faces tell a different story.]

"...," whose doing was that!

[Ahem, okay, we'll skip that for now because I have something important to announce.]

"..."

[The filming for the second tape has already begun.] He winked.

"!!!!"

Excited murmurs filled the air.

'What? Caught off guard again.'

'Terrible, my face and hair are a mess.'

'Oh no, the fans are going to desert us.'

[Calm down, kids. No need to panic. Even though today's cameras are sharp enough to see your pores, we still have filters to keep you from looking too bare-faced, unlike back in my day when it was bare-faced and pixelated.]

Pffft

"Sorry, haha, can't help laughing," Wang Qi clutched his stomach, his cheeks flushed as he tried to suppress his laughter.

[Laugh it out, kid. I look back and laugh at the ridiculous technology back then myself.] The legendary senior sighed tiredly, reminiscing about his own embarrassing rookie video clips that are endlessly replayed whenever he appears on variety shows.

So the younger ones deserved their embarrassing moments too.

Hmm... He really was a good senior.

If the trainees downstairs knew what this seasoned host was really thinking, there might already be fights breaking out. But since they didn’t know, they just looked up to the legendary senior with wide eyes, like little kids listening to an adult's lecture.

Unlike them, the judges and training staff who were fully aware gave dead-eyed looks toward the instigator and sympathetic glances to the young trainees below.

That was it… Your pre-debut life had already been marked by darkness, little ones.

[For this second tape, there's not much to it. Everyone started off tense yesterday, so today is about melting away that stiffness and getting to know your new friends.]

[So, this morning's activity will focus on building team spirit among the group. I'll keep the afternoon's activities a secret for now to keep things exciting, hehe.]

"What exactly are we supposed to do?" Kim Jiseong, a Class A member, inquired.

[Take a look around and see if you notice anything different from last night.]

"Different…" The 99 trainees craned their necks left and right, searching for the said differences, and their eyes widened upon noticing several tables behind the judges' group, laden with cooking equipment set up and ready.

[Since we're all up early, let's cook breakfast together!]

…

"Typically, for a usual survival show, shouldn't we be rehearsing the show's theme song now? Then find the most standout center." Wang Qi pondered deeply, his brows furrowed. Normally, he should be fiercely practicing in the rehearsal room to vie for the center spot, not peeling onions and garlic like this!

"Just do what they tell us," Jacan expertly flipped a frying fish in the pan.

Even though they were told to cook for themselves, only 9 cooking stations were available, so they had to divide into groups of approximately 11 people each.

It was now 6:30 am; they needed to finish cooking by 7:30 am, then it would be time to eat. At 9 am, the second activity of the day would start and continue until noon.

And would you think 99 guys, most of whose lives had been dedicated to practicing music, could cook delicious meals?

If asked, some might say yes.

Though, only well enough to feed themselves.

"Good thing Brother Jacan knows how to cook, or I'd be worried about getting sick tomorrow," a young trainee handed over a bowl of peeled onions and garlic to the group's main chef to continue chopping.

"Exactly, we made the right choice running to him first," Kim Jiseong grinned, looking at the appetizingly fragrant, beautifully presented first plate of fried fish.

"Looks good, but the taste might land us in the hospital," Jacan quipped with a mischievous smile, causing the ten young trainees around him to shiver in mock fear.

Before they started cooking, there was an introduction and some small talk to establish proper addresses. Initially, everyone thought Jacan was about their age. Little did they know he was several years older than them, perhaps even older than anyone else in the competition.

"It's alright, at least it's edible, unlike the team next to us. Is that fish or a charcoal sculpture? It's turning black..." Seeing their teammates' near-tearful expressions made him feel unexpectedly sympathetic. The trainees who had joined the energetic young man breathed a sigh of relief for choosing wisely.

"Besides the five pieces of fried fish, I'll make a clear soup and kimbap with egg roll filling to go with pickled vegetables. The time given by the show is a bit too short, so this is all we can manage."

"Just this is already a lot! I've been having just a sandwich for breakfast for the past three years," one trainee commented, eyeing the pot of clear soup beginning to take shape. After Jacan added onions, crushed garlic, coriander roots, pepper, and soy sauce, the boiling mixture started to emit a sweet, appetizing aroma.

Jacan offered a gentle smile as the ten fledglings crowded around the pot of soup, some even holding bowls ready to eat, although he hadn't added pork or other vegetables yet.

"I can cook alright, but only good enough for myself," Wang Qi joked, reflecting on his own cooking skills with a sigh. He felt his food was passable, but for some reason, others made faces when they tried it. "Who taught you to cook? My teacher was my mom," who, after tasting his food, quietly retreated in tears of joy.

