Chapter 745: First Broadcast of Project I.O.A (1)

Before the regression, Go Eun-Seo had debuted in the girl group PEONY under Top Entertainment.

But before that debut, she was the very one who had disbanded five separate teams formed by the company. Whether it was greed over vocal parts, wanting the center position, or simply not liking someone, she caused conflicts and made each team fall apart.

And each time, either her father Assemblyman Go Jin-Taek or her mother Han So-Ye, would show up at the company demanding a change in team members.

The most unfortunate casualty back then had been Han So-Won. She had the leadership that Go Eun-Seo lacked, so the company appointed her as team leader. However, Go Eun-Seo didn't like that and kicked her out just before debut.

And now, at this very moment, Han So-Won was placed in the same team as Go Eun-Seo as if fate itself were playing a joke.

"The contestants passing the Korean preliminaries for Team 1 are Number 1 Go Eun-Seo, and Number 3 Han So-Won. Please come up to the stage."

Each team was composed of four members—two from the Korean preliminaries, one from the Chinese, and one from the Japanese. The Korean members were the first to be announced.

At MC Kim Jung-Joo's words, Go Eun-Seo slowly rose from her seat. Her silky hair flowed down to her waist, she stood at 168 centimeters tall, and her skin was pale and clear to the point where her features could fade under the lights. Her beauty made her aura hard to ignore, but today her expression was stiff. It was because her father hadn't returned to the studio.

In contrast, Han So-Won's attitude was entirely different. The moment Han So-Won stood up, she bowed respectfully to the judges.

"I'm Han So-Won from Team 1. I'll do my best!"

With androgynous features reminiscent of a pretty boy, Han So-Won had a voice that lingered in your ears the moment you heard it.

The judges all shouted words of encouragement.

"Yes, Ms. So-Won. You got this!"

"Keep it up just like that. Having good manners like you always comes first. Always keep it in mind."

Han So-Won gave another bright smile. "I will!"

She shook her short bob and headed up to the stage with a cheerful expression.

Then Go Eun-Seo, who had already reached the stage, quickly followed with a late greeting. "I'll also do my best."

However, she came a beat too late. Because of that, the judges accepted it with slightly disappointed expressions.

"Alright. Do your best."

When she passed the preliminaries, Go Eun-Seo had stunned everyone with her overwhelming talent and aura. That was how she received contestant number 1. Being number 1 brought her immense attention from both the broadcasting station and viewers, giving her a major advantage. Yet from the very first day, Go Eun-Seo was squandering that edge.

That was when Do Ran-Hee quietly approached me and whispered, "Mr. Jung, doesn't So-Won look so much better now?"

"She does. She's gained weight and has more stamina. Even her voice sounds clearer."

When I reunited with Han So-Won at the Seoul audition, she had been suffering from malnutrition. Her aunt and uncle in Seoul had been siphoning off the money sent by her mother in Daejeon. I found out and rescued Han So-Won from them, then brought her mother up to Seoul.

After that, I placed Han So-Won under Doctor Kim Soo-Myung's care. As a result, she regained her healthy appearance and strong voice just like before the regression.

Do Ran-Hee asked, "But did you see earlier? She was looking out for the other Korean contestants. Don't you think So-Won will end up becoming Team 1's leader?"

There was no way Go Eun-Seo would sit quietly and let that happen. Even now, she was glaring at Han So-Won beside her.

I shook my head and answered, "No. That girl, Go Eun-Seo? There's no way she'll stay quiet."

"Then shouldn't we help So-Won out?"

"No. Leave it be. It's something she'll have to go through anyway. And the viewers will vote based on what they see in that process, so don't interfere."

Do Ran-Hee nodded. "Well, yeah. Viewer votes are probably scarier than us. Got it, Mr. Jung!"

Kim Jung-Joo continued by announcing the Chinese member of Team 1. "Next, joining Team 1 from the Chinese preliminaries is Number 68 Yang Bing Bing."

'

Great. One hurdle after another, huh?

'

Yang Bing Bing was the contestant who had picked a fight with Wang Lina on the private jet. She was also the daughter of one of Beijing's nine deputy mayors, clearly from a powerful family. In other words, she had the kind of influence that could rival Go Eun-Seo's father,and she had the charisma to build her own faction. Her singing and dancing were a step behind Go Eun-Seo, but she overflowed with charisma.

Team 1 was shaping up to be a group of tough contenders.

"Let's work well together~"

At 174 centimeters tall with double eyelids and striking features, Yang Bing Bing gave a graceful bow to the judges. Her naturally refined manner earned approving smiles from the panel.

"Alright, Bing Bing, let's all do our best."

"Yes."

Yang Bing Bing greeted them and walked up to the stage.

That was when Wang Long came over and said, "Yoon-Ho. Go Eun-Seo and Yang Bing Bing are already locked in a staring match. Think this'll be okay?"

'

A staring match? That's not even a fight. This is nothing

.'

