Chapter 26 Chapter 26

The night after the first episode of the show aired, the lights in the dormitory were incredibly bright. The trainees were scattered in different corners of the dormitory, some lying on their beds chatting, while others spoke ramblingly to the camera.

To facilitate management and protect the trainees from public opinion, everyone's cell phones have been collected. Only one shared computer remains in the living room, which can be used by eight people during specific hours.

I’m Bao En—” Bao En stood in front of the camera, gesturing with her hands in the air, her voice full of sweetness and innocence.

During the show, practice and dormitory life were filmed around the clock for use as footage, so everyone gradually got used to the cameras hidden in the corners or on the ceiling. Sensing Bo Eun's movements, the camera slowly panned.

The camera followed her around. She leaned in close, winking and smiling. "This is silly Bo Eun-unnie—" Eun-jung came over with a smile, pointing at Bo Eun and jokingly facing the camera. The two of them made faces.

While laughing with each other, releasing the pressure of the previous stage, Cailin sat on the sofa, flipping through her practice notes. She frowned slightly, thinking about the direction of the next performance.

They would record and review everything over and over again. A straight-A trainee's reputation wasn't solely based on talent. Beside her, Lia unwrapped a tea bag, a textbook spread out beside her.

Although Sister Baoheng had already applied for a temporary leave of absence for her second semester of high school, she still brought her textbooks to the dormitory. Even though she knew that studying seriously would be nearly impossible under such intense filming.

She flipped to the chapter on number sequences and had read just two lines when she noticed the camera on the other side of the living room slowly turning towards her. She instinctively sat up straight, nodded at the camera as a gesture of greeting, then lowered her head again.

Even after the show aired for one season, she still wasn't used to being under the camera. Filming the show was one thing, but living life was another.

Being filmed from every angle for 24 hours is like living in a transparent house - she pretends to be calm on the surface, but she can never relax in her heart, let alone interact with the camera as freely as Boen.

The kettle gurgled. She walked to the dining table, picked up the kettle, and carefully poured the hot water into the cup. A wisp of steam rose up, blurring the camera lens placed on the table.

"You look so literal like that." Cailin looked at her and suddenly smiled. "What kind of image?" "That... the heroine in a Japanese drama, eating instant noodles alone in her room during the winter snow."

Lia smiled. "Summer's almost here, and besides, I was just making tea." She couldn't even remember the last time she'd eaten instant noodles. "Well...anyway, I look a little melancholy," Cailin shrugged.

"Maybe I'm too hungry..." Lia sighed. The lights in the room were too bright, and the cameras behind me were glaring, which really made people feel a little breathless. ... The next morning, YG opened the "Project

The official voting website for "A" is now live. The trainees' avatars are neatly arranged on the voting page, and hovering your mouse will automatically play clips of their performances from the first episode.

In the upper right corner of the page is a message board where viewers can leave messages for their favorite contestants or freely post in the forum to discuss the show. In just a few days, the number of people participating in the vote has been constantly breaking through, and the comments are updated at a rapid pace.

"The newcomers are so talented, worthy of being YG!" "I was just going to watch it casually, but now I've decided to catch up! Why do I have to wait a month for the next episode?!" "VIP, just passing by~~" "Looking forward to the next stage!"

"If I understand correctly, if we vote for the top three trainees from 'Lies', we'll be able to see Bigbang on the next show?" "Oh my god, big luck~"

"The above person, Bigbang probably won't be here. They're not picky artists, they have a lot of schedules." "Doesn't supporting the younger generation count as a schedule?" "It's okay for GD to come, he wrote 'Lies' anyway"

"The guys upstairs are all arguing about tonics! Aren't they a Family? TT" Because of the intention of attracting traffic, Lia's broadcast accounted for most of the first episode.

In no time, the comment section was flooded with comments from viewers who loved her: "Lia Bao is so adorable!!" "She doesn't look like an idol, but more like an actress, actually." "Her aura is completely different when she speaks English, she instantly becomes a queen."

