The announcement of the winning teams of each battle came after all the performances ended.
Sitting down in the midst of everything, I rubbed my damp hands on my pants as I glanced at the cameras, mentors, and the audience all looking at us.
"Alright! Before we announce the two winning teams of the cover mission and the overall 1st place team, shall we have some words from the trainees? Yes, first up, trainee Son Jae-ha!"
"Ah, yes. Hello, Star Shooters. Nice to meet you, I'm trainee Son Jae-ha! I'm thrilled to be able to cover Leopold's 'Shadow', an amazing song, for today's performance…"
With Choi Ga-on's arrangement, being familiar with broadcasting, several prominent AG trainees began their interviews first.
With determination in their eyes, they easily recited the self-promotion lines they'd prepared.
To get even one more shot on camera and stand out.
"Then, I look forward to working with you…"
"This is Seong Won-hyeop from Team 2OCD! Please vote for our team!"
However, for the trainees who had been too focused with their performance on stage and hadn't noticed the audience much, their expressions stiffened as the tension quickly caught up to them.
Understandable.
Facing an audience on stage has always been quite nerve-wrecking.
Whoever that may be.
As for me, well, it wasn't as bad thanks to my previous life experience and X's skills;
Among those uniquely-named skills, the most helpul one by far was the skill I chose as the reward for winning first place in the first competition.
[You still like me, right? (F): 10% Charm Boost when you make a good impression on someone and make them laugh]
A skill that appeared after selecting 'Charm' from the options at the time. It came with the condition of 'inducing laughter after self-appeal,' but I almost let out a cheer of joy when I later found out what the skill was.
A skill I gained by selecting 'Charm' from the options a while back. Though it, had the condition of 'inducing laughter after self-appeal', I nearly cheered when I found out what the skill really was.
Because…
"Now, let's hear from B-grade trainee Kim Chunyong from Min Si-young's team!"
"Pfft!"
Most people laugh just from hearing my name.
… I don't feel particularly good about that, though!
"Yes, trainee Kim Chunyong! Haha, I'll pass you the mic!"
See, even though we've known each other for almost a month, Senior Choi Ga-on still bursts into laughter whenever he has to call out my name like this.
Would it be any different with the people I'm seeing for the first time?
With laughter erupting in the background, I answered Choi Ga-on with a smooth smile on my face.
"Yes, hello, Senior Ga-on! It's been a while. How have you been?"
"Why, I'm always doing well. Trainee Kim Chunyong, I imagine you must've felt both nervous and excited while preparing for Senior Min Si-young's 'Us Beyong the Waves'. How do you feel right now? A pirate concept? Never crossed my mind. Were there any difficulties during preparation?"
"Ah, that's..."
There was.
I looked at Kim Joo-an, who was standing at the edge of the stage.
"―!"
Kim Joo-an, still slumped probably because he messed up on stage, trembled under my gaze and turned his head away.
Fortunately, it seemed he'd gotten a bit more humble now.
I gestured to my teammates standing next to me, feigning the most cheerful voice possible.
"Rather than difficulties, what I remember most is frequently pulling all-nighters with my team members as we gave it our all in covering a great song by a senior artist!"
Si-woo's eyes sparkled at my cheeky remarks, seeming surprised at how I quietly buried the incident.
Really, did you think I'd tell the world about the headache you and Kim Joo-an gave me?
Our maknae who'll debut with me?
That will absolutely never happen.
I finished speaking with a nod to the youngest writer, who was gesturing for me to pass the microphone.
"Also, I'm overjoyed to have met all of you Star Shooters face-to-face like this. I want to show you my best self and definitely debut."
Choi Ga-on shook his head in amazement at my flawless answer and patted my shoulder.
"Yes, it's truly wonderful to see you always giving your all. Now then, we will reveal the winning teams from each cover mission and the overall first-place team. Please focus on the screen, everyone!"
A dartboard with the color red, green, white, and black. The names of each team were placed in the four divided sections, and the default number of players, set to 00, appeared.
