I wake up slowly to the sound of my alarm. My hand automatically reaches up to caress the pendant around my neck. It's a simple broken-heart pendant that my sister and I shared. My mother had our names engraved on it. After her death, I recovered her half of the heart and combined them. With this pendant around my neck, I truly feel surrounded by her presence. I feel as though she is always with me, supporting me in every circumstance.
When I decided to take on Océane's role, I didn't expect it to lead me to another country, nor did I expect such an exciting adventure. We are only at the beginning, and I already regret that Océane isn't here with me for this. She would have been the first to encourage the others in their performances. But she also would have started gathering information on them. As she used to say, even if we encourage them, at the end of the day, a competition is a competition. To achieve my goal, I had to learn more about the rivals. And I bet they already know my whole life story, too. After all, it's all over social media. With overachieving parents and a sister who was a deceased near-celebrity, we've had our fair share of interviews.
I take three deep breaths before getting out of bed. The first thing I do is pray. I've always struggled with my faith. I believe a powerful God exists, but I've always questioned the "why" and the "how." After my sister's death, the sense of injustice I felt didn't help at all. The criminal was free, while my sister was in the afterlife. I asked myself so many times where divine justice was and what the point of living was. Later, I simply accepted that there is a reason for everything and that I would eventually know the answer. After my prayer, I drink some water and begin my forty minutes of Pilates. I like to start the day with physical exercise if possible. When I was at home, I would run in the morning, go to the gym, or do Pilates. Here, I haven't found my rhythm yet, so just Pilates for now.
After working out, I have a light breakfast while chatting with my father on the phone. He keeps encouraging me to eat more, to eat balanced meals. I struggle to eat early in the morning, but I force myself because I need energy for the show. After eating, I have an hour and a half left before it's time to meet Isidora. We decided to head to the set together. I decide to start researching the candidates whose names I remember: Cat, Isidora, Jiho, Rahul, and all the Top 10 candidates, but also the others. For Cat and Isidora, nothing out of the ordinary; their lives were just as they had described. I focused on their achievements and their photos online. Result: they are both very photogenic.
For the rest, I managed to build a general portrait of the competition. The candidates are divided into three main groups. The first is the trainees from entertainment companies. I'd say they represent about thirty percent of the candidates. They've been formally trained by South Korean, Japanese, or Chinese companies. They sometimes have stage experience and a general understanding of the industry. Then there's the second group: independent artists. Nam Jiho and Rahul fit perfectly into this category. They already have some success in their art but want to use this opportunity to fulfill a dream or reach another level. They make up about thirty percent of the competition. Finally, the last group is full of amateurs. These are mainly people with no experience and just their talent. Isidora fits perfectly here. This group also includes those who have had some training from a coach or a school.
I close my laptop after finishing my research. I meet Isidora in the lobby so we can head to the set. The trip to the recording location is very quick. We talk about our lives. She tells me she was raised by her grandmother, who encouraged her to sign up for the show. I tell her I signed up to try and fulfill my sister's dream. We discover we share a passion for spicy food. We even make plans to try out restaurants in Seoul before the show ends.
When we arrive at the filming location, some of the candidates are already there. Cat, who arrived earlier than us, likely with his brother's help, rushes over to greet us. He's truly a ball of energy. We try to imagine what kind of props we might receive for our introductory live stream. I act as the bridge between Cat and Isidora since they don't speak the same language. The conversation is a bit slow, but once we get used to it, the flow becomes constant and we communicate well.
At around 11:00 AM, the show's hosts, Mina and Junho, approach the front of the stage.
_ Welcome to the first intermediate challenge of Stardom: The Clash.
_ We will now announce the item corresponding to your number. The participant whose video gets the most views will earn a benefit in the next phase. Mina explains.
_So, take your presentation seriously and please the audience. This is your chance to make a great first impression.
Employees place two large tables filled with props, food, and other objects. I step forward to take the item corresponding to my number, item number 7. It's a hula hoop. I turn to Cat and Isidora to see what they got. Cat received pre-cooked, frozen chicken feet. Isidora, on the other hand, received a makeup kit.
_ If everyone has collected their item, it's time to enter a free room to begin the live stream. Junho announces.
We all head toward the mini streaming rooms provided. I pick a door at random, and the others do the same. The room is painted chick-yellow with soft, relaxing music playing in the background. There's just a sofa, the camera, a questionnaire, and a table with a tablet on top to check fan reactions. Once seated on the sofa, I launch the live stream on Mnet. After a few seconds, I see a few people connecting.
_ Hello!! My name is Anael Khumalo, I'm a participant in the program Stardom: The Clash produced by JYP Entertainment. Today is an introductory live stream; if you have any questions, don't hesitate!
I take a short break to read the questionnaire.
_ I'll start by answering the questionnaire provided by the company. I explain. My age? 19. The position I feel most comfortable with on stage? I'd say vocalist. I love exploring the possibilities of my voice. I've been told I have a rather beautiful voice, not to brag. I smile.
I start taking questions from the chat.
_"How many years of training do you have?" I don't have formal training with an agency. But I was trained by three coaches for two years.
_"Your favorite dish?" Hmm, I have several, but I'd say anything I can put something spicy on.
_"How many languages do you speak?" Let me think... if we count sign language, I'd say 9 languages?
As soon as that sentence leaves my mouth, the comments in the live stream explode.
_"Are you lying?" No, I'm not lying. I truly speak 9 languages fluently.
_"Are you a genius?" No, I'm not a genius, but my IQ is above average. And I have a knack for languages.
_"Are you still in school?" No, I took a break to focus on this career.
_"Have you ever been a model? I feel like I've seen you before." You must be confusing me with my sister. I've never been a model.
_"What's your music style?" I like a bit of everything. I don't have a fixed genre. If I like a song, the genre or language doesn't matter.
My gaze falls on the time displayed on the table.
_Oh, half the time has already passed! Let me just move the table to use my object. I explain to the audience.
I quickly push the table and the sofa to make space. I place the tablet in a visible spot on the sofa before picking up my hoop.
_You can keep loading your questions. I'll answer them while using the hoop.
I begin to manipulate the hoop, spinning it on my arm, my neck. I roll it off my hand, form a 'Y' with my body, and toss it onto my leg. I continue performing acrobatics while answering the chat's questions.
_"How are you so flexible?" My sister and I did gymnastics when we were younger. It seems I never forgot what I learned.
_"Do you have a pet?" No, but I can imitate animal sounds, so that kind of evens it out. I smile.
_ "What is your favorite movie genre?" I love anything comedy or suspense.
_Oops! It looks like we're reaching the end of the live stream. I say, stopping the hoop. I'll take one last question before finishing.
I search the chat for a moment and finally find a question that seems fun.
_"Would you prefer to perform on a female or male K-pop song?" Personally, I like both, but if I had to choose, I'd take a male song because the choreographies are often very... 'acrobatic'? I'm not as good at dancing, so it would be great motivation for me," I smile.
I see messages from people in the chat begging me to stay.
_ Sorry everyone, those are the rules of the game; I can't stay any longer. Thanks for joining my live stream. We were at... wow, 1000 people in this live!! I hope you enjoyed it. Keep following me for more Stardom: The Clash!
I finish with a bow, wink at the camera, and cut the stream for good.
___
References:
_ Mnet: (Music Network) South Korean music television channel owned by CJ Group.
_Inspiration partially drawn from the songs War of Hormone and Filter by BTS.
Thank you for reading and have a good day.