After finishing the flash mob and returning home, I lay down blankly and stared up at the ceiling.
As I stayed like that, everything that had happened today slowly resurfaced in my mind.
'…It really was that person.'
I had seen the face of the person who filmed me today even before my regression.
They were practically my only personal fansite master—someone who had followed Lightning's schedule for a long time and showed up at almost every event.
'I don't know their name, though.'
But I remembered their face and nickname. They always gave their nickname at fansigns to get an autograph, and more than anything, I would meet their face behind the camera over and over.
At a time when no one knew us and no one cared to film us, their presence was comforting—not just to me, but to the other members as well.
'Even though it only flared up briefly, there was a time when one of their videos suddenly blew up in views.'
Was it that same "luck" that let me meet them again after regressing?
I recalled the "luck" I had drawn last time.
『An unexpected encounter!』
Always look to your right on a new stage.
You will meet an unexpected connection.
Reward: ???
…Who was it talking about?
When I drew that luck, the first thing I felt was uneasiness. I had no idea what that "unexpected connection" was supposed to mean.
'And the reward was hidden, too.'
Precisely because of that, I tried not to look to the right during the flash mob. I stubbornly kept my eyes forward and even avoided making eye contact with any cameras.
But maybe it was the system's arrangement, or maybe a sense of familiarity I didn't even realize I had.
I couldn't ignore the gaze I felt for that brief moment, and in the end, some unknown force made me turn my head.
And at that moment, I saw it—the "unexpected connection" the system had spoken of.
'…Fine. Let's admit what needs admitting.'
Honestly, I felt glad.
I didn't know what the system intended by giving me that luck, but getting to meet someone again whom I thought I'd never see again wasn't such a bad feeling.
The two years before my regression were a time when I barely met fans at all. About a year before the contract ended, even the few overseas gigs we had dried up. Before that, I had been worked to death overseas.
Naturally, not being able to meet domestic fans meant I never saw that person either.
'About two years…?'
Thinking back on that time, it felt distant and hazy. Those two years had been unbearably harsh—both as Lightning, and as Won Yu-ha. So the familiar sight of a camera felt unexpectedly welcome.
'Maybe this luck from the system isn't that bad.'
With that softened thought, I drifted into a deep sleep.
…Completely unaware of the stir the photos that person took that day would cause on entertainment communities.
"Smile Boy, hello~."
"Mr. Pocari Boy, your smile is especially beautiful today?"
"…Shut up. Tie Guy, Job-Satisfaction Guy."
Even with my growled warning, Aiden Lee and Cheon Se-rim couldn't stop snickering. I unpacked my things with a long sigh.
Then Joo Dan-woo quietly approached me and greeted me gently.
"Have you been well?"
"Oh, hyung."
"I'm really glad. I said it in messages too, but congratulations, Yu-ha."
"...."
Considering his usual expression, his face was practically in full bloom. He looked genuinely happy.
'…Ha.'
"Thanks..."
I couldn't curse at him the way I did with Aiden Lee or Cheon Se-rim, so I offered a half-hearted reply.
Seeing me like that made the other two laugh even harder, so I grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at them. Even then, they didn't tire—they just laughed more.
Ignoring them, I went back to unpacking the rest of my luggage and swallowed another sigh.
'…Right. There's no way the system would give me pure luck.'
A few days ago—right after the flash mob ended and the main stage and profiles were released—the morning I woke up, I was greeted by several links sent by these idiots.
[Cheon Se-rim: (link) Yu-ha hyung~~~ congrats~~~ first trainee to get a fansite~~~ you even beat center hyung~~!]
[Aiden Lee: (clapping emoji)]
[Joo Dan-woo: (link) Congrats to all. It's really great news.]
[Cheon Se-rim: Oh right! There's also an article~~]
[Aiden Lee: They wrote it well]
[Cheon Se-rim: (link) A whole new forum thread exploded~~~]
They were all brimming with excitement. Confused, I clicked the links, and only then did I realize what the system's "reward" had been.
