God Idol Project: Hope [GIPH]

Chapter 20: The Hidden Story

Manager Choi Joon-hyun found the exact spot on the first floor that the cleaning lady had mentioned. 

It was an isolated area at the far end of the hallway, dimly lit and hard to see. As she said, it was a place you'd miss if you weren't specifically looking for it. 

'What if it wasn't captured on CCTV because of the blind spot?' 

He was worried about this as he asked the security team to check the CCTV footage.

He had no particular agenda, just a desire to clear up any doubts with solid evidence. 

"Is there a CCTV camera there by any chance?" 

"There is, but it's out of sight because of the angle. Don't worry, it should have been recorded," the security staff assured him.

After watching the footage and seeing Ham Iwon's actions, Choi felt relieved—Ham Iwon wasn't a two-faced person after all. Then, realizing how close they had come to losing such a valuable talent, he grew angry. The negative evaluations of Ham Iwon's personality seemed to be deliberate slander. 

"Thank you." 

"From the CCTV, it's hard to see exactly what was there. What was on the floor?" 

"Apparently, there was some slippery oil or something, and the cleaning lady fell because of it." 

"...Manager, could you take a look at this?" 

The security staff rewound the footage and paused at a specific frame. On the screen was the back of someone deliberately spilling something from a small drink bottle onto the floor. 

That person quickly disappeared toward the emergency exit. 

"This...." 

"And here, please focus." 

The security staff fast-forwarded again, then pointed to the corner of the CCTV screen. 

There, the cleaning lady's fall was captured, and in the spot where the staff member pointed, there was a small shadow still lingering. 

When the footage was replayed, the dark figure vanished toward the emergency stairs just before Ham Iwon appeared. 

Understanding the situation made Choi's skin crawl. 

"It looks to me like someone intentionally spilled the oil and then waited to see what would happen, thinking there wouldn't be any cameras. They wanted to watch the aftermath, right until Ham Iwon showed up." 

"Why would anyone do something like that? What could they possibly gain?" 

"...It's not typical behavior. It might be worth consulting a specialist about this." 

"Could you find a frame where we can clearly identify that person's face? And please make a copy of this part of the footage." 

˚˖✧✧✧˚. 

"The person behind that shadow was one of the trainees." 

When Choi Joon-hyun said this, the staff in the meeting were shocked. He continued. 

"After reporting this to the CEO, we consulted with a psychiatrist affiliated with the company. We explained the situation, asking what might drive someone to do this. The psychiatrist said, although they couldn't make a definitive judgment based on one incident, it exhibited signs of sociopathic tendencies." 

"...Sociopathic tendencies?" 

"Yes. It seems that the person wanted to make the cleaning lady fall on purpose, just to observe what would happen afterward. On the surface, they might appear friendly and kind, but they get pleasure from tormenting those they see as weaker, much like a sociopath. Of course, we can't make a full diagnosis based on this one incident, but I'm sure you all feel something's off." 

"This is... I'm at a loss for words." 

"I had a suspicion. Although the evaluations were anonymous, I'm familiar enough with the trainees' handwriting. Let me show you the four negative evaluations I received for Ham Iwon's personality assessment." 

CEO Son Joong-ki handed the four sheets of paper to the head of trainee development. 

"...Ah, I can tell right away. This was written by the leader of that group." 

The head of trainee development passed the papers along. They made their way around the meeting table before returning to the CEO. 

"Do you know whose handwriting this is?" 

"You're suspecting that the trainee with sociopathic tendencies deliberately tried to slander Ham Iwon, aren't you?" 

The head of trainee development sifted through the trainee profiles before stopping at one. He handed the profile to the CEO for confirmation. 

After looking at the profile, Son Joong-ki nodded with a stern expression, confirming the suspicion. 

"...I've conducted dozens of personality evaluations, and I've gotten used to the handwriting. Plus, this one has a particularly distinctive style." 

The head of trainee development, who oversaw everything from casting to training and debut decisions, knew the trainees well and handled enough paperwork to recognize their handwriting. 

"I can't believe this...." 

"Ham Iwon hasn't been with us long, so there are no previous personality evaluation records. The evaluation we're talking about happened right after rumors started circulating that the debut team was about to be decided. In other words, this was a one-time assessment, and if Ham Iwon failed it, he'd lose his chance." 

There was a reason why they conducted personality evaluations every few months—to accumulate enough data to avoid distortions. Yet, there had still been a loophole. 

"The trainees likely had an idea of who the strongest candidates were. So, imagine a newcomer appearing to take one of those spots, while you're teetering on the edge of making the debut team yourself." 

"All three of them?" 

"It seems the leader might have rallied his friends, thinking he couldn't overturn the results alone. There was probably some jealousy involved, which made it easier to convince them. If someone has sociopathic tendencies, I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to manipulate others." 

"I understand jealousy and competition, especially in a system where you have to beat others to succeed. But still...." 

"With this kind of evidence, isn't this an automatic fail for the personality evaluation? Who is responsible for this?" 

The planning director was furious. He knew better than anyone how hard the team had worked to create this debut evaluation system. The CEO, who always paid attention to the smallest details of the company, was also visibly upset. They demanded to know who the culprit was. 

