NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51
Sighing, Seo-yoon Unni took out her pouch from the suitcase and started doing my makeup.
I looked in the mirror and said,
“Wow… Teacher, you have golden hands, huh? Ah, no. It’s just that my own face is nice…”
“Hey.”
If I said another word, I might get hit.
“Okay~”
After finishing our makeup, we headed to the filming location in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do.
When we arrived, the parking lot was filled with vans that seemed to have brought other trainees.
Manager Young-ho got out of the car and talked to the staff waiting at the parking lot entrance before getting back in the vehicle.
“Guys, it looks like it’ll take a while until it’s your turn.”
With 99 participants, I guess just filming the entrance scene takes a long time.
And so, we waited in the car, practicing the song for the grade evaluation for an hour and a half.
After Manager Young-ho got the sign from the production staff, he started the car and said,
“Alright, everyone, they’re starting with the entrance shoot, so fix your outfits.”
“Yes~”
As we left the parking lot, the car stopped in front of a building where the filming set was.
It seemed like they were staging the scene of arriving at the shoot.
As soon as we got out of the car with our suitcases, the production staff began filming us.
We greeted the camera as we got out of the car.
“Hello~”
“Hello~ Topist trainees! It’s the first recording today; how do you feel?”
“I’m so excited!”
“I feel great~”
After finishing the formal interview with the production team, we followed the staff’s guidance into a building.
“Please leave your belongings here and get ready in your stage outfits~”
After putting our suitcases down in one spot, we took off the coats covering our stage outfits.
Good thing we wore them underneath.
“We wore them inside!”
Seeing us, the production staff came over with a microphone and attached name tags to us.
Once all the filming preparations were done, we moved through the set hallway as directed by the production staff.
Seo-yoon Unni and Na-eun Unni gasped at the set hallway.
“Wow…”
Even though it was just a set hallway, the glittering interior already looked like a girl group’s stage.
It truly showed the high production budget.
Additionally, there were cameras all over the set hallway.
I pretended to ignore the cameras while walking but then turned my head right in front of the camera, almost pressing my face against it.
“That should get a good shot, right?”
“Oh… that’s good!”
Seo-yoon Unni followed suit and rubbed her face against the camera.
Isn’t that a bit much for the viewers…?
Unlike me and Seo-yoon Unni, who were busy joking around, Na-eun Unni seemed to be tense, aware of the cameras, and spoke in a forced tone.
“Seo-yoon, Do-hee, let’s do our best!”
She even struck a pose.
“Ah…”
We looked at Na-eun Unni as if we had just seen something we shouldn’t have.
Na-eun Unni’s cheeks turned red, probably embarrassed.
I have to save her; what else can I do?
I guess I have to save you, what can I do?
I held Seo-yoon Unni’s hands and said in a fake tone.
“Seo-yoon Unni! Our leader Na-eun Unni says let’s cheer, should we do it quickly?!”
Seo-yoon Unni, used to my antics, immediately joined in.
“Oh my! Do-hee! Of course we have to do what our leader Na-eun Unni says!”
We both gathered our hands and looked at Na-eun Unni.
“Na-eun Unni! Let’s all gather, raise our hands, and shout Fighting!”
Na-eun Unni seemed so embarrassed that she turned away from us.
Well, at least the two of us can do it.
“Topist Fighting!”
Not long after, we were gestured in by the production staff, and we stepped into the set.
The most famous scene from the first two seasons.
Seating according to predicted ranks.
Once we entered the set, 99 chairs caught our eyes.
Each chair had a rank written on it, and participants were seated.
It seemed all the seats were nearly full, so we probably arrived late.
From a distance, we couldn’t hear, but participants were looking at us and whispering.
They were probably talking about our agency.
Or maybe they were thinking about that Ion Sweat, remember the music video?
I hope that’s what they’re saying…
Hehe.
After greeting the participants who had arrived early, we looked around for a place to sit.
Fortunately, there were three seats together.
79, 80, 81.
And the prominently visible first place seat.
The first place seat was empty.
The poisoned chalice that takes care of both screen time and curses.
But I kinda want to sit there.
Should I just sit?
I looked at my unnies and said.
“Anyone going to sit in first place?”
“You.”
“You sit.”
Why don’t they want to sit when I tell them to?
Hugging my unnies, I said.
“But I want to sit with my unnies~”
Climbing the steps, I neatly sat in 79.
Then I looked at my unnies in 80 and 81 and said.
“I’m still higher than you guys, right?”
“Sigh…”
The trainee sitting next to me, ranked 77, greeted me.
Her name tag said “Annise” and her name was Nam Seo-yeon.
“Oh! Hello, nice to meet you~”
“You’re the one who shot the Ion Sweat advertisement, right?”
“Oh, yes, that’s me. How did you know?”
“You’re famous~ and so pretty!”
I tried to act a bit indifferent, but I couldn’t stop smiling.
“No, you’re prettier, Seo-yeon!”
“Really?”
Nope.
After the pleasantries, I asked trainee Nam Seo-yeon who had gone out before us.
“The top three agencies haven’t come out yet. It seems like bigger entertainment companies are coming out gradually.”
It seems like big entertainment agencies are popping up left and right.
