The morning sun barely had time to rise before Ji Hyo found himself already seated inside Glint Entertainment's main trainee training room. The spacious hall, lined with mirrored walls and sleek sound systems, was filled with the quiet hum of anticipation—and occasional nervous chatter.
Despite the early hour, the atmosphere was anything but sleepy.
All 32 trainees sat cross-legged on the polished wooden floor, facing the large monitor mounted on the wall. Some fidgeted anxiously, others whispered to their seatmates. Ji Hyo was nestled between Felix and June, his back straight but fingers subtly tapping his knee.
"Do you think they'll call out names one by one like last time?" June whispered, leaning slightly toward him.
"No idea," Ji Hyo replied. "I'm just hoping they don't call mine last."
Felix chuckled softly beside them. "Relax. You sang a whole children's song and still managed to melt hearts. That's gotta count for something."
Ji Hyo turned to glare playfully at him. "You mean that sarcastically, right?"
"No, really." Felix grinned. "You were adorable."
Ji Hyo groaned and buried his face in his hands. "That word should be banned."
Before they could continue their banter, the monitor flickered, drawing everyone's attention.
The entire room fell silent.
The screen glowed, and finally, the Evaluation Ranking Results appeared.
Twenty-five names appeared in clean, bold font, ranked from top to bottom.
Trainees immediately leaned forward, squinting at the list. Some gasped, others groaned, and a few immediately clutched at their friends in disbelief.
Ji Hyo's eyes scanned the screen rapidly.
Rank 1: Felix Monroe
The room burst into low chatter again.
"Of course Felix got top," someone murmured behind them.
"That red-haired prince practically floats on stage."
Ji Hyo smiled a little. Well, that's expected.
He kept reading down the list.
Rank 15: Ji Hyo Hyun
He blinked.
"…Wait."
"Hey, you're in the top 15," June said with a grin, nudging him with his elbow.
"Yeah," Ji Hyo said, still blinking. "Wait, I'm actually in the middle?"
"That's a good thing, you dork," Felix said, patting his shoulder. "You're not failing. You're progressing."
Ji Hyo stared at his name again. 15. He wasn't sure whether to feel proud or lucky.
But then…
A strange hush settled over the room again.
"Hey… why are there only 25 names?" someone said aloud.
Heads turned toward the monitor again, questions starting to ripple through the room.
"There are 32 of us. Where's the rest?"
Just then, the monitor flickered again—and the screen went black for a moment.
Then, a new title appeared in a bolder, larger font than before.
"DEBUT TEAM SELECTION"
The air turned electric.
The trainees stared, wide-eyed.
Beneath the heading, a list of seven names appeared, each highlighted in gold lettering.
Debut Team:
Kyunsoo Jin
Mojin Choi
June Park
Aiku
Jiyong Lee
Hyunjun Kim
Junkyu Kim
The room exploded.
Gasps, claps, shocked expressions.
Some were already congratulating the names they recognized. Others sat frozen, trying to process what just happened.
Ji Hyo stared at the screen, then slowly turned to look at Mo Jin.
The boy was frozen mid-blink, his brain still buffering.
"Holy crap," Mo Jin finally said, voice cracking.
"You… you made it," Ji Hyo said, genuinely surprised and impressed.
"OH MY GOD I MADE IT!" Mo Jin shouted, shooting up from the floor and nearly tripping over June in the process. "I'M GOING TO DEBUT?!"
June, whose name was also on the list, remained calm but had a smile stretching across his face.
Aiku and Jiyong shared a quick fist bump from the far end of the room.
"Hyunjun's on there too," someone pointed out.
"And Junkyu… wow."
Ji Hyo looked back at the screen again, watching the seven names glow.
Debut Team.
So this was it. The goal every trainee had dreamed of. The stage they all wanted to reach.
He couldn't help the small twinge in his chest—a mixture of excitement for his friends, and a quiet sense of urgency rising inside himself.
Felix didn't say anything at first, just watched the screen silently.
Ji Hyo glanced at him. "You're first in the rankings, but…"
"Yeah," Felix said softly. "Not chosen. Interesting."
Ji Hyo noticed the brief flicker in his expression—subtle, but sharp. But Felix quickly returned to his usual calm demeanor.
"It's not final," Felix added. "It never is. This is just the first step."
