The studio for Project StarPick was designed to intimidate.
It was a massive cavern of black reflective floors and blinding LED lights. In the center stood a pyramid of 100 crystal chairs, rising up toward a single, golden throne at the peak: Rank #1.
Already, about 60 trainees were seated. The air was thick with tension, judgment, and the smell of hairspray.
"Next Agency entering," the floor director's voice boomed over the intercom. "StarDust Entertainment. Group Name: MOSAIC."
The massive LED doors slid open.
Smoke machines hissed, pumping a cloud of white fog onto the walkway.
"Walk," Seo-jun ordered quietly, not moving his lips. "Don't look at the floor. Look at the red tally light on Camera 2. That's the main jib arm."
The four of them stepped through the smoke.
The reaction was instantaneous.
As the fog cleared, the 60 seated trainees gasped. The visual impact of MOSAIC was aggressive.
There was Kang Woo-jin, the bleached-blonde thug, whose eyes were darting around the room as if looking for someone to punch. The bright yellow hair made him look dangerous, like a hazard sign.
There was Cha Eun-kyul, the chaebol, whose midnight-blue hair shimmered under the studio lights. He looked bored and expensive, like he had bought the building.
There was Lee Yul, hiding behind the others, his soft ash-brown bangs completely covering his eyes. He looked small and mysterious, triggering the protective instincts of everyone watching.
And leading them was Han Seo-jun.
His platinum silver hair caught the overhead beams, creating a halo effect. He didn't look nervous. He looked like he was inspecting a construction site he wasn't impressed with.
"Who are they?"
"StarDust? Never heard of them."
"Look at the silver hair. Is he a foreigner?"
"They look... rich."
Seo-jun ignored the whispers. His eyes were scanning the set, but his brain was processing data.
'Lighting rig is standard. Three main cameras. Wait...'
He noticed a cameraman crouched low near the Rank #1 chair, holding a camera at a jagged upward angle.
'Dutch angle. Low saturation lens. That's the "Villain Camera." Whoever sits in the #1 seat is going to get evil-edited into an arrogant jerk.'
"Hyung," Woo-jin whispered, eyeing the golden throne at the top. "That big chair looks empty. I'm gonna take it."
Woo-jin took a step toward the stairs.
Seo-jun grabbed the back of Woo-jin's jacket and yanked him back.
"Sit down, you idiot," Seo-jun hissed.
"Why? Scared?"
"Look at the lighting on the #1 seat," Seo-jun explained rapidly. "It's direct overhead downlighting. It creates harsh shadows under your eyes. It makes you look like a skull. Unless you want to look like a necromancer, stay away from it."
"Oh." Woo-jin touched his face.
"Where do we sit then?" Eun-kyul yawned. "I want a cushion. These chairs look hard."
Seo-jun scanned the pyramid.
He pointed to a row of four empty seats in the middle...Ranks 52, 53, 54, 55.
"We sit there."
"The middle?" Woo-jin scoffed. "That's for losers."
"That," Seo-jun corrected, "is the Reaction Zone."
He pointed discreetly to a camera mounted on a rail directly facing that row.
"That rail camera is the 'Reaction Cam.' It pans back and forth constantly to get shots of trainees laughing or gasping at performances. If we sit there, we get 40% more passive screen time than the guys at the top, without having to do anything."
The members stared at him. They didn't understand the logic, but after 48 hours of hell training, they knew one thing: Seo-jun was always right.
They walked up the stairs.
The other trainees watched them pass. Seo-jun felt their gazes, analyzing their clothes, their faces, their worth.
[System Alert]
> [Producer Eye] Activated.
> Scanning competition...
As Seo-jun walked past a group of trainees from a major agency ("Big Blue Entertainment"), red text floated over their heads.
> [Trainee: Kim Min-soo]
> Rank: A
> Note: The PD's Favorite. Guaranteed Debut.
> [Trainee: Park Jun]
> Rank: B
> Note: Designated "Funny Guy."
> [Trainee: Choi Ren]
> Rank: F
> Note: Fodder. Will be eliminated Episode 1.
'I see,' Seo-jun thought, sitting down in seat #53. 'The script is already written. The winners have been picked.'
He crossed his legs and leaned back, his silver hair fanning out against the crystal chair.
'Too bad I'm going to rewrite the script.'
"Hey," a voice called out from the seat next to him.
Seo-jun turned.
Sitting in seat #52 was a boy with bright red hair and a nametag that read [Go-Yoon]. He was chewing gum and looking at Seo-jun with a smirk.
"Nice hair color," Go-Yoon said. "Silver, huh? Trying to stand out?"
[System Scan]
> [Target: Go-Yoon]
> Agency: Nebula Ent.
> Role: The Antagonist / Bully.
> Value: High Drama Potential.
Seo-jun smiled. It was the "Scum" smile.
"I'm not trying to stand out," Seo-jun replied softly. "I'm just naturally reflective. Unlike your foundation match. It's two shades too dark for your neck."
Go-Yoon's smirk vanished. He self-consciously touched his neck. "What?"
"Also," Seo-jun pointed to the gum. "Spit that out. The mic on your collar is picking up the chewing sound. The sound editors are going to hate you, which means they'll cut your lines."
Go-Yoon froze. He swallowed the gum whole.
"Thanks... I guess?"
"Don't mention it."
Suddenly, the lights in the studio turned red. A siren blared.
"ATTENTION TRAINEES."
A deep, synthesized voice echoed through the hall.
"THE FIRST EVALUATION WILL BEGIN NOW. PLEASE WELCOME YOUR MENTORS."
The main screen split open. Four figures walked out.
Two legendary veteran idols. A famous choreographer. And the Main MC (Host).
But Seo-jun wasn't looking at the mentors.
He was looking at the man standing in the shadows of the tech booth, wearing a headset and holding a coffee cup.
PD Choi.
The producer of Project StarPick.
A man known for his "Devil's Editing." A man who ruined lives for ratings.
In his past life, Seo-jun had fired PD Choi from a different network for embezzlement.
'Hello, old friend,' Seo-jun thought, his eyes gleaming with cold amusement. 'I wonder if you remember me? Probably not. But you will.'
"Hyung," Yul whispered from seat #54, pulling on Seo-jun's sleeve. "I think I'm gonna throw up."
"Swallow it," Seo-jun commanded without looking away from the PD. "If you vomit on live TV, I'm charging you for the cleaning fee. And dry cleaning is expensive."
Yul gulped and held it in.
"Get ready, boys," Seo-jun said as the first group walked onto the stage. "The market is open."