14
Step Fourteen
:: National Brother ::
“Work is exhausting.” The young woman raised one hand to rub her temple to relieve the fatigue from the office syndrome she was experiencing.
On the other hand, she unlocked the door with the fingerprint system.
Seeing the green light signal, she used the same hand to twist the doorknob and enter the dark hallway inside.
“I’m back, Mom.”
“…” There was no answer from the number you dialed.
“Mom,” the young woman said, raising her face to look into the darkness of the hallway inside the house.
Frowning, she approached.
Normally, at this time, her middle-aged mother would be bustling in the kitchen, preparing dinner for her.
But what’s this?
Even the lights in the house weren’t on.
Could something have happened to her mother!
Panicking, she turned back, grabbed the backpack on her back, and took out her mobile phone.
She dialed her mother’s emergency contact number immediately.
If it wasn’t too much to ask for, her mother might just be chatting with the neighbor while she was out running errands and came home late.
Please let it be like that!
Rrrrr
“!!!!”
But the distinct ringtone coming from the kitchen at the back of the house shattered her thoughts.
She half walked, half ran, her footsteps echoing through the house due to the glossy wooden floor indicating the good financial status of the household.
“Mom!
Mom!!” The young woman rushed into the kitchen, only to see the mobile phone shining and making sounds on top of the refrigerator.
Furthermore, there were traces of cooking in the kitchen.
On the dining table, there was a tray of food well wrapped, along with a cute little handwritten note saying…
[[Mom is at Aunt Minji’s house watching the SF show.
I didn’t bring my phone because I don’t want Dad to call me while I’m fangirling over boys with Aunty.
I left dinner ready for you.
If it’s cold, just microwave it.
//From Mom]]
“…” The office girl standing there reading the note with vacant eyes.
Her mother went out to fangirl over idols with her friend again!!
…
Meanwhile, on the mom’s side, the fangirl housewives had prepared a full feast of snacks and drinks.
The room was adorned with posters and shelves neatly arranged with premium merchandise of her beloved artists.
Park Minji grabbed the remote and turned on the smart TV, accessing the online platform she had just subscribed to for watching the Star Fight program specifically.
“I’ve prepared the glow sticks and cheer signs for you.
Luckily, the lights still work.
What about yours?” Kim Ga-in, the office girl’s mother, came in a blue dress, still wearing an apron…
because she forgot to take it off.
“It still works just fine.
And why are you wearing an apron?” Park Minji pursed her lips, feigning disdain at her friend.
“You’ve just turned 40 and you’re already acting like an old lady,” before turning her head left and right, scanning around.
“Do you see my glasses?
I remember holding them but I don’t remember where I put them.”
“…” Kim Ga-in looked at her friend’s glasses resting on the other party’s head.
“On your head, silly.
You’re no different.
And then you call me old.”
“Okay, let’s watch the show.” Park Minji grinned, pulling down her glasses to eye level and gesturing for her friend to sit beside her.
“It’s good that I’m single.
If I had a husband, there’s no way I could have a theater room this big just to watch men.” Just looking on a phone or tablet wouldn’t satisfy.
You need a big screen to see every detail clearly.
“You’re exaggerating.
My husband and kid understand.
Letting loose a bit is fine, but don’t overdo it,” she received monthly allowances from her husband and had separate household expenses.
She could do whatever she wanted as long as she didn’t spend the household money on artists.
However, for peace of mind, she chose to come to her friend’s house to fangirl over the idols who she had been following until she reached forty.
She couldn’t stand her daughter’s dead fish eyes anymore…
“Mom just screams at the guys.
I’m not crazy, honey.
Ugh, it hurts to say.”
“Let’s not talk about this.
Let’s watch the show instead,” Kim Ga-in waved her hand back and forth, grabbing her friend’s remote to play the Survival program’s first episode herself.
…
(interview segment)
“Oh, this kid looks good.”
“Wow, that’s a big agency.
Daring to send a kid to compete.
I heard that SKM Ent.’s contract is more lenient towards freelance trainees.”
…
(chair selection segment)
“Haha, Wang Qi?
He’s definitely my bias, but he’s so young, even younger than my daughter.”
“So what?
Even if I’m 50, if I want to call him oppa, no one can stop me,” Park Minji lifted her chin, responding smugly.
“Oh, this guy with the sky-blue eyes is not bad at all.”
“Class A for sure.
No need to show off skills.
Just the looks, I’ll give a million votes.”