"Watched YouTube tutorials, actually. At home, it's only my dad who cooks, but since he's rarely free, mostly we just order delivery," If it were up to Lady Georgina, the kitchen would more likely become a horror movie scene than a place for cooking.

Jacan was capable of much more, but given the group size and the limited time provided by the show, he opted for simpler, quicker dishes.

It was fortunate that the show had provided enough rice for everyone, ensuring that even if the dishes turned out unpalatable, at least there would be plain rice with ready-made pickles to eat.

"Can someone scoop some rice into a large bowl, please? I'm going to start making kimbap while waiting for the soup to cook," Jacan said as he dropped minced pork balls into the boiling pot. "Wang Qi, make sure to skim off the scum."

"Jiseong, Unche, can you guys make the omelet?" The two young men nodded. "Then grab a carton of eggs and start making the omelet for the kimbap."

"You can trust me with the egg dishes," Kim Jiseong said confidently, with Yeo Unche nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Jacan assigned tasks to everyone, ensuring that each of the young men had something to do and they all participated enthusiastically, although it sometimes seemed a bit too much, likely due to the presence of cameras filming up close... You wouldn't know just how staged it was without being told.

After nearly an hour, some groups had finished cooking and began presenting their dishes to Park Insa, who then assumed the role of host, checking everything was in order and posing questions on behalf of the future audience, much like a cooking show host rather than a survival show seeking idol group members.

[What is this dish, Mr. Kato Eiji?] ensuring the microphone picked up every word.

“You may just call me Eiji.”

[Okay, Eiji, what are you making?]

“I come from a sushi restaurant back home, so I know how to fillet fish. Everyone voted for sashimi for breakfast, so that’s what you see here,” the young man gestured towards neatly sliced pieces of tuna and yellowtail fish, the red and white flesh artfully arranged. A small mound of wasabi sat in the center for flavor enhancement.

[Eating raw fish for breakfast, huh?] Although it looked appetizing, the host in his forties internally bid farewell to the dish, despite initially intending to sample a bite or two.

“Not a problem at all, senior Park. None of us really know how to cook anything substantial, so having rice and pickles besides this is quite satisfying,” one of the trainees confessed cheerfully, supported enthusiastically by the others in the group.

[…] Park Insa looked sympathetically at the trainee from country J, who returned a deadpan stare.

[Let’s move on to the next group,] the nearly middle-aged host decided, moving on to a table where the atmosphere was even more intense than the last.

“Hello, senior,” Im Kureum greeted with a smile so strained it was hard to keep up appearances.

[Uh, what is this...]

“It's the past life of a fish that swam in the sea. It was caught by fishermen this morning and has since passed away. Now, it has been respectfully cremated.”

[…Sounds quite brutal.]

“Yes, its life was truly tragic. It was born without ever seeing its parents, swam alone in the ocean, and just when it was about to get married, it was caught by humans. None of us dared to eat it, so we simply held a simple funeral service for it,” the young man feigned wiping away a tear while the trainees behind him struggled not to laugh.

“In its memory, we’ve decided to have a vegetarian meal,” he gestured towards the cooked rice provided by the show and some ready-made pickled vegetables on the plate.

“...”

All the trainees and the production team fell silent in unison after hearing the exceptional excuse that surpassed all other teams. The person who had been speaking up to that moment licked his lips lightly before bowing his head, avoiding further eye contact.

Pffft

“Hahaha”

Soon after, laughter spread widely among the group. The team tried to hold back their laughter to avoid disrupting the filming, but they couldn't help it.

"...," the main producer clenched his fists so tightly his shoulders shook. He had to maintain a stern facade and couldn't laugh like the rest of the crew.

This mischievous kid! As slippery as an eel indeed!! Good for him, if this scene aired, his son’s popularity was sure to skyrocket.

Jacan was also taken aback by the reason that the trainee team used to excuse their burnt fried fish. It was quite clever, and he was sure to gain a number of fans from this incident.

Im Kureum... Im?

The young man rolled his eyes, recalling the brief personnel data he had gathered about the production team, and then realized that this young man was the only son of Im Heewoo, the main producer of the show.

He hadn't expected him to allow his son to participate in a show he was overseeing. Anyone else might fear accusations of favoritism and would have chosen a different path for their child's idol debut.

It seemed this episode would be discussed in various ways... Quite interesting indeed.

[Let's move on to the last group,] Park Insa continued checking each group, each presenting their food in humorous and unusual ways to cover up their culinary skills, until he reached the final team. He felt a relief for the members of this group who finally got to eat a normal breakfast as it should be.

