“Ichae, do you want this?”
“Yeah.”
After checking the opening, Sung Jiwon rubbed his mouth as if hiding his complicated feelings, then smiled again and kept talking to distract Kang Ichae.
Judging by their faces, Kim Sunghyun and Jung Dajun also seemed to be boiling inside, but they tried hard to act casual for Ichae’s sake.
The scene soon shifted to the set, where the camera panned over the participants entering the studio. When it showed us walking in, the editing made it look like a petty standoff.
Hadn’t seen it in a while, but PD Jung Junhwan’s editing style had gotten downright terrible. I found myself frowning before I even realized it. Then, white text appeared on a black screen.
【※ The songs produced during the introduction mission were pre-released on Song Camp’s official SNS account as blind samples TRACK A~F before the broadcast.】
Among the random melodies used for promo teasers, the last one was TRACK F.
Then MC Lee Jeongwoong appeared, explaining the rules of the introduction mission.
【Lee Jeongwoong: Compose the first verse within one hour. Genre doesn’t matter.】
[???? Those tracks were all written in an hour??]
[Can composers even make music that fast?]
[If it’s just one verse, maybe, but damn that’s a tight deadline.]
[Even if it’s not completely improvised, they could just reuse an old sample lol 10 minutes easy if prepped.]
[I thought they just recycled their old songs, but no, looks like they brought pre-made stuff. Disappointing.]
Then the footage revealed how each of those songs had been made.
【As expected—look at their calm, professional responses to a surprise mission!】
【Kang Woorin: I usually start with a basic melody first. If I’m in a rush, I record it on my phone—...】
Those who had built on melodies they’d already written appeared first, edited to look cheerful and composed, showing their professionalism.
[LOL what a scam]
Negative comments started flooding in.
[Kang Woorin lmao so relaxed huh]
[So the “genius concept” belongs to Kang Woorin, not Kang Ichae lol]
[Jo Youngbi and LUMA were like online class tutors, kindly explaining while composing ^^]
[I get that it’s scripted but damn, could they at least act less shameless? Even K.Voka’s better—he literally said he had lyrics prepped after dropping his beat.]
[K.Voka’s known for hating fake setups in the hip-hop scene lol says that ain’t “real.”]
[It’s not the participants’ fault, it’s the production team’s for giving such a dumb mission.]
Junhwan must have expected this.
PD Jung Junhwan might be a temperamental bastard, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d definitely known this kind of controversy would blow up—and didn’t care, as long as it got ratings.
In a way, he was probably the closest thing I had to a kindred spirit at QBS.
That’s why I’d chosen him.
[Ah lol boring as hell]
[Don’t care about this impromptu crap, I just wanna know whose track is whose. My bet’s on F for #1.]
[F has to be Baek Jijun]
[It’s obviously K.Voka lol]
【Meanwhile, in another room...?】
【Baek Jijun: I can do this, I’m Baek Jijun, I’m a great composer....】
【Looking visibly overwhelmed?!】
Then, as if for contrast, Baek Jijun appeared tugging at his hair and mumbling to himself.
[Wait he’s actually starting from scratch?? lololol]
[You can feel the panic from that leg shake lol]
[He was smiling all through the intro, now look at him dead serious at the monitor haha]
【He’s not the only one trembling!】
And then the footage cut to us.
【Kim Sunghyun: Ichae, you’ll write the rap separately, right? We’ll just handle the main melody lyrics first, okay?】
【Jung Dajun: We’ll judge only by sound...】
【Kang Ichae: Dajun, shh, quiet for a sec...】
Ichae hunched over the computer, refining the melody, while Kim Sunghyun and Sung Jiwon typed calmly, and Dajun and I threw ideas and feedback back and forth.
【Kang Ichae: Hey! How are we supposed to make a song that’s unique but catchy, calm but lively?!】
【Seo Hoyun: Well.】
[Ahahahahahahahahahaha]
[That’s me with one hour left on a college assignment lol]
[Is this an idol survival show or a songwriting class lmaooo show us K.Voka instead]
[I’m not here to watch an idol reality show, just tell us who made track F fuck lol]
[I just wanna see track F’s performance already~~]
Soon, the on-screen timer hit the one-hour mark, and the contestants trudged out from their booths.
The introduction stage followed immediately.
From TRACK A onward, the titles and composers were revealed one by one—until:
【Baek Jijun - TRACK E
‘Frozen Season’】
The moment his name popped up, the chat exploded.
[?????]
[Baek Jijun did Track E???]
[No way?? I thought that was Ichae’s.]
[Oh, then K.Voka must be F.]
On TV, Baek Jijun stood stiffly, gripping the mic stand before closing his eyes.
【The day you said goodbye,
I wished time would stop.】
“Whoa...”
“Baek Jijun’s insane.”
Just one line, and the whole mood flipped. No surprise—he’d built his fame on that voice alone.
【Don’t say words that hurt too much.
I just need to see you one more time.
I’m still trapped in that season,
because of the memories in the falling snow.】
[Wow... that’s really good.]
[Still shocked that Track E’s his, but those sentimental lyrics fit him perfectly. Feels like a new side of him.]
