BLDGF 13

Chapter 13

When her name was called, Yeon Juhong stood at the front, trying hard to hold back tears.

I frowned. Yeon Juhong ranked ninth? Sure, judging could be subjective, but ninth?

In this evaluation, she should’ve been at least sixth.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought that — other trainees also looked a little confused.

Looks like someone tampered with the rankings a bit.

I held back my anger.

I’ve seen all sorts of dirty tricks in the entertainment industry, but wow, it really never ends.

Do Heeyoung continued announcing the rankings in a heavy voice.

11th place, Park Haeun.
10th, Lee Juseon.
9th, Yeon Juhong.
8th, Bang Suin.
7th, Shin Yoohyeon.
6th, Jo Heeon.

“And now, we’ll announce the fifth place.”

From fifth place onward was the debut zone — the tension grew thicker.

“This trainee has consistently shown stable performance since entering Colors.”

Don’t even need to hear the name. I already know who it is. I can already hear the next line, too.

“But…”

There it is. Gotta have a “but.”

“The professional world is harsh. You need something more than stable skill. Though you made the debut line today, you probably realized it’s not time to let your guard down. Please come forward.”

As Do Heeyoung’s voice trailed off, the screen changed.

5th Place: Seo Baekyoung

“Trainee Seo Baekyoung.”

Sure enough, despite ranking in the debut zone, Seo Baekyoung didn’t look happy at all.

You could clearly see she was trying to pretend to be happy.

“…Thank you. I’ll keep working hard to show you better performances.”

Still, Baekyoung wrapped up her speech well enough. Her expression was stiff, but she’s still a trainee. It’s only natural to be a little unpolished.

The scariest kind of disappointment in the world isn’t from others.

It’s when you disappoint yourself.

Baekyoung must be feeling all sorts of complicated emotions right now — frustration at not standing out more, resentment at her agency’s unfairness.

None of that is easy to overcome.

Judging by the mood, the other trainees probably understood how Baekyoung felt. Everyone seemed down.

The rest of the rankings weren’t too surprising.

4th: Ryu Bora
3rd: Kim Geum
2nd: Kim Ryeoyu

Except me, of course.

12th: Lee Kyunga
1st: Yoon Cheong

“Dirty and pathetic.”

Back in my goshiwon, I flopped onto my bed.

“They must have their favorites if they’re going this far to manipulate rankings.”

The people who ended up debuting in the Steel Blue group were:

Kim Ryeoyu, Seo Baekyoung, Yoon Cheong, Kim Geum, Jo Heeon.

This must be the lineup that Colors was pushing for.

“Anyone could tell Kim Ryeoyu wasn’t good enough for 2nd. And yet, they ranked her there anyway.”

Honestly, if they had just swapped Baekyoung and Ryeoyu’s rankings, it would’ve made more sense.

The favoritism was so obvious, it was almost laughable.

But something felt off.

It’s not just that they didn’t pick Yeon Juhong — maybe they were blind. Fine, I’ll let that slide.

…But why didn’t Ryu Bora make the cut?

She was the most popular trainee here, wasn’t she?

I tried to recall what I remembered about Bora.

But she never debuted as an idol.

Not just with Colors, but with any other agency either. At least, not in Baek Nokha’s memory.

And she didn’t become an actress either.

She just quietly disappeared one day.

I remembered from the mid-evaluation — it’s not like she lacked talent.

She clearly outperformed Kim Ryeoyu or Jo Heeon.

…Did something happen to her?

I can’t remember every single thing from ten years ago. Damn it.

I stared at my phone.

But it stayed silent.

So I guess… it’s not time for me to know yet?

“Anyway, the fact that they delayed the mentor announcement… probably means they’re plotting something again.”

What are they trying to pull this time?

I sighed.

Even being ranked first wasn’t something to celebrate. Being the only adult among newborns — what’s there to be proud of?

Not ranking first would’ve been more humiliating, honestly. But what really worried me was the next broadcast.

And the overall atmosphere.

From what I saw today, it seemed like Director Kim had more influence than I expected. It was obvious from the way they matched the performances and rankings with the commentary.

Well, Kim Mogyung was a ruthless person in my past life, too.

I stared at my phone again.

I’m trying to debut as #1 despite someone like that pulling strings behind the scenes. Couldn’t I get some help? At least a hint?

This is so frustrating. The next shoot is in two days.

How am I supposed to wait until then?

Production Staff: How was the mid-evaluation?

[Ryeoyu]: I was a little disappointed. I could’ve done better.
[Staff]: Even though you placed 2nd?
[Ryeoyu]: I’m never satisfied unless I’m first. I have to get 1st in the final evaluation.
[Geum]: I’m satisfied. I think that’s as good as it gets.
[Baekyoung]: …My ranking was lower than I expected, but that just means I need to improve in the final round.
[Juhong]: Hehe…

Caption: Yeon Juhong finally breaks down in tears…

[Juhong]: I’ve heard the same thing for a long time, so I’m okay.
[Staff]: What do you mean by that?
[Juhong]: That I’m… vague? That I don’t have anything that’s clearly mine…

She sniffled through her red eyes but smiled again.