"Yeah," Ji Hyo said quietly, then clenched his fists just a little. "But it's a step I want to reach too."
The screen flickered again, shifting back to a neutral standby state, signaling the end of the announcement.
But the atmosphere remained heavy with lingering excitement and tension.
Some were overjoyed. Others, disappointed.
And a few, like Ji Hyo, were quietly preparing themselves for what came next.
Because now, more than ever, the stage wasn't just a dream.
It was within reach.
Felix stood up silently, brushing invisible dust from his pants. His usual cheerful expression was gone, replaced with a blank look as he turned toward the door.
Ji Hyo noticed immediately and called out, "Hey… where are you going?"
Felix paused for a second, then gave a faint smile without turning back. "Just need some fresh air."
Without another word, he walked out of the room.
Ji Hyo watched his retreating figure, the door clicking shut behind him. Something about Felix's demeanor unsettled him—like there was more on his mind than just stepping out for air. But Ji Hyo didn't press it. If anything, he understood that sometimes, emotions were better dealt with in silence.
Instead, he turned toward the rest of the group.
Mo Jin was still bouncing on his heels, practically vibrating with excitement. June had a more composed expression, but the light in his eyes gave away his pride. Aiku was stretching his arms, grinning ear to ear like he'd just won the lottery.
"Congratulations," Ji Hyo said, offering a small smile.
Mo Jin spun around and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Can you believe this?! Debut team! Me! I'm actually gonna debut!"
Ji Hyo laughed softly at his friend's excitement. "You deserve it. You've worked hard."
"You too," June added with a nod. "Your solo performance was really something."
"Yeah," Aiku chimed in, winking playfully. "I've never heard anyone turn a kids' song into something emotional before. You pulled it off."
Ji Hyo felt warmth rising in his chest. Their words soothed the lingering sting of disappointment.
He turned and approached Junkyu, who had been silently basking in the moment, a soft smile on his lips.
"Congratulations, Junkyu."
Junkyu looked up and returned the smile with genuine gratitude. "Thanks. You were great out there too."
Ji Hyo gave him a thumbs-up before looking around. He realized there was one person on the list he hadn't interacted with yet—Hyunjun Kim.
He scanned the room briefly, spotting the trainee near the corner. Hyunjun had kept mostly to himself the entire time. Ji Hyo furrowed his brow. Do I know him…? Or is this another memory I haven't unlocked yet?
Their eyes met briefly, but Hyunjun gave no reaction. Just a nod before turning away.
Ji Hyo exhaled slowly. He didn't expect everyone to be friendly—but it only made him more curious about this particular trainee.
Despite the undercurrent of bittersweetness, Ji Hyo was truly happy for his friends.
And like Felix said—it wasn't over yet.
Maybe there was still a path forward. Maybe, just maybe—
The door opened again, and a staff member entered, holding a clipboard.
"Debut team, please come with me," she said politely. "You're scheduled for an internal meeting with the main producer."
The room fell silent again. Everyone turned toward the selected seven.
Mo Jin's eyes widened. "Oh—already?"
June stood up calmly, while Aiku looked toward Ji Hyo for a second—his joy slightly dimmed, as if he didn't want to leave him behind just yet.
Junkyu offered one last wave before heading out.
Ji Hyo felt the smile slowly fade from his lips. The moment felt too real now. So… it really is final?
The remaining trainees sat in silence as the debut team exited one by one.
Just as Ji Hyo lowered his gaze, a figure stopped beside him.
When he glanced up, he was met by the smirking face of Kyunsoo Jin.
Ji Hyo sat up straighter, offering a polite, "Congratulations."
Kyunsoo didn't respond. He merely gave a dismissive scoff, barely sparing him a glance, and turned to walk away, following the others out of the room.
Ji Hyo watched his back disappear behind the door.
His shoulders sank slightly.
Even if he had braced himself for it… it still stung.
"System," Ji Hyo whispered in his mind.
[Yes, Host?]
"Do you think… I really have what it takes to be part of that team someday?"
[That depends on you.]
"…Not the answer I was hoping for."
[Then stop hoping and start proving.]
"…Geez. You really are a tough crowd."
[Correction: I am your guide, not your therapist.]
Ji Hyo sighed.
But despite the system's snark, a spark of determination flickered in his chest again.
He may not have made it into the debut team today.
But he wasn't giving up just yet.