The logo of Starlight Entertainment flashed across the massive LED wall with a soft electric pulse.
Unlike the cheers or impressed murmurs from previous company reveals, this time, the air turned oddly tense.
A wave of mixed emotions washed over the trainees.
"Isn't that… Starlight?"
"They've been quiet lately."
"Weren't they the company caught in all those scandals?"
Although Starlight was undeniably one of the big four, their name had recently been dragged through a storm of controversies. Alleged trainee mistreatment, manipulated voting allegations in past survival programs, and rumors of internal power struggles—all of it had thrown the company under fire.
They'd gone eerily silent for months.
Until now.
As the logo faded, the lights adjusted to reveal a single trainee walking in.
And suddenly—complete silence.
One trainee.
Tall.
Athletically built.
Sharp jawline, slick black hair, a posture that oozed confidence—or maybe arrogance.
He walked with long, slow steps. No need to rush.
No one beside him. No team. No entourage.
He was alone.
But didn't look lonely.
The air around him was almost… electric.
He gave off the presence of someone who knew exactly who he was, what he wanted, and didn't care what others thought of him.
He scanned the pyramid.
Briefly. Casually.
As if evaluating the competition—not out of fear, but amusement.
And then, his eyes locked on the top seat.
He moved with intent—toward seat number 1.
Everyone stiffened.
"He's actually going for seat one?"
"Bold."
"Very Starlight of him..."
But then—something made him stop.
As he was climbing, he noticed the mostly empty side row…and the lone trainee seated calmly there.
Ji Hyo.
Mask on.
Leg crossed.
Eyes not on him.
Ji Hyo didn't even glance in his direction.
He was too focused on something very important:
A rough edge on his thumbnail.
"Tsk. It's uneven…"
He turned his hand, inspecting the spot with clinical precision, utterly bothered.
"I knew I should've packed the nail clipper in my side pocket instead of the main luggage."
He contemplated asking a staff if he could grab it. His mind completely disconnected from the social warzone happening right in front of him.
The Starlight trainee, still on the steps, paused.
Eyebrow raised.
He looked at Ji Hyo directly—like a wolf noticing something odd about another wolf.
Like he expected Ji Hyo to meet his gaze… acknowledge him… react.
But Ji Hyo didn't.
He just kept squinting at his nail like it was a matter of life and death.
The Starlight trainee scoffed subtly. His confident smirk turned just slightly downward—dissatisfied.
Then, without another look, he turned and continued walking until he reached the number one seat.
And sat down.
Back straight. Legs apart. Arms resting with dominance.
He claimed the throne.
And immediately—the room exploded.
"HE WENT TO SEAT ONE!"
"Does he think he's better than everyone else?"
"That's Min Seo-joon, right? I saw his pre-debut photos online!"
"I heard he rejected two debut groups already!"
"Rumors said he had a fight with someone in Glint before transferring to Starlight…"
Ji Hyo blinked.
The murmurs were rising.
He finally looked up from his hands.
"Huh… is it starting already?" he muttered under his breath, before returning his gaze to his nail with a heavy sigh. Still uneven.
[Reminder: Focus on class division performance. Nail grooming will not affect your current charisma level.]
"Yeah, but I'll go crazy if I don't cut this thing."
Across the room, Min Seo-joon, now comfortably on seat one, subtly glanced in Ji Hyo's direction again.
There was no visible tension—yet.
But there was something there.
The trainees noticed it.
That something.
Two powerful energies, completely opposite.
One, loud and bold—demanding attention.
The other, silent and cold—pulling attention without effort.
And it was just the beginning.
However, as the murmurs about the Starlight trainee slowly died down, a new wave of chatter started to ripple across the pyramid-shaped seating area.
"Wait, is it really starting now?"
"We're still missing trainees from the big 3…"
"Yeah, no Glint, no Super Music, and definitely no AZ yet."
"Maybe they'll arrive last? Like a grand entrance."
Ji Hyo wasn't the only one silently waiting. The other contestants were starting to feel the same: anticipation building up like a brewing storm. Some were excited, others were clearly anxious.
A boy seated near the middle rows, wearing a bright orange hoodie, leaned toward his teammate and whispered, "It's no surprise that Super Music and Glint do not send anyone. But AZ? They always send someone in early."
The other boy nodded. "Right? Like it's tradition or something. AZ trainees always make it to the lineup."
Just then, as if on cue, the entire LED screen flickered.
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
Every eye turned forward.
The buzzing stopped.
Everyone held their breath.
A huge golden logo of AZ Entertainment exploded onto the screen with a dramatic pulse of sound. Even Ji Hyo's eyes twitched and looked up from his hands.
That logo—it didn't just stand for any company.
It stood for legends.
AZ Entertainment wasn't just one of the Big 3.
They were the company that birthed:
BLACKPUNK, the biggest girl group in the world.
BANGBUNG, the kings of K-Pop who redefined stadium tours.
4in1, the second-gen top girl group who were still dominating digital charts despite being years into their career.
And now… they were about to unveil their next trainees.
The door opened.
Two boys walked out with matching black-and-silver AZ training jackets and sleek stage-ready posture. Immediately, the room stirred.
"Holy crap, it's really them."
"Mahiro and Junho…"
"They were in the final round for the AZ boy group debut last year, right?"
"Yeah, Mahiro was ranked 8th, and Junho just missed it by one vote."
"They're really back?!"
Mahiro had a cool elegance to him—half-Korean, half-Japanese, sharp eyes, naturally dyed brown hair, and a perfectly smooth gait. His confidence was soft, but noticeable. Controlled. Dangerous.
Junho, on the other hand, was the opposite.
He had this fiery charisma, messy black hair, and eyes that pierced like a hawk's. Even his steps were heavy with intent, every move screaming I have something to prove.
They didn't wave.
They didn't greet.
They just calmly walked down the aisle, observing the pyramid—much like Seo-joon did. But their aura was… heavier. Not aggressive, just practiced. Clean. Polished.
"Those two were supposed to debut under AZ's new boy group, remember? But the company cut down to five members at the last minute."
"They said Mahiro and Junho nearly made it... and now they're back for revenge."
Ji Hyo tilted his head slightly.
"Ah. So that's who they are."
He'd heard about the AZ boy group's messy lineup last year, though he didn't pay much attention to the details. Watching the two of them now though, he could tell—they weren't here to play.
The two AZ trainees glanced at the other contestants but didn't stop to stare. They eventually settled into seats not at the very top, but in the upper middle tier, showing confidence… but also control.
They didn't need to shout their skills.
Their presence did the work.
One trainee in the back whispered, "If AZ is already this strong… what about the Glint and Super Music kids? We're gonna die here."
The tension doubled.
Excitement and anxiety danced in the air like electricity.
Even Ji Hyo started to straighten his back, shifting his posture. He glanced at the AZ duo, studying their demeanor.
"They're good," he thought. "But they're not unbeatable."
[New Side Task Activated: "Stand Out Among the Giants."]
[Survive the first cut while surrounded by elite trainees.]
[Bonus points awarded if you outperform a Big 3 contestant in the class division performance.]
Ji Hyo sucked in a deep breath, but then smirked beneath his mask.
"Let's see if they can handle Baby Shark…"
And as the whispers continued and contestants turned their attention back to the stage, waiting for the next logo to appear, Ji Hyo crossed his arms and leaned back.
The game was starting.
And the giants were arriving.
But he wasn't here to play safe.
He was here to be remembered.