[Juhong]: I’m not upset about the ranking. I think 9th place is more than I deserve. What frustrates me is that I keep hearing the same feedback and never seem to grow….

Caption: Yeon Juhong hears the same feedback every evaluation.

[Juhong]: I just need to work harder! Please keep watching me! Someday, I’ll show up with a weapon of my own!

Staff: Were there any performances that stood out to you?

[Ryeoyu]: Ryu Bora. She’s seriously so pretty. Even doing the same moves, she shines more.
[Heeon]: Kim Geum. She’s really good at rapping.
[Geum]: Yoon Cheong. Doesn’t everyone say her? No? Why not??
[Bora]: She’s just… on a different level.
[Juhong]: Why hasn’t she debuted already? She’s got more than enough skill.

Caption: Juhong, crying one second, laughing the next — careful, or horns might grow on your butt.

[Kyunga]: Her skills are so far beyond mine, I’m not even mad about being 12th. I just need to keep up.
[Yoohyeon]: I’m really looking forward to the final evaluation.
[Suin]: She could be a judge, honestly.

Staff: On the flip side, were there any performances that disappointed you?

[Ryeoyu]: Baekyoung unnie?
[Ryeoyu]: I feel like I’m coming off like a terrible person. But that’s not what I mean…

Caption: She knows how she sounds…

[Ryeoyu]: She used to be so good. So that ranking was kind of shocking. She probably felt the same.
[Geum]: Ryeoyu.
[Staff]: But she was 2nd?
[Geum]: Yeah, but it didn’t feel like a 2nd-place performance. Maybe 5th.

Caption: Gen Z being brutally honest…

[Juhong]: Oh come on, you can’t ask stuff like that!
[Staff]: But if you had to pick?
[Juhong]: …Ryeoyu unnie? She was good, but second place? Makes you wonder what the judges were thinking.
[Suin]: I saw it coming. Ryeoyu was guaranteed to be in the top 3.
Staff: Why’s that?
[Bora]: (laughs)
[Kyunga]: Isn’t she Director Kim’s relative? I heard she’s his niece. Or maybe… daughter?
[Heeon]: Ryeoyu got special treatment because she’s related to the director? No, not at all.
[Staff]: Other trainees seem to disagree.
[Heeon]: That’s probably jealousy. I think Ryeoyu has to debut. Not just because she’s my best friend, but because no one works harder than she does.

Staff: What do you think about the favoritism rumors?

[Ryeoyu]: …

Caption: More tears…

[Narration]: The hidden backstory finally revealed… What is Kim Ryeoyu’s true story?

[Stay tuned next week to find out!]

And, just as PD Oh expected, Make a New Color generated tons of buzz.

“Yoon Cheong OMG”
“Not saying this because I’m Korean, but seriously, NO.”
“I knew Bora was pretty, but holy hell, no one can talk trash about that face.”
“Juhong ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Unnie is crying too ㅠㅠㅠ” (with gif)
“Look at Yoon Cheong’s face. Now listen to her sing. Now watch her dance. She’s insane.”
“Cheong-addiction incoming.”
“My entire feed is talking about Yoon Cheong lol someone drop some gifs.”
“But doesn’t Kim Ryeoyu seem… suspicious?”
└ “Sussy sommeliers incoming lol it’s only episode 2 chill out haha”
└ “Fr, don’t be forest animals again lol”
“She’s totally riding that Kim-3-letters backup. Classic Korea — academic, regional, and blood connections.”

It was a massive hit.

Episode 2 of Make a New Color recorded a viewership rating of 1.8%.

Since the mentor shoot was delayed, the final evaluation day was naturally pushed back too.

Most trainees were happy to have one more day to practice.

But I wasn’t particularly thrilled.

I was already fully prepared — the more unpolished the others were, the more I’d stand out.

…Well, still.

“One, two, three. No, that tempo’s off.”
“You’re skipping moves again, Heeon.”
“Juhong. What did the trainer say? You keep starting off-beat.”

It’s pathetic I even see these kids as competition.

They’re all newborn chicks, and I’m an old pro.

…Don’t sink to their level.

“Baekyoung! Focus! Your evaluation is the day after tomorrow!”
“Ryeoyu! You lose all your power in the second verse.”

This was the Colors practice room.

Today wasn’t a major filming day — they were just capturing the trainers giving feedback on the trainees’ performances.

The two judges were also real Colors trainers, so they were actively coaching the trainees.

I kept practicing like the others.

The only difference was that I barely got any corrections.

At this rate, I might be standing out too much.

Maybe I should mess up a little on purpose?

“Cheong! Focus. Your pitch is slipping.”

As soon as I deliberately let my pitch slip a little, the correction came instantly.

“Yes!”

“Don’t get cocky just because you were 1st in the mid-evaluation. The final round is what matters.”

“Got it!”

That was the first — and last — correction I received that day.

What was strange, though, was that I didn’t get any compliments either.

It was like… they had decided to pretend I didn’t exist.