THE two female students stared blankly at Haneul. One of them, the one with the more voice of reason, quickly responded, trying to act all calm.
"Good morning."
The other one, after returning to her senses, responded enthusiastically, speaking as if the two of them were longtime friends. "Hi, Haneul-ah! You look even more stunning today! Is it because you're not wearing a mask? I recommend you not wear them anymore, so you can grace the entire class with your beauty every day."
Haneul felt a bit uncomfortable at first. But as the other continued to talk, that discomfort slowly turned to amusement. At the end, he couldn't even stop the soft laugh that escaped his lips.
He decided not to wear a mask starting today. Well, at least while he's in school. He wanted to prepare thoroughly before Boys Odyssey started. Although, it's still not certain if he would pass the audition, just like what he said to Robin, he had a feeling that he would receive good news soon.
That's why he's trying his best to get used to the attention he's receiving. That way, he wouldn't appear uncomfortable in front of the camera. He didn't want those watching the show to mistake his discomfort for shyness and timidity. It would make a great narrative, yes. But he didn't want to be that contestant.
It's common for contestants on idol survival programs to have their own narratives. The production staff often crafted these stories to add drama to the show, or by the contestants themselves to attract more attention.
If they're the PD's favorite, then they would be given a favorable narrative that would help them be likable to the viewers and the public. But if the PD disliked them, then it would be the opposite. Just like what happened to Robin in Haneul's original world. The other was given the rude foreigner narrative just because the PD didn't want him to be part of the final debut group.
In terms of self-made narratives, there were contestants who would portray themselves in a way that would endear them to the viewers. Even though that's not really who they were.
Haneul understood that it was inevitable for participants in such programs to adopt a fake persona to appeal to the voting public. Even he planned to be careful not to display any rude behavior, excessive greed, jealousy towards other contestants, or just a bad attitude in general.
But that didn't mean he would present himself as someone he was not. He would rather be known as the contestant with amazing vocals than anything else. Although, he had a feeling that he would be noticed first for his looks than for his talent. That's not him being narcissistic. The 'black magic' Yeomra cast on him was just that strong. But it didn't matter. Even if people noticed him first from his looks, he believed they would stay for his voice.
"Please excuse her. She skipped breakfast, so her brain isn't functioning at full capacity."
The other girl's voice interrupted Haneul's thoughts, bringing him back to the present. He smiled inwardly, amused by how his thoughts could easily become long-winded.
He looked at the name tags of the two girls. The one who spoke just now and was more like the voice of reason was called Lee Soojin, and the other, who was more excitable, was called Kim Wonhee.
Even though they were classmates, he only learned their names just now. It's not because he didn't care to remember the names of his classmates. No, it was more on the fact that, for him, 10 years had already passed since he graduated from high school. After all the things he experienced during those 10 years, he barely remembered anyone from his third-year class.
In fact, when he returned to school last week, he couldn't even remember where his classroom was, or even which seat he was supposed to sit in. If his mother was not there, it would probably take a while before he could locate his own classroom.
"What are you saying to Haneul? You're making it sound like I'm some weird girl," Kim Wonhee said with a pout.
Lee Soojin raised her brow. "Aren't you?"
Haneul chuckled at the interaction between the two. Which made them stare at him.
"Wow. It feels criminal to have a smile like that. Are you trying to make me fall for you?" Kim Wonhee said, dramatically clutching her chest.
Lee Soojin had a complicated expression on her face, as if agreeing with her friend. But in the end, she still said, "I apologized. Wonhee tends to have a flair for the dramatic."
"It's fine," Haneul said, not minding it.
Unknowingly, the three of them started walking together towards their classroom.
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Inside a conference room at the Jeil ENM Center, where Vnet's headquarters were located, a meeting would soon begin.