“For the next two months,” the voice boomed again, “you will be competing with each other.”
Everyone stiffened.
“And of course,” the voice added with a mischievous tone, “the first challenge starts now.”
“What the heck?” Misha muttered under her breath.
Another sound resonated. They thought the surprises were over, but the walls behind them shimmered before pulling back like sliding panels.
The cast turned their heads, eyes widening. Behind them was a spacious lounge, minimalistic and glowing with white ambient light. The centerpiece was a massive curved television screen mounted on a black wall. Velvet-lined chairs were scattered around the room, and snacks were neatly arranged on a long table.
“This,” the voice explained, “is your waiting room. For most challenges, you will gather here, watch the others’ performances, and receive feedback.”
“So we were in a box this whole time,” Zeno whispered.
“It’s like we’re part of a simulation,” Suho muttered, standing beside Zeno.
Gene PD cleared his throat, capturing everyone’s attention once more. “Each mission will be scored. Every week, the ones with the lowest scores—whether due to poor performance or lack of growth—will be eliminated.”
“Of course,” Ian chuckled. “Without any elimination, this won’t be considered a survival show.”
“I want it even more now,” Billy muttered. He had been in an idol survival program once, but he was cast aside pretty quickly. He wanted to relive everything, but better this time!
Misha suddenly raised her hand, her brows furrowed. Gene PD pointed to her with an amused smile.
“Yes?”
She cleared her throat before asking loudly, “The lead role… is it written as a man or a woman?”
Gene turned to Bacon, who leaned forward. “It doesn’t matter,” he replied. “The script is in our hands. The character is alive, but not yet fully formed. It can be played by anyone. Gender, age, background—it’s all a matter of execution.”
“Will you at least reveal the gist of it to us?” Sangwon asked.
He only smirked. “Think about getting the part first,” Gene said, eyes twinkling. “Then you’ll know.”
Ian stepped forward next. “What about the fan vote? Where does that come in?”
“Only at the end,” Gene answered smoothly. “When the final candidates are revealed. The top actors will be judged by both critics and the public. Until then, it’s pure skill.”
“To ensure fairness,” Bacon added. “You can use this time to capture the hearts of the audience so you can earn their votes.”
“And now…” the voiceover returned once again, surprising those inside the room with how loud it was.
“The first mission will finally be revealed!”
Ari stepped forward with a small smile.
“I’m sure you’ve all stuck to scripts,” she started off, scanning the crowd.
Zeno’s eyes narrowed as he observed her. He was still sure that she was a Rennis. He was going to wait for the right moment to approach her about it. Ari felt Zeno’s gaze, but she brushed it off, feeling her cheeks warm up.
“The first mission,” Ari went on, holding back a smirk, “is IMPROV.”
The words were also shown on the LED screen behind them.
Groans erupted across the room like thunder. Suho visibly slouched while Risa closed her eyes.
“You’re kidding,” Ian said, appearing a little disturbed. He hadn’t done it at all!
“Improv?” Oska whispered. He had learned it through his acting classes, but it had been a while.
Improvisational acting wasn’t really common among those on the big screen.
Ari continued. “I’m sure the script is your safety net. However, even when you don’t engage in improv acting consistently, we believe that an actor needs to have some adlib skills.”
“It is best not to deviate from the script, but adding to it is always appreciated. It makes the character more you.”
“This mission will see who has such characteristics,” he ended.
Gene PD stepped forward beside her, arms crossed. “Group yourselves into five. You’ll be given different prompts. Each team will perform in front of the judges and your peers. The team with the highest score will earn a significant advantage for the next round.”
Their eyes flickered with curiosity. “Advantage?”
Gene didn’t elaborate. He just smiled.
Suddenly, the room was alive. People started calling out names, and those who knew each other from past projects huddled close. The camera team was already zooming in to catch the quick scramble of alliances forming. Zeno stood where he was, watching the others with puffed-up cheeks.
Sangwon walked up to Shin immediately. “We’re the oldest here. Let’s team up.”
Shin’s eyes went to the side. “But I want to team up with Zeno.”
Sangwon’s eyes narrowed. “Their group is full already. We don’t have a choice. Just do it with me.”
Shin sighed and nodded in defeat.
Meanwhile, the group started to form around Zeno. Well, they had formed a circle before the groupings were called out.
“Looks like we’ve got a full house,” Misha muttered, arms crossed.
“We’re six,” Risa pointed out, glancing around. “Aren’t teams supposed to be five?”
That’s when they all turned to the last person standing near them—Hero.
He was bright-eyed and clueless. He couldn’t take a hint for his life.
Zeno stared at him. “How old are you?”
“Twenty!” Hero chirped.
“Oh,” Suho said, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. “So you’re really young.”
“Yeah!” he exclaimed. “I haven’t even been to the military yet,” he boasted.
“I see,” Ian muttered. As much as he appreciated Hero’s presence since the very beginning, he was the most unfamiliar in the group.
Just then, Zeno suddenly took a step back and looked around at all of them. Risa’s eyes met his, confused.
“You guys group up,” Zeno said nonchalantly.
“What?” they all said in unison.
“You’re joking,” Suho added.
“No,” Zeno said simply, already turning away. “I was the last one to arrive here.”
“That’s not true,” Suho said. “I was the last one to arrive.”
Zeno shrugged, unbothered by it all. “You’re my senior. It’s fine,” he said, glancing at Hero, who still appeared clueless after all this time.
“Good luck, guys,” he said before turning away.