08

    Step Eight

    :: Center Position Part I ::

    What was the center position?

    Was it important?

    Let's tackle the first question: in the idol industry, whether it was a small or big group, the center was someone who was strategically placed to catch the most attention from the audience. It was not wrong to say they were there to attract the audience's eyes first, before the rest of the members according to personal preference.

    How important was the center position to nearly a hundred trainees? The purpose of the show wasn’t to debut all 99 participants, but rather to stand out from the rest. Therefore, the context and role of a survival show's center differed from that of a typical idol group's center.

    It had to be someone unanimously recognized by all four judges of the show, sometimes not necessarily from Class A. Additionally, being the center for the theme song was like a guarantee that you were already on your way to debut, a significant step forward.

    Who wouldn't want this golden ticket?

    [The first task isn't hard at all. What everyone needs to do is to learn the theme song, both singing and dancing, within one week. After that, there will be individual auditions in front of the four judges the following week.

    Whoever scores the highest will become the center, and the other positions on stage will be assigned in descending order. Those who do not meet the criteria will join from below the stage. How much you appear in the MV will be seen when it is released.

    Starting tomorrow, there will be vocal and dance instructors teaching from morning till noon for three days. After that, it will be self-practice time. Anyone needing equipment like headphones or music players should contact the team at welfare services. The show is prepared to accommodate everyone. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask,] Park Insa stood waiting for questions, but no one dared to raise their hand.

    [If there are no questions, I'll excuse myself first. Please proceed to your regular practice rooms.]

    "Thank you, senior," the trainees stood up and bowed as the senior left the room. And soon, Lee Sangah ran after him, watched by the puzzled eyes of the other participants. Only the three who had shared the punishment understand.

    "He must be going to apologize, right?" Wang Qi turned to ask Jacan.

    "Probably, he's a good kid after all," at least he knew what to do when he'd made a mistake.

    "He's been through a lot too; if I were him, I'd feel a bit bitter,” especially with something as sensitive as family issues.

    "???" Eiji turned to An Junsa, his fellow Class A mate, with a questioning look, but An Junsa just shrugged with an equally puzzled expression. They both looked toward the door where the young man from Class C and the show host had disappeared.

    After leaving the large meeting room, all the trainees rushed to the welfare room to request equipment for practicing the theme song's dance. Once they got what they needed, they returned to their respective class's practice rooms.

    Step step step

    Being in Class A had its perks—everyone had a strong foundation and skills, so everyone worked independently without asking others for help or explanations.

    Jacan started by memorizing the lyrics. Once he had a rough grasp, he moved to a corner and started playing the video on his tablet, moving his body along with it. He repeated the routine over and over until he realized he had spent four hours just like that, just in time for the staff to announce that it was time for dinner.

    Hard practice was essential, but never skip meals.

    The atmosphere in the cafeteria was very different from lunchtime; it was like night and day. Earlier, people sat in groups chatting idly, but now it seemed like everyone was lost in their own world.

    "Everyone looks so tense," Wang Qi commented with a wry smile.

    "It's a rare opportunity," Yeo Unche approached and patted his roommate's shoulder a couple of times.

    "I'll probably grind my teeth in my sleep tonight," the stress was nearly reaching a breaking point.

    "Don't stress yourself into making mistakes. Try to relax," Jacan advised.

    "That just makes me even more stressed," Wang Qi pulled at his collar to wipe off sweat, his dark eyes glancing over to see the Class E group staring at them intently.

    What? What's going on?

    Or were they targeting me!

    "It looks like they want to talk to us," from this angle, it was clear they were picking a representative through rock-paper-scissors, and soon, they pushed forward a trainee who seemed to have lost.

    "Ha, maybe this is a duel for a position!" Wang Qi's eyes widened in surprise.

    "You're imagining things," Jacan flicked the forehead of the younger, leaving a small red mark.

    "Let's eat quickly. Once that guy gets here, he'll tell us if there's any issue with us or not," but if Jacan guessed right, it was probably much simpler than that.

    "Um... so," it took almost two minutes for the representative from the group to reach them, after hesitating and almost being kicked forward again by his classmates.

    "What's the matter?" Jacan asked.

    "If it's not too much trouble... Well."

    "You want help with singing and dancing the theme song, right?" Jacan interjected, having guessed the other's request long before it was fully voiced. Upon hearing this, the trainee nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grains.

    This task was an individual one, aimed at assessing readiness before full training by the panel of judges. Besides the scheduled dance instructors, the trainees had to find time to practice and understand the techniques on their own.