'…Didn't expect them to act that fast.'
The first "reward" was the creation of a fansite account. The same fan who filmed me that day had already created a personal account—becoming my fansite master again.
The day of the flash mob was before any trainee information had been released. But they apparently chose to start with a nickname and add my name later.
It was a hasty decision, perhaps—but I understood.
'Since I don't have fans yet, it's the perfect time for "staking a claim."'
A so-called "pre-emptive grab."
The flash mob had been completely guerilla-style. And because no pre-stage footage had been released yet, none of us had fans. The crowd that day was made up of "muggles"—regular passersby.
The only one whose face people recognized was Kang Hyun-jin, so attention naturally gravitated to him. But that wasn't quite the same thing as fan interest. Even the videos uploaded afterward were grainy phone recordings.
Under those circumstances, the fact that someone quickly created a fansite account, uploaded a preview, then posted edited photos—of course my pictures and videos spread quickly across entertainment communities.
Then, as soon as the next day's stage and the trainee profiles were released, the label "KRM Entertainment" attached to my name pushed me into another wave of buzz in the idol community.
And entertainment reporters would never miss such momentum.
「'Design Your Idol': From powerhouse KRM to new agencies… a legendary project group is coming」
「[IssueTALK] Will 'Design Your Idol' set a new paradigm in K-POP? A-Net's 'Big Picture'」
「[Star Feature] If you're looking for the next-gen idol, 'Trust Me!' Five Shining Trainees」
「Trainee from 'Design Your Idol' now trending across communities」
The second "reward" was articles. Because
Do Ji-hyuk—who had already sparked buzz pre-regression—appeared, as did Kang Hyun-jin, Aiden Lee, Cheon Se-rim who went viral, Yoo Chan-hee, and many others.
「KRM Entertainment's first trainee with pre-debut profile release: 5-year trainee Won Yu-ha」
I was included too.
Being from a major company meant early buzz was inevitable, but the fact that I got the first fansite before even Kang Hyun-jin probably added more fuel.
In other words, that "unexpected encounter" had rewarded me with "recognition."
'…Even Kim Min-gi didn't get this much attention.'
KRM was famous for being a high-and-mighty major label. Sending a trainee to a survival show before debut was unprecedented. Kim Min-gi had caught some attention because of that title.
But from what I recall, even he didn't trend this heavily on entertainment forums. Fans only gathered after the production press conference.
'…Ha.'
In any case, the company seemed pleased. On the day all the articles were released, Manager Kwon even messaged me to say he hoped I'd pass the first mission.
'I wish the first mission would be the end, honestly.'
With that thought, I finished unpacking and changed into my training clothes.
Starting today, the first mission—the one that would determine survival or elimination—would begin and last a week.
"To select the next-generation boy group that will lead the future of K-POP, we now begin the second stage. The theme of the first round… is a Group Battle."
The trainees, arranged again by class, started murmuring. We were gathered once more in the hall to hear the explanation for the upcoming competition.
The first mission of
Of course, the battle wasn't going to be that simple.
The MC, wearing an ominously meaningful expression, asked the trainees a question.
"Everyone, what was the final goal of
"A debut of an idol group with perfectly optimized member stats!!"
When the trainees shouted the answer in unison, the MC nodded.
"Correct. So you need to show the Idol Makers your stats in more detail, don't you? And for that, an additional mission has been added."
At the MC's gesture, three words appeared on the screen.
「Choreography」
「Lyrics」
「Arrangement」
"Before you create your stage, you and your teammates must discuss and choose at least one of these three creative parts. Naturally, the more creative tasks you take on, the more bonus points you'll earn."
The MC announced that each creative contribution would be worth a thousand benefit votes per song. Of course, none of these bonuses would apply to the team that lost the battle.
"But wouldn't it be unfair to let only the trainees who already have producing skills handle all the evaluations? So, here's one more condition."
The MC swept their eyes across all one hundred trainees and continued.
