26 Outside

Sunlight. Pure sunlight that did not have to go through a pane of glass to reach the skin. 

"I want to bow down and worship nature right now," ridiculous words escaped Jun's mouth as he felt the sun's warmth that shone down on him. 

"Look at the grass, it's so pretty. Each blade is full of mystery and allure. Those thick branches and stems are also like work of art you only see in museums. The sky? Perpetually blue, endless, and vast, symbolizing dreams and aspirations that people want to reach. And you know what, guys? This is just a glimpse of what nature has to offer!"

Jun spread his arms wide and closed his eyes. Then he opened them and looked around in exaggerated slow motion. 

For clarification, this boy did not get a cue card or a script for a mission or lose a bet, which forced him to act like this. He was merely too excited to step outside the survival show venue since it had been several weeks since he did so. 

The youngest Inhabitant grinned at him, "Brother Jun, that sounds like good cringe lyrics for a song. But it gave me an idea. Shall we create a melody and choreo about nature?"

"Oh, what should be the title then?" Jun nodded and replied to Seth. He seemed not to mind that the poetry he created on the spot was called cringe. 

"Pandemic Effect on People Who Haven't Touched Grasses For Ages?" Daeho interjected. Jun burst into laughter and tried to kick the other boy's leg, which Daeho had avoided promptly. 

"Lyrics before the title, guys," said Seth.

"What's with this ridiculous conversation?" Xavi also laughed and spoke in English as he watched his group mates continue talking.

The staff chuckled at them, infected by their bright and cheerful mood. 

Jun ran towards the car when they reached the end of the mini-forest path connected to the Greenhouse building. The rap team could leave the place and explore the outside as a reward. They could visit the nearby city center and the shops and buildings there. 

The pandemic left many problems and was not limited to health-related issues, grief, or the population decline. It affected nearly all industries, made numerous businesses close down, and caused so many people to lose their livelihoods. But the world was slowly recovering to normal. Some establishments had gone back to track. Although there was strict social distancing and protocols, at least people were no longer confined in their homes. They could go outside if they wanted to, albeit the requirement was to have the courage to step outside. 

"Boys, don't forget your facemasks and face shields." 

Cameras followed behind, alongside health staff and the production crew. These people served as eyes monitoring them. 

None of the participants were allowed to hold phones. Phone and internet access were exclusive to another group. However, Jun cleverly stuck to one of the newer female staff. 

"Sister, what are you browsing? Is that KAISER?"

Although he could not touch the phone, there was no rule stating he could not watch others fiddle with theirs. 

The female assistant, Ji-yoo, was startled and hid her phone instinctively. "You... You surprised me. Why are you here? Your team members are up ahead."

"Oh. It's okay. My boys are all old enough, haha, surely, they won't get lost without me in the lead. Are you a KAISER fan, too?" Jun kept his innocent smile as he emphasized the last word. 

People always get a sense of camaraderie and easily become close by sharing a common hobby or interest. The female staff nodded after making sure that nobody else was nearby. Xavi and the others were in front of them, excitedly checking out the gadgets in the Techno zone. 

Jun said, "I saw you checking out their latest fashion deals. They're amazing, aren't they? It's still a challenge for many Kpop idols to get deals from big European brands, but they're gaining it easily."

"... It's KAISER, after all. In the current K-pop world, they're the kings. They are the company's pride and soul."

"Sister, who do you stan amongst them? I like Levi the most." 

Jun's eyes twinkled as he continued, "I joined BOI because I want to be a cool idol, and in my opinion, rapper Levi is the coolest. He's the one I want to become like the most."

Even if this scene ended up in broadcast, Jun had nothing to fear since he only expressed admiration for somebody without any hidden context. 

In the end, the female staff refused to answer who she liked the most in KAISER. Maybe she felt too shy. But the interaction did not prove meaningless for Jun. At least when the female assistant was browsing, she no longer hid her screen from him. 

Because of it, Jun managed to confirm a few things. 

"Ooh. The views are high." He exclaimed, and right afterward, pride shone from the eyes of the female staff. 

"It's thanks to you guys," she said. 

'BOI is doing better than expected. Actually, much better than before.' 

The female staff intentionally let him see the views on some episodes uploaded on WeTube, and the numbers there surprised him a bit. She did not search Jun's fancams or vote numbers, but seeing some thumbnails in the official BOI WeTube account with his face was enough. The comment section also revealed to him who the contestants with the most followers were. 

'Right. There is also that program about to air soon… Stairway to Glory.' 

Ji-Yoo, one of the assistants, not only browsed BOI-related content but also checked out other programs, especially those similar to theirs. Jun happened to see the logo of JBS' upcoming survival show.

Jun joined his teammates. Yet, his mind occasionally wandered even while playing around with them and taking group photos.

'Uhh, during debut, ETM found it hard to build a reputation outside the fandom because of this new program.'

Like what was said in the beginning, the success and failure of BOI mattered little to the sponsors because the group to be formed had Nova Corporation's backing anyway. However, sometimes, Jun wondered what if BOI had higher ratings. 

ETM, his former group, was successful. However, they only managed to garner a huge following largely thanks to the members' visuals and their parent company's overwhelming capital and promotion. When it comes to skills, especially singing, the general populace, for a long time, had stuck to the idea that BOI contestants were inferior to contestants of another survival show. 

Stairway to Glory - the program where groups with one to three years of experience from mid-tier companies would compete. 

Jun wondered. Would there be a drastic turn with the changes he brought this time? In his previous life, he felt it unfair that trainees were compared to idol groups with some years of experience. Now, he realized BOI contestants were not really inferior skill-wise, they just lacked the confidence and full-fledged idol aura that would naturally come with experience. Still, he honestly did not want BOI participants to be known for terrible skills when compared to STG participants again. 

Jun closed his eyes for a moment, and the list of groups participating in Stairway to Glory was erased from his mind.

The team went to different places today. The semi-deserted theme park became their last destination. It was certainly far from its previous liveliness, but at least other people, mostly young couples and families, were roaming the place. The sight reminded Jun of his family. 

'How sad that we can't contact outsiders. Only Sujin's team can.' 

Jun's train of thought was interrupted when Xavi suddenly appeared in front of him with his widely grinning face so close to his. "Hey, leader. The production team paid to let us experience some mildly challenging rides. I want to try that one."

He stepped back and amusedly asked, "Why are you telling me this? Do you want me to inform the staff members?"

"Of course not!" Xavi could understand the local language without much difficulty, but he prefers and tends to answer in English when excited. "Join me!"

Carousel? Ah-uh. He laughed when he saw where his friend pointed. "Carousel is too childish for us."

Xavi wrinkled his nose. "You blind? I want to try the one behind the Carousel." 

Before Jun could reply, a voice echoed behind them. "Oooh, that one looks fun." It was Daeho wrapping his arms around Xavi's shoulders.

Seth was not too far away and came over. Eyeing the ride, he hesitantly said, "Wait. If I remember correctly from ads, Gyro Drop is not considered an easy ride. Are you sure about it?"

Jun also gave the tall tower a long glance. He was silent for a while before he laughed and decided. "Fine, fine, since we don't know when the next time is, we might as well try it! Let's go, boys."