Chapter 6: Masked Idol
Yena couldn't believe her eyes. She met some interesting people during the interviews—one with hyperflexible joints, one who could dance with fire, and even one who could swallow a whole egg!11
But nothing came close to the young man before her.
June looked at the crew and repeated his introduction. "What's up? I'm June! Do ya have some questions for me?"
Yena snapped out of her thoughts. "Ah, right. Choi Joon-ho, right?"
He nodded. "But I go by June now. Please refer to me by that name."
"Alright," she cleared her throat. "June. Born in 2002. Your position is vocal?"
"Correct."
"But you danced on your audition tape," Yejin noted. Quite badly, too. He looked like he just learned how to dance but was busting out the most complicated moves. It was a funny video, and it was definitely the reason why he was recruited in the first place.
"I've improved my vocals since then. Do you want me to sing?"
Yena shook her head. "Save your talent for the show. Instead, may we ask what your special charms are?"2
June pursed his lips. He never got this far. His charms? He stabbed well, punched well, and shot guns well. Oh, he was good at throwing heavy objects, too. But he couldn't say that, could he?3
"I'm…good at making coffee," he said, remembering how he made coffee for the old grandma downstairs.2
"Oh," Yejin said, a bit surprised. His hobby seemed a bit tame compared to his look. "Then, is being an idol your dream? Or were your parents against it?"
June's mind clicked. He knew what kind of scenes the two women were aiming for. It was the time of the episode when the trainees' struggles were shown. Usually, the saddest stories would be aired, and even unpopular trainees had the chance to pull the heartstrings of the viewers.
As much as he wanted to exploit this moment, he didn't want anyone pitying him for his past. Besides, it wasn't a wise choice to become popular due to a pitiful image. The popularity will run out quickly and will be forgotten by the watchers.
"Everything's good," he said. "It's been my dream to become an idol ever since I was young," he gave out a generic answer.
Yejin shook her head, disappointed by his answer. "Then, can you explain this?" she asked, gesturing to his face.
The crew members listened attentively. Was it a gimmick? They didn't know if they could accept such a person into the competition. They'd only be a laughing stock!
"Cats are my favorite," he said.
"That's it?" Yena asked. "That's the reason why you're wearing a mask?"
"And I'm still not ready to show my face," June added. "My confidence isn't that good."
"Oh," Yejin exclaimed. "Why is that?"
"I'm uncomfortable talking about it," he said. "But I want the viewers to realize my talent without even seeing my face. I can prove to them that I can make it far with my talents and charms alone."
June was bluffing. He was practically talentless, and he didn't have any idol-like charms! If this was a show for gangsters, then he would have nailed it. He might even end up placing first!9
Yejin and Yena, however, were impressed by his answer.
"But do you have any plans of showing your face?"
"Hmm," June hummed. Well, he never intended to join the show with a mask anyway. And he'd eventually need to show his face if he wanted to debut.
"Yes, I do," he said. "It might not be now. It might not even be for the first episode, but I do plan on showing my face. I think it can bring good ratings to the show. A lot of people are fans of grand reveals, am I right?"
Yena's and Yejin's eyes sparkled in delight.
A masked idol with an impending reveal? This was genius!7
If he was handsome, then it'd bring more fans. If he was ugly, then it'd bring more attention to the show! It was a win-win situation. Yena was hesitant to accept him into the show, but now she was completely convinced.2
June was going to be a great addition to the show. The other crew members agreed, and they stamped his application as 'approved.'
"Congratulations, Trainee June," Yejin said. "You are now officially a part of Rising Stars! The first episode will be filmed in three days. Make sure to prepare your specialties ahead of time. We look forward to seeing you in the audition!"3