Free Web Novel“Honey, will your sister-in-law really be okay?”
“Even if the world ends, that girl will survive. Do you still not know Miyoung?”
Sukja thought her husband was too soft-hearted for his own good.
Even now, as he watched Miyoung’s press conference on his smartphone, he couldn’t sit still, openly showing his worry to Sukja.
But—
—Why did you allow your niece, Lee Sion, to participate as a contestant?
—While recruiting to fill a vacancy among the original one hundred contestants, my niece applied, and it was not me but other members of the production staff who selected her. I only found out afterward, and I tried to cancel it immediately, but by then the first filming date was already right around the corner, so there was nothing I could do.
‘Wow. That lie really slips right off her tongue, huh?’
Sukja knew perfectly well that Miyoung had baited Lee Sion into joining the program with pocket money, so she knew that everything Miyoung was saying at the press conference right now was a lie.
And so, watching her younger sister Kim Miyoung calmly answer the reporters’ questions with straight-faced lies, Sukja could only feel dumbfounded.
—Then why did you give an order to reduce Lee Sion’s screentime?
—That’s··· because both I and my older sister, Sion’s mother, thought the same thing.
—The same thing?
—My older sister did not want Sion to become an idol. Rather than being an idol, she wanted her to go to college and live a more normal life. And I also work in broadcasting, so I hoped my niece wouldn’t have to walk such a difficult path.
—So you intentionally edited her screentime to make her be eliminated?
—···Sniff. Yes.
When Sukja saw Miyoung’s tearful performance on the phone screen, it was impressive enough to be almost admirable.
‘Why did you even become a PD? You should’ve been an actress, you idiot!’
To anyone who didn’t know her, Kim Miyoung looked exactly like an aunt who had tried to eliminate her niece out of concern.
‘...Is there something wrong with my parenting method?’
Sukja was genuinely troubled enough to wonder whether the root of the problem lay with herself.
Lee Sion, the daughter she had given birth to and raised until now.
And Kim Miyoung, her youngest sister, whom she had practically raised herself since infancy because of their large age gap.
When the two people who had gone through her hands turned out like this, it wasn’t strange that she seriously questioned her own methods.
But she soon reached a different conclusion.
Rather, it was only because she was Sukja that she had been able to handle the two of them at all.
Because if it weren’t for her, Kim Miyoung might very well have ended up as a con artist tricking people by now.
And Lee Sion might not even have graduated high school properly.
—Unni, just one more time!
Late last night, Miyoung had suddenly shown up at Sukja’s house, dropped to her knees, and proudly declared that she wanted to sell Sukja out just one more time.
The sheer confidence of her posture, completely at odds with the content of her request, had made Sukja wonder at first if she’d misheard her.
But Sukja quickly shook off Miyoung’s manipulation.
Normally, she would’ve slaughtered her reckless youngest sister on the spot, but thinking she might as well hear a last will before killing her, she asked for the reason.
—I want to get Sion idol-debuted.
The answer had been unexpected.
—Not because she’s my niece. She really has talent as an idol. But if this keeps going, I think I’ll end up grabbing Sion by the ankle.
If it became public that a rising contestant on a survival program was related to the main PD, the one who would suffer wouldn’t be Miyoung, but her niece Lee Sion.
Hearing Miyoung say that she planned to step down voluntarily for that reason softened Sukja’s heart.
Even though Miyoung still caused trouble as an adult, she was still Sukja’s precious younger sister, and the idea of her sacrificing herself for her niece didn’t sit well.
—I’m fine! I’m just stepping down from the program. I already talked everything over with the department head. I’m taking charge of the next program.
Of course, what Miyoung said next only made Sukja realize she’d been worried for nothing.
And as she listened to the detailed explanation of Miyoung’s current plan, Sukja began to seriously suspect that her sister really might be, just as her daughter Sion said, a devil obsessed with ratings.
—You and I can become the nation’s most hated bitches together, just once!
