23
Step Twenty-Three
:: The Song Competition in the Orange Grove ::
The orange grove where the show had arranged to film was a place that usually welcomed tour groups.
Even though the grass reached waist-high, it never looked neglected.
The neatly placed pipes, the distance between the orange trees, and the overall layout allowed for easy movement despite the high grass.
“I found one!” Wang Qi chose to cut the grass about 30 steps from the starting point.
Just as he was about to use his grass-cutting shears, he accidentally kicked a ball.
He picked it up and ran back to the starting line,
Today, luck was still on his side.
How nice~
[Oh, Wang Qi got it!
Let’s see, who is the first team member…!] Park Insa received the ball from Wang Qi and opened it immediately.
“Kim Siwoo!
Hurry up, run into the grass to find the next team member!]
Kim Siwoo, standing among the Ducklings gang, jumped in surprise before sprinting to grab the apron and shears from Wang Qi.
He then dashed into the orange grove.
The ball with his name was placed in Wang Qi’s team box to confirm his membership.
Within ten seconds, Kang Manja returned with a ball containing Jacan’s name.
Wait…
but Jacan was also a center.
How could he be in his team?
[Oh, if you draw a center’s name, you must battle with that team.
Congratulations, you hit the jackpot right at the start of the show,] Park Insa grinned widely, patting the slightly taller man’s shoulder in a comforting manner.
Of all the teams to battle against,
They had to face the show’s top player.
The stage after this….
good luck.
“…” Kang Manja looked up at the sky, mourning his 20 years of life.
It seemed his accumulated merit from previous lives had run out today.
[Let me take a moment to explain a bit more about the battle rules.
The winning team in each battle will get to keep all the votes they received from the audience during the live performance round.]
Soon, Jacan returned running with a ball containing Lee Hajun’s name.
Park Insa announced it through the microphone, as the named person didn’t show up initially.
It took three calls before Lee Hajun, who had been daydreaming, gazing at birds on an orange tree, snapped back to reality.
He hurried to the starting point to receive the apron and shears, his lips pressed tightly in nervousness.
“I apologize for wasting your time,” he said, bowing his head in a deep apology.
“No worries.
Don’t stress yourself out.
A ball is just a ball, don’t overthink it,” Jacan encouraged, helping the young man put on his apron.
Lee Hajun’s tentative smile froze for a moment.
“Just be yourself.
Go on, we’ll talk later,” Jacan gently pushed the slender back, which was slightly shorter than his own, forward.
The young man bit his lower lip in contemplation before breaking into a wide smile and running into the orange grove with a determined face.
This might be the first time since joining the competition that he actually felt the fun of a variety show.
This person…
was interesting indeed.
No wonder he got the top spot.
Lee Hajun chose a spot further away from the others.
Not finding the ball with his eyes, he resorted to using the shears to trim the grass, at least as a precaution against any animals or insects that might be lurking.
He finally found the ball at the fifty-seventh second, almost needing to waste time running back to reset the timer.
“Did I make it in time?” Lee Hajun, panting heavily, glanced at his time.
“Phew, just made it,” he said, dropping to the ground without caring about his image.
“That was close.
You made it just in time,” Jacan said, accepting the ball from the first team member.
Inside was the name of one of the Ducklings gang’s members.
[Kim Juwon, get ready.
You’re up next,] the senior host announced, hurrying him along before turning to receive the ball from Lee Sangah, which had Wang Qi’s name inside.
That announced yet another intriguing battle pair.
“If there are seven centers, there won’t be enough battles for every team, right?” Jacan, now idle, moved closer to the host and voiced his curiosity.
[Oh, that.
If no one draws a center’s name, it’s a form of luck.
Actually, the battle conditions aren’t solely based on the battle pairs.
It also depends on the overall scores in the show.
Teams without opponents have the advantage of not being compared directly,] the host explained.
“So, does that mean teams without opponents get points for free?” Jacan inquired.
[Not exactly.
Teams without battles will have their scores compared to the highest-scoring battle team.
If they still can’t win, then they lose the points,] the host clarified.
That was still better than having a team for the audience to compare against…
Jacan felt at a loss for words.
It seemed since joining the show, he hadn’t had such luck.
Everything had to be earned through his efforts, from being the center for the theme song, the first battle, and now this.
