18
Step Eighteen
:: Little Malee ::
“…” The studio was silent, eerily so.
At this moment, Episode Three hadn’t aired yet because they needed to finish filming today’s stage before that.
Then they would edit each team’s practice session and internal issues, showing the struggles they had to overcome to put on a show that lasted just under five minutes.
The audience below was unaware that both Kim Bomi and Lee Danbi had previously tried to persuade An Junsa to reconsider how stickers, which should have been distributed to others in the group, were managed.
But despite their efforts, An Junsa remained adamant, even arguing that team members couldn’t outdo him.
According to him, the sticker center, leader, and vocalist should be the ones who did it best, which was himself.
The program had just begun airing, and only two episodes had aired.
Who would stay and who would go depended entirely on the deeds and misdeeds they had done.
The two senior artists didn’t want to say much.
When they were confident that someone could handle it, they let them.
Whether it was team members who saw things clearly or those who were biased because they knew that An Junsa was the youngest son of OMM Ent.
Some, although they had opposing attitudes, eventually had to accept their fate without successfully overcoming the battle for stickers.
They couldn’t change the internal management no matter how much they resisted.
It had to be admitted that despite the ten days of rehearsal, the first 5-6 days might have been somewhat rough, but overall, they had met the criteria.
The only glaring issue was the center constantly rotating to stand in the middle, while team members without stickers were no different from backup dancers who appeared for a few seconds and then faded into the background again.
“The task of the second mission is teamwork, not solo performances.
What you need to focus on is the overall outcome.
Bearing everything on one person not only burdens yourself but also creates a jarring and unnatural experience for the audience,” Kim Bomi held the microphone firmly.
When she wanted to speak, she would speak.
She had held back since rehearsals.
“…” The audience nodded, agreeing with what the female judge said.
In the first verse, they still clung to their performances.
Although the center shone a bit, there was still rotation to see the faces of other members.
However, they felt they saw the center’s face too often.
It itched in their hearts.
They wanted to vent it out, but because they couldn’t change the channel or swipe through with their fingers as they could on electronic devices, they had to endure from start to finish.
Every time the center rotated to show their face, opposition increased little by little.
This made it so that when it came time to vote, they chose another team without hesitation.
Not to mention the eerie high note that was still haunting everyone’s ears until now.
He couldn’t handle everything, yet he wanted every position to himself.
Someone like that was either selfish or one heck of a loser.
Who would want to vote for them?
“This program is a search for a boy group, not a solo where only one person wins.
Even your ad hoc team performed poorly.
Imagine you debuting with this mindset – your bandmates would have endless headaches,” the female judge said, getting more and more aggravated as she spoke.
She had worked with artists from OMM Ent.
before and didn’t want to mix…
but most of those people had the same attitude as An Junsa.
She wondered if their laundry never dried and needed light or something.
They were always seeking light, not caring who they overshadowed, just as long as they stood out.
The saying ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ seemed to hold true in this case.
The environment at home had truly harmed a talented kid.
It was a shame.
If he didn’t change his mindset, it would be difficult for him to work with others.
An Junsa pursed his lips, his face grim.
He dared not sneak a glance at his teammates, who were all looking at him intently.
Not to mention the audience below, who had been gossiping non-stop since Kim Bomi’s harsh criticism.
It was the first time the boy has been made so embarrassed that he wished the ground would just swallow and cover him up.
His hands were clenched tightly, the veins bulging, as he desperately longed to disappear from this place…
Kim Bomi didn’t just criticize An Junsa alone.
She addressed everyone who didn’t meet the standards or performed worse than during yesterday’s rehearsal.
Even Yeo Unche was criticized for breathing out of sync, causing him to sing off-key for two seconds.
Though no one noticed or paid attention, she did.
[The judge is too harsh.
I think it’s better for the kids to take a break first.
We still have two teams left to perform.
