" You guys aren't studying...? "
July 5th.
Final exams were being held at school.
And it was break time.
Normally, with the exams right around the corner, everyone would be clutching their textbooks or workbooks, racking their brains, but not today.
The trailer that dropped yesterday.
Seems like everyone watched the trailer instead of studying for the exam.
Probably because it was posted in the class group chat.
" Dohee, what happens at the end? "
" Spoil it for us~ "
" CuriousTV~ CuriousTV~ "
Ugh, I think I'm going crazy.
" It comes out in episode one this week, so just watch that! "
" DunnoTV~ "
" Tell me now! "
" Get curious~ "
I'm gonna lose it.
.
.
.
My mind was hazy, but judging by the grading results, I seemed to have taken the exam without issue as usual.
Since I couldn't attend classes, I'd forgotten some minor details and worried my record would be broken, but thank goodness it wasn't.
I should take the GED sooner rather than later before my record breaks.
Today, I'll go home and study for tomorrow's exam all day long.
***
" SwoonTV. "
" What kind of tone is that now? I hate hearing it. "
" SoWhatTV. "
This really has a way of getting on people's nerves.
" Ah, Naeun unnie!!! She picked up another weird way of talking! "
A Friday night when I'd normally be at home.
The original five-member debut team gathered at the dorm and sat in front of the TV.
They'd decided to sleep together for the first time in a while.
" Dohee, how do you do that thing? "
Chiyo unnie asked me, seeming interested in my way of talking.
" They said you just stick TV onto any word? "
Sohee explained.
I'd learned this way of talking to annoy Kim Seoyun, but it just stuck to my tongue.
Wooa unnie, who was hugging me, said.
" Dohee, you should use pretty words. "
" DunnoTV. "
" Naeun unnie!!! Do something about her. "
Seoyun unnie shouted, calling for Naeun unnie in the kitchen.
Kim Seoyun was properly annoyed. Keuk.
" Dohee, is this CorrectTV? "
The ever-mischievous Chiyo unnie fanned the flames.
" CorrectTV. "
" Ugh, I'm gonna go watch in my room. "
Seoyun unnie grabbed her phone and sprang up from the sofa.
" Ugh, I'll stop now. "
It's only fun if we watch together.
In the meantime, Naeun unnie came out from the kitchen with various sliced fruits.
" Let's eat this while watching. "
" Yup~ "
Just then, the broadcast age rating appeared on the screen.
" Huh? StartTV. "
" Ah, Lee Dohee, seriously. "
" I really won't do it anymore. "
Using it so much, it's become second nature.
As the screen was plastered with various articles, comments, and public opinion about 'Jeodol Season 3', 'Jeodol 3' began.
That number seemed to indicate Jeodol 3's buzz.
Then, along with the logo and the title song "I've Fallen for You," which had been rearranged to sound even more magnificent, MC Jin Taeseop appeared.
[Hello, Chusers.]
[I am MC Jin Taeseop, who will be hosting.]
[Many of you have shown interest.]
.
.
[This season's keyword is All Time.]
[It's unprecedented.]
It was a short opening, but it seemed sufficient to heighten the viewers' expectations.
After the opening ended, the voting method explanation began.
[Through Netflix...]
" I just have to go on Netflix, right? "
When I went on Netflix, Jeodol 3 was broadcasting live.
Ah, so I vote with this?
Following the simple UI and going in, the contestants' profiles were laid out in a row.
I just had to pick up to 7 of them and press vote.
The reason it was a maximum of 7 probably meant the final debut member count was 7.
After the countdown ended.
The first agency entered along with subtitles.
" Oh... it's Hana unnie's agency! "
Since they appeared early, it seemed they'd secured plenty of screentime with steady reaction cuts.
After that, trainees kept entering.
Of course, screentime wasn't distributed fairly to all participants.
Those who got a lot of screentime were PD picks, popularity picks, visual members, or participants who showed skill in the first round of competition.
" When are we coming out? EditingTV? "
" We're in the later order, so we have to wait a bit to come out. "
And then, 10 minutes later.
The trainees' interview narration came out.
[ The big agencies appear more toward the back, so next is probably Topist...? ]
[ I'm looking forward to Topist. ]
On the screen appeared the music videos of Pastel Love and X-One sunbaenims.
[ Topist. It's the company of Pastel Love sunbaenims, after all. ]
Seoyun unnie hit me with the pillow she'd been hugging and screamed.
" Kyaa! It's us! "
" Ah. "
I wanted to counterattack, but I couldn't because Wooa unnie was holding me tightly.
[ Topist trainee: Wow... ]
We, who had entered through the corridor at the back of the set, exclaimed looking at the interior.
I, who had been walking down the passage, suddenly shoved my face into the camera.
[ If I do this, I'll get a shot, right? ]
Tch.
Look at that, even the close-up shot is perfect...
[ Oh... that's good? ]
Kim Seoyun, who was rubbing her face right against the camera.
[ Seoyun, Dohee, let's do our best! ]
Seoyun unnie's face and mine, looking pitifully at Naeun unnie who looked embarrassed, were shown in close-up.
[ Seoyun unnie! Our leader Naeun unnie says let's do our best, so should we do it quickly?! ]
[ Oh my! Dohee-ssi! If our leader Naeun unnie says to do it, of course we must! ]
[ Naeun unnie! Let's all gather, raise our hands, and do our best! ]
[ Topist, do our best! ]
On screen, we were captured mimicking a stiff voice and teasing Naeun unnie—obvious to anyone watching.
