The awards ceremony backstage scene was going crazy ahead of the live broadcast.
"Unnie, this is it!"
"Sohyun has arrived!"
This year too, FluffySweet was crazy busy. It was common for members to arrive late and hastily prepare due to personal schedules.
The staff who were preparing for the performance nodded once for no reason.
'The girls are all really pretty.'
Although they looked tired, as expected from an idol group that had already reached the top, FluffySweet had the unique vibe of someone who had been particularly well-managed.
'Maybe they picked pretty girls in the first place.'
One of the reasons that led to this speculation was right next to them.
"Let's do it right."
"Yes!"
This was because the trainee dancers who came with them were also gorgeous.
'They said LeTi was betting their lives on this male group.'
They couldn't believe all the entertainment industry gossip that went around, but at least half of it may be true.
There appeared to be about seven people, and most of them looked handsome.
'Hmm.'
Taking advantage of the moment when their hands were free, the staff took a quick look at their faces. They might see them on a music program sometime next year.
And these one-sided observations and speculations were fun!
Then, they found one person who was particularly calm.
'… ! He's a real LeTi trainee.'
A boy with a slightly dark look, wearing black slacks and a shirt. He had a neat and beautiful appearance with refined lines.
And there was a delicate simplicity that seemed a bit cold.
'Oh.'
It was a moment when the staff was slightly impressed. Suddenly, the trainee turned his head towards the staff as if he had something to say.
"… !"
And then their eyes met.
'Aigoo.'
The moment the staff hurriedly tried to look away as if they weren't observing anything…
'Oh, he's smiling.'
The trainee gently lowered his head and then lifted it.
His natural smile exuded a softness as if he had done this a hundred times before.
It was like there was no pretense that seemed burdensome?
The staff quickly nodded along but was secretly impressed.
'Wow… It looks like he received a good education.'
That wasn't the case.
Ryu Gunwoo, who was originally a grand-prize-winning idol in TeStar for 5 years and was now a Leti trainee, was sighing in relief.
'I almost asked for my microphone.'
This was because he was so familiar with this atmosphere that his subconscious felt comfortable.
In addition, the thin glasses on his face were a bit flimsy, which bothered him more.
'I put on contact lenses, but there are fake glasses on top… …'
This was because he had no idea what selling point they were trying to use. Why should a trainee dancer get criticized for having better styling than the actual idols themselves?
'Haven't people already been criticized for doing something like that?'
However, the moment he saw FluffySweet's outfits, that judgment disappeared.
'… To such a degree…'
Layers of chiffon and sparkling artificial crystals abound. It looked like they were dressing up for the red carpet at a film festival.
It was to the point where he wondered if he could dance wearing that, but anyway, Ryu Gunwoo was convinced after comparing it to his own outfit.
'I guess it's roughly the concept of a butler or servant.'
It was cringeworthy, but it was because this was a time when excessive concepts were rampant.
'It's enough as long as its existence is known.'
The part he played was just a short dance in the intro.
"Please take care of me~"
"Thank you, sunbaenim."
After shaking hands with Sohyun, whom he met only once during an in-house rehearsal, he walked in step with the other trainees.
Nearby, he heard whispering in a lowered voice.
"Oh, she's so fucking pretty."
"Right, right. Hey, but your personality is a bit…"
'Hey.'
Thanks to this, Ryu Gunwoo wholeheartedly accepted Cheongryeo's decision to pick up VTIC members.
It wasn't for nothing that Shin-Oh and Ju-Dan, who were in the back row of the lineup, were brought in.
'It's full of unexploded bombs.'
Maybe the agency was blind and only collected people based on their faces and talents, but couldn't they at least tell them what they could and couldn't say in public?
"Hmm?"
"No."
Cheongryeo, who was standing next to him, noticed Ryu Gunwoo's gaze and even explained further.
"Ah, that guy. I even took him here for a test… Three years after his debut, his ex-girlfriend posted an article exposing his character."
"…"
"Haha, people really don't change, right?"
Ryu Gunwoo wouldn't have been surprised if that guy had been buried in cement and thrown into the Han River at some point in time.
Anyway, that was the end of the gossip.
"I don't think you'll do anything too strenuous since it's your first performance."
"Yes. I know."
The trainees thought about their individual circumstances and went on stage with FluffySweet.
