★ The Second Life Idols Lucky Plan – Chapter 24
☆ RPR

[PR: This is when the story becomes good. Hehe.]

Lightning was a group that walked on its own path.

Everyone didn't try to join forces with each other, and everyone did their own thing. A group with no loyalty, time, or affection for each other. A team brought together by business with no chemistry.

The team became remote. Everyone tried to keep their territory and did not mix. That's how we all became wary of each other.

After I learned the line that was drawn, I stopped fussing around. And rather than trying to do something more, I focused more on dealing with and taking care of incidents after they occurred.

Because I thought that would save the group.

In fact, when we kept the proper line without intervening with each other, fights and nervous warfare decreased. It would be more accurate to say that we became indifferent to each other.

Anyway, managing like that, Lightning could survive for five years. With no rumors of member discord.

'Even though there wasn't any relationship in the first place that would cause rumors of discord.'

But it was the answer to Lightings' dilemmas and saved the group. Each of us did only what we were best at.

'... But is that really the correct answer?'

I didn't overwork or act roughly. Contrary to my desire to be on <Design Your Idol>, I did not want to cause any trouble.

When I practiced, I only practiced, and I didn't try to do something more or less. I contributed to the creative mission and showed no discernible flaws. I did exactly as much as I expected.

To keep the proper stance that neither loses nor gains.

"..."

But now my mentors are telling me I should do more than that. Something is lacking in me, or there is too much of it.

That must be Aiden Lee's thoughts as well.

"Let's practice again~!"

Watching Aiden Lee get up from his seat with a cheerful smile, I swallowed my frustration. I thought he might know the answer to my worries, but I didn't want to ask.

I greeted the morning of the 5th day of the training camp without being able to resolve the accumulated stuffiness.

* * *

"Starting now, the <I Am A Trainee Battle> begins!"

"Wow!"

In the afternoon of the 5th day of the training camp, a mini-event was held to fill up broadcasting time.

Hmmm... What kind of event was going on that everyone was so eager to participate in?

"The team with the most points in the <I Am A Trainee Battle> will get a 3-minute PR video to showcase themselves to the idol makers!"

Oh, I see because PR video rights for recognition were prizes.

"Let's all stay alert. If we can't do this, we'll die..."

With burning eyes, Kim Tae-young spoke to his teammates. Because everyone stayed up all night practicing, the team members, who were all dead in the morning, suddenly had their faces glowing with strange determination.

'It's an opportunity that is priceless right now.'

I glanced at the words on the screen,

[Personal PR Video Rights]

Currently, individual PR video tickets are the product trainees want the most.

<Design Your Idol> has not even aired its first episode yet, and since it is not known how much time each person will get on the air, individually filmed and released videos are currently almost the only way to raise awareness.

Besides, since it was a mini-activity for fun after hearing the harsh criticism from the mentors yesterday, it seemed that everyone was trying to take a breather and forget about practice.

"The rules are simple. There is a total of four fields! 'Visuals,' 'Personality,' 'Reversal,' and 'Ability.' You can send out two team members you think fit the fields best! Duplicate participation is allowed! Knowing each person's abilities is important, right?"

The MC winked and gave 5 minutes to select a member. After a huge timer appeared on the screen, the auditorium was filled with uncontrolled noise.

Group 2, which I belong to, also entered into heated discussions to select participants who could bring victory to the team.

"..."

"Now, let's start the 'Reversal' trainee battle~!"

....I entered the warzone.

Sigh

Standing on the podium, I looked at the camera in front of me from afar. I could feel Ju Danwoo, who was participating along with me, staring straight ahead, unable to bear looking down the podium.

"Wow!!!! Go Danwoo!!"

"Everyone get out of the way!! Group 2 is on top!!!"

I gulped as I looked at the teammates shouting at me from below with eyes like they were looking at a distant mountain.

'At this point, isn't this just a punishment?'

In this activity, 'Reversal' it was a pain to select candidates strategically.

If it were an individual competition, everyone would have raised their hands to claim the amount of broadcasting or compensation.

The reason why me and Ju Danwoo were selected as contestants for the 'Reversal' in Group 2 was as follows.

- Yoo-ha is an actual anti-war magazine. Once he was from a large group and got a D grade, and again when he rose from D to A during the re-evaluation. In addition, he always had a calm expression, so I thought he was blunt. Still, he was photographed by idol makers as a Pocari with a refreshing smile. Isn't he the definition of reversal at this point?