“You can only vote twice a day.”
…
(judges and program hosts segment)
“Kyaaa!!!
Park Insa, Insa oppaaa, Ohhh!
Haven’t seen you on variety shows for ages.
Ohh!
He’s got crow’s feet already, but still handsome,” Kim Ga-in waved the cheer stick high, her eyes sparkling as if emitting light.
“Aaaaahhh!
Oppaaa!” Just like Park Minji, who waved a picture of Park Insa and held up the cheer banner with the same name above her head.
She shook vigorously, not afraid of her shoulders slipping or her back breaking.
“Ooohhh, my dear husband, my dear oppa.
Why so handsome day and night like this?
How much money do you want?
We’re ready to pay,” the homeowner bit her handkerchief then used it to dab her tears.
She hadn’t seen her husband on a variety show for a long time.
Seeing that he was still doing well, had a job, and had enough money, she felt relieved.
…
(class audition segment)
“Hmm, this kid is alright, but still not as good as Insa oppa in singing.”
“Minji…
he’s just over ten.
How can you compare them?”
The two not-so-young women watched the young trainees, admiring their handsome faces and abilities with the same expressions as proud mothers.
They didn’t scream and shout like the first-year girls, as they had passed the peak of life and could consider the new wave of rookies in the industry with more scrutiny.
They wouldn’t get carried away with youthful looks anymore.
After the first tape ended, besides screaming for Park Insa, they also admired some of the kids.
When they watched the second episode, the novelty of the show’s missions made the middle-aged women pop popcorn into their mouths and laugh out loud in amusement.
“This Jacan kid is the oldest, right?
It’s good that he’s a foreigner.
If he were from our country and the same age, no one would even dream of becoming an idol.”
“Yeah, even though he looks like an adult, he doesn’t feel any different from the other kids at all.
How does he manage that?” Kim Ga-in looked at him with curiosity.
This kid was the same age as her daughter.
But when compared…
why did he seem more mature than her daughter?
“Seriously, not only does he look good, but he also cooks delicious food and has a kind heart.
If it were me, just practicing my own songs would be tiring enough.
I wouldn’t have time to teach anyone.” Park Minji complimented after seeing Jacan agree to help Class E rehearse the theme song.
And he didn’t just agree lightly.
He was strict and generously shared his techniques.
“After this tape, this kid has to be titled ‘National Brother’ for sure.”
“Haha, usually it’s ‘National Husband’ or ‘National Boyfriend,’ isn’t it?”
Both of them continued to chat until the end of the show, and it didn’t exceed expectations at all when the judges announced that the theme song center was that mixed-race boy.
The show progressed to the special segment, where it was edited to the part where Park Insa talked to Jacan about their shared interest in idol groups.
There was also one brave trainee who made snide comments about Jacan being a foreign trainee.
“Yaaass!
Even when Park Insa is criticizing, he still looks cool.
How can he be so ridiculously handsome like this?
And who’s that kid talking?
Why does he have such a foul mouth?”
“That’s right.
When Jacan heard that he didn’t show any expression, but his eyebrow twitched, I saw it.
Oh, I want to grab those foul-mouthed kids and spank them.
They’re damaging the country’s image completely.”
“Poor kid for speaking up.
I wonder if he’ll get bashed by netizens for this.
Even if we don’t see his face, just his voice is enough to make the connection.”
“He might as well say goodbye to the future now.
Sometimes these variety shows go too far with their trends.
They should cut them out and sort things out privately.”
The two young women paused the show temporarily, exchanging their opinions enthusiastically before pressing play again to watch the music video of the theme song featuring the blue-eyed boy as the center.
“…”
“…”
Even though they’ve been watching the show all along, they just found this kid interesting.
But when they saw that last shot…
they were completely hooked!
“OMG!!
Has anyone set up a fan club yet?
If not, then Auntie, uh, Mom will do it!” Park Minji stood up, urgently searching for her tablet.
“It seems like there is already one.
We can’t delay.
We have to go join the voting team.
We need to vote together so the numbers won’t be scattered.”
“Oh my!!
Who set the rule that we can only vote twice a day?
Have they gone crazy or what?
It’s about money, don’t they want it?!” Park Minji grabbed her checkbook and waved it in front of the TV screen, her face flushed with anger.
She had money, she was ready to pay.
Had they heard that she was ready to pay?
Change the voting rules now!!
There was a saying from senior idols who debuted from survival shows: the ending scene in a music video can ‘hook fands.’ No matter which survival show it was, it was always the same.
