From Skid Row to Superstardom: An Idol System Novel-Chapter 139: Episode 1 (1)

"Grandma Lisa? Grandma Kim? What’s going on?" Ari looked between the two old ladies, who looked like they should be villains in a movie instead of the kind, gentle, old ladies that he knew they were..

"Oh, my beautiful baby, welcome." Grandma Lisa immediately pivoted with a gentle smile on her face as if she hadn’t been shaking somebody down for money.

She quickly hugged him before her hands patted and pinched his cheeks as her silver hair flew everywhere, while the old ladies she had been snatching cash from looked at her incredulously.

Grandma Kim, on the other hand, stopped waving her cane around and cleared her throat while putting down her cane.

"So, you finally remembered to come see us, little brat. What happened to your leg? Do I need to beat somebody up? Just point the way and Whack-" she swung her cane for emphasis, and Ari didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"I told you I’ve been busy with the show. I sprained it there by accident. Now, what did I hear about shaking people down for money? Are you gambling?"

"Oh look, he brought us scalloped potatoes and those nice mini quiches, Lisa. Isn’t that nice! Let’s change locations, shall we?" Grandma Kim immediately tried to change the subject and run away, but before she could go, a voice began yelling as an electric scooter zoomed into the room.

"Kim! Where do you think you’re going?! Don’t you dare run away just because I was using the bathroom!"

"Jane! I’m not running away, my handsome grandson is here to visit me!" Grandma Kim yelled back while pointing at Ari.

Ari turned to look at the woman, noting her short brown and silver hair cut into a sharp bob while she wore a black tracksuit and had a sharp impression.

The woman turned to look at him before snorting as Ari waved casually at her.

"Hmph! Well, my grandson is even more handsome!"

"So you say, yet he’s never even shown up to see you. You see how thoughtful my grandson is? He even brought our favorite foods and is going to be on TV!"

"Well, my grandson is going to be on TV as well!"

"Well, my grandson is going to be on TV today!"

"So is mine!"

"Well, my grandson is a great musician."

"Mine is a great musician and a great dancer!"

"Argh!"

"Arghhhh!"

As Grandma Kim continued her argument with the old woman on the scooter, Ari turned to Grandma Lisa, who had returned with plastic utensils, some soda, and some water.

She began dishing some food for herself, and after staring at Grandma Kim and Jane, who were still arguing with each other after 20 minutes, Ari took some out and sat down beside her.

"So....what’s their deal?"

"Enemies to lovers? They should just kiss and get it over with." Grandma Lisa replied casually.

"Pftttttt- cough cough." Ari immediately spat the soda out of his mouth and began choking at the shocking words.

"Have some water, sweetie. I’ve always said that soda stuff is bad for you, but you like to drink it." Grandma Lisa patted his back gently before moving his cup away.

What the hell?

The soda is not the issue here!!

Why would you say that?!

Ari gave her an incredulous look before eating his food and keeping quiet.

He wasn’t sure what other response would come out if he said anything else.

After a lovely couple of hours hanging out with both grandmothers and teaching them how to vote once the show aired, Ari took the bus back to the church.

He quickly completed his daily repeat missions except for rapping and sat down to watch the first episode.

*******

"It’s time~~~" Rachel Smith sang happily as she relaxed in front of her living room television with her tablet in one hand and her cellphone in the other.

"Hey Rach, who sang that song?" Robert, her little brother, innocently asked as he walked past.

"Are you an idiot? Maria Careigh."

"Then let’s keep it that way," Robert responded snidely

"You shut up."

After flipping him off, Rachel settled in to watch the first episode of Pop Star Academy.

She hadn’t been able to go to the recent live performance since she got grounded for not paying attention in class, but now she was fully ready.

Her voting account was created, the livestream chat was open, and she was ready to screenshot and fight online at any moment.

As the show time approached, her TV screen turned black and a countdown timer appeared.

10.

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

The screen suddenly flashed white, and then a bright pop melody sounded out as lots of handsome boys wearing grey school uniforms sang and danced.

The camera panned across the contestants on the intricate pyramid-like stage with bright lights flashing everywhere.

Pick me, love me, choose me

As the catchy chorus started, Rachel stared in amazement as the boys jumped and danced in unison, while singing the cheerful signal song.

