TDOCD Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Evil Editing

I couldn't hide my surprise as I gently patted her back.

The harsh criticism Seo Ra-eun had received was undeniably severe.

 "Your vocal cords were extremely tense, and your pitch was unstable," Yuhwa had said, her usually kind demeanor replaced by obvious displeasure.

"If you want to do the intro, you'll need to practice a lot more. For now, Ra-eun will take the intro part, but it's not final.

We'll see at the next evaluation, and if it's still not working, we'll change it."

 No wonder the typically timid girl was shocked.

 "Don't cry, unnie," I consoled her. "You were just too nervous to show your true skills. We all got criticized similarly. Please don't be too upset."

 It was true. I was told to smile more brightly, and Choi Song-yi was critiqued for lacking expressiveness.

Getting feedback on weaknesses is just part of being a trainee.

 As I comforted Ra-eun, a realization struck me. "I should practice my expressions too," I thought, remembering Yuhwa's critique.

I'd gotten so used to Hong Yeo-eun's naturally smiling face that I kept forgetting Ryu Ji-ye had a rather cold expression.

These kinds of expressions often lead to misunderstandings if you don't practice in front of a mirror.

How fortunate to get this feedback now.

 "Let's practice hard together based on the feedback we received," I suggested.

"We should accept our shortcomings and work on improving them before the next mentor meeting to finalize the intro."

 Ra-eun's sobs intensified.

"What about the intro... can I really do it..."

 "We just have to try without overthinking it," I replied, but my words seemed to have the opposite effect. Ra-eun cried even harder.

 I sighed inwardly. My old members used to tell me that instead of trying to comfort someone, I should just give them a hug. I guess I'm still terrible at consoling others, no matter how much time passes.

 "Unnie, I'm sorry," I said, giving Seo Ra-eun's shoulder one last pat before standing up.

Instead of offering useless attempts at comfort, I decided to focus on what needed to be done.

 Taking a deep breath, I reopened the mission window I had closed earlier:

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

 - Mission completion condition:

Reach an agreement between Han Da-min and Min Ha-young before the Fight gauge reaches 100%

​(Time limit: 10 hours)

 Reward: 500G

 *If failed, Han Da-min and Min Ha-young will be plagued by inexplicable conflict rumors.

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

 I turned my head to see Min Ha-young still sulking in the corner with a dark expression, while Han Da-min pretended to be nonchalant as she warmed up in front of the mirror.

​The Fight Gauge loomed ominously:

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

 0 [■■■■■■□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□] 100

 FIGHT GAUGE

 ※When the gauge reaches 100, they will fight for real in front of the cameras :)

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

 How was I supposed to complete this mission?

I had noticed a subtle rivalry between the two from the beginning, but I never thought it would escalate to a fight. Was this even worth fighting over?

Unless they had extremely sensitive and self-centered personalities, how could they act like this in front of cameras?

 It was completely incomprehensible to me.

I wondered if the system was just exacerbating their emotions or forcibly creating an unnatural situation.

 A sudden thought crossed my mind:

"I heard Han Da-min's group disbanded due to conflict rumors."

I quickly dismissed it with a shudder.

No, it must be a forcibly created situation. I've been a victim of those rumors myself and with my own group several times.

How could I so readily believe rumors about others?

 At the very least, the Han Da-min I saw in front of me understood how important it was for members to be considerate and compromise with each other.

Didn't she try to persuade the members during the meeting?

Besides, she won the part competition, and even if she had lost, she's not the type to show her emotions in front of cameras.

 Then, was Min Ha-young the source of the conflict?

She's friendly and polite, with a good personality, but she's always emphasized her determination to not lose to anyone when it comes to dance.

She's also not the type to fight in front of cameras, but if the system forces them to fight, Min Ha-young is more likely to start it.

 The time limit of 10 hours weighed heavily on my mind.

If they were going to fight sincerely less than a day after distributing parts, it meant emotions were already building up.

In that case, it might be difficult to approach Min Ha-young, who's likely to be the cause of the outburst.

