The Music A appearance and the guerrilla events were successfully wrapped up.
While the Ace team—composed solely of A-grade trainees—had their "Look" stage revealed to the public through Music A, the four other teams, each mixed with various classes, also spread out across Seoul's busy districts and performed simultaneously.
Thanks to the buzz they generated both through the broadcast and on the streets, quite a number of people were looking forward to the first episode airing today.
Though, of course, no one was waiting more anxiously than we were.
"Ah, I'm nervous."
"I hope I got some decent screen time…"
"I'd be happy if my face shows up even once."
Wearing our casual clothes, the
We were about to film our reaction to today's first episode of
"Time seriously isn't moving."
"When does it start…?"
The ads that we had seen our entire lives suddenly felt eternal, and the trainees exchanged tense complaints.
As if teasing our impatience, the commercials dragged on—but eventually, they ended.
"…It's starting."
The moment the ads cut off and the screen faded to black, everyone cheered and clapped as if on cue.
"Waaaaah!"
"Fighting!"
With someone shouting "Fighting!" and the familiar broadcast rating screen appearing, the long-awaited episode 1—something every trainee in the room had been waiting for—finally began.
[Uh, do I go in now?]
[Hello~!]
The trainees' entrances proceeded in a modest, straightforward manner.
Some walked in from their waiting rooms with fellow trainees from the same agency, others spoke intentionally casual lines directly to the camera before entering the set as guided.
Right before each entrance, a large screen on the set displayed the trainee's agency logo, allowing those already inside to see which company the newcomer belonged to and react accordingly.
Naturally, reactions varied greatly depending on the agency's recognition and the trainee's visuals.
If we were to pick the trainees who drew the biggest reactions—
[Huh, that person…]
[Wait, who is he? Do you know him?]
[The one who debuted… from Black Ocean…]
The first would be Do Ji-hyuk.
Walking out alone beneath his agency logo, Ji-hyuk received a standing ovation from the other trainees. He gave a light bow and calmly took his seat while whispers rippled through the room.
Of course, the trainees' conversations about him were aired as well.
[Wow, even his visuals are insane. He's not a trainee. People who've debuted really are different.]
[But isn't this kinda unfair? I mean… he's already debuted… We've never debuted even once.]
[I thought it felt a bit unfair too, but… there must be a reason for it, right…]
The broadcast alternated between trainees admiring Ji-hyuk as a person and those questioning the fairness of allowing a former idol to redebut.
"..."
One trainee, seeing themselves on screen complaining about fairness, glanced awkwardly at Ji-hyuk—but Ji-hyuk simply smiled faintly, showing no real reaction as he watched the screen.
'Well, he must have expected this much.'
Public reaction would be split the exact same way. Ji-hyuk chose to appear knowing all this, so there was no reason he'd be bothered now.
Next to make a splash was Kang Hyun-jin.
[Gasp?]
[What… seriously, what??]
[Kang Hyun-jin? It's him??]
[Wow, insane… He's really here?]
Hyun-jin's appearance alone caused a shockwave. His visuals were part of it, but more than that, he carried the aura of someone who already existed on a different plane.
[I saw him once on that parenting variety show when he was little. The one with senior Do-min…]
[Wow, I loved Catch Talent. I was so sad when he didn't make it…]
[Wait, his agency is an acting agency? I didn't even know they had idol trainees. Is there anyone besides him?]
[He dances really well too.]
Hyun-jin's entrance got him a quasi-celebrity treatment—admiration mixed with tension from those around him.
With the caption "Trainees showing visible nerves," the trainees gulped and spoke awkwardly as Hyun-jin gave them a polite greeting and took a seat.
The following trainee entrances included Aiden Lee and Cheon Se-rim. Aiden once again drew admiration for his visuals.
[Hello~!]
[He seems like he has such a good personality…]
Cheon Se-rim appeared with his signature energetic, friendly vibe—greeting even first-time acquaintances like an "ultimate social butterfly."
"Hm."
I could feel Se-rim grinning proudly beside me; it seemed he was satisfied with how he appeared.
When most of the entrances were done—
[Wow, look around.]
[Everyone's so handsome…]
[…Do I look like an octopus compared to them?]
While jokingly comparing visuals in an attempt to look cute, the trainees suddenly froze at the screen.
[Huh.]
[No way—it's real?? I thought it was just a rumor!]
[Wow… this is legendary…]
Because the screen showed the logo of KRM Entertainment.
'…Hmm.'
I ignored the side-eye Aiden Lee gave me with a smirk, keeping my gaze fixed on the screen. Beside me, Cheon Se-rim giggled and nudged my arm.
With the caption "Trainees shocked by the appearance of a major entertainment company," the screen showed me walking out through the doors. Just as expected—but the intense BGM layered on top made it seem like I was being edited as the final boss.
[Wow, he really looks like he's from KRM.]
[He's so handsome.]
[He totally has that vibe…]
[The competition is gonna be insane, what is happening…?]
With no expression at all, the Won Yu-ha on screen took one brief look at the nearly full set and, without hesitation, went straight to sit in the empty 100th seat.
A murmur followed immediately.
