07

    Step Seven

    :: Theme Song of the Show Part II ::

    After being lectured by the senior producer, he realized that he didn't hate the foreigners in the show, but it was fear manifesting as aggression.

    ...afraid of being defeated

    "I'm sorry, no need to absolve me. I was biased. It's fair to be punished. Thanks for forgiving me," he said, acknowledging his wrongdoing.

    "And who would have thought that the janitor you saw would decide to walk the other way?" the young man recalled the CCTV footage where Lee Sangah, seeing the janitor approaching, intentionally placed a cleaning sign there.

    If the other person had come around the corner and seen it, they would have had to put it back in place and found him locked in the bathroom. But just one turn away, the person supposed to come turned back instead, making Kim Jiseong the white knight who came to the rescue.

    "I'm sorry..." That was all Lee Sangah could truly say at the time.

    "Let's take it as a lesson, okay? We are still young and have time to improve," Kim Jiseong, the oldest of the three, tried to console the others who looked stressed.

    It was true they were young. The average age of the trainees on the show was between 15 to 20 years old, except for Jacan who was an outlier at 23. So, it wasn’t unusual for these legally minor contestants to have a narrow worldview.

    "I will try to be a better person," Lee Sangah said, his voice breaking as tears streamed down his face. The pressure from the start of the show until now suddenly lifted.

    "Me too," Wang Qi, seeing his fellow contestants crying, thought about his own reckless actions. He had forgotten that they were being watched by cameras from every angle. If there was a problem, they should report it to the staff to sort it out off-camera. Making a scene in front of the many cameras would cause more damage than resolving it discreetly.

    Acting out in the entertainment industry is tantamount to career suicide.

    Creak...

    The three young men jolted up, immediately standing straight as the door to the monitoring room opened, revealing their older brother with blue eyes.

    "How is it going, Brother Jacan?" Wang Qi approached the young man first.

    "Nothing much now. Lee Sangah's punishment will be as the PD informed. While you’re on reduced airtime, keep practicing and try to regain popularity in episode three," Jacan said, choosing not to share the details of his conversation with the big producer but rather the outcome of the negotiation.

    "You’re amazing, bro. I thought we were going to be cut off without even a hair left," Kim Jiseong looked at the older man with eyes sparkling as if seeing a hero from a popular sci-fi movie.

    "How did you do it? And the thing about staff selling cigarettes to trainees, is it true?" Wang Qi barely contained his excitement. Behind-the-scenes stories of such a major show were known to few.

    "Shh! Keep it down. About that staff member, I've promised the PD I won’t tell anyone. You guys also pretend you don’t know anything. If you blab, I won’t be able to help you if you get eliminated next time," Jacan warned.

    "Oops! I’ll zip my mouth shut," Wang Qi gestured, sealing his lips.

    "I won't speak either," Lee Sangah nodded, aware of the gravity of the information he knew. "And... thank you very much for standing up for someone like me." His face showed deep remorse as Jacan observed him intently for a moment before quietly exhaling, unseen. It seemed this young man had indeed gained an unforgettable experience.

    "Next time, think before you act, even if you dislike someone. Consider the consequences for yourself first and don't be guided by emotions," Jacan advised, unable to resist giving a few words of caution upon seeing the other's contrite expression.

    "Yes, I'll remember that."

    "It's nearly afternoon. Shall we go back and continue with our lunch? There probably isn't anyone at the cafeteria by now," Kim Jiseong suggested.

    "Yeah, an army marches on its stomach. We might need the energy for another headache-inducing activity this afternoon," Jacan agreed. After standing for a moment with no one moving, he finally smiled reassuringly and took the lead. The three young men slowly followed like wolf cubs trailing their pack leader.

    …..

    They had spent twenty minutes in the monitoring room, plus another ten minutes while Jacan helped the senior producer identify a staff member who had violated the rules. By the time they reached the dining hall, no other trainees were left, allowing them to eat their midday meal in peace, without worrying about anyone asking about the recent events.

    Lee Sangah took this moment to apologize again and recounted his family story, which was the root cause of his biased attitude toward foreigners.

    After hearing the whole story, Jacan lectured him once more. It's okay to be patriotic, but you must not generalize, he emphasized. Always be thoughtful and considerate of the consequences, and look at society more broadly. With such an attitude, he might someday be exploited by someone as a stepping stone.

    “…..” Lee Sangah fell silent, his face downcast, as every word from his elder brother deeply affected him.

    As the clock struck one pm, the four of them proceeded to the internal meeting room amidst the gaze of ninety-five other trainees who looked on in unison.

    "It looks like we'll be sitting by class," spotting class signs around the room.

    "I'll head to Class C first," Lee Sangah bowed his head to say goodbye, then was suddenly embraced by Wang Qi, who whispered something in his ear, causing a stir among the watching trainees curious about their close demeanor, so different from the near brawl at the cafeteria earlier. They could only suspect, no one dared to ask directly.