People used to laugh it off as nonsense…
but it turned out to be true every time.
The dedication of the young boys pouring their hearts into the song until the very last note illuminated so brightly that even passersby were ready to change their status to fan club members.
It wasn’t just a joke, over the past, there had been many icy hearts melted by the final, striking poses of these young trainees.
…
The Star Fight team was solemnly checking the ratings and the program’s social media trends.
If there were too many negative comments or posts, they were prepared to send in their sockpuppets to swiftly shift the focus of interest.
“PD, there are complaints flooding in both on the page and the X hashtag about the non-stop voting.
They want us to go back to the old paid voting system.
They’re willing to buy coins or purchase products from sponsors.” The female staff didn’t know how to react to this news report.
She understood them, but the main sponsor of this program was SKM Ent.
Plus, if they changed it, the audience would talk about it negatively, saying that ultimately this show was just another money-making program like the others.
“Make a statement on the page, explaining that in order to ensure fair judgment and to have truly talented idols, the program confirms that the voting format will remain the same.
Something like this.” Im Heewoo didn’t change his mind.
This program had to change the history of the survival show industry, where having money alone could make one an idol forever.
Because these were idols who came from genuine fan clubs.
“And are there any trainees being talked about?”
“There’s Im Kureum, Eiji, Wang Qi, and so on.” The staff scrolled through the hot search hashtags from bottom to top.
Although there were other trainees who did well, only a few were being talked about the most.
“It looks like Jacan has got new hashtags from this tape too.” This was another standout to keep an eye on.
“This kid really stands out.
So, what are the hashtags?”
“#StarFightCenter and #NationalBrother.”
It was not just Kim Ga-in and Park Minji who fell hard for Jacan’s close-up shot.
Whether young or old, male or female, everyone who caught his gaze was captivated from the first moment.
That powerful wink with both eyes at the end sealed the deal, sending them straight into his fandom altogether.
Referencing the theme song from the previous era of the survival show, what captivated the hearts of female and male fans alike was typically a one- eye wink, paired with a playful smile.
This was considered a devastating weapon, as the more charming and charismatic someone appeared, the more irresistible their power became.
Jacan knew well that sending winks to the audience was a tactic used by trainees every season.
It had been seen for so long that there was significant resistance built up against it.
So, he chose to wink with both eyes, leaving a line resembling a cat’s whiskers under his eyes, while also raising his fingers to his face, mimicking a cat’s paws.
It was not often that the young man willingly acted cute, breaking his usual character.
The viewers themselves were equally surprised, thinking that this young man with sky-blue eyes would only smile for the camera, befitting the big brother of the show.
But this perception shattered immediately upon seeing the center of the theme song, transformed into a strikingly handsome white cat, as if straight out of a manga.
Comment: I was feeling upset about the special episode where Jay was criticized, but then I saw the final shot in the MV and my whole world brightened up again.
Ahhh!
Vote!
Oh my, is the voting channel open yet?
Whether it’s morning or night, I’ll vote for Jay!
Comment: I’ve fallen for Jacan too.
Oppa’s cat pose hit me hard.
I’ve clicked into the website and voted for him before I even realized it.
Comment: Oh, can we vote already?
Comment: The page says the voting is now open.
The fan bases are rallying everyone.
Comment: Which way is Kim Jiseong’s fan base?
I want to join too.
I want to vote for my friend from the same school.
Comment: Comment above, here’s the link…
Are you really Jiseong’s friend?
Let’s exchange Line IDs and chat.
Comment: Add me too!
I want to snoop..
oops, I mean, give attention.
I’m Jiseong’s fan just like you.
Comment: I want an older brother like Jacan.
Comment: He’s like a kindergarten teacher, huh?
Haha.
Is he really in the survival show?
Comment: Is the person named Ahn Junsa the child of Kim Jungeol’s second wife?
Comment: Ah Qi, you’re so playful.
That close-up of your boxing the air doesn’t make you look more grown-up, kiddo.
Comment: Initially, I pinned another person.
But when Jacan oppa appeared in the MV, I suddenly became double biased.
It’s good that we can vote twice a day.
Comment: Comment above, but if you get hit by a new one in the next episode, it’ll be tough.
Comment: I want to vote more than twice.
I have money, plenty of money too.
Wah wah!
Comment: This is the first time someone ever made a cat face on a show.
A cute blue-eyed white cat that’s irresistibly adorable.
