For idols, a dorm wasn’t just a place they stayed temporarily. It was basically another ho.
After all, it was a place they might live for as little as three years, or as long as seven. Calling it a second ho wasn’t wrong.
Maybe because of that, fans who were curious about everything their favorite idols did wanted to know every single detail of how idols lived in their dorm.
Because of that, showing the dorm had long since beco content that idols “had” to go through at least once.
“Whoa! This is really nice.”
“Look at the sofa! All seven of us could sit on it.”
“The bathroom is huge, too!”
“It’d be fun to watch a movie together on this TV!”
The mbers ca through the front door of the dorm with suitcases in hand and started making a huge fuss before they’d even properly looked around.
‘Yeah. You gotta do what you gotta do.’
And I joined in with them, making a big fuss and sharing my impressions of the dorm.
“Wow! Look at the fridge! If my mom saw this, she’d lose it and try to swap it with the one at ho!”
“Sion is always funny!”
“I’m not even joking. If Lady Sukja saw it, she might’ve swapped it in secret.”
The mbers burst out laughing, thinking what I said was just a joke.
And when coward Ryujin tapped my shoulder and cackled, I got chills.
‘So this is the cold reality of capitalism.’
There used to be an old variety show called Love House.
They’d take applications for old, worn-down hos and remodel them into sothing new.
‘Now I finally get why people reacted like that back then.’
At the ti, I’d thought the cast was being ridiculous, making a big fuss over nothing. But now I understood, painfully, why they acted that way.
-Please react more! The dorm is so big, it has everything, it’s so great! Don’t let the lines break!
In my field of view, the writers were shaking a sketchbook with the script written on it, demanding we keep reacting.
And that wasn’t all.
The mont we walked in, there were caras already installed all over the place, and staff who’d co in before us and were waiting.
-Hello, Iam. We’re the reality production team that’ll be filming your daily life starting today.
Waiting to greet and the mbers at the dorm was a whole filming crew.
Since we were from a program Mplay had planned, we already knew a follow-up style reality variety show was going to air, but still.
‘I didn’t know filming started today.’
Anyway, with the staff saying that the first shoot would start by revealing our dorm today, we were already filming without any preparation.
Maybe because of that, coward Ryujin, who normally only ever “touched” by smacking my back, was acting shy like a sweet little girl, and it was disgusting.
A well-behaved coward Ryujin like this—there was no way I could let that slide.
“Ryujin, this is great! Our Ryujin snores so bad that back in Agbaek, the shared dorm’s alarm clock was basically Ryujin. But this place seems soundproof, so—”
“What kind of bullshit is that!!!”
Smack!
At my light joke, coward Ryujin snapped back to normal and slapped my back.
“No··· Please edit that out!”
My back turned red, but I couldn’t stop laughing.
Coward Ryujin must’ve realized a beat too late that the cara was still on, because Ryujin was urgently asking them to cut it, but judging by the bright smiles on the staff’s faces, I could tell it was definitely going on air.
“But how do we decide the rooms?”
Around the ti we’d made enough of a fuss over the dorm, Lee Gahyeon spoke to us in a tone like reading a stage script.
Eyes were on us, but Lee Gahyeon’s gaze kept drifting to the sketchbook the writer was holding, doing that “Magic Eye” stare while trying desperately to steer the mood into “deciding rooms,” and it made want to cry.
‘Guess it can’t be helped.’
If this kept going, it wouldn’t be a variety show. It’d just produce a bunch of embarrassing Lee Gahyeon clips. So I stepped in.
“Looks like there are three bedrooms. One big room and two smaller rooms. Then we should split into three, two, and two.”
“How should we decide? Drawing lots?”
“Or should we just talk it out ourselves?”
“First, there might be soone who’s sensitive when sleeping, so···.”
Once I got the ball rolling, the mbers finally started talking one by one.
Watching them, I shook my head inwardly.
‘Drawing lots, discussing it as mbers? There’s no way they’ll let us pick roommates with so fresh, wholeso thod like that.’
If we were other idols, maybe we would’ve.
Those were the cute, cozy monts fans usually wanted to see from idols.
But I didn’t believe the production crew would just sit back and allow us to decide roommates in such a warm, friendly way.
Because—
“Alright, everyone, please look this way for a mont!”
From among the staff who’d been watching our heated debate about dorm roommates, I heard a familiar woman’s voice.
“Taking your opinions into account, we’re going to run roommate selection with a fair thod.”
A woman in her thirties with a cap pulled low, rattling off hosting lines like she was excited.
That woman was none other than Kim Miyoung, the PD of this reality team—and also my aunt.
‘There’s no way Aunt would leave us alone with so normal thod.’
I was sure there was sothing coming.
***
‘This takes back to Agbaek.’
Kim Miyoung was looking at the Iam mbers for the first ti in a while since Idol Ground 100, and reminiscing about the ti when she’d been the main PD.