    Following the young man from Class C, Jacan then walked over to Class A, where Eiji and An Junsa were already waiting.

    "Have they started announcing anything yet?" asked the young man of mixed heritage as he looked around the large meeting room that comfortably accommodated ninety-nine people without crowding.

    "Not yet. The staff only told us to sit according to the classes we've been assessed," and then no one else came in.

    "I wonder if Senior Park Insa has calmed down by now," recalling the harsh criticism before heading back to his room earlier.

    "Whether he's calm or not, we'll soon find out. He's a professional and still has to carry on with the show," in the entertainment industry, sometimes you couldn’t just act on your feelings. Even if you were furious with a coworker, you had to pretend nothing happened when you were on camera.

    That was just how the entertainment industry was.

    [Sneeze, it's like someone's calling me.] Before he could finish, came the host.

    "Senior Park Insa," all the trainees called out almost in unison to the middle-aged man.

    [As I've mentioned, this afternoon we'll have an important announcement.] The young host walked out followed by a team of four, heading towards the stage at the center of the room.

    [Everyone remembers that our show is a survival to find the top five idols, right?]

    "..." It was rare for Park Insa to show such seriousness, so the trainees listened intently, tensing up, some starting to guess what might happen next.

    [Since this is a music show, shouldn't we have a theme song?]

    !!!!

    As expected!

    Suddenly

    As the question that required no answer ended, the lights in the entire room went out. Then a spotlight flashed on, revealing Park Insa standing illuminated in the center of it.

    Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...

    The tip of his leather shoes tapped the floor five times before the figure in the center looked up, revealing an aura of professionalism that captivated everyone's attention.

    Who is it that you're calling for?

    Could it be someone like me?

    The song invigorates the spirit, the lights dazzling,

    Through weary days and nights, just turn to me.

    Park Insa shook off his playful senior persona, which he sometimes likened to an uncle, revealing a serious expression and a fiery youthful gaze as if leaping into flames. His movements were fluid, unimpeded by the age he often complained about, still strong and graceful.

    Come closer, take a closer look.

    No matter right or wrong, it's you who decides,

    Even if it's hard, just choose me,

    Pick me Pick me bebe,

    Star fight!

    Let's Go!!

    Go Go Go Go Go Go Go!!

    …

    [If you're not sure who to choose, just pick me.] Park Insa winked captivatingly after spinning to finish the last steps of the theme song, following the tradition of survival show theme songs that usually include the camera zooming in on the outstanding trainees as a selling point in the future.

    Whew, woooh, wheetwheew

    Cheers and whistles erupted as the performance by this veteran ended. Though it's an upbeat R&B track, this elder host used his decades of experience to perfectly convey youthful vigor in his own unique way.

    Even the teenage dancers in the background couldn’t outshine Park Insa, a member of the veteran group Ford.

    [Ouch, my bones!] Park Insa jested, pretending to thump on the back of his waist a few times.

    [How do you like our show's theme song?]

    "Absolutely amazing!!"

    [If you loved it, get ready for the next challenge.] The seasoned host gestures towards a screen at the back showing a massive stage set up that twirls magnificently, with a smaller stage in the center, clearly reserved for the chosen few.

    [Speaking of the theme song, we can't miss out on shooting a promotional music video featuring our contestants on social media for the first time before officially opening the voting system.]

    "Music video, that's awesome! We're actually going to shoot an MV!" Wang Qi clasped his hands, trembling with excitement.

    "We need to think of cool poses for the camera at the end of the MV," Kim Jiseong pulled out a compact mirror, checking his face, sending winks, blowing kisses, forming mini hearts, and many more unique poses.

    The trainees buzzed with excitement, discussing the theme song and their first music video, seeing it as a crucial opportunity not to be missed.

    If they caught the fans' eyes, even if they're in Class E, they might just revive their chances to debut based on voting results.

    [But wait,] Park Insa said with a smile that wasn’t quite gentle, [despite how grand and magnificent this stage looks, it can only accommodate 45 people.] That meant more than half of the participants wouldn’t have the chance to be part of this music video at all.

    “….” Silence fell, so heavy that no one dared even breathe loudly. Although they'd been filming for two days, today was the first time they learned just how cruel this illusionary world can be.

    The show designed activities to foster camaraderie among the trainees, aiming for harmony over the three-month period. Yet, barely a day passed before they faced a task that forced them to leave many of their peers behind.

    "You might not stand on the stage, but you can stand around it," Park Insa clarified later, revealing a truth that made many want to get back at him, disregarding his seniority.

    "I was shocked, the first MV should include everyone, right? That's how every show does it," Yeo Unche, from Class B, complained under his breath, nearly crying from the pressure.

    [Ah, the elevated center spot there is reserved only for the top five scorers of this round. And there will be one person who will get 30% of the airtime in the MV, just by themselves... that's the center position.]