    "Of course, I’ll come to the practice room after we eat," Jacan replied with a gentle smile, reassuring the anxious Class E trainee before he even asked. When the request was granted, the trainee barely contained his elation.

    "Th-thank you so much! W-we'll be waiting in the Class E room," the trainee managed, his face brightening up. His classmates, noticing his good fortune, began celebrating from afar, sending hearts and cheers.

    "Can you handle it?" Wang Qi asked, waiting for his fellow contestant to sit down again before speaking.

    "Teaching others is like revising for myself," the blue-eyed young man explained softly, suggesting that he might be aiming for more screen time himself. Teaching Class E might earn him some commendation from the audience.

    After observing the trainees in Class A scarf down their meal, Jacan hurried back to the practice room. He then made his way to the promised Class E room.

    "Please take care of us." Jacan opened the door, only to be greeted by a wall of trainees who respectfully bowed as he entered.

    "..." He blinked, feeling like a mafia boss in a movie greeted by his subordinates.

    "Let's start by seeing you dance, I want to see where each of you might need help. Let’s do it in fives, one group at a time," he suggested as he dragged a chair to the center of the room and sat down with a tablet and a notepad listing all 45 members, ready to take notes.

    The picture that the other classes saw when they walked past the Class E practice room was a picture of Jacan dancing for them once. Then he turned around and helped move the arms and legs of the trainees behind him like the show’s trainers had taught them before dinner.

    Or should they ask Class A people to teach them too?

    "Alright, that's enough for today. You can rest or continue practicing as you wish," Jacan announced, checking the digital clock which showed it was half-past nine. "We still have a week left. Don't overdo it, but don’t slack off either."

    "Thank you so much, Brother Jacan," came the echoing gratitude as trainees bid him goodbye, the thanks reverberating down the hallway. Some trainees who were still practicing even stepped out to see the source of the commotion.

    "Ah, um, see you tomorrow then," Jacan waved goodbye with a strained smile. Although he came with a hidden agenda, the positive response he received made him feel unexpectedly warm inside.

    "See, I told you, you’re like a kindergarten teacher," Yeo Unche, who had just walked out of Class B's practice room, couldn't resist teasing his older brother after witnessing the scene.

    "Mm, thinking about it, what you said seems quite accurate," Since the start of the show, he had been constantly reflective, partly because he was the oldest contestant. Maintaining a suitable demeanor was crucial.

    Back when he debuted in a duo, Jacan was initially coddled due to being three years younger than Han Shinsu, who treated him like a little brother.

    Now, having to act as the older brother himself, he couldn't help but feel a responsibility to provide the same level of care he had once received, such as helping the Class E kids practice. Even if he mentioned airtime as his motive, his commitment was genuine and not just for show.

    "I secretly watched you teach them. Have you already memorized the dance moves and lyrics?” That was fast.

    "I practiced along with everyone else," When teaching others, he wasn’t just watching; he participated actively.

    "Are you going back to your room now? I'm all sticky, I really need a shower," Yeo Unche stretched, trying to relieve the stiffness around his waist.

    "I'm thinking of practicing a bit more before bed. Plus, the bathrooms are probably full right now. You go ahead," Jacan said as he headed back into the Class A room after the other nodded and resumed practicing where he left off, until it was around two in the morning before he finally decided to stop and go take a shower.

    Creak, creak.

    The sounds of shoes squeaking against the floor of the practice room blended with the late hour as Jacan walked past the Class C practice room. Who else was still practicing at 2 am?

    The young man paused in front of the glass door to look inside and saw Lee Sangah still practicing intensely. At one point, he was supposed to spin halfway and blow a kiss, but instead, he got his legs tangled and fell flat on his back.

    "Are you okay?" Jacan hurried over to check on the younger one. "Did you hurt your ankle or knee?"

    "No, no," Lee Sangah looked up, wide-eyed, automatically denying any injury when asked.

    "That’s good you’re not hurt. It’s true we have limited time to practice, but don't overdo it to the point of injury. It's very late now, you should go back and get some sleep," his slender hand pulled the young man's shirt to lead him out of the room together.

    "You just finished practicing too?" Lee Sangah looked up at the digital clock. "Wow! It’s already past two?" It was true, they had been practicing without keeping track of time.

    "Um, I'm heading to rest now. I have a singing lesson with senior Sujin in the morning. If I don't sleep, my voice will definitely be ruined. How about you?" Jacan started a conversation as they walked back to their rooms.

    "I have a singing lesson with senior Bomi," the young man replied, following the lead of the older one without hesitation. If it weren't for the reminder, he might still be practicing his dance moves until sunrise.