Boo hoo, I want to vote more!
Comment: I feel like the person who made that snide comment in the special episode is probably the same as the one who spoke during the first EP class promotion audition.
Comment: I just went to listen to it again, it’s the same person.
Comment: Is Ahn Junsa really in Class A?
Why doesn’t he stand out much?
Comment: Jay’s voice sounds familiar, but I can’t remember.
It’s stuck at the tip of my tongue.
Comment: #NationalBrother isn’t an exaggeration.
He’s like a mother duck with her ducklings.
Comment: Seriously, is he a big brother or a babysitter?
LOL
Comment: Can PD Im send his own son to compete in the show?
Comment: He might have come through the audition.
Who says a son can’t apply to compete in his father’s show?
Comment: Is the comment above a sockpuppet?.
Why siding with them so strangely?
Oh, I just checked their profile.
It turns out to be a fan of Im the son.
Ha!
Comment: The show allows two votes per day.
If he wins, it’s because of his abilities.
It’s not your concern.
Comment: Eiji dropped to Class B, oh no…
Comment: Jacan really feels like a big brother.
I want him as a boyfriend, but I also feel he deserves someone who can take care of him better.
Comment: Yeah, he’s always taking care of others, I also want someone to take care of him for a change.
Comment: Stop with the comments above.
My brother hasn’t debuted yet.
Don’t try to find him a girlfriend.
Comment: Can we add #ChefStarFightBigBrother alongside #NationalBrother?
Seeing the food Jacan cooked made me so hungry.
While the social media world was buzzing with excitement, the trainees in the show had reactions as different as heaven and earth—or rather, as different as heaven and the bottomless abyss.
The show had barely aired for two minutes, and the trainees were already grabbing pillows to hide their faces, trying to escape from the harsh reality.
They were trembling and buzzing more than a broken beehive.
“Oh my god!
Forgot that this EP has a death escape scene when senior Park Insa pranked us.
Im Kureum raised his hand to cover his face.
He felt so embarrassed, he didn’t know where to hide his face on this earth.
He didn’t want to see that it was he himself up on the window, preparing to escape the fire and risking the fall.
“Don’t overthink it.
it adds colors to the show, bro,” Wang Qi patted the older boy’s shoulder, trying to console him.
“Stop it,” the PD’s son bared his teeth.
This kid must be getting back at him for mocking him at the amusement park, right?
“I believe you’ll definitely gain fans from your courage,” the young boy gave a thumbs up while holding back a laugh.
He was ready to help when someone fell, but if it was this brother who fell…
he was ready to step on him even more.
He would even jump over him as an added bonus.
“Bro,” Jacan shifted his gaze from the TV screen to Kim Jiseong sitting beside him, arching his eyebrows in inquiry.
“Has An Junsa’s airtime decreased?” He remembered that in the first episode, An Junsa had more airtime than this.
Moreover, now he was in Class A.
It was impossible for his airtime to be equal to the trainees in Class C.
If he didn’t stand with them in some scenes, he would hardly be seen anywhere alone.
“I don’t know,” Jacan shrugged, turning his attention back to the TV.
But if one looked closely, they would see a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth.
The young man turned his wrist to look.
The wound had been healed and there was only a faint scar left.
He couldn’t help but feel a mix of pity and sympathy for An Junsa.
So many aspired to join Class A, but despite having talent, he used it for the wrong things.
Had Kim Jiseong not pushed An Junsa away from the falling spotlight, those more severely injured than anyone might not have included just Im Kureum and Wang Qi, but also An Junsa himself.
And as soon as the second son of OMM Ent.
was injured during filming…
there would be grounds for lawsuits to claim damages from the show.
Certainly, the matter of accountability or compensation was just a scene in the drama.
What the other party hoped for was to make this show…
a show in which Dong Hyunin had placed his hopes, lose credibility.
They would incite social condemnation on the management’s shortcomings to create turmoil from outside, and then the time for the moles would come, to create internal discord…
at this point, no matter how stable the company’s foundation was, even if it didn’t want to fall, it had to fall.
After reading through two sets of information, Dong Hyunin understood the gravity of the events that would unfold in the future if he allowed these moles to eat away the organization.
Therefore, apart from Im Heewoo having to reevaluate the team for the program, SKM Ent.
itself would have to undergo a major restructuring, making some of the board members feel feverish.
The minor moles were just asked to leave.
