Translator: Dreamscribe
"Perfect packing."
After a dramatic conclusion to the labor negotiations with my aunt, I had to return home.
Since I would be staying in a training camp for two weeks, I needed to pack clothes to change into and daily necessities?
‘My daughter, fighting!’
Perhaps because my mom had already heard the full story from my aunt, even though I walked into the house on my own two feet, instead of punishment or nagging, she extended a truce proposal by serving me a warm meal to resolve the ongoing conflict.
A swift change of stance worthy of someone born in the year of the snake, 1965.
I still had no way to counter Mrs. Sukja’s dual tactics of carrot and stick.
‘But it’s not like this will just work out automatically....’
‘Don’t worry! You got your looks from your mom, at least your face is good! You’re finally putting your looks to use!’
Mom was delighted as if I had already become an idol, but in truth, this was just a part-time job to buy Bitcoin, so I worried she might be disappointed if I failed.
‘Mrs. Kim, aren’t you worried that your daughter’s going to be on TV? What if her face becomes known nationwide and something bad happens to me!’
‘Isn’t it better than being stuck at home all day playing games or lying on the sofa watching TV?’
Hmm....
I discovered another similarity between my aunt and mom.
Both of them occasionally confront me with objectively irrefutable facts that are hard to argue against.
If it’s family, shouldn’t they overlook a few faults?
My dad, who came home from work in the evening, was the only one on my side.
‘I mean, our daughter will get hurt if she goes on that show and gets eliminated....’
I wanted to be moved by those warm words, but under the sharp gaze of my mom silently telling him not to say useless things and demotivate me, I had no choice but to eat quietly.
‘Is this everything?’
After dinner, I would normally go into my room and explore the rift, but since I had to leave at dawn tomorrow, I had to pack.
Fortunately, there was a knockoff suitcase that looked like a luxury brand that mom had bought last year for her trip to Hong Kong with friends, so I started putting the necessary items into it one by one.
‘Underwear and clothes, this should be enough, right?’
Since it was a training camp, I figured there would at least be a washing machine, so I packed about five sets.
If not, well, I could just keep wearing them.
Back in the day during guerrilla training in the military, I once survived five days with just one pair of underwear, so this should be enough.
‘I packed shampoo and facial cleanser, and I think that’s about everything.’
Meals would be provided there anyway, and according to my aunt, all electronic devices would be confiscated the moment we entered the dorm, so I didn’t think I needed to bring a charger.
Packing after such a long time reminded me of the old days when I used to pack my military gear.
‘It’s been a while, and these memories really...’
The administrative officer who went around the company barracks every day, calling the guys to come help with some work.
Our assistant squad leader who used to hide behind the warehouse and play foot volleyball with us during work hours.
The squad leader who took over my task saying he’d do it, only to shred classified documents and get me disciplined.
I miss every one of them, and I wonder how they’re all living now.
'Being a woman is the best.'
Once was enough for the military.
Memories tend to be romanticized, so I must not be swayed by nostalgia.
Life as a soldier wasn’t bad, but my goal in this life is a comfortable, pleasant, and wealthy life.
‘Just 2 weeks! If I survive 2 weeks, I get 1 million won.’
I carefully placed the fully packed suitcase in the corner of my room and lay straight down on my bed, preparing to sleep.
Even though I was going with the intention of being eliminated, still, it’s good to be a part-timer who does their job sincerely.
As my head hit the pillow, sleep quickly overcame me, and I closed my eyes.
***
“You’re contestant number 100, Si-on-nim, correct?”
“Yes.”
“First, I’ll give you your number tag. Please attach it to the front part of your clothing, around your stomach area.”
I did as the staff instructed and attached the number tag to my clothes.
Then another staff member handed me a microphone, saying I needed to wear it.
Following the instructions from the person next to me, I clipped the mic to my waist. It felt very awkward, yet also gave me the surreal feeling that I had become a real celebrity.
‘But yeah, idol trainees definitely don’t become idols for nothing.’
After finishing the preparations for filming and moving to the waiting area, I saw several people who had arrived before me.
At a glance, there seemed to be dozens of people, and each one of them looked so stunning that if you saw them on the street, they’d immediately grab everyone’s attention.
“You must get your makeup done at the shop I told you about before going!”
My aunt had insisted that I go to the shop she reserved and get my makeup done before arriving at the filming location, practically giving me a semi-forced directive.
‘So she did have some conscience after all.’
I guess she was still worried, as my aunt, that if I showed up barefaced, I might look bad compared to the other trainees.
‘But why is everyone grouped up?’
I was a bit puzzled seeing most of the trainees who arrived before me gathered in small groups.
Did they really become close that fast in such a short time?
Feeling awkward being alone, I casually glanced around as if it didn’t bother me.
‘Ah, they’re grouped by agency.’
Only then did I understand why there were clusters.
Their agency names were written along with their names on the number tags.
In my case, I didn’t have an agency, so mine simply said “Individual Trainee”, but the other trainees here all had their respective entertainment agency names displayed.
Among them were well-known agencies even I, someone who doesn’t know much about idols, had heard of- like TSP, Logic, and Enymus.
‘Why are they even here in a survival show? Isn’t just being in a major agency already a guaranteed path?’
I had thought this program was a survival competition among trainees, so only those from less-known agencies would be participating.
But unexpectedly seeing trainees from famous agencies gave me the strange feeling of seeing real celebrities up close.
In both my current and past life, the only actual celebrity I had seen in person was the trot singer Tae Nam-gwan who came for a morale performance at the military base.
It’s still a mystery why Tae Nam-gwan came to a military unit performance instead of a girl group, though.
‘Hm?’
As I scanned the other trainees one by one, I made eye contact with someone.
According to their number tag, they were a trainee from the major agency, Logic.