"At that level? They're just sizing each other up."

I reassured Wang Long and looked at the stage with interest.

Kim Jung-Joo called out the last member of Team 1, the Japanese contestant. "Joining Team 1 from the Japanese preliminaries is Number 101 Kudo Minatsu."

'

Wow, Team 1's going to be brutal.

'

Kudo Minatsu had been selected from Tokyo. She stood at 158 centimeters with a bobbed wave and a cute appearance. Her large eyes made her look like a character straight out of a manga, and she came from a prestigious family of musicians with both parents included.

She had received gifted education from a young age and could play any instrument. On top of that, she also had strong vocal skills competing with Minamoto Aoi for the top spot and was full of both confidence and ambition.

"I look forward to working with you all!"

Kudo Minatsu gave a lively greeting and bounded up to the stage. Her childlike energy made the judges smile, saying she was a natural-born idol.

Then Sasuke from AMOSE spoke up with a tense voice. "Mr. Jung, don't you think we need to reassign Team 1?"

"Why would we do that?"

"Minatsu may look cute, but she's got a lot of pride. Maybe it's because she's a musical prodigy, but she can be arrogant. She's used to being number one, so she'll definitely want to lead. Putting all those girls on one team? The fallout might be crazy."

Team 1 had turned into a collection of strong personalities, each one wanting to lead.

I shook my head. "It's fine. A little tension will actually help the show succeed."

"Still. With that kind of setup, there's a real chance of a blow-up."

"Then whoever can prevent that blow-up will become the team leader."

"

Sigh

... What if the Korean girl, So-Won, ends up being ostracized?"

'

Ostracized? Who? Han So-Won?

'

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's funny?" Sasuke tilted his head in confusion.

"Just wait and see."

Back before the regression, the company had chosen Han So-Won as team leader even with Go Eun-Seo on the same team for good reason. She had even endured living with exploitative relatives, so there was no way she would crumble easily.

In fact, the one I was most worried about now was Go Eun-Seo. Unlike before the regression, she no longer had her parents' influence to back her. I was starting to feel curious about how Go Eun-Seo would overcome this crisis. As for Go Eun-Seo's penalties, I decided to bring those up once the team leader had been chosen.

Kim Jung-Joo began announcing the members of Team 2. "Team 2 will be..."

Taking that opportunity, I spoke to the talent agents and staff standing nearby. "Alright, let's head out first and get ready to move."

The current time was 6:30 p.m. There were three and a half hours left until the first broadcast. Once the teams were finalized at the station, we had to head straight to the

Project I.O.A

set located in Ilsan.

We had already fought off interference from Bang Sang-Yung and Go Jin-Taek—we couldn't afford to slip up now from lack of preparation.

As I quietly left the studio, the talent agents immediately followed behind.

***

A total of 33 teams were finalized at SBC. Afterward, the teams each boarded a van and headed to the dedicated

Project I.O.A

set in Ilsan.

Upon arrival, PD Ji Yung-Sik grabbed a megaphone and shouted, "Alright, let's move quickly now."

The kids started pouring out of the Binz Springer vans.

"Is this our dorm?"

"Whoa! It's huge!"

The set was made up of a performance hall measuring 100 meters in both length and width, and a three-story dormitory building. The dorm also included practice rooms and various other facilities, making it enormous.

The kids were all left speechless.

At that moment, Ji Yung-Sik shouted again to settle the noise. "Today's filming ends once you enter the dorm. The cameramen will step back from the entrance, but don't relax just yet. There are always cameras filming you inside the dorm. Understood?"

The kids stiffened up, startled. "Yes, sir!"

"Good. We'll send out a notice via tablet, but by noon tomorrow, you need to choose a team leader and report it. Some of you may have already decided during the ride here, but think it over again."

At that moment, Sung Na-Ra from Team 11, a former member of the idol group Five Angels, raised her hand. "Are you telling us to reconsider because the team leader will have some kind of benefit or authority?"

Ji Yung-Sik nodded. "That's right. The leader will have the right to decide formation positions for choreography and hold considerable influence during part distribution."

"What~~?"

All the contestants started murmuring. Being in the center during a performance or singing the vocal climax were massive advantages. And if the team leader could decide those things, it meant they held major sway over whether a member passed or failed.

Sung Na-Ra understood that well and continued, "Mr. Ji. If you give that much power to the team leader, wouldn't that ruin the team atmosphere?"

"Hoop Entertainment agreed to allow a certain level of autonomy to the artists. And managing those conflicts is also part of the leader's job."

The previously friendly kids began putting up walls. As expected, Team 1 was already the biggest problem.

Go Eun-Seo's eyes sparkled as she spoke in a sharp tone to her teammates. Hey, shouldn't the best one just be the leader?"

Though Go Eun-Seo clearly meant herself, Yang Bing Bing immediately pointed to herself. "Right. Then I'll do it. Leave it to me."

Go Eun-Seo and Yang Bing Bing glared at each other.

