episode_0010

The moment I set foot on the set for the first time, I was taken aback.

The set was much larger than I had anticipated. There were too many participants as well.

Moreover, dozens of pairs of eyes were all focused on me at once, making me jittery.

And above all else…

“There are only two seats left…?”

There were only two seats left, one for 1st place and one for 99th place.

I quickly scanned the two seats, comparing their pros and cons.

First, the 1st place seat.

…It was magnificent. It was clearly different in design and location from the other seats.

Being the highest and right in the center, it would surely get a lot of camera time.

On the other hand, the 99th place seat.

It was at the very bottom, in a corner, and the chair was quite shabby compared to the 1st place seat.

“…Alright.”

In a brief moment of contemplation, I made my decision and moved my steps.

Tap, tap.

Thud.

Of course, my choice was… the 99th place seat.

At first glance, the 1st place seat may seem appealing, but in reality, anyone here would know that it’s a blatant trap.

If you sit there, you’ll be on the chopping block every moment.

Any slip-up will lead you straight to the bottom.

On the other hand, the 99th place seat?

With a bit of effort, you can secure screen time and, most importantly, even a slight improvement will make it seem like you’ve grown.

So, I had no regrets about sitting in the 99th place seat.

No? I actually liked it.

But…

“…?”

Why did the atmosphere around me suddenly change as soon as I sat down?

And why is there no reaction from these people when the cameras are on?

Sensing something amiss, I greeted the participants around me once again.

“I look forward to working with you in the future…?”

“Oh… yes! We look forward to working with you too…!”

“Nice to meet you, hehe. Let’s do our best…!”

The responses came after I greeted them and a few seconds had passed.

Perceiving the awkward reactions from those around me, I tilted my head in confusion.

**

“Ahh~ So, she ended up in the 99th place seat.”

“Yeah. She’s not as bold as we thought, huh?”

When Hah Ye-rin sat in the 99th place seat, the production team of NAAA expressed their disappointment.

Especially the PD.

“Ah~, she would have looked so beautiful if she had sat in the 1st place seat.”

The concept he wanted to assign to Hah Ye-rin was ‘queen.’

So, he had asked the stylist to put more effort into her makeup, planning to portray her sitting in the 1st place seat with an overwhelming presence.

However, reality TV auditions never go as expected.

Contrary to what the PD had hoped and anticipated, Hah Ye-rin ended up in the 99th place seat instead of the 1st place seat.

Of course, the seasoned PD did not despair over Hah Ye-rin’s choice.

It was good material for the show to have Hah Ye-rin, who clearly suited the 1st place seat, sitting in the 99th place seat as a twist.

And…

“…Next, send her out.”

…There was still one contestant left for NAAA.

Hah Ye-rin’s presence was a secret weapon and a trump card for the NAAA production team. In other words, it was an asymmetrical power.

But the trump card the production team had prepared was not just her alone.

Swish-!

[JJ Entertainment]

As the PD gestured, the name of the entertainment company appeared on the screen…

Tap.

Soon, another asymmetrical power revealed itself.

**

“JJ Entertainment…?”

“They’re coming out from one of the top 3 agencies again…?”

As the name of the entertainment company appeared on the screen, the stage began to buzz.

It was understandable.

Big companies like the top 3 agencies usually hesitated to send their trainees to audition programs like this.

With one contestant already from SAV, and now JJ coming out, it meant that all the top 3 agencies, except YW, had participated in NAAA.

“…I wonder who’s coming out?”

“I don’t know, JJ is famous for keeping their trainees hidden.”

The participants speculated on the identity of the upcoming JJ trainee, chatting with their close companions.

However, unlike the noisy atmosphere around me, I kept silent.

With no one around that I knew… and not knowing who would come out next.

“Where are they? Turns out they were the last participant.”

My idol academy, Academia, which had caused a sensation and recorded high viewership.

In my past life, I didn’t have time to dedicate to TV programs, so I didn’t know who the 100 participants here were or who would be chosen as the 7 debut members.

Yet, there was one participant I knew.

She was the overwhelming 1st place winner in NAAA and even after the disbandment of the girl group formed in NAAA, she became a solo singer who made a big hit.

Ttogak.

Finally, the sound of small footsteps could be heard, and the trainee from JJ Entertainment that caught the attention of all the participants revealed herself.

“….!!”

