Chapter 4
[Title: Moon Hayan Got an A?]
Moon Hayan and Shin Haemi are the same grade…? Really?
- I don’t think Moon Hayan is that good…
- Long-term trainee favoritism, maybe?
└ If it’s a DIP in-house audition, totally possible lol. They’ll push their pick anyway.
[Title: PaPoWorld Final Debut Rankings]
1st – Shin Haemi – 1,230,234 votes
2nd – Catherine – 999,749 votes
3rd – Jeon Minsu – 951,533 votes
4th – Hong Heera – 928,001 votes
5th – Moon Hayan – 898,121 votes
- I expected that person in 5th.
└ ??
└└ It’s rigged lol. - If you’re going to rig it, at least try not to make it obvious. They already rigged the grades from the first evaluation by pressuring the trainers.
Back then, Hayan had wanted to shout:
“Everyone, I wish it had been rigged too.”
If she really had been the company’s pick, she wouldn’t have felt like she was hanging off a cliff every single filming day.
If my debut had been guaranteed, I would’ve built a broadcast character early and shown my face to my future fans confidently.
Hearing people say she was favored felt unfair.
She had panicked over every word from the trainers.
Still… maybe the company had considered pushing her a little at first.
Even Hayan herself had found the judging strange. By her own standards, she had been a C.
Maybe they thought, since it was the first evaluation, they’d boost me slightly.
And then decided not to.
If that was the case, they should’ve just left her alone from the start.
The “Company Pick Moon Hayan” label followed her from debut until disbandment.
This time, I can’t let it go that way.
Now she could invest in stats and items.
She had the chance to create undeniable growth that anyone could acknowledge.
But to do that, I have to hit rock bottom first.
She planned to perform badly enough that no one could accuse her of being boosted.
Come on, sweet harsh criticism.
She steadied herself.
The intro began.
It was a retro, fast-tempo song by first-generation girl group Pinky Catch.
“…I knew from the start…”
From the very first line, Hayan missed the beat.
The trainers frowned.
That wasn’t her only mistake.
During the high note in the chorus, she lowered the key by half a step, killing the tension right before the climax.
It was a difficult part, well above three octaves.
She had basically thrown away the hook.
The trainers’ expressions remained dark.
“Take even my greed away—”
She barely finished the final chorus.
Silence.
Tension filled the room.
Hayan was already well-known among the trainees due to her long trainee period.
Some had expected something from her. Others were wary.
Instead, they saw repeated mistakes.
Some smirked. Some looked shocked.
“Well… it was a very… am-bi-guous stage.”
Moosung deliberately mocked her earlier pronunciation slip.
Hayan flinched internally but kept a blank face.
“Your breathing was rushed from the start. Overall unstable. You lowered the key, so I assume you were aware.”
He continued bluntly, then paused and tapped his pen.
Another trainer spoke up.
“But what’s interesting is—despite the unstable vocals, your gestures, eye contact, and ending techniques show some depth.”
Hayan stiffened.
As expected of professionals.
She felt exposed but oddly relieved.
At least six years weren’t for nothing.
There was something in her performance that experts could see.
“But covering up ambiguous skill with technique won’t work forever. That’s something amateurs do. Or people who sing as a hobby.”
“……”
“Moon Hayan. Grade C.”
“Thank you.”
She bowed.
C achieved.
It stung a little.
But it was intentional.
She returned to her seat.
The atmosphere around her was cold.
The trainees who had chatted with her before filming were now silent.
They must’ve heard rumors.
Rumors that she was favored by the company or broadcast station.
Because she had been the longest-standing female trainee at DIP.
That she had connections.
That she ate with the debut team manager.
That she’d already met with PDs.
That her debut was guaranteed.
Whispers.
Yes, I was a veteran trainee. But having connections? That’s nonsense.
If she really had connections, why would she have been sitting alone on the first filming day?
“Next, Shin Haemi.”
“Wow…”
“Is she a model?”
Gasps filled the room.
Click, click.
Haemi walked to the stage in heels.
Her long hair swayed against her sharp features.
Her tall figure and long limbs made even a simple walk look powerful.
