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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: 33화
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“Here’s how we’ll decide roommates.”
Do Hui-yeong wore a somehow wicked smile.
“From now on, I’ll blindfold you all. Then, one by one, you’ll take off your blindfold and choose a room to enter. Be careful. Once you open a door, you must stay in that room. You can’t choose twice.”
This method… something feels off.
“The other two people you meet in the room will be your roommates.”
Oh, no.
This is a game of luck.
“If three people already fill a room and another trainee enters, the trainee with the lowest rank in that room will be kicked out. The kicked-out trainee must then choose another room. If that room is also full, the lowest-ranked trainee will be kicked out again.”
“!”
Everyone was aghast.
What kind of rank-obsessed program was this?
“Yes, it’s a bit cruel. But it will be good motivation for all of you.”
It feels less like motivation and more like instigating discord.
“Alright, Yeon Ju-hong trainee. As the youngest, you get priority in choosing a room.”
“H-huh.”
Yeon Ju-hong looked as if she wondered if she deserved such a privilege.
She has a surprisingly timid side, doesn’t she?
Yet, when she’s bold, she’s practically out of control.
“Actually, who goes first doesn’t really matter much. It’s decided by rank anyway. Don’t worry and choose.”
…So they admit it’s a rank-supremacy system.
I felt Yeon Ju-hong get up from her seat and start moving.
The sound of a door opening and closing followed.
After that, several other trainees were called out.
Listening carefully, it was in the order they were sitting.
The trainees sitting next to Yeon Ju-hong left one by one.
Seo Baek-yeong, Lee Gyeong-a, Lee Ju-seon….
In the beginning, trainees left quickly.
However, at some point, it started to slow down.
That meant the room competition had begun.
“Noooo!”
…That sound was definite proof.
Anyone could tell it was Yeon Ju-hong’s voice.
She must have been kicked out of a room already.
Yeon Ju-hong is rank 6, so to push her out… it meant everyone else in that room was in the debut ranks.
“Yes!”
That was Kim Geum’s voice.
If I had to choose the best room in this house, it would naturally be the master bedroom.
It has a bathroom, it’s the largest, and it’s the furthest inside, making it the quietest.
But I couldn't be the only one who knew that.
Most of the trainees would know.
Honestly, I didn’t care which room I went to.
My only concern was the roommates.
There’s nothing more stressful than uncomfortable roommates.
To be frank, I didn’t want to share a room with Kim Ryeo-yu or any trainees close to Kim Ryeo-yu.
After all, Make a New Color is a girl group survival show.
People want chemistry between the members.
And I genuinely want chemistry too.
As a solo artist, I wanted to experience something like that at least once.
“Next, Yun Cheong trainee.”
Do Hui-yeong called my name.
As expected, I was third from the back.
“Go and choose a room.”
I took off my blindfold and slowly stood up, seeing the other two trainees still wearing theirs.
With my back to them, I walked towards the doors.
No matter which room I chose, I wouldn’t be kicked out.
Because I was rank 1.
Kim Geum was rank 2, and Kim Ryeo-yu was rank 3.
So, if I chose this room…
“…I knew it.”
Of course, Kim Ryeo-yu, Kim Geum, and Ryu Bo-ra would be there.
If I didn’t want to share a room with Kim Ryeo-yu, why did I deliberately come here?
There was no particular reason.
I’m not the type of person to give up on a given problem.
I also like to face things head-on.
“….”
The three of them rolled their eyes, looking bewildered.
What are you looking at?
You guys kicked out other trainees too.
Especially Ryu Bo-ra, who looked ready to leave the moment the door opened.
Rank 4.
It was by no means a low rank, but here, it was the lowest.
A room with rank 1, 2, and 3 side by side.
In a way, this would get the most screentime.
…Just as I was trying to figure out if this was good or bad,
“Bora. You take this room.”
A twist occurred.
“…Ryeo-yu Unnie?”
“I’ll go to another room. You take this one.”
Kim Ryeo-yu declared that she would go to another room.
“Actually, I wanted to be in the same room as Hui-on anyway. Bora, you said you’re a light sleeper, right? The master bedroom will be the quietest, so you use it. I’ll go.”
Kim Ryeo-yu said in a very sweet voice, then gathered her belongings.
She then gestured towards the bed with her chin.
“Cheong, you use this room.”
I just smiled quietly.
Haha.
Kim Ryeo-yu, seeing no particular reaction from me, seemed provoked and added,
“Ah, it’s really a shame. It’s such a good room. I really wanted to use this room too.”
Ah, so she’s pretending to be generous like this?
Only then did I catch on to Kim Ryeo-yu’s intention.
She must have thought that if she acted like she was giving way, I would automatically back down.
“That’s right. But to give up this room… Ryeo-yu, you’re truly kind. Bora will really appreciate it too.”
“…No. I didn’t do it to be thanked.”
At Kim Ryeo-yu’s words, I saw Kim Geum and Ryu Bo-ra exchanging glances.
“Ryeo-yu, you’re good at adapting and popular, so you’ll be welcomed in any room, right? I haven’t been here long, so I don’t have many close trainees. I envy you.”
“Huh?”
“Could you please take good care of the younger ones in my place? You can do that, right?”
