They were given about two weeks of grace period.
The results of the stage hadn’t been revealed yet.
That was because the first ranking announcement would reveal team scores and eliminate participants at the same time.
On the day of the first performance evaluation, K Entertainment officially released the contestants’ profiles and audition videos.
Real-time voting began immediately on the online homepage.
The footage they had painstakingly filmed would be aired over the course of three weeks, in a total of six episodes.
After the broadcast, many contestants would be eliminated during the first ranking ceremony.
In truth, everything up until now had only been the prologue.
“Roy hyung, I think people are starting to post about us on the fan communities.”
Even after returning from the island to the company, Roy’s daily routine didn’t change much.
As soon as he woke up in the morning, he headed straight to the practice room and trained until the floor was slippery with sweat.
After their morning session, Kim Chan was absorbed in his phone, and Lee Doha had long since fallen asleep on a beanbag in the corner.
Roy downed a bottle of water in one go, then looked at the phone Kim Chan held out to him.
The screen was filled with text.
[Anyone here watched episode 1 of Our Pledge?]
: “There are way more good-looking guys than I expected.”
“Yeah, I thought the same. I watched the audition videos, and some of them are hilariously weird.”
ㄴ “I think I know what you’re talking about. The broom one, right?”
ㄴ “Yeah! I watched it and still couldn’t figure out what I was seeing.”
ㄴ “ㅋㅋ”
ㄴ “I almost got kicked out of the study room for laughing too loud ㅋㅋㅋㅋ”
Roy stopped reading at that point and quietly turned his gaze elsewhere.
Kim Chan noticed the tips of Roy’s ears turning red and barely held back a laugh.
[Hero, I think the moment you did that sword dance with the broom was a stroke of genius!]
‘Be quiet.’
If he could, Roy would’ve turned back time.
This place was nothing like the As Continent.
It was far too easy for videos of him to be recorded and shared.
Deleting them was impossible.
Even now, the thought that the video of him wielding a broom and dancing with a sword could be spreading with a single click made him sigh in frustration.
“Ice cream sounds good.”
Stress made him crave sweets.
Recently, Roy had discovered a nearby area filled with ice cream shops and had been visiting them daily.
“What do you want? I’ll go buy it.”
“Hyung, you don’t have any money.”
“The CEO gave me a card.”
He could hear the spirit, Earth, chuckling in his ear.
Roy wondered what his old comrades would say if they saw him now.
They’d probably collapse in laughter just like Earth.
“Then I’ll have something with vanilla in it. Doha hyung will probably want coffee-flavored ice cream.”
“I’ll be back.”
Roy stood up.
Kim Chan remained completely engrossed in his phone, almost as if he were about to fall into it.
“Huh? Roy, where are you going?”
“Ice cream run.”
“Is that safe?”
“Why?”
“Episode 1 aired yesterday, remember? The ratings were better than expected, and online buzz is strong. We’re currently monitoring the communities and social media.”
Do Minkyung stood up, worried that Roy was going out alone.
“It’s fine. If anything happens, I’ll just run back.”
“Geez, don’t say it like that—it sounds scary when you talk about running away.”
“Would you like anything?”
“You’ll get mine too? Then I’ll have strawberry, please.”
“Okay.”
At the moment, only Do Minkyung, Roy, Kim Chan, and Lee Doha were in the company.
Kim Jungah and Jung Hojun, who had supervised morning practice, had left for a lunch appointment right after it ended.
Hwang Guman and Seo Hyojin were even busier.
Hwang Guman in particular had been grinning ear to ear after seeing how much screen time the trainees from Bada Entertainment got in episode 1.
[The weather’s great~]
‘You can feel the weather?’
[Of course! When I eventually take physical form, I’ll be able to eat food too! That’s why I keep singing about how I want you to grow stronger, Hero!]
Roy didn’t feel lonely even while walking alone.
After all, he had the chatty Earth spirit with him.
Just like Earth had said, it was a day with bright blue skies and picturesque white clouds.
As Roy stepped out of the company building and looked up at the sky, a refreshing breeze swept by.
That’s when something strange caught his eye.
“Ah! Eye contact!”
It was a small person wearing a deeply pulled-down black cap and a face mask.
They were clearly holding their phone up in Roy’s direction.
As Roy started walking toward the suspicious person, they immediately turned around and bolted—quick as a flying squirrel.
[That was unsettling.]
Roy could have chased them down, but he decided to leave it to the company staff.
***
“Welcome!”
Ding-a-ling! A clear bell rang as the door opened.
Roy politely nodded in response to the friendly greeting from the store employee.
“You came again today.”
The female staff member blushed as she glanced at Roy.
From the moment he first entered the shop, she had found herself waiting for the time he’d show up again—his striking looks had that effect.
“Yes. I wanted to try something different today.”
As Roy gazed at the colorful display of ice cream, a spark lit up in his usually expressionless eyes.
The contrast between his calm face and sparkling eyes made the employee bite her lip nervously.
“Would it be okay if I recommended one?”
