The Lead Vocalist Who Debuted on a Survival Show

Also known as My Little-Known Favorite Idol Moved Next Door

What is an idol?

Not a singer or actor, but an entertainer whose main role is being an idol;

Only someone who carefully manages themselves, both on screen and in daily life, for the fans who support them can truly be called an idol. Idols and fans are one.

Lin Mo had never considered becoming an idol. But after a friend recommended it, and with his vocal talent, he ended up entering a survival audition show while unsure about his future, and successfully debuted.

Before debuting, he thought the hardest part was exhausting himself learning dances for every performance on the show. After debuting, he discovered that an idol’s journey was only just beginning.

This is the story of Lin Mo and his group members debuting together and rising to the top, as well as the story of each of them growing up. From ordinary people to survival-show contestants, then to making their debut through the public’s votes and beginning their careers as an idol group, the lives of seven teenagers were turned upside down.

Along the way, they laughed, cried, argued, and stayed by each other’s side.

Through wind and rain, you were there; through laughter and joy, you were there.

You smiled for the cameras, and you were the one sobbing behind them, too.

They could only hope that when they looked back on the road they had traveled from the finish line, the seven young men would look at one another and say from the bottom of their hearts:

It’s so good to have you all.

Lin Mo never imagined that one day he would casually spot his little-known favorite idol moving in next door while heading downstairs for a run.

Ao Ying never imagined that his group had become so obscure that even moving dorms would put them next door to a fan.

With the group’s performance numbers poor, their company was considering throwing them into an idol-training variety show jointly produced by the three major companies, giving them one last shot as trainees. If that failed, they would simply disband.

Lin Mo figured that the show’s recruitment notice said individuals could apply too. Maybe he could give it a try and surprise his bias, his new friend?

When he was sixteen, Lin Mo got stuck in a restroom stall without toilet paper while on his way to a violin competition, and was about to panic. Ao Ying, who was at the same venue for a commercial performance, handed him a roll and saved him from a desperate situation. After the competition, Lin Mo watched the other boy perform from the audience and became his fan. Even though the other boy’s career suffered setback after setback over the next five years, until no one cared about him anymore, Lin Mo never stopped following his news, quietly cheering him and his group on as a fan.

Five years later, Lin Mo graduated and returned to China. Unsure about his future, he stayed home in his little apartment, living a peaceful life. Then a washed-up group moved in next door. The group’s leader was Ao Ying.

After debuting (forum posts)

Passerby: This group can all dance so well, though the lead vocalist seems a little out of sync.

Fan: Cut our lead vocalist some slack. He’s trying really hard, but the other members are just too good at dancing. The name “Minus One Dance Crew” isn’t just for show.

The powerful, big-eating, never-gains-weight lead vocalist bottom, nicknamed “the Human Brother-Sweeping Machine” x a top to be determined, subject to change with the story

Possible pairings:

1. A competitive, slightly scheming wolfdog who endured online abuse but kept going until he could debut again

2. A cheerful golden retriever, hilarious despite being a former nobody, with a tragic past

3. The youngest, small in age but broad-shouldered, great at every household chore, and obsessively neat

4. ...

Notes:

1. The prologue is slower-paced, so feel free to skip straight to the main story if it doesn’t grab you. You can always go back and read the setup later.

2. The variety show is loosely based on Produce 202 and Island, with some changes.

3. Since this is about an audition show and the characters ultimately debut as a group, an ensemble cast is inevitable.

4. I hope to portray the audition process in full and show the appeal of this kind of variety show. This is my first time trying this genre, though, so please forgive any oversights.

5. The romance won’t happen quickly. Especially during their time as an idol group, even if they have feelings for each other, they won’t start dating then. The romance comes much later, so treat the early story as friendship and career development.

6. The setting is a fictional world combining elements of the Korean and Chinese entertainment industries. China’s idol industry never really developed for certain reasons. I started writing this after watching Produce 202, Idol Producer, and other audition shows, then getting into Wanna One several years after they disbanded. I highly recommend Wanna One. Every song is so good!

7. Updates come at noon, with extra chapters dropping at random in the afternoon or evening.

Theme: Success must be won through hard work