Trainee Ch.101

Chapter 101: Forum (Extra 1)

[Topic] That little rookie group actually has my senior from the same university!?

OP: Wait, Miura Yuki’s real name is Lai Yudong? As in Lai Yudong from XX Media University?? Huh???

1F: Fan of the group reporting in.

2F: What’s this “little rookie group”?

3F: StarEpoch — the seven-member boy group that debuted through the talent show Climbing to Stardom. The finale just ended today.

4F: So “little rookie group” is an affectionate nickname…?

4F: “Epoch” is pronounced like “ei-po-ke” (which sounds like “Aipo-ke”), so fans jokingly call them “Bo Po” (literally “little broken group”).

Although “broken” started out as a derogatory term, fans turned it into a cute nickname. The fanbase for this group is actually quite passionate.

5F: Wait, “Bo” is from StarEpoch, but what’s “Se”?

6F: “Se” as in “color is emptiness” (jk).

7F: “Se = Bo = Po.” Someone once typed the group’s abbreviation “SE” in Chinese input and it came out as “涩” (se, meaning “awkward” or “rough”), so now it’s their new nickname.

8F: Lai Yudong is Se2, right?

9F: Yep! He debuted in 2nd place — the official visual and center of the group~

10F: Am I the only one focused on what the OP said — XX Media University? Isn’t that the top school for Broadcasting and Hosting majors? Even with an arts entrance exam, their academic score requirements are high.

11F: So Bo2 went to that school? Don’t tell me he’s gonna get slapped with a fake “academic genius” persona like that other idol.

12F: No one even knows which university Yuzu went to though.

13F: Reply to 12F: Why does that sound like you’ve got an accent lmao.

14F: As a fellow student, I can confirm — Lai Yudong is from our university. He’s in the Broadcasting department and he’s actually pretty well-known.

15F: Oh wow, already a campus celebrity? Is he about to start his idol career with a “fictional-protagonist” persona template?

16F: Reply to 15F: Attractive and talented people naturally draw attention. Besides, how do you think Yuzu managed to debut in the first place?

17F: Also, he’s got high EQ and a great personality.

18F (OP): I was kind of shocked just now, so I posted before explaining clearly!

I’m not a fan of Se2 — I just remembered he was really good-looking, but I’m not into the “quiet type” idols, so I just took it as a bit of eye candy.

I stopped watching after the first performance round, and then today I saw the debut lineup trending… and realized he changed his name to StarEpoch – Lai Yudong…

Like—do you guys get that kind of shock I’m feeling!?

19F: I don’t get it. What’s the shocking part? That he’s from the same school?

20F: Not as shocking as me finding out he debuted in second place.

21F: +1. Wasn’t his first stage performance a total disaster? He got dumped into Class F, right? And now he debuts second? The idol industry here is doomed.

22F: Reply to 21F: You clearly didn’t watch any of Yuzu’s later stages, huh.

23F: Not a fan either, but Se2 is the textbook example of a growth-type idol. With growth idols, you look at the final result — it’s like taking a piano exam; do the judges care about how you played on your first day learning, or how you play now?

24F: I don’t really care about his skills, but I honestly think Se2 was overhyped. His data barely supports a third-place debut — how could he possibly get second…

25F: Who’s Se5?

26F: Reply to 25F: Qu Xincheng.

27F: Didn’t expect Yuzu to get called “overhyped” too. What, is he the Fruit King now?

28F: At this point, people have accused everyone from 1–7 of being overhyped. Tell me, who isn’t overhyped? Zeng Kai?

29F: ? The fallen “Tribulation Group” from the first performance just caught a stray attack here.

30F: Anyone calling Yuzu overhyped should go read that “Schrödinger Battle Fan” analysis post next door. It’s actually pretty solid.

Just don’t go commenting though — she’ll drag you and your fave straight to hell.

31F: Copying this from the post next door—

Yuzu debuting in 2nd place actually proves one thing: the final ranking was most likely real. Otherwise, there’s no way they’d let a complete unknown debut that high.

In recent years, talent shows have been under strict scrutiny. There are people watching the finals, and Sky Entertainment wouldn’t risk something as huge as jail time for a small gain.

If capital can’t buy debut spots, then they let fans “buy” them instead — that’s why the Meteor Chart suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

32F: Oh, please. That “battle fan” predicted Bo2 would rank fourth after the third round, and when the final results came out, she instantly changed her tune — all while sounding super analytical.

33F: Reply to 32F: The prediction failed because the Meteor Chart changed the game during the finals. Without it, he would’ve placed 3rd or 4th.

34F: There’s a new “Se Group” post that recalculated rankings excluding Meteor Chart votes.

Based on normal votes alone, Yuzu would’ve debuted 4th.