Miyoung’s proposal—to spread the story that their family relationship brought Sion nothing but harm, then follow it up with an explanation claiming she had edited Sion’s screentime under Sukja’s orders—was insane by any measure.
But—
—Fourteen nights, fifteen days on a European cruise! Once you get back, I’ve got something else already planned. Run it all through the washing machine once and it’ll be spotless!
Saying she even had a way to restore Sukja’s tarnished image in one shot, Miyoung begged her to play the villain just once.
In the end, Sukja couldn’t refuse her younger sister’s request.
“But isn’t your sister-in-law pushing herself too hard? Telling you to stay at a hotel and then just go off on a cruise trip···.”
“Do you really think she paid for that with her own money?”
“Huh? Then with what money?”
“She probably shook down her bosses. She’s exactly like Lee Sion, that bitch.”
And thanks to that, Sukja and her husband ended up going on an unplanned long vacation.
There was still a full day left before the cruise departure, but Miyoung had already booked them into a hotel, saying reporters might even show # Nоvеlight # up at their house, so they should stay there first.
So now, Sukja and her husband were watching Miyoung’s press conference from a hotel room.
Sukja couldn’t understand why her husband Lee Jihun kept worrying that Miyoung was going too far.
Did he really think Miyoung had booked cruise tickets and a hotel with her own money?
If nothing else, she had probably received something substantial from her superiors in exchange for stepping up for this press conference.
“What about our Sion? She doesn’t know anything, and without us around she’ll probably lose heart···.”
“The reason she runs wild is because you keep coddling her! She’ll really get discouraged.”
Sukja felt stifled listening to Jihun, who didn’t understand their daughter at all.
She could understand a father cherishing his daughter, but Sion was different.
It might sound harsh to outsiders, but Sukja believed that instead of worrying about Lee Sion, it was more appropriate to worry about the people around her.
If Miyoung was a danger level comparable to a snake jumping out of the bushes, then Lee Sion was the flu.
A highly contagious flu that could soak everything around it in itself if you let your guard down.
So there was nothing more foolish than worrying about Lee Sion.
***
“CEO, how about bringing in Lee Sion?”
“Hoo··· Hyeryeong, in your eyes, is she the real thing?”
Lee Seyoon.
At first glance it sounded like a woman’s name, but it was unambiguously a man’s.
So much so that there was even a company named after the initials of his name.
SY.
Along with TSP and YH, it was one of the three major entertainment agencies in Korea.
Lee Seyoon, the head of SY, was asking Hyeryeong, who had come to him insisting that they aggressively scout an unaffiliated trainee.
Was Lee Sion really talent worth bringing into SY?
After all, although the public grouped them together as one of the Big Three alongside TSP and YH, if people were asked to pick the single top agency among them, SY was overwhelmingly the first choice.
It was the company that had created Korea’s first idol group.
The very embodiment of idol history itself—the agency that had produced G.G, once called the greatest girl group in Korean history, and Exy, hailed as the best boy group of the current generation.
That was why being selected as a trainee at SY was the hardest among the Big Three, and even after being selected, debuting was even harder.
Hyeryeong, one of their own artists, knew that better than anyone.
So for her to be pushing this hard, Seyoon couldn’t help but take interest.
“You know I hate being called a genius, and I hate calling anyone one too.”
“I know.”
Seyoon had watched Hyeryeong—from the legendary girl group G.G that marked the beginning of SY’s golden age and now considered the greatest female solo singer—from her trainee days.
People called Hyeryeong a genius who could handle both vocals and dance, but that was far from the truth.
‘At first, she wasn’t even debut team material—she was bottom-tier among the trainees.’
She had had no talent to speak of and had been worrying about being cut altogether.
So how shocked had Seyoon been when she clawed her way up into the debut lineup through sheer effort?
That was why Hyeryeong hated being called a genius, and never called others one either.
No one knew better than her how important effort was.
“But Lee Sion really is a genius.”
