Chapter 23 - 23

Chapter 23

The first episode of , which was like a storm, has ended.

As I was on my last day of rest before the full-scale filming, I took a deep breath and turned on my phone.

Monitoring is essential.

Honestly, I'm not really worried, but I think the way Karis von Walden appeared in episode 1 might have been disappointing to some people.

Fortunately, overall, the reaction was being generated as the production team intended.

―Ketchup confession... Honestly, if objectively the face wasn't that good, I think this would have been edited to the bottom, but he's so handsome that I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration the whole time I was watching him

[케찹고백 =  It's a word often used when confessing one's conscience.

This term arose when a comment made by Umji of GFriend at the 2017 Idol Athletics Championships when she said she was missing one ketchup while handing out food to fans became a hot topic.

(Example) Girlfriend Umji "The person who received two ketchup! Ketchup confession!"]



└I read a review that said sorry for saying it was media play after seeing the first sales post? I feel sorry for ignoring that review as a lie.... I love you, Karis. I'm sorry. Thank you.

└When he first appeared, they were spraying special effects on him so I thought his face was CG, but it wasn't. What's going on?? (Gif)

└It's like a lie, but it's unique

└Fr why didn't you go to the Large One? [Large Entertainment I guess]

└Who went all the way to Estonia to cast.... I'm so grateful that this kid came here on his own two feet to do K-pop.

Although I was personally very embarrassed by Karis von Walden appearing with flowers, it seems that my SSS-level appearance stats worked hard.

I was very surprised that public opinion was formed in a way that made sense for this editing direction.

Aside from the visuals, the character I created also played a part in creating a buzz.

―(Photo) Have you guys seen this??ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ When he greets people, he timidly bends his feet back slightly and sticks them out

└Ah, this is so fucking funny, this elegant greeting, f*ck ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Is this the kid who says he likes romance novels on his profile?? He's a fucking fanboy, really

└From now on, Suma will greet you using the Suma greeting method ^^

└(Gif) This is a scene from an interview with Karis. He answers general questions calmly, but when it comes to fantasy, his eyes light up. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He must really likes it.

└He can't hide his fanboy side

└But if he is a fanboy, he is definitely kind ㅇㅇ And a nerd.

└[Real]

―The face is the face, but I personally think that if you come to Korea to become an idol, you should learn Korean as a basic courtesy. Especially for Westerners like Suma, Korean must have been really difficult, but I was shocked because his pronunciation was good and he seemed to speak Korean better than me. You can do anything, Suma.

└Suma ya, please take the CSAT for me.

└Seriously, if you are at the level of Suma nim, non-literature can also be solved

└Words are words, but how on earth does he pronounce it like that?? I'm really curious about this

└There are some kids like that. They have a brain that is naturally gifted in language? Back in the old days when I was in college, there was a student who could speak Korean, English, French, and Japanese.

└Aha His brain is so developed. ㅇㅇ What the f*ck, I speak 0 languages and I'm so jealous.

Thanks to the attention given to things that can increase the favorability rating of fans, a considerable number of comments of this kind have been posted.

But it would be a lie to say that it is simply flat.

'Even while watching the original broadcast, there was something that felt off.'

I opened my eyes slightly and typed the search-protected name of Karis von Walden into the search box.

I was curious as to how they would twist foreign names.

I didn't know that by adding 'ma' to 'Karisu', they would create 'Karisuma', or 'suma' for short.

[카리스 ]

I looked through the countless posts that came up in just one day.

I clicked on a few articles with meaningful titles and read them.

[Yeah, I admit it's good]

But no matter how you look at it, his skills isn't that great?? He could really become an incompetent member, come to your senses ㅋㅋㅋㅋ the amount of time he showed his face was longer than the length of the level test stage? In short, it's obvious that the production team didn't want his skills to be revealed, so they resorted to trickery

The nuance was generally like this.

As I watched my part in episode 1, my concerns were completely revealed.

'There were a lot of compliments about my appearance, but there definitely wasn't a lot of praise for the stage itself. The other trainees' reactions were the same.'

It is true that in the idol industry, just having extraordinary visuals is half the battle.

However, in a survival game where over-immersion and restraint are rampant, such small flaws become easy fodder to nitpick.

I scrolled down and thought deeply.

In the next episode, there will be a level test scene for the remaining trainees, and the practice process for the theme song leading up to the final ranking evaluation.

It is highly likely that the amount of time that Karis von Walden, who received Tier 2, becomes Tier 1 will not be cut.

'This may be enough to calm the public opinion that I am an incompetent pick. But....'

Looking ahead, it would be beneficial to get rid of the stigma of being an incompetent visual tool as soon as possible.

Although I did have a chance to show my skills, such as being ranked Tier 1 in the final evaluation and taking center in the first team match.

There is a strong need to instill even more confidence.

'The first priority is to evenly distribute the stats in preparation for the next team battle.'

I turned off my phone and checked the time.

Before I knew it, it was time for dinner.

'These two guys said they were going to the store for a bit, but they still haven't come back.'

Since I can't go eat alone, I have to find Kang Si-yoon and Heo Yu-bin first.

I put on the training suit that comes as the basic outfit for and went out into the hallway.

Looking at the large practice room in the distance, it's clear that a lot of trainees have gathered there.

I glanced out the window and saw Kang Si-yoon chatting excitedly with about five or six trainees.

Heo Yu-bin was... . um. half-absent-mindedly eating peanuts.

"It was definitely a bit disappointing, I wish there had been more screen time―. Oh, Karis is here?"