" Thanks to me, we all got screentime. Admit it? "
" I admit it. "
" I'm embarrassed... "
Wooa unnie looked at Naeun unnie like that and burst into laughter repeatedly.
We finally entered the set.
And the participants' conversations were shown.
[ Now the person who'll take first place is coming out, right? ]
[ Since first place is still empty... ]
[ Wow, all three are really pretty... ]
[ Hello~ ]
We finished greeting the participants.
The process of us sitting in the ranking seats was shown.
As the three of us climbed the stairs, I turned my head and asked the unnies.
[ Anyone want to sit in first place? ]
[ You. ][ You sit. ]
Rejected, I clung to the unnies, smiling playfully.
[ Still, I have to sit with my unnies~ ]
This isn't the image I wanted...
But it wasn't the end.
We sat quietly in seats 79, 80, and 81.
And I, sitting in 79, looked to the side and joked again.
[ I'm still higher than my unnies, right? ]
[ Sigh... ][ Sigh... ]
That appearance of mine was, to anyone who saw it, clearly the position of a mischievous, innocent youngest member.
" Ah, this is really devil editing. "
" What are you talking about? It's totally you. "
" Hah, that's totally Dohee though. "
" Yes, that's Dohee for sure. "
" Dohee, why did you do that... "
Ah... what about my image?
All that's left is the team battle leader...
Whether I denied it or not, the broadcast continued.
The participants' conversation looking at me came out.
[ Lee Dohee? ]
[ Who is she? ]
[ That person from the (beep---) sweatpants ad, who also appeared in the music video ]
My music video and ad appearance footage played with subtitles.
[ Wow, she's super pretty... ]
[ Her face is so tiny... ]
[ So cute... I want to get close to her. ]
" Look at Lee Dohee smiling again already. "
Yeah.
It's because of stuff like this that life feels worth living.
Wooa unnie smiled and asked, not sure if I was funny or if she was just pleased.
" Dohee, do you like it? "
For a moment, I was conscious of Wooa unnie and Chiyo unnie's eyes on me, but the two just looked happy.
" Totally. "
Suddenly, seeing the five of us sitting on the sofa like this, I thought I really wished we could debut just like this.
But that was only for a moment as the background music changed and the empty first place seat appeared on screen.
The screen was plastered with articles about the Big 3 agencies' participation.
Now it seemed to be the entrance scene of the Big 3 agencies.
We won't have scenes for a while.
Of course, after that, the unnies' reaction cuts were captured quite a few times.
However, the only reaction shot of me captured was my blank expression when the MC announced the final debut member count after his appearance.
Was the 'Wow~' reaction a bit lacking...? I should've done something else...
.
.
.
Break time in the midst of the grade evaluation that had been going on for a while.
The judges' conversation aired.
[ I wish some tier 1s would come out. ]
[ I think our tier 1 standard is really high. ]
[ At this rate, won't we not even get 10 tier 1s? ]
This time, the participants' conversation cut aired.
[ I think Teacher Go Yoonjung is in a bad mood... ]
[ She looks like she's in a bad mood... ]
[ Huh? It's Topist. ]
[ We have to watch, we have to watch. ]
Naeun unnie exclaimed.
" What, we're already coming out? "
The team containing members who had been the center for the Season 1 and 2 title songs had been pushed to the very back through editing for the sake of ratings and appeared in episode 2.
But this time, the strong buzz of being from a Big 3 agency seemed to pull them forward rather than the title song center.
" Kyaa, it's us! "
Seoyun unnie screamed, hitting me again with the pillow she'd been hugging.
" Ah. Wooa unnie, let go of me for a sec. "
" No, Dohee is mine. "
" Ah. "
Anyway, on screen, we came up onto the stage.
[ Hello, we are Topist trainees! ]
[ Lee Dohee ][ Kim Seoyun ][ Kim Naeun ]
[ Nice to meet you~ ]
I thought we'd start the stage right away, but a pre-interview came on screen.
[ Q: I heard you're the leader among the trainees. ]
[ Kim Naeun: Yes, since I'm the oldest, the kids follow my words well. ]
" What, when did she do that interview? "
" Right? "
[ Q: But it seems like you must have a hard time. ]
On the screen, footage showed Seoyun unnie and me fooling around from when we entered and whispering and joking during filming.
We got caught on this.
" Wow, this is Lee Dohee who started it. "
" What are you saying? You did it too. "
Of course, I started it first.
But we were filming for almost 20 hours; was I not supposed to be bored?
[ Kim Naeun: The kids are a bit too mischievous. ]
" Wow, this is so unfair. "
" I feel wronged too. "
In the midst of this, Chiyo unnie cut in.
" You both are the same. "
Chiyo unnie saying this?
" You're the worst. "
" I admit it. Chiyo unnie is the worst, what are you talking about. "
" Absolutely not. "
Wooa unnie and Naeun unnie sighed as they looked at us.
[ Kim Naeun: Still, when it comes to practice, they're more serious and hardworking than anyone, so it's fine. ]
" That is true. "
" I admit it. "
The screen shifted back to the judges' panel.
Along with Teacher Go Yoonjung's words into the microphone.
[ We'll begin the stage. ]
Our grade evaluation began.