10

    Step Ten

    :: Selected Center Part I ::

    After passing the audition, it was a period of training. The survival show was not just about competing with existing abilities but also an opportunity to learn new knowledge and experiences from senior contestants.

    And if one could learn and apply it in time, that person might become a dark horse in the show, unpredictable to everyone. Because most people often only suspected those who were at the top of the pyramid, like Class A.

    What attracted viewers to this type of program was not only encountering their favorite idols but also indulging in drama, storylines, and... indulging in the uncertainty of what was called popularity.

    Those who think they might debut... could turn out to be the first ones voted out, who knew?

    So, no one should be underestimated.

    In the morning, while many trainees were still not awake, they were forced to get up and exercise with the trainers, including Lee Danbi and Jung Wangseong. After completing ten rounds of running around the basketball court, they were allowed to cool down for ten minutes on their own.

    "All right, if anyone is still not awake, raise your hand," Lee Danbi looked at several boys almost lying down on the field.

    "..." Jung Wangseong raised his hand.

    "Hey! We're working here," a younger boy murmured softly, but it was too late. Several kids turned to see and burst into laughter.

    "..." Jung Wangseong put his hand down.

    "Ahem, today, Mr. Jung Wangseong and I are here to announce the results of the theme song test, who will be selected as the center and be one of the 45 people who will stand on the main stage," the rapper finished speaking. The whole field fell silent. Some unintentionally held their breath until their faces turned red.

    The trainees forgot to cool down for a moment, and some even forgot to breathe. Everyone looked at the tablet in the hands of the other party with anticipation. If they could see through it, they probably already had.

    "Which position do you want to know first?" Lee Danbi scrolled through the list on the screen, reviewing it again and again until he was confident that no one had fallen, then turned to ask the trainees what they wanted.

    "Center!!!" No one broke the line, answering in unison.

    "Starting from that position, huh? Not saving it as a surprise for the center a bit?" The rapper smiled mischievously.

    "Center it is, sir," emphasized another round.

    "I think I got it for sure, so don't even hope. Just say my name now," the cheerleader cheered, revealing some names, some friends, mixed with laughter and teasing.

    "Okay, the center position goes to..." Jung Wangseong turned to look at the younger rapper who was stubbornly holding back, refusing to announce the name of the kid. He snatched the mic and announced directly,

    "The center is Jacan."

    "..." Lee Danbi, wanting to spice up the atmosphere to the max.

    "..." The trainees who thought they would have to wait longer.

    "..." Jacan... He should be happy, right? Why was the atmosphere not quite right?

    "Come on, let's applaud. What are you waiting for?" Jung Wangseong returned the mic to the young rapper before clapping enthusiastically, being the first to do so. Three seconds later, there was applause followed by ecstatic cheers from the trainees' side.

    Why did the atmosphere feel so strange?

    "Congratulations, bro. I knew you'd make it," Wang Qi was the first to go up and shake hands with the older contestant. Then more people came to express their congratulations. Some just stood outside clapping.

    "Congratulations! Your abilities are well-suited for this." Lee Danbi affirmed, the applause gradually subsiding. In reality, the program had planned to assign this position to a trainee who didn't need to stand out but showed considerable effort and improvement. However, in this competition, the person who seemed to put in the most effort ended up being the most popular and gaining the highest popularity.

    Despite being talented already, they continued practicing late into the night and even managed to spare valuable time to teach other classes without complaining.

    Believe it or not, when the second tape aired, he would surely reel in a large number of fans into his fandom.

    "Thank you very much," Jacan nodded to both trainers and then thanked his friends who joined in the celebration. Even though some congratulated him with smiles, their eyes didn’t quite show the same happiness.

    "All right, next, we'll announce ranks 2-5 who will be on the main stage in the center.” Jung Wangseong quickly announced the top five names without delay as the program had planned.

    The fast, smooth, on point Jung Wangseong.

    "Kim Jiseong, Wang Qi, An Junsa, Im Kureum, congratulations."

    "Hey!! Well done, Brother Im! Finally, you did it!" While Class A erupted in a mix of joy for Jacan and shock over Eiji slipping from the pre-debut position, there was a burst of cheers and excitement from Class B.

    "Easy there, crazy kids. The trainers haven't finished announcing yet," Im Kureum reprimanded, pressing his finger to his lips. They could go celebrate in the practice room later. What's with all the fuss now?

    "Oh, you got it, bro!" Even Yeo Unche got over excited.

    Then it was the stage for the other 40 trainees. Yeo Unche and Lee Sang-ah, who were among them, grinned and ran over to proudly show off to their kind-hearted big brother, Jacan. As for those whose names weren't called, they had to go down to the lower part of the stage and dance, with the chance to be on camera only when there were high-angle shots to capture the overall picture.

    "After this, we'll have uniform fittings for the show. Don't try to lose or gain weight unnecessarily. We're starting MV shooting in two days," Lee Danbi looked at the tight schedule of the trainees with limited time.

    "After the MV shoot, there will be a performance in front of the audience for the first time. Details about team division or competition categories will be announced after the MV shoot."

