Joo Dan-woo was a decent guy. That much was certain.
His visuals stood out, his skills were solid, and his work ethic was unmatched. It was strange he still hadn't debuted.
But at the same time, he also looked like someone who'd grown used to giving up on things.
Rather than trying harder when something didn't go well, he seemed more like the type to get scared and shrink back.
That doesn't feel like his original personality.
Most likely, circumstances had shaped Joo Dan-woo into someone familiar with resignation. The things he'd been through, the people around him, someone's words—those must have pushed him toward giving up rather than pushing through.
The way he seemed unusually passive and low in self-esteem was probably connected to that. And the ones who'd made him like this were probably…
The trainees from his company.
I remembered how Joo Dan-woo reacted when he came face-to-face with a fellow trainee from his company who had received a B-rank. The trainee named Park Woo-jae treated Dan-woo with almost excessive casualness, while Dan-woo, in contrast, wore a face that showed clear discomfort and distance.
Considering the problems caused by debut group members from Seez Label, it was very likely that Joo Dan-woo never blended in among the trainees and remained on the outside. He wasn't nearly tough enough to adjust to that kind of atmosphere.
…And he's gentle too.
Seeing him now, visibly shrinking into himself, it was painfully obvious what he was thinking. He was probably spiraling endlessly into self-blame.
"..."
And when someone starts feeling like everything is over, it becomes easy to make a bad choice.
Like how I left the company in the past, then immediately joined Robinson and debuted as LIGHTNING.
"The last trainee moving from D-rank to A-rank, please step forward."
I prepared to move slowly. Joo Dan-woo's gaze followed me for a brief moment, but he soon lowered his head again.
As if even looking was painful, or as if he'd already resigned himself to something.
…This won't do.
Before standing up completely, I tapped Joo Dan-woo lightly on the shoulder. He flinched and looked up.
"Hyung."
"…Huh?"
He looked dazed, as if surprised that I was acknowledging him at all. I whispered quietly.
"Next time, let's perform on stage together."
"…Mm."
He nodded, thinking I was just offering a polite comment, his expression still dim. I spoke again, more firmly this time.
"I'm not saying that as an empty courtesy."
"…Huh?"
"I mean it. I'm not joking about performing together next time."
So don't just give up here for no reason.
I couldn't bring myself to say that part out loud. I simply left D-class after that.
Once all rank changes were complete, the number of A-rank trainees left in A-class was fifteen.
We started with eight, so that's quite a jump.
Fortunately, among those who rose to A-rank, there was even one trainee who'd taken a vertical leap from F-rank to A-rank.
That meant the "overcoming adversity" character arc could be shared between that trainee and me.
Good.
While I was thinking that, the familiar notification sound rang out, and a translucent window—one I had grown used to—appeared before me.
And I couldn't help but open my mouth in shock.
『Quest Complete!』
As the leader of D-class, you diligently guided your group.
Number of trainees who achieved a rank-up — 15Final Dance Stat: C → B- (Stat +2)Reward: Luck +20
『Achievement Unlocked!』
You achieved remarkable growth, going from D-rank to A-rank.Reward: Stat Select Increase Ticket (1)
"...!!"
I couldn't hide my surprise at the sudden flood of rewards. The status window had given me an outcome I never expected.
The +20 Luck wasn't bad, but the real prize was—
A Stat Select Increase Ticket…!
A reward that allowed me to increase any stat I wanted.
A rush of emotion surged in my chest—something I hadn't felt even once since joining
I can finally patch up this trash physical stamina…!
All the suffering had paid off.
With a reward like this, I could say that all the days of brutal muscle soreness, the unexpected self-directed night study sessions, and practicing "See" endlessly had been worth it. The sudden responsibility and screen time had been overwhelming, but honestly, it had been a good deal.
I let out a satisfied sigh, turned off the status window, and relaxed my body. Seeing that, two trainees nearby asked,
"Yu-ha, tired?"
"Sleepy?"
"…No."
Of course, the ones talking to me were Aiden Lee and Cheon Se-rim, who had stayed in A-rank.
…Well, that was expected.
During early-morning practice two days ago, I had already been convinced that as long as Aiden Lee and Cheon Se-rim didn't completely botch the camera evaluation, they would remain securely in A-rank.
Aiden Lee, who had once debuted as the main vocalist of Aydin, had excellent singing skills, and his dance was surprisingly clean for someone with only six months of trainee experience.
Cheon Se-rim felt polished. She was a fourth-year trainee, and her stability made me wonder why she hadn't debuted yet.
Vocally, she hid her weaknesses intelligently by staying within her range, and in dance, she showcased strong, well-trained lines built on solid fundamentals.
At this level, it's surprising she hasn't debuted already.
Even just looking at visuals and character, she seemed like someone who should attract attention. It was strange she had never debuted.
"Everyone, good work on the video evaluation."
Just as I was about to think a little deeper, Do-min opened his mouth, and my thoughts naturally came to a halt.
"Congratulations to the fifteen trainees remaining here. A-class will now become the center of the 'See' stage that will be performed on Music A, leading the other hundred trainees. But before that, we need to select the center who will become the face of 'See.'"