For someone like Hyeryeong to say that left no room for doubt, so Seyoon began seriously considering recruiting Lee Sion.
‘She definitely stands out.’
Even though he hadn’t sent any of his own trainees onto the program, Seyoon had watched Idol Ground 100 because Hyeryeong appeared on it, and Lee Sion had left the strongest impression among all the contestants.
First of all, her looks were flawless.
Even by SY’s standards, which placed the heaviest weight on visuals among the Big Three, there wasn’t a single flaw to nitpick.
And when Lee Sion stood on stage, an indescribable aura poured out of her.
An inexplicable charm that bewitched people simply by her being on stage.
That was an innate talent that couldn’t be artificially created. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
And—
—I hereby voluntarily step down as the main PD of Idol Ground 100. I will take full responsibility for everything. I sincerely apologize to everyone who loved the program.
Thinking back to MPlay’s emergency press conference held just hours ago, Lee Sion could only be described as someone born with buzz.
[Lee Sion is really pitiful, right? She almost had to give up her idol dream because of her mom and aunt.]
[She looks like she’s just there for funny cuts, but if you watch her practice footage she’s seriously working herself to the bone.]
[I’m just supporting Lee Sion no matter what from now on. Anyone who keeps slandering her, I’ll kill them all.]
Like a classical heroic epic, the public reaction toward Lee Sion—who had overcome tragedy and risen tall—was anything but ordinary.
To the point where—
[Wait... but isn’t it still true that Lee Sion is related to the main PD?]
The moment anyone posted even the slightest criticism of Lee Sion on a community site—
[Wow, there really are trash people like this.]
[Found them. Checked the poster’s ID and they’re a stan of another contestant.]
[Their level is obvious. These are exactly the kinds of people accusing the staff of favoritism while dragging Lee Sion.]
Their personal information was exposed in an instant, along with their past behavior.
“The story itself is really good.”
A girl who dreamed of becoming an idol but almost had to give up due to her parents’ opposition joins a survival program as a last chance, only to face further hardship there.
But just like all heroic epics end in victory, Lee Sion took first place despite all obstacles, and public affection for her was skyrocketing without limit.
“Do you think we can negotiate with MPlay?”
“Hardly. The moment Lee Sion leaves, Idol Ground 100 itself loses its shine.”
Even so, recruiting Lee Sion would not be easy.
At present, there were only two possible methods.
The first was to approach Lee Sion immediately, sign a contract, and pull her out of the program.
Of course, even in the entertainment industry—often derided as a den of scumbags—this would be considered excessive, and it also carried the risk of making an enemy of KJ E&M.
If that happened, it was practically guaranteed that SY artists would be barred from appearing on MPlay and other KJ Media network broadcasts for the next few years.
Worse still, it would likely damage Lee Sion’s image, making it the worst option.
“There’s a chance right now.”
Since the controversy had happened—even if it wasn’t Lee Sion’s fault—if she withdrew from the program citing this incident, there would be no backlash against her.
In fact, sympathy might drive her popularity even higher.
It would also give KJ little room to object.
There was also the second option.
Wait for Lee Sion to be selected into Idol Ground 100’s debut group, have her promote as a KJ-affiliated idol group member for one year, and then formally recruit her afterward.
This was actually the most orthodox route, but it had drawbacks too.
‘By then, we won’t be the only ones after her.’
No matter how powerful SY was, there was no guarantee they could secure her if rivals like YH or TSP made a move.
“First, I think we’ll need to meet with KJ.”
Even so, if he gave up just because it was difficult, Lee Seyoon would never have built SY into what it was today.
A good idea suddenly coming to mind, Seyoon decided he needed to speak with KJ’s representative as soon as possible.
***
“Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro!”
Seeing myself shout the GOAT’s full name on the massive screen, the pain of betraying God resurfaced once again.
“Why in the world do you even memorize Ronaldo’s full name?”
Lee Gahyeon, the heretic who had called Messi the greatest footballer of all time, asked me, apparently reminded of the speed quiz incident.
