New Beginnings (2)

"Is the room set up okay?" A tech-worker asked Producer Jang-Soo while gesturing towards a camera set upon a tall tripod. The room it was in was about ten by ten feet with plain walls. It resembled that of an alysum room or a room yet to be filled. 

Producer Jang-Soo smiled. "It's perfect. I assume the four other rooms are set up? I want to record five parent calls at a time."

The tech-worker nodded, "Yes. They should be ready…" 

The words trailed off as Kite, who was watching the scene from a perch, flapped away and through the halls and past staff. 

After a few moments, he spotted Joon-woo awkwardly standing in the middle of a conversation between friends. It appeared Jung Hyun-Ok and Mi Yong were bickering over something most likely trivial, and Reggie was actively trying to break them up. Ryeo Hyun and Joon-woo watched in silence, letting the bickering commence despite Reggie's begs for help. 

Quickly and with a new urgency he waved towards Joon-woo and perched on his shoulder. Joon-woo did a hidden but knowing gesture towards Kite, as if urging him to explain. 

"Parent calls. That's the next thing!" Kite whispered into Joon-woo's ear. 

Joon-woo's eyes slightly brightened at the opportunity. Discreetly he muttered: "Good." In reply. No one else around them noticed Joon-woo's words to the invisible Kite. 

This meant he could play into his tragic parent-less backstory. That means that though he would hate it, peopleâ€" producers, fans, other contestants would pity him. Producers of shows like this always loved a tragic backstory. 

Reggie turned with a grimace as he gave up on keeping Mi Yong from absolutely tackling Jung Hyun-Ok to the floor. He looked at the indifferent Joon-woo and Ryeo Hyun with a betrayed expression. 

"Joon-woo, why do you look so happy to see me struggle?" Reggie asked with a small but joking pout.

He had misunderstood Joon-woo's satisfied expression, but it wasn't like Joon-woo could explain that he was satisfied because the Grim Reaper's worker that was also in the form of a bird spied on the otherworldly-Jang-Soo and got information before it was revealed. 

"I wouldn't be of much help to stop them anyway." Joon-woo replied. There was slight truth to his words, as he would probably be tackled to the ground with Jung Hyun-Ok if he tried. 

Reggie looked at Joon-woo's thin frame and height and shrugged, as if agreeing. He didn't go to question or scold Ryeo Hyun. 

Ryeo Hyun had become quiet and blank-faced even more so ever since they left Bo Jaesang's place. The older had stayed over Bo Jaesang's place the whole weekend they were on break. He hadn't disclosed what did or discussed, but they knew that it was probably something regarding Bo Jaesang not returning as a trainee. 

So, by proxy, they had been careful about running their usual antics around Ryeo Hyun. But Joon-woo understood just a bit of the depression Ryeo Hyun was experiencing. They were assigned dorms. Five rooms and three people each. 

The room that Joon-woo, Jung Hyun-Ok, Ryeo Hyun, and Bo Jaesang had spent so much time with the sometimes-appearances of Reggie, Mi Yong, and even Baek Du-Ho when he felt up to it, was now vacant. Even conversations felt a little less vibrant without Bo Jaesang to brighten them. 

Now Joon-woo was roomed with Reggie and Ryeo Hyun, and the missing piece that was Bo Jaesang was clear in every waking moment now. The others' tried to play off the gap in the conversations and walk to the stage room or practice rooms, but there was still that lingering feeling of something missing. 

Joon-woo cleared his head. He had to focus. He couldn't wallow in Bo Jaesang's elimination because his chance at avenging Bo Jaesang and himself would fly out the window. Parent calls, he thought, parent calls. 

He recalled in his life as Ha-rin, how a clip of a contestant on a survival show went viral because his parent never answered in the three times he called. They weren't dead or anything, but the clip went viral and said contestant ended up debuting. 

Of course it wouldn't be so easy in Joon-woo's case. He just had to play it so safe and pitiful, that evil editing could never be an option for him. And by proxy, the PD's pick title could become truly true for him, and then he would be in the reach of Producer Jang-Soo. 

He clenched his fists so hard his carefully filed and long nails dug into his palms when he was called to get his make-up done. He would avenge Bo Jaesang. He would debut. He would stick Producer Jang-Soo and his schemes so deep into the dirt that he'll remain undetectable until decay. He swore he would. 