At Do-min's words, the A-class trainees glanced around at one another, their faces mixed with tension and excitement.
"The camera evaluation videos of the fifteen trainees here have been shared with all trainees gathered in the auditorium right now. The eighty-five trainees will watch the videos and vote for the person they think best fits the role of center for 'See.'"
And among the fifteen, only five candidates would be selected. Those five would then receive pre-votes from the Idol Makers, Do-min explained.
"Before the theme song release, the practice videos of the five trainees chosen by trainee vote will be pre-released for one day. And through a single day of voting by the Idol Makers, the final center of 'See' will be decided."
After finishing his explanation, Do-min had us, the A-class trainees, remain seated for a moment.
Once the B–F rank trainees finished voting, we would also head into the auditorium to confirm the final candidates.
With that, a short period of free time began. There wasn't much interaction between the newly joined trainees and those who had stayed in A-class, so the questions exchanged were fairly casual.
And in the midst of that, I ended up talking to an unexpected person.
"Hello, I'm Yoo Chan-hee from DIO Entertainment."
…It was Yoo Chan-hee, the trainee from DIO—the rival company of KRM, who had stared at me like he wanted to kill me on the first day of the broadcast.
"…Hello, I'm Won Yu-ha from KRM Entertainment."
"You must have practiced really hard. A vertical rise from D-class to A-class? That's totally a growth character, isn't it?"
Mm. Starting trouble from the very first sentence without hesitation, I see.
If you only listened to the words alone, it could sound like a simple compliment, but his tone and expression clearly seemed to be baiting me.
I decided to keep my answer short so as not to drag the conversation out unnecessarily.
"I think the mentors saw me in a positive light."
"They must have recognized your skill, right~? Or maybe they noticed some other charm. There must be a reason you shot up like that, don't you think?"
Translation: You got boosted because of your company, not because of your ability, huh.
I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked at Yoo Chan-hee. Beneath his smirking expression was an unmistakable hostility and mocking glint.
His thoughts about me were painfully obvious.
…Can he stop with the petty territorial crap already?
Especially when I had zero interest in fighting back.
Yoo Chan-hee had originally received a B-rank, then been promoted to A-rank this round.
On the first day, he'd looked quite pleased that someone from KRM—me—had been placed in D-rank. So of course he wouldn't like my sudden rise. He must have expected himself to be the "overcoming adversity" character too.
But that was his problem, and it wasn't like I was thrilled about my sudden movement either. I definitely had no intention of dealing with unnecessary posturing that might get caught on camera. Especially not from someone in DIO, the famously hostile rival agency.
I was wondering how to cut him off smoothly when—
"The mentors must've had their reasons. I don't think it's right to just make random assumptions about that."
"Huh?"
"If you're curious about the reason. I don't think it's something a trainee really needs to pry into."
I turned toward the trainee who had spoken, while Yoo Chan-hee stood there flustered, mumbling with nothing to say back.
The way the newcomer delivered such pointed words so calmly gave him an oddly authoritative air. His unusually tall height added to the intimidating atmosphere.
"…Ah, well. You're right. I'm sure the mentors had their reasons. I was just saying you were impressive for jumping from D to A in one go."
Yoo Chan-hee backpedaled quickly, trying to smooth things over. If it had been anyone else, he probably would've kept pushing the issue—but the person facing him wasn't just anyone.
I quietly looked at the trainee who had suddenly intervened in our conversation.
…Kang Hyun-jin.
The son of two actors, participating in his second survival program, and considered one of the trainees with the highest likelihood of debuting.
If Yoo Chan-hee had half a brain, he wouldn't want to get on Hyun-jin's bad side. Among all the trainees here, no one had more overwhelming fame and background than him.
But why would someone like that help me?
As Yoo Chan-hee awkwardly drifted away, Kang Hyun-jin turned his gaze toward me.
An awkward silence lingered before Hyun-jin finally spoke first.
"…You said you're in your fifth year as a trainee?"
"Oh, yes."
"…At first, your form looked a bit broken. But I guess you managed to fix it. In just five days, at that."
"…Sorry?"
Hyun-jin stared at me with a somewhat complicated expression, then suddenly turned around and walked away.
…What was that?
I stared at his retreating figure, feeling utterly bewildered. It seemed like nothing was going the way I expected lately.
And the unexpected didn't end there.
"The trainees selected as center candidates are—"
Standing in the auditorium with all the trainees gathered, I stared blankly at the photos appearing on the screen. A chill passed through my chest, like a cold breeze had swept by.
"A-rank trainee Kang Hyun-jin from Dream Actors, trainee Do Ji-hyuk from Vibest Entertainment, trainee Aiden Lee from Ninehit Entertainment, trainee Yoo Chan-hee from DIO Entertainment."
The MC holding the mic looked straight at me. His face was shining with excitement.
…Unlike mine.
"And trainee Won Yu-ha from KRM Entertainment."
"...."
With the camera on me, I couldn't even sigh. I simply stood there stiffly.
…Nothing ever goes the way I want…
I thought again, quietly, to myself.