[Let's move to the last group,] Park Insa checked nearly all groups, each presenting their food in humorous and unconventional ways to disguise their culinary skills, until he reached the final team. He felt relieved for the members of this group who finally got to eat a normal breakfast as it should be.

[The food looks quite good,] the young man complimented.

"We all helped each other and did our best," Jacan saw the youngsters in his group hesitating to speak because he had done most of the cooking himself... Such good kids, even though he had assigned tasks to everyone, no matter how minor.

[May I try a taste?] The appearance and smell were promising, but what about the taste?

"Please, go ahead," Wang Qi quickly grabbed a bowl and spoon and offered it to the senior host immediately.

Park Insa took the bowl, using a ladle to scoop just enough of the soup for a taste, though he really wanted enough to satisfy his hunger. He noticed the crew around looking eagerly at the food this group had prepared.

[I'm about to eat now, wow, this is exciting.] If the taste contradicts the appearance, how would he manage his expression?

Gulp.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

"Ugh..." Both the trainees and the team swallowed hard as they watched Park Insa eat more and more without engaging in conversation as he had done before.

"Would you like some egg kimbap?" Jacan, well aware of his duties, saw that half the fish was gone and served up some egg kimbap filled with sesame leaves and spam, alongside pickled vegetables.

Gulp, gulp, slurp (sipping the soup).

[Ah... this is delicious, a perfect breakfast,] the man in his early forties slurped up the last drop of soup, his eyes wistfully on the big pot of soup. If it weren't for the fact that these kids hadn't had a bite yet, he would shamelessly ask for another bowl.

[How did you make it so delicious, and it doesn't taste like any soup I've had before?]

"I used traditional ingredients from country T and adapted them to the soup of country K, which is why it tastes so well-rounded," Jacan lamented the lack of time to simmer pork bones, which might have made the dish even better.

[No wonder...] It was the taste of country T.

He reminisced about the concert tours there. Whenever he went to country T, he would always go on a food tour.

[Do you go to country T often?]

"I used to fly there to watch my favorite band's concerts. After going there frequently over a decade, I've absorbed quite a bit of the culture," Now that the Twin K brothers had moved behind the scenes, he continued to follow them closely. Part of the reason he formed a duo with his sister Han Shinsu was because Twin K inspired them.

[You've been a fan for ten years? Can you whisper the name of the band?]

"Twin K, sir. They're a twin duo, and I've been a Twinkle since I was five years old."

[!!!] Twin K!!

[I like that band too. I've been a Twinkle since those two started the band!] Park Insa's eyes lit up in a rare display of genuine joy at finding a fellow fan.

A trainee and a host locked eyes as if they had found a long-lost friend, but before they could delve into a conversation about their favorite idols, the cough of Im Heewoo echoed through the speakers, startling the duo of different ages.

[[Let's get back to work now.]]

“Yes, sir.”

[Sure.]

The two men of different ages bowed their heads in acknowledgment but secretly signaled to each other that they should chat more if they ever found the time. Both seemed eager to talk until they ran out of breath.

The chaotic breakfast ended in less than half an hour, and a new form of entertainment arrived with a voting segment to assign colors to each class for easy recognition and remembrance.

"Isn't it usually determined by the show?" Jacan raised his hand to ask after breakfast, as the crew kept them sitting together at the same spot.

[Initially, we planned to use the usual patterns, but the PD wanted something different, oh! He wanted to know what you all think, to ensure that wearing distinctly colored shirts doesn't feel too uncomfortable.]

The host's explanation didn't really help the trainees understand what the senior producer meant; they just nodded along as if they understood.

[Alright, the crew will hand out papers now. Everyone, write down your color preferences for your class. We'll vote on what color each class will get. But please, specify clear colors only, like green; don't specify shades like juniper green, okay?]

"Ha ha, sure!" A young trainee laughed out loud as he received his paper. From the first day of filming to now, they felt their initial tension dissolve at some point.

"What a way to break the ice," Jacan noted, seeing Wang Qi's puzzled expression, even the paper in his hand unwritten.

"That's true," Yeo Unche agreed, bumping his fist into his palm.

“We're all strangers brought together; there must be some friction or discomfort. So, doing silly activities can help relieve stress and also helps us get to know our fellow participants better."

"What color should we write then?" The young trainee turned to look at Jacan, who was also in Class A.

"It has to be a vibrant color that stands out from afar," Jacan replied. With only a few in their class, they needed to stand out, or they risked being overshadowed by the other classes.

In a variety show, airtime and being visually striking were everything!