TDOCD Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Tension

The air in the production area crackled with tension as Reporter Choi Kyo-young casually extracted an Americano from the coffee box.

His nonchalant demeanor belied the weight of his words:

"What do you mean? It's exactly as I said. Min Ha-young is famous for getting heavily edited out of Love Me idol."

Writer Son Yeo-jin's forced smile did little to mask her discomfort.

"Excuse me, Mr. Reporter! We're listening too, you know?" Her voice carried a mix of surprise and assertiveness. "We gave you special access, and this is how you repay us?"

Choi Kyo-young merely shrugged, his smugness palpable. "Come on, I'm just stating facts." The ease with which he interacted with the production staff hinted at an established rapport.

Chuckling, as if enjoying a private joke, Choi turned to Yu-hwa.

"Anyway, to continue – Min Ha-young will probably get the most hate out of all the contestants this time."

Yu-hwa's brow furrowed.

"Why would she get hate?"

"She was terrible at managing her expressions back then too. What you're feeling right now, Yu-hwa - that's exactly what viewers felt," Choi explained, his words laden with insider knowledge.

Yu-hwa's soft "Oh......" hung in the air as Choi continued his exposition.

"She was also greedy for parts. Well, since she was participating as an individual trainee at the time, it's understandable that a regular person might not be good with cameras. But as I said earlier, she got cut out." Choi made a throat-slitting gesture, his casual cruelty shocking in its nonchalance.

"As luck would have it, the trainee she fought with over parts was from a well-known agency. You know, the one who recently debuted with Plenaty. She was a member there."

Plenaty was a recently debuted 7-member girl group, and their agency, Colosse Entertainment.

They were controversial for their hedgehog-like management style - forcing connections with other agencies' groups, excessive viral marketing, and badmouthing other groups.

Though controversial, they were still operating smoothly thanks to their powerful connections.

If she had gotten entangled with a member from there, it made sense that she was edited out due to external pressure.

As Choi delved deeper into Ha-young's past, painting a picture of industry politics and the notorious Colosse Entertainment, Yu-hwa's unease grew.

The reporter's words revealed a world of "evil editing" and manufactured narratives that left a bitter taste in her mouth.

In the industry, this slang term has multiple meanings, but in this context, Choi Kyo-young "edited out" meant heavy editing rather than being removed from the broadcast entirely.

If she had fought over parts with a Colosse trainee, they likely made Min Ha-young look like the unilateral bad guy to rationalize the dispute in their favor.

Yu-hwa's gaze turned cynical as she looked at Son Yeo-jin. Was this the kind of prejudice they were trying to instill? And to a mentor, no less?

She wondered what kind of prejudice they were trying to instill, expecting her to view Min Ha-young a certain way.

"Haha......"

The writer's awkward attempt to change the subject only heightened the tension.

"So, Mr. Choi, who were you so curious about that you came today?, is it her? Or Han Da-min ?"  Son Yeo-jin asked, her voice tinged with forced casualness.

He shook his head vigorously at her question.

"Why Han Da-min. She's not worth any money. A failed idol trying again isn't such a great story - no one cares. Same goes for Min Ha-young."

Yu-hwa, who had been quietly trying to focus on the monitor, frowned even more.

Son Yeo-jin tilted her head and asked:

"Then who? Besides them, who else here could be newsworthy? Oh, Choi Song-yi?"

"Nah, it's a secret."

The conversation meandered through potential subjects of interest, with Choi dismissing candidates one by one. His final cryptic grin and meaningful glance at the monitor.

'There's a much bigger scoop, but whatever.'

His eyes landed in F team’s practice room. Specifically at Ryu Ji-ye

***

The lyrics flowed through the air like a promise:

Like a horizon stretching endlessly

Will you accept my heart

Ra ri ra-ta-

Squeak-squeak*

The rhythmic sound of sneakers on the practice room floor created an impromptu percussion, accompanying our determined movements.

How long had it been since I'd been this drenched in sweat? An oddly euphoric feeling washed over me as I belted out the high notes of the chorus:

Even if it burns hot

So that you feel cool

The notes soared beautifully, my voice finally opening up after hours of rigorous practice.

A fleeting thought crossed my mind: if Yu-hwa could evaluate my vocals right now, she'd be even more impressed. Her earlier reaction had been good, but this?

