NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 23
Chapter 23. Do You Want to Be Special? (1)
‘He’s making a big deal out of nothing.’
I had been deceived by the system. I shouldn’t have trusted emotionless data composed of 0s and 1s.
[System Alarm: The system expresses its grievance!]
Don’t whine about 0s and 1s. I skipped the system’s complaints and got up without hesitation, as I judged there was no need to stay any longer.
“Are you leaving just like that?”
“What else? Are you not going down? Ah, it’s cold.”
“I’ll, I’ll go with you.”
Seo Taehyun, who seemed to have a lot to say, stood up abruptly and followed me quietly. After some contemplation, he seemed to have figured things out, nodding to himself with a clear expression.
[System Alarm: Comrade ‘Seo Taehyun’ is currently in a state of… “Realization”.]
[System Alarm: Your comrade has gained enlightenment! (Congratulations Reward: 30 Cash)]
[System Alarm: Your comrade’s realization greatly aids quest progress!]
‘Oh, nice gain?’
Judging by the system’s ecstatic fanfare, it seemed the recent conversation had yielded quite a positive outcome. I was scrutinizing the system window, wondering if I’d get some sort of reward, when another aurora-colored notification popped up.
[System Alarm: ☆★None!★☆]
…This little…
I stared at the system window with a sour expression. Seo Taehyun, saying “Huh?”, made a puzzled sound. Looking around, I saw that the special class practice room was completely empty, with the lights off.
“What the? Where did everyone go?”
“Isn’t it individual practice time?”
“No, it’s almost time for group practice.”
As I watched Seo Taehyun take out his phone, wondering if something had happened that I didn’t know about, my own phone vibrated. It was Dan Haru.
“What’s up?”
-Hey, hyung, where are you?
“Here, basement level 1, special class practice room.”
-Ah, is Taehyun hyung with you too?
“Yeah, why? Did something happen?”
-Come to Room A together, everyone is gathered here for a trainee announcement.
An announcement for all trainees… I nodded, assuming it was about the survival show, and ended the call.
“The kids are all in Room A. There’s some announcement for everyone, let’s go.”
“An announcement? What could it be about?”
“It’s probably about the survival show. Let’s go quickly. We’re the last ones.”
Without giving it much thought, I moved with Seo Taehyun. I didn’t anticipate the tremendous aftermath this announcement would bring.
* * *
A few days later.
As usual, I changed clothes in the locker room and entered the practice room, inadvertently commenting.
“Wow, what a mess.”
As soon as they saw my grim expression, Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru, who were in the corner of the practice room, ran towards me with pale faces like puppies meeting their owner, grabbing my arm desperately.
“Hyung. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
“…”
Joo Eunchan looked overwhelmed, while Dan Haru, already looking dizzy, clung to my arm. I gently pulled my arm away from them and smiled kindly.
“Endure it.”
“…”
“When you debut, you’ll enter an even tougher world of power struggles. Just endure it, young ones.”
“But…”
Dan Haru, who looked like a puppy deprived of a treat, grabbed my arm again and quietly spoke.
“But… I’m scared to practice with the special class hyungs!”
The special class had been disbanded.
The CEO, having completely ousted the director from Miro Entertainment, found out that he had manipulated the special class for money. Consequently, he immediately disbanded the special class and redistributed all trainees by age into new classes. Since the survival show was about to begin, everyone was put on an equal starting line.
Thanks to that, the practice room, which had become crowded overnight, was in utter chaos.
“Everyone is more sensitive because of the survival show. Don’t worry and just warm up.”
With Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru still sticking close to me, I steadfastly prepared to warm up. Despite my entry into the practice room, no one, except Joo Eunchan and Dan Haru, greeted me, indicating the current atmosphere.
There were three groups in the practice room.
Those who were ‘very displeased’ with being treated the same as the others,
Those who thought it was ‘ridiculous’ for them to act arrogant after being abandoned despite taking money,
And the moderates who wished everyone would just shut up and practice properly.
Naturally, I was a representative of the neutral zone.
“Where’s Seo Taehyun?”
“Oh, he has an interview today.”
“Taehyun hyung is on the verge of humiliation. His photos from the ‘Cherry Boy’ days are constantly being re-uploaded.”
Recalling Seo Taehyun, who had started gaining momentum as the frontrunner for Miro’s next survival show, I nodded.
Due to an article photo that recreated the ‘legendary picture’ from his So Nyeon Cheonha days, ‘Cherry Boy’ had become a hot keyword in various idol-related communities.
[Are you aware of the current situation with So Nyeon Cheonha’s Cherry Boy (263) HOT!]
[BEST‖So Nyeon Cheonha Cherry Boy Seo Taehyun’s current status (said to be on Miro’s next survival show) (762)]
While everything related to him was resurfacing online, even unintended things became a hot topic.
[Real-time RT boom: Miro’s next boy group trainee]
(Photo)
Recently spotted at an animal hospital, So Nyeon Cheonha’s Seo Taehyun
Confirmed to participate in Miro’s next boy group survival show
The man next to him is presumed to be another Miro trainee
* * *
– Wow, Seo Taehyun has grown up well.
– Seo Taehyun in Miro? Can’t imagine it.
└ 222 Seo Taehyun fits Renes or Ocean Blue’s profile better, no?
└ Didn’t you see Cha Minseok at Renes?
