Cerberus, who'd been lurking beneath the stage during my evaluation, jumped up onto my shoulder when the trainee Sung-hwi, openly taunted at him.
He let out a low growl.
{Master, I smell bad luck coming from him, it's weird!}
'Is there a separate smell of bad luck?'
{I don't know! I'm having trouble putting it into words! I don't think he smells bad, it's just the way he talks to me, it's just really annoying!}
'I definitely get that feeling. I don't like it.'
Anyone can tell that there's a screw missing somewhere.
Ma Si-hyuk looked back and forth between me and Sung-hwi.
"Si-hwan, you don't look happy."
"Yeah."
"The camera is getting more explicit at this direction...!"
"Tell him so."
I kept on a slightly shit-faced expression on my face as I ignored Ma Si-hyuk's whisper.
Well, it wasn't as good as it sounded to Cerberus.
I knew I could've controlled myself and put on a calm face, but I deliberately didn't.
'I couldn't completely understand what's going on with him, but this could be seen as a new plot twist.'
Looking at the results so far, I've established the impression that I'm a master from the start.
In addition to the image of a top contestant, I've also created the image of a leader who reaches out to the co-workers in need.
The line that Sung-hwi had just struck was optimized to set him apart from this peaceful characterization, and building up a rivalry.
And this serious face I'm putting on is a very useful part of the edit just for the aggro.
As you can see, we're going to be cutting and splicing scenes to create a more serious air than towards the actual scene.
Naturally, I'd get a close-up of myself as the target of the provocation.
'I can already imagine the cross-edits and subtitles.'
My every move was thoroughly calculated. Every step I took took into account the characteristics of Korean survival programs.
Even my intentional shit-chewing expression was to be for the trailer of the final rating, which would be within two or three episodes.
"It just felt cheap."
"You two know of each other, don't you?"
"Well we're both from a big agency. I'm from BK, and he's from X2, so we had talked to each other briefly before we came out here, so we talked a bit during the training camp."
Kang Sun-woo whispered in a low voice that the camera didn't catch.
"He's got a weird personality, he knows he's good, he's actually really good, so he's kind of a narcissistic type, he doesn't like to lose, he's very competitive, but his jokes are funny because they're off the cuff."
"Well, you're right, he's pretty quirky."
"Yeah. I still can't really put my finger on exactly what he's like."
He's a master narcissist.
I clenched my jaw and watched Sung-hwi's evaluation.
He's good at it. Similar to Kang Sun-woo, he knows where to tighten up and where to loosen up, and unlike the other contestants, he's actually relaxed on the stage.
However, the difference shown in the overall performance including the level test and the final grading is clearly evident when you're singing towards the same song. This is also because the level test allows you to choose songs that you're confident in, so you can hide your weaknesses and showcase your strengths.
In that regard, Sung-hwi's vocal skills were several notches better than Kang Sun-woo's.
He doesn't have a huge amount of volume or high notes, but the tone he's showing is definitely exceptional.
It's a soft, relaxed voice that can be found in ballad singers. Certainly, it's hard to find a vocalist with this kind of tone in the idol scene.
But what had really caught my eye was his facial expressions.
With the time he had on stage, he was learning how to express his lyrics effectively.
He has a charming smile that only he was able to pull off when he's singing a song like Sabby or Killing Bees, but he also changes his eyes to show off his masculinity when he's singing passionate lyrics.
'If I was halfway decent, I wouldn't be throwing taunts in front of everyone.'
It didn't take long for Sung-hwi's grade to be determined.
All the cameras on the set moved to follow Sung-hwi as he'd made his way towards the A-grade section.
The eyes of the trainees in the other sections did the same.
The air seemed to have converged on me, as if the attention of the entire universe was focused on me.
I hadn't planned on attracting this much attention.
Sung-hwi smirked and headed for the seat behind me.
The moment he passed me, he ducked his head in greeting.
"I think you've managed to raise some of the tension that's been building, thank you."
A post-provocation greeting.
{What an asshole!}
Cerberus glared, looking as if he might bite off Sung-hwi's ear at any moment.
But I wasn't about to be deterred by this sunbae's pace.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that."
He even smiled at me and offered his hand to shake mine first.
When he didn't get the reaction he was expecting, Sung-hwi stared at my face for a moment.
'I guess you were expecting to see me gasp in surprise and have a rapid change of expression. I've met worse bastards than you many times in hell. You're finally going to have to settle for this, my friend.'
Sung-hwi snorted weakly, too weakly to be caught on camera, and gripped onto my hand tightly.
"This is so much fun, this is survival."
"You're making me nervous too. Let's do well."
As MC Ko Hyun-joo was giving his closing remarks in the middle of the set, I was feeling a change in my mind.
Maybe it was because I had seen so many naive kids since the filming of 'Asri 2', but I just felt like I was living back on Hell.
I was always practicing repetitive exercises, training my vocal cords, and building up my physical strength.
But at the end of the day.
