Chapter 40: Survival Entertainment Show - Unit (8)

In the studio, a familiar yet different setting welcomed us, featuring new seats and faces. I couldn’t help but burst into laughter every time I accidentally made eye contact with the Chronos members. It wasn’t just us; this seemed to be a common occurrence among other groups as well.

The atmosphere, once tense and filled with wariness during the previous competition, had transformed into a more relaxed and comfortable vibe. Reina entered the studio with a warm and approachable smile, a stark contrast to her previous expression. “Has everyone been doing well? Have you all lost a bit of weight in the meantime?” she asked.

Then Woo Ji-Hyuk responded, “Probably everyone here has been living on ramen for the past two weeks!”

Laughter echoed through the studio in response to his comment. This lighthearted atmosphere was a delightful contrast to the previous tension. It seemed that the shared experience of communal living had fostered a stronger camaraderie among us.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"The vibe today is fantastic. I’m loving it. The fans are eagerly waiting for you all, so shall we begin?" Reina suggested, turning her attention to Director Kim Shin-Sik, who nodded and signaled the start of the shoot with his hand.

"Alright, we are starting the shoot. High cue!"

"It’s time to see future K-POP stars all in one place. Hello, I’m Reina, your host for

Pick We Up

. The public interest in

Pick We Up

has been soaring lately."

- The performances of the trainees are more fun than award ceremonies.

This was one of the most common comments from the viewers of

Pick We Up

. With each episode delivering unique and special performances, the show felt like a gift for idol fans.

At first, the show's popularity relied heavily on groups that were promoted by the broadcasting station, but it gradually started to spread more evenly across all participants, as the unique charms of certain members became increasingly evident. Rumor had it that Director Lee Won-Jae considered this show one of his most enjoyable creations. For us trainees, such positive feedback was incredibly encouraging.

"Hyun-Woo."

"...Yes?" I responded, feeling startled as Reina turned her attention to me.

"Your group narrowly missed first place in the last competition. How are you feeling about it now?"

"Well... to be honest, I was satisfied with my ranking. I worked hard, and the audience score was high, so I thought that as long as I delivered a strong performance, it was enough."

In reality, I only tried to reassure myself. I then added, "I'm also determined to give my best on stage today; all of us have practiced diligently to prepare for this performance."

Reina nodded slightly and flipped her cue card. "As Hyun-Woo said, everyone has worked hard to prepare, so I hope that this time, everyone can perform without any regrets."

A box was then brought into the studio.

"Now, let’s start the first performance. I will draw randomly to decide the order." Reina reached into the box, shuffled around a bit, and pulled out a piece of paper. "The first team for the

Pick We Up

unit competition is Team B! Team B, please get ready for the stage."

As she announced this, Yoo-Joon and the other members of Team B stood up, looking very sophisticated in their suits. Although we had no specific information about the other teams, Yoo-Joon's confident demeanor hinted that they had something remarkable planned.

Reina took her seat, and the screen lit up. The stage was set but still concealed. Various props—such as a bed, a mannequin, and some ropes—were being arranged behind the blackout curtain, so everything was only visible to the performers. While appearing somewhat risqué at first glance, these items subtly suggested a daring and provocative concept.

"It seems like they are going for a sexy concept," Ji-Hyuk mumbled.

On the dimly lit stage, members of Team B started to get into their positions. Some reclined on the bed, while others sat on chairs, each claiming their spot with a sense of poise. Taking his place next to the standing microphone in the center, Yoo-Joon seemed perfectly suited for the role of the main character here.

‘Yoo-Joon is the center?’

Indeed, if it weren’t for me, he would have been the center of Chronos. Standing in the center certainly suited him well.

"Wow, Hyun-Woo must be feeling good," Ji-Hyuk teased me.

I shrugged. "Maybe a little?"

Team B's performance started. After Yoo-Joon sang the first few lines, I immediately realized something. Someone from Team B had likely noticed Yoo-Joon’s charisma during the “Moon Sea” performance and suggested this stage. Mirroring “Moon Sea”, the performance began with a sigh in the intro, and Yoo-Joon started singing with his unique low voice.

His remarkable ability to captivate everyone's attention on the stage was obvious. Even Ji-Hyuk, who had been constantly talking to the others to ease their nerves, fell silent at this moment.

Following Yoo-Joon were his other group members, each taking their turn leading up to the chorus. It wasn't until I saw someone putting on a mask that the concept of their group became clear—a masquerade ball. It was a concept that could easily become cheesy, but they were executing it nicely with their abilities, and Yoo-Joon was exceptional among them.

‘Ah, so that’s why they call him ‘Sigh Man’.’

A sudden realization struck me: I couldn't see Goh Yoo-Joon's true nature because he was my friend. Only now, with a more objective lens, could I appreciate his performance.

As the performance of Team B concluded, Reina suppressed a smile and stood up. “Okay, next. Let’s decide the order for the second performance.”

Drawing another paper, Reina continued, “The next team is Team C. Team C, please get ready for your stage.”

At Reina’s announcement, a group of boys in animal pajamas hurriedly rose to their feet.

“Ah! So cute!” People were exclaiming in awe, even though they were just adults wearing animal pajamas. As their group started moving together, exclamations of delight erupted from everywhere.

“Hey, look at that one wagging its tail.” Reina and the directors found it cute, as if they were observing babies.