– I really liked Seo Taehyunㅠㅠㅠ Another survival show, Taehyunㅠㅜㅠ
– Seo Taehyun joined Miro? Why didn’t they debut him in Enderway? His visuals are way better.
└ How would we know? Such comments are disrespectful to Enderway and Enderway fans.
└ Ignore and move on. Anyone who gives this attention will never get to attend their bias’s concert or fansign.
– Am I the only one obsessed with the guy in the black hoodie? My heart is racing.
└ LOL, adding another victim to the black hoodie guy’s fan list.
└ 3333 So, who is the black hoodie guy?
└ 44
└ 5555 My timeline is going crazy right now LOL.
– Han Se-won has such consistent taste… Looks like I’ll be betting my life on Miro again.
└ Who’s Han Se-won?
└ Miro’s CEO.
– What role does the black hoodie guy have… Probably a dancer?
└ He has a face that CEO Han Se-won would recruit even if he’s a tone-deaf dancer.
└ A high school friend shared that he was in a band.
└ Sorry to bother, but where did you see that story? Can you share the link?
So, this was what the cat’s favor was about.
In an instant, my One-stagram account and graduation photos were all revealed. Fortunately, the reaction seemed positive, so I let it slide.
“Hajin, could you move a bit?”
“Oh, sure.”
As I prepared to find a spot to stretch, the mirror space was already occupied by the ‘celestial special class’. The neutral zone could not dare approach.
Look at this. They are already growling and wary just by my approach.
‘Ah, childish teenagers…’
“Hey, Dan Haru. Hold my leg…”
“Ah! Ah! Dan Haru! Stop, Dan Haru!”
“Hyung, are you really a wooden stick? How can you be less flexible than yesterday?”
I looked at Dan Haru, who had the most flexible joints among us, to help me with my leg-stretching exercise. But seeing him mercilessly stretching Joo Eunchan’s legs, I turned away without hesitation.
‘I guess I’ll do it alone against the wall.’
Joo Eunchan looked up at me with a pleading expression, but I avoided his gaze without hesitation. Sorry, Eunchan. The survivor has to survive.
“Excuse me.”
“…?”
As I moved to a corner to secure a spot, someone tapped my shoulder. Turning around, I saw a large, thick, and extremely handsome bear-like trainee looking at me.
‘Oh, that bear.’
It was the trainee I had decided was a must-recruit after encountering him in the company hallway. Luckily, he didn’t seem to be a parachute recruit or a bomb. But what was his name again?
“Ah, Doha. Lee Doha, right?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s up? Do you have something to say?”
Lee Doha, who hadn’t spoken a word to me since the first day’s introduction, hesitated and scratched his chin.
“Um.”
“Yeah.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…?”
‘Is he asleep?’
What kind of psychology is this, starting a conversation and then staying silent for so long? Trying to figure out his intention, I remembered he was part of the special class.
‘Oh, does he want me to move?’
Even in this corner with hardly any mirror view, that’s quite petty.
“Do you want me to move? Okay, you
can use it.”
“What? No, I mean…”
“Everyone, gather around!”
Just as Lee Doha was about to explain something further, his words were cut off by Ji Suho, who entered the room at an unfortunate timing.
Lee Doha, looking regretful, pursed his lips but couldn’t defy the team leader’s (soon-to-be director’s) order, so we moved without protest.
“What’s up? Have you started talking with Doha hyung?”
“No, he just wanted me to move. Why can’t he share the mirror, so petty.”
“…? Doha hyung did?”
Seo Taehyun, who came in with Ji Suho after finishing his interview, tilted his head in surprise. That’s not like him? Hearing his puzzled tone, a mischievous feeling rose within me.
“Yeah… Maybe there’s a difference between special class members.”
“What nonsense.”
“I’m sure there’s a noble connection that commoners like me can’t interfere with—”
“Seriously, I hate Kang Hajin.”
Sorry, but you and Joo Eunchan don’t realize that your reaction makes it even funnier.
“The company has been quite chaotic these days, right? Classes have merged, and the schedule has changed a lot, so thank you for keeping up. Today, I have a few announcements to make.”
Ji Suho, after consulting some documents with a new staff member from the trainee development team, began with an introduction. Although they pretended otherwise, the boys looked as tense as if their ears were about to stand up in excitement, typical of teenage boys.
“You’ve probably heard the rumors, but it’s time to make it official. There will be an internal survival show to determine the next debut group.”
As silence continued, Ji Suho continued speaking.
“I’ll be overseeing your overall management and direction. As you may have read in the articles, Taeil from Utopia will also be participating.”
At the official announcement of the ‘survival’ news, the boys’ tight formation started to break as they showed excitement. The concept of ‘survival’ itself brought both tension and anticipation for debut.
“The survival show will have its first recording around March, with the final in May. We’ll start preparing in earnest from June, aiming for a debut in the second half of the year.”
Ji Suho continued.
“But that doesn’t mean you’ll be idle until March. There will be profile and teaser shoots, title song recordings, and other activities. So, be prepared for a busy schedule.”
The mention of profiles and teasers had everyone buzzing with excitement. Ji Suho watched the trainees with an amused smile before clearing his throat and returning to a formal tone.
“And before that, what’s in February?”
“…”
“Why so quiet all of a sudden? What’s in February? Aren’t you going to answer?”
“…Monthly evaluation.”
…I had no idea.
A chill ran down my spine with a sense of foreboding. Damn it.