“Come on, if you’re not lucky, just try harder,” Park Insa lowered the microphone to console his fellow Twinkle.
In his younger days, he felt that having a brother like Park Oseong was the lowest point in his life—a brother who always played around without caring about anything, constantly having to be nudged back into shape.
Then somehow, as he grew older, he became the mischievous one, while his older brother turned into a serious father figure, leaving behind the craziness of his youth.
But this change had its perks.
Variety shows seeking to add color by featuring senior artists often reached out to him.
Star Fight explicitly stated from the start that they wanted George, the international member of the group.
However, George was busy filming a movie and couldn’t make it.
President Dong Hyunin then suggested him as a replacement because he couldn’t contact the group’s leader.
That person had sneaked off to go fishing at a lake for three days and turned off his phone to avoid being reached.
With things like this, even if Producer Im Heewoo didn’t want him, he’d have to accept him.
Ha ha (laughs triumphantly).
“The show should have a segment where we visit a temple or church to boost our faith,” Jacan jokingly suggested.
“That sounds interesting.
Unfortunately, the schedule is already set,” Park Insa shrugged.
If he were the director or producer, he’d consider this suggestion immediately.
Take them to boost faith?
…
Huh, nah.
To ghost hunting~
While the start line was bustling, let’s look at the orange grove.
The team representatives were busy cutting grass and desperately searching for balls.
The downside was that they would never know if the ball they found would reveal a teammate or a formidable opponent.
Swish, swish, swish.
“Found it!” x3
Snap.
Just like earlier, ones among the top ten found the same ball.
They looked at each other defiantly, none willing to give in, with a drone hovering overhead like an observer.
If this scene were to air, the editing team would probably add crackling lightning effects to heighten the showdown.
“Kureum hyung, give it to me.
I don’t have much time left,” Yeo Unche pretended to plead softly, but his eyes darted back and forth between the others.
If anyone made a sudden move, he was ready to snatch the ball.
“I saw this ball first.
I parted the grass and saw it one second earlier,” Lee Sangah didn’t back down.
“Tsk, tsk.
In situations like this, it’s finders keepers,” the PD’s son clicked his tongue, unwilling to yield to anyone, even though he arrived last (haha).
The three walked in a circle with their arms wide open, preventing anyone from making a sneaky move.
“…” If the ball in the middle could talk, it would probably say, “Let me go, humans.
I’m just a poor, helpless piece of plastic.”
…
It took almost two hours, but the members of the third mission team finally came together.
The only thing left was the song they would perform.
The team that found all their balls first and earned the 50 points was Wang Qi’s team.
The proud youngest one puffed out his chest and boasted to the older members, only to be playfully flicked on the forehead in return.
[Take some time to get to know each other.
In twenty minutes, we’ll start the song selection game.] Park Insa announced loudly once all the teams had gathered their members.
Jacan’s team, besides Lee Hajun and Kim Juwon, also gained another duckling, Kim Hajun.
The remaining four members were trainees ranked 30 and above, fulfilling the minimum number required by the show.
The groups with nine members were the teams ranked 5-7.
“Here’s Hajun, and there’s Hajun.
It’s full of Hajuns.” Lee Hajun, who seemed to have unlocked something after being exposed, was now more cheerful, blending seamlessly with duckling Hajun.
The other four new team members had names that started with Go as well.
When introducing themselves for the first time, Jacan felt like he had a bond with the other contestants.
It seemed like he found more friends than enemies.
Ah…
except for An Junsa, of course.
The remaining four members were named Gangja, Goyo, Gojo, and Goseong.
There were three vocalists and one dancer.
“Hello, I never thought I’d have the chance to be on the same team as you.
I’m very excited,” Gangja said, clasping his hands in front of him and looking at Jacan nervously.
The innocent, naive demeanor made the older man glance at Lee Hajun.
“If you want to look harmless, you need to be like this,” the mixed-race young man advised in a tone that was neither loud nor soft, making Lee Hajun nod in understanding.
He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Gangja from head to toe.
“…” Gangja felt like he was being scanned in a strange way.
“I’m excited, hyung.
I really want to know what songs we’ll be competing with,” Kim Juwon, who was familiar with Jacan, tried to start a conversation.
Last time, he was in the songwriting group, so he didn’t have the chance to cover songs like the singing team.