â€"+â€"

Rank 11 all the way to 15 were pulled away for parent calls first. Since Ryeo Hyun ranked 12th, he was whisked away with them. 

Ryeo Hyun's expression seemed to be as grim as it had remained for the hours before, so the others' didn't question its reasoning. But Joon-woo had some external suspicions. Like Joon-woo, Ryeo Hyun never called his parents or mentioned them in conversation. He didn't even mention someone that wasn't a parent…

It was a question that weighed in Joon-woo's mind from the beginning: Was Ryeo Hyun also an orphan? Of course other possibilities existed. Maybe they didn't support his dreams of becoming an idol, or maybe they disowned him. Joon-woo had seen those cases a multitude of times in both lives. 

Joon-woo didn't want his suspicions to be true for a selfish reason and also one not. The idea of Ryeo Hyun having to raise himself and go through life without a permanent-blood support system was saddening to say the least. But if no one picked up the parent call for Ryeo Hyun, attention would be diverted from Joon-woo's lack of answer.

After a few minutes, who Joon-woo hoped wasn't Ryeo Hyun, entered through the doors. It was the contestant ranked 11th. The contestant wore a smile. It appeared his conversation, though short, had gone well. 10th place was then escorted away. 

The process of a contestant returning and another going repeated and repeated, and it was about eight minutes later, Ryeo Hyun came out. 

Joon-woo silently wished for the other to reveal himself happy. And Ryeo Hyun entered through the doors a bit more relaxed than he had been originally. Joon-woo took a deep breath in relief at the sight. He was also happy to see that Ryeo Hyun was not completely alone and miserable.

"Joonie!" Mi Yong nudged at Joon-woo's shoulder, "They're calling for you. It's your turn." 

Joon-woo nodded, thanking his hyung for noticing him and the staff calling his name loudly. He followed a staff member out the door and towards a hallway of many. A contestant exited from one with slightly puffy eyes and a smile. Joon-woo knew that contestant would get played in the intro with tears like that. 

"Make sure to stand in view of the camera." The staff member instructed, handing Joon-woo a SAMSUNG phone Joon-woo knew to be the latest model. "Have a nice call…"

The staff member closed the door, leaving Joon-woo alone in the small and boring room alone. The camera set on a tripod just his height blinked red in front of him. They were already recording. 

Ha-rin had acted in small cameos in some dramas. She was often praised for her two-line parts and even offered roles. But her schedule never let up for acting and any wants she had to act were tossed out the window. 

Those acting skills would come into play now, Joon-woo thought, as he simply placed the phone face down on the floor and saw against the wall hugging his knees. 

He just sat there. He sat there, occasionally checking the time on the phone. The show and by proxy, the producers, probably knew he was an orphan. If Joon-woo had ever experienced having parents, he might've found having to do this insensitive and offensive. But even as Ha-rin, he never knew the warmth of parents. Even those who grew up with Ha-rin in the orphanage that had parents were there for a reason. They had parents unfit, parents with health issuesâ€" mental or physical, abusive parents, druggie parents, alcoholic parents. There were close to none good parents talked about in that orphanage. 

Though Reggie's mom was sweet. She was just like the loving mothers on TV or at the park. She cooked food with that homemade twang. She hugged and placed kisses to he and Reggie's foreheads. And Reggie missed her like a b*tch when they were stuck in the dorms for a week without contact, 

Maybe, Joon-woo thought, if he had a parent like that he would care. But after about four minutes passed, after he forced a dim and grim expression, he stood. He stood and exited the room still wearing the frown all the way on the way back to the others. The cameras were looking to catch his every move, so he knew to be careful.

And when he met again with Mi Yong, Reggie, Jung Hyun-Ok, Ryeo Hyun, and Baek Du-Ho, he found his face naturally growing into a smile. Kite watched the scene, urgent eyes that wanted to inquire Joon-woo on why and what happened in the parent call, and paused. 

For a moment, the bird just watched Joon-woo as a genuine and calm expression took over his face. Never had Kite seen Joon-woo so… content, and part of the bird didn't know how to feel. Could Kite really allow Joon-woo to get so attached? The kid had insisted heavily on working to debut with the group, with his friends. But Kite wondered, based on the bird'and Joon-woo's original agreement, if such bonds were okay.