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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Mentor's Choice
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It was a short break… but the cameras were still rolling.
Perhaps due to the pressure of the cameras constantly rolling, no trainee was truly resting.
Right. This is the truly exhausting part of a show that claims to be ‘reality.’
The fact that even break times were being recorded.
“Cheong Unnie.”
Sure enough, a trainee immediately approached.
Who was it this time?
“Um… could you spare a moment for me?”
Ah.
I nodded right away.
“Of course. What can I help you with?”
Yeon Ju-hong.
It was a bit surprising, but her approachable nature meant it wasn't entirely unexpected.
“Could you… just help me with my pitch? I still haven’t quite grasped what the trainer told me…”
“Sure, let’s try singing it together then.”
I focused on Yeon Ju-hong’s voice.
I genuinely wanted to help her.
Because—
“Okay, now, relax your neck here—”
She was a debut candidate I had my eye on.
Of course, I had no intention of sticking with StillBlue’s original members.
I’d failed once by doing that in my previous life, so why would I go down the exact same path again?
Especially if the reason for the previous failure was a member’s scandal, then a member change was absolutely necessary.
Kim Ryeo-yu definitely had to be removed, and other members… would need to be replaced if necessary.
The question was, who to replace them with?
And the trainee I’d chosen as the most promising candidate was her.
“Oh, Unnie, it’s working just like you said!”
It was Yeon Ju-hong.
“That’s a relief. I’m glad I could help.”
It wasn’t because she was a popular member in my previous life.
Yeon Ju-hong had her own unique ‘position.’
Yeon Ju-hong had said she disliked her ambiguous position, but conversely, that meant—
“Cheong-cheong Unnie, how do you know all this so well?”
She could blend into any position.
…But where did ‘Cheong-cheong Unnie’ even come from? What kind of… nickname was that?
Me, Baek Nok-ha.
A woman of thirty.
Ten years into my idol career.
I’d heard all sorts of nicknames, but hearing a non-fan use one like this made me feel strangely younger.
“Well, I guess after being a trainee for so long… it just became second nature.”
Yeon Ju-hong was the member who could truly ground the group amidst members with overflowing, almost insane, personalities.
The trainees at Colors… it’s good that they’re skilled, and it’s good that they have strong personalities, but…
I didn’t really get the feeling that they had good chemistry among themselves.
Yeon Ju-hong was perfect for a member who could create that kind of ‘chemistry.’
“Seriously, Unnie, you’re amazing. I should definitely get closer to you.”
It wasn’t just that she was friendly.
While her ability to get along with everyone was good—
“If we ever go into a dorm, let’s share a room!”
“I’d like that.”
Yeon Ju-hong had something uniquely her own.
“What, you two are already close?”
The trainee who subtly interjected was Jo Hui-on.
She was also one of the members who was supposed to debut originally.
She didn’t have any particular outstanding traits, but if there was one thing that stood out—
“Oh, Cheong Unnie was just helping me with my vocals!”
It was that she was Kim Ryeo-yu’s best friend.
Perhaps because of that, they had many similarities.
“So you’re immediately lining up with Cheong just because her skills improved? Ju-hong, you’re smart, aren’t you?”
For instance, they had a knack for subtly infuriating people like this.
So subtly that it was hard to find fault with… incredibly artfully.
The moment I was about to retort,
“Oh, Unnie, you’re much smarter than me. You already lined up with Ryeo-yu Unnie a long time ago!”
Yeon Ju-hong quickly stepped forward.
“…What?”
“Oh, seriously. I should learn from you, Unnie! I’m so clueless, I’m not good at, like, siding with people like that… I truly had no idea about things like being the director’s niece! Ha… I really need to learn from you, Unnie. I’m just really bad at navigating social situations…”
…She’s sharp, isn’t she?
“Your words—”
“Oh. Did I make another mistake?”
She smiled sweetly.
Yeon Ju-hong said, beaming brightly.
Jo Hui-on was about to get angry, but she glanced at the camera.
And she bit her lip, forcing a smile.
“No, Ju-hong. But how can you say something like that? What do you mean, Unnie lined up with someone…”
“Huh? I was just joking, though?”
“Huh?”
“Weren’t you just joking too, Unnie? Were you serious, Unnie? No, who ‘lines up’ with other trainees?”
Suddenly, Yeon Ju-hong’s eyes had changed.
Her mouth was clearly smiling, but her eyes seemed slightly… off.
“No, that’s not it~ Not at all…”
“Aw, come on, let’s not hold grudges over things like this! Let’s just smile and get along!”
“Hahahahaha…”
…I had misjudged her.
She wasn’t just friendly.
She was just… scary!
Jo Hui-on didn’t say anything more and quietly returned to her spot.
And as soon as Jo Hui-on disappeared, Yeon Ju-hong looked at me again with a bright, innocent face.
“Can I ask my next question then?”
“Uh-huh.”
…Was it really okay to debut with her?
***
“Alright, now we’re going to meet the mentors. Please follow the staff members who will guide you to your respective meeting rooms~”
Finally.
