After recording, Seventeen waited at the entrance for their ride. Outside, rain fell heavily, accompanied by strong gusts of wind. Soon, a sleek, black luxury van arrived, astonishing the members.
PD-nim announced, "This vehicle is exclusive to the Major group. Minors will wait for theirs later."
Llana, unaffected by the luxury, stepped into the van with the others. While some looked amazed, Llana, used to such extravagance, stayed calm.
Inside, Llana sat behind the driver, with Mina beside her.
"Wow, this is really nice," Nayeon said, eyes wide with wonder upon entering.
The others nodded in agreement, unable to hide their excitement.
"It's a celebrity van!" Jiwon exclaimed, her face glowing with innocent delight.
"Yeah, it's my first time riding in something like this," Nayeon added, still glancing around in awe.
"So this is what a celebrity car feels like," Chaeyoung mused from her seat beside Dahyun, curiosity lacing her voice.
"This is—" Dahyun began, only to stop short when she noticed a small camera installed near the back window. Her eyes widened. "Oh! Hello!"
"Do you think our housing is also divided?" Jiwon asked suddenly, tilting her head.
"I'm curious about the house," Chaeyoung chimed in.
"Me too," Nayeon agreed.
As JYP-nim had mentioned earlier, the treatment between the Major and Minor groups would be vastly different. The Majors would be treated like actual celebrities, while the Minors would live as trainees. Naturally, everything they received existed on completely different levels.
Transportation alone was already a luxury van. Their accommodation, then, couldn't possibly be modest. At the very least, it would rival what newly debuted celebrities lived in.
After a short drive, they finally arrived at their destination.
The moment they stepped inside, voices rang out in unison.
"Wow!"
"It's so cute—oh no, I love it!" Chaeyoung exclaimed, earning a small smile from Llana.
"It's beautiful," Mina murmured, her usually reserved tone tinged with awe.
"Daebak!"
Nayeon shouted as she and Chaeyoung darted off to explore one of the rooms.
"Oh, we've got four rooms. Let's pair up later," Minyoung suggested as she walked around.
"Hm! We can do that later ÷first, let's check the kitchen!" Momo suddenly appeared beside Llana, nodding enthusiastically.
Nayeon, just exiting a room, overheard her. "Wait, let's check the refrigerator!"
"Please don't disappoint me," Jiwon added as she followed.
The fridge door swung open.
"Wow! Daebak! Daebak!" Nayeon shouted.
"Why, why, why?!" everyone crowded closer, while Momo bounced excitedly at the sight of shelves packed with fresh fruits and salads.
"It all looks so good!"
"Kamsahamnida!"
They thanked the camera inside the refrigerator in unison, laughter filling the room.
Once the excitement settled, everyone gathered in the living area, lounging on the couches and chatting casually.
"Llana, I'm really curious," Nayeon said suddenly. "How did you become a trainee? Did you audition, or were you scouted?"
"Yeah, I'm so curious about you. Llana always has this mysterious aura that makes me want to unveil it!" Jiwon added.
"She's like someone from a fairy tale," Chaeyoung added dramatically. "So ethereal!"
Llana blushed.
"Ne, you were really blunt with PD-nim earlier," Minyoung teased.
" I think you're Cruel, PD-nim." Jiwon imitated Llanas previous expression making others laugh.
Llana could only shake her head helplessly.
"Llanaaa, start telling us your story. Don't make us wait," Nayeon whined.
"Well… where should I start? I've always wanted to be an idol, so as a kid, I practiced on my own," Llana began before pausing adding a statement in her mind, ' practicing secretly, of course. Might be the largest reason why Llana died...Overfatigue, both physically and mentally.'
"I was scouted at my cousin's wedding by a member of JYP who saw me performing. At that time, I was already planning to come to Korea to audition, so I was thrilled when someone approached me." Llana continued.
The conversation flowed naturally from one topic to another until one of the producers entered the room.
"Please bring your attention here. There are rules about using the training room that you need to follow. We've divided the times for practice room usage," PD-nim said, holding up a board with a schedule. "For the major members, your practice time is from 9 AM to 9 PM."
"So, if it's not our time, we can't practice?" Nayeon asked.
"Correct. After your allotted time, you need to vacate the room so the minors can use it," PD-nim confirmed.
"So the minors will have to practice at midnight... That's harsh," Llana commented lightly, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the minor groups. Forcing them to train at such late hours would disrupt their circadian rhythms and throw off their biological clocks. Even after just a week, it would be extremely difficult for them to return to normal sleeping hours, leaving their bodies and minds exhausted.
But..this wouldn't be called a survival show if it weren't harsh.
That's why some receive the best treatment.
Being chosen as a major or minor isn't just about talent or potential...
It's a test.
