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After the introduction, we get down to the real business.

"So, what's the plan for today?"

They will probably decide on the positions.

As per Kang Seok-Woo, the first mission will be a face-off between the same positions from each team.

"We'll be playing the room assignment game."

...Nope, scratch that.

"There's a single room and two doubles in the lodging. Meaning, that only one person can use the single room."

I'd love to get that single room.

Not for comfort but to spare others from my nightmare screams. I often wake up screaming at those.

It's not the coziest experience for a roommate because in the midst of a hectic schedule, every second of sleep is precious.

"The game is super, mega, crazy simple."

BLUE gives a quirky grin before explaining the game.

"Birthday guessing! The one with the most correct guesses gets dibs on room choice."

"Birthday? But we already know each other's..."

"Hmm… Re.D from Take Scene?"

"Present!"

"Do you know Han Si-On's birthday?"

"...No?"

"You have to guess the birthdays of the members of the other team. By the way, Re.D, when's my birthday?"

"August 9th, right?"

"No, later."

"...September 8th?"

"Sooner."

"..."

"Why don't you know my birthday? We're from the same agency, and I bought you meals quite often."

"I'm sorry!"

After some playful ribbing toward Re.D, BLUE reveals his birthday is August 19th.

Re.D was pretty close. He was not correct, though.

But it was all just for the broadcast anyway.

"Alright, line up, Take Scene."

Take Scene lines up in the order of Tune.On, Fade, Re.D, C.U, and I-Level, and then the game begins.

"You get two guesses each. Three Months, Hundred Days, let's start from the order you're standing!"

Wow, really? What kind of game is this? Will it be fun on the broadcast? It seems like it'll drag on.

"Han Si-On, try guessing Tune.On's birthday first."

"Hmm. November 11th?"

"Later."

But…

It'll be easy peasy.

"December 25th?"

"...Correct."

"...!"

I know Tune.On's birthday – Christmas. He used to hold birthday concerts every Christmas, and I was a guest performer at those.

Were those his solos after For the Youth disbanded? Or before that?

Whatever.

"Oh, I got it right?"

I play along, pretending to be surprised, and give a thumbs-up to Tune.On.

"What a great day to be born."

BLUE covers his mouth with a cue card and laughs at the absurdity.

"Okay, next is Fade! It's a new turn, so Han Si-On, you start again."

I glance at On Sae-Miro and Lee Ye-On – they're eyeing the single room for sure.

But...

"March 4th."

"...!"

"Why? Don't tell me..."

"You're correct."

Jo Yong-Seong. No, Fade. His birthday is a day after mine.

Back when we were in For the Youth, we celebrated them together.

Surprisingly, I even correctly guessed Ready's birthday next.

It wasn't on the first try, though. It was after the guesses had cycled back to me.

"Not bad! Did you sneak a peek at Take Scene's profiles?"

"No, I did not."

Hmm… does this mean the single room is mine now? Then I won't have to worry about the nightmares.

We then play another stupid game.

It's a game revolving around the dinner's menu – We're divided into two sides, with one side being a clean, healthy meal and the other being a fried chicken (me).

Once you check into the lodging, strict dietary management will begin under the pretext of the "Last Supper."

(It depicts Jesus Christ's final meal with his apostles before Judas identifies him to the authorities who later arrest him. It is one of the most famous artworks globally.)

Personally, I want the healthy meal, but I end up winning the game.

Greasy, salty, fried foods aren't good for maintaining physical condition.

Well… I'm still young, so it won't be a problem if I eat them every now and then.

The funny thing is, as soon as the cameras are off, the bravado about only eating one piece drops.

They'd show us eating well for the product placement, but we only have to eat one piece.

As I'm looking around, I start to understand Coming Up Next's setting - that when you just look out the window, you can see the rival team fighting for debut in the next building over.

Plus, the upcoming missions will continuously pit the teams against each other.

So all these little side games are deliberately kept trivial and light-hearted in contrast.

After those two games, as I'm unpacking my things in the room, Go Tae-Hwan quietly slips in.

"You done?"

"Almost, might take a bit longer. Why?"

"I'm just curious about the single room."

He acts all casual, but he's got a clingy side.

As he inspects the room, making random comments, I sense a shift in his demeanor.

"What's wrong?"

"The humidifier – it's different."

"Yeah, it's better."

The one Go Tae-Hwan gave me for my birthday is small and portable. It's great for small spaces.

But its humidifying power is weak.

If we get a practice room, I'll set it up there.

It's a pretty good gift overall.

It might seem odd, but voice care is crucial for a singer. And voice care is ingrained in me.

Not just voice care, but I also pay a lot of attention to things like skincare.

These days you can't expect to sell 200 million albums just on audio quality alone.

Ah, come to think of it, I won't need to bulk if I'm in Korea.

My frame isn't particularly broad, so I was often attacked for looking like an Asian gay in the past.

But why is Go Tae-Hwan just standing there?

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. What about our positions? Especially rapper."

"We'll discuss it on camera. It's a broadcast, after all."

"True, but... But I'm not sure I want to be a rapper anymore."

"You? You edged out the other two rappers with 3 nakjeoms, didn't you?"