"For the duration of this mission, you will all evaluate one another's contribution levels. Each night, every team member will report what they did for the team that day. Anyone who fails to contribute will receive a penalty score."
So don't slack off, the MC added with a grin. Diligence was also an important factor—keep that in mind when forming your team.
'…Very survival-show-like.'
Among the murmuring trainees, I frowned slightly. What they really meant was: work as a team, but monitor each other.
'With that setup, every team is guaranteed to have internal competition and conflict over contribution.'
They wanted the creative concept needed for a debut lineup and the interpersonal drama required for a survival show.
Looking satisfied with the uneasy atmosphere, the MC continued.
"Now, let's divide into teams. When your name is called, please step forward."
The first ones to be called were Kang Hyun-jin and Aiden Lee.
Looking over the trainees who followed, most of them—whether skilled or just moderately so—were those who had shown some kind of producing ability in the individual evaluations on day one.
'Well, of course they'd spread the producers out. Otherwise the mission wouldn't function.'
Since the mission required creative work, each group clearly needed at least one proper producing trainee.
Once all fourteen were called and standing at the front, the MC spoke again.
"You fourteen will take turns—following the order your names were called—choosing one trainee each to join your team. And each selected trainee will then choose the next person they want to work with."
In other words, instead of one producer-type trainee building a team alone, the entire team would bear responsibility for its formation.
After speaking, the MC handed the microphone to Kang Hyun-jin first.
"The trainee I choose is…"
Hyun-jin swept his gaze across the remaining trainees, and then briefly locked eyes with me.
For a split second, something like conflict—or maybe hostility—flashed in his eyes.
"…A-class trainee Yoo Chan-hee."
His eyes left mine and shifted to Yoo Chan-hee, who was standing nearby.
Yoo Chan-hee looked a little startled, then stepped out of the line with a pleased expression and joined Hyun-jin.
"The trainee I want to work with is—"
The mic now went to Aiden Lee. Like Hyun-jin, he scanned the trainees…and then fixed his gaze on me.
I clearly saw him squint and grin.
'…Don't tell me.'
The moment our eyes met, I felt a very strong premonition.
"A-class trainee Won Yu-ha."
…A premonition that I wasn't going to get through the first mission quietly.
'Damn it…'
Keeping my expression carefully neutral, I stepped out of the line. Aiden greeted me with a bright, mischievous grin.
"Yu-ha! Let's do great!"
"…Yeah. Thanks for picking me."
I half-heartedly returned his high tension and joined his side.
Next, the mic passed to Do Ji-hyuk, who chose Cheon Se-rim. Cheon Se-rim gave me and Aiden a slightly disappointed look, then went to join Do Ji-hyuk.
And so the first rotation ended.
During the second rotation, the mic passed from Yoo Chan-hee… and eventually came to me.
"The next trainee I choose is…"
Holding the mic, I didn't look at anyone else. My gaze went directly to one person.
The moment our eyes met, the trainee flinched—but I didn't look away.
Without hesitation, I spoke.
"D-class trainee Joo Dan-woo."
Joo Dan-woo's face went blank with shock. With so many high-ranked trainees still remaining, he clearly hadn't expected to be called this early.
'I told you—my praise wasn't empty.'
Watching Dan-woo rise awkwardly, unsure whether he should be happy or confused, then jog toward me and Aiden, I thought:
He probably expected to be chosen by another trainee from his sub-label—or, if not, to be left until near the end. In reality, that's likely exactly how it would've gone.
'And if that happened… he'd get crushed.'
Whether he landed with teammates who used him as a prop to highlight themselves, or trainees who ignored him and wrung him dry, Dan-woo—after already failing his reevaluation—would have gotten mentally wrecked. And that would've been a huge penalty in the first mission.
That's why I had to call him.
'Because Joo Dan-woo really is a good kid.'
Both in skill and character, it'd be a shame to let him get knocked out this early. The situation was a mess already, but given how things had turned out, I could at least try to do what I could.
At the very least, I could stop him from giving up—or being broken by someone else.