While the others trembled like baby deer, Haemi looked like she was walking Broadway.
“Hello. I’m Shin Haemi.”
No extra words. No unnecessary reactions.
She simply requested the music.
Her song choice was TE CHASE’s “Got it.”
TE ChASE had dominated the male idol scene within a year of debut.
And their leader—
was Haemi’s first dating rumor.
- I feel bad for not noticing earlier. She’s been obvious since PaPoWorld. ㅠ ㅠ ㅠ
When the dating rumor broke, fans even suspected they had been dating during filming.
This evaluation video would skyrocket in views once the scandal hit.
Even her song choice is intimidating.
“Got it” had sharp, joint-snapping choreography.
It looked straightforward but required precise control.
Every time she applied and released force, her hair traced elegant arcs in the air.
Does her hair have its own consciousness?
Just like before, she executed it perfectly.
Even TE ChASE members would collapse after performing it.
Haemi barely looked winded.
For the first time that day, a trainer smiled warmly.
“How long have you trained?”
“Three months.”
“Three months?!”
“Not three years?”
One trainee blurted that out.
Most trainees didn’t know much about her.
Because Haemi didn’t bother telling anyone.
The mysterious Shin Haemi finally stood revealed.
***
After a short break—
“It’s time to announce the individual rankings.”
“15th place, Nakamura Mizuki.”
The trainee silently took her seat.
“14th—Hong Heera.”
Wait. Was her ranking this low before?
Hayan tried to see Heera’s face but couldn’t.
“13th—Moon Hayan.”
Her heart dropped.
Trainees exchanged glances.
She could already imagine tonight’s gossip.
“Moon Hayan thought she was a senior trainee and acted all high and mighty, but she flopped from the first evaluation.”
She knew because she’d heard it in her past life.
The rest were announced.
Jeon Minsu – 7th
Shin Haemi – 2nd
Catherine – 1st
Everyone’s decent… except me and Heera are too low.
She could manage her own survival using the Presence system.
But—
If Heera gets eliminated, the main quest fails. I regress immediately.
In her past life, Heera had barely debuted in 4th place.
If she started this low, surviving the next evaluation was uncertain.
“Ranks 1 to 3 will receive benefits.
1st – Catherine
2nd – Shin Haemi
3rd – Tak Jium.”
Catherine nodded eagerly.
Haemi stared at the screen indifferently.
“Now, the benefit winners will choose their songs. As stated earlier, others will not know the song information.”
In simpler terms: no benefit, pure luck.
“Choose one of three songs. Once a team is full, it’s complete.”
Haemi chose Team 1.
Catherine chose Team 2.
Jium chose Team 3.
Thankfully, top trainees weren’t clustered together.
If I remember correctly, avoid Team 3.
Team 3’s likely song was “Your Happiness” by soloist Haejin.
An orchestral R&B ballad.
High range. Vocal-focused.
No choreography.
Not suitable for a survival show.
Unless you’re extremely skilled, you won’t survive that.
Team 3 was dangerous.
Team 1 would likely be “Sugar poppin'”—a dance track.
Team 2 would be “Hey, Girls”—a hip-hop song.
The logic lined up perfectly.
Now it was Hayan, Heera, and the 15th-ranked trainee who left.
Only Team 2 and Team 3 had spots.
If I choose Team 2, they’re forced into Team 3.
No need to think.
Hayan stepped toward Team 2—
But stopped.
She glanced at Heera’s black hair.
She didn’t need to stop.
Since when were you so kind, Moon Hayan?
She had just criticized Heera earlier.
Still—
If Heera goes to Team 3… she might get eliminated.
But Hayan had no intention of sacrificing herself.
“Excuse me… can I have a few more seconds to think?”
The MC nodded.
Heera’s face was hidden behind her hair.
But her jaw was red.
Hayan remembered small habits.
When Heera was overwhelmed, her eyes trembled without tears.
Her jaw would flush red.
Team 3 is a death sentence.
If she chose Team 2, Heera would likely go to Team 3.
And then—
Ding!
A system notification popped up.
Hayan blinked.
“…Huh