Although it was stressful when he couldn’t come up with a song, it was still less intense than remaking songs by senior artists.
What was even harder was that survival variety shows often liked to use famous songs by top artists to test their abilities.
Whether they performed well or not, their stage would always be compared to the original.
“Is there a song you have in mind that you’d like to perform?” Jacan asked back, hoping the group members would bond by sharing their opinions.
As soon as he asked that, the ducklings mixed with chicks started chirping out the names of their favorite songs.
One person sang a line, and another continued, creating an instantly uplifting atmosphere within the group.
“I want to do ‘Midnight’ by HJ,” Lee Hajun said.
Jacan froze for a moment before turning to face the speaker.
“Really?
But I think a song from Ford’s band, from Senior Park, could be interesting too,” the mixed-race young man suggested after a brief pause, trying not to appear too unusual.
“No way.
Ford’s band is legendary.
If we mess up their song, Senior Park will tease us relentlessly until we’re eliminated,” Gojo said, raising his hand to his neck in a gesture of fear.
“Yeah… let’s not do that.
We’re already unsure what other challenges we’ll face,” Goseong said, hugging himself and shaking.
Jacan felt relieved that he successfully diverted the topic from his former band.
At the same time, he felt speechless about the legendary senior artists who had left emotional scars on many young contestants.
“Does anyone have any other song ideas?” Kim Juwon, the representative of the ducklings, turned to ask the Go family members, who coincidentally ended up on the same team, giving off a vibe similar to the Kim family.
No..
it should be, on one side were the ducklings, and on the other, the chicks!
They couldn’t have the same father!
“Last time, the vocal and dance teams were given popular songs from the current period.
This time, they might go back a year or two,” Lee Hajun analyzed.
“I can only think of HJ’s songs from last year that were really popular,” Goyo said, pulling at the grass nearby.
He kept pulling at it until the area around him was completely cleared with his bare hands.
“…” Jacan was at a loss for words.
How did they circle back to this?
“It’s such a pity.
If HJ were still around, they might have become even more internationally famous by now,” Gangja sighed, lamenting the loss of a quality band due to the greed and ego of just one person.
“What’s even more disappointing is that up until now, no one has ever seen J’s face,” Lee Hajun said, pouting in frustration.
“Why do you want to see his face so badly?
Maybe he just wants a private life like a normal person, like some influencers nowadays who do mukbangs but only show half of their faces,” Jacan said, remembering a comment he had read that analyzed why he debuted wearing a mask initially, despite skepticism from beauty standard groups.
“No way,” both the chicks and the ducklings shook their heads vigorously, even Lee Hajun.
“Why not?”
“People who want to be idols want their fans to accept them for who they are, for both their abilities and their appearance.
If it weren’t for that horrible company, J wouldn’t have needed to wear a mask to sing.
The former president who crushed others’ dreams deserves to be bedridden,” Lee Hajun said angrily.
The son wasn’t any better, drafting a slave contract to force J out.
“Don’t tell me you’re a Candy?” Kim Juwon guessed, noticing how upset the other was.
“Yes.
The one who inspired me to become an idol was Shinsu nuna, but after following their music for a while, I was completely captivated by J hyung,” the boy admitted easily.
“At that time, nobody disliked J hyung.
Even the antis were quiet when HJ had a comeback.
They could only criticize him for wearing a mask on stage, but they couldn’t find fault with his work,” Gangja agreed, nodding.
“I was a Candy too.
When the band broke up, I became a Cotton bud instead.
It was heartbreaking; I needed something new to hold on to.
Otherwise, I’d spend my days cursing those two at that company,” Gojo said, baring his teeth.
“I wasn’t a fan, but I followed their popular songs.
That was truly HJ’s peak.
It’s a pity they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Otherwise, they’d have gone international by now.”
“Right.
They could’ve been doing world tours, bringing in a lot of money for the country.”
“When HJ announced their breakup, I cried so hard my mom yelled at me.”
Hearing the team members exchange thoughts, Jacan pressed his lips together to hold back a smile.
He never expected to find so many Candies on a survival show.
If this aired, Han Shinsu would laugh so hard she’d fall off her chair.
As for himself, he felt like he could float from all the compliments.
He may not have luck in competitions, but he sure had fan support.
With this much encouragement, he wouldn’t fear any challenge ahead.
