From Skid Row to Superstardom: An Idol System Novel

"First, how should we address the current issue? Despite our current attempts to quell it, it's currently snowballing into a bigger issue with various news outlets trying to investigate."

"Ignore it. It's just the usual hot air in entertainment with kids throwing tantrums. It will blow over, just as it always does. And get rid of the two troublemakers who started this whole mess." A balding executive said dismissively.

Hearing that spoiled kids were complaining about their treatment after they were being given the opportunity of a lifetime just reinforced his thoughts that this generation was soft and entitled.

"Unfortunately, one of them is the son of the Temple family, who are threatening to sue. Since they're clients are for the law firm, Wardell and Fern, if they continue pushing, it could get messy." PD Emily cut in, ignoring the look that Wilford Forbes gave her.

This wasn't some childish tantrum; Levi's parents had the ability to get the show paused or even shut down.

Hisssss.

There was a collective wince at the thought of getting involved in a high-profile court case with a well-known, reputable firm that could tarnish the prestige of the group they were trying to create before the group even launched.

That would be unacceptable, especially after they had spent so much money on them.

"How serious do the Temple's seem about suing? Has your production team been messing with their son? Any cause for an upset before this incident?" The executive stared expectantly at PD Emily.

"Of course not. While we try to treat the contestants evenly, since we were aware of his family, we've been cordial to him and minimized anything that could cause a bad feeling from the staff. There was some antagonism with a producer brought in, but it was a one-time thing, and the other issues are surface-level at best. Mere squabbles between teenagers. As for the seriousness of the situation, we're still in talks with his father, who seems to be the main person pursuing legal actions."

"Then, can we at least eliminate him without any trouble? Or at least the other one."

"Using the current ranking system that we have, no. Both their votes are quite high, and it would be suspicious to get rid of them suddenly. However, if you give me full authority to pursue the best course of action, I believe I can talk the Temple boy out of suing. And if not, he was on the verge of quitting, so I might encourage him to follow through."

"And the other boy?"

"That one is a bit more troublesome because there's been a history of …shall we say…very unintentional, less than stellar treatment from our team that the public has noticed. Nothing too egregious, mind you, but it may have toed the line here and there, and he's been quite vocal with his displeasure."

"Stop using big words and get straight to the point." The executive growled.

"He makes good TV, so we've squeezed him for everything he's worth. Unfortunately, multiple incidents have occurred and spread despite our efforts to contain them, and since he has become quite well-known and liked by the general population, this is the main factor fueling the current backlash. His fans are also quite…motivated."

"Is he threatening to sue? Does he have anyone of note backing him up?"

"Not that we know of, but-"

"If he's an unconnected regular, ignore him and get rid of him. The focus should be on the Temple kid and trying to settle things quietly without us being liable for anything. We really don't need a high-profile lawsuit right now."

PD Emily wanted to argue that Ari's issue and fan support were unbearably strange and currently a bigger problem than Levi's family, but seeing the displeased expressions on the faces of the executives, she let it slide for now while hoping the issue would die down like they said.

"Let's move on to the next topic, which is the current lineup. While the public has followed our predictions to a certain extent, we need to decide which 10 contestants we're going to push to be in the finals and which contestants to sideline, as well as how to change the system to ensure our picks go through. Our goal is to have at least 3 Americans, 2 Koreans, and the other slots are free."

All eyes turned to the large white board, which was filled with photos of 40 contestants as well as details about them, including their nationalities.

At the top of the whiteboard were 7 spots and 3 extra ones, and it was now the executives' job to whittle the list down to 10.

One of the assistants standing at the whiteboard lifted up the first photograph, which was the person currently ranked number one.

"Benjamin Moore. Primary Nationality: United Kingdom. Position is Main Rapper in the running for being the Leader." The assistant pointed to the photo of a handsome boy with golden skin and short curly hair and began giving the summarized briefing.

"He's projected to end up as either number one or number two, and even with a brief dip in his votes due to one incident with another contestant, his fan base is rock solid, and they have maintained their voting numbers. On social media, he's currently the most followed contestant, and according to the voting demographic stats, he's the top candidate among the Black American, Caribbean, and African voters over Jerome, who we originally wanted. Personality-wise, he's quite friendly and charming, well-liked by all the contestants, and doesn't give a lot of pushback and has no external backing, making him easy to control. I think we should continue painting him in a positive light."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

At the unanimous agreement, Wilfred Forbes nodded at the assistant.