Ah…
While chatting, the phrase “Haru” along with the logo of Haru Entertainment appeared on the display screen.
Oh, looks like we’re up against a big corporation right away.
Two people entered the set.
Their name tags read Jeon Ha-rang and Kim Se-yeon, respectively.
“No public trainees showed up, huh?”
So they’re non-performers.
Maybe that’s why they don’t look that pretty, surprisingly.
But since it’s a big corporation, their skills must be top-notch, I guess.
After greeting, one of the Haru trainees, Jeon Ha-rang, rushed over to the first place seat and plopped down.
“Oh… so cool.”
Is this the confidence of a big corporation?
After Haru Entertainment’s turn, the logo of another major agency, ZY, appeared on the screen.
Then in came ZY trainees, Yoon Seo-won and Gong Chae-rin.
“That Yoon Seo-won was in the music video with ZY Dias seniors.”
She definitely looks as pretty as expected.
“But you know a lot, huh?”
“Well, besides me, all the other trainees from the big three agencies probably did their research too, right?”
What the heck, did only Topists slack off?
Last to enter was Eun Se-ra from JY Entertainment.
“She’s a top contender for first place this time.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Eun Se-ra really was stunningly beautiful.
But…
I turned to the older sister sitting next to me, Seo-yoon, and whispered so the microphone wouldn’t pick it up.
– But I think I’m a bit prettier, don’t you? –
Seo-yoon Unni pushed my face away with her palm.
I leaned in again and whispered.
– Agree? –
“A little.”
Are you admitting it or not?
In the meantime, after the greetings, Eun Se-ra climbed the stairs.
Only one spot left: 88th place.
Eun Se-ra didn’t stop at 88th but continued climbing the stairs.
Finally, she reached right in front of the first place seat where Jeon Ha-rang from Haru Entertainment was already sitting, preparing for a showdown.
Are they just brimming with confidence because they’re from a big agency?
Guess that’s why they can afford to be a servant at some noble’s house.
Their battle was a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Sure, it was a bit anticlimactic given they just confidently went up there, but competing to take the first place seat itself is no simple matter.
Eun Se-ra, having lost the game, descended the stairs with a frustrated expression and sat at the 88th spot.
Once all the trainees had taken their seats, the main PD shouted.
“Alright, the MC is about to enter!”
At the PD’s cue, the famous announcer-turned-MC Jin Tae-seop, who will host Season 3, walked in.
“Hello, participants.”
All the contestants stood up to greet him.
“”” Hello! “””
“Indeed, just like girl group trainees, you’re all bursting with energy and looking radiant.”
“As you all know, the next segment is the rank evaluation, right?”
“But before the ranking evaluation begins, the representative trainee will come out to take an oath before the choosers who will select you.”
Let’s get started.
“Please come down, Jeon Ha-rang, the trainee sitting at number one.”
Is this why those big entertainment companies are battling it out for first place?
Because of screen time?
Jeon Ha-rang bounced down the stairs.
Upon reaching the MC, Jeon Ha-rang received a script.
And then Jeon Ha-rang looked at the MC and production staff with a very puzzled expression.
“You just need to read it!”
Pushed by the production staff, Jeon Ha-rang hesitated, then finally let out a small sigh and read the script.
“I swear! We, the entire cast of Chuso Season 3, promise that there will be no manipulation to disappoint our fans!”
At Jeon Ha-rang’s words, the set buzzed with chatter.
“The production team is really nailing the noise marketing.”
Season 1 and 2 had definitely been manipulated, but they just didn’t get penalized.
Just mentioning manipulation was already a hot topic.
And to have Jeon Ha-rang, the trainee from a major agency who seemed most likely to benefit from it, read that?
That was just asking for more controversy.
Honestly, I’m not free from manipulation either, since Topist was involved in the Season 2 manipulation scandal.
I just got buried under the three major agencies.
But is there really no manipulation?
The MC took a deep breath and shouted loudly.
“Literally! There is absolutely no manipulation!”
“You might not trust our production team! But!”
“We have partnered with Netflix, the number one OTT company in the world!”
“We will be broadcast simultaneously with Netflix.”
That was when it finally clicked for me.
“So how are the votes going to work?”
“This time, with the newly introduced Netflix live streaming technology.”
“Any Netflix member can vote once per account.”
“Therefore, a fair voting process that is impossible to manipulate will occur, so please participate through Netflix!”
Now everything makes sense.
The massive production budget and the involvement of three out of the four major agencies.
Chuso Season 3, airing simultaneously with Netflix.
The Chuso series had been a mega hit in Korea.
Moreover, an idol survival show through Netflix was unprecedented, so the hype would be doubled.
What if Chuso Season 3 became a global hit?
As long as they succeed in the debut, this survival show is a no-lose situation.
The three major agencies must have been confident.
They believe in their trainees’ abilities and they have many other ways to support them aside from vote manipulation.
So, will I be recognized by foreigners now?
A global star?
Gasp!
“Let me say this once more.”
“This opportunity may be the last chance for the 99 trainees who couldn’t make it to 100.”
“What’s needed is your final vote, Chuso fans. Good luck.”
“Please vote a lot for the seven girls who will become your lucky stars!”
What the heck.
Wasn’t it eleven in the last season?
Why is it seven now?