Otherwise, it’ll be too late for the audience to get home.” Seeing Kim Bomi quiet and Lee Danbi also not reaching for the mic to criticize again, Park Insa stepped in to find a way to calm things down for both sides since the show had to go on.
Luckily the issue happened now.
If this team had been the last one, he was sure the show wouldn’t have ended on a good note.
Park Insa’s thoughts matched those of PD Im Heewoo, who was sitting behind the stage checking for order.
During An Junsa’s criticism, the middle-aged man paced back and forth like a cat on a hot tin roof.
It was all over!
It was all ruined!
The small dramas in the show could still be edited out beautifully, but today’s performance had drawn an audience of over 500 people from outside.
Tonight’s Star Fight show was sure to become the talk of the town!
The head producer did enjoy stirring up drama to generate buzz for the show in the past, but it had to be drama he was confident he could control.
This kind of live performance mess wasn’t what he had in mind!
This kid was just like his father!
They thought they were the center of the universe and did whatever they wanted.
If he’d known from the start that OMM Ent.
would soon crash and burn like it had now, he wouldn’t have bothered sending them an invitation out of mere courtesy!
Ah, no…
that was not quite right.
It was because Kim Jungeol let his son appear on this show that they ended up kicking the hornet’s nest, allowing his nephew to uncover evidence and expose their wrongdoings, ultimately leading to their ruin.
Im Heewoo watched the stage from the monitor screen, his thick hand covering his mouth, using his thoughts.
Survival shows typically relied on fan votes to continue, so they kept all trainees with strong fanbases in the competition.
But this show was different.
SKM Entertainment was the sole official investor, with no external investors or co-sponsors.
Even the voting system was unique – fans didn’t need to spend a single win to vote for their favorite trainees.
So…
An Junsa’s fate rested entirely in the hands of the editing team and his own decisions.
If he liked causing trouble, he would simply have to debut elsewhere!
…
[Next up are the last two teams for tonight] Park Insa waited for all the kids to step down from the stage before bringing back the audience’s attention to the remaining final shows [Is it time for the songwriting showcase, right?]
“Yes, indeed.
This is a show we’re very confident about.
We’re sure to score a point with this one,” Kim Sujin said with a playful smile, disrupting the tense atmosphere and making it vanish in the blink of an eye.
“And what about you, B2?”
“Don’t be too cocky, I mean, too confident, B1.
B2 here is just as confident that we won’t lose.
We have to end this show in a tie,” Kim Bomi quipped, not wanting to let the final segment of the show fizzle out, was ready to play along with any joke thrown her way.
[If it’s a tie, I suggest we have the judges compete instead to decide,] Park Insa chimed in, eager to join the banter.
“If it’s a tie, can I go back home and get some rest before competing again tomorrow?” Jung Wangseong wasn’t planning on playing the role of a sleepless character anymore.
He let his sleep-deprived spirit out to the fullest.
“My battery is almost dead too,” Lee Danbi joked, leaning his face on the table.
“I may be a top dog, but I’m also a health-conscious kid.
My head needs to hit the pillow by 9 PM sharp.”
‘Ha ha ha’
‘I want to see the judges compete against each other.’
With their professional skills, it didn’t take long for the judges and host to bring back the lively atmosphere of the battle once again, temporarily erasing the memory of the lackluster performance that had just concluded.
[I think it’s time.
Let’s invite the final songwriting groups to the stage.]
Jacan gathered the Kim ducklings in a circle, encouraging them with a cheer.
He had noticed that many of them had been fidgeting for a while now, even during An Junsa’s reprimand, which failed to ease their anxiety and instead only amplified it.
“What are we here to do?” asked, the eldest.
“We’re here to battle,” Kim Hajun replied.
“No, everyone, repeat after me,” Jacan said, wrapping his arms around the person closest to him.
“We’re here to sing.”
“Uh…
we’re here to sing,” they repeated awkwardly and out of sync.
“Try again.
We’re here to sing.”