    "The more reason to head back and sleep if you're studying with senior Bomi. If you show up with panda eyes, I guarantee she'll make you stand in front of the classroom until the class ends."

    "That would be bad..." Lee Sangah replied meekly, quickening his steps to keep up with Jacan.

    Their training facility was on the top floor, so it took a while for the two young men to reach their respective rooms. Fortunately for Lee Sangah, he stayed on the same floor as Jacan, so he didn’t have to walk back alone through the quiet, even though there were lights all along the way, it still looked desolate.

    His room was almost at the end of the hallway, while the young man from Class C was closer to the stairwell. As they turned the corner, he nodded and bid farewell before entering his room. Jacan continued down the hallway to his own room.

    'Thinking about the schedule... The first episode was about to air soon. I'm really curious about the audience's reaction...'

    ...

    While the trainees were intensely focused on practicing the theme song for the upcoming show, under the immense pressure of internal competition, many forgot that the premiere of the first episode, which they'd been eagerly awaiting, was drawing near.

    The senior producer looked over the variety show schedule they'd been preparing for over six months with pride. Negotiations for contracts with TV stations and platforms had all been successfully concluded.

    The show would be scheduled during prime viewing times on television and would also be available online through a popular platform that required a premium subscription. However, the producers had decided to include a special 2-minute segment at the end of each episode as a bonus to ensure that viewers did not feel shortchanged.

    Im Heewoo reviewed the first edited episode over and over for two hours to ensure there were no errors before sending the file to the team for broadcast as planned. The next step was to promote the show to encourage viewership.

    Because the show would be aired on SKM Ent. TV, they'd decided to invest in a one-minute commercial to be placed during the evening news slot for general publicity.

    Subsequently, the company's page shared this commercial repeatedly detailing the broadcast schedule both on television and online, and then encouraged artists under their label to promote it as well. Sharing directly on their own page, this was a straightforward and budget-friendly promotional approach, but it yielded immediate results.

    “The show's page followers have increased by 100,000,” the public relations team joyfully reported on the current situation.

    “Keep an eye on it; it airs in half an hour. Get ready to monitor viewer reactions, and we'll send in the sockpuppet accounts to boost, but let's not make it too obvious—netizens are quick to spot that these days,” Im Heewoo leaned back, the accumulated stress seemingly about to burst.

    Although the pre-air feedback had been positive, who knew whether the results would meet expectations after the broadcast.

    “Don't forget to open the voting channels on the website. The real competition for us behind the scenes is about to begin.”

    Star Fight [SF] Official

    The biggest survival show by SKM Ent. has kicked off. Watch the intense selection process today.

    TV channel: xxx

    Online: www.xxxx

    Voting site: www.SFxxxx (not officially open for voting yet)

    [Same commercial clip as broadcasted on TV]

    As soon as the page announced the airing date, eager viewers did not hesitate to select their preferred viewing channels. Some even visited the website first to choose their favorite trainees before watching the first episode.

    Survival Show Craze

    If you haven't watched SKM Ent.'s SF show because you're tired of the plethora of survival shows out there, you should check it out, ladies. Let's save some trainee pictures to decide whether to keep watching.

    Personally, I've already pinned my favorite. Haven't even seen the first episode yet, but just seeing his face makes my heart no longer my own (nor my money). Off to order a lightstick now. My favorite guy must debut!

    #STARFIGHTEP01 #SF01 #Wang Qi

    Comment: Too lazy to check the website; saw someone saved the pictures so just took a look. And was totally captivated! Wang Qi really caught my eye. That mischievous charm is too cute. Now I have to watch the first episode. The man bun doesn't make him look hot, dear, more like a daughter than anything.

    Comment: Kang Manja is our schoolmate. He's very nice.

    Comment: Can I freak out? Yes, I can! That Jacan, what is he even? If you didn't tell me he's human, I'd think he's an angel. What kind of person is so charmingly handsome, more than a prince?

    Comment: I'm also pinning Jacan. I'm already set to watch the show on TV. If it's fun, I'll subscribe to a premium membership too, maybe there'll be special segments at the end.

    Comment: Another survival show. Trust me, soon there will be at least two foreign members and three 'K' members, or all Ks.

    Comment: Foreign artists are really shelling out; I don’t know why there is still discrimination, it's incomprehensible.

    Comment: Jealous of them, you can tell.

    Comment: I’m torn between Wang Qi and Eiji, they're totally my type.

    Comment: I like An Junsa. That surname is rarely used in our country.

    Comment: I heard it was tough to get here, they screened thousands of applicants.

    Comment: Good man… I'm done for, have to go sign up for premium.