Seoyun unnie let out a sigh, took out her pouch from her carrier, and did my makeup.
I looked in the mirror and said.
“Wow… Teacher, you’ve got golden hands? Ah, no. It’s just because my base is good…”
“Hey.”
One more word and I’d get hit.
“Okay~”
After finishing our makeup, we headed to Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, where the filming set was located.
When we arrived at the filming set, the parking lot was full of vans that seemed to have brought other trainees.
Manager Yeongho, who had gotten out of the car, talked with the staff waiting at the parking lot entrance and then came back into the vehicle.
“Kids, it looks like it’ll be a while until your turn.”
With ninety-nine participants, it made sense that filming just the entrance scenes would take a long time.
We spent an hour and thirty minutes waiting in the car, practicing the song we would sing for the grade evaluation.
Manager Yeongho got a sign from the production crew, started the car, and spoke.
“Guys, they’re filming from your entrance, so tidy up your appearance.”
"""Yes~"""
We exited the parking lot, and the car stopped in front of the building housing the filming set.
It seemed they were staging the scene of us arriving at the filming set.
The moment we got out of the car with our carriers, the production crew started filming us.
We greeted the camera.
"""Hello~"""
“Hello~ Topist trainees. It’s before your first filming; how are you feeling today?”
“I’m so excited!”
“I feel great~”
After finishing the formal interview with the production crew, we followed a staff member inside a building.
“Please leave your luggage here and get ready in your stage outfits~”
After setting our carriers down in one spot, we took off the outerwear covering our stage outfits.
Good thing we had worn them underneath.
“We came wearing them underneath!”
Seeing us like that, the production crew came over with microphones, clipped them on us, and pinned name tags to our clothes.
Having finished all filming preparations, we moved toward the set corridor as the production crew directed.
Seoyun unnie and Naeun unnie exclaimed upon seeing the set corridor.
“Wow…”
Even though it was only a set corridor, it already had a glittering interior like a girl group stage.
It definitely showed they had spent money, befitting the record-breaking production budget.
Also, the set corridor was packed with cameras.
I pretended to ignore the cameras as I walked, then right in front of one, I turned my head and pressed my face up close to the lens, as if I were about to bump it.
“If I do this, I’ll get a shot, right?”
“Oh… that’s good?”
Seoyun unnie followed my lead and squished her face right against the camera.
Wouldn’t that be a bit much for the viewers…?
Unlike me and Seoyun unnie, who were busy playing around rather than feeling nervous, Naeun unnie seemed tense and self-conscious in front of the cameras, speaking in an affected tone.
“Seoyun, Dohee, let’s fighting!”
She even struck a pose.
""Ah…""
We looked at Naeun unnie as if we had seen something we shouldn’t have.
Naeun unnie flushed, perhaps from embarrassment.
I had to save her, so what choice did I have?
I grabbed both of Seoyun unnie’s hands and spoke in an affected tone.
“Seoyun unnie! Our leader Naeun unnie said let’s fighting, so shouldn’t we do it quickly?!”
Seoyun unnie, who was used to my skits, immediately played along.
“Oh my! Dohee! If our leader Naeun unnie says so, of course we have to do it!”
The two of us clasped our hands together and looked at Naeun unnie.
“Naeun unnie! Let’s all gather and put our hands together for a fighting!”
Naeun unnie turned away from us, seemingly too embarrassed.
Well, the two of us would just do it.
“Topist fighting!”
Before long, we received a hand signal from the production crew to enter, and we went inside the set.
The most famous scene from Jeodol Seasons 1 and 2.
Sitting in the seat of your predicted rank.
When we entered the set, ninety-nine chairs caught our eyes.
Each chair had a rank written on it, and participants were already seated.
Almost all the seats were already full, probably because we were a late order.
Though they were too far away to hear, the participants were looking at us and whispering.
They were probably talking about our agency.
Or maybe looking at me and saying, “Ion Sweat,” “that ‘Thinking of You’ MV”?
I hoped it was that kind of talk…
Hah.
After greeting the participants who had arrived early, we looked around to see where to sit.
Fortunately, there were three seats next to each other.
79, 80, 81.
And the highly visible #1 seat.
The #1 seat was empty.
A poisoned chalice that would guarantee both screen time and hate.
But I did kind of want to just sit there.
Should I just sit?
I looked at my unnies and asked.
“Anyone want to take 1st place?”
“You.”
“You sit.”
Now that they told me to sit, I didn’t want to.
I hugged my unnies and said.
“Still, I have to sit with my unnies~”
I went up the stairs and sat obediently in 79.
Then, looking at my unnies sitting in 80 and 81, I said.
“So I’m still higher than my unnies, right?”
""Sigh…""
The trainee sitting next to me in 77th place greeted me.
Her name tag had the agency name Anis and the name Nam Seoyeon written on it.
“Ah! Hello, please take care of me~”
“You’re the one who filmed the Ion Sweat commercial, right?”
“Ah, yes, that’s right. How did you know?”
“You’re famous~ and so pretty!”
I was trying to act somewhat aloof, but I kept breaking into a grin.
“No~ Seoyeon is prettier~”
“Really?”
No.
After finishing the pleasantries, I asked trainee Nam Seoyeon who had come out before us.
“The Big 3 agencies haven’t come out yet. I think the major agencies are coming out later on.”