“I’d be grateful.”
Roy had already decided on the flavors for the others, but he wanted to choose his own after seeing them in person.
At her offer, he lifted his head and looked straight at her.
The blush on her cheeks deepened.
“Th-this one is this month’s new flavor…”
Her hand trembled slightly as she scooped a reddish-orange ice cream onto a tasting spoon and held it out to him.
The employee’s eyes widened as she quickly covered her mouth.
Roy hadn’t taken the spoon with his hand—he had accepted it directly with his mouth.
“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s become a habit…”
Realizing his mistake, Roy bowed his head and apologized politely.
Thanks to Kim Chan and Lee Doha constantly feeding him snacks by hand, Roy had gotten used to eating things straight from the source.
Roy’s body moved before he could think, reacting to the pink spoon glinting in front of him.
“I-I’m fine… I was just startled. It didn’t make me feel bad—if anything, it was kind of exciting,” he said, causing the employee to smile.
“I’ll take these five flavors in single size, please.”
“Sure. Just a moment.”
The employee packed each of the five flavors Roy picked, carefully pressing them in with practiced precision.
Roy paid with the card Hwang Guman gave him and received the shopping bag.
He took out one of the single cups filled with pink ice cream.
“This is a gift. I’m really sorry about earlier.”
“You’re giving this to me?”
“Yes. Take care.”
Roy gave one last polite bow before stepping out of the ice cream shop.
His steps felt light as he thought about savoring the ice cream he had already taken a bite of earlier.
“My heart is seriously not okay right now.”
The employee, stunned by his own racing heart, stood frozen as Roy walked away.
***
“Hyung, the team wants to get together tomorrow evening to watch the broadcast. You in?”
“When?”
“Tomorrow night. Jihoo hyung said we can all meet at his place.”
“Sure.”
“Is it okay for Doha hyung too?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, I’ll go get permission from the manager!”
After their first group stage performance ended successfully, the teammates had created a group chat.
Kim Chan and Lee Hajun had been the driving force behind it.
“Didn’t Jaemin hyung say his hometown is Jeju Island?”
Roy remembered hearing that Jaemin’s agency didn’t provide housing.
Since staying in Seoul for two weeks would be expensive, he assumed Jaemin had gone back home.
“Yeah. But now he’s staying at Jihoo hyung’s place. Apparently, Jihoo’s house is super spacious.”
Kim Chan left right after that, heading to the office to get permission.
All that remained in his spot was the empty ice cream cup he’d just finished.
“You want a bite?”
“Yeah.”
Lee Doha, who had noticed Roy glancing at his ice cream, scooped a generous spoonful and held it out to him.
Roy leaned forward and took the bite without using his hands, only moving his face.
The look of pure happiness on his face made a soft smile appear on Doha’s lips too.
***
“Welcome, everyone. That must’ve been a tiring trip.”
“It’s fine. The CEO dropped us off right in front of the house.”
Han Jihoo took the pack of tissues Kim Chan brought and guided the group further inside.
“Wow, hyung. You really live well.”
“It’s my parents’ house, not mine.”
Kim Chan had always suspected Jihoo came from a wealthy background—his fashion and the quality of the things he used gave it away.
But what he saw now exceeded his expectations.
Han Jihoo’s home was a detached two-story house in a neighborhood famous for having the highest land prices in Seoul.
Even the hallway leading from the entrance to the living room was long, and the atmosphere was unmistakably upscale, from the artwork on the walls to the sculptures on the floor.
“Roy hyung, Doha, come on in.”
“We brought ice cream too.”
“Perfect. We can eat it together later.”
Roy had become a regular at his favorite ice cream shop.
Today, the owner had given him a bonus ice cream bar as a service gift.
“Doha, you look sleepy again today.”
“I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
“R-Really?”
Han Jihoo forced an awkward smile when Kim Chan shook his head violently beside Doha, clearly disagreeing.
“Everyone else is in the media room. The broadcast’s about to start.”
Jihoo’s house even had a separate room dedicated to watching TV.
When they entered, they found Lee Hajun and Kim Jaemin sprawled comfortably on the couch, ready to greet the guests.
“Jaemin hyung, your skin’s glowing.”
“Crazy, right? Jihoo’s house has everything. I don’t even need to go to a clinic.”
Jaemin’s skin was porcelain-smooth, like a boiled egg.
Anyone could tell he’d been living well just from the soft fullness of his cheeks.
“The downside is I gained weight… The housekeeper’s cooking is too good…”
Jaemin’s face drooped as he touched his chubby cheeks.
Kim Chan silently patted his back and then flopped down onto the empty part of the couch.
“Hyungs! I really missed you!”
Like the youngest in the group, Hajun threw himself into a quick hug with Roy, Kim Chan, and Lee Doha one by one.
“The show’s starting. Everyone, take your seats.”
Roy brought order to the noisy room.
On the huge TV screen that filled one wall, the phrase “Vote for Your Hunter Idol!” appeared in bold letters.