 "Ahem!" I cleared my throat unnecessarily as I got up and headed towards Han Da-min. Let's try approaching her first, since she seems relatively composed.

 "Unnie, let's talk for a bit after practice," I said, steeling myself for the task ahead.

 If this were an individual audition program, there would be less to worry about. Sigh. Team activities are never easy, no matter where you are.

 ---

 "Excuse me~"

 The cheerful voice entering the room made everyone turn their tired eyes away from the screens.

Son Yeo-jin, the main writer for Start Plan, managed a weak smile at the voice's owner.

 "Oh, Yuhwa-ssi, you're here?"

 "Yes, I was about to head out. The meeting's over... Oh no, Writer-nim, your eyes are bloodshot. Have you gotten any sleep?"

The writer remained silent at Yuhwa's question. Not only Son Yeo-jin but the entire production staff had been on standby here since before dawn, preparing for the shoot.

Leaving work late at night, sleeping for two hours, then coming back at dawn - doing this for over a week was truly hellish.

 Yuhwa's expression turned sympathetic as she handed them coffee. "Everyone's working so hard. Please drink this while you work."

 Writer Son Yeo-jin's expression brightened at the caffeine-filled hands. "Ah, you didn't have to. Yuhwa-ssi, you're always so lovely."

She was a popular idol they had difficulty casting for the show, and she was actively participating in filming.

She would look lovely enough without going to such lengths. There was clearly a reason why Yuhwa was adored wherever she went.

Writer Son Yeo-jin picked up the coffee marked "extra shot" and asked, "How are the F team kids? Are they behaving well?"

"F team, hmm."Yuhwa's consistently smiling face turned somewhat serious. "They're skilled and well-behaved."

 "So, do you think they have a shot at winning?"

 When Writer Son Yeo-jin asked jokingly, Yuhwa shrugged and shook her head. "I'm not sure yet. They're all really talented."

 "Yeah, it wasn't intentional, but we did put in more stable performers compared to E team."

 "Maybe that's why. They're all good, but I'm not sure how well they get along with each other."

 "Power struggles or checking each other out, something like that?"

 Yuhwa nodded.

The atmosphere during the meeting wasn't bad.

The members were very cooperative and polite, making the conversation quite enjoyable.

Moreover, many of them had broadcasting experience, so their planning sense was excellent.

Looking at the situation, it seemed like a smoothly progressing meeting, but seeing it up close, there were some concerning points that couldn't be ignored.

 "There are two members who are particularly good at dancing. Every time we distribute parts, they struggle to manage their expressions. They need to be careful about that."

 "Who? Who's having trouble managing their expressions?"

 Yuhwa pointed at Min Ha-young on the monitor.

 Writer Son Yeo-jin chuckled when she saw the trainee Yuhwa was pointing at. "Ah, her."

 "Her?"

 "Oh my, Yuhwa-ssi, you don't know?"

 Don't know what? Yuhwa widened her eyes in confusion, and Writer Son Yeo-jin spoke in an excited voice, as if sharing an interesting story.

 "It's Min Ha-young, you know. From 'Love Me Idol'."

 "I know she appeared on 'Love Me Idol'. She was a good dancer."

 "Ah, so you only saw her dancing. Ha-young was famous for something else."

 Yuhwa frowned.

Why is her tone like that?

She felt like she was hearing something unpleasant.

How could a trainee who dances so well be more famous for something other than dancing?

Well, it could be possible. But why is she talking about it with that mocking tone?

 As Yuhwa was looking at her, Writer Son Yeo-jin was about to open her mouth when-

 "Min Ha-young was famous for being evil-edited."

At the voice coming from a bit further away, Writer Son Yeo-jin's expression hardened. The director, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, also turned his gaze from the monitor to look at the owner of the voice.

 "Reporter Choi Kyo-young?"

At Writer Son Yeo-jin's call, a man who had been walking among the production staff grinned.

"Yuhwa-ssi, may I also have some coffee?"

"Of course. But what do you mean by being famous for evil editing?"

​The tension in the room suddenly thickened, leaving Yuhwa caught between curiosity and unease about what she was about to learn.