"I'm reluctant to give a name. It's a mental health issue, and there's privacy to consider. Plus, the personality evaluation forms were anonymous. However, we do have the CCTV footage, so we'll use that as the basis for terminating the trainee's contract." 

"Is that really the best course of action...?" 

"You really can't know what's going on inside someone's head...." 

"I didn't expect something like this to happen either."

Since the debut evaluation process had begun, the staff had been hit with multiple shocks—some positive, some negative. The final blow had been particularly severe, leaving everyone in the room reeling. 

If they hadn't conducted personality evaluations, they might have made a foolish decision, completely unaware of the danger. 

"This shows why it's essential to conduct personality evaluations. I was too naive." 

"I apologize for suggesting we focus solely on skills, like other agencies." 

Though there had been some lucky catches, the CEO felt proud that his system was being respected. 

Of course, what had happened was deeply regrettable, but he considered it a necessary wake-up call. If the problem had gone unnoticed, it could have threatened the entire company in the future. 

"Let's not dwell on it. How can we know everything about people? Even at my age, I still get blindsided. The important thing is that we caught this early, right?" 

The once-downcast staff forced themselves to perk up. They couldn't let their emotions affect their work, and there was still much to be done. 

"Now, let's finalize the debut team." 

"CEO, haven't you already made up your mind?" 

"My list might be different from yours." 

"We're thinking the team should have at least five members." 

The CEO chuckled lightly, seemingly in agreement. From the start, the number of members had been flexible. As long as they met the debut team's criteria, it didn't matter if there were a few more than planned. 

There were even groups with more than ten members. If they ended up with a little more than five, there was no issue. After all, debuting trainees with various charms would only appeal to a wider audience, satisfying diverse tastes.

˚˖✧✧✧˚. 

The CEO selected six debut team members, considering their performance evaluations, personality assessments, interviews, and positions. 

They were Nam Chorok, Seo Hon, Park Ha-jun, Kim Ji-on, Hong Oran, and Ham Iwon. 

Their photos were projected on the screen. 

"It's funny—they all hang out and practice together. Like attracts like." 

"They're the most diligent in our company. Talented, hardworking kids. No surprise their skills have improved, and they deserve to make the debut team." 

"The head of trainee development is right. If you check the attendance records, they're the last to leave. Ham Iwon even leaves in the early morning, comes back, and practices for a few more hours." 

"Wow. A genius who works like that? Incredible." 

As the staff looked at the six trainees with satisfaction, the CEO fell into deep thought. 

There had been one other trainee who had scored surprisingly high based on skill alone: trainee Koo Da-myung.

The shadow who had tried to sabotage Ham Iwon's personality evaluation—Koo Da-myung. 

In terms of personality, his assessments had been shaky. While he behaved well in front of teachers, some of the trainees had picked up on something odd, leaving his evaluation mixed. But if his disturbing actions hadn't come to light, he would have likely made the debut team. 

It had been a close call. 

Though Koo Da-myung might be disappointed, the CEO felt immense relief. They had almost derailed their goal of creating a long-lasting, top-tier idol group from the start. 

"With a debut set for early next year, the average age of the group will be around 19, or 17 by international standards. That's not bad." 

"Two vocalists, two dancers, and two rappers. How did they end up practicing together like this?" 

Each staff member envisioned the new idol group, weighing their strengths and weaknesses. 

"Their visuals complement each other well. They all have distinct charms, but when grouped together, they fit. Even the shortest one is at least 175 cm tall. They're all tall and handsome, so styling won't be an issue. They've got a youthful, boyish appeal now, but they'll transition perfectly into sexy or edgy concepts as they age." 

The visual director, who had been scrutinizing the trainees' faces, mumbled to himself. The A&R team leader, sitting nearby, scooted away and chimed in. 

"It's a bit of a shame they won't be doing much self-producing. But I guess that would be asking too much, given their talents." 

"Haha. Seo Hon can handle lyrics, and Ham Iwon can learn composition. He's got a natural ear for music, so he'll pick it up quickly." 

"We've already started requesting songs. We're accepting all demos, regardless of the composer's experience." 

The company's in-house composers were decent, but the A&R team's efficiency was impressive. Thanks to the influence of the company's successful solo artists, Hanul Entertainment had a solid reputation among songwriters. 

The A&R team had a lot of experience selecting songs, requesting arrangements, and planning albums. Their competence was one of the main reasons the company was confident they could debut an idol group within six months of forming the debut team. 

"Thank you all for your hard work on the debut evaluation." 

"Thank you!" 

"We'll announce the debut team tomorrow. I'd like the head of trainee development and Manager Choi to be present." 

"Tomorrow's going to be an emotional day. Oh dear...." 

"We'll give the rest of the trainees the day off. They'll need some time to process everything." 

It was a bittersweet but inevitable outcome. For every trainee who succeeded, another would be left behind. The company, driven by profit, had to make these hard decisions. 

"As you all know, it's a race against time from now on. We've got less than six months until debut. Let's keep that in mind."