“Yeah, speaking Korean slowly is so funny.” “Who understands that stage? I’ve scrolled back five hundred times. It’s so good to listen to and watch!”

"I... I even listened to Seo Taiji and Boys' songs again because of her arrangement..." "Me too! Seo Taiji-sama, why don't you consider giving me a share of the copyright~~"

"I did some research overnight and found a video of her school performance. It's so beautiful!" "Please share!" "Link: [Hidden Ace's explosive stage makeover! Class 1-3, Tell Me live version!], take it, no thanks~"

"After watching it, come back and verify that this is my life video!" ... Some curious passers-by clicked in and accidentally got involved in the war between fans -

"People are curious, why didn't she choose 'Lies'? Wasn't she very familiar with GD on the variety show before?" "Why are you so curious? Take my dragon away." "Do you have to choose if you are familiar with her? My baby only chooses what she likes!"

"They already have crazy fans before they even debuted... YG is worthy of their name." "The person above said they knew each other, so don't be too attached to them. They're just ordinary seniors and juniors." "I'm really a stranger. Judging from the variety shows they showed us before, we must be good friends..."

"It's bad enough that I have to support the younger generation, but I have to be paid for by others like this. I feel so sad for my Long..." ... Regardless of whether it is good or bad, as the program team wished, the traffic of the first episode was boosted.

Half of the discussions on the site were about Lia. Although the production team had intentionally given her more screen time through editing, the current situation still exceeded their expectations.

The three-day voting process ended quickly. At midnight on the fourth day, the official website of Project A updated the voting rankings: 1. Lia Kim 2. Eunjing Kim

3. Sandara Park 4. Park Bo-eun 5. CL Lee 6. Minzy

Kong) 7\\. Bona Park 8\\. Chaneun Lee In the dormitory, the trainees were still awake, gathered in front of the shared computer in the living room, waiting for the update.

The room fell silent as the results came in, each with their own thoughts. "Lia's in first place," Bo-eun broke the silence, staring at the voting screen and sighing softly. "That's really impressive..." Eun-jung patted Lia's shoulder.

"You're great too, second place," Lia also praised. "Yeah—" Eunjung turned around and made a "yeah" sign to the camera, "Big Bang seniors, we're going to see them soon, I'm so excited!"

The people who finished at the bottom of the rankings were all upset. Chan-eun's high ranking in the stage assessment at least showed that his ability was not too bad. But Bo-na, in terms of both the program ratings and the audience votes, ranked last, which was undoubtedly a double blow to her.

Her eyes were red, and she lowered her head and turned back to her room. Cailin followed everyone else, leaned over to take a look at the voting results, and then quietly returned to the sofa. No one expected her to fall out of the top three.

While the trainee assessments were brutal, the judging criteria were clear. Singing and dancing skills could be practiced, and a less-than-perfect figure could be controlled. With effort, there was always room for improvement. In the company's evaluation system, she consistently ranked far ahead.

But audience appeal is different. It's something indefinable and unpredictable. Beauty, personality, temperament, language... Sometimes, a simple expression or a single sentence can be the reason for an audience's love.

This kind of affection can appear suddenly and disappear in an instant. One day, she's adored, and the next day, she's the target of public criticism. Lia saw she was feeling lost, and didn't know how to comfort her. She could only sit quietly beside her and squeeze her hand.

Cailin leaned gently against Lia. This night felt especially long. ... The next afternoon, the staff informed Lia that they would be going on a filming trip.

"Are you really going to meet Gummy-sama?" Lia asked softly as they walked. The camera followed, capturing her expression.

"Of course." The staff member responded with a smile, "She specially cleared her time today, waiting for one of you and Baoen to come over." "Wow..." Lia responded cooperatively.

She is well aware that a program needs content to support it, and if she wants to leave enough weight in the editing, she must show enough "emotions" at the right time. So whenever she is alone in front of the camera, she always tries to make her expressions look richer.

She still remembers the last time she saw Gummy, which was at a New Year's dinner. That day, he sat at the main table with the artists, and although he was smiling constantly, he didn't seem approachable.