"Let me explain one more time! The two winning teams, along with the overall first-place team selected by the Star Shooters and mentors here, will be revealed soon!"
Once the 300 digital votes appear on the sceen…
Those who will shed tears or laugh will be decided.
"Though the effort the trainees put into preparing for this stage cannot simply be replaced by rankings, this is the first hurdle they must overcome in their path towards debut. Now, show us the winning team!"
Following Choi Ga-on's words, numbers spun widly across the screen.
From 0 to 9, and vise versa.
Actually, it was easy to guess the winning team just from the faces of the trainees after their performances.
Our team, and the 'Calendar' team to which Logan and Ji Hwa-seong belong.
The 'Shadow' and 'Be the LOW' teams, despite covering popular male idol groups with incredible luck in the draw, received relatively poor reactions.
It was because the arrangements and performances of our team and the 'Calender' team were better than expected, and thus naturally stuck in people's minds.
So, the important thing is the overall first place team.
"Huu…"
I forced a wry smile and nervously tapped my foot. Had I known he'd do so well, I would've advised him to have his teammates listen to his arrangement.
Just then, as our eyes met, Logan grinned brightly.
'Chunyong hyung, it's all thanks to you!'
Seeing that face, my thoughts all seemed ridiculous.
Right, there's no use in thinking like that.
Our team did well enough, and the 'Calender' team was just as good.
Now that it's come to this, the only thing left is…
The people's eyes.
"Three, two, one! Reveal it now!"
Whoaaa!
The cheers of the audience—not the forced ones of the trainees—rang loudly.
Then, a stage effect bursts out.
I blinked away the flashing light and checked the digital display. Overlapping numbers slowly became clear.
Lady Swan
Min Si-young
Overall No. 1: Min Si-young
"Ah…"
I nearly collapsed as my legs gave out.
Overall first place.
Our team, which covered "Us Beyond the Waves," took first place.
Before I could rejoice, I momentarily turned my eyes toward Min Si-young, the original artist of our song.
"This stage truly feels like a gift to me."
With President Do Jae-chan fully supporting the 'Calendar' team, someone definitely had to be pulling some strings so that our team took first place .
"―."
She stared at me intently and mumbled something inaudible.
"Chunyong-aaaak!"
"Chunyong anikiii!"
…Two of my teammates then pulled me into a hug.
Ryota aside, even Yoo-chan hyung was on the verge of tears. After all, our team had faced quite a few problems, so he probably didn't expect a result like this.
I was the same.
"Seriously, wow! You did really well today. Thank you. Thanks, Chunyong!"
"…What?"
Yoo-chan hyung took off his headscarf and ruffled my hair, and I wrapped an arm around his shoulder as we jumped together.
And then, at that moment.
Someone suddenly slipped under my defenseless, exposed left shoulder.
"Chu- Chunyong hyung…"
A shy voice laced with excitement.
"Oho?"
… Jang Si-woo?
Jang Si-woo hugging me so easily?
Hah? Back then, it took a whole year for him to hug me!
"Thank you, hyung…"
Slightly flustered, I gently patted our youngest's back—which was wider than I'd thought.
I stammered out a reply, a sense of longing overwhemled me.
"…G- good job, Si-woo."
"…I'm sorry."
I ruffled his hair again at his useless apology. I didn't care if I lost some brownie points in Si-woo's heart from that.
1st place.
The fruit of my labor, created together with my two Arrows members and Ryota.
"Hnn..."
"What? Chunyong's crying!? Are you crying?"
"I'm not crying!"
I rubbed my eyes frantically and strongly denied Yoo-chan hyung's teasing. I really didn't cry.
Reality just finally hit me.
I'd been first place on the previous Aiming stage too, though perhaps it's because so much happened while preparing for this one.
A sense of exhilaration crept up my body.
A smile blossoms on a face drenched in sweat.
The mouth chattered away as it pleased.
"Everyone worked so hard, so hard…"
"Chunyong aniki did all the hard work! But Kim Joo…"
"Shh, Ryota. Just live in the moment!"
"Fine, got it. It's best to just let things be!"