Kim Ryeo-yu’s left cheek twitched subtly.
What was she expecting?
Did she think I’d back down just because she pretended to give way?
Why would I?
I’m not someone who kicks away a given opportunity.
I unpacked my luggage on the bed Kim Ryeo-yu had gestured to.
Good spot.
“Goodbye, Ryeo-yu. Thank you for giving us a good room. I hope you go to an even better room and have fun there.”
“…Uh, yeah, I should.”
Kim Ryeo-yu seemed still dazed, unable to even think about leaving the room.
For her sake, I helped her with her luggage.
“Your luggage is heavy, isn’t it? I’ll carry it for you.”
I kindly carried Kim Ryeo-yu’s luggage and placed it in the hallway.
“Ryeo-yu will adapt well no matter which room she goes to. She’s so considerate of the younger ones. Bora, let’s visit Ryeo-yu’s room often.”
“I… I’d love to.”
Ryu Bo-ra was also trying to suppress a smile.
I gave Kim Geum a look.
Kim Geum understood my signal perfectly.
“Unnie, goodbye! Thank you!”
“…Thank you, Unnie.”
Ryu Bo-ra also gave a half-hearted bow and greeting.
After their greetings finished, Kim Geum gently closed the door.
“….”
The three of us lay silently on our beds.
It was a good room, even upon second glance.
“To give up such a good room, Ryeo-yu is truly a good person. Don’t you think?”
“Absolutely.”
The three of us praised Kim Ryeo-yu loudly enough for the cameras to hear, and for the entire hallway to hear.
Good deeds should be widely publicized.
***
And so, all the room assignments were complete.
Yeon Ju-hong seemed to have ended up in the same room as Kim Ryeo-yu.
Naturally, Yeon Ju-hong’s expression was… one of resignation.
I’ve been thinking this since last time, but her luck is subtly bad, I guess.
I’m sorry, Ju-hong.
I didn’t know you’d become the victim…
“Alright, now that all the rooms are assigned, it’s time to announce the next mission.”
Do Hui-yeong sat opposite us and spoke.
“The next mission is the position evaluation.”
Oh, no.
All the trainees looked despairing.
Position evaluation.
It’s an evaluation where trainees aspiring for each position form a team and compete.
Naturally, when people aspiring for the same position compete, their skills are compared much more severely.
This was especially true for vocals, where differences were often too stark.
“Positions will be divided into Vocal, Dance, and Rap. You can apply for any position you want. If five or more people apply for one position, we will divide them into two teams.”
It seemed likely that most would flock to vocal or dance.
I knew only Kim Geum and Park Ha-eun were in the Rap position.
If ten people were distributed across two positions…
It wouldn’t be easy.
“However, this position evaluation is not a typical team mission. You must cooperate while also competing against each other.”
Do Hui-yeong turned on the television in the dorm living room.
Then, a video prepared by the production team began to play.
- 100 audience members can vote for only one MVP from each team.
- Team internal ranking is determined by the number of votes.
- Once each team’s MVP is decided, an MVP of MVP vote will proceed.
- Audience members can vote for one trainee who was the best performer among the MVPs.
- The trainee with the most votes is selected as the MVP of MVP.
- MVP benefit: 20,000 votes.
- MVP of MVP’s team: All members receive a benefit of 15,000 votes.
- MVP of MVP: Benefit of 50,000 votes.
Complicated.
Anyway, I understood that they would choose a “king” for each team and then a “king of kings” at the end.
By the way, a 50,000-vote benefit is really useless.
Getting benefits to raise your interim popularity ranking only brings criticism.
Unless it’s a benefit for the final ranking.
“First, trainees applying for the Vocal position. Please raise your hands.”
As soon as Do Hui-yeong finished speaking, hands went up one by one.
Me, Ryu Bo-ra, Lee Gyeong-a, Jo Hui-on.
Four people.
We’ll be competing as one team then.
If this is the case, the crowded side will be—
“Trainees aspiring for the Dance position, please raise your hands.”
It was the Dance position.
Seo Baek-yeong, Yeon Ju-hong, Kim Ryeo-yu, Shin Yu-hyeon, Lee Ju-seon, Bang Su-in.
That side wouldn’t be easy either.
“Then, Kim Geum trainee and Park Ha-eun trainee, who haven’t applied for any position yet, are you both for the Rap position?”
“Yes!”
At the mention of only two people, Park Ha-eun’s face turned pale.
Sorry to say, but I would have too.
The skill gap between the two was too severe.
It’s not that Park Ha-eun is bad. As a Colors trainee, she has the basics down.
The problem is that Kim Geum’s skill level isn’t just basic.
“Alright, then for the Dance position, which has six applicants. We will divide you into two teams. The method for dividing teams is…”
Do Hui-yeong looked at Kim Ryeo-yu with a slightly subtle expression.
“Kim Ryeo-yu trainee, who has the highest rank in that position. Please step forward.”
Kim Ryeo-yu, as if expecting it, stepped forward.
At that, anxiety flickered across Seo Baek-yeong and Yeon Ju-hong’s faces.
I also felt anxious.
“Kim Ryeo-yu trainee. Which trainee do you want to directly compete against?”
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