Save a Failed Idol’s Life

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: NicoleTempest

Chapter 197 Departure

It was 9 o’clock sharp when one of our members left to check on the situation with the staff. He came back after a while with a dark expression on his face.

“What happened?”

Another B-level member asked with a worried look. The answer we got was something we never expected.

“He quit.”

“What?”

We all wondered if we had heard him wrong.

Usually, quitters show some signs beforehand. They complain about their rank or level, or they look depressed…

But the D and F-level members who seemed like friends were far from depressed. They had a confident attitude despite their low rank, so we couldn’t have predicted this at all.

“Why?”

A C-level member asked, genuinely puzzled.

“I don’t know either. He already cleared out his dorm and completed the withdrawal process. The staff said they’ll come to the practice room later and tell us more details…”

So, while I was busy eating, he was already packing his stuff and leaving the set.

This was not the time to eat well.

Why so suddenly?

We were baffled, but there was nothing we could say or do to bring him back.

“So… what do we do now?”

A C-level member looked at me and the two B-level members, with a really helpless face.

He didn’t seem to be shirking responsibility and pushing it to someone else… he just seemed to have no clue.

[C]

[Kim Junwoong]

‘He’s a bit like Seon-woo.’

The difference was that Seon-woo was slow at learning, but not clumsy by nature. And most importantly…

‘Our Seon-woo is much prettier.’

He was the owner of a visual that could make me forget all the worries, troubles, and anger I had from elsewhere.

This kid, on the other hand… he needed to work harder, or have someone who could take care of him constantly.

‘I miss Seon-woo.’

I wonder if he’s eating well… Anyway, I pushed aside the sudden longing for Seon-woo.

For now, since we were grouped together, I felt like I had to be the ‘caretaker’ for a while.

“We have only four members now. Group A has seven. Honestly, we’re at a disadvantage in terms of power and formation.”

I gave an objective assessment of the current situation, and Wonsang, one of the B-level members sitting on my left, nodded.

Seeing his friendly reaction, I decided to point out all the sources of anxiety we had.

“And the original song is sung by 11 people, but we’re covering it with four. That’s also risky.”

I meant it. Even 2-3 year veterans who had some experience after debuting would struggle to cover a song by a 10+ group with four people.

It would be hard to fill the gaps on stage, unless we were a unit composed of elite members with amazing stage presence. Let alone trainees who hadn’t debuted yet.

This was something that would be hard to pull off even if we had a fire under our feet.

“Yeah, that’s a problem too.”

Junwoong nodded his head as if he agreed with what he heard. The rest of the B-grades also seemed to concur.

“Then what should we do? Can’t we ask the A-team to send one person to our team?”

The team lottery was decided by drawing lots anyway, and yesterday’s practice was only about position distribution and arrangement direction at best, so that seemed to be the best option.

“Yes, that’s what I think is the best for now too.”

But I didn’t know if the production team would accept it.

As I waited anxiously, the PD came into the practice room with a few staff members and a cameraman.

“Hello. Oh my, you all look so gloomy.”

The PD smiled warmly and approached us, looking rather playful, while we were not in the mood for jokes at all.

“Um… We didn’t expect this kind of trouble to happen, and we feel sorry for you too. What do you think is the best way for B-team?”

He pretended to ask for our opinion, but he probably had his own suggestion in mind.

I didn’t hesitate to say what we wanted first.

“A-team has seven people and we have four, so I think the difference in numbers is too big to compare in terms of scale. Could you please send one person from the A-team to our side?”

As soon as I said that, the PD laughed and answered as if he was waiting for that.

“Ah~. What to do. Actually, I went to the A-team earlier and talked to them, but they said they already discussed their strategic parts, and they are worried about leaking them, so it would be a bit difficult to move a team member.”

What a lame excuse… I didn’t buy it, but it would be too unfair to leave us with four people.

The expressions of the team members, who brightened up as soon as the production team came in, darkened again.

“Then what should we do? We feel like we are getting too much penalty for something that is not our fault.”

They must have something to propose, since they came here like this.

I didn’t know what it was, but I asked calmly. At that moment,

“Hello! Oh my, why do you all look so dead! Cheer up!”

A person with an incredible tension joined the practice room with a big smile.

“Huh? Why is the mentor here…?”

It was none other than one of the mentors, a choreographer in his 30s who gave me a super pass as a judge. His name was… Kim Ra-yeon?

“Why? I came to help!”

Everyone looked at him with doubtful eyes and bewildered expressions, as they didn’t expect his appearance.

The mentoring was originally divided into two parts: choreography (Kim Ra-yeon) / direction (Sabina) & vocal (An Seongjin) / arrangement (Shin Daegun), and each part was conducted twice.

