MC Lee slowly enunciated, "Here are the results...
One by one, cards floated into the center of the screen. Behind each card was the face of the participants who got the most votes from their fellow contestants.
For every reveal, a heart would either drop or wallow in silent dismay, while the others would heave a sigh of relief before sinking into a tense atmosphere again. No one knew if the next name to be called would be theirs.
There were very few among the Inhabitants who maintained their composure. It was because nobody could guess who would be the unfortunate ones.
In the end, the remaining ones were Sujin, Min, Kato, Juwon, Hyeon-ju, and another vocalist called Chul-Moo. All of them got positive reviews from the judges. Juwon, in particular, embodied a lonely flower on a treacherous cliff. His facial expressions were topnotch, coupled with his elegant dancing, which was his strength. Even though not everyone liked him, they wisely chose not to vote him off because of the judges and the possible response from the viewers.
Sujin had always been the best vocalist and a good center material. Min, Kato, and Chul-moo had stable singing and dancing skills, while Hyeon-ju left a lasting impression with his impressive chorus.
So, who got sent off? First was... well, Neo's case was obvious. He got 11 votes. Three others got 10 as they performed badly. The rest were voted for because of their quite undesirable attitude. Among them were the three from the laundry room incident.
In just an hour, many things had changed, and the place meant for twelve people became more suited to the name 'Barren Land.'
One by one, they were called for an interview where they shared their thoughts and feelings about the result.
"Although it's only been a week, we have been training with and caring for each other. We treat them as friends, so it hurts to see them leave. If possible, I want to team up with them again," Kato said to the interviewer.
When it was Min's turn, the boy with soft curls and deep dimples also sported a solemn expression. "Honestly, I can't get used to this. However, this is a competition, so I understand that to stay, we have to not only give our best, we can not commit a mistake, and most importantly, we must help each other."
"We will continue to strive to show the best so that there won't be an elimination next time," said Sujin in a determined voice.
On the barren land's side, finally, the screen changed, replaced by the list of names who would go to the Greenhouse.
Half were beyond happy since they saw their names there.
The other half felt regret and sadness. They also gave their all, but the judges had to choose which performers stood out among them. It was sad because the judges and producers deemed their performances lacking.
Another reason for their regret was the name at the top of the list.
Jun's name came in first.
People took turns hugging him. The six who would be left behind were crying as they hugged and congratulated him.
"It's a shame, but we know you're not meant to stay here."
"Brother. I'm sad to see you go. But I'm also happy for you. We owe you a lot for that performance."
"Leader, please don't forget us when you get there."
Jun laughed. "I'm not going far away."
He comforted and encouraged them. "Everyone did great. I will wait for you all in the Greenhouse."
The others also congratulated Xavi and the rest of the promoted Landers. Jun pursed his lips before fetching his bag and returning to the Greenhouse. He was in the lead again this time, but fewer people were following him behind.
Along the way, he encountered Neo, Hanada, and the four others who were demoted. There was no moon above. Even so, he thought that no amount of moonlight could lift the depressed spirits of the youths who merely nodded at them.
Jun softly murmured, "I'm suddenly very worried about Neo." He remembered the bad tendency of some of the demoted Inhabitants like Gunwook.
For a moment, he regretted forgetting to tell the Barren Landers to take care of Neo. So he talked to Xavi and then ran back. Among those who stayed were Jinho, one of the oldest trainees and a reliable person. Before returning to Xavi's group, he whispered a few things to the man.
...
"Welcome back!" As if the sorrow caused by the second mission had been washed away, the six passionately welcomed the ones who ascended from the Barren Land.
They swarmed Jun in particular. Of course, the one happiest about his return was Juwon, who immediately jumped at him and hi-five-d with him. "Welcome back, bro!"
Sujin grinned at him, "I saw the performance of the Landers. You guys are so cool."
Jun fist-bumped Sujin before he sat on the sofa. "Thank you. We all tried our best."
He did not say, 'You guys also did well.' He knew that some of the Inhabitants had not yet recovered from the results of the second mission. Also, it would sound like a mockery.
He laughed and added, "It's good to be back. I miss the wide bed and the pantry."
Xavi happily interjected, "Can we visit the rooms and place our things there now?"
Kato shook his head. "We just finished our interviews, and one of the staff said to stand by for the announcement of the next mission."
"Aw. Is that so?" Xavi kept his backpack on as he sat down next to Min.
Jun waited for everyone to sit before introducing the new Inhabitants.
"This charming guy here who would instantly remind people of a cute puppy is Xavi. Just kidding, you already know him. Same with Daeho."
"You guys met at the gathering hall on the first day. This is Dae-Hyun. He is great at b-boying. This is Seong-Hun, Daeho's partner earlier. He's tall and handsome but really shy. He's the guy who sang the chorus' high notes. And last but not least, the Landers' precious youngest, In-Su. He prefers to be called Seth."
The three bowed politely and said their hello with blushing cheeks. They felt relieved and shy that Jun was still looking out for them.
The Inhabitants, except Hyeon-ju, also told the new guys their names.
Some idle chats followed. Juwon became talkative as he made his friend describe what he experienced at the Barren Land.
Five minutes passed.
They were not given any more time to chat after that. The emcee's face appeared in front of them through the gigantic monitor.
"Hi. The third mission is here. Are you excited, Greenhouse Inhabitants?"