The production assistant led us through a maze of corridors I'd never seen before, past equipment rooms and editing suites buzzing with activity.
We stopped at a nondescript door marked "Holding Room C."
Inside, about twenty trainees sat scattered across plastic chairs, their nervous energy filling the cramped space.
Multiple screens mounted on the walls showed live feeds of interview rooms—some empty, others featuring trainees mid-conversation with unseen producers.
My eyes immediately found the familiar figures: Sejin chatting quietly with Harin, Minjae sprawled across two chairs looking bored, Taeyong studying his reflection in a dark screen.
And there, in the far corner, sat Haejun.
Our eyes met across the room. He gestured subtly to the empty chair beside him.
Of course. We were teammates now, expected to sit together, discuss strategy, present a united front for the cameras that were undoubtedly recording even our waiting period.
