Among the BOI contestants, many with cheerful or extroverted personalities loved to crack jokes and make others laugh to liven up the atmosphere on set.Xavi was just like that. The Australian guy knew not to let his accented Korean hinder communication with his fellows as he cracked jokes or did something funny.
Of course, if there were extroverts, there were also introverts. Min was a perfect example. The guy was skilled, but even Jun found him lacking in presence when not on stage. Min wasn't someone who rarely talked, though. On broadcast or when the camera was rolling, he was smart enough to voice his guesses and show reactions, leaving the impression that he was vocal about his thoughts. But off-cam, he would not talk unless someone else initiated the conversation. He was talkative, but only with people he felt comfortable around.
The other introverts were either those who liked keeping their thoughts to themselves, preferred to observe, or were plainly shy.
However, one odd person among these shy ones was Hyeon-ju, a boy with the most sunshine-like smile in this survival show. He gave off the aura of someone who loved to mingle and care for others — like a high school student council president or a community youth leader. Yet, in person, he was like Juwon, preferring to observe and stay silent around people he didn't know.
One undeniable fact, though, was that Hyeon-ju could light up a room when he smiled. Something about his face, aura, mannerisms, gaze, and smile made people feel comforted and cheerful.
Everyone in Best in Idol felt Hyeon-ju might even outshine Jun in terms of facial expressions if they ever performed songs with a sunny concept. At a glance, anyone could tell that Hyeon-ju suited bright, cheerful stages well.
However, precisely because of this, he was voted off after the entrance mission. Most Inhabitants doubted he could pull off other concepts, especially cool and fierce ones.
"House of Cards." The moment the opposing leader's mouth opened and the words escaped, three people automatically showed worried expressions, either biting their lips or nodding with resigned looks of defeat.
"My team would like to perform House of Cards," said Dae-Hyun firmly.
They had chosen an electro-pop song with trap beats and prominent R&B elements. There were many high notes, but Dae-Hyun didn't care — his team had the two best vocalists on the show.
"All right. We heard Leader Dae-Hyun's choice, which means Leader Seong-Hun's team will get the song So Far Away."
At the emcee's announcement, everyone nodded, but many bowed their heads right after to hide their expressions. The faces of the two teams were telling — relieved, sad, expressionless, or confused.
Well, only Xavi looked confused.
Thirty minutes quickly passed since the team and song selection.
"So Far Away will probably be the most interesting survival show performance this year," Juwon said absentmindedly, his eyes glued to the patterns on the floor.
"I wanted to ask earlier, but I saw everyone's reaction, so I kept my mouth shut. Why are you all depressed about this song? Am I the only one who thinks it's cooler than the other? Or are you just practising your facial expressions already?" Xavi tried to laugh off the awkwardness in their practice hall.
Hyeon-ju looked visibly uncomfortable. Still, he kept his smile.
"Well…" Juwon shrugged, refusing to answer.
Jun wasn't around since he was being interviewed. The rest of the team had gone to their assigned practice hall — the biggest one in the Greenhouse. The other team had given it up voluntarily, probably out of pity.
While Seong-Hun appreciated the gesture, the big room felt like too much space for just five people.
He raised his head, looked at his teammates, and softly said, "Everyone, I have something to say. I might have formed the team, but I know myself well. So, I plan to pass leadership to Jun."
The young man laughed shyly, clearly embarrassed. Nobody reacted negatively — they all knew this tall, handsome guy was introverted and lacked a leader's disposition.
Jun entered at that exact moment. As soon as he closed the door, he noticed his teammates staring at him. Three seconds later, they began clapping, bewildering him.
"Hi, Leader!" Juwon smirked as he clapped.
"Hello, Leader!" The others, still seated on the floor, followed.
Jun looked confused. When he approached the group and sat down, his eyes went straight to Seong-Hun, who repeated what he'd just said. Worry lingered in his eyes.
"Are you sure you want to pass leadership to me?" Jun asked.
"Yes," Seong-Hun replied. Would Jun think he was being irresponsible? Was he just trying to pass off a troublesome position after learning their mission and song?
Jun seemed to read his thoughts. After deliberating for a moment, he calmly said, "It's better to confirm first if we can change leaders. I don't mind, but we don't want points deducted if it's against the rules."
"Should we ask the staff?" Juwon suggested.
Jun nodded without hesitation.
Seong-Hun left briefly and returned deflated. He shook his head. "They didn't allow it."
"They're probably just being strict because this mission specifically assigned the leaders," Jun explained.
Seong-Hun pouted and stared at the floor. What else could go wrong? Jun patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll support you."
"Thanks." Seong-Hun looked grateful.
Bracing himself, he began the usual routine — part distribution. "I'm lacking, but I'll do my best. Let's do this, guys. Who wants Part 1?"
As always, the lines were labelled and divided into parts. But it was obvious to everyone: Part 1 meant Center, Part 2 Main Dancer, and Part 3 Main Vocal.
Jun raised his hand without hesitation. Two others did as well.
Xavi grinned at him. "I want center this time."
Jun studied the other boy's expression. Five seconds later, he shrugged, bobbed his head, and lowered his hand. "Okay."
Everyone was surprised, but Jun didn't care. He knew Xavi would do well. The guy had never fought for center before, and if ETM was to be reborn, Xavi needed to stand out more. So when Xavi volunteered, Jun actually felt happy.
Daeho, unwilling to give up Part 1 so easily, battled it out with Xavi. But just as Jun predicted, Xavi won, not because he sang better, but because he was more charming, expressive, and suited the song more. Applause echoed as Xavi bowed, beaming.
"Part 2 is next. Who wants it?" Seong-Hun asked. Two hands went up.
"Juwon versus Jun?" Daeho smiled wryly. He felt regretful but gave up competing.
Jun and Juwon kept their hands raised, exchanging glances.
Seong-Hun froze, unsure what to do.
"Hey," Jun squeaked, his voice tiny like a chipmunk's.
"Heyyyy," Juwon laughed and imitated him.
Their eye-signalling that lasted more than 20 seconds made their teammates burst out laughing. Hyeon-ju's eyes turned into crescent moons as he clapped happily.
Xavi giggled uncontrollably. "Are they… communicating with their eyes?"
"What language is that?" Daeho shook his head, still laughing.
"Um, you two… please battle for it with a performance," Seong-Hun said softly.