Chapter 743: Project I.O.A. Begins (2)

Unlike the faction fight in the Chinese charter, there was no visible conflict aboard the Japanese flight. But when I saw Minamoto Aoi isolated from the clustered Japanese prelim winners, I realized bullying was happening.

'

China's getting faction wars, then you guys are on bullying?

'

The Japanese contestants didn't even notice me watching. They were happily inspecting their clothes.

"The flare skirt's cut is so good!"

"The quality of the training wear is amazing too!"

At that moment, one girl checked the brand tag. "Huh? This is from LM clothing?"

"Yeah. The staff told us on the way here that if you get into I.O.A, you'll succeed Jung Yoo-Jin as the brand's advertisement model."

"And if you become a member, LM will launch your own brand too."

"That's huge!"

Though Japanese kids are usually quiet, the moment they held LM designed pieces, they squealed like Korean kids.

LM had seen a spike in sales ever since Yoo-Jin did their adverts. Then she also modeled for L.M.L, LM's luxury spin-off. Yet to manage brand prestige, she would now only model for L.M.L, leaving the main LM ad spot open for I.O.A to fill.

They chatted excitedly, so I waited a moment to see if Minamoto Aoi might join in. However, she just took her tablet and outfits, then retreated. She was standing alone watching.

'

No, I can't let this go

.'

I immediately called in Sasuke, team lead at AMOSE, the Japanese collaborator distributing the costumes.

"Mr. Sasuke!"

Sasuke straightened while handing out clothes. "Yes, Mr. Jung."

"Come here for a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Sasuke left Team Lead Ryota and Assistant Manager Nanami in charge and rushed over. Slightly plump with a cute look and around 170 cm tall, Sasuke approached with a nervous expression.

He was the second son of AMOSE's President Ito Hiroshi. Unlike his elder brother Tatsuya, who went to Tokyo University, Sasuke only graduated high school and had been dismissed by others. Within the company, he was called "the lacking Sasuke."

Yet I chose him over the impressive Tatsuya as my partner, because Sasuke was an idol otaku-he grasped idol matters better than anyone. When he became head of the Japan division for

Project I.O.A,

he was promoted to team lead and came to Korea.

However, my choice wasn't just about his idol know-how.

Three years later, Sasuke would save AMOSE from near bankruptcy when his brother Tatsuya tried to irresponsibly sell it. He was a talent who would restore it to its peak. So I planned to channel his emerging talent into

Project I.O.A

, and I would help him in return.

Sasuke reached me, slightly out of breath. "Mr. Jung, you called?"

"Yes. What's Aoi's condition? Since when has she been like this?"

Sasuke wiped his brow and glanced at Minamoto Aoi. "She's been like that since she heard the news on the plane, I believe."

Sasuke's sharp sensory observation had seen it from the beginning.

I asked, "Then why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I-I'm sorry. The thing is... I didn't have certainty."

"Huh?"

"I told Mr. Ryota first, but he said it would pass with time. So I hesitated whether to bring it up to you."

Words could be wings to some, shackles to others. Known inside the company as "the lacking Sasuke," he habitually lacked confidence in his choices and actions.

Moreover, there was a problem with the staffing on the Japanese side. Although Ito Hiroshi had promoted Sasuke to team lead and nominal overall responsibility, he also placed Saigo Ryota as the acting team manager handling day-to-day operations.

Saigo Ryota was thirty-five-years-old, already a ten-year veteran. In other words, Sasuke was the titular team lead while Ryota ran things in practice.

'

Really. If you're going to trust your son, at least trust him properly

.'

Even if Ryota was capable, Sasuke's more subtle judgment was correct here. Bullying didn't disappear by ignoring it. It required active external intervention to resolve. And to prevent future incidents, Sasuke had to step forward with confidence.

Before I fix Minamoto Aoi's situation, I first had to fix Sasuke.

"Mr. Sasuke, or rather... Sasuke. You know I'm older, right? May I speak comfortably with you?"

"Yes. Please speak freely."

"Alright." I took a breath and addressed Sasuke unmistakably. "Even if Mr. Ryota is in charge practically, you're the overall team lead. You can't hesitate because someone under you has a different opinion."

Sasuke had suffered bullying both in school and at the company. Ignored by his father and compared to his brother, Sasuke was often mocked as "the lacking Sasuke" despite being the younger son of the president.

However, now he was in a position to help someone else. This program needed him to find courage and step forward. After all, he was to become the successor of AMOSE.

"Sasuke. You're an adult now. If you hesitate, the kids will suffer. But are you just going to stand and watch? Did I make a mistake in making you my partner?"

Sasuke's voice trembled as though he felt the weight of what I said. "No. I want to help. But... I don't know how. Nobody will believe me..."

Knowing Sasuke's heart, I placed a hand on his shoulder and replied. "I'm your partner. From now on I'll help you. So Sasuke, you help Aoi. I'm counting on you."