Having fans this close was all he needed.
“What about you, Brother Jay?
Do you have any idols?” Since this group wasn’t the same as Wang Qi’s or Yeo Unche’s, who had heard him rave about Twin K, the fanboy spilled all about his favorite idol group.
“Wow…
sounds like an amazing band,” Kim Juwon said, making a mental note to look them up if the show allowed social media use.
He vaguely remembered that Senior Park Insa liked the band too.
“They’re number one in my heart,” Jacan said proudly, having been a dedicated Twin K fan since he was five.
He had never regretted giving them his love and trust.
…
Their conversation ended when Park Insa announced that each group’s center should go listen to the rules for the song selection round.
“They’re going to have us send a representative to draw lots to choose an orange tree.
Each tree will have oranges labeled with song names and composers.
If we can’t find an orange with a song name, we’ll have to use the song provided by the show, which is likely a song that’s never charted or won any awards,” Jacan explained to the group as he sat down with them.
“Another luck-based task,” Kim Juwon complained, pouting.
“My luck is terrible.
Don’t send me.
I’ll jinx it,” he said, crossing his arms in an X.
“If you’re in the same group as Brother Jay, you can’t say you’re unlucky,” Kim Hajun countered.
If you were luckier, you’d be the center yourself!
“True, true.” The criticized one nodded in agreement.
He was lucky indeed…
This wouldn’t do, he needed to buy a lottery ticket fast!
“Let me go.
My luck is good.
I’ll get us a great song,” Lee Hajun volunteered.
“Really?” The chick group looked skeptical.
“I won third prize in the lottery,” he boasted, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest.
“Twice in a row.”
“Whoa… that’s legit,” the chicken clan kneeled in reverence.
“Let Lee Hajun draw the lot then.
Maybe we’ll get a popular song that will draw the audience’s attention,” Jacan nodded in agreement.
When it came to drawing the center position, this kid got it purely by luck too.
Having reached a consensus, Lee Hajun sprinted off with the group’s hopes on his shoulders, heading to the large box where the main host, Park Insa, was energetically building the atmosphere.
[What will you get?
Try the left side, maybe your luck is there.
No, the right side is good too.
The saying goes, ‘left good, right bad.’ Go left!] It took almost three minutes for each person to draw, nearly making the head PD come out to chew them out.
But Lee Hajun, confident in his luck, grabbed the first ball he touched, not letting the senior waste any more breath.
Inside the ball was a clue leading to a specific orange tree.
They were then guided by the orchard staff, who taught them how to pick the oranges correctly.
Once they picked the oranges, they could enjoy them.
Jacan led the group according to the clue.
It didn’t take long to reach an orange tree standing two feet taller than them, laden with bright oranges.
“I love filming outdoors,” Kim Juwon said, stretching and taking a deep breath of the fresh air.
Since this was an island in the middle of the sea, mainly engaged in citrus farming and fishing, the traffic wasn’t as heavy as in the city.
Sometimes, a salty breeze from the sea could be smelled.
“If you become a full-fledged idol, you’ll never say that,” Jacan warned kindly.
Idol Filming outdoors always had unexpected events, both from the crew’s planning and the participants’ misfortune.
“Have you ever watched those idol prank shows filmed out of town?
The seniors got pranked so bad.
Some even felt hurt.
Plus, there’s the risk of encountering anti-fans or sasaengs.
Filming in the studio is better.
It’s a bit stuffy, but it’s safe,” Lee Hajun nodded in agreement.
[Each group has only 10 minutes to find the orange with the song name.
If you take longer, you’ll have to use the song the show randomly selects for you,] Park Insa emphasized through a loudspeaker, making sure everyone in the orchard could hear.
[Who knows if you’ll get a good song or a bad one?
So it’s best to find the song in the orange tree.
At least those songs are award-winning or chart-topping perfect all-kill[1] hits.]
The more Park Insa hyped the difference between the songs, the more intense the search for the oranges became.
Even if they had to eat all the oranges on the tree, they had to find it!
Jacan’s group was no exception.
As soon as they found the tree matching the clue, they rushed to the waiting staff to learn the basics of proper orange picking.
It seemed the show didn’t want contestants distracted by other groups searching for their oranges.
The trees assigned to each group were over 500 meters apart.