And that night…
An article was posted on an Internet community that only talked about celebrities, especially idols.
---------------------==
[LeTi's next male idol debut group candidate line-up added]
It is an established opinion in academia that the guys who appeared in the Goldie FluffySweet intro are members of the debut group.
---------------------==
And the article explained the trainee dancers who were caught briefly on the outskirts by combining GIF files and their previously leaked selfies.
Most of them were already well-known among the agency's fans, but there was one new face.
This was Ryu Gunwoo, who danced shortly with FluffySweet Sohyun.
---------------------==
It's said that he was originally a private trainee, but it looks like he joined the debut group this time?
---------------------==
This year as well, FluffySweet put on a stage with the so-called 'bad taste' concept, but the intro itself embodied the dazzling princess concept so well that it was excessive.
Thanks to this, the stage was dominated by that atmosphere, so there was no need for the trainee dancers to become a hot topic with their skills or appearance, but there was something unique about it.
-Wow, look at the trainee's eyes ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ.
-He made eye contact like a ghost.
This was because Ryu Gunwoo inadvertently found the camera too accurately.
He tried not to overdo it, but even that was unavoidable due to experience.
He thought it would have looked more awkward to look away from the camera.
But the effect took off right there.
-Sohyun and the trainee turned their heads and looked at the camera at the same time?? A combination of pretty and handsome facial features… What's going on?
- And Jaehyun too? Only he and the other trainee were captured by the camera. Just looking at them, it looks like they will be selected as the main protagonists of the debut team ㅋㅋㅋ.
-What should I do? LeTi trainees will be stuck in my heart.
Along with Cheongryeo, who adjusted his concentration appropriately based on decades of experience, Ryu Gunwoo was mentioned quite a bit in the comments.
-LeTi, they have a type. ㅋㅋ
-Wow, LeTi's style is clear based on the faces of the trainees ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Please, merciful LeTi, give me the answer. Where is this guy with glasses from? Please, please.
└We don't know either… He's a private trainee
└It's life and death.
Of course, that was the end of the reaction.
Since he only appeared once as a dancer in the first place, only idol fans who were very interested in LeTi could catch a glimpse of him and pass by. However, for the person involved, it was quite a new feeling.
'It's been a while since I've monitored the reaction like this.'
Ryu Gunwoo lowered the smartphone screen he was looking at.
It was fortunate that he managed to control my pace and not use facial expressions. He didn't stand out that much.
However, the new knowledge itself strangely reminded me of the day of Idol Incs first stage release.
"…"
He was in a state where he strangely felt better after seeing a few supportive comments.
A strange feeling of nostalgia came over him.
[♪♪♫♪♬♪~]
Gold Disc reruns were in full swing on TV.
Ryu Chungwoo, who was mindlessly making a PowerPoint on his laptop in the living room, looked up and was quite surprised.
"… ! Is that person in the back you, hyung?"
"Yes."
Ryu Chungwoo thought Ryu Gunwoo was just an idol trainee, but he had already made his screen debut.
'Wow.'
However, even though it would be his first time appearing on TV like this, his relative did not show much excitement or nervousness.
Instead…
'… Satisfaction?'
Yes. It seemed closer to that side.
Was there anyone who could feel that way after seeing their first performance?
Because he was such a calm person, that was why he mistook him for his hyung when they were young.
'It's not strange.'
He shrugged his shoulders. After putting down his laptop for a moment, he looked at the TV screen that Ryu Gunwoo was watching.
"Oh, there it is again."
"Yes."
He thought he shouldn't tease him too much, but there was no need to. There was nothing to make fun of.
Ryu Gunwoo, who was occasionally seen on screen, looked surprisingly natural.
Ryu Chungwoo was purely impressed.
"Hyung, you didn't want to become an idol for nothing. Well done."
"Yes."
But he didn't notice that his hyung was clenching his fists.
• * *
It was only after the awards ceremony was re-aired that I finally opened the status window pop-up.
[Fame is increasing…]
+Exp 10000
The settled reputation exp was a whopping 10000.
'They really gave it away.'
Even though it was still early days, we had only been revealed as trainees to this extent? If it was a real game, I would have failed.
'What is it?'
Even though I looked at it in awe, I was willing to spend all my reputation points.
Coincidentally, something else popped up one after another.
[Conditions met]
: 〈Companion Recruitment〉 has been unlocked!