But those who had abused the company’s trust and sold secrets to the rival company all received legal notices sent to their homes, regardless of how long they had worked together.
Even if they had been with the organization since its founding, they still had to be held accountable!
If there was no loyalty to the organization, then they shouldn’t stay at all.
It’s better for them to go rest in peace wherever they like.
Since they chose to sell business secrets to the enemy, let that side take care of them.
This side truly had no more patience to keep them around
An Junsa could notice that he had significantly less airtime compared to others in Class A.
However, when looking at the overall picture, it didn’t seem out of ordinary at all.
The show had started to push him aside, hadn’t it…
The 18-year-old boy pursed his lips, his eyes sweeping over the lively crowd of rival trainees.
In his heart, he felt resistance and unwillingness.
Since he was young, he had received love from his parents, being able to get whatever he wanted according to his desires.
He also had a musical talent.
Learning quickly, he achieved success not much different from trainees that took years to achieve.
His father was preparing a stage for him to debut in another two years.
However, his mother suggested that while waiting, he should join the competition of their rival.
She hoped to help in his father’s plan to make SKM Ent.
fall low, making it easier to merge the businesses and become the number one big agency.
The young man knew well that the reason his mother sent him partly was for his father’s plan and partly for herself.
The second wife, inevitably, was compared to the first wife of the father, who was legally registered.
Then there was the other son, his half-brother, who had demonstrated managerial abilities since he hadn’t finished his degree yet.
Even though he had talent in music, his mother was not particularly satisfied.
It was fortunate that his father loved and took care of them well.
Otherwise, he would probably have been pressured to follow his half-brother’s footsteps.
The mother knew that the first wife and his father planned something against SKM Ent.
But it was a long-term plan that would take a while.
Coincidentally, the company launched a survival program to search for new idol groups.
So he was sent by his mother to gather information.
Whether he would debut or not didn’t matter, as long as the show did not end well.
Additionally, he had the responsibility to attract trainees who were deemed talented.
If they were eliminated from the show, they could contact the company’s agency and sign a contract as trainees for OMM Ent.
That was the origin of the group of friends from Class B that An Junsa hung out with.
Some trainees in that group had started to lose hope in the show.
They saw the superiority of Class A.
No matter which way they looked, they couldn’t see a beautiful path…
They only saw steep walls that were difficult to climb.
So when they received an offer from An Junsa, some trainees immediately agreed.
While in the show, they tried to present themselves to be recognized, so that at least when this show ends, they would have a fan base waiting to support them in the future.
An Junsa glanced at Jacan sitting with his own group.
A glint of jealousy and resentment flashed through brown eyes.
He knew his own level well.
Even if he praised himself, he could see that Jacan had more ability.
And if it continued like this, he would probably debut as a highly talented idol of SKM Ent.
What about him, who his father planned to debut in another two years?
At that time, he only thought that if he could make Jacan reveal his dark side to the public, it would weaken a formidable future rival.
But no matter how he tried to provoke him, the other side never took the bait.
Moreover, in the last round of confrontation, the show decided not to air it.
Damn it…
How did it come to this?
Furthermore, in the morning, he received an urgent call from his mother.
Apparently, his father was sued into bankruptcy due to tax evasion and possible involvement in a drug scandal at a famous nightclub two years ago.
His wife filed for divorce, and he had to pay millions in compensation.
The first thing the young man thought of was that…
the bright future that was waiting for him outside, had now been shattered.
How did it all turn out like this…?
“Junsa, why has your airtime decreased?” Even the trainees that An Junsa had approached noticed and asked him out of concern.
“Exactly, we might have to complain about this a bit.”
“Yes, yes, our An Junsa is so outstanding.” When someone raised doubts, the others hurriedly chimed in with flattery, hoping to be more visible to this young man.
If one day they were eliminated, they would have someone to rely on.
But little did they know that this supposed pillar of support had already crumbled.
Before everyone would find out the news, it would be a month later when the program allowed them to check their own ratings on social media.
“How would I know?” The former second young master felt so annoyed by the buzzing voices around him that he wanted to explode.
It was fortunate that he still realized that if he acted out, the program would have more reasons to push him out of the competition.
“Junsa, listen to me, son.
We have nothing left now.
Dad is about to go to jail.
Our house is seized.
Our assets are being examined and likely to be seized as state property.
We have nothing left now, son.
Listen…
you have to debut on that show.
If you don’t become an idol, we’re finished, son…
Sob, sob, sob…”
No matter what, he had to debut on this show!