“We’re here to sing,” they repeated in unison, but still not to Jacan’s satisfaction.
“Louder, but don’t scream your throats out.
We still have to sing out there.
So, what are we here to do?”
“Sing!” their voices rose two octaves.
“Sing for what?” he asked, tilting his head with a mischievous smile.
“To win!!”
“Alright, let’s go!” Jacan patted the shoulders of each of them before leading the way out the door.
As they waited behind the stage, he checked to ensure that their in-ear monitors were without any flaws.
‘Aaaahh!
Jacan, Jacan!’
‘That’s him!
Jacan oppa!!’
The moment Jacan appeared on stage, all sounds seemed to stop, before exploding into cheers from his dedicated fan club.
The light signs that had been kept away out of courtesy for the other contestants since the beginning were now being raised high, swelling the heart of the one whose name they bore.
His name…
the signs with his real name.
And his battle opponent was none other than the familiar Lee Sangah.
When he stepped onto the stage, the young man waved at him, and he smiled and waved back.
[It seems like the final pair is going to be quite the attraction, and they’re both diligent centers too!] Park Insa commented, trying to keep the audience’s excitement high at all times.
[How confident are you about today’s show?] The former Class C boy, who used his own efforts to secure one out of the 45 spots on the theme song stage, the center performer who spent less time rehearsing than Jacan by just a few hours, had now moved up to Class B.
“100% confident, sir,” Lee Sangah replied with a determined expression.
“Really?” He raised one eyebrow.
“I am confident that I will be able to perform until the end.”
“Oooh!” followed by the team members making a teasing sound, eliciting laughter from the audience.
[That was a great introduction.
Alright then, do the judges have any bluffs to make before the performance starts?
If so, the floor is yours.]
“No need for that, we’ll let the performance speak for itself,” Kim Sujin said, sitting up straight.
It was no mistake to save Jacan’s team for the final show.
The positive response was overwhelming.
“Oh, don’t underestimate us, sis.
We’ve got some serious fire up our sleeves too,” Lee Danbi retorted, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously.
[They say they don’t want to bluff, but they’re doing it away, haha.]
“Let’s just get the competition started, senior.
I don’t think we’ll be going home if we wait any longer,” Jung Wangseong urged, his eyes already half-closed.
He wanted to listen to his team’s song to wake himself up.
[Whose performance do you want to see first?] Usually, Park Insa would decide the order of performance, but this time, the middle-aged man turned the mic towards everyone.
“Well…” Lee Sangah hesitated, raising his hand.
“Could we perform first?”
[Eh, why’s that?] The not-so-young senior raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“We’re afraid that if we watch Brother Jacan’s performance first, we might get nervous and not perform our best.
It’s better if we go first.” He didn’t want to accidentally compare their stage to the other team’s and lose focus.
[What about the red team?
Are you okay with the blue team’s request?
If not, I’ll toss a coin to decide.]
Jacan turned to exchange glances with the ducklings on his team.
Seeing their nodding faces, he replied in agreement.
It seemed like the ducklings wanted to buy themselves a little more time.
The stage lights went out once again to allow the prepared team to get ready.
[Center Lee Sangah / Rock song / 9 members]
The sudden blast of EDM made several audience members jump in their seats.
The sound quickly transitioned into a lead guitar riff that climbed from low to high notes, so intense it seemed to challenge the spotlights above to shatter.
The stage lights flickered on and off, offering only fleeting glimpses of the team members.
Then, they suddenly focused on the center, Lee Sangah, and the team’s vocal.
Both sang the powerful chorus in perfect harmony.
What was even more impressive was that one of the trainees could hit incredibly high notes, accelerating the third verse to soar as if piercing through the ceiling.
This even caused some audience members below to jump and dance, waving cheer flags incessantly.
Even when the song ended, the crowd’s energy refused to die down.
It was as if they’d been injected with adrenaline.
Their faces flushed red, still full of excitement, to the point where some even screamed for an encore.