Once called Mplay’s devil and the youngest main PD in history, Kim Miyoung had now moved to SY Variety Production as a PD.
-We got an outsourcing request for a reality variety show Mplay is running this ti. Do you think we could leave it to you, Miyoung?
After stepping down voluntarily as the main PD of Idol Ground 100 because of the “nepotism for her niece” controversy, Miyoung, under normal circumstances, would’ve taken a short break and then returned as main PD on another program.
But then, during that break, she got an offer to switch jobs.
And Miyoung accepted it.
Normally, even for career reasons, Miyoung hadn’t considered moving unless it was within the sa KJ E&M umbrella, like TVM, but this offer was hard to refuse.
‘You crazy bitch, you completely lost your mind over the salary.’
SY, a major agency, was creating a new variety production division, and they offered her an enormous salary to co on as the main PD.
That was because they rated Miyoung’s skills highly after she’d delivered a massive hit with Idol Ground 100.
Miyoung was still young and had no other programs besides Agbaek under her belt, and the salary was so huge it wasn’t easy to turn down.
And so, after being recruited into SY Variety Production, Miyoung’s first program was outsourced work for Iam’s reality show.
Honestly, it wasn’t the kind of thing Miyoung would normally take on after leaving Mplay, but—
‘They’re like brats I left at ho. They’re annoying, but it’s my niece, so I’ve gotta push them properly at least once.’
Miyoung, who still felt guilty about stepping down after the program caused controversy, decided to throw her full effort into backing them.
So Miyoung had no intention of ending this program as just an ordinary idol reality.
-Reality? Isn’t that sothing only fans watch?
It was true.
Usually, an idol reality show—especially one for rookie idols who hadn’t even debuted yet—was a typical “advertising variety” that only ca out if the agency paid the entire production budget.
After all, they weren’t variety codians, and rookie idols about to debut weren’t going to be great on cara. So usually they’d just stuff it full of cute, lovable scenes to please fans, and it would lack mainstream appeal.
But—
“Hello, I’m Lee Gahyeon, the oldest mber of Iam!”
Miyoung planned to make that kind of reality show into a variety program that even the general public could enjoy.
Boooo!!!
“Don’t put on a deep voice!”
“Show us a talent!”
“Do a deer scream!”
“You got this!”
“It’s already boring, Gahyeon!”
“What were you doing yesterday? Why are your dark circles so bad?”
In Miyoung’s eyes, the Iam mbers sitting on the sofa were heckling Lee Gahyeon, who was standing alone.
“Why are they so naturally good at variety?”
“Guess it’s because they ca from a survival show. We just gave them a situation and they handle it on their own.”
“Tell them to film Lee Gahyeon’s face from other angles, too!”
As the staff filming Iam’s roommate selection started marveling at how skilled they were for rookies—
‘Who do you think raised them?’
Miyoung felt pleased at the reactions.
Lee Sion.
Miyoung knew her niece—recently considered one of the hottest people—better than anyone.
Trying to make the show pretty and lovable like other idol reality shows while having that thing on the cast was pointless. It was obvious it would turn into a variety show anyway.
And on top of that—
“Gahyeon, if your roommate blasts music loudly in the room, what would you do?”
“I’ll love them and match their taste!”
“Um··· I like soone quiet, though···.”
“Hey! You—!”
Watching Ryu Ayeon ss with Lee Gahyeon, Miyoung got chills.
‘That’s totally Lee Sion, isn’t it?’
It wasn’t just that Lee Sion was a troublemaker. Miyoung was once again reminded that all of Iam had already beco “Lee Sion-ified.”
“Alright. Everyone, please rate Gahyeon.”
After watching the mbers’ skit for a while, Miyoung decided the situation had wrapped up enough, collected herself, and continued the progress.
“Highest score: 7.7. Lowest score: 0. Lee Gahyeon’s average score is 4.2.”
At Miyoung’s announcent, Lee Gahyeon, who’d been turned around facing the wall, spun around before anyone could stop it and shouted with a red face.
“Hey! Who gave a zero!!!”
“, Gahyeon!”
“Yuri! How could you give a zero!”
“Because you’re so full of it, Gahyeon!”
“···Are you insane!!!”
A heartwarming scene: an enraged Lee Gahyeon charging at Yuri.
It was exactly what Miyoung had wanted from Iam.
***
-Welco to Iam Village, seven mbers! Starting now, each of you will introduce yourself and show off your charm one by one, then you’ll play a “pick-your-partner” ga where you receive scores from the other mbers. When the ga ends, the mber with the highest average score will earn the right to assign the rooms.
The mont Ayeon heard the explanation for the “pick-your-partner” ga that would decide room assignnts, one sche ca to mind.
‘There’s a sure-win thod for this ga.’
At a glance, it looked like a fair ga, but Ayeon noticed it. There was a big loophole hidden in it.
“Haji mashite. Watashi wa Kurosawa···.” (“Nice to et you. I’m Kurosawa...”)