"Add him to the top. Maintain his screen time."

Benjamin's photo was added before another photo was filed out.

"Daniel Kim. Primary Nationality: South Korea. Position: Main Rapper. Main Dancer. Projected to go either number one or number two. He's the current favorite contestant among Korean voters and does well across all Asian voters in general. He's already signed to us thanks to Mr. Forbes. He's another contestant who is highly recommended to be in the group; however, I don't think he has the skills to be the team leader due to his personality."

"Supporting characters are always needed, and we wanted several Koreans anyway. Add him to the top."

The photo of a Korean boy with bright orange hair and cute dimples was placed beside Benjamin's.

"Carlos Rodriguez. Primary Nationality: United States, with a strong Latin heritage. Position: Main Vocalist."

"The number one vocalist on the show, without a doubt. He's a contestant who must make the final team. Previously, there was a split among his votes and he had a couple of bad performances, but now, thankfully, he has secured the majority of the Latin vote and stabilized his position. He could be ranked anywhere between 2 and 4, with a small chance of moving up to first place. He's one of the eldest contestants and is quite…soft spoken and malleable."

"Add him to the top, and reduce his screen time unless it starts to drop."

The assistant moved the photo to the top and grabbed another one.

"James Jones III. Primary Nationality: United States. Position: Main Vocalist."

"Oh, I know him. His family is country music royalty. Dad's a good gambling buddy." One of the execs added with a smile.

"Another one we must have by any means necessary. Since he's a producer with extensive industry connections due to his family, the value he brings is immeasurable. Temperament is friendly. A good team member. Easy enough to manage and primarily concerned with music."

"Add him to the top. Increase his screen time, especially during the self-producing rounds."

"Understood.

"Levi Temple Primary Nationality: United States. Position: Lead Rapper."

"He looks just like his father."

"Has his mother's eyes."

The executives murmured as they stared at the sharp-eyed boy with a buzzcut.

"Table him for now. If things can be settled amicably with him, he's a decent addition due to his family; however, his temperament is difficult to manage at best, and he doesn't really gel with any of the contestants."

"Understood."

"Taeri Jang? Primary Nationality: South Korea. Position: Main Rapper."

"Add him to the top. Increase screen time."

"Jin?"

"Add him to the top."

"Minjun?"

"Doesn't stand out enough. Same with his brother."

"Suzuki Rei?"

"Up for consideration. His vocals and work ethic have improved greatly."

"Alfonso?"

"Too much overlap with Carlos and not enough to differentiate him. We don't need multiple Latin candidates. Table him and reduce his screen time."

One by one, the executives went through the contestants, listing out their pros and cons and ranking them by preferences until finally there were only two sets of photos left.

And the boys pictured in those photos have opposite color palettes.

"First. Ariel Matisse. Primary Nationality: United States. Secondary Nationality: French. Position: Main Vocalist, Visual."

There was silence as everyone's eyes went to the only contestant with 2 photographs, one of which was his very first profile shot, where his face was covered in strange white and black makeup.

And the second photo was one that entranced everyone who saw it.

It was a photo that displayed a handsome young boy whose cheeks still had baby fat. Like the other photos, it showed a contestant without makeup, but it stood out in a way that couldn't be explained.

Large, catlike green eyes, framed by black lashes, curved into a mischievous smile, and beautiful features were arranged on a slightly delicate face that made it clear he would become even more stunning as he grew up.

"He's a beautiful child. It would be nice if he had a sister."

"Stunning visuals."

"He's the one that Bing Yongsun loves."

"Insane that nobody discovered him until now."

"I understand why he's well known. It's hard to forget that face."

"The advertisement money would roll in easily."

"Yes, but the issue with him is…"

"Too problematic."

"Uncontrollable."

"Combative."

"Difficult to handle."

"Way too outspoken."

"A scandal waiting to happen."

Numerous voices piled in as everyone in the room knew who the contestant was who frequently called media attention to the program.

"The cons heavily outweigh the pros. His personality is too uncontrollable. Table him and reduce his screen time."

"Understood. And finally…William Forbes. The nephew of the future director of the group. Position: Main Vocalist, Leader"

William's photo was held up, displaying a handsome young man who looked like the epitome of a fairy tale prince.

Blonde hair swooped across his forehead, piercing blue eyes, and a charming smile; it was clear that extra grooming had gone into his looks.

"What do we think?"

Wilfred Forbes asked with a smug smile, expecting positive praise.

Instead…