[Wow, this is way beyond what I expected.
Absolutely outstanding, right everyone?] Park Insa was pleasantly surprised by the abilities of this trainee group.
Besides Lee Sangah, who was in Class B, the rest were in lower classes.
He never thought they could perform this well.
“I’ve been saying, we’re awesome!” Lee Danbi puffed his chest proudly.
He trained this team himself, so why wouldn’t he know how awesome they were?
“You guys are truly amazing.
Bravo!” Kim Sujin echoed the sentiment.
“You bet,” Jung Wangseong nodded in agreement.
“As expected of a diligent center,” Kim Bomi applauded.
She had helped direct the singing portion for a while, and looking at the team’s work, she knew it wouldn’t be ordinary.
But since it was a rock genre, which wasn’t her forte, she had to give credit to Lee Danbi for taking care of them from the start until today.
[With such overwhelming cheers for that team, are you feeling a bit nervous?] Park Insa walked over to ask the final group set to perform, stifling a chuckle when he saw the center’s resigned face as he looked at his trembling teammates, who resembled nothing but ducklings about to take their first swim.
“Oh, no, they’re just shaking with fighting spirit,” Jacan said, unable to laugh or cry.
He had tried to build up their confidence before taking the stage, but now they were shaking like leaves.
If he had known it would be like this, he would have chosen for their team to perform first.
[Do you need some time to prepare mentally?] They were shaking so badly that the host took pity on them.
“Let’s just go out there and do it.
We still have the voting elimination after this.
Let’s show our handsome side to the fans!” Jacan momentarily muted the mic, rallying their spirits and patting the shoulders of his ducklings one by one.
As soon as they heard the keyword “voting elimination,” from being shaky and nervous, a surge of determination arose simultaneously.
The trembling hands and trembling lips disappeared in the blink of an eye.
“Osu!”
[Looks like our contestants are ready.
Audience, are you ready or not?!!]
‘Ready!!’
[In that case…
It’s show time!]
The stage lights and music tones softened.
In the center were the eight ducklings, each wearing a pastel-colored onesie and matching beret.
They sat in a circle with their backs to each other, heads bowed, and eyes closed.
Meanwhile, the leader sat behind the white grand piano, dressed in a bright shirt unbuttoned at the top, paired with brown overall and white boots.
His golden-blond hair was slicked back under a burnt brown cowboy hat.
At a glance, he seemed like a farmer playing music to wake up all the animals to a bright and fresh morning.
However, the intro performed by the young haft-blood’s nimble fingers turned into a melody that everyone was familiar with, causing them to tilt their heads in confusion.
Little Malee…
Had a Little Kitten?
(A Thai children’s song, adapted from ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb.’)
As the hook of “Little Malee Had a Little Kitten” came to an end, the bright melody continued, evoking the feel of a kindergarten song.
Meanwhile, Kim Doyun stood up and stretched lazily, looking left and right before nudging his gang mates awake from their slumber.
Kim Yuseong walked arm in arm with Kim Sojun to the front, raised his hand to shield his eyes and swept his gaze over the audience below the stage.
Then he began,
Welcome to our blissful farm
Looks serene, doesn’t it?
But before we got here today (it wasn’t easy)
I’ve heard someone say (what did they say?)
Farming is a breeze (crazy!
Who said that?)
Just need some thick cash (money, money, money, money)
And everything can be transformed in the blink of an eye (they got it right, huh?) (oops…)
Kim Juwon, the main vocalist, pulled both men out to join the rap duo, combining them with the duckling group behind before singing with a cheerful tone, winking and playing with the audience below, then turning to clap for Kim Hajun and others to take the next part.
Who says effort is meaningless?
Even with great wealth,
If you don’t cultivate the fields, it’s all in vain.
Look at that calf, took its time to grow, gave its parents quite a headache.
Oh, and that’s the duckling, hatching slower than others.