Ah…
As we were talking, the electronic display at the front showed the word “Haru” along with Haru Entertainment’s logo.
Oh, so a big agency was right after us.
Two people entered the set.
Their name tags read Jeon Harang and Kim Seyeon, respectively.
“None of the public trainees have come out yet.”
So they’re private trainees.
Maybe that was why, but they weren’t as pretty as I had expected.
Still, since they’re from a big agency, their skills must be incredible.
After greeting, Jeon Harang, one of the Haru trainees, ran straight to the #1 seat and sat down.
“Oh… so cool.”
Is this the spirit of a major agency?
After Haru Entertainment’s turn ended, the display showed the logo of another Big 3 agency, ZY.
And the ZY trainees who entered were Yun Seowon and Gong Chaerin.
“That Yun Seowon over there is the one who appeared in ZY Diaz seniors’ music video.”
She definitely was as pretty as expected.
“But you know so much?”
“I’m sure all the other Big 3 trainees looked everyone up before coming too.”
What, so Topist was the only one slacking off?
Finally, Eun Sera from JY Entertainment entered.
“That person is the leading candidate for #1 this time.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Eun Sera definitely was extremely pretty.
Still…
I turned my head and whispered to Seoyun unnie sitting next to me so the microphone wouldn’t pick it up.
—But I think I’m a bit prettier?—
Seoyun unnie pushed my face away with her palm.
I brought my face close again and whispered.
—Admit it?—
“A little.”
Are you admitting it or not?
Meanwhile, Eun Sera, having finished her greeting, went up the stairs.
The only remaining seat was 88th place.
Eun Sera didn’t stop at the 88th place row and kept climbing the stairs.
Finally reaching the #1 seat, Eun Sera faced off against Jeon Harang of Haru Entertainment, who was already sitting there, over the #1 spot.
As expected of kids from big agencies, they were overflowing with confidence.
I guess this is why they say even a servant should work at a nobleman’s house.
Their battle was rock-paper-scissors.
Of course, it was an anticlimactic act considering how boldly they had walked up, but fighting to take the #1 seat from someone already sitting there was a difficult thing in itself.
Eun Sera, who lost at rock-paper-scissors, came down the stairs with a sour expression and sat in 88th place.
After all the trainees took their seats, the main PD shouted.
“Now, the MC is entering!”
At the main PD’s words, Jin Taeseop, a famous MC of announcer background who was hosting Jeodol Season 3, came up.
“Hello, participants.”
All the participants stood up and greeted him.
"""Hello!"""
“As expected of girl group trainees, you’re full of energy and very bright.”
“I’m sure you all know, but the next order of business is the grade evaluation, right?”
“But before the grade evaluation, a trainee representative will come out and take an oath to the Choosers who will select you, and then we’ll begin.”
“Trainee Jeon Harang, who is sitting in 1st place. Please come down.”
So this was why the big agency kids had fought over 1st place.
For the screen time?
Jeon Harang went down the stairs cheerfully.
Reaching the MC, Jeon Harang received a sheet.
And Jeon Harang looked at the MC and production crew with a very flustered expression.
“Just read it!”
Prompted by the production crew, Jeon Harang hesitated, eventually let out a small sigh, and read the sheet.
“Oath! We, all of Jeodol Season 3, vow that there will absolutely be no manipulation, so as not to disappoint the Choosers!”
The set buzzed at Jeon Harang’s words.
‘So the production crew is really going all in on noise marketing.’
Seasons 1 and 2, where the manipulation was certain even if they didn’t receive criminal punishment.
Apart from the production crew’s sincerity, the very mention of manipulation was a huge controversy in itself.
And they made Jeon Harang, a big agency trainee who seemed most likely to benefit from manipulation, read it?
It was adding fuel to the fire.
Actually, Topist had been caught up in the Season 2 manipulation controversy as well, so I wasn’t free from such talk either.
Just buried under the Big 3 agencies.
But is there really no manipulation?
The MC took a deep breath and shouted in a loud voice.
“Just as the words say! There will be no manipulation whatsoever!”
“You may not be able to trust us production staff! But!”
“We have partnered with Netflix, the world’s number one OTT company!”
“We will be broadcast simultaneously with Netflix.”
That was something we only learned now.
“Then how will voting work?”
“Through the newly introduced Netflix live streaming technology.”
“Any Netflix member can cast one vote per account.”
“Therefore, a fair voting process impossible to manipulate will take place, so Choosers, please participate through Netflix!”
Now everything made sense.
The huge production budget and the reason why three of the Big 4 agencies were participating.
Jeodol Season 3, which was to be broadcast simultaneously with Netflix.
The Jeodol series had basically been a mega-hit in Korea.
Moreover, an idol survival show through Netflix was a first, so the buzz would only multiply.
If Jeodol Season 3 even became a global hit?
A survival show where if they just succeeded in debuting, there was absolutely no way to lose.
The Big 3 agencies must have been confident.
Not only did they trust their trainees’ skills, but they had plenty of ways to push their trainees besides vote manipulation.
Then will foreigners recognize me too?
Right away, a global idol?
Gasp!
“Let me say it once more.”
“This opportunity could be the last chance for the ninety-nine trainees who could not become one hundred.”
“What is needed is the Choosers’ final one. Vote. Luck.”
“Please cast many votes for the seven girls who will become your lucky stars!”
Shit, what the hell.
Last season it was eleven.
Why is it seven.