She suddenly felt a little nervous, her fingers rubbing their knuckles subconsciously, her mind quickly reviewing the content she had prepared for this song. ...

In the company's recording studio, Gummy sat on the sofa, her long hair reaching her shoulders and her demeanor gentle. She smiled and greeted Lia, "Hello, Lia! I watched your first performance and it was fantastic." "Hello, senior! Thank you!"

Lia bowed, then, guided by the staff, sat down in the chair opposite her. Two cameras, one in front and one behind, were set up around the two of them, slowly zooming in.

"So...why did you choose the song 'If You Come Back'?" Gummy leaned forward slightly, speaking gently.

Lia pondered for a moment. "I really like the emotion this song conveys, and I want to use it to show a different side of me to the audience." "What do you think it's about?" Lia pursed her lips, a little nervous. "I think it's about anticipation."

"Oh?" Gummy was a little surprised. This song was about loss, regret, and longing. It was the first time she'd heard someone use the word "expectation" to describe it.

"It's not a sad wait, it's an anticipation of meeting again." Lia paused, quietly confirming her expression, "People who are in love are afraid of separation, but those who are not together can look forward to meeting again."

Gummy listened intently, a thoughtful expression on her face. Lia continued softly, "So rather than feeling the sadness of breaking up with a lover, I'd rather understand it as—every moment of missing him or her creates new anticipation."

"Can I fall in love with you again? If I meet you today, I have so many things to say... I want to fall in love with you again if you come back." She sang the lyrics softly.

"That's exactly how I feel." She trailed off, looking at Gummy. This anticipation itself was sometimes more thrilling than actually meeting someone. Gummy was silent for a moment, then nodded gently and smiled.

"That's a very interesting interpretation," she said. "I'm suddenly looking forward to your performance." ... Elsewhere, Eunjung was also off filming. "Hello, seniors, please take care of me!" She stood at the practice room door and bowed stiffly.

Compared to her excitement in the dormitory, she looked more like a nervous fan at this moment. Kwon Ji-yong was wearing a casual shirt, half-sitting on the floor of the YG practice room, leaning against the mirrored wall.

"Hello, Eun Jung." He greeted with a smile, "You did a good job on your first stage." "Thank you, senior, I took advantage of it." Eun Jung waved her hand quickly.

"Come, sit down." Quan Zhilong pointed to the open space in front of him and waved her over. "So you chose "Lies"? " "Yes!" "Why?"

"Because I'm a fan of yours truly, I love this song." Eun Jung replied with a shy smile. "Just because you love it?" Kwon Ji-yong raised an eyebrow. "If we were to put it on stage, there would be a lot more to consider."

"Hmm... I understand what you mean, Senior." She nodded, took out a notebook from her bag, opened it and handed it to him, "Do you have any suggestions, Senior?" On the opened page, there was a note saying "Project

A》sticker, the bottom densely covered with her ideas for this stage. "Hmm...very detailed preparations." Kwon Ji-yong reached out to take it, resting his chin on one hand and taking a quick glance.

"If you choose me, I won't let you lose." He looked up and smiled at her. Eun Jung subconsciously held her breath.

She said she was a Big Bang fan, and it was not just a formality. The reason she applied to YG as a trainee was because of this person.

I hadn't expected that not long after joining the company, I'd be sitting right in front of him, chatting, asking questions, receiving encouragement—even guidance. The camera zoomed in, accurately capturing their interaction.

Kwon Ji-yong succinctly pointed out areas in the notes that needed improvement, professionally and pointedly. Eunjung listened carefully, sighing inwardly. From a professional perspective, one could truly appreciate his strength.

"How is it?" After a conversation, he leaned back against the wall and asked lazily, "Do you think you can win?" "Yes!" Eun Jung nodded firmly.

"Well, we can't lose to Gummy Nunna's group~" He raised his lips, his tone half-jokingly challenging. "Yeah! --Eh...eh???" She responded reflexively at first, then realized something was wrong.

This is an intra-group competition, not an inter-group competition. Eunjung looked at the other party with a confused look on her face. "Senior...did you get the rules wrong?"

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