Unsteady on its feet, yet steadfast in its stride, Let others laugh, it holds its pride.
I’m a duckling, following my mother’s lead (why should anyone care, or pay it heed?)
I’ll be a big duck one day,
What’s wrong with following the paths they lay?
Who says effort is meaningless?
Even with great wealth,
If you don’t cultivate the fields, it’s all in vain.
No matter how many obstacles block our way,
Navigate around them, find a new path to stay.
Should your journey be too far or your way too steep,
Destroy those barriers, your dreams to keep.
Let no one else make your dreams untrue,
The choice to give up lies only with you.
The final verse couldn’t belong to anyone but Jacan, the former duo member who had to terminate his contract prematurely, sharing his tear-jerking story.
Following this, the dance break featured Kim Siwoo and Kim Minjun showcasing their moves, ending with b-boy head spins before dramatically collapsing onto the stage, which drew enthusiastic cheers from the group of ducklings in pastel onesies.
Jacan, playing the role of the farm owner, then shooed everyone back to their positions, joining in for the dance break himself.
Each verse from start to finish tells the story of the team members’ journey following their dreams, using the farm animals as representations of what the ducklings gang had faced.
The tune was cheerful, the costumes adorable, but the meaning profound…
If the audience wasn’t moved, at least the performers were.
They closed with an endearing final pose – arms crossed, cheeks puffed, leaning into each other.
They were content to tell their story through song like this.
What could anyone say to that?
[As expected of Kim Jong’s team’s trump card!
How was it, everyone?!]
‘Amazingggg!’
‘So much fun!
You Ducklings are so adorable it hurts the heart.’
‘Quack quack quack.’
‘Jacan oppa, Jacan oppa, Jacan oppa.’
‘Jay oppa, you’re so cool!
If I can’t call you oppa, then let me call you husband, okay?’
In the trainees’ lounge,
The ducklings gang’s introduction on the show looked cute and funny indeed.
But what caught everyone’s attention was the one and only eldest brother sitting behind the piano.
The way his fingers delicately danced across the keys, zooming in to capture those moments, was as beautiful as a carved masterpiece.
The rhythm of his fingers on the keyboard was smooth, even though it was just playing a snippet of the Little Malee Had a Little Kitten song.
“Brother Jay, you’re unfairly handsome!
Even the gardener overalls can’t dim your aura.
Respect, respect.”
“If I wear it, I’d instantly transform into a preppy kid.
It’s a complete no-go.” Wang Qi’s face revealed his apprehension about the theme of the outfit chosen by this team.
“If you wore it, your ‘mommy’ fans would probably love it,” Kim Jiseong observed, scanning Wang Qi up and down.
If only he let down his hair and put on a beret…
Surely, this guy would secure loads of ‘mother-son’ contracts from mommy fans.
“They managed to create a song this good in just ten days?
Lee Sangah’s group too.
I had no idea that guy was so talented.” Even Lee Sangah’s group of friends, who once held prejudices against foreign trainees, were baffled by this former Class C trainee’s abilities.
“It’s not that the other songwriting teams aren’t good, but these two teams are just fantastic.
No wonder the judges haven’t chosen them to perform yet.
They’re waiting for the other side to play their trump card first.”
The trainees had various speculations, but there was no denying that the songwriting performances of the two teams that had just finished were truly amazing.
So amazing that they had to stand up on their feet!!
[I never expected you’d use ‘Little Malee Had a Little Kitten’ as the main melody, not to mention all those other children’s songs scattered throughout.] There was even a brief snippet of ‘Baby Shark’ in there.
“It’s a throwback trap.
If you recognized the songs, well, that just shows your age,” Jacan replied with a smile, taking the mic.
[That’s a bit much,] Park Insa couldn’t laugh or cry.
Back when the group was busy appearing on variety shows to build their fame, they had performed ‘Baby Shark’ countless times, a memory that still haunts them to this day.
“Just a bit, sir.