Seeing that trainee so openly competing with me stirred up onto my ego and competitive spirit that had been dormant for a very long time.
{Master, why do you suddenly have a sinister grin on your face? It's weird, you look like a pervert!}
'Because I thought it would be a little fun.'
{The master I saw in hell didn't have this kind of taste--.}
"Contestants, you've all done a great job today, and I want you to get a good night's sleep and recharge up your batteries quickly, because the main stage shooting for KNet's 'Music K Showdown' will be taken place in the next two days at 1:00 p.m. Tomorrow will be the day when all the 100 trainees will try out the stage configuration together before the main shooting, so please be up and on time. That's it!"
"Yes!"
I clenched my fist slightly as I listened to PD Chae Min-jung.
The filming of 'Music K Showdown' is happening right after those two days.
This video will mark the official start of 'Idol Stardig Season 2'.
In other words, it will be the first video available to the millions of viewers who will be watching the show.
We'll have to make sure it's seen all over the country.
***
"Wow..."
"We're we really going to be filming here?"
"This is awesome."
Naturally, there were quite a few fake reactions due to the cameras being everywhere, but the stage prepared by 'Music K Showdown' was honestly pretty huge.
I wasn't really surprised because I had seen many music broadcasting stages in my previous life, and I had often seen the set when doing the research before.
However, I couldn't keep a straight face as cameras had been swarming around me like flies, thanks to the Class A badge that was shining brightly on my left pectoral.
[What were your impressions of the stage?]
[First of all, I was amazed that such a huge stage with a capacity of 100 people had existed, and I wanted to thank all the staff who worked so hard with us].
An enthusiastic response was essential for such a brief interview.
The stage structure was the same as last year's 'Asri 1'.
Three large, triangular platforms rose above a circular stage that could've filled even a music broadcasting studio.
The platform in the center is the tallest, which is typical.
The middle one, obviously, was for the contestants who've been performing during the past two weeks.
"Staging is important, so everyone please follow my instructions and come up in the order I call you!"
Part of me felt sorry for the staff as they shouted at the top of their lungs.
There were nearly atleast 200 people, including contestants and staff, in the poorly ventilated room.
It was an extreme job to have to organize people in such a chaotic environment.
"Here comes the A-Grade contestants!"
As expected, a total of nine Grade A trainees, including myself, stood on the central platform with a full view of the set.
My position was in the middle of the left column, not too far from the center.
There was a particular reason why I had to stand in this position in the first place.
...Do you all know when it's time to switch places as we've practiced?"
"Yes."
Dance trainer and judge Shin Jae-hoon stared at the main platform with his hawk eyes until the final rehearsal.
For good reason, our platform was the only one that could be moved.
A small special treat for the contestants who received the best ratings in the final evaluation.
It was a group theme song performance that could've easily ended without a single camera shot, so the A-Grade contestants were guaranteed at least five seconds of camera exposure.
They have to move back and forth in unison and change formations after each verse.
The time I come to the center is, of course, when the high-pitched killing bees come in after the verse 2 fight.
This is the moment when all eyes are really on me.
"Brother Si-hwan."
"Hm?"
"Aren't you nervous?"
Ma Si-hyuk, who was standing behind me, had asked in a slightly shaky voice.
I hadn't heard what the reason was yet, but his low confidence was still there. I thought it would get better with an A-grade, but when the day of the big shoot came, he was shaking like a leaf.
"If I were Si-hwan's older brother, I don't think I would have been able to sing properly."
"Haha, because you have to sing those high notes by yourself?"
"Yeah, no matter how you look at it, my brother is really amazing."
When we first met, I had no idea this relationship would've ended up like this, but now I felt like I was carrying around a giant pet dog.
"Si-hwan is a big brother, and he can even afford to take care of the others."
I replied sarcastically, flashing a faint smile at the unexpected comment.
"I don't remember being big brother towards you."
"Ahaha, I guess I was too hasty, then how about we have a brother relation from now on, I like it."
I looked straight into Sung-hwi's eyes and replayed what I had just said earlier in my head.
His tone was strangely devoid of malice.
If he'd meant it to get on my nerves, he wouldn't have had such innocent eyes. Even if it was an act, it's a strange situation.
I have no idea what he's really thinking.
"Then do as you please."
"Sure, big brother. Oh, and just so you know."
Sung-hwi leaned toward me and spoke in a low voice.
"I'm serious, I'm not kidding, I'm just saying, that older brother makes me feel tense and really interesting."
With that, Sung-hwi winked and soon returned to his original position.
I let out a short sigh and made a mental note.
'He's just an asshole with character.'
"Filming is about to begin, everyone get ready!"
On either side of me, I could hear the trainees taking in deep breaths. Some were cheering, others were repeating the lyrics.
I straightened up my sleeves and looked towards the shown red-lit camera.
'This is where it really begins.'
That's how the filming began for 'HIT', the theme song of "Idol Stardig Season 2," which would take over every portal site in South Korea in just a week later.