The "Road to Starlight" production team was giddy.
The first challenge—the 'Zero Gravity' performance had uploaded late last night, and the reaction was explosive.
Kang-joon was no longer just a talented trainee; he was rapidly becoming the story's strategic dark horse.
His success, however, was immediately overshadowed by the results of the second challenge which had been the Team Arrangement Mission.
As the newly appointed Vocal Team Leader, Kang-joon was reviewing the raw cuts of his team's "Jazz Swing" arrangement of 'Adrenaline' in the production office.
His teammates; Joo Hyuk, Seo Won, and Lee Hoon had gone from anxious failures to celebrities overnight, all thanks to a future hit song.
Kang-joon felt the low hum of the encrypted phone in his pocket as he watched the performance, noting the specific camera angles chosen to accentuate Lee Hoon's rigid, yet agile, performance.
***
Na Ye-eun, the show's Chief Director (PD), leaned back in her chair, replaying the 'Jazz Swing' arrangement for the tenth time.
She ignored the frantic calls from her superiors demanding more screen time for the Center, Min-soo.
Her focus was entirely on Lee Kang-joon.
"He didn't dance, he didn't even smile much, but he controlled the entire scene," she murmured to her assistant.
"It's brilliant concept engineering."
She pointed at the screen where Joo Hyuk sang with his back to the camera, his perfect silhouette radiating melancholy.
"Who the hell told Hyuk to do that? That's gold.
It makes his famous stage fright look like an artistic choice."
The assistant checked the notes.
"It was Kang-joon.
He assigned all the positions and arranged the music.
He said they were embracing their 'liabilities.'" PD Na Ye-eun chuckled, a cynical sound. "Liabilities? He turned a high school choir into a jazz quartet and got an A+ from Producer Seo. This kid is dangerous.
She immediately drafted a memo:
Increase Kang-joon's individual focus camera (the 'A-Cut') by 20% on all future releases, especially during team feedback.
She didn't want him to be the Center, but she needed his brain to keep the show's quality high.
The comments section for the 'Team Arrangement Mission' video (uploaded just two hours ago) was a battlefield of opinions, confirming Kang-joon's strategic choices.
[Naver TV Comments Section: Road to Starlight - Team Arrangement Mission]
12,890 Comments | Trending Topic: #JazzIdol #SubversionTeam #LeeHoonStatue
@IdolSlayer64 (129,545 likes): Wait, WHAT WAS THAT. I skipped past this 'Leftovers Team' but had to rewind. That arrangement is insane. It's like VORTEX's next level. Lee Kang-joon (Sub-Vocal 3) is cheating. How does he know what's cool? He's too calm. He's creepy. #TheCalculator
@JaehyunismyGod (98,001 likes): Okay, but Jae-hyun's high note in the A-Team arrangement gave me chills! The A-Team has the power. But yeah, the B-Team was definitely more artistic. I couldn't stop staring at the shadow guy (Joo Hyuk). I need a whole song from the #SubversionTeam.
@ConceptQueen (20,450 likes): PD-NIM, give Lee Hoon more screentime! The tap-dance statue! His face didn't move! It's genius performance art! #LeeHoonStatue should debut! Kang-joon didn't need to be the Center! The fact that he gave the best parts to the liabilities is next level leadership.
@MinsooOnly (14,990 likes): All this hype for the B-Team is just editing. Min-soo is the real Center! He has the raw power and passion! Kang-joon is manipulating the judges with these artsy concepts. He just lacks the genuine star power. Keep him in the back.
@StarStockBroker (5,780 likes): I'm a finance guy. Forget the dancers. Lee Kang-joon is a high-yield stock. He eliminates risk, maximizes efficiency, and creates unique IP. He's the only one in the show who understands market value. Buy Lee Kang-joon now.
***
Min-soo, the reigning Center and the industry standard for idol masculinity, watched the comment section scroll past on his phone in the dorm lobby.
His furious grip almost cracked the screen. "B-Team... Subversion Team... Statue!" he hissed.