    Chatter erupted

    After the excitement and anxiety of the audition results, the heart, which had soared and plunged, was now dancing with the unexpected next mission. Finally, they would get to showcase their performances in front of the audience!!

    While Jacan was busy with the third tape shoot and preparing for the first MV of the Star Fright program, mum like Georgina, who was lying down watching Almond on the foreign TV channel, almost choked on her tea when she saw a familiar face walking into the studio of the Survival program she had just started following.

    "Klaus! Klaus, that's our kid, right?" A forty-something mom threw a bowl of almonds on the floor and hurried to drag her husband out of the kitchen.

    "What's up, honey?" Mr. Miller put down the ladle and reached to turn off the gas before being pulled out by the younger, smaller person to the living room past their niece, a daughter of his elder brother, who had just returned from school.

    "I saw Jacan! Oh my goodness, I thought he didn't want to sing anymore," Georgina picked up the remote to rewind to the part where her son walked out of the backstage door.

    "That's Brother!," Casey floated over the sofa to watch her brother with wide eyes.

    "Casey, didn't I tell you not to cross the sofa? Remember?" Klaus said seriously.

    "Sorry, sorry, Uncle Klaus," the eighteen-year-old girl turned to apologize and then turned to look at her brother on TV again.

    "Jay looks so good on camera as usual," the mother was busy watching her son, she glanced up and down, from top to bottom, to find any abnormalities on the other side to confirm that he was still fine.

    "That’s why he hasn’t contacted us back," they were wondering why their son lacked communication. There was only a short text message asking to stay in Country K for a while longer.

    "Look, our boy got my looks so much," Georgina pointed her husband to watch their son instead of spending time being angry with their niece. It worked. Klaus finally gave in and sat down beside his beautiful wife to watch their son's performance.

    Indeed, as the other said, Jacan had inherited almost all of his handsome looks from Georgina.

    Georgina and Klaus watched their son's performance with proud eyes. They had seen the young boy chase his dreams from yesterday until today, whether it was a small or big stage, they were proud of it all.

    Just as long as their son was happy...

    "Hey, isn't the main host of the show Park Insa?!! Oh my gosh!!!" That legendary idol still lives!

    “Scream!!!”

    "Ssh, calm down, take it easy, breathe slowly or you might faint," the husband had to come in to support her and tap her back to prevent too much shock.

    "Jay's the best! I’ve got to vote for him!" No matter what, her brother had to get a debut again.

    "That's right, dear, fetch me the notebook, please. I’ll study how to vote," it took Georgina almost ten minutes to regain her composure. She still had things to do. She couldn't faint right now. Each program had a different voting method. Some allowed international voting, while others didn't. So international fans had to resort to contacting domestic fan clubs or fan bases as voting agents.

    Klaus went to get the notebook on the second shelf and went back to the kitchen to cook, leaving his wife and niece glued to their son's competition situation.

    "Hey, why can we only vote twice per ID?" Georgina frowned, reading the voting rules that allowed global voting without the hassle of VPNs.

    The problem was that fans couldn’t solve problems with money like in other shows, where they just bought products or voted in various forms to support their favorite trainees. It was a revenue stream for the reality show.

    However, Star Fight did things differently... The show's website required fans to register as members and verify their identity with their ID card or passport. Each day, they could vote twice, once in the morning and once in the evening, which counted as two points. And there was no product or voting card that required any payment at all.

    "It's too strange," Georgina, beautiful and rich with her husband's money, clutched the credit card tightly in her hand. The show didn’t want money or what? She had money. She's ready to pay!

    "It seems like this program can't be fixed with money," Casey wrinkled her nose in thought.

    "So, will Jay get a debut like this?" The worried mother wondered. Usually, survival shows often rely on fan club donations. Why the change!

    As her son was a foreigner, she feared history might repeat itself. She didn't want her son to lose confidence because he wasn't accepted.

    "It's SKM’s program, right, I think the program's management doesn't expect a big lump sum in the short term. Plus, this method can calculate the actual number of fans following the trainees. When it's time for the debut, there's no need to worry that this group will disappear as soon as the program ends."

    "The more international votes they get, the more it means they can go international anytime,"

    "That's too much," Georgina complained as she signed up herself. Surely, she would have to get her husband's passport to register as well. On the other hand, her niece said she would register on the computer in the bedroom.

    "Looks like we'll have to find ways to help Jay's fan bases get more people to join. That's it."

    "If the Candies know that Jacan in the Star Fight program is the J they want to see, things would be easier than this," Georgina grumbled silently. She could publicly announce this without anyone knowing the source. But if her son found out later, he would definitely be mad at her.

    "If Brother doesn't ask for it, then don't bother, Aunty George. He might get angry and not talk to me," Casey disagreed. She didn't want to incur the wrath of her beloved brother.

    "Then you create a fan account to support Jay on social media, okay? It could help amplify your brother's voice. And for those who speak ill of our brother, I'll handle them myself," the former government hacker smirked wickedly. Even though she no longer worked in her old field because she had to take care of her child herself, she still kept up with the world of technology. Whoever dared to speak ill of her child, prepare to be exposed.

    She didn't need money from lawsuits. Anyone who dared to come with a knife, she was ready to fight back. Don't expect to live a peaceful life.