Kudo Minatsu then scoffed as if amused, and pointed to herself. "None of you have experience managing a team, right? But me? I've conducted a small orchestra and served as club president. That's more than enough leadership, so I'll take the role. How about it?"

Go Eun-Seo snapped. "No way!"

"Why not? Don't just raise your voice. Try to convince us."

"

Ugh!

"

Now Kudo Minatsu and Go Eun-Seo were locked in a staring match. Meanwhile, Han So-Won simply observed the three, choosing not to intervene yet.

As small conflicts began breaking out across other teams too, Ji Yung-Sik continued with a satisfied look. "Alright. Submit your team leader decision before lunch ends tomorrow. And once you enter the dorm, listen to the "IDOLS" track composed by Mr. Bang Seon-Woo and begin practicing the choreography video made by Ms. Park Seon-Nyeo."

"Yes, understood!"

"From now until the end, there are only two reasons you can leave the dorm: if you're eliminated or if you need to go to the hospital. There are no other exceptions, so keep that in mind."

"Yes, sir."

"Lastly, turn in your phones at the lobby when entering. If you leak any internal information, you'll be kicked out immediately. And even after leaving, if you disclose anything, you could be held legally responsible. If you need to make a call, you have three minutes to do it now before entry. Of course, if you mention today's team selections or share internal info, that's also grounds for elimination."

The kids powered on their phones. With two cameras assigned to each team recording, they couldn't say how many members were in their team. All they could do was just exchange greetings with their families.

"Yeah, Mom. I'll do my best."

"Dad, when today's first episode airs, make sure to vote for me. Okay?"

"Grandma~ Eat well while I'm gone, alright?"

Each child filled the full three minutes, clutching their phones until the end.

Ji Yung-Sik shouted, "Alright, time to enter!"

The kids turned off their phones and headed into the dorm.

***

When we entered the

Project I.O.A

dorm building, we were greeted by an entrance that looked just like a hotel lobby. Security cameras were installed everywhere, making it practically impossible to sneak out unnoticed.

The first floor of the dorm contained a cafeteria, a large conference room, and eleven soundproof practice rooms. The second floor housed the contestants' sleeping quarters. Finally, the third floor was designated for talent agents and staff as well as spaces used for filming.

After passing through the lobby checkpoint with our security cards, I headed up to the third floor in the elevator with my team.

Ding.

As we stepped off the elevator, Chief Lee Dong-Min addressed the talent agents. "Chief Jung and I are going to the monitoring room, so the rest of you grab your rooms and unpack."

"Yes, sir."

After parting ways with the others, Lee Dong-Min and I made our way to the monitoring room at the end of the third-floor hallway.

Clunk.

We opened the door. Inside the large 60-pyeong room, the walls were lined with screens. Each screen displayed footage from the dorm—every hallway and room except for the shower rooms, bathrooms, and changing areas.

Just then, caught a glimpse of Woo Yeon-Hee visiting the second floor and speaking with Team 5's Song Mi-Hee on Screen 3.

Song Mi-Hee, known for having trained for ten years, was considered the most prepared contestant among the 132. She had even been a trainee under Hoop Entertainment in the past, so the two were already acquainted.

At that moment, my phone vibrated unexpectedly.

Buzz~

I checked it, puzzled, and saw that it was a notification from Everyday.

[Notification: March 15, 2021 – A new schedule entry has been registered for Woo Yeon-Hee.]

'

A schedule entry? At a time like this?

'

Curious, I opened the details and froze on the spot.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: March 15, 2021]

-00:30 a.m.: [NEW. Woo Yeon-Hee]

'Star Exclusive' Interview. "The

Project I.O.A

production team bowed in apology regarding the premature leak of team assignments. Cherry Blossom's leader, Woo Yeon-Hee—serving as a judge—also promised to prevent any recurrence, speaking as a representative idol."

(Others: Director Ahn Ye-Eum, Chief Lee Dong-Min, and Chief Jung Yoon-Ho also issued formal apologies. Investigate further regarding the 9 p.m. leak of team assignments.)

The current time was 8:30 p.m. That meant the team list from

Project I.O.A

was going to leak in just thirty minutes.

'

What the hell is this?

'

We had gone to great lengths to ensure tight security from the very beginning, precisely to avoid getting swept up in rumors about vote manipulation. Ji Yung-Sik had even warned that if any production staff were caught leaking the list, they would be blacklisted from the industry for good. And yet, here it was happening.

I had no idea who the leak could be. Then my gaze slowly returned to the screen showing Song Mi-Hee without realizing it.

'

Could it be you?

'

Everyday only sent notifications like that when someone heard sensitive information or interacted with someone involved. So naturally, I began to suspect Song Mi-Hee. However, I couldn't understand why Song Mi-Hee, the most prepared contestant and the one with the highest chance of becoming part of I.O.A, would risk everything like this.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

'

Why? Why would she leak it?

'