"Thus, Shining Path Season 3 has officially begun! Dear National Producers, let's look forward to a brighter new season together with a cast of fresh faces! And don't forget to show your support—goodbye, and see you soon!"
With the MC's cheerful voice, the trainees began filing into the recording area.
It was a large hall with stands and a grand stage. The trainees gradually took their seats; those who already knew each other sat together, while even strangers chatted amicably. Since it was only the first day, the atmosphere wasn't too tense—most of it was just nervousness.
"Hello, mind if I sit here?"
Joshua was focused on the stage when a voice suddenly spoke up. Immediately after came the sound of fabric brushing against fabric. Despite asking, the person had already sat down.
Joshua turned and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
The red hair seemed to bounce with his movements. As if sensing Joshua's gaze, Leonard tilted his head, his amber eyes sparkling.
Before Joshua could even react, Leonard suddenly reached out. Joshua felt his cheek pinched—lightly, not painful, but a little ticklish.
He stared blankly at Leonard, only to see him grin brightly: "So soft. You're way too cute, like a little dough ball." Leonard had already thought this guy looked adorable; when he saw that dazed expression, he just wanted to tease him a little. He hadn't expected the touch to be this nice!
Then he even raised both hands again.
Joshua's eyes widened as he quickly covered his cheeks with his hands and scooted back.
Leonard laughed: "So timid, hahaha."
[What the hell, that bastard! He's provoking you, Joshua! Does he think he can do whatever he wants just because he's the predicted center? Joshua, you must win for me—this grudge must be repaid! Aaaa!]
Nine practically wished it had a human form. It hadn't touched Joshua's cheeks yet—how could this guy?! Infuriating!
Joshua hadn't expected someone to be this forward, leaving him unsure how to respond.
"I'm Leonard. What's wrong? Did I scare you?" Leonard tilted his head, his hair swaying with the motion.
Joshua pursed his lips and shook his head: "No, but we're not close…"
Before Joshua could finish, Leonard slung an arm around his shoulder and roared: "Then from now on, we'll be best friends."
Joshua: "…that's not what I meant…"
"Oh, Leonard, what a coincidence. Mind if I sit here?"
Just then, another voice spoke up beside Leonard. Only then did Leonard release Joshua and turn his head. It was a fellow trainee from his company.
Leonard nodded: "Go ahead."
Click, click, click!
Suddenly, the lights blazed on, illuminating the entire hall. The stage was bathed in dazzling spotlights, gleaming brightly. Large cameras were set up all around, ready to capture every performance and every reaction from trainees and judges.
One hundred trainees took their seats simultaneously, and the buzzing chatter gradually died down.
A male MC appeared from backstage, raising his voice:
"At last, the moment has arrived! Boys of Shining Path, you are the elites who have endured the long selection process. Now, your time has come! And with that, allow me to introduce our Mentorship Panel!"
The Mentorship Panel consisted of four people: a dance mentor, a vocal and rap mentor, a mentor for stage presence and on-camera expressions, and a mentor specializing in concepts and ideas.
They were all well-known producers, trusted by CM Broadcasting.
Joshua clapped along with everyone else, though he was distracted, whispering to Nine: "I really wonder how you managed to shove me in here. Was it really just because the program needed a theme?"
Partly—but Nine said nothing, only pretending to be busy. Joshua had no choice but to drop it.
The trainees had already been assigned their numbers outside. Now that filming had begun, trainees started going up one by one to perform.
Today's performances would not only begin attracting fans but would also determine which class they were placed in.
Of course, this was only the preliminary evaluation. Afterward, their class placement would depend on their ranking, and rankings were decided by fan votes—those of the National Producers.
Still, landing in Class A immediately would bring massive attention. A good beginning was always better.
"What are you spacing out for, that nervous?"
Suddenly, Joshua's hood was yanked down. Startled, he instinctively wanted to throw a punch. Luckily, he caught himself quickly—peace, peace, peace.
Leonard had pulled Joshua's hood back, and when he saw the fluffy hair revealed, he couldn't help but smile, ruffling it lightly: "This looks much more spirited. You came here to be an idol—you can't go hiding from attention."
Joshua covered his head, about to swat Leonard's hand away, but Leonard leaned closer, cheerfully saying: "Come on, lift your head."
Joshua looked up, and sure enough, a camera drone glided past them. Leonard even flashed a playful V-sign above Joshua's head.
As the camera moved away, Joshua quickly brushed Leonard's hand off, frowning at him.
Leonard raised his hands in mock surrender. But looking into Joshua's watery eyes, he felt no guilt—only amusement. So cute. He wanted to bully him until he cried.
It was as if some little devil was whispering nonstop in Leonard's ear.
"Don't touch me." Joshua frowned, turning his gaze away from Leonard.
Leonard shrugged. He wanted to tell Joshua that his watery eyes and bun-like cheeks weren't scary—but he held back, afraid of angering him too much.
The trainee sitting beside Leonard couldn't help but glance at him in confusion. A teammate from the same company wasn't showing solidarity, yet he was paying so much attention to some chubby guy—why bother?
From the row above, Arthur slowly withdrew his gaze and turned his eyes back to the stage.
"Thank you. Next trainee, please come on stage!"
By now, nearly twenty performances had finished. They were all short stages—some people only sang or only danced.
Of course, when they registered, most had only listed singing or dancing as their strengths. No one was like Nine!
Joshua had already imagined being grilled by the Mentorship Panel on stage.
A wave of gasps rippled through the audience, drawing everyone's attention.
As expected, Nine's voice immediately erupted in Joshua's head:
[Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, this person, this person… no way! Too gorgeous! Why are all the opponents this strong? This is bad, really bad! Joshua, you have to work harder, harder!]
All Joshua needed was to debut, but Nine was deeply obsessed with the center position—so he saw everyone as a rival.
Still, one had to admit the guy on stage was striking, even a bit extraordinary.
His long golden hair, nearly reaching his waist, was tied back, with a few strands falling across his face. His emerald-green eyes shone like gemstones. Altogether, it was hard to tell if he was male or female. To Joshua, he looked almost like a princess.
But he was tall—easily over 1.8 meters—and even in a simple shirt, the outline of his muscles showed beneath.
And then, the moment he opened his mouth, the sparkling atmosphere shattered instantly.
"Hello, I'm Luther…"
Deep. His voice was so deep it seemed to plunge straight into hell!
Joshua instinctively rubbed his ears.
[That kind of voice is precisely what makes girls scream aaaaa! Imagine if he raps—how cool would that be? This is so unfair!] Nine yelled, as if fangirls adored the entire world except for him.
Sure enough, Luther launched into a rap performance that left the audience gaping. He even added an intense hip-hop dance, and the sharp contrast instantly delighted the Mentorship Panel.