This would have been so much better.

Of course, in this world of aspiring idols, praise and a mentor's affection inevitably translate into precious screen time.

A twinge of wistfulness hit me as I considered the upcoming evaluation.

It would likely focus on the part competition between Min Ha-young and Han Da-min when it airs, making every second of potential exposure invaluable.

Still, Yu-hwa's initial reaction to my singing had been fascinating.

"She's good... really good," she had said, her expression softening into a wide smile as she watched me sing and dance.

Those words, that look – they made me think of so many things.

It was striking how, despite our different positions and identities now, Yu-hwa's taste hadn't changed. I remembered her words from before:

'My favorite is, well, if I had to say, Yeo-eun unnie? I love her singing style so much. To the point where I want to copy it. Actually, I always add Yeo-eun unnie's cover songs to my playlist - that's how much I like them.'

Whether I was Hong Yeo-eun or Ryu Ji-ye, seeing her enjoy my singing filled me with a bittersweet happiness. It felt like I'd discovered a bridge between the Yu-hwa I knew in the past and the one before me now. Yet, it also brought a tinge of sadness, knowing this connection existed only in my memory.

"Huff... Ji-ye, what's wrong? Are you tired?" Da-min's concerned voice cut through my reverie. She must have noticed something odd in my expression.

I quickly composed myself. "No, I'm fine."

Silently, I added

'Anyway, I'm glad Yu-hwa's taste hasn't changed. Thanks to that, I was able to get the most parts among the members in this evaluation.'

Shaking off my wandering thoughts, I refocused on the choreography. 'Every time I meet Yu-hwa, I end up thinking too much,' I chided myself internally.

Though my concentration had wavered, fatigue hadn't set in yet.

Just as I was about to throw myself back into practice, Da-min's voice rang out again.

She had been glancing between the clock and our reflections in the mirror.

"Hey guys, should we call it a day? It's almost 2 AM. If we want to manage our condition, we should probably get some sleep now. What do you think?"

The reaction was immediate. Seo Ra-eun and Choi Song-yi collapsed onto the floor, their exhausted voices barely audible:

"Sounds good..."

"Huff... huff..."

I couldn't help but smirk inwardly. Look at that - there are people with less stamina than Ryu Ji-ye here.

Quietly, I sat down next to the two of them and turned my attention to Min Ha-young. She was still standing in front of the mirror, her body moving through fragments of choreography. After a moment, she shook her head.

"I'm going to practice a bit more."

Her words were unexpected. She was working especially hard today - wasn't she tired? Her usual high energy had vanished, replaced by a subdued voice and an expression that seemed more than just exhausted.

'Or maybe it's not exhaustion, but she's still in a bad mood?' I pondered.

Her expression had been growing more rigid as time passed. As a senior, I wished I could advise her to manage her emotions better.

​Even if it wasn't for Start Plan, if she truly aspired to become a celebrity, wearing her heart on her sleeve like this could be detrimental.

'Though it would be inappropriate for me to say anything now,' I reminded myself, frustration building as I watched her struggle.

That's when it happened. The tension that had been silently building suddenly snapped.

"Ha-young, I don't know what you're thinking when you act like this."

Da-min's low voice resonated through the quiet practice room, cutting through the sound of heavy breathing. Her hand slipped from my shoulder as she stood up, facing Ha-young with an expressionless mask.

"How can you show your bad mood so openly when other members are here?"

My internal alarm bells started ringing. Wait a minute. It's not time to fight yet!

As if responding to my thoughts, a surreal visualization appeared in my mind's eye:

Ding!

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

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

FIGHT GAUGE!

※When the gauge reaches 100, they will fight in front of the camera :)

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

See? The gauge isn't even full yet. Why are they starting already? Is this how fight build-up works in reality shows?

I silently pleaded, 'Please, Ha-young. There are cameras here. You've already struggled with managing your expressions for a while, but at least don't talk back. There's nothing that will get you more hate than taking a senior's advice as picking a fight, even if you're on the same team.'

The room fell into a tense silence. Ha-young stopped moving at Da-min's firm voice, her body frozen in place.

"......?"

Surprisingly, and perhaps mercifully, Ha-young remained quiet. The unresolved tension hung in the air, leaving us all wondering what would happen next as we pursue our dreams and ambitions.