Soon, the room was filled with small gasps and the sound of everyone catching their breath.

Small stature, stylishly dyed platinum hair, fair skin, and above all… a delicate appearance that triggered protective instincts.

“…Oh, uh, hello….”

“….!”

Everyone stared at her as if mesmerized, making her feel uncomfortable as she lowered her head with eyes that seemed on the verge of tears.

Only then did everyone snap out of it and greet her.

“Ah, hello-!!”

“Nice to meet you-!!”

“Wow…! It’s my first time seeing someone from JJ in real life, haha…!”

Forced smiles greeted her, but everyone’s faces showed awkwardness.

‘Having someone so overwhelmingly dominant as a competitor must be disconcerting.’

From the position of competing for one of the seven debut spots, her presence was not very welcome.

“Um… where is my seat…?”

“Oh, the seat….”

In response to her question, someone pointed to the 1st place seat at the top of the pyramid.

“Uh, there’s only one seat left there….”

Upon seeing it, she seemed to finally understand the situation and began to feel flustered.

“Oh… how dare I….”

After hesitating in her place for a while, looking around, she finally seemed to decide that there was no other way….

“Well then… without shame….”

Step by step. Step by step.

Thud.

She climbed up to the top of the pyramid and sat in the 1st place seat.

Sitting in the 1st place seat, she looked embarrassed and awkward, as if she had sat in the wrong place.

But….

‘She fits in.’

Everyone must have thought the same.

Sitting in the 1st place seat, she… with her petite and delicate appearance, and the magnificent throne, presented a scene that was truly….

‘A princess.’

Yes, a princess.

Still a bit awkward… but a princess who captivates the audience with love and charm.

I looked at the name tag on the part of her outfit that showed her affiliation and name.

[JJ Entertainment, Yoo Seol.]

Yoo Seol.

Her name, the one who would win in my Idol Academia.

Although only I knew that she would win in the future, everyone seemed to intuitively understand this fact as they looked up at her.

In the eyes of the other participants, there was not only admiration but also sharp scrutiny.

The girl who sat in the 2nd place seat was the same.

‘Actually, she’s from SAV, so in terms of agency, she shouldn’t be overshadowed by Yoo Seol….’

Her name was Seo Yujin. I couldn’t remember if she had been chosen for the debut group later.

But….

‘What if the camera catches her with that expression while it’s rolling.’

What bothered me was that she was glaring at Yoo Seol in the 1st place seat without being able to hide her emotions.

It was clearly a gaze filled with jealousy and resentment.

She looked younger than me and… well, it seemed like she had trouble controlling her emotions, so if she got caught on camera like that, she could easily fall.

‘No matter how much of an SAV she is, she might not debut.’

With a hint of pity in my eyes, I looked at her.

But then, at that moment…

Swish-.

“…!”

She, who had been staring at Yoo Seol in the 1st seat all this time, suddenly turned her head and looked at me.

She was in the 2nd seat, while I was in the 99th seat.

We were far apart, not within a distance where we could accidentally meet eyes.

So, she must have purposely turned her gaze towards me.

What was surprising, however, was…

She was looking at me with the same eyes she used to look at Yoo Seol.

‘…Huh?’

Seeing the eyes filled with jealousy and envy, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.

To look at me like that meant she saw me as a competitor like Yoo Seol…

‘Does she really see me on the same level as Yoo Seol?’

I tilted my head in confusion for a moment…

“…….”

“…….”

It was only then that I realized I was receiving just as much attention from those around me as Yoo Seol.

‘…Ah.’

Right now, all the participants don’t know each other’s singing or dancing abilities.

It means that the only way to measure the participants against each other is based on appearance.

And I… am pretty.

Sometimes, I forget the fact that I am pretty.

So, I took another look at the faces of the participants and… from a third person’s perspective, compared my appearance with others.

It didn’t take long for the results to come out.

Based on appearance alone… I am on par with Yoo Seol, who is expected to win, or even better.

In fact, I stood out more because I had a strong and cold image opposite to Yoo Seol’s.

It was clear that the other participants were feeling threatened and envious of me.

‘Get a grip.’

I have no allies here.

Everyone is smiling, but they are all hiding sharp knives inside.

Everyone here has put everything on the line and jumped into this place…

“Alright, let’s begin the evaluation of grades now-!!”

Our battle has finally begun its prologue.