‘Number 72. Name is... Seo Ryu-jin.’
Usually, if you look away the moment you make eye contact, it can come off as rude.
So I lightly smiled and gave a small nod in greeting.
Even though I was just someone who would be leaving soon, that person might debut and become a famous celebrity someday.
It doesn’t hurt to leave a good impression.
***
“Hey, the person who just walked in, isn’t that her?”
“Yeah. I thought the video was edited, but she looks even better in real life, doesn’t she?”
Ryu-jin tried her best to ignore the whispers of her fellow trainees from the same agency.
‘Interview video rankings don’t mean anything.’
She was a trainee under Logic, which, while not part of the Big 3 agencies in Korea, was considered just one tier below.
And among Logic’s trainees, she was relatively well-known.
That made sense. Since two years ago, she had consistently performed as a backup dancer on her senior idols’ stages, and posts wondering “When is she debuting?” often popped up on community forums.
-At the current pace, it might take about two more years before you debut. So, here’s the thing. There’s this program offer... Ryu-jin, would you consider joining?
At first, she didn’t want to go.
Idol Ground 100? Even the name rubbed her the wrong way.
But she couldn’t refuse.
Ryu-jin was 19 years old now.
If she debuted now, she would still be considered young for an idol. But if she debuted two years later, she wouldn’t be so young anymore.
She was already in her fourth year as a trainee.
The idea of endlessly waiting again without any promises terrified her.
So in the end, she chose to participate in ‘Idol Ground 100’.
Now that she had joined, she absolutely had to make it into the top 7.
No, if possible, she wanted to take first place and prove her skills.
But.
‘Who is that girl?’
‘She ranked higher than Ryu-jin unnie!’
‘And she’s not even from a big agency, just an individual trainee?’
She remembered what happened a few days ago.
The contestant pre-interview video.
The broadcasting station explained that since there were as many as 100 contestants, it would be difficult to introduce everyone on the show alone, so they planned to film interviews in advance and upload them on the portal site’s clip board.
And cruelly enough, those videos were sorted by view count.
Among them, the one that drew the most attention was none other than the video of Ryu A-yeon, a trainee from TSP.
'I have no choice but to acknowledge Ryu A-yeon.'
Ryu-jin thought she had no choice but to accept Ryu A-yeon being in first place.
TSP, one of the Big 3 agencies, and Ryu A-yeon, who was considered the most skilled among their trainees.
Among trainees, she was already like an idol in everything but name.
Ryu A-yeon being 1st place was a situation like a natural disaster that everyone accepted.
But second place was different.
– Individual trainee, Lee Si-on.
A reality hard to believe, an individual trainee with no agency, let alone any background with a famous entertainment company, ranking second in views for the pre-interview video.
'Who is she anyway?'
In truth, idol trainees often move between agencies or attend auditions together, so most of them are at least connected by one degree of separation.
But when someone named Lee Si-on, whom none of the trainees had even heard of, took second place in the interview video views, it was only natural that confusion would follow.
Of course, the reason for the second-place ranking was obvious.
'She's pretty... really incredibly pretty.'
Even Ryu-jin found herself clicking the video without realizing, after seeing Lee Si-on’s face on the thumbnail.
‘I’m still lacking. If I dream of being an idol, I should’ve crafted my image from the pre-interview video like that...’
Ryu-jin was convinced that Si-on had deliberately prepared an quirky interview in order to construct a friendly image that contrasted with her beautiful face.
Was that why?
On the first filming day of 'Idol Ground 100', which had finally arrived, Ryu-jin came early in the morning, mentally preparing herself as she waited for Lee Si-on.
To her, Si-on was clearly a hidden powerhouse concealing her claws.
Perhaps she was a trainee who had been secretly trained by a specific agency, and for some reason, ended her contract and came out as an individual trainee.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain how she had already built such a refined public image starting from the pre-interview.
Step.
At last, the person Ryu-jin had been waiting for entered the waiting area.
‘Huh... she's not even nervous?’
For someone who hadn’t even debuted yet, Si-on entering the waiting room before her first shoot showed a surprising amount of composure.
Her walk, almost resembling a relaxed strut.
If she had her hands clasped behind her back, it would’ve looked less like a contestant entering and more like a judge making an entrance.
‘What... she's even prettier than in the video?’
Usually, people who looked good in videos tended to fall short in real life, but with Si-on, it was the opposite.
The video hadn’t captured all her charm.
Ryu-jin, who had never thought she lost out in looks to anyone, now found herself thinking that she’d rather not stand next to Si-on.
Smirk.
Si-on looked around the waiting room with ease, like she was just out for a stroll.
At that moment, her eyes met with Ryu-jin’s.
'Is she trying to have a staring contest?'
Ryu-jin had been about to turn her head out of embarrassment for getting caught staring.
But when Si-on didn’t avert her gaze, and instead stared directly at her as if studying her, Ryu-jin’s pride flared up.
Wouldn’t backing down here make her look weak?
That thought flashed through her mind, and she kept her gaze locked.
A brief eye battle ensued.
But in the end, it was Ryu-jin who looked away first.
And she had no choice.
Because as their eyes met, Si-on curved her lips slightly in a smirk, as if to mock her.
The moment she saw that subtly raised smile, Ryu-jin no longer had the confidence to keep looking at her.
'Just how confident must she be... to look at someone with such a condescending expression...’
Ryu-jin couldn’t imagine it.
How could a trainee who hadn’t even debuted yet have such a majestic, almost arrogant look in her eyes?
Confidence? Skill? Or was she truly a monster...
Before she realized it, the song and dance Ryu-jin had prepared for today’s entrance ceremony had completely vanished from her mind, and only Lee Si-on’s gaze lingered, circling vividly in her thoughts.