Counting in the “support-to-points” conversion votes, that bumps him to 3rd.

And with the extra 1 million bonus votes from topping the Meteor Chart, he just barely surpassed Moli’s fanbase to debut 2nd.

35F: Reply to 34F: That’s actually kinda inspiring…

36F: That’s not “inspiring.” That’s money.

After debut, popularity rankings completely reshuffle. Aside from the center who naturally gets more attention, everyone else’s resources depend on their company and individual performance — investors don’t care about rank.

So 2nd place or 4th place makes no real difference. This whole thing was basically Sky Entertainment’s cash grab.

37F: LOL That’s just how we Yuzu-fans roll.

38F: Reply to 34F: I feel like the regular votes were the main chunk. You can climb a bit with the “money chart,” but not by too much.

39F: Obviously. Regular votes lasted a whole round, while the “money chart” only ran for one day.

40F: At first I thought it was crazy that someone jumped from 6–9 all the way to 2,

but after looking at it, everyone’s “money chart” rank only differed from their final debut rank by at most two places.

So yeah, the first leaked vote ranking was definitely fake.

41F: The logic behind the vote-leak rankings was pretty clear:

two groups that hadn’t been milked yet,

one with a big casual-fan base hoping to accumulate small gains,

and one top-tier fandom that’s both obsessed and loaded.

42F: If Yuzu’s rank hadn’t been that high, I honestly think the second batch of sponsor slots would’ve tried to push him up too.

43F: Anyone got the final ranking for the “money chart”?

44F: Top 7: Yuzu, Su, Zhao, Mo, Li, Bai, Qu.

Next 11: Cheng, Jiang, Yin, Qu, Xu, Qin, Lin, Yu, Jin, Song, Zhang.

45F: I just wanna know how much Sky Entertainment raked in from this round…

46F: Will the money they made at least be used for Bo members’ resources? sigh

47F: Reply to 46F: At most they’ll get some video endorsements. After debut, the group isn’t managed by Sky anymore. If they do spend that money, it’ll probably all go to “Prince Qu.”

48F: They might toss a little into a self-produced variety show.

49F: I don’t get it — if fans have that much money, why insist on debuting through Star? Couldn’t they just organize and find resources for their idol themselves?

50F: Reply to 49F: That’s called illegal fundraising.

51F: Law student here.

It doesn’t technically count as illegal fundraising, since there’s no promise of repayment or profit.

But it’s very easy to get scammed — there have been plenty of cases where fan clubs disappeared with enough cash to buy a seaside mansion.

Even if everyone’s genuinely trying to help their idol, fans usually don’t have the right industry connections to survive in entertainment, and internal power struggles are inevitable.

52F: Oh no, now I’m suddenly worried about Xiao Dong 😭

Doesn’t he not have an agency right now…? TT

53F (OP): I’m back!

I just asked a senior from the department next door — confirmed it’s the same person!

Lai Yudong’s a sophomore, same year as her!

54F (OP): Reply to 15F: He’s not exactly a “campus celebrity” — at least not the kind from those old-school web novels where every girl screams when he walks by!

Most people on campus have at least seen his face or name before — oh, or maybe heard his voice, since he participates in a lot of school events.

55F (OP): Reply to 19F: Well, what else do you expect…?

56F (OP): Even when a small-time influencer joins a talent show and doesn’t debut, people still find it shocking.

Now my senior from the same school debuted second place — can’t I be shocked too??

Come on! I’m not even a fan — conspiracy theorists, if you’ve got that much to say, at least pay me for my emotional damage, OK??

57F: hugs OP, some people just can’t stand seeing others do well.

58F: Yuzu-fan staying calm here 😌 My boy debuted 2nd, ranked 1st on the money chart, and has the highest per-fan spending average — the other fandoms are probably fuming, hahaha.

59F: Can’t outspend us, so they vent their frustration on innocent bystanders~

60F: Small matter. The Su-Yuzu-Mo fandom wars have been going on forever lol.

61F: Based on past trends, usually it’s Rank 1 vs. Rank 2 fighting right after debut.

But this time it’s Rank 3 fighting with both of the top two.

Honestly, if I were a fan, I’d probably lose my cool too lmao.

62F: Don’t blame the Li fans — I checked, and one’s a An fan, the other’s a Zhen fan.

63F: It’s ridiculous. The idols themselves get along so well — what are the fans even doing?

64F: The better the idols get along, the more likely their fans are to fight.

65F: Hehehe~ My boy’s second place, stay mad 💅

66F: Funny how nobody claimed to be his classmate before, and now suddenly a bunch of “schoolmates” show up. Bots, maybe?

67F: Reply to 66F: …Have you ever been to school?

68F: Why didn’t you say the ones who “claimed” him during the show were just faking a persona too?