Until now, no one had ever given Sasuke that trust. But from now on, I intended to be that support behind him.

Then Sasuke looked toward Minamoto Aoi standing alone to the side. He steeled himself before answering, "All right. What should I do, Yoon-Ho hyung?"

At that moment, I began telling him how we would help Minamoto Aoi.

***

"Explain the app features to Aoi?" Sasuke asked.

I nodded. "Yes."

Project I.O.A.

had a dedicated app through which participants and viewers could interact and vote. That app, [PROJECT : I.O.A] made by Lee Doo-Oh, had a feature called Live Monitoring.

"If they realize their actions are being watched and recorded live by the operators, they'll stop bullying behavior for good."

"That does make sense. It's recorded, so we can assign penalties later..."

"Exactly. Even though they're young, we can issue warnings."

"Understood. Then I'll bring Aoi over."

Sasuke brought Minamoto Aoi to me. At that moment, the Japanese prelim winners began whispering among themselves.

-Where are they taking Aoi?

-Huh? They're bringing her to Mr. Jung.

-What? Are they already favoring Aoi?

-I heard she ranked first in internal company evaluations...

-Damn... shouldn't we get closer to her now?

-I have no idea.

As everyone received clothing and tablets, they glanced this way. As expected, we had gained attention.

"Did you call me, Mr. Jung?" Minamoto Aoi approached, clasped her hands, and bowed her head.

I smiled and answered. "Why are you standing alone?"

"Well, that is..."

"I've seen everything that's happened so far, so speak freely."

Minamoto Aoi squirmed, unsure how to respond. I glanced toward Sasuke.

Having experienced the same situation himself, Sasuke spoke to Minamoto Aoi. "You're being bullied right now, aren't you?"

Minamoto Aoi flinched. "N-No, I'm not."

"Come on. I've been through it too, so I know. They all pretend nothing's wrong, but they're isolating you."

Minamoto Aoi lowered her head. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Why are you apologizing? They're the ones at fault."

"It's just..."

Sasuke looked straight at Minamoto Aoi. "It's not your fault. So lift your head."

Minamoto Aoi slowly raised her head.

Just as tears were about to well up in her eyes, Sasuke continued. "Don't cry. If you do, they'll just see you as weak. You can't be weak, Aoi. Stay strong."

Sasuke offered words of encouragement. At that moment, I handed Minamoto Aoi a handkerchief.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

Then Sasuke held out his hand. "I called you over to show you something. Could I borrow your tablet for a moment?"

"

Oh,

yes."

Minamoto Aoi handed him her tablet. With a few taps, Sasuke logged into the admin account and pressed the [Live Monitoring] button. A list of the contestants' names scrolled down the menu. When he clicked the button next to [Minamoto Aoi (ON)], the tablet screen displayed the camera feed currently filming her.

"Huh?"

Startled, Minamoto Aoi glanced around. Just then, she locked eyes with the staff cameraman filming her.

"They're filming me?"

"Exactly. We said from the beginning that everything you do will be watched from the moment you arrive. Remember?"

"Yes, but I didn't think it would be this intense."

"That's why you need to stay sharp. You're not here for fun."

Project I.O.A.

would air its first weekly broadcast today. After that, the trainees were to train for two weeks before facing their first round of evaluations in week three with the results announced in week four. Only 64 out of 132 would remain after that Then a second performance would take place in week five, and another elimination in week six, reducing the number to 32.

In short, the moment they set foot in Korea, the audition had already begun.

Sasuke pointed to a feature on the app. "We haven't told the others yet, but based on the recordings, we can assign demerits."

"R-Really?"

"Yes. If we want to, we can penalize those bullying you. What do you want to do?"

Project I.O.A.

allowed the staff to assign penalties depending on a participant's behavior. Sasuke was saying that if needed, he could step in and assign them immediately. Minamoto Aoi's expression brightened slightly. Just knowing that adults were watching over them and ready to step in gave her a sense of security.

Just then, something unexpected happened. Instead of asking for punishment, Minamoto Aoi said something else.

"No. I'll handle it on my own."

"Huh? On your own?"

"Yes. We could punish them now like you said, but then they'd just bully me in subtler ways for the next 12 weeks. So I think there's a better way."

"What kind of way?"

Minamoto Aoi looked toward me, superior to Sasuke. "

Um

, Mr. Jung. Can I tell the others what you just explained to me?"

"To the others?"

"Yes."

"You can tell them, but what's your plan?"

"

Um

... that part..."

It seemed like she had something in mind. When I glanced at Sasuke, he nodded.

He implied letting Minamoto Aoi try it her way.

I nodded, "Alright. Go ahead then."

Sasuke nodded in agreement from the side. "But Aoi, if anything happens again, promise you'll message me, okay? I'll personally take care of it. And that goes for anyone else who's struggling, not just you."

Sasuke tapped his chest, and Minamoto Aoi's face lit up.

"Yes, sir! Then I'll go now. Thank you Mr. Sasuke, and Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho!"