“That’s like asking why people breathe.”
“Huh?”
What else was there in this world worth memorizing instead of Ronaldo’s full name?
Even if you didn’t know Taejeong Taese Mundanse, knowing Ronaldo’s full name was the minimum obligation of humanity.
“But back then, Gahyeon unni was really desperate too.”
“Exactly! When Gahyeon unni tried to hide her dark circles just to get the answer right, I was honestly moved.”
Yunkyung and Shinyu, who had been on the same team during the Group Battle Mission, looked happy as they reminisced like it was some distant past.
‘Come to think of it, it’s only been two or three weeks. Why does it feel like such a long-ago memory?’
Was it because life in the dorm had been denser than expected?
The team members chattered excitedly, swept up in nostalgia as they watched Idol Ground 100 episodes 3 and 4.
I was watching along, fairly entertained myself.
‘Seo Ryujin isn’t easy to find an opening against.’
Since contestants mostly practiced only with their own teams, they rarely knew what other teams were like.
Watching the broadcast, seeing “So that’s how other teams were,” was genuinely interesting.
Seo Ryujin’s team, for instance, was a textbook example of a model team.
—Jiwoo, I think you should take this part. Here, you can clearly···
I had been watching, half-hoping some teasing-worthy moment would pop up, so it was a bit disappointing.
Watching Seo Ryujin calmly lead the team through practice and smoothly push everything forward made it honestly hard to find any faults.
On the other hand—
—If we end practice today without getting this right, tomorrow will be even harder.
Ryu Ayeon, who appeared next on screen after Seo Ryujin, was shown driving her team like a near-tyrant.
Cold and severe—nothing like the person who had just been possessed by a food demon while devouring Yupgi Tteokbokki.
“What the hell? Where did you hide the Yupgi Tteokbokki monster Ryu Ayeon?!”
“···Shut up.”
Ayeon’s response to my jab was subdued, her expression clearly troubled, as if embarrassed by her past behavior.
‘She’s changed a lot too.’
If our team from two weeks ago saw the current Ryu Ayeon, they’d probably think she was a different person.
Even I never imagined I’d end up this close with her.
Thinking about it, the same went for all of us.
Aside from Yunkyung, who had approached me first, these were all people I never would’ve expected to have any connection with.
‘There’s a reason the military makes people live together.’
When people eat, sleep, and live together, bonds inevitably form.
In the army, new recruits would fumble around in an unfamiliar environment, until one day they suddenly started thinking of the barracks as home.
That moment usually came right after their first training.
After a grueling exercise—say, the final stretch of a march—when the barracks came into view from afar, recruits would unconsciously say, “We’re home.”
“I already feel like the dorm is home.”
“You too, unni? Honestly, the dorm feels comfortable now.”
“During my last leave, waking up without hearing the bugle felt weirdly empty.”
The other members, too, seemed to have grown accustomed to the dorm, talking about dorm life even after being back in normal society.
“Oh, the stage is coming up!”
And so we kept watching Idol Ground 100 episode 4 as the full-fledged stage performances began.
—Our team’s concept is Incubus!
When it was Lucid Dive A’s turn, it felt strangely surreal.
From the concept meeting, to Suyeon making the choreography, to the scenes of me and the others practicing to the song—it all took less than three minutes of screen time.
‘We’ve improved a lot.’
Even to my own eyes, the team’s growth was obvious, and I felt satisfied.
Though I was a bit embarrassed that, during the actual performance, I alone was wearing a particularly eye-catching outfit.
Even if I wake, I won’t forget
Dive into this night
Seeing myself at the ending of the stage left me with a strangely complicated feeling.
My chest felt tight for no clear reason.
Watching that scene where I reached out toward the audience and they stared at my hand as if bewitched, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.
‘So that’s the look they had back then.’
Only now did I clearly see the expressions of the audience that I hadn’t noticed while focused on the stage.
