LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 106
Chapter 106
Director Joo Yeol-eum observed our expressions and spoke.
“The CEO insists on live performances since you have the skill. Plus, since four of you are from survival shows, if it’s possible, live performances are always preferable. Actually, doing them is an absolute advantage.”
“Yes. We will try.”
Kang Ji-woo responded first.
Indeed, he was a leader recognized by both the company and the members.
“Alright. Practice hard.”
Director Joo Yeol-eum, who never anticipated any other response, left the practice room.
Honestly, we were somewhat prepared for a full live performance on our debut stage.
Recently, CEO Ban Ga-eul, who looked as thin as Director Joo Yeol-eum, replaced greetings with statements like, “If you’re a singer, you should perform live, right?”
Ban Yo-han once said that CEO Ban Ga-eul seemed old-fashioned in strange ways and was sincere about live performances.
Personally, I don’t think being able to perform live while doing intense choreography is the entirety of singing ability.
There are definitely songs that can’t be performed live while dancing.
Even thinking simply, it’s obvious that a song performed while standing still sounds better than one performed while running around.
So, it’s correct to consider singing skills and live performance skills as separate.
However, it’s also true that there are people who can handle tough choreography while performing live stably, so it’s natural that discussions about an idol’s live performance skills continue.
Moreover, since idols are not just singers but a kind of dance singers, it’s reasonable to consider both songs sung while dancing and songs sung while standing still when discussing skills.
“I know, but I don’t want to do it…”
“I don’t want to do it, but we have to, so let’s do it…”
The choreography for our debut song, “Liberation,” created by Jung Sae-bom’s dance crew, was released a few days ago, and everyone was grumbling more than usual because the choreography wasn’t easy by any means.
Still, no one complained or said they couldn’t do it once practice started.
“If we do it, it’ll be great!”
“If it’s impossible, let’s make it possible!”
Despite the difficulty, everyone knew that a singer who can perform live properly is much cooler than one who lip-syncs.
Performing live on our debut stage? And doing it well?
That would be game over.
—
[(Official) Boy Group ORCA, Confirmed to Debut in November… Currently Filming Debut Reality Show]
[“On Raon Group” ORCA, Confirmed to Debut in November… What Does the Group Name Mean?]
[ORCA to Hold Debut Showcase… When Will Ticket Sales Start?]
[Pick Heart3 Debut Group Breaker Rigging Scandal ‘Debut Uncertain’ vs. Eliminated Trainees On Raon, Ban Yo-han, Seo Moon-gyeol’s ORCA Debut in November ‘Polar Opposites’]
– Wow, our boys are doing a reality show!!!!!!
– What’s going on with the agency? Why are they suddenly doing such a good job?;;
– A reality show? It’s going to be fun even without watching ((their faces))
– Can we finally see our boys without worrying about screen time? Can we hear Gyeol speak????
– Goodbye editing out our scenes, hello to screen time~~!
– Debuting in November is right during exam season, please consider the students and debut after exams are over, I’ll save up money, please.. please…
– Wow, they’re debuting this year
– Is Breaker still going to debut this year..?
┗ I was sure they’d debut within the third quarter, but now I’m not so sure…
┗ They shouldn’t debut until they filter out the rigged members
– Some agencies are reportedly reworking rookie plans that include Pick3 debut trainees?
┗ Stop making unfounded claims
While the investigation into Pick Heart3 was actively progressing, there was no news about the debut group Breaker other than ongoing negotiations among the agencies, even as September approached.
—
Summer was already over.
With the arrival of September, the summer vacation ended, and the second semester began, but the three college students had already taken a leave of absence, and Gyun Seong-ha returned to the company to practice right after school.
I had no idea how each day passed by.
On days like today, when we went out of the company to film our reality show, it was the only time we could catch our breath.
“Let’s start filming!”
We wore matching school uniforms to fit today’s filming concept of visiting an amusement park with classmates.
“Everyone, do you know the name of our reality show?”
Since I had suggested going to the amusement park during the pre-meeting, I was roughly in charge of today’s proceedings.
“Let’s Get Closer, ORCA!”
“That’s right. To help us get closer, I’ve prepared a special game today.”
“Wow, what is it?”
“It’s… the buddy game.”
“The buddy game?”
Everyone seemed puzzled as it was a game they hadn’t heard of before.
I, too, had heard about it for the first time when the production team explained it.
“It’s a game where you take care of your assigned buddy particularly well throughout the day.”
It turned out to be nothing special once explained.
The reason for introducing the game wasn’t grand; it seemed intended to highlight the chemistry between the members.
The production team decided to use ladder drawing to select buddies.
“We draw ladders to choose buddies, and depending on the result, we might end up being each other’s buddies or only one of us considering the other a buddy, or even being our own buddy… Is that it?”
“Yes, you got it right! Even if buddies are assigned, just think of it as taking a little more care of each other than usual.”
I think things started to get weird from this point.
“Seong-ha, let’s draw one more line here. I have a bad feeling.”
“Enough! If we draw any more, we’ll get lost on the way down!”