It was not understandable why he came alone to help, without his partner in the same part, the direction mentor.

“Can you explain a bit…?”

I was the first to snap out of it and asked, and the PD immediately continued.

“Since it might be difficult for you to prepare with just four people, we decided to give B-team two more mentoring opportunities with Kim Ra-yeon mentor.”

I quickly thought. The camera was filming us.

If I accepted it gladly and happily here, how would they edit it and show it…

But I couldn’t refuse either. It was an invaluable advantage to have two more expert feedback opportunities for a project composed of only trainees.

I was also an A-grade, but still a trainee. It would be much more effective to have an expert point out things than a fellow trainee.

‘But why am I worried about the editing?’

I would go back to reality before this aired anyway.

It was the experience of being mistreated by all kinds of production staff when I was barely a thousand years old that made me react so reflexively.

“Okay. I think I’m fine…”

I glanced around at the other members of my group, seeking their agreement. Junwoong, who had been staring blankly at me and the others, nodded his head quickly.

“I, I think so too!”

The rest of the B-grade members hesitated for a moment, then realized that they had no choice here and agreed as well.

“I’m fine too.”

“Me too.”

Then Ra-yeon opened her mouth wide and laughed heartily.

“Well, then! Let’s all put some strength into our shoulders, and straighten our backs! Let’s get ready with the mindset that I’m going to suck out your mentor’s bones.”

Only the mentor’s lively voice echoed in the gloomy practice room.

I barely finished the morning practice and headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

I entered the bustling cafeteria and filled my stomach with the usual luxurious buffet.

Then, I heard a snickering sound from one side of the cafeteria, where the A-grade friendship group was.

“Today, one person each from D and F left.”

It was obvious that they were talking about our group’s (former) members, and my ears naturally perked up.

“Oh, that. But I kind of get that.”

How come they have such fast information? I didn’t know anything, but over there, the rumor had already spread.

“What is it? Did they just run away saying they can’t do it, boo hoo?”

They whispered in a low voice, trying not to be caught by the microphone.

“One of them had a family accident, and they only found out in the morning when the production staff finally told them…”

“Wow…”

Even I felt a thud in my head.

I had guessed that there might be problems because of the phone confiscation, but still.

The spoonful of rice slowed down as the conversation continued.

“Then why did they both leave?”

“Oh, that…”

Did they notice that I was listening? The trainee who had been talking loudly put his hand over the other’s ear and whispered.

I couldn’t hear what he said, but the trainee who heard it looked convinced.

“Ah~. That’s kind of understandable. Where did you hear that from?”

“There’s a trainee in our group who shared a room with them.”

And then the following content was quite shocking.

“If two people leave, do they share a four-person room? Lucky.”

‘…’

They chuckled as if it was a joke, and it made me feel cold.

“Wow, they have no morals.”

“What, don’t you think the same? You said you were jealous when Min Sung’s roomie left last time.”

“That’s a rhyme of morals.”

Was this something to joke about? Among them, there were two members who debuted in the final floor.

Then, an unexpected person spoke up.

“Can you stop talking like that?”

His voice was a bit high-pitched, as if he hadn’t gone through puberty yet, compared to other boys his age.

It was Shim Naru who widened his eyes and made a bored expression.

As Naru, the center of the A-grade friendship group, showed his displeasure, everyone shut their mouths at once and then ruined the laughing atmosphere with sarcasm.

“Yeah, now that I think about it, it’s boring. Let’s talk about something else. What else is there?”

As they said that, they all giggled and changed the topic. It was a sight that made me sick.

Naru’s image improved a little bit, but my mood was still heavy.

After the afternoon practice, we had a recording schedule. After most of the other teams finished recording, we were one of the last ones.

“So we can only practice with our recorded voices the day before the filming.”

Since we focused more on the directing than the arrangement, the arranged MR wasn’t that big of a burden when it came out, but…

“Hmm…”

From the perspective of an inexperienced trainee, it was enough to make me anxious.

“It’s okay. We’ll get more attention for our choreography and directing. We still have some time until our recording, so why don’t we practice our dance a little more? We have to show them some sharp moves for a dance song.”

At times like this, it was best to roll them into practice without giving them time to complain.

“Ugh, again? The mentor just came and left, you know?”

Junwoong screamed as if he was fed up, but I didn’t blink an eye.

‘This is the end if we do this well.’

I wanted to go back to reality as soon as possible.

‘There’s a lot to do there too.’

I wanted to get away from the trainees and have some time to admire how talented our kids were.

“Get up and stand in your places. We have to learn it quickly before we lose the feeling.”

If we’re going to do it, we have to do it perfectly and win.

I took a short breath and stretched my body.

I had no idea what would happen at the first rehearsal tomorrow. 

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