Jacan saw Wang Qi wanting to come play with them but being dragged back by his team members.
He waved encouragement, hoping the mischievous kid would be lucky.
It looked like Kim Siwoo was managing Wang Qi’s behavior quite well.
“Normally, the farm uses machinery for harvesting, but this section is for tourists to walk around and pick oranges to take home.
So you can use this ladder and these pruning shears to cut the stems.
However, to prevent accidents, these tools won’t be used,” the staff explained, calling the workers to take away the ladders and shears, leaving the group dumbfounded.
Wait… were they being pranked?
“You’ll use this instead,” the staff handed over a bag or basket and a long aluminum pole with a basket at the end.
“This is called a picking pole.
If we let you climb ladders to pick oranges one by one and an accident happens, we can’t be held responsible.
The oranges you should pick are bright orange and feel firm.
Those are the only points to note.
You may start picking now.
I’ll start the countdown.” The staff explained everything in one go, leaving the ducklings and chicks blinking in confusion.
“Thank you for the instructions,” Jacan thanked the staff on behalf of the group, taking the equipment one by one and handing it to Lee Hajun first, then to the rest.
“With pleasure.
I hope you successfully complete the mission.
I caught a glimpse of the correct orange.
The song on this tree is a good one.
I hope you get to sing it,” said the staff member, who then stepped back to keep an eye from a distance in case any emergencies arose.
“All right, he said it’s a good song.
Lee Hajun, your luck is incredible,” praised Kim Juwon.
“Of course it is,” the praised boy replied without modesty, puffing out his chest proudly.
“Let’s get to work.
No more chatting,” Jacan urged, trying to keep everyone focused on the task.
But who would have thought that the lucky one truly had the best luck?
Not even two minutes later, Lee Hajun found the orange with the song title and composer’s name, as the show had instructed.
“Got it!
I found it!” The ninth-ranked boy jumped for joy.
“Such good luck,” Gangja grumbled with regret, peeling an orange to eat out of frustration.
He wanted to be the first to find it too.
“What song did you get?” Kim Juwon peered over.
“It’s a song we really love.”
“…” Why did he have a strange premonition?
“Midnight by HJ.
I told you, my luck is the best!”
You spoke it into existence!
…
..
Once a fan, a fan for life.
I have a question for the Star Fight fans.
Can anyone tell me more about Jacan?
I accidentally watched the show and got completely hooked.
Comment: There’s a Jacan K.
fan base.
If you vote for him, you can participate in activities and get rewards from the fan base.
He’s currently ranked first on the website, but we can’t be complacent until the elimination episode airs.
Comment: Welcome, new friend.
I also got totally hooked by Jacan oppa.
He’s both beautiful and handsome all in one, perfect in every way.
#WhatCan’tJacanDo is not an exaggeration.
Comment: There are several Jacan fan bases.
His fans are quite prominent.
Choose whichever suits you.
The K base has beautiful photos, and the Lovely base regularly releases fan art.
Personally, I’m in all of them.
Comment from Once a fan, a fan for life: Thanks so much, everyone.
I love watching him perform on stage and adore his voice.
It reminds me of J from the HJ duo.
I was a Candy who stopped being a fan after the group disbanded, but now I’ve fallen for Jacan completely.
Comment: Wait…
Comment: Hold on a second.
Comment: Why, why, why?
Comment: Holy crap!!
It really is!
The voice is just like J’s.
I thought it sounded familiar.
Comment: Honestly, we should have realized this a long time ago.
Comment: Every time there’s a hint of this, there’s always some big news to dig into.
Comment: Wait, wait, wait.
The first piece of news was the scandal with that actress, right?
Or could it be that our big sister is secretly involved…?
Comment: It’s possible, but we’re not going to say anything because that person really got what they deserved.
It has nothing to do with our beautiful big sister.
The other news might just be a coincidence.
Comment: Yeah, yeah.
Even if someone screenshots this and reports it, nothing will happen because we’re speaking in gossip code.
The court wouldn’t accept it.
The evidence is too speculative.
Comment: But if Jacan really is J…
Comment: What are you waiting for?
Vote!
Gather all the Candies!!
Jacan must debut!!
[1] Perfect All Kill (PAK) means reaching #1 on real-time, daily, and weekly charts, and iChart will announce it as a Perfect All Kill.