“Just one more.”
The first ladder drawing resulted in two people sadly being their own buddies.
The production team agreed that it wouldn’t be fun on screen, so we redrew the ladder and the results were:
Kang Ji-woo → Kang Ji-woo
Ban Yo-han → Seo Moon-gyeol
Seo Moon-gyeol → Gyun Seong-ha
Gyun Seong-ha → On Raon
On Raon → Ban Yo-han
I organized the results a bit more neatly on paper.
Seo Moon-gyeol → Gyun Seong-ha → On Raon → Ban Yo-han → Seo Moon-gyeol
Kang Ji-woo → Kang Ji-woo (I’m friends with myself)
“It’s amazing that it connects without any interruptions in the middle.”
“Kang Ji-woo is going to become friends with himself, hahaha!”
“I can take care of you guys too! Why am I the only one twice!”
“Loving yourself is a good thing.”
“Gyeol, I know that too… I know! Producer, can’t we redraw this just one more time?!”
“Two times is the limit.”
“Seriously, why am I the only one!”
“He’s always been unlucky.”
Ban Yo-han, who was laughing his head off at Kang Ji-woo’s tragedy, finally managed to calm down and shook his head.
“But will such relationships really help in bonding?”
“What do you mean?”
“Clapping only makes a sound when two hands come together, but right now, everything is crossed. There’s no one who mutually considers the other as their buddy. Isn’t this a risky and heartbreaking relationship?”
At my words, Gyun Seong-ha jumped.
“Come on, don’t take it so seriously!”
But we had Ban Yo-han, a person who wouldn’t be satisfied until he thoroughly enjoyed every bit of fun.
This guy, who had come to an amusement park that was surprisingly quiet for a weekday, wasn’t going to miss the chance to have a blast.
“Since things have come to this, how about we set up our scenario properly?”
This guy, who lived and died for fun…
In the end, after brainstorming with the writers on site, the final setup was completed as follows.
—
The members, who were students at a certain high school, all came to LATTEWORLD, an indoor amusement park in Seoul, one day.
But in truth, they had a peculiar relationship.
First, Seo Moon-gyeol wanted to know the brand of sneakers Gyun Seong-ha, famous for being good at sports, wore. Gyun Seong-ha wanted to know the skincare products used by On Raon, famous for his clear skin. On Raon wanted to know which academy Ban Yo-han, known for his academic excellence, attended. And Ban Yo-han, who was preparing for college entrance exams, wanted to learn Seo Moon-gyeol’s method for managing his mental state, which seemed to transcend all.
They all desperately wanted to know each other’s secrets, so they came up with a brilliant idea to win each other’s favor and get what they wanted by being nice to each other.
Their visit to LATTEWORLD had such secretive motives in the background.
As they wandered around LATTEWORLD, they had to win the favor of their target so that the target would give up their original goal and cooperate with them.
Moreover, Kang Ji-woo, who recently confessed to someone he liked but was rejected, joined the group hiding his dark intentions, wishing for everyone else to fail as well.
Kang Ji-woo was full of thoughts to sabotage the other four from getting what they wanted.
If no one won anyone’s favor by the end of the filming, Kang Ji-woo would win alone, obtaining a wish card he could use on the members, and the others would face a penalty.
If even one member other than Kang Ji-woo succeeded in winning someone’s favor, those who succeeded would receive the wish cards, while those who gave their favor and Kang Ji-woo would face penalties.
Additionally, one could not both give and receive favors at the same time.
If A gave their favor to B, A could not receive favor from C.
The method to determine whether favor was won or not was prepared by the production team and would be revealed at the end of the shoot.
—
Even though the setup had changed quite a bit, the writers and production team seemed to like it, saying it was more interesting than they had originally thought.
“If my love won’t come true, I’d rather see everything fall apart…”
In the midst of this, someone was already deeply immersed in this bizarre setup.
Kang Ji-woo, who held a grudge from being twice unfortunate with the ladder, seemed genuinely intent on making everyone else fail.
“Isn’t this reality show called ‘Let’s Get Closer, ORCA’? But there’s someone openly wishing for everything to fall apart?”
Gyun Seong-ha asked, puzzled.
The aim of fostering camaraderie was long gone, the concept of being buddies to encourage pre-debut closeness among the members was far off, and all that was left was the goal of stealing each other’s hearts… or rather, favor, for personal gain.
‘Is this a Shu×Shu×Rune scenario?’
“Gyeol hyung, this is an individual game, so if Yo-han hyung tries to persuade you, don’t just give in.”
Gyun Seong-ha, worried about Seo Moon-gyeol who always gave what he asked for, made a firm request.
“You should make sure you’re not easily persuaded by Gyeol hyung being nice and take care of me instead.”
“…”
This guy… he seems unsure.
No. If he doesn’t take care of me, it’s him who faces the penalty, so why is he already demanding my attention?
“Raon, don’t worry. I won’t be easily swayed.”
Ban Yo-han smiled.
“Not you, hyung.”
It seemed like it was going to be a tough day.