As the camera panned over some more faces, she began recognizing them.

The boy with the blonde buzz cut and angry eyes was Levi, that bright orange head of hair was Daniel, and the princely looking blonde was William.

She continued putting names to the faces, some of which lingered for several seconds, while others passed by in a flash, but no matter how she searched, she couldn’t find the familiar pair of green eyes and painted white face that she was looking for!

What the heck?

Had Ari removed his makeup, and she just didn’t recognize how he looked?

Although she wanted to pause the video and do a frame-by-frame comparison with the contestant profile images until she found his face, she decided to continue watching the episode.

After the signal song was over, the scene changed to a room with contestants receiving the badges and shirts that represented their grades from the PDs.

As different contestants were called up, Rachel began guessing what ranks the contestants would receive while reading the livestream chat.

- Prince William with A rank dance and A rank vocals, iktr😏🫦

- cute, dimples, dance machine, deep voice, carrot top, A grade rap, A grade dance. What can’t our Kim Daniel do?

└ Sing

└ └ You don’t know that!

└ Grow tall

└ └ He’s tall for a Korean!

- All that talk about your British prince, and he’s not even ranked as highly as Prince William? Pathetic

└ He’s still more popular and better-looking than the ugliest blonde contestant on the show.

└ └ Because he’s failed like 50 billion talent shows and still can’t make it.

└ └ Ugliest blonde? Lie again

└ └ └ Jamie = Levi >>>>>>>> Michael, Gale, [Insert literally any other blonde contestant] > fake prince bottle bleach blonde

└└└└ Me when I’m blind. His blonde is natural

└└└└└ Me when I’m delusional🤪🔔🔔🔔 your white padded room awaits

The comment section was slowly becoming a bloodbath as watchers began arguing about their favorite contestants’ rankings in comparison to other groups.

Rebecca watched silently until she saw the familiar figure of a slim boy wearing a strange green mask walk up when his name was called to the front.

= Ari: B grade vocals, F grade dance skills

- Lolololol, B-grade vocals and F-rank dance skills; he needs to get out of here.

- nah, nah, does he know he’s on TV? What’s with that mask? This man has to be ugly.

- I knew that picture was true.

- I think his vocal grade should be higher. He should be in the A-grade like William.

└ Don’t link that alien ogre to the prince.

└└ Didn’t you see his Warrior performance video? He sang circles around your stupid prince

└└└ And William not only danced circles around him, he looks 1000x better and is not afraid to show his face, so now what?

Although Rebecca really wanted to argue online, she continued watching as the boys excitedly entered where they would be living, and the montage of the open courtyard, the dance studio space, the pool, and more flashed by.

It seemed like the production team had really spent money on their living space, and she hoped the boys would have time to enjoy it.

Smiling at the cute snippets of contestants unpacking and deciding where they would sleep, she was could only stare as dramatic music began playing in the background, and the screen split into 6 sections with 6 different contestants walking into rooms with their luggage and PD Ji-ho who asked ’How do you like your room so far?’

As 5 smiling faces and one masked face responded positively, the PD cheerfully made them leave as new contestants entered the room.

Quick solo interviews passed by, and suddenly the scene transitioned to each class choosing how they would separate into teams.

Contestants in A, B, C, and D classes separated into teams pretty easily, and the leaders were quickly chosen, especially as William and Benjamin quickly took charge of their teams.

But the F class team selection was a blood bath as contestants yelled at each other before finally deciding on teams.

Just as Rachel began thanking the stars that Ari wasn’t in such a toxic group, it transitioned to the practice room, which had a familiar figure wearing a green mask.

And in the center of the practice room were two boys angrily holding onto each other’s shirts and looking as if they were about to punch each other.

"You’re a *beeeep* with terrible skills."

"I dare you to say that to my face again?!"

Rachel could only stare in shock.

What the heck?

Why?

What was going on with Ari’s team?

- yo???

- Why are they fighting?

- A fist fight on the first day 🤯⁉️

- That weird green mask again, bruh, when are we seeing that ugly face

- This is better than reality TV!

- I can’t believe this is the team with that decent performance. What the heck?

As both Rachel and the chat were wondering what had led to a literal fist fight happening

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Several ads broke out.

With a groan, Rachel resigned herself to waiting until the episode came back on.

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