New Beginnings (8)

Joon-woo held back a sigh as all eyes were set on him and his first place position. 

Misa gestured for him to come down the stairs and towards the single table set ominously in the center. Joon-woo eyed the table suspiciously. Cameras blinked at him, Misa and FYP stared at him, and some contestants eyed him like he was prey. But he couldn't show faltar. 

And as he walked down the many stairs, part of him wanted to shut his eyes and block out every detail. Picking an instrument for each undecided team not only put him at risk, but the other contestants. He could play good guitar and newbie piano, but drums? He imagined how it was for those who didn't play a single instrument and those who had never dipped their toes into producing.

He paused in front of the table, looking up to Misa for further instruction. 

"Contestant Park Joon-woo, take one of the mini instruments and place it on the corresponding podium." Misa spoke, gesturing to the three boxes also on the table. Each was marked either 'Team One', 'Team Two', or 'Team Three'. Each podium was empty and one pre-picked instrument would belong on each one. 

Joon-woo looked over the three mini instruments: A guitar, a drum, and a piano. He had to think this through. Evil editing, even with the probable elimination of Producer Jang-Soo was still possible. 

He thought back to the past challenges. How the contestant ranked first would lead Team One, the contestant ranked second would lead Team Two and so forth. Thinking selfishly for a moment, Joon-woo picked up the mini guitar and placed on the Team Two podium. 

Sure, in any other circumstance he would've put the guitar, but this was different. 

Joon-woo's guitar skills were already known among contestants, fans, and some of the general public. His busking had been a temporary trend with the help of the foreign travel vloggers that had recorded him. Not to mention on the street he busked on the most, he was sometimes recognized and asked for photos.

If he picked such an option, wouldn't that give the editors the chance to edit him as selfish?

He put the mini piano on the Team One podium, and the drums on the Team Three podium.

If he, ranked first, was assigned Team One, he could showcase his versatility with instruments. Though his piano skills were just above the average piano player his age, they would do. 

The contestants chattered behind him, judging his choices and deciding what Team's they would be against joining. The scarily chalant Misa and FYP just let the chatter continue, sending Joon-woo back to his too-grand and large seat. 

Mi Yong tapped Joon-woo on the shoulder before he took a seat, sending Joon-woo a comforting thumbs up. Jung Hyun-Ok smiled at him too. He was happy his choices weren't too outrageous for his friends to be visibly upset. 

"You guys may be thinking, the top three will lead the team corresponding to their rank numbers…" FYP teased, and he was spot on. "But for this challenge, we've decided to change the rules: Under each of the mini instruments our Park Joon-woo had placed, was a 'randomly' selected name of someone who hasn't yet led."

An array of gasps spread across the room. Joon-woo wanted to scoff at the idea of 'random' selection. 

"Misa, would you be a dear and reveal the names?" FYP hummed to the younger woman, who nodded, still in her formal persona. 

Misa walked towards the table and picked up the piano placed on the 'Team One' podium. Her face was even unchanging reading the name on the bottom. She looked up and locked eyes suddenly with a contestant. 

"Rank 6, Reggie Lee." She announced. "You will lead Team One

Reggie stiffened. He was awkward with his height. When he walked, talked, and all. Joon-woo thought Reggie would've been better off at Joon-woo's level. 

Misa walked to the 'Team Two' podium. She picked up the mini guitar. 

"Rank 1, Park Joon-woo." For once, she broke the hard-girl persona and smiled widely at Joon-woo. It was almost creepy and sent chills down Joon-woo's spine. "You will lead Team Two." 

Joon-woo pursed his lips and looked at the mini guitar with a narrowed gaze. 

Now, after the recent eliminations, Joon-woo was the youngest among the contestants. Not to mention, based on the looks he got this morning, Producer Jang-Soo's 'abuses' towards him didn't change a thing. If he even tried to lead a team he feared his natural instinct to speak informally, to scold, to support, would show. Really, wasn't this multiple different lights of evil editing?

He thought back to his life as Ha-rin with a grimace. The nightmare he had been desperately trying to disassociate from came crashing over his mind again. He didn't hear who was to lead Team Three. But it wasn't any of his friends, as they had already led a team in past challenges.

"Now," FYP began, "Team members."

–+–

Joon-woo felt that, for once, he was dealt a lucky hand. 

On guitar-assigned Team Two, was made up of Joon-woo, Mi Yong, Ryeo Hyun, and two others Joon-woo had mentally nicknamed as the most cooperative duo to be: Sa Jung-Soo and Cha Ji-Hyuk. 

Besides Joon-woo and Reggie, the two were most commonly associated with each other. Though lowly ranked, they were some of the few that didn't look at Joon-woo or Mi Yong with even the smallest hint of jealousy. 

Joon-woo, who feared his age would make it so he would be less respected or listened to, slightly calmed at the sight of the team. In fact, he pitied Reggie who only had Jung Hyun-Ok on his team out of the couple. Baek Du-Ho was assigned to a team that Joon-woo figured would not get much screen time, even with this challenge being the one to 'decide' it all. 

Joon-woo wondered what would happen to Producer Jang-Soo now, though. Joon-woo knew that the producer had been the one to create such biases in screen time, but just to what level would that continue? 

Joon-woo turned to Mi Yong and Ryeo Hyun who stood either side of him. The duo had trailed a few steps behind on their walk to a photo due to the narrow hallway. They were going to get team photos and shots done for editing purposes. 

"Hyung, what do you think will happen to Producer Jang-Soo?" Joon-woo asked. 

Too many people, contestants and staff alike, seemed to be very calm despite the storm Joon-woo had made last night. Perhaps a second opinion would do Joon-woo well, he thought. 

Mi Yong scrunched his brows, "Do you mean Producer Dae-Jung (Chang Dae-Jung)?"

Joon-woo tilted his head, "Um… No…" 

Ryeo Hyun hummed in Joon-woo's direction, "I don't think there's a Producer Jang-Soo on this show…" The duo nodded in agreement.

Joon-woo wanted to stop walking then. He wanted to run to Kite in the dorm and curse the bird out of his mind. Because really, what was happening? No one seemed to even recall Producer Jang-Soo's existence but him… 

He hid his surprise, acting as if he had in fact confused the two names of the producers. 

"How do you even confuse those names?" Mi Yong mocked, the duo laughed along behind him. 

Joon-woo shrugged, faking reddening cheeks. "..Shut up." He replied after a moment. 

Really, what was going on? He internally thought, as the group stopped in front of the photo room.