Beyond the members who were hugging me, the faces of the other trainees came into view.
Logan, being happy yet disappointed; Ahn Jin-woo, another AG trainee, looking frustrated; and Jae-ha hyung, who's trying hard to comfort the other trainees with a bright smile despite his own pale face.
"..."
And even Liu Wei, with an unreadable, ice-cold expression.
This is what real survival looks like.
…It will get even more intense when the first broadcast starts tomorrow.
It was time for
* * *
—"The cameras have been removed from the dorm. The next filming is scheduled to take place two days after the first episode airs. Trainees are welcome to temporarily leave the dorm to visit their families or rest freely."
At the main writer's voice resonating from the speakers, a rare burst of energy filled the trainee dorm—or rather, the training facility.
"Yay! I'm gonna see Mom!"
"Minho hyung and Sangwoo are coming over to hang out at my house, anyone coming?"
"Ooh, me! I'm going! Are you going to drink? Beer!?"
"Would you really? What are you saying in front of minors!"
"Ah, then we'll have to drink cola! Just let the kids go by themselves!"
"Hahaha! This guy is hilarious!"
Moderate swearing, laughter with no regard for the camera. Only now did it feel like a place full of 18 young men.
It was the same for the multinational roommates.
"Oh. Finally, a day off! It was really, really tough. I'm going to sleep for 24 hours straight."
"I agree. I need to get a good night's sleep to do well in the next competition. I want to look pretty, too!"
The break time was too short for foreign trainees to go home, so they will probably either stay at the dorm or go to other accomodations they booked in Korea.
And it seems that Logan and Ryota had decided to just stay at the dorm.
"Ah, is Chunyong aniki going home? He packed his suitcase!"
"Yeah, I'll go see my family and watch the first episode together."
"―Wow. You seem to get along well as a family. Good for you. That's wonderful."
"Eh? Uh... that's true, but..."
Logan's expression changed slightly as he said the words 'get along well as a family'.
…Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen Logan on the phone with his family.
The program went so far as to deliberately set a public phone for some 'phone call with family' footage.
"Have a goot time, Bro. I'll jabe fun with Gao Yan and Ryota too."
"…Alright. See you when I get back, Logan."
I looked around as I exited the building with my suitcase.
I only remembered after I received my first vacation like this.
[Notice Regarding Trainee Lee Logan Withdrawing from Idol Survival Show 'Targeting Star']
Logan's withdrawal after the upcoming next competition.
Just like with the recent cover of Lady Swan's 'Calender', he garnered a lot of attention from the unique fact that he's British.
"…Tsk."
I had grown quite attached to my multinational roommates, though not as much as the Arrows members, so it would be a shame to just leave like this.
Even if he ends up withdrawing too this time, it might be good to find out the reason with a conversation.
Just as I was deep in thought and about to step out of the building.
"This is Korea, you Chinese. Like what Romans do in Rome, speak Korean in Korea!"
… A booming voice was heard from the basement, below the stairs.
The same space I often used for private conversations since there were no cameras.
"What on earth…?"
As if pulled by something, I left my suitcase by the wall and inched my head closer.
That stiff yet assertive tone of voice, soundng like it would never be intimidated…
"Let's start the conversation from there, otherwise I'm leaving! I want to hurry back to the dorm and hang out with my roommates! Not a corpse like you!"
Gao Yan?
And standing opposite to Gao Yan, whose voice loudly rang from the emergency staircase, was…
"安静点,我没有那个理由." (Quite down, I have no reason to do so.)
"Nonsense! Then I won't talk to you either. I am Gao Yan, a proud man of Hong Kong. I'm even planning a spectacular debut in Korea soon."
Unlike Gao Yan, the other person spoke quietly, so I had to lean in closer to see who it was.
And when I did, I felt a sudden shock throughout my body.
"Haa…"
Shaking his luscious, thick hair, his robotic expression replaced by irritation.
"Fine. Are you satisfied now?"
―Liu Wei.
I bit down on my fist and held my breath.
…What are those two doing over there?