Otherwise, I won’t be able to make airtime.” Jacan chuckled, easily admitting his attempt to steal the spotlight.
[Can you share a bit about the inspiration behind this song?]
“We drew lots,” Jacan grinned.
Seeing the deadpan expression on the senior artist’s face, he elaborated:
“Partly because we drew a ‘cute’ concept, and there weren’t many themes that fit within our time constraints.
Also, we all agreed to write a song that tells each of our stories.
At least we’ll have this song as a memory…
proof that we once had a song that was truly our own.” The duckling gang nodded vigorously in agreement.
[Interesting, not bad at all.
Let’s hear an example from someone.]
“Who wants to share?” Jacan stepped forward, looking at the ducklings in the team.
“I can share mine,” Kim Hwasung raised his hand.
“In the song, there’s a line that says ‘that’s the duckling, hatching slower than others,’ right?
The duckling mentioned is actually me.
It took me a while to realize that I wanted to be an idol.
When I went to audition for dance classes at the music institute, there were only kids under 10 years old.
They used to look at me like I was some kind of alien.
Now picture me at 16 years old back then.
I was like a lamppost among the mile markers.” He added some jokes to his story.
Looking back, Hwasung’s story was not easy at all.
His entry into Star Fight was an indication that…
this young man had really tried hard.
Even though he hatched from the slowest egg, as long as he didn’t give up, not only could he walk…
he could even run.
[Excellent.
Success, big or small, always comes from effort.
Even with natural talent, without dedication, one’s luck may not always be on their side…
Who knows?
Alright, let the judging panel speak, and then we’ll move on to the voting to find tonight’s winner.]
“Today was better than yesterday’s rehearsal, you guys keep improving.
Truly excellent,” Jung Wangseong, now wide awake, applauded his team’s exemplary performance.
“The rap lines were a bit stiff at the beginning, but the rest was excellent.
The inner flow was very smooth,” Kim Sujin praised with a thumbs up.
The judges continued to commend, and then Park Insa proceeded with the program.
The middle-aged man gestured for the red and blue teams to stand together on the big stage.
[Alright, everyone, get ready to vote when I give the signal.
3…
2…
1!
Vote now!]
“…” Lee Sangah closed his eyes, clasping hands with his team members tightly.
“…” Jacan held hands with the ducklings gang, giving them a slight smile before tilting his head back, eyes closed, waiting for the results.
[And the winner is…
the winner is!!]
The build-up of the atmosphere was more electrifying than any previous round.
The lights flickered across each stage, creating a mesmerizing spectacle for everyone to behold.
[And the winning team is the red team!!
Congratulations!]
‘Hooray!’
‘Jacan Oppaaaa!’
‘Jacan, keep fighting!’
‘Both teams did great!!’
‘Aaaahhh!’
“We won…
we won,” Kim Yuseong exclaimed as soon as he heard the decision, then turned to hold hands with Kim Doyun and Kim Hajun, who were closest, jumping and dancing with joy.
Soon, the excitement spread to the rest of the team.
The scene witnessed by the audience was the ducklings group jumping around Jacan, who had a faint smile mixed with endearment.
XX Drama News
The latest news is in.
A trainee from a former big agency has withdrawn midway through the Star Fight competition.
They claim their parents requested their exit due to problems at home.
Who knows if that’s the real story?
You ladies can speculate all you want.
News from this show is harder to come by than finding a needle in the ocean.
And don’t go throwing names around willy-nilly, or you might get sued.
Comment: There’s only one former major agency, so it’s easy to guess.
Comment: Forced to leave?
Comment: They say they left on their own.
Comment: Maybe the parents want them to come back and help fight the case.
Comment: Comment above, hush, you are spilling the tea.
Comment: I don’t want to be mean, but just wait for episode three or four and you’ll know why he wants to leave the show.
I wouldn’t dare to stay either.
That’s all I can say.
I’m under contract with the show.