His team, the 'Power Team,' had gotten an A grade, but Kang-joon's team, the 'Concept Team,' had generated all the hype.
"It's not fair," Dong-hyun, the second-best dancer, sighed, scrolling through Instagram.
"Everyone's calling Kang-joon-hyung 'The Professor.' No one cares about our clean choreography."
Min-soo kicked a discarded water bottle.
"He knew... the Producers were bored of powerful concepts.
He exploited our overconfidence. And the worst part is, he didn't do it to win... he did it to look smart."
Min-soo felt a surge of respect battling his pride.
Kang-joon hadn't tried to steal his Center spot but made himself immune to the petty competition.
Min-soo knew, with sudden clarity, that if he wanted to beat Kang-joon, he had to stop dancing perfectly and start thinking like a CEO.
He had to learn how Kang-joon thought.
I need to be on his team for the next challenge...
Min-soo realized, the thought tasting like ash and victory.
***
[System Notification: Host has optimized Team Output and achieved high 'Concept Narrative' rating. Next Major Success Marker: The Elimination Round.]
The upcoming elimination round was the most volatile part of the show.
The 25 trainees would be cut down to 18.
This was where accidents, stress, and scandals frequently clustered in his past lives.
He pulled out the encrypted Hourglass phone. The scout, Han Min-seo, had messaged him:
[Min-seo]: Your jazz arrangement is being discussed internally here. You have effectively made the original 'Zero Gravity' concept worthless for Starline's sale. You are a genius. The Consortium sale date is holding firm. We need you to influence the next elimination round. Push the trainees with major contract liabilities to the top. They will be toxic assets for the buyer.
Trust me on this!
Kang-joon saw the logic.
He wasn't aiming for the best performers but for the most problematic survivors who would scare away the final buyer.
It was a brilliant, destructive move.
But the Hourglass plan only worked if he survived the physical elimination round itself.
He walked back into the dorm and found Jae-hyun frantically packing his suitcase.
"Hyung! I'm leaving!"
Jae-hyun looked frantic.
"I got a call from my grandmother...She uhh... fell and broke her hip.
I have to go to Busan."
Kang-joon froze.
Loop #43: Jae-hyun was hospitalized for three weeks, missed a crucial evaluation, and lost his career path.
The trauma contributed to a mental breakdown later that loop, which resulted in a fatal, plausible medication overdose.
"You're not going to Busan," Kang-joon stated, his voice flat.
Jae-hyun looked shocked.
"What? Hyung, it's my grandmother! It's an emergency!"
Kang-joon grabbed Jae-hyun's suitcase and forcefully pulling it out of the younger trainee's hands.
"Give me your phone. Call the hospital in Busan."
Jae-hyun was tearing up, confused and angry. "You can't do this! You can't separate me from my family!"
Kang-joon fixed him with the intense, unflinching gaze he only used when his life was on the line.
"Your grandmother did not break her hip, Jae-hyun. She had a minor fall, twisted her ankle, and is already back home.
Someone called you from the hospital's number to fabricate an emergency."
Kang-joon remembered this precise, subtle sabotage from a jealous competitor in Loop #43 who wanted Jae-hyun out of the competition for exactly three weeks.
He dialed the number Jae-hyun had called.
A minute later, Kang-joon was speaking to a confused nurse who confirmed the grandmother was discharged hours ago with a minor sprain.
The nurse also confirmed that a trainee's rival had called three hours prior, impersonating a family member to set up a callback.
Jae-hyun stared at Kang-joon, his tear-streaked face stunned.
"Who... why would anyone do that?"
"Because you're too talented to leave in the show, and too kind to stay when family calls," Kang-joon said, handing the phone back.
He didn't waste time on comforting words. "Unpack...The elimination round starts tomorrow.
You need to focus."
Jae-hyun nodded, slowly sitting back on his bed, the weight of the insidious competition finally hitting him.
Kang-joon had just saved his career and, perhaps, his life.
He had infact secured his most important emotional variable.