Hope for the Hopeless

[Power Up! ready. State in a loud voice to activate.]

June sighed. Fu always has ridiculous requests. How can he say that loudly without looking strange?

'What's the distance of its affected proximities?' June asked.

[6 feet, host.]

He nodded and thought about ways to activate the booster without looking like a lunatic.

"Right, where is the money?" C-Jay asked. "I'm hungry. Lunch is already approaching."

"It's with me," June said, patting his pocket.

"Give it to us," Jangmoon said, walking up to him. Jangmoon was quite tall, standing at 185 cm, so June had to look up to face him.

June clicked his tongue. Why does this body have to be so short? He's only 175 cm, so he's one of the shorter trainees. It was hard being intimidating with a height and build like his.

"We're going to use this for our outfits," June said, unwavering. He might be 175 cm, but his personality can be linked to a 200 cm person.

"You're still yapping about that?" Eli asked. "Let's just wear these shirts and some nice jeans. It won't make a big difference anyway."

June felt like strangling these little kids. Most of them are already so untalented, but they have such shitty attitudes too.

"Come here. All of you," June calmly said.

The 10 other trainees looked at each other before laughing loudly.

"Why are you suddenly so serious?" Mike asked. "Just hand over the money, brother. We're all craving pizza."

"Come. Here."

June repeated his statement, slower this time. The group shared skeptical glances, their confidence slightly faltering because of the tone of his voice. Jangmoon chuckled. "Come on, brother. Just follow us. You're the only one here. There's 10 of us."

June took a step forward, his gaze piercing through Jangmoon's eyes through his mask. A sudden change in his aura sent shivers down the spines of everyone present. Even the cameramen held their breaths as they watched the scene before them. The air became heavy with an unspoken danger.

"I said, come here," June said. "Gather in a circle right now."

The group of trainees exchanged uneasy glances, their bravado wavering. Slowly, they began to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

"Alright," C-Jay chuckled nervously. "No need to get all serious. Let's make this quick, alright?"

"Link your arms together," June said, still serious.

"What?" Eli asked.

June snapped his gaze at him, so he quickly followed. Despite finding the situation strange, the other trainees started linking arms with the people next to them.

This was the best way for June to ensure that everyone would be affected by the Power Up! booster. June let out a deep breath before channeling the speech he learned when he was still a gangster. It's practically embedded in his mind since he had stated it so much to newer recruits. It's a good thing Lin Zhi wasn't around. Otherwise, he might recognize June's words.

June looked each trainee in the eye.

"The world is a shitty place," he started with a curse word, causing the other trainees' eyes to go wide.

The producers and cameramen whispered to themselves.

"Should we intervene?" a producer asked

"No," another producer said. "Let's see where this leads to."

"We're in a place where justice is only served for the rich. Some are given more resources. Some have nothing at all. However, what do we have most that they don't? Desperation."

The trainees listened closely, sensing a change in the air, as June's words took hold of their attention.

"Honestly, who doesn't want to win the benefit? I'm sure, deep inside your hearts, that you want to be seen on TV while showing your talents. Why else would you come here and go through so much struggle? It's time for us to rise above mediocrity. We have the potential to be more than just trainees; we can be the best damn team this place has ever seen! But it starts with each and every one of us embracing our flaws."

"Let's Power Up! And let us always remember that true power lies not in strength alone but in the belief that we can achieve anything when we work together, refuse to give up, and strive for greatness. We can do this with just 500 dollars and a dream! So, who's with me?"

'It's done,' June said. 'Is it activated yet?'

[Power Up! activated]

June smirked.

A spark ignited within the trainees as they exchanged determined glances, their faces reflecting the newfound and artificial motivation.

"I'm in!" C-Jay said. "We can do this!"

"Count me in too!" Jangmoon said.

One by one, each trainee stepped forward, expressing their commitment to their performance.

June smirked. These little rascals. He had to whip up a long speech and a booster for them to be convinced! How troublesome.

June, too, felt a newfound energy course through his veins. However, it wasn't too dramatic.

"Let's do this," June said, and the trainees cheered loudly. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. This booster seemed to be more effective to them.

June's not complaining, though. They didn't pester him about buying pizza from then on, and started practicing enthusiastically.

"Can you teach us the dance and song again, brother?" Eli asked a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Alright. I'll show it to you once. Then, let's practice as a group, alright?"

The zero-star trainees continued practicing, the atmosphere turning 360 degrees. The producers looked at the scene in front of them in awe.

"What did we just watch?" one of the producers asked.

Did the masked boy encourage ten hopeless trainees to start working hard?

Time passed, and the zero-star trainees were still practicing. All the other levels had gone to bed, but they were all still inside, polishing some details. June looked at the performance and pursed his lips.

They looked like flailing, breathless fishes, but at least they were working hard. June could only change their enthusiasm with the booster. In the end, he couldn't really fix their talent.

"Alright, that's good," June said, turning off the music. "Let's do better tomorrow and avoid making any mistakes."

"Yes, brother!"

They rested on the floor, catching their breaths. June looked at their enthusiastic yet tired smiles. That's when he realized they weren't even able to eat lunch a while ago. He sighed and pulled some of the money from his pocket.

"Let's order some pizza," June suggested.

The trainees' eyes widened in surprise. "But what will we use for our outfits?" Jangmoon asked as if he didn't suggest using the money earlier this morning.

"It's my treat," June grumbled. "Just order some."

He brought out his wallet and saw a measly 600 dollars inside. The 500 dollars was even intended for their performance.

"Here," he handed them a 50-dollar bill. "You all deserve to eat."

The trainees excitedly picked a menu on Eli's phone. As they waited for their order, C-Jay raised a question.

"Right. Have we discussed our outfits yet?"

June shook his head. "But I already have an idea."

"That's great, then," Jangmoon said.

"Do you all trust me?" June asked.

The trainees nodded their heads.

"Then leave it all to me."