“If you don’t speak Korean, you get a zero!”
“Hello, I’m Iam’s refreshing vitamin! Kurosawa Yuri!”
The pick-your-partner ga was moving quickly.
Right now was the fourth turn—Kurosawa Yuri’s ti to appeal her charm—
“Who is it! How can you give Yuri a zero?”
“You gave a zero too!”
“Gahyeon is so narrow-minded!”
“Boooo! Stop talking back and get down here!”
Kurosawa Yuri ended up receiving the lowest average score so far—1.5—because of karma from what she’d done in the earlier ga.
“Next is Ryu Ayeon.”
As Yuri sulked back into her seat, Ayeon, who was next, stood up from the sofa and got ready to go out.
Nod.
Before stepping out, Ayeon made brief eye contact with coward Ryujin, who was after her, and nodded.
Coward Ryujin nodded back, signaling “got it.”
‘Alliance. If I have even one solid ally, I can get a high average score.’
The solution Ayeon found in this partner ga was an alliance.
“Hello, I’m Iam’s charismatic dancer, Ryu Ayeon. Nice to et you.”
“Charismatic, my ass—you’re the biggest scaredy-cat here!”
“You’re only charismatic in the practice room!”
“Is it ‘charisma’ when you don’t reply even if we ssage you on the weekend?”
The mont Ayeon finished her introduction, six—no, five—hyenas tore into her like they’d been waiting.
‘Either way, the scores they’ll give will all be about the sa.’
But Ayeon didn’t care about the mbers’ reactions.
Because they wanted the power of assigning rooms so badly, the mbers were throwing slander and low scores the mont anyone showed even a tiny opening.
That was why Ayeon thought that if she had just one ally she could trust, she could take first place in average score.
Since the rest would be busy checking each other and giving similar scores anyway.
“Ryu Ayeon’s score! Highest: 10. Lowest: 0. Average: 6.0—currently the highest average!”
“What the hell! coward Ryujin, are you insane? Why did you suddenly give a ten?”
“Ryujin! Why would you do that!”
“Did you two plan it, unnie—?”
As soon as Ayeon’s introduction ended and the results were announced, confused reactions burst out among the mbers.
No wonder. Among the mbers, coward Ryujin had given Ayeon the first-ever perfect ten.
Seeing the two exchange a aningful smile while looking at each other, the mbers finally realized that Ayeon and Ryujin had ford an alliance behind their backs.
But it was already too late.
“coward Ryujin’s score! Highest: 10. Lowest: 0. Average: 1.6!”
The mbers gave coward Ryujin nothing but zeros as retaliation, but—
‘This ga is about picking first place.’
Ayeon, who’d already gotten points while hiding the alliance, was a step away from gaining the right to assign the rooms.
“Hello, I’m Iam’s cute Youngest, Yunkyung···.”
And next, after coward Ryujin, ca Iam’s Youngest, Im Yunkyung.
Seeing Yunkyung wearing an unfair, wronged expression made Ayeon feel a twinge of guilt, but it couldn’t be helped.
The Ayeon–Ryujin alliance planned to give Yunkyung a zero.
If they did that, there would be no mber who could threaten Ayeon’s current first-place score.
It looked like even Yunkyung understood there was nothing that could be done.
Im Yunkyung finished the introduction with drooping shoulders, didn’t do any special appeal, and just turned around with a sullen face to wait for the score announcent.
‘Huh?’
But the mont Yunkyung turned around, Ayeon’s naturally sharp reflexes caught the corner of Yunkyung’s mouth lifting slightly.
It was only for a brief instant, but Yunkyung was definitely smiling, and at that sight, Ayeon felt an inexplicable sense of dread.
“We’ll reveal Yunkyung’s score. Highest: 10. Lowest: 0. Average··· 6.6! Iam’s Youngest, Yunkyung, has recorded the highest average score!”
And, just as expected, that ominous feeling ca true.
With an average score of 6.6, Yunkyung overtook Ayeon and rose to first place.
“What is this···.”
As Ayeon stared in shock at the unexpected result, a voice ca from the side, like it had been waiting for that reaction.
“Amateur···.”
“Lee Sion? Don’t tell you—?”
“A crafty rabbit doesn’t prepare only one hiding place.”
At so point, Lee Sion had stood up and was heading toward Yunkyung.
And another mber stood up to follow Lee Sion toward Yunkyung.
“Shinyu, why are you—!”
“When did you think the three of us weren’t in an alliance?”
Lee Sion wrapped an arm around Im Yunkyung and Geum Shinyu on each side, then looked at Ayeon and the rest of the mbers with a bitter smile and spoke.
“The three of us were in the sa alliance from the start.”
Thud.
As soon as Lee Sion finished speaking, all the strength drained from Ayeon’s [N O V E L I G H T] body, and Ayeon slid off the sofa and dropped onto the floor with a thud.
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