Move
'At last.'
A new feature had come out. There was even a tab created with a grandiose image banner. It was a picture of a dark shadow figure shaking hands.
[Recruiting companions]
Find a colleague you have a connection with.
As expected.
I assumed it was taken from 〈Section 127〉, but this was the format.
'Character selection.'
This meant that who appeared as a companion was random.
It was just that the form had become more like a real mobile game compared to the characteristic drawing game, but in fact, the content wasn't much different.
But if I looked at the words, it said that there was a person with whom there was a connection… …
I glanced at Ryu Chungwoo sitting next to me.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Nothing."
Park Moondae was someone who knew everything about my situation, and I thought that he may be close to me here.
'Anyway, let's go back.'
I got up from the living room and went into my bedroom. And I closed the door.
[Hyung! Are you going to do it now? Go for it!]
"Okay."
I moved my fingers while listening to Keundal chatter.
'I can draw 10 times in a row… It's done.'
First, I needed to recruit the first person.
When I pressed the button, the screen rotated in a spinning motion, and a shining star flew from the black space…
… It turned off?
[Failure!]
What?
[Would you like to try again?]
-Use Exp 1000
I was speechless, looked at the status window, and realized the reality.
My reputation value of 1000 just disappeared.
"…"
This… damned game.
[I'm sorry! Sorry! I didn't do this! Really!]
"… … I know."
Come to think of it, in 'Section 127'… There was also a low probability when it came to this kind of bullshit.
And it was that trash company that set this crappy exchange fee. And, it was also the fault of the game company who developed the game profit model this way.
T1!
'… After speaking, it turned out to be my company.'
Those bastards were crazy about money.
'Wait a minute.'
Thinking like that opened my eyes. I immediately scrolled through the status window and looked at past pop-ups.
And I found it.
[-Recruit your companions and awaken them.]
Recruitment and awakening were separate.
This couldn't be…
"… The experience points used for recruitment and the experience points used for awakening are set separately."
So, after recruiting a companion, I also needed reputation points to awaken separately…
[Aaaackk1!]
Yes.
Awakening was a level up and recruitment was a draw… Of course, it cost money to level it up.
Naturally… Wasn't this common sense in gaming?
"… Phew."
I took a deep breath.
[Hyung, are you okay??]
"Yes."
Very okay.
Very.
After pressing the eyes, I tapped the '1-time recruitment' button again.
Then, roughly the color of brass and silver swirls through the black space without impact, and a picture appears.
It seems to have worked normally this time…
[★★ Kim Ikje / Sub Vocal]
[★ Lee Haram / Subdancer]
[Would you like to greet them?]
Who were these people?
No, there was no need for surprise.
'Why are people who I don't know coming out?'
It was obvious.
One-star and two-star characters? They were dummy characters that always filled the lottery pool.
I suppressed my frustration and covered my face with my hands.
'But where did the stars come from?'
〈Section 127〉 had no concept like this, so where did the mass-produced lottery game system come from, bastard?
[I-I didn't do it.]
"I know."
It must be the system.
I think I misunderstood something. I guess that bastard didn't want me to settle down here. Why was it doing something like this?
… Maybe not.
'Is it interfering?'
Was it trying to make me give up somehow after seeing the explanation added to awakening?
'That's funny.'
Anyone could waste money on gambling.
I didn't even need willpower. I could just use my finger to press the button!
Instead of greeting the chosen companions, I sent them to my spare inventory.
Then, out of the remaining 7000 experience points, I spent 5000 experience points and pressed the button 5 times.
Da da da da da da da da!
[Ooooohhh!]
Don't be scared. I was planning on screwing this up anyway!
And again, the light flashed insincerely.
[★ Choi Dongho / Sub Rapper]
[Failure!]
[★★ Jin Yoontae / Visual]
[★ Kim Seokwon / Subdancer]
Unknown people passed by. In the meantime, there was even a failure.
'Fuck!'
But finally…
Aurora lights flashed.
[~♪♬♪~]
Musical notes passed over the stars.
"… !!"
I swallowed.
'No way.'
Who knew what would happen this time? Eye-popping brilliant light crossed the universe and burst out of the status window.
And the next phrase was…
[WOW!]
[★★★★★ Cha Eugene / Center]
"…"
[…]
Uh… ?