In the studio, anticipation filled the air as Team C, featuring several members from Street Center, readied themselves for the stage. Interestingly, their own team members appeared to be the least interested.

Behind the blackout curtains, activity picked up as cute props filled the glass walls, sparking curiosity.

‘What on earth do they want to do?’

In fact, I was most curious about Joo-Han’s team out of all the teams. Soon, Announcer Jeong Gyu-Chan’s introduction resonated, “Next up, we have a very cute stage waiting for us. I heard that the staff backstage are already going crazy over how adorable it is. This song is composed and written by Joo-Han, the leader of Team C.”

‘What...? What did he just say?’

“Joo-Han has showcased exceptional arrangement skills in previous competition stages. I'm really curious how his own composed and written song will turn out.”

‘Did he just say composed and written?’

“No! That’s not right! He hasn’t even made a song for Chronos yet, so how could he write a song for another team?” Goh Yoo-Joon freaked out, voicing my exact thoughts. It was like the sky was falling, and I felt utterly betrayed.

As the curtain rose, seeing Joo-Han confidently smiling at the camera, occupying center stage, I couldn't help but feel that this was a slight against Chronos.

“Wow, Joo-Han writes and composes too? Impressive. I usually leave the arranging to someone else,” exclaimed Ji-Hyuk.

“...I knew he arranged, but composing and writing are news to me,” I said.

“Oh... Really? That’s a shame.” Ji-Hyuk quickly ended the conversation and refocused on the stage.

No, to be exact, I knew he was good at writing and composing, but I didn’t know he had been doing it since his trainee days. I thought he only started after he debuted.

But, just as Goh Yoo-Joon said, giving his first song to another team was very inconsiderate. However, as soon as the performance started, all of our complaints disappeared.

“Meow? When will you come? I miss you~ Woof!”

Even if it meant giving Joo-Han’s first song to another team, I wouldn’t want to sing a song like that.

“Tsk, ah... Has he gotten a taste for this kind of thing...” I heard Goh Yoo-Joon murmuring seriously. Right. Come to think of it, Joo-Han seemed to enjoy it quite a bit when he was preparing Cha-Cha.

‘Is that so? Is that why such a song came out?’

Joo-Han was grinning and meowing on the screen, making me feel a bit bitter. However, contrary to the cooling atmosphere in the studio, the audience was heating up to its peak.

“Thirty seconds have passed since Team C’s performance started. The streaming numbers have surged, and currently, about one hundred and fifty thousand people are watching the performance.”

“What is this... Haha! It's really fun, seriously!” Meanwhile, Ji-Hyuk was laughing heartily. That was right. That team didn’t have any High Tension members.

The VJ capturing my expression was also giggling. I didn’t bother to hide my thoughts from my face.

The stage was heading toward the peak of terrible cuteness, and suddenly the lights changed to a purple hue. However, it wasn’t a level of lighting change that would reverse the atmosphere.

‘What are they trying to do this time?’

I felt uneasy watching the stage of this team, certain that it was Joo-Han’s work.

‘He's from Chronos. The leader of Chronos.’

At that moment, the light and playful music transformed into something deep and sweet. Then, the leader of Air Senior, who had been hidden by the dancers, peeked out and leaned on a dancer’s back.

He sang in a remarkably sweet voice. Gone were the animal pajamas, replaced by a neat suit. While similar to Goh Yoo-Joon’s team in attire, the vibe was completely different—more like a groom in a proposal setting.

Did Joo-Han have a preference for this style of song? It seemed he was putting in less effort compared to when he was on the Chronos stage. While the performance didn’t have the intensity to keep people on edge, it was a stage that everyone could enjoy with ease.

Both Team B and Team C received an overwhelmingly positive reaction. Following their performances, Park Yoon-Chan’s team and Lee Jin-Sung’s team each took their turn on the stage.

Lee Jin-Sung’s team was notably packed with dancers and immediately grabbed everyone's attention. Clad in school uniforms, all of them dove into an intense B-boying routine right from the onset. The four dancers in the center, with their background in synchronized team dancing, executed a complex pair dance with remarkable ease. Undoubtedly, the musical essence of their performance was influenced by the leader of Street Center, as he was one of their members.

However, the performance was so heavily infused with the style of Street Center that it felt as though Lee Jin-Sung had been assimilated into their group. The influence was so pronounced that one could easily mistake Lee Jin-Sung for a new recruit of Street Center.

After Lee Jin-Sung’s team finished performing, Reina put her hand in the box again and said, “Now, let’s draw to see who will be the next team out of the remaining two.”

All the teams with Chronos members had completed their performances except mine. The remaining teams were Team E—composed of True Bye, Street Center, and Air Senior—and Team D, which I belonged to. I’d prefer to be the last, but our performance was expected to be so impactful that the order didn’t really matter.

“Alright, the next team is...” Reina pulled out a piece of paper from the box and unfolded it, looking meaningfully at the camera.

“Team D. Team D, please get ready and move to the stage.”

That was us. I directly straightened my outfit and stood up. Since the dancers in zombie makeup were well hidden, the other participants probably thought that we were just going with a military concept. The YU Entertainment’s representative, who facilitated our practice room, signaled that the dancers were ready.

“Alright, this is it. Let’s give it our all. Can we do it?”

“Yes!” we responded in unison to Ji-Hyuk’s rallying call.

With determination, we made our way to the stage. It was finally time to unveil Team D’s performance, the culmination of over two weeks of intense preparation.