A test to see who crumbles when comfort tempts them, and who endures when every advantage is stripped away.
Pain and struggle aren't merely obstacles
They are the true measure.
Survival isn't about skill or luck
It's about who can adapt, who can persist.
"The company will assign each of you a senior artist to guide and give you the advice you need. Wait for further notice. That's all. Good night, everyone."
"Gamsahamnida!" they all thanked PD-nim as he nodded and bowed before leaving.
Exhausted, they decided to call it a night. After pairing up for their living quarters, Llana found herself rooming with Mina. Everyone exchanged goodnights before heading off to rest.
-----
Llana was awakened by the system at six in the morning for her daily exercise.
After completing her morning routine, she changed into her workout clothes, a hoodie, and a pair of jogging pants before heading out.
Before she took over this body, Llana had been weak and often sick as a child. Her stamina had barely reached 4, and her endurance was an even more pitiful 3.7 far below what was acceptable, let alone ideal.
Through consistent training, however, she had slowly improved. Her endurance had risen to 6, and her stamina to 5.7, just slightly above average, but still far from enough.
As an idol, she knew her body was as important as her talent. If she wanted to last on stage, she had no choice but to keep pushing herself.
The system offered no shortcuts: no rewards, and you cannot use points to upgrade strength, endurance, or stamina.
If she wanted to grow stronger, the only path forward was simple: Work harder
Llana quietly walked out of her room, careful not to wake anyone still sleeping in the house.
Llana started her day with an hour-long run. After finishing her exercise, she decided to visit a nearby café and ordered a cup of coffee, which she sipped as she walked back.
Entering the apartment, Llana found no one around. She quietly made her way to her room, where Mina was still asleep.
Llana took a hoodie from her closet, a black hoodie emblazoned with a gold logo featuring capital letters "L. E" with wings and an infinity symbol entwined at the letters.
Every piece of clothing she owned: caps, shoes, towels, etc., bore this custom logo with her initials. Llana preferred these personal designs over flashy, branded items that drew too much attention.
After taking her change, she took a quick shower.
As Llana emerged from the bathroom, Mina, who had just woken up, greeted her groggily.
"Good morning, Llana. You woke up early. What time is it?"
"Good morning, Unnie. It's 7:30 a.m. You should start getting ready," Llana replied with a smile, noting how cute Mina looked just waking up.
"Thanks, Llana," Mina said as she headed for the bathroom.
While Mina freshened up, Llana sat at the study desk and opened her system shop. And purchase a song worth 250,000 virtual coins.
She pondered over their first task, determined to prove that she was born to be a star.
Singing with all her heart was essential to her. Llana believed that giving her best in everything she did was crucial, avoiding excuses like "if I had given my all, I could have done better."
She preferred to stand strong even in failure, ensuring she gave her all every time. Her passion for singing and dancing was reflected in her heartfelt performances, where she expressed every emotion through her voice, body, and eyes to connect deeply with the audience.
"You seem lost in thought. What's on your mind?" Mina, now finished with her bath, asked as she noticed Llana deep in concentration.
"Oh, you're done. I was just thinking about what to perform, Unnie," Llana replied.
"Have you decided?" Mina asked, curious to see Llana perform, especially after JYP's high praise.
"Yes, I'll be singing a self-composed song," Llana said with a nod, "What about you, Unnie?"
"Really? Do you compose songs? That's amazing!" Mina exclaimed, impressed. "I've decided to perform a ballet. I used to be a ballet dancer."
"That sounds fantastic! I've never seen a ballet performance before. I'm really looking forward to it," Llana said, genuinely excited.
"Can I hear the song you composed?" Mina asked, her curiosity piqued."If you want to, of course. It's fine if you'd rather not," Mina added, not wanting to impose.
"Sure. I'll let you hear a little, I don't want to spoil the surprise" Llana agreed and decided to sing the first verse of her song to give a taste without revealing too much.
"I've always been the kind of girl
That hid my face
So afraid to tell the world
What I've got to say
But I have this dream
Right inside of me
I'm gonna let it show, it's time
To let you know"
Mina found herself staring without even realizing it.
The way Llana's lips moved with each lyric, the soft gloss in her mesmerizing deep blue eyes—as if she were reliving a forgotten version of herself.
It felt less like a performance and more like a confession. Like watching someone finally loosen their grip on a secret they'd carried for years.
"W-What do you think, Mina-unnie?" Llana asked. Her ears reddened slightly, clearly aware of how intently Mina had been looking at her.
Mina snapped out of it, then smiled warm and sincere, her familiar gummy smile blooming across her face.
"That was a very beautiful song, Llana. You're amazing," she said gently. "Thank you… for agreeing to my selfish request."
At that smile, Llana felt her heart skip a beat.
Mina-unnie is so cute…!