MC Lee slowly enunciated, "Here are the results..."
One by one, cards floated into the center of the screen. Behind each card was the face of the participants who had received the most votes from their fellow contestants.
For every reveal, a heart would either sink or wallow in silent dismay, while others heaved a sigh of relief—only to be swallowed back into the tense atmosphere. No one knew if the next name to be called would be theirs.
Very few among the Inhabitants managed to maintain composure. Nobody could guess who would be the unfortunate ones.
In the end, the remaining names were Sujin, Min, Kato, Juwon, Hyeon-ju, and another vocalist called Chul-Moo. All of them had earned positive reviews from the judges. Juwon, in particular, embodied a lonely flower clinging to a treacherous cliff. His facial expressions were top-notch, and his elegant dancing remained his greatest strength. Even though not everyone liked him, they wisely chose not to vote him off, wary of the judges' reaction and the possible backlash from viewers.
Sujin had always been the best vocalist and a strong center candidate. Min, Kato, and Chul-Moo displayed stable singing and dancing skills, while Hyeon-ju left a lasting mark with his impressive chorus.
So, who got sent off? First was... well, Neo's case was obvious. He had received 11 votes. Three others, with 10 votes each, had performed poorly. The rest were voted out for their undesirable attitudes—among them, the three from the laundry room incident.
In just an hour, everything had changed. The place meant for twelve people now deserved the name Barren Land.
One by one, the eliminated were called for interviews, where they shared their thoughts and feelings about the results.
"Although it's only been a week, we have trained together and cared for each other. We treated them as friends, so it hurts to see them leave. If possible, I'd want to team up with them again," Kato said solemnly.
When it was Min's turn, the boy with soft curls and deep dimples also wore a grave expression. "Honestly, I can't get used to this. But this is a competition. To stay, we not only have to give our best—we can't make mistakes, and most importantly, we must help each other."
"We will continue to strive to show the best so there won't be an elimination next time," Sujin added in a determined voice.
On the Barren Land's side, the screen finally changed, replaced by the list of names bound for the Greenhouse.
Half of them were overjoyed to see their names there.
The other half felt only regret and sorrow. They had given their all, yet the judges had to choose which performers truly stood out. It hurt because the judges and producers had deemed their performances lacking.
Another pang of regret struck at the top of the list.
Jun's name was first.
People took turns hugging him. The six who would remain behind cried as they embraced and congratulated him.
"It's a shame, but we know you're not meant to stay here."
"Brother, I'm sad to see you go. But I'm also happy for you. We owe you a lot for that performance."
"Leader, don't forget us when you get there."
Jun laughed. "I'm not going far away."
He comforted and encouraged them. "Everyone did great. I'll be waiting for you all in the Greenhouse."
The others also congratulated Xavi and the rest of the promoted Landers. Jun pursed his lips, then fetched his bag and returned to the Greenhouse. He was leading again, but this time fewer followed behind.
On the way, he encountered Neo, Hanada, and the four others who were demoted. There was no moon above, but Jun thought that even moonlight could not lift the heavy spirits of the youths who only nodded in silence.
Jun softly murmured, "I'm suddenly very worried about Neo." He remembered the bad tendencies of demoted Inhabitants like Gunwook.
For a moment, he regretted forgetting to tell the Barren Landers to take care of Neo. So he spoke with Xavi before running back. Among those who stayed was Jinho, one of the oldest and most reliable trainees. Before rejoining Xavi's group, Jun whispered a few things to him.
...
"Welcome back!" As if the sorrow of the second mission had been washed away, the six passionately welcomed those who had ascended from the Barren Land.
They swarmed Jun in particular. The happiest of them was Juwon, who immediately jumped at him and hi-fived him. "Welcome back, bro!"
Sujin grinned. "I saw the Landers' performance. You guys were so cool."
Jun fist-bumped Sujin before sitting on the sofa. "Thank you. We all tried our best."
He did not add, You guys also did well. He knew some Inhabitants hadn't yet recovered from the results of the second mission. To say it now would sound like mockery.
He chuckled instead. "It's good to be back. I missed the wide bed and the pantry."
Xavi happily interjected, "Can we visit the rooms and place our things there now?"
Kato shook his head. "We just finished our interviews, and one of the staff said to stand by for the next mission announcement."
"Aw, really?" Xavi sighed, keeping his backpack on as he sat next to Min.
Jun waited for everyone to settle before introducing the new Inhabitants.
"This charming guy who instantly reminds people of a puppy is Xavi. Just kidding—you already know him. Same with Daeho.
"You also met Dae-Hyun at the gathering hall on the first day. He's great at b-boying. This is Seong-Hun, Daeho's partner earlier. He's tall and handsome but really shy. He's the one who sang the chorus' high notes. And last but not least, the Landers' precious youngest, In-Su—though he prefers to be called Seth."
The three bowed politely and greeted everyone with blushing cheeks. They felt relieved and shy that Jun was still looking out for them.
The Inhabitants, except Hyeon-ju, also introduced themselves to the newcomers.
Some idle chats followed. Juwon turned lively as he made his friend describe what he had experienced at the Barren Land.
Five minutes passed.
They weren't given more time to chat. The emcee's face suddenly appeared on the massive monitor.
"Hi. The third mission is here. Are you excited, Greenhouse Inhabitants?"