[Wow, guts. That seat is way in the corner, but he just goes right for it.]
[I honestly thought he'd go for the 1st seat.]
[Ah, now that you mention it…]
The whispering trainees all turned their eyes toward the upper section where the 1st seat was.
The camera panned upward and showed Yoo Chan-hee sitting in the 1st seat.
Yoo Chan-hee had just forced out a mid-tier agency trainee in an arm-wrestling match to claim that seat.
He watched my entrance with sharp, tense eyes, and the broadcast also captured other trainees murmuring as they glanced between Chan-hee and me.
[DIO and KRM are appearing together.]
[Those two are definitely going to have a huge rivalry.]
[Are we even going to be able to debut…? What is this lineup…?]
[Hyung, we came here to get 1st place! You can do it! Don't lose! Intimidate them first!]
[They're not even trying to intimidate anyone, but I already feel intimidated…]
After my entrance capped off the lineup, the mentors were introduced, followed by the segment everyone was waiting for—the individual evaluations.
The structure was exactly as expected.
[…I've been waiting for such a long time.]
[It felt endless… it was suffocating.]
[I don't know when I'll get to debut, but I keep getting older…]
[I felt frustrated. I wondered many times if I could really become an idol.]
[I started because I loved dancing and singing, but the further I went, the more anxious I felt… whether I was really someone meant for this path.]
[Design Your Idol is hope. For the first time, I feel like I'll finally get to show many people who I am. Hope that maybe… I really can debut.]
As expected of a survival show, the episode used the trainees' personal stories after their performances to build emotion and highlight their desperation.
Among them was the personal story everyone had been curious about—Do Ji-hyuk.
Through his interview, he revealed the reason he decided to take on
[…I wondered if this was really the end. I hadn't even shown you everything I could yet, so coming down from the stage like that felt too sad. Ah… I'm sorry.]
Ji-hyuk paused, eyes reddened, before continuing. Inside the auditorium, all the trainees grew quiet.
[…I enlisted in the military to sort out my thoughts. I debuted far too young… and I'd never imagined doing anything other than being a singer. For two years, I thought about many things—why I wanted to be an idol, whether I truly couldn't take any other path.]
A montage flashed across the screen—Ji-hyuk sweating as he danced in a dark practice room, leaning against the wall with a hopeless expression, sitting on the floor and singing until the veins in his neck stood out.
'Mm. They're doing a good job with this.'
I became certain: the
Giving him such a dramatic edit in episode one meant his screen time and presence in future episodes would be significant.
It was normal for a "PD pick" to emerge in the early episodes of a survival show, so it wasn't surprising. He'd be resented for it, but he'd also gain a lot. Ji-hyuk himself probably welcomed it.
'The PD picks are being positioned pretty clearly now.'
In most shows, anyone who appeared with multiple small interviews in the first episode ended up getting steady screen time unless they did something to get hated. In other words, the solid "PD picks" were effectively chosen from episode one.
[…Yes. I realized I couldn't give up on this path. It felt too disappointing to leave the stage without showing who Do Ji-hyuk truly is. I want to stand on stage again no matter what. I don't want to disappoint anyone anymore. This opportunity… is so important to me.]
With Ji-hyuk saying Design Your Idol is my last chance, the screen cut back to the present.
Breathing hard as he waited for the mentors' decisions, Ji-hyuk received an A grade, then sat down with a faint, emotional smile.
A perfectly crafted emotional segment. It was clear that public opinion would shift toward supporting his redebut rather than criticizing it.
More "certain PD picks" continued appearing afterward.
[…I want to be seen not as Kang Seok-ho and Yoon Hee-yeon's son, but as idol Kang Hyun-jin.]
Among them was Kang Hyun-jin.
His footage included clips from the show he appeared on as a child (including the parenting variety show with Do-min, the vocal mentor), magazine photoshoots, and scenes from Catch Talent, the A-net survival program he had previously joined.
As the footage showed a much younger Hyun-jin failing to make TOP 10 and being eliminated, I suddenly remembered something.
'…Right, wasn't Catch Talent ruined because of vote manipulation?'
I looked over at the real-life Kang Hyun-jin. He watched the screen silently.
Catch Talent was aired three years ago. After the winner was chosen, vote manipulation was revealed, causing a major scandal. The PD was jailed.
The winner—an aspiring singer who had trained for years at a small agency—was later revealed to have already secured a debut contract with another company. That company had bribed the PD.
It also came out that social-media celebrities and influencers were privately scouted and promised certain ranks, bypassing open auditions entirely.Catch Talent became a target of massive public outrage.
'Based on that, it's actually weird that Hyun-jin didn't make TOP 10.'
Few trainees had Hyun-jin's level of recognition and social influence. Realistically, he should have been a "PD pick" himself. It was strange that he was eliminated so early.
'…Well, it's in the past now.'
[…This time, I don't want to miss it. I really want to show who Kang Hyun-jin is. I won't give up.]
While I was thinking that, the Hyun-jin on screen continued speaking with a resolute expression. At least this time, it seemed he hadn't been excluded from the "PD picks," so that was fortunate.