Chapter 52: Prophecy
No matter how much Kevin trembled with rage, he had no right to speak in this situation.
He had been officially removed from the Stardust Project, and within two days, all videos featuring Kevin were deleted from the official YouTube channel.
His scenes would likely be edited out of this week's broadcast as well.
There was a brief uproar among the staff, but that was it.
Because the production team was more determined than anyone to "erase Kevin," they managed to minimize the damage to the program.
Across various online communities, cases of selective amnesia began to increase.
“Stardust? Isn’t that the show that had that druggie? Was it Kevin? LOL”
└ “Who’s Kevin?”
└ “There was soone like that?”
└ “I don’t rember.”
“Aren’t there supposed to be 14 mbers in Stardust? Why do people keep saying 15? Did they all see a ghost or sothing?”
└ “Yeah, it’s 14 mbers ㅠㅠ why is everyone acting weird?”
└ “LOL this Kevin erasure is way too serious, I can’t.”
└ “This is a matter of life or death for the program;; If you don’t want ‘Stardust weed scandal’ popping up in related searches, erase him from your mory now.”
“Betters was such a legendary stage... ha LOL I can’t even watch it now.”
└ “Hey producers, while you’re at it, can you edit Kevin out of the Betters stage too? Please.”
└ “I was about to watch 1 Betters again today, but Kevin’s close-up popped up and scared , so I turned it off.”
└ “If only he hadn’t been a druggie... I really... loved him to death...”
└ “Exactlyㅠㅠ and he just had to be my type, LOL”
“There’s a Kevin-free edit of the Betters stage here by a Junseo fan: sneotube/sjdfk1243. It’s done really well to make it look like Kevin was never there. Sharing for the public good.”
└ “OMG bless youㅠㅠㅠㅠ”
└ “Give back my Betters”
└ “From now on, I’m only watching this version”
└ “At least that’s so relief ha ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ”
And just like that, one of the most likely debut candidates was gone.
With the third ranking announcent approaching, the Stardust dorm was abuzz.
Even the trainees who had barely been in the debut range were now eyeing that open spot, their gazes sharp.
One of them was Lee Dokyung.
Close to the debut range, but with many variables affecting his rank.
Sure, I knew that Lee Dokyung would eventually debut soday, but he was probably on edge right now.
He must’ve been racking his brain.
If there were soone next to him, he’d probably grab them and start lanting.
But still.
I didn’t think he’d co to directly like this.
“Do Seohan, long ti no see?”
“Doesn’t really feel like a long ti.”
“It’s been ages since we had a nice little mont, just the two of us.”
What, “nice little mont”?
Dragging all the way to this empty storage room just to say sothing so pointless?
Wasn’t he the one who used to speak informally? Now he’s suddenly polite again?
Lee Dokyung’s signature sly smile set off my inner warning radar.
Regardless of everything else, I just didn’t like the guy.
With his hands stuffed in his pockets, Lee Dokyung looked up at . His eyes swept up and down unpleasantly.
After a brief pause, Lee Dokyung suddenly said sothing out of the blue.
“Did you know?”
“If you’re talking about today’s lunch nu, I do.”
“I an about Kevin.”
“Ah~.”
So that’s what this was about—Kevin.
What was his intention with that question?
I stared at Lee Dokyung, wondering if he had heard anything from reporter Lee Doyeon.
Didn’t seem like it.
Lee Doyeon wasn’t the type to talk, and Lee Dokyung’s expression didn’t show any certainty either.
He was just fishing.
“Kevin?”
I tilted my head and played dumb, and Lee Dokyung’s brow furrowed.
His usual fake smile had long vanished in front of .
He must’ve figured it wouldn’t work on anyway.
With a sigh of frustration, Lee Dokyung asked,
“We’re from the sa company. Wasn’t there any talk going around inside Doubles?”
“No way. What trainee would have the guts to show that?”
That part was true.
If Doubles had known about Kevin’s drug use, they wouldn’t have sent him on the show in the first place.
Kevin had fooled the agency all by himself.
Still, Lee Dokyung didn’t seem satisfied with my answer and scratched his head.
“Really? I don’t know, it just feels like you would’ve known.”
So sharp, as always.
Like Cha Seongbin, he had that sly vibe, but sohow, this guy rubbed the wrong way even more.
Lee Dokyung tapped his foot and let out a dry chuckle.
“My sister said you’ve got a sharp sense. If it’s that sharp, wouldn’t you have felt sothing off? Don’t you think?”
“No one in my family has spiritual powers.”
“Ha ha, you’re funny.”
Lee Dokyung let out a big laugh and continued.
“My sister talks about you a lot, Seohan. All in a good way, of course.”
Why would she do that?
I frowned without realizing, and then ca sothing unbelievable.
“She told to get close to you. Should we start being friends from today?”
Wow.
I really didn’t want to.
I was so creeped out that I subconsciously stepped back from Lee Dokyung.
Seeing that, his face soured.
“You really show your dislike openly.”
“Ha ha...”
Let’s say I’m on my second life.
Lee Dokyung, barely twenty, was acting like a centuries-old snake, so of course I didn’t like him.
The problem was, he seed to trust quite a lot.
“Setting everything else aside, I ca to ask you for a favor.”
Might as well hear him out.
Lee Dokyung looked straight in the eye and began.
“I wanted to borrow that amazing sense of yours.”
“It’s a bit expensive.”
"I'll pay you back if things go well."