69F: Lmao if we actually had the money to hire bots, I’d be thrilled! Aside from the promo package Sky Entertainment bought, all of our trending tags are organic.

70F: He changed his name, dyed his hair, started wearing makeup — it’d be weird if people still recognized him. Plus, he never even mentioned which university he was from.

71F: Yeah, a normal person’s first reaction would just be, “Wow, that guy looks familiar.”

72F: I’ve followed Yuzu’s entire journey, and I just realized after clicking this thread — he was my classmate from the class next door. (…speechless)

73F: !? Please, tell us more!

74F: Reply to 73F: There’s not much to tell. I don’t really care about guys in real life — just knew there was someone like him. He was pretty skilled in his field. Didn’t expect there to be such a high-quality idol right next door.

75F: I’m guessing the fans already knew Se2’s real name long ago, right?

76F: Reply to 74F: Maybe my reaction time’s just super slow then (leans back).

77F: Passing by — I’m from the Journalism Department at the same school, and yeah, I just found out too.

78F: Not from the same university, but I’m a Yuzu fan from his high school. Passing through~

79F: You all sound like you’re in a collective memory recovery arc.

80F: Looking at it another way, it’s actually nice he didn’t rely on his school background for fame.

81F: Yuzu: a lone warrior bravely charging into the entertainment industry.

82F: Se2 doesn’t need to play the “academic genius” card — he’s already got enough labels. Just his visuals as center are enough to crush half the field.

83F: Not needing to show off doesn’t mean he isn’t one though. XX Media University isn’t exactly easy to get into.

84F: Even putting academics aside, Yuzu’s personality and the way he talks already scream educated, well-mannered, good kid.

85F: He’s got great taste too — the final debut lineup is almost identical to the ones he voted for in the visual poll, kkk.

86F: Reply to 85F: Wait, really? Who did he pick?

87F: All I remember is that Xiao Lai picked people like he was doing grocery shopping.

88F: Yuzu picked seven people — if you swap out Pei Lan for him, it’s exactly the final debut lineup.

And all seven he chose were in the Top 10 for visuals.

89F: Reply to 88F: ???

90F: The true prophet: Lai Yudong.

91F: Let Yuzu do the member selection for the next season — I’m not even kidding.

92F: Found a photo on XX Media University’s official account from one of their campus events — the tallest one should be Yuzu, right? [image]

93F: Reply to 92F: OMG, he’s so handsome.

94F: Even in a blurry group photo he still looks amazing.

95F: His black hair and blonde hair give off completely different vibes!

Black hair = warm, approachable college guy;

Blonde hair = distant, cool, almost untouchable.

96F: That’s probably why he got labeled as “cold and aloof” after his first stage — all because of that light blonde hair lol.

97F: Not just that — even with the same hair color now, he doesn’t look cold anymore.

Back then he didn’t smile much on stage and walked really stiffly, so it gave off that “boss aura” (?).

98F: He was just super nervous back then hahaha.

99F (OP): Exactly!! That’s another reason I was so shocked — words like “cold” and “socially anxious” totally don’t fit Lai Yudong at all!!

Just imagine — your soft-spoken deskmate who stutters and blushes when he talks turns out to be a cosplayer with over a million followers… Tell me that’s not mind-blowing!

100F: Yuzu’s situation should be the opposite, right?

101F: What kind of personality does Lai Yudong have at school? Is he very different from how he is on the show? I want to know!

102F: Reply to 101F: He’s about the same as in the later parts of the show—very polite.

103F: Ahhh I’m so jealous of people who go to the same school QAQ

104F: I’m not a fan, but I do know him in real life.

I’ve interacted with him a few times during school events—he’s emotionally intelligent and very easy to work with.

He’s one of those rare, gentle, and attentive types of guys.

But he’s not indecisive or a pushover; in some situations he’s actually pretty firm—he even talked back to a student council guy once.

Oh right, and he’s really funny when he talks back, hahaha.

105F: I’m curious about that talk-back incident—can you tell us more?

106F: I can kind of imagine it hahaha

107F: He really does say unexpected things sometimes.

108F: You know how the student council has those people who insist you must call them “senior,” and if you don’t, they get mad and start lecturing you—total power trip.

So a few months ago, a freshman forgot to say it, and one of the guys from the arts department chewed them out so badly they cried.

Then Lai Yudong walked over and said, “Wow, senior, you’re so impressive.”

109F: Reply to 108F: Damn, that’s kinda cool.

110F: I feel that so hard!! F***, I can’t stand those student council types with their heavy bureaucratic airs!!

111F: I was there! I remember that incident! The funniest part was that LYD and that guy were actually in the same year, hahahahaha.

112F: Reply to 111F: Did Yuzu know they were in the same year?