The long-awaited encounter with the mentors.
The staff began calling trainees one by one and guiding them.
And… I was the last in line.
This felt unsettling somehow.
Why did it feel like they kept pushing me to the very end?
Sure enough, my ominous premonition was correct.
After all the trainees had left, leaving me alone in the empty practice room, PD O Baek-gyeong called out to me.
“Alright, Trainee Yun Cheong.”
“Yes.”
“Originally, a PurpleApple member was supposed to be assigned as Trainee Yun Cheong’s mentor, right?”
This felt ominous.
PD O Baek-gyeong’s expression was ambiguous. He didn’t seem particularly satisfied, nor dissatisfied.
What was that expression?
“But apparently, CEO Hong is currently overseas.”
…That’s not right? I confirmed CEO Hong was in Korea when I came earlier.
“And it’s a bit difficult to suddenly cast another PurpleApple member now. You understand, right?”
“Yes, of course. I was being unreasonable from the start. I apologize…”
“Oh, there’s no need to apologize.”
PD O Baek-gyeong casually waved his hand.
“Anyway, so!”
PD O Baek-gyeong grinned.
That man smiling is a bad omen.
“I thought it would be a good opportunity to give you the mid-term evaluation 1st place benefit as well.”
“…What?”
“I’ll give you a choice.”
…As expected.
“It’s called~ the one and only~! Mentor Steal!”
“…Steal…?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you all the mentors assigned to the other trainees right now. You just need to steal one of them and make them Trainee Yun Cheong’s mentor.”
Ah, damn it.
“But then… what about that trainee…?”
“They’ll just go on without a mentor!”
That master of manipulation and discord.
I gritted my teeth inwardly.
“Alright, this list here is the mentor-mentee assignment roster. I’ll give you ten minutes to look at it and decide which trainee’s mentor you’ll steal!”
PD O Baek-gyeong left, leaving only the list, me, and the camera behind.
Suddenly, I was left in the practice room with only a camera, forced to stare intently at the paper.
Roughly everyone was assigned members within the expected range.
If I were to pick out only the noticeable ones.
Kim Ryeo-yu - Do Hui-yeong (Grayish)
That was about it.
Even so, assigning a judge as a mentor—wasn’t that too much favoritism?
If they showed such blatant favoritism, I didn’t think it would do her any good either.
…No.
I reconsidered.
This was bait.
Anyone could see this was a message directed at me.
A message to steal Do Hui-yeong from Kim Ryeo-yu.
I felt like I understood PD O Baek-gyeong’s true intentions.
He was trying to set up a confrontation between Kim Ryeo-yu and me.
“Hmm.”
I recalled the footage shot so far.
By now, the viewers probably knew.
That Kim Ryeo-yu was Director Kim’s niece and was receiving subtle favoritism.
And someone would be expecting me to get rid of that ‘villain’ Kim Ryeo-yu.
For example, PD O Baek-gyeong.
That’s surprising.
So he’d decided to make Kim Ryeo-yu into a ‘villain,’ huh.
I thought he was on Director Kim’s side, but maybe not?
First, I needed to read PD O Baek-gyeong’s mind.
However, that didn’t mean I was going to play along with PD O Baek-gyeong’s wishes.
***
“Have you made your decision?”
Exactly ten minutes later, PD O Baek-gyeong entered like clockwork.
Smiling so widely his gums were visible.
Annoying jerk.
“Yes, I’ve decided.”
“Oh, really?”
Perhaps surprised that I had decided so quickly, PD O Baek-gyeong’s eyes widened.
But it was a surprise tinged with amusement.
“Alright. Then, Trainee Yun Cheong.”
“Yes.”
“Whose mentor will you steal?”
“I will…”
***
Production Team: Do you like your mentor?
[Su-in: Of course I like them, absolutely. They’re a senior I’ve always respected.]
[Bo-ra: It’s the biggest advantage of being a Colors trainee.]
[Baek-yeong: Just… overwhelmed?]
Production Team: But you might have that mentor stolen from you.
[Ryeo-yu: …What?]
[Ju-hong: What?!]
[Geum: Oh.]
Production Team: We failed to cast CEO Hong, so instead, as a reward for placing first in the mid-term evaluation, we gave Trainee Yun Cheong the right to steal other trainees’ mentors.
[Ju-hong: Cheong Unnie can steal our mentors?!]
[Ju-seon: Wow.]
[Hui-on: That’s a bit too much….]
[Gyeong-a: …I haven’t done anything to displease Cheong, have I?]
[Yu-hyeon: No way!!]
Production Team: Who do you think she chose?
[Baek-yeong: …Ryeo-yu?]
[Geum: Well, just getting a judge assigned as a mentor from the start….]
[Su-in: It is quite appealing, isn’t it?]
[Ryeo-yu: It’s probably me. Ah… I’m doomed.]
[Ju-hong: Who did you choose, Unnie??]
Production Team: The person Trainee Yun Cheong chose is none other than….
Subtitle: Revealed in 1 minute!
[Trainee Yun Cheong’s Choice?!]
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