Lee Dokyung fiddled with his phone, then showed a text ssage on the screen.
HDN Entertainnt.
Among the first things that caught my eye was the na of the company, just as well-known as Doubles in this industry.
Ah, I see what's going on.
"Do Seohan."
Lee Dokyung swallowed dryly and dropped a bomb.
"I'm thinking of quitting this program."
What Lee Dokyung showed in the text was just one na: HDN Entertainnt.
It was a rival company to Doubles, the host of Stardust, so ethically it was a bit questionable...
But since Lee Dokyung was an individual trainee, there was nothing particularly wrong with him talking to another company.
I did wonder why he was showing it to , though.
Lee Dokyung got to the point in a calm voice.
"HDN made an offer."
"To put you in the debut team right now?"
"...You catch on disgustingly fast. Am I really talking to an eighteen-year-old?"
"Excuse ?"
I hurriedly made an innocent face.
The face of a pure hamster that might only care about sunflower seeds.
"..."
Did it work?
"Ha… I need to stay calm."
I could hear Lee Dokyung’s blood pressure rising. I awkwardly nodded.
"Ha ha... please go on."
"They offered a debut. Just as you guessed. I'm grateful, and it's a great opportunity, but as you know, the timing is a bit tricky."
"Did they tell you to drop out of the program?"
It was already a well-known rumor that Lee Dokyung had received an offer from HDN Entertainnt right before the finals.
They would put him in the debut team right away.
In return, he had to quit the Stardust Project imdiately and join their company.
At the ti, Lee Dokyung chose to stay.
In the end, he debuted through Stardust, so it wasn’t the wrong decision.
Still, the fact that he ca to like this ant there was sothing bothering him.
After the last concept evaluation, the fans’ reactions had been extrely turbulent.
The most notable example being Seo Ian.
He was expected to see a huge jump in rank at the third ranking announcent.
At this point, Lee Dokyung was on the edge of the debut range, so every trainee climbing up was probably a threat.
It wasn't strange if he felt anxious about possibly not making the debut team.
Lee Dokyung continued in a voice that sounded impatient.
"They say they won’t give any more ti. The debut is confird within this year... well, I understand. It could be a clever tactic to make nervous enough to join, or maybe they really don’t have ti before the debut. Either way, I don’t have much ti."
The mont of choice had co.
Lee Dokyung’s gaze turned to .
"Do you think this group will make it big?"
He was weighing the chance of debuting through Stardust versus joining a pre-set debut team and succeeding there.
Right now, he seed more inclined to quit the program.
But who knows?
He might just follow the sa path as in my previous life.
I looked back at Lee Dokyung and stroked my chin.
"Well... here's what I think."
Lee Dokyung possibly quitting...
He wasn’t about to get into any scandals, but in many ways, he was the kind of guy I didn’t like.
If soone like that wanted to leave on their own...
Why would I stop him?
"That’s weird. Your eyes are sparkling."
"No way."
"You’re really bad at acting."
"Was it that obvious?"
Anyway.
I decided to be honest with him.
"Yeah, I think it'll go well."
It wasn’t quite at Stardust’s level, but the group had done well enough to be considered a rival in that era.
After all the scandals at Stardust, they eventually overtook us and had a long run.
"If HDN's behind it, they’ll at least manage the basics. Whether you take that to heart is up to you, Lee Dokyung."
Whatever choice he made, it was his.
Still, I had no desire to be in the sa group as a notorious Casanova.
If we did end up debuting together...
I’d make sure to block all your dating.
Third Ranking Announcent.
No matter how much you try to ignore it, that day always cos.
The faces of the trainees, gathered in the studio after a long ti, were filled with gloom.
"Ah... I really didn’t want to co here."
"Yeah, neither."
Kang Siwoo sighed deeply as he clutched his hair.
Seo Ian, sitting beside him, silently patted Kang Siwoo’s shoulder.
Two people who seed like they’d never get along had grown closer after being on the sa team.
Because of Kang Siwoo’s vibe, he felt like he was older, but in reality, they were both twenty, the sa age.
As soon as I sat next to Seo Ian, Kang Siwoo weakly waved at .
"Do Seohan, you're here?"
"Why does it feel so gloomy over here?"
"? I feel like I’m going to get eliminated."
Kang Siwoo looked like a cactus that hadn’t been watered in ages.
At the last ranking announcent, Kang Siwoo barely made it up, just like Seo Ian.
So I knew exactly what he was worried about.
"You’ve got bonus points. Don’t worry too much."
One of the big reasons I gritted my teeth to win first place was that.
Our whole team.
No matter what, we’re going to the finals.
I looked at Kang Siwoo and carefully opened my mouth.
On the last stage, Kang Siwoo in “Touch ” was perfect.
He shed his usual tough image and successfully showed a completely different charm.
The comnts were positive, so the fans must’ve liked it too.
"You did great, hyung."
"Did I...? I really don’t want to get eliminated..."
Kang Siwoo, who had been pulling at his hair, looked over at an empty seat.
It was where Kevin used to sit before he left the show.
His gaze seed to say:
I need to take that empty spot.
I understood him so well, I couldn’t say a word in response.
I could only hope we’d all make it to the final safely, and keep my mouth shut.
Still, twelve trainees would go on to the final round.
Only two would be eliminated.
While the trainees sat nervously, praying for their nas to be called for the final,
MC Han Dawon entered.
“Hello, shining boys.”
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