"Alright, 3….2….1…, and we're rolling!" Cindy exclaimed, operating the camera herself.
As June looked too pitiful when he asked for the favor, Cindy had no choice but to heed his request. She had acted rashly when she made the decision to evil-edit June, but now that she thought about it, his downfall might also lead to the show's destruction.
Moreover, she felt guilty for assuming his story without listening to his side.
"I'm going to be asking some questions," Cindy started off. "You can just answer them sincerely."
June nodded, although he felt a little bit pressured with the camera right in front of his face. His emotional speech went down the drain as he stared into the device.
"So, why did you join Rising Stars?" Cindy started with some light questions.
June scratched the back of his head. "Umm, to debut?"
Cindy gestured for June to continue, causing the trainee to frown.
That was it.
What was he supposed to say? That he came here to become a janitor?
Cindy sighed in frustration while June dumbly looked at her.
"What else?" she coaxed. "Has this been your dream since you were younger?"
"Uhh, no," June said. "I wanted to become a firetruck if I recall. That was my first dream."
"A firetruck?" Cindy asked in exasperation.
"That's cute," Jia muttered under her breath.
"Yeah, not a fireman. A firetruck," he innocently said.
Cindy sighed once more. "Alright, let's try a different question. What do your parents mean to you?"
Choi Joon-ho's parents? They're just some people June came to be affiliated with as he transmigrated into this body.
"They're okay, I guess," he took a guess. "They died when I was younger, so I don't really remember," he stiffly answered.
"Have they supported you in this dream ever since?" she continued to ask.
"Hmm, I don't know. They probably weren't against it."
Why else would Joon-ho continue being a trainee for so many years if they were against it?
"I think they were supportive," June concluded.
"You think?" Cindy asked.
"Yeah, I think so. It's been a while since I've seen them, so…," he trailed off.
For the third time, Cindy let out a deep sigh. Where was the pitiful trainee that had asked her for a favor just now?
The footage they had filmed probably couldn't even be used!
"Okay, now tell me what you feel about people accusing you of such things when they aren't even true?" Cindy asked the question she thought would elicit something from the trainee.
However, he continued to answer stiffly.
"It sucks," he said. "A lot of people just believe what they want to believe, but it's not true. I've never even met Choi Si-woo or Choi Min-ah. We don't look alike, either."
"Alright, that's enough," Cindy exclaimed in frustration, turning the camera off.
June visibly relaxed after the camera was turned off.
"Can you be more sincere?" Cindy asked.
June blinked his eyes at her. "I am being sincere. All my answers are a hundred percent honest."
"Well, it doesn't seem like it," Cindy snapped. "The public isn't going to believe you if we continue like this."
June pursed his lips. "What am I going to do then?"
"Just be yourself," Cindy advised. "Cliche as it may seem, it'll be the best way to capture the audience's heart. Answer more sincerely, and if you could, open up a bit more."
"It's difficult," June sighed then pursed his lips. "I feel tense when the camera is around."
Jia frowned in confusion. "But you've been doing so well on the missions," she intervened. "Haven't you gotten used to the camera yet?"
"That's different," June responded. "We're performing on stage. I already expect that there are going to be cameras. But spilling my feelings in front of a camera feels…awkward. I don't know how to act," he shyly said.
It felt like a lightning bolt struck Jia's heart. So cute!
June's so cute!
Cindy sighed, feeling for the young trainee. "Just keep what I said in mind," she said. "Act like the camera isn't even there."
"Like the camera isn't even there," June muttered. "Got it."
"Alright, we'll film again in 3…2…"
*Ring ring*
Cindy's cue was cut off with the sound of her ringtone. She cursed under her breath since she hated being interrupted while shooting.
"What?" she snapped through the phone.
"Uh—the editing of the episode is almost finished, Ma'am. But we don't know how to edit the interviews of the trainees. Could you help us for a moment?" the supervisor of the editing team asked.
Cindy sighed. "Wait a second," she said, covering the speakers and turning to the two young adults.
"I'll answer this really quickly," she said. "In the meantime, relax yourself, June. When I come back, I expect you to be ready, okay?"
June nodded while Jia looked at her mom with wide eyes. She was going to leave the two of them here?
Jia doesn't think her heart could take it!
However, before she could even ask her mom to answer the phone call in the room, Cindy had already made her way outside.
Jia was forced to sit back in her seat, shyly looking at June.
"So, your mom's an editor, huh?" June asked, trying to engage in small talk.
"Yeah," Jia said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "It's pretty cool."
"Yeah," June shortly answered.
The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward, so Jia was on a mission to salvage it.
"How about you?" she quickly asked. "What—What did your parents do before they passed?" she stammered.
June pursed his lips and placed his hands on his lap.
All this parent talk was making him remember his parents—his real parents.
Chen Yu Ze and Chen Mei Lien.
June didn't answer for a while, appearing to be deep in thought, so Jia thought she must have hit a nerve.
"You don't have to answer it if you don't want to," she exclaimed, making June snap out of his thoughts.
"Hmm?" he hummed.
"Umm, if you're uncomfortable with the question, then feel free to skip it," she said.
June shook his head with a light smile. "It's alright," he said.
Somehow, knowing that the cameras weren't rolling made him want to share his feelings about his real parents.
It wouldn't hurt to tell her, right?
These feelings have been bottled up inside June's heart since he was a child.
"I'll answer the question," he said, so Jia remained silent.
"My dad's a construction worker," June smiled.
"And my mom? She's the most beautiful person in the entire world."