Kim Hae-Un and Nam S… Uh, what's his name again?

Anyway, Kim Hae-Un and Nam whatever, who vied against Go Tae-Hwan for the final spot, were rappers. And I pushed for Go Tae-Hwan.

He got his ticket in the end, so why is he fretting about it?

"You can handle the intro."

"The intro?"

"The intro needs to be catchy. Your sense of rhythm should cut it."

Go Tae-Hwan nods like it's some kind of great mission.

"Do you need help unpacking?"

"No, I'm fine alone."

When I'm done sorting my stuff, I step outside. Everyone except me is waiting.

After I apologize for taking too long, Lee Ye-On grins and pats my shoulder.

"Who cares about a few minutes? Let's go to the gym."

The indoor gym of the residential facility across the pension will be the next filming locale.

CEO Choi Dae-Ho was there waiting for us at the gym.

"Today, I'm here not as a judge but as a boy group PD."

He then proceeds to assign the positions for us <Three Months, Hundred Days>

Han Si-On: Leader / Sub-Vocalist

What? I'm not the main vocal?

I'm not even the lead vocal, just a sub-vocal?

"Mr. Choi, is it okay to pit Han Si-On and Tune.On against each other already? It seems a bit off."

"Why?"

"If you look at the rough edit, the first 1-2 episodes are split into two tracks right now. Han Si-On and Tune.On are the protagonists of each track."

Originally, Team B was supposed to be selected in episode 1 of Coming Up Next, with a confrontation against Take Scene at the very end.

Then, starting from the second episode, the competition between the two teams would kick off.

However, Kang Seok-Woo decided to focus more on Han Si-On and Three Months, Hundred Days, and he changed the program's structure after receiving the alternation of the schedule.

He initiated two tracks: Take Scene and Three Months, Hundred Days.

One side depicted Take Scene preparing for their debut when a hitch arises, leading into Coming Up Next.

The other detailed how Three Months, Hundred Days came to be through the selection process.

Both groups simultaneously showcased their skills with similar yet distinct personalities.

This would make viewers ponder, 'Both teams are talented, but who would win if they faced each other?'

In a way, it is a structure that faithfully adheres to a storytelling technique that has been loved for a long time.

It shows the lives of the protagonist and the rival separately before they inevitably clash.

Kang Seok-Woo aimed to start the first clash with the main vocalists Han Si-On and Tune.On.

However, the main writer disagreed.

"Since when do the final bosses fight in the beginning? You have to let them squash some underlings, beat the transforming mid-boss, and then take on the final one."

"Hmm... So you suggest even though it's a team vs. team battle, the clash between those two individuals is crucial?"

"Exactly. And who knows, the way this broadcast goes, viewers might get more invested in the individuals than the teams."

"Why's that?"

"Because one team is bound to vanish anyway."

After a brief ponder, Kang Seok-Woo decided to heed the main writer's advice.

Direction is the PD's realm, but the writers often have a better grasp of the overall narrative flow.

Sometimes, a focus on creating a single good scene can cause them to miss the broader picture.

"Okay. I get it. So what should we do?"

"Why not give On Sae-Miro some challenges? He's a bit ambiguous now. Outshined by Tune.On in looks and Han Si-On in skills."

"Isn't Lee Ye-On also ambiguous?"

"True, but Lee Ye-On can keep buzzing with just his mask storyline for now. We can highlight him later."

"What if On Sae-Miro falters after a push?"

"You know how it goes. The public cheers for success but also enjoys mocking failure."

"Hmm."

Kang Seok-Woo stroked his chin.

They considered On Sae-Miro as the lead of Team B during the pre-mission, but his presence dimmed with Han Si-On's arrival.

"Okay. Let's give On Sae-Miro a push."

"And instead of sticking to the 'same position battles' rule, I'll make it seem randomized. We'll have On Sae-Miro face Tune.On."

At the mention of rigging the match-ups, PD Kang Seok-Woo shook his head.

"Hmm, while we're at it, Let's challenge Han Si-On a bit too."

"Huh?"

"Go tell CEO Choi Dae-Ho and have him find a reason to disqualify Han Si-On from the main vocalist position."

"Why?"

"Aren't you curious? Up until now, he must've thought he was Mr. Perfect so far. What if he gets dropped from the main vocalist position?"

"Hmm..."

After brief contemplation, the main writer nodded.

Seeing Han Si-On rattled might not be a bad thing.

The current Han Si-On lacked a sense of desperation.

Does he feel the main vocal role is a given?

Or that all of this is too easy?

"Okay! I'm on it!"

A little later, Choi Dae-Ho agreed with the main writer's suggestion.

"Not bad. I heard he had a spat with Fade recently too?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I'll come up with an on-air excuse, but you pass on the real reasons to him off-air."

"Oh, so it's a reprimand for creating controversy?"

"That way, he'll be more likely to accept it internally. But we'll still give him the leader position as planned."

"Understood."

The writer nodded.

However, moments later, the two encountered an entirely unexpected situation.

Han Si-On accepted the demotion without even asking for the reasons.

'He's actually okay with this?' - They both thought, struggling to comprehend Si-On's thoughts.