NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40
Seeing the changed appearance of Lee Hye-jeong, I wasn’t the only one making a dazed expression.
“Hye-jeong unni, what on earth…?”
Even the cheerful Park Yoo-jung couldn’t hide her disbelief.
But who could blame her…
“What happened in the last 10 days…?”
“Unni…, my body….”
Lee Hye-jeong, who used to be on the chubby side, had truly shed half of herself.
“Hey…, look over there.”
“Whoa…, why did that unni suddenly lose so much weight?”
It was such a dramatic change that even other participants who weren’t close to Lee Hye-jeong were gasping as they passed by.
Feeling the weight of those gazes, Lee Hye-jeong shyly asked me and Park Yoo-jung.
“Why…, is there something weird?”
“No, no. Not at all!”
“You look absolutely gorgeous, unni.”
What I said wasn’t just empty words; I meant it sincerely.
Lee Hye-jeong was already a beauty, but now, with her weight loss, she looked even more radiant.
Moreover…
‘…How come her chest didn’t change? That’s amazing.’
Her advantages remained intact even as she lost weight.
With her already baby face, she could easily be called a bagel girl.
Caught off guard by her sudden transformation, I was about to ask something when I realized something and asked her.
“But unni, how did you lose weight in just 10 days?”
“……”
Lee Hye-jeong hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Um, I exercised a lot. I cut down on food and doubled my workout, and the weight just kept melting off.”
“……”
“……”
Park Yoo-jung and I fell silent at her words.
As idol trainees, we knew it wasn’t that easy to lose weight like that.
If it were that simple to lose weight just by eating less and working out more, there wouldn’t be any overweight people in the world.
Could it be…
“That unni…, maybe…”
“…Hmm?”
“……”
I started to ask her something but shook my head instead.
“…Never mind.”
“…What, that was kinda bland.”
I knew exactly why she lost weight.
‘Guess she didn’t like being the chubby one.’
‘Chubby? Her?’
‘Hey, put her alongside the other four A-Rank members and she totally throws off the vibe. Doesn’t she know viewers get sensitive about that? What if she makes the other A-Rank contestants look bad?’
Lee Hye-jeong was demoted from A Rank to B Rank just because she looked chubby and fell off the Production Team’s radar.
So, I thought there was no point in pressing her on how she lost weight…
“Come on, let’s head inside. And…, let’s give it our all this week too.”
“Right…!”
So, I entered the dormitory with a forced smile, along with Lee Hye-jeong and Park Yoo-jung.
After dropping off our bags at the dorm, we changed into our group training outfits and headed straight for the set.
And what was waiting for us at the set…?
“…Huh?”
Countless cameras that now felt familiar, along with some kiosks.
Bzzzt.
Even though not all the participants had gathered yet, the cameras were already rolling.
We approached the kiosks with a hint of nervousness, guided by the production team.
The kiosks were none other than sandwich kiosks.
[Please choose one from the following!]
[Eggful Sandwich, Remaining: 7]
[Ham Egg Sandwich, Remaining: 10]
[Bacon Egg Sandwich, Remaining: 8]
[Tuna Mayo Sandwich, Remaining: 8]
…
It was a list of sandwiches totaling over ten kinds.
“…Sandwiches?”
I couldn’t help but be flabbergasted.
Why on Earth are there sandwiches…?
While I was frozen in indecisiveness at the kiosk, one of the production team members smiled and said.
“We’re providing participants with breakfast, so feel free to pick!”
Bzzzt.
…Wait, why are the cameras rolling if we’re supposed to feel free?
And just then, Park Yoo-jung, catching on to something, poked me on the side and whispered.
“Unni! This is that! PPL! Product Placement!”
“Advertisement…? Ah….”
Now that I thought about it…
[Urahcha-cha Sandwich]
Even during the shoot, the sandwich company’s logo was blatantly displayed.
‘So, this company is sponsoring Na Ah Ah.’
That’s why they’re rolling the cameras for product placement.
Finally at ease, I scanned the sandwich menu, realizing I hadn’t had breakfast and was eager to fill my stomach with those PPL sandwiches.
“Unni! What are you going to eat? Wow! They all look delicious!”
As soon as Park Yoo-jung found out about the PPL sandwiches, she exaggeratedly shouted, seemingly wanting to grab the camera’s attention.
“I’m gonna be indecisive! I’ll just eat whatever you pick!”
“Hmm…, then….”
I seriously pondered which sandwich to choose.
And then I spotted something intriguing…
“…Huh? This one….”
A rather unique sandwich caught my attention.
“Yoo-jung, how about this one?”
“……Huh?”
[Mackerel Sandwich, Remaining: 10]
“Mackerel Sandwich. I’m curious about how it tastes.”
“……”
Park Yoo-jung froze for a moment, checking for cameras before whispering.
“…Unni! No matter the broadcast, this is….”
“…Huh? This isn’t because of the broadcast.”
“…What? Then….”
“I just really thought the Mackerel Sandwich looked delicious….”
“………?”
At that moment, Park Yoo-jung looked at me as if I were an alien.
“…Really?”
“Yeah.”
Aren’t you curious?
What kind of synergy would the salty mackerel have paired with the savory bread and fresh veggies?
“Hm…, now that I think about it, I’m salivating. Sounds delicious.”
But Park Yoo-jung didn’t seem to agree as she immediately began her ideological scrutiny.
“…Unni, do you happen to like mint chocolate?”
“I eat that ice cream every day?”
“…What about pineapple pizza….”
“I absolutely love it.”
“…Your favorite ramen is….”
“Chewy Chewy Ramen, mild flavor.”
“Ugh….”
Looks like I didn’t pass Park Yoo-jung’s taste test.
She looked at me, her face showing disdain for the first time as she murmured.