- Danwoo hyung honestly... At first, he couldn't really talk... Now look at that little benevolent, shy smile. It was a complete reversal!

- If Yoo-ha and Danwoo don't participate in 'reversal,' we will have a major problem.

...In other words, the icy narrative has become poison.

"LETS GO, TEAM!!!!"

"You guys got this!"

I slightly turned my head from the team members shouting at me as if they were betting their souls on their PR video rights. Somehow, I felt the pressure very strongly, as if I would be punished if I returned empty-handed.

'...Do I get criticized for doing it without effort or get attention by working hard?'

Either way, it was a threat to me. I swallowed a heavy sigh and looked straight ahead in silence.

When the cheers of the trainees below the podium subsided to some extent, the MC took a quick look at the contestants on the podium and spoke shortly.

"The charm of a twist is really important for an idol. Fans love idols who show a variety of charms rather than a basic appearance!"

Then, the MC pointed to the screen with a hand gesture.

"Now, first of all, what is the attractive point of these trainees?"

Soon something floated onto the screen with spectacular effects. Right after that, the trainees who confirmed it erupted in a fuss.

"Oh."

"That..."

I checked the screen while listening to the whispers of the trainees standing on the podium. What appeared on the screen was the application form submitted in advance by the trainees present here.

'...What is that?'

I looked at the applications on the screen with a questioning face. Each form was blurry except for the circularly focused part with the photo.

'I think Director Kwon wrote that.'

I don't remember well because I wrote half of it, and the other half was as the director called me.

I decided to appear in <Design Your Idol> by force, so I scribbled it out roughly as it was called without thinking deeply.

'What did I write down? Refreshing?'

It was time to take my eyes off the screen and figure out what was written in my box.

"Uh, uh!"

"Wow!"

When I turned my head to the sound of the trainees' reactions under the podium, something was messing around on the screen.

The 'charm of one's self' written down by the trainees on the podium was randomly reassigned to other trainees.

"Now, all you have to do is show off your charms other than your own! An all-round idol who digests all atmospheres and all concepts, if it is your dream to be an idol, that should be easy enough, right?"

And soon, perfectly rearranged words appeared on the screen. I quickly found my name there, and right next to it.

「Cute ♥」

... I found my keyword.

* * *

'Are you okay? Yoo-ha hyung...'

Zixuan, under the podium, looked at Yoo-ha standing on stage with a worried expression. Ever since he found his keyword, he stood silently as if his soul was stolen.

'Hyung.... is far from cute.'

Zixuan respected Yoo-ha.

The fact that he belongs to KRM Entertainment got a grade D on the first day of grade evaluation and then grew to grade A right after that. I thought there was nothing I wouldn't respect.

Won Yoo-ha was the only one in Team 2 who could handle Aiden Lee, who everyone was horrified of, so Zixuan felt charmed by him.

'Even though the two seemed a little distant these days...'

That's why Zixuan thought putting the word cute together with the person named Yoo-ha was difficult. It would be better if it were something like cool or sorrowful beauty because cuteness was a keyword that he couldn't find at all in Won Yoo-ha.

'Hyung is more cool than cute.'

It would have been better if it came out as tough or even sexy!

Zixuan looked at Won Yoo-ha nervously. He couldn't stop worrying about whether he could revive something so far from his usual atmosphere, no matter how embarrassing it was.

In addition, the two trainees in the first group had a hard time. One trainee was assigned the same "cute" keyword as Won Yoo-ha, and the other was assigned charisma, but both could not show off their newfound charms, causing the trainees to flee with flustered expressions.

Group 1's turn, with their faces stained red with embarassment, passed, and soon it was Group 2's turn. The MC handed over the microphone to Won Yoo-ha and Ju Danwoo.

"Team 2, Won Yoo-ha, let's begin."

Yoo-ha glanced at the stiff  Danwoo and was the first to pick up the microphone, then he put the mic down at his feet. At the same time, the production team played a cute background song resembling a nursery rhyme.

Zixuan sighed as he watched Won Yoo-ha standing tall and listening to the song.

Soon, applause erupted from the trainees below the podium with cheers that made it seem like the auditorium would explode.

"Uh..."

'Is this an alternate reality?'

Zixuan looked at Won Yoo-ha on the podium with a dumbfounded expression.

Won Yoo-ha had a skillful heart aegyo relay with a clean, clear, and confident smile as if this was natural.