113F: Reply to 112F: Of course he did, hahaha! They were even in the same class!

114F: I’m dying—classic him.

115F: WTF, Yuzu is such a good person. If I were that poor freshman and someone stood up for me like that, I’d burst into tears on the spot.

116F: That jerk didn’t give Yuzu any trouble afterward, right? (worried)

117F: Reply to 116F: Lai Yudong’s really well-liked—teachers adore him too. That kind of guy who’s drunk on his own authority only b*llies the weak, so he wouldn’t dare mess with him.

118F: This feels like a feel-good novel, and I’m loving it.

119F: He dared to throw shade at Zeng Kai on camera in “Bo2”—a petty student council guy is nothing in comparison.

120F: Brother Dong!! I’m obsessed!! He’s the one who started our school’s stray animal rescue group!

121F: That’s not really good, is it? You shouldn’t feed stray cats and dogs—it’s bad for the ecosystem.

122F: Can some people stop acting like keyword-triggered robots? You’re not the only one who knows about “scientific rescue,” okay?

Our school’s rescue group raises donations voluntarily, captures the strays for neutering, buys them food and medicine, and posts transparent financial records on the official account. Lai Yudong also personally donated a lot of money.

123F: Anyone who loves animals can’t be a bad person!

124F: He sounds like a spoiled rich boy with too much compassion.

125F: Reply to 124F: Oh, so now you’re an expert again.

126F: Didn’t Yuzu work part-time during summer break? He handled the dishes and remembered all the menu names so naturally.

127F: Most people who go the art exam route aren’t from poor families, but it’s obvious Yuzu was raised really well.

128F: Oh my god, I’m about to cry reading through all these comments, TT.

129F: So Yuzu being good to fans isn’t an act! That’s just who he is!

130F: You can’t fake sincerity. You might pull it off for a while, but tiny details always give you away.

131F: What a perfect baby.

132F: All I remember is that at Christmas, Lai Yudong gave everyone in class a box of chocolates—those fancy, expensive gift boxes too.

133F: Jealousy has consumed me.jpg

134F: Yuzu treats his friends really well—and treats his fans like friends too. That’s why it’s so weird when people accuse him of pandering. Like… some people just clearly don’t have real friends.

135F: Probably never will, either, lol.

136F: If I can’t be friends with Lai Yudong, that’s clearly my problem (sad).

137F: No more talking—can I still apply to XX Media University right now?

138F: This junior really has no flaws. Everyone who’s interacted with him likes him. Maybe he’s never even been scolded before—and then he joins a show and suddenly gets bashed by a bunch of strangers.

I know getting hate is normal for celebrities, that being in the spotlight means you’ll always be criticized, but… it still makes me kind of sad.

139F: Yuzu’s biggest “scandal” is that he eats KFC but not McDonald’s (just kidding).

140F: Getting flamed a little is already rare for Se2—his public reputation is so good. Every time someone insults him, there’s always a group that jumps in to defend him. He should count himself lucky.

141F: Being flamed less doesn’t mean he hasn’t been flamed. And some people’s reasons for hating him are just… bizarre.

142F: That’s normal. Even Fu Hanyu gets hate sometimes.

143F: A summary of internet logic:

If you’re weak → you’re dragging everyone down.

If you’re strong → you don’t fit in.

If you’re average → you’re just plain boring.

144F: If you breathe → people say you’re wasting oxygen.

If you don’t breathe → they ask why someone so dumb isn’t dead yet. doge

145F: To be a fan, you need a strong heart. As a Feng fan, I’ve gone from having a fragile glass heart to a stainless steel one.

146F: Honestly, Yuzu’s one of the easiest idols to support. He never says the wrong thing; every word is perfectly measured. I’m too busy worrying that Li Hong will give him a headache.

147F (OP): I kind of want to finish watching Stardom. Should I ready myself?

148F: If you’re watching it for Yuzu, you don’t need to worry about anything. He’s very good.

149F: Will Yuzu go back to school?

150F: Probably—he’s only a sophomore, right?

151F: I’m curious if he’ll take a leave of absence.

152F: Hard to say. Stardom only filmed for less than ten weeks, and universities usually require at least a three-month leave before approving a gap semester. But it depends on the school—some might require it after just a month or two.

153F: Art schools are probably a bit more flexible about that.

154F: I’m just worried that Yuzu going back will cause a campus traffic jam.

155F: You’re overthinking it. Schools like that are full of students heading into the entertainment industry.

156F: There’ll definitely be some people watching or filming when he’s around—he did just debut, and second place comes with a certain level of fame—but yeah, it’ll be pretty minor stuff.

157F: Read fewer novels and watch fewer dramas, my friend. [pats shoulder]

158F: I’m crying, I wanna go see that “minor stuff” too.

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