"I came out to check because I was curious as to why the guys who said they were going to the store didn't come."

"Why, are you a little bored without this hyung?"

"I can't get used to the room being so quiet."

When I turned my head to the side, the trainees who had been chatting with Kang Si-yoon greeted me happily.

"Hello! I wanted to talk to you, but I never had the chance. You are truly amazing in person."

"Nice to meet you. No, that's too kind of you."

I shook hands with a trainee whose bangs were long enough to cover his eyes.

His pale, white skin was impressive.

"I haven't introduced myself. My name is Baek Si-hwa."

"This is Karis von Walden."

"How can you have such a cool name? I'm really jealous. I'm even more jealous because it seems like you got a lot of screen time in episode 1."

"Haha.... I was lucky."

While smiling, my eyes quickly turned to Kang Si-yoon.

Kang Si-yoon quickly figured out my intention to ask what the context of the conversation was and gently intervened.

"We were talking about the content of episode 1 before you came. More than half of the friends here were worried because it was postponed to episode 2."

"Well, it couldn't be helped since the level test order was later."

Baek Si-hwa shrugged his shoulders.

At that moment, his eyes turned slightly cold.

"Yoo Min-ha, if that shameless guy had come out before me, I would have been more annoyed. But I'm glad we pushed each other back on good terms."

"Shameless...?"

"Ahaha, there's a kid like that. Yeah, he was a friend from the same agency before, but he was a bit unlucky. We didn't really get along."

[Sometimes the nuance of this word 'Unlucky' is like he is so good that it gives them bad luck; that's why he is unlucky.]

I had no idea that topic would become a topic of conversation.

I looked around quickly.

Fortunately, it wasn't a practice room with a fixed camera.

'How dare you gossip about someone in front of others. Are you out of your mind?'

We must not forget that every move is being monitored.

For the production team, these issues are tantalizing fruits that are easy to eat.

Just when I was feeling uncomfortable in this place and wanted to get out, Heo Yu-bin, who was eating peanuts with unfocused eyes, grabbed my sleeve.

"Hyu, hyung-nim. I'm hungry."

"What, Heo Yu-bin? You ate snacks earlier and peanuts now―"

"Yes, I was just getting hungry. It's dinner time now, so let's go downstairs."

I stood up, feeling grateful to Heo Yu-bin in my heart.

Then quietly greeted Baek Si-hwa and the other trainees.

"Well, I'll see you next time. Have a nice dinner."

As soon as we left the practice room, Heo Yu-bin exhaled.

"Haha. I still can't get used to crowds."

"You spoke at a good time, Yubin."

"I guess Karis hyung-nim is hungry too?"

"Well, let's say so."

"I have some peanuts left. Would you like some? Hehe."

As I was walking along, crunching peanuts, I heard Kang Si-yoon running towards me, out of breath.

"Hey, you guys. Are you just going to leave me behind like that?"

"You looked like you were having fun, so I was going to just leave it."

"It was just a matter of getting to know the other cells. They'll all come back later as teammates or competitors, so I need to know at least a little bit."

"You will get stamped as a gossip group while conducting a preliminary investigation."

"I also ran away right away because I felt something was wrong."

Kang Si-yoon said this while straightening his messy hair.

"It definitely seems like there's a big difference between appearing in episode 1 and not. Psychologically, too."

"Have you ever heard of the shameless trainee that Baek Si-hwa talked about?"

"What was his name, Yoo Minha? Well, I don't think there was anyone who stood out that much."

"I don't know who it is, but if someone has a really bad personality, I absolutely don't want to be on the same team as them."

I also agreed with Heo Yu-bin's opinion in my heart.

'It was hard enough to shake off Park Se-han, but if another mine were to be mixed in, it would be tiring in its own way.'

Ever since I saw Baek Si-hwa, I've been reminiscing about old memories.

But no matter how much I thought about it, it was strange.

'Even though it's been over 10 years since I've remembered it, everything still matches up perfectly, but I don't remember seeing a trainee named Baek Si-hwa in at all.'

My memory may be faulty, but this is extremely unlikely.

That is to say.

'... Does this mean that new characters also participated in this episode of ?'

In a word, it is unknown territory.

It was difficult from the beginning because there were many trainees whose names I knew but never directly talked to.

It became impossible for me to let my guard down any longer.

'The chances of meeting them right away are slim.'

But I had no idea what kind of catastrophe would unfold before my eyes tomorrow.

* * *

-Wang! Wang! Wang! Wang!

"Huh?"

"It, it's noisy...."

A loud siren blasted our eardrums.

Kang Si-yoon, who had been sleeping soundly, woke up with his upper body tilted upward like a spring, and Heo Yu-bin resisted fiercely, pulling the blanket over his head.

And I, who already knew what kind of event was waiting for us, woke up early and even took a shower.

"...Why are you so fluffy?"

"Because I don't sleep much."

"You're lying."

Kang Si-yoon glared at me with his half-asleep eyes, but he didn't have time to just lie still on the bed.

"Notification to all cells! Check the box in front of your door right now! Notification to all cells! Right now...."

Someone shouted commands through a megaphone.

I turned my head leisurely, opened the door slightly, and brought a small box into the cell.

"Karis Hyung-nim.... What is this?"

Heo Yu-bin came staggering toward me with the blanket wrapped around his entire body.

I smiled brightly at my younger brother.

"Everyone, you'd better wake up."

"It's impossible.... My brain won't wake up...."

"We're going to have to fight really hard from now on."

"Huh? Huh?"

"Go and have a sip of water."

Finally, the time has come to use our bodies properly.

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