HANEUL had been fixated on the front of the bus, particularly on the view through the windshield, ever since he realized the bus was heading in an unexpected direction. Based on his knowledge from watching Boys Odyssey in his original world, they should have been heading to the dormitory and training center owned by Jeil ENM. He was certain this wasn't the correct route to that place.
How did he know that? It's not because he was so addicted to the show that he even memorized such a thing. It's simply because they were currently headed near the Namsan Mountain. And he could only think of one big building located there - The Hwarang Seoul.
It was run by Hotel Hwarang Co., Ltd., an affiliate of the Taesung Group. The Hwarang Seoul was one of Seoul's most prestigious luxury hotels. Known for its top-tier service and exclusive clientele, the hotel attracted high-profile guests, including international business leaders, celebrities, and dignitaries.
If he's not wrong, they were definitely headed there. But why? Was the production team planning to treat them to a sumptuous meal first? Well, considering how the one shouldering all the expenses for this survival program was JH Entertainment, it wouldn't be far-fetched if the production team decided to let them eat at such a luxury hotel. But Haneul still couldn't understand the point of it.
As the bus turned a corner, the hotel came into view through the windshield, growing larger as they approached. Haneul recognized it immediately, confirming his suspicions about where they were headed.
The four buses began to pull into the hotel's underground parking area. As they came to a stop, one by one, the staff members accompanying each bus stood up and turned to face the contestants.
"We've arrived at our first location. When you step off the bus, please line up in an orderly manner, forming five rows. Don't worry about your luggage; we'll have it sent to you later. You did attach name tags to your bags as requested during the contract signing, right?"
Everyone responded with a collective "yes," sounding like a group of elementary school kids.
As instructed by the staff, the contestants began lining up into five rows as soon as they stepped off the bus. With 100 contestants in total, each row was supposed to have 20 people. It seemed simple enough, but with most of them being teenagers, it took a while. There was a lot of shuffling, chatting, and the usual hesitation as they figured out where to stand, making what should have been a quick process drag on.
Haneul stood in the third row with Robin standing in front of him. Without him glancing back, he could tell that the one standing behind him was Jung Taeyang. It made sense—Jung Taeyang likely just followed him since they had been sitting together on the bus, and now he had naturally ended up right behind him in line.
"We're heading to the hotel entrance now. Filming will begin there, so please be ready," one of the staff members announced.
Haneul could hear chattering around him after they heard what the staff said.
"This is a pretty expensive hotel, right? Are we going to really film here?"
"The production staff must have a lot of budget."
"We won't be staying here, right?"
"That would totally be crazy."
Haneul silently agreed with that last point. If this hotel actually turned out to be their temporary dormitory and training center, it would be beyond crazy. With 100 contestants, not to mention all the staff, the production team would likely need to rent out the entire place for a few days. If that were true, he couldn't help but wonder how much of a budget JH Entertainment had given to Vnet. Was this the sheer power of a chaebol at work?
The contestants shuffled into motion, following the staff as they led the way toward the hotel entrance. As they moved, the grandeur of The Hwarang Seoul came into full view. In the clear morning light, they could finally take in the scale and elegance of the building, with its sleek, polished exterior gleaming in the sunlight. The murmurs among the contestants grew as they exchanged awed glances, realizing just how luxurious their surroundings were.
The drone cameras floating around did not escape Haneul's notice. Seeing that, he controlled his expression and showed subtle excitement.
As the staff entered, the contestants followed closely behind. Before they could fully take in the impressive interior of the hotel, their attention was quickly drawn to the cameras positioned around them.
The filming had already begun.