Minamoto Aoi bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle, then ran off toward the still-bustling queue. She immediately approached the other girls and began talking.

-Guys, the cameras are filming each of us individually right now.

At that, the very girls who had been isolating Minamoto Aoi began to gather around her.

-Seriously?

-Yeah, and it's all being recorded. Since we arrived at the airport, they've been debating whether to deduct points.

The girls looked around nervously.

-What should I do? I picked my nose earlier.

-I scratched my head...

As panic spread, Minamoto Aoi spoke brightly.

-And teamwork is the most important part of

Project I.O.A.

So let's all get along, okay?

The girls nodded.

-Y-Yeah, let's do that.

-I'm sorry, Aoi. I was wrong.

Minamoto Aoi shook her head.

-No, I'm sorry. I almost ruined today's audition for everyone.

-No, no. It was a false accusation, right?

-Exactly. You didn't do anything wrong.

Minamoto Aoi was smarter than she looked. With one statement, she warned them about the deduction system and promoted unity all at once.

Sasuke, watching from nearby, let out an impressed murmur. "Aoi's pretty sharp, huh?"

"Yeah, she is," I replied.

Even I was slightly surprised by how neatly Minamoto Aoi resolved the situation. She had defused the bullying wisely and left us smiling.

"Sasuke. I'm counting on you moving forward."

"Moving forward?"

"Yeah. Keep watching the live view function like now. Any kids who lose confidence or feel like giving up—go to them and encourage them."

Sasuke had sensed Minamoto Aoi's problem before anyone else. If he could be there for her like this, he could do the same for others.

"Yes, hyung. I'll do it."

Sasuke's voice carried new confidence. Not only Minamoto Aoi, but Sasuke too had just leveled up.

***

The current time was 6:00 p.m.

Below the stage in SBC's Deungchon Public Hall, judges Director Ahn Ye-Eum, Chief Lee Dong-Min, and Cherry Blossom sat in the front row. Behind them, 132

Project I.O.A

participants from Korea, China, and Japan were seated in rows-dressed in white, red, and blue outfits.

Among the Korean team sitting in the middle, Go Eun-Seo sat front and center with contestant number 1 pinned on. Next to her was Sung Na-Ra; a former visual member of FIVE Angels with badge 2, and beside her was Han So-Won, contestant 3; who had suffered from malnutrition due to being exploited by her aunt.

"Hurry, hurry!"

Ji Yung-Sik and the staff rushed around, busy preparing. Not wanting to get in the way, I moved to the stage-side entrance with Wang Long, Lily, and Sasuke. Soon, preparations wrapped up.

Ji Yung-Sik grabbed a megaphone and shouted, "The first broadcast is just around the corner! After filming the 'team formation,' we'll head straight to the Ilsan set, so we need to move quickly. Ready, action!"

With the signal, MC Kim Jung-Joo appeared on the studio stage, holding a tablet.

"After long prelims, candidates from Korea, China, and Japan have gathered right here at the SBC Public Hall studio. Hello! I'm your host, Kim Jung-Joo."

Cheers erupted from all sides.

"Thank you for the warm welcome! First, let's begin with the signature

Project I.O.A

segment—'team formation'!"

The participants looked visibly nervous.

"Each team will consist of 2 Korean contestants, 1 Chinese contestant, and 1 Japanese contestant. These four will be grouped for one week. Team members are decided each week by judges and viewer votes, and cannot be changed during the week. Details are listed in the I.O.A app on your tablets."

Kim Jung-Joo explained [PROJECT : I.O.A] and how to view announcements.

"For the first week, the judges have decided the team members. Team 1 is..."

Just then, Go Eun-Seo raised her hand. "What if one of my teammates is really bad? I heard we're evaluated together. One person could drag the whole team down."

The seventeen-year-old Go Eun-Seo had both top-tier beauty and talent. But spoiled by her actress mother Han So-Ye and her assemblyman father Go Joon-Taek, she had grown arrogant and selfish.

Before the regression, she often demanded to switch teammates during her time at Top Entertainment. Having expected this, I had already warned Kim Jung-Joo in advance. Thanks to that, Kim Jung-Joo responded smoothly as if anticipating the question.

"As I said, no changes to teams for a full week."

Go Eun-Seo scowled in dissatisfaction.

Just then, murmurs rose near the studio entrance.

-

Hahaha

. I'm looking forward to this.

-Yes, yes. Don't worry too much.

Ji Yung-Sik stood up and shouted in frustration. "Hey! Who's making noise during filming?!"

Right then, a man in his 40s and his entourage entered the studio.

"

Oh

, was filming underway?

Ah

, my apologies, Mr. Ji."

After kicking out Go Eun-Seo's mother Han So-Ye, now her father, Assemblyman Go Joon-Taek, had arrived flanked by SBC executives.

'

So you want to challenge me now, huh? Then I'll remind you again that your power won't work here. You won't get your way, Mr. Go.

'