[Wait this is Baek Jijun?? He’s hot too??]
[I’m too tired to say “pay your taxes.” Just go to jail.]
[LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO]
【The scent is unfamiliar, it hurts,
but I just want to hold you one more time—...】
[Hope they release it as an official track, it’s so good;;]
[It’s probably even better because he sang it himself.]
[Yeah, Baek Jijun’s just built different.]
While everyone was still lost in the afterglow of Baek Jijun’s performance, our group name suddenly appeared.
【The Dawn - TRACK F】
[?????]
[What]
[?????????????]
“Kyaah, our turn!!”
Nervous, Jung Dajun squealed and grabbed Kang Ichae’s shoulders, shaking him violently.
[Track F’s Ichae’s???]
[No way lol then Track A’s K.Voka??]
[I told you it was The Dawn’s!!!!!!]
[You fuckers, I bet my damn XX on it fuck!!!!!!!!!!]
As Sung Jiwon’s back appeared climbing the stairs, the title popped up:
【‘MyMyLyricsAreGone’】
[???????]
The screen froze, and a mid-roll ad started playing.
[For real?]
[Is this actually happening?]
[LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO]
[What the hell is going on hahaha]
[Please, can’t skip the ad this time?]
[Where are the idiots who swore Track F was K.Voka’s lol]
“Phew...”
Ichae, who had been silent the whole time, finally let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead as if reliving the trauma.
All eyes turned to him, reading his mood carefully. The ad ended, and Sung Jiwon appeared again, walking toward the stage. The footage rewound like a recap, showing the part that had been deliberately hidden before.
【With about 10 minutes left, The Dawn lost all their lyrics except for the rap!】
Looking pale, Ichae got pushed aside by Dajun, who took his seat at the computer and hastily opened Notepad.
Watching our maknae type furiously, I tousled his soft platinum hair.
“Wow... look at those typing ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) skills, kid.”
“Hehe, I was No. 1 in typing speed back in elementary school.”
【Jung Dajun: What! What did we write before?!】
【Seo Hoyun: Don’t remember.】
【Kim Sunghyun: Uh, I think... it had ‘love’ in it?!】
While the members on screen scrambled in panic, the remaining time ran out. A staff member rushed in to check the files.
【Staff: Looks like you forgot to add a title—what should it be?】
【Kang Ichae: (despair) Uh... uh, the lyrics flew away! Except the rap!】
【Staff: Ah... hmm, that’s fine.】
【The Dawn: What?】
【~Moments later~】
【‘MyMyLyricsAreGone’ was selected as the title.】
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA]
[What the actual hell lololol]
[PD’s a lunatic hahahahaha]
With comical bell sounds playing in the background, the scene shifted to Sung Jiwon backstage, taking deep breaths.
He composed his face, patted Ichae’s back twice, and walked out. Placing his right hand on the mic stand, he lowered his gaze and began to sing.
【Producer-nim...】
[Wow, the audience literally murmured the moment Jiwon sang one word.]
[Same here lmao who IS that guy??]
[Remember this man, Sung Jiwon — the next god of K-pop.]
【You tell me to compose in one hour,
but where is that written?
Producer-nim, you’ve never written a song yourself, have you?】
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA]
[He’s roasting the PD live on air lolololol]
【Thirty minutes to come up with a melody,
twenty-seven to build the beat,
three minutes left for lyrics,
and the lyrics are gone.】
“Whoa, Jiwon-hyung’s killing it!!”
“Hyung... how did you even fit that nonsense into the melody?”
While Dajun gawked in awe, Kang Ichae suddenly realized that the lyrics they’d scribbled in a rush hadn’t sounded nearly this refined before, and asked in disbelief,
“...Haha, I just dropped a syllable here and there...”
Embarrassed by the praise, Sung Jiwon scratched his cheek.
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA KANG ICHAE OMG LOL]
[Are idols allowed to be this unhinged?? hahahahaha]
[The one singing’s insane too??]
[And the PD who aired this is out of his damn mind hahahahahahaha]
【You even picked the title on your own,
what an outrageous act—...】
As Sung Jiwon’s voice soared with emotional intensity, a lift rose from the center of the stage, revealing Kang Ichae.
【Um Um...】
Locking eyes with Jiwon, Ichae snatched the mic and strode forward.
【—...Did you spot my blot? Of course you did, looks even better.
When everyone laughs, my pulse slows.
Today I’ve got a really good feeling.】
Though almost all the lyrics had vanished, the rap section had survived intact.
[?????? What the hell????]
[I’ll admit it, Ichae’s rap is insane;;]
[It was a goofy song before, now it’s suddenly fire;;]
【To doubt myself now, time is running out.
Following my heartbeat, I write the notes.
You might not know the thrill of pushing past your limits,
since I never faked any line.】
Ichae’s eyes flashed fiercely.
【Concentrate, as if we’re the only two left.
Only then can we win.
(Yeah Yeah Yeah—!) Soon you’ll find out,
I may have lost before—】
As if he intended to flip the entire situation on its head.
【—but I’ve never once been afraid.】
And that guy—he had never once missed his mark.
