EPISODE ONE BEGINS .
❝ prologue ❞

── ∘₊✧×─── ☁️ ───×✧₊∘ ──

?? : I've had this dream for so long, since I was a child. Even before being accepted into any companies, I practiced myself at home.

?? : Watching idols perform when I was a child really left me feeling inspired. It made me think, I want to be an inspiration too. I want to leave hope lingering in people's minds.

?? : The stage gives me so much happiness. Even just watching idols perform through a screen always gave me a sense of euphoria. Now I'm thinking to myself, imagine what it would be like to perform in person, the lights of the stage glowing around me. It almost seems like a dream.

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE.

?? : When I became a trainee, I thought it was a dream come true.

?? : The moment I was accepted as a trainee, the first thing I thought was; I really did it. This is my first step into a new world, one where I can live my dream.

BUT THEY CAN ALSO BECOME NIGHTMARES.

?? : Life as a trainee was something I always thought to be perfect. You've already made it here, so your talents will definitely let you debut as soon as you become a trainee, right? False. I was foolishly blinded by my own ignorance and soon the road that I saw as clear and vivid in front of me became a hazy, mysterious grey.

?? : I wasn't scared at all at first. I was confident in my abilities. My dreams were only one step away from me. But when I became a trainee, I could feel all of that slipping away. I practiced with other trainees, and when I did, I saw their talent. They were all far better than I was, and I found myself questioning my own abilities.

WHO WILL EVEN MAKE IT IN THE END?

?? : I watched as my fellow trainees debuted around me. I waited for my turn. Was I not doing good enough? Why couldn't I debut like them? We all worked so hard, but where does that really lead us in the end?

?? : Out of the hundreds of us, only a select few would reach their dreams of becoming an idol. Their checkmate in a game that they didn't believe would take so much time. And the rest of us were left observing, maybe forever remaining on square one.

HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO GO TO REACH YOUR DREAM ?

?? : I'm willing to do anything. I've already come so far, why stop now?

?? : I've been training for so long, but I feel like I'm not going anywhere. This is my last chance to achieve my dream, and if I don't make it, I don't think I ever will.

?? : When I watched my idols on television, I thought I could be the same. I've trained for years, yet my skills are nowhere near their level, and I don't know if they'll ever be.

?? : My family sacrificed so much for me to be here today.. I told them that I would debut, but it's been so long, and still, I feel I'm going nowhere. I'm starting to think all those sacrifices were for nothing. But I can't let them down. I won't stop practicing, working hard, I have to make it.

?? : My mother called me the other night.. My grandmother passed away a couple days ago. Her biggest wish was to see me on stage, achieving my dreams. I'll keep going, even if I don't make it here, to make my grandma proud.

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU LAST SAW YOUR FAMILY ?

?? : Years. When I moved to Korea to start training, they never had a chance to visit.

?? : So long, I think I've lost count of how many years. My family never supported my idol dream, we don't even call each other anymore.

?? : Training has been taking up all my time, but I think my family understands. Sometimes they'll send some gifts to the dorm.

?? : Fairly recently, since my company has been letting me have a little more time to myself. The last visit didn't go very well though...

HOW ARE YOU FEELING ?

?? : Nervous. I was almost too scared to come up here.

?? : Confident. I don't think being scared or worried will benefit me here at all. Those intrusive thoughts only fog up my helpful ones.

?? : I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried. The trainees around me seem so confident, but I feel nervous about what the viewers will think about my skills. But I can't let the other trainees know my true feelings, otherwise I'll look like a coward.

?? : I'm excited. This is my first time performing in front of so many people. I wonder who the mentors are?

?? : I'm feeling somewhat in-between? I think I shouldn't believe right away that I'm guaranteed to debut, because I know for sure that there are trainees here that have more experience and talent than I do. But I can't be miserable and concerned either, because that will just lower my confidence and my strength in my abilities. I believe that having a neutral mindset is the best way to get through this show, and hopefully, debut.

WE ASKED OUR TRAINEES SO MANY QUESTIONS..

BUT REALLY, ONLY ONE QUESTION STOOD OUT THE MOST.

"WHAT DOES THE WORD 'DEBUT' MEAN TO YOU?"

?? : Debut to me, is more than just a word. It's a whole chapter, in the book of my future brimming with words of hope, where so many new horizons are unlocked for me to uncover.

?? : For me, debut means that I can accomplish things. My entire life I've felt like I could never achieve anything, and all I felt like I was doing was letting everyone down. Debuting is showing everyone that I am capable of achieving anything, and that I won't let anyone down as a hopeless failure.

?? : Debut is the last chance for me to really show everyone what I'm truly capable of. My entire life, I've felt encased in a limiting reality, where I'm forced to always stick to the standards of others. By debuting, I want to show people that there is another, exciting world out there, and that you're capable of finding your own true destiny if you really set your mind on looking for it.

?? : I want to showcase my talents and be able to do something that truly makes me happy. I've noticed so many people miserable with their current jobs, trapped, and with barely a chance to do anything that truly brings them happiness. And I don't want that to happen to me. To me, debut is like an oasis in a never ending desert, the only spot of salvation when everything around you is dry, boring, and is sucking the life out of everyone.

BUT ,

THINGS ARE EASIER SAID, THAN DONE.

?? [ SHOW REP ] : One of our trainees mentioned debuting as unlocking a new chapter in the story of their lives,

?? [ SHOW REP ] : But what kind of life story doesn't have it's ups and downs?

TODAY, 38 TRAINEES CAME HERE TO HAVE THEIR DESTINIES WRITTEN

BY NONE OTHER THAN THE VIEWERS THEMSELVES .

BUT EVERYONE CLEARLY KNOWS THE TWO ENDINGS TO THEIR STORIES.

WELCOME TO CLOUD NINETEEN .

WILL YOU MAKE IT?

OR WILL YOUR DREAMS REMAIN A CLOSED BOOK FOREVER?

NEXT ON CLOUD NINETEEN . . .

INTRODUCTIONS OF THE 38 TRAINEES BEGIN, AND THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THEIR STORY IS ALREADY BEING WRITTEN . . .

?? : Don't say that! Do you want to get kicked off the show?

. . .

── ∘₊✧×─── ☁️ ───×✧₊∘ ──

FIRST EPISODE ENDING NOTE !

the first episode is finally here, i hope you guys liked it ! before the show properly begins, i really want to thank you guys for all your love and support for this applyfic, i never thought it get this much support, and your support really means a lot, so thank you guys so, so much. i'll work my hardest to give you guys entertaining and hopefully fun episodes so this af will be enjoyable for you all : D

if any of you have any questions or concerns regarding cloud nineteen, please ask me here, or in any other ending note sectioned chapters !

-vi vi
─────────────────────

SHOW START ACTIVE CHECK !
(you will have two days to answer)

questions :
What is your trainee's leadership level?
How comfortable is your trainee with the opposite gender?
How confident is your trainee?

Please comment with your trainee's name and trainee number, and reply with your answer!

ex:
NO. 004 | JUNG JUNHO
- leadership : 7/10
-comfortableness with opposite gender : 9/10
-confidence : 5/10

( this chapter's format was inspired by @milktops ! )