“…I suppose I, a commoner, can’t keep up with the taste of a genius.”
“Hmph, is that so?”
“Quite so!”
“Still, don’t you think a Mackerel Sandwich would taste great? Think about it, would a company really release a bad product for an advertisement?”
“Hmm….”
Park Yoo-jung rested her chin in thought before responding with a stiff gaze.
“Definitely makes sense. Then I’ll go with the Mackerel Sandwich too.”
“Great.”
I felt surprisingly good about introducing my taste to someone new.
So, I turned my head towards Lee Hye-jeong…
“Unni, what sandwich are you going to… Ah.”
I paused, taken aback when I saw her.
Among us, it was Lee Hye-jeong who loved eating the most, yet even with multiple types of sandwiches before her, she hadn’t uttered a word.
Usually, she would be all excited about what sandwich to eat.
Noticing my thoughts, Lee Hye-jeong awkwardly smiled and approached the kiosk.
“I’ll eat the same as you guys. Mackerel Sandwich? I’m curious about what it tastes like.”
“…Okay.”
So we selected 3 Mackerel Sandwiches provided via PPL and headed inside.
As we waited while eating the sandwiches on set, other participants began to arrive one by one.
And the Mackerel Sandwich…
“…This is surprisingly good, huh?”
“Right? Glad we ate it!”
It was tastier than expected.
Even Park Yoo-jung, who was skeptical at first, ended up finishing an entire one.
Of course, I also finished mine.
And then Lee Hye-jeong…
“…Unni, you haven’t had a single bite of your sandwich?”
“…Yeah, I’m not feeling too well right now.”
She hadn’t touched a single bite of the Mackerel Sandwich.
She was clearly on an extreme diet.
If she lost weight that quickly, there was no other way to achieve it.
‘I just hope she isn’t overdoing it….’
Outside, one can reduce their food intake to lose weight, but among Na Ah Ah, that wasn’t an option.
With the grueling schedule of Na Ah Ah, the caloric consumption is immense.
Thus, I could only look at Lee Hye-jeong with worry.
Just then…
Buzzing sound.
The entrance suddenly got noisy, and as I turned to look…
“Hello there!”
Yoo Seol had arrived.
“Unni!”
“Unni, I watched the broadcast! You were so great when you entered…”
As soon as Yoo Seol appeared, many participants rushed to greet her.
It seems they wanted to build rapport with someone who’s almost guaranteed to debut, hoping to grab some crumbs.
Of course…
“Ye-rin unni, what sandwich are you having?”
“Ye-rin unni, you were truly beautiful on the broadcast yesterday.”
…Surrounding me were also a few who were looking for crumbs.
Suddenly, participants I had just gotten closer with during the first week were pretending to be friendly to me.
Their intentions were as transparent as glass, so I drew the line.
And then, at that moment…
“……”
I made eye contact with Yoo Seol as she passed by with her sandwich.
As our gazes locked, the surrounding area went quiet. It seemed that, following the first broadcast, our rivalry had officially taken shape.
“Hey there, Ye-rin?”
“…Yes, hello.”
Yoo Seol greeted me casually, and I replied in kind.
“I enjoyed the broadcast. Let’s work hard this week too.”
“…Yes.”
Even though she smiled innocently now, as soon as the camera is off, things would turn icy.
Bzzzt.
Confirming the camera was rolling, Yoo Seol lightly patted my shoulder before heading back to her spot.
“Well then, see you.”
Watching her back as she walked away, I couldn’t help but wonder what sandwich she chose.
But I had no way of knowing.
As soon as she sat down, Han Si-woo came onto the stage, as if he had been waiting for this.
Looks like Yoo Seol was the last to arrive.
“Hello everyone! It’s great to see you again after 10 days!”
“…Waaaah-!”
The cheers welcoming Han Si-woo felt smaller than during the first week.
Now, everyone knew him as the cold-hearted one.
“Starting this second week, you will divide into teams and compete…, showcasing your performances to the audience through a live stage.”
“……”
At those words, everyone swallowed nervously.
In fact, Na Ah Ah’s real game begins with the team competition.
Viewers are well aware of this, so their attention would be even more focused, and our individual performance videos would flood YouTube from now on.
‘So we need to select good teams…’
“I’m sure you’re all thinking that it’s crucial to pick the right teams.”
Han Si-woo smiled, having read our minds.
And then he said…
“Do you know what is most essential to becoming an idol?”
…He began to say something rather ominous.
What is the most essential element to becoming an idol?
A lot of things popped into my head.
Appearance, vocal ability, dancing, etc.
But what Han Si-woo said was quite unexpected.
“It’s luck, pure luck.”
“…Luck?”
That a top idol would say that luck is the most important thing.
“If you have no luck, no matter how good your skills are, you cannot debut; and if you’re lucky, even if your skills are poor, you can debut. In that sense, this first team competition will reveal how lucky you are.”
With a smile, Han Si-woo continued speaking.
“All elements of the first team competition, including team members, song selection, and stage order, will all be determined by your luck.”
“……Huh?!”
His words made the atmosphere stir.
But there was something even bigger left to come.
“And… your teams have already been determined. You all know this, right?”
“……What?”
“No way…”
That teams had already been decided?
All the participants started to panic, murmuring.
“…They’ve already been selected?”
I was equally surprised.
We had just arrived at the set, and they’re saying the teams have already been decided.
Did the production team do some preliminary drawing?
No, but Han Si-woo definitely said we already knew about the teams.
Suddenly feeling puzzled like I was in a riddle, I tilted my head.
And then…
“……Oh.”
My hand caught sight of something; the trash I hadn’t managed to throw away yet.
[Urahcha-cha Sandwich – Mackerel Sandwich]
It was none other than the wrapping of the Mackerel Sandwich.