A sharp whistle fills the air. Those of you unfortunate enough to not have woken up, prior to it, are likely stirring now. And if you aren’t, the shrill whistle continues until every last one of you is on your feet. You glance around your surroundings. Three walls are white, empty. Save for the TV and a singular security camera on the back wall, and a door. For the moment, the door remains locked. The fourth wall, the one you’re facing, is a mirror. You can see yourself, as well the people occupying the room with you. Every look of trepidation and anxiety is reflected back to you.
You soon realize that all of your clothes have been replaced. Everyone seems to be wearing similar outfits. A jacket, white t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. The jacket, shorts, and sneakers, seem to match your favorite color. It’s the only thing that separates your outfit from anyone else’s. Searching the pockets of one’s jacket, you find your cellphone there. You can tell it’s yours, based on the case, phone charms, and how it unlocks with your password. Any other personal belongings and accessories seem to be missing.
A closer look at your phone, you realize that it’s been tampered with. All of your contacts have been wiped and replaced with new ones. Are these the people around you? Your games, pictures, and other settings? Gone. It nearly resembles a factory reset. Emergency contacts are listed as follows: CEO Risette. Manager. Everyone else follows afterward. New applications seem to be loaded on your phone. For some reason, you cannot connect to the internet or make any outgoing calls to anyone not in your contact list.
Before you have time to look through them, the TV pops to life. “Hello trainees~!” a feminine voices rings, filling the silence. Many of you likely recognize her. Top idol Risette. Even if you don’t follow her avidly, she’s been in ads, on billboards, on the radio. Her name’s everywhere, as far as you can remember. “What were you doing? Oversleeping on the first day of practice?” she questions. Her tone seems sweet, carefree. She giggles, grinning. “Disappointing,” her tone seems to drop flat. “Oversleeping is an absolute waste of time. You have adoring fans anticipating your debut. What right do you have to keep them waiting?”
Debut? What is she talking about?
Silence resides for a moment as she allows you to mull over her words. You remember hearing of a competition. A chance to show your skill, your worth. Along with the chance to meet Risette in person. You remember auditioning and passing. Some of you may have trace inklings of moving on to the next stage. The time in between that and now is a blur. What happened to you? No matter how hard you try, you can’t remember. You’re not given much time to try to recall your memories.
“Not to worry, trainees~” she coos, slipping back into a cheerful tone. “I, Risette, will be guiding you along the path to stardom! Your beautiful talents? I will help you nurture them all! Your fans will see you soar to new heights, and if you’re lucky... you and I will stand on the same stage! From today, onward, you will follow my training regime. It’s the only way you’ll survive the unfair and cruel world of showbiz~
”First things first, please open your phones and check the Need to Know section,” she mentions one of the apps. Opening it, you find a list of rules.
Attacking the CEO or manager is unacceptable and will result in punishment.
Assigned training begins at 4AM, tardiness or absence without permission is unacceptable.
Likewise, you cannot leave training or take breaks without permission.
Leaving the company building is unauthorized and will never be allowed. Entering places marked unauthorized is not permitted under any circumstance.
Meals will happen at assigned times only. Times will be announced the day of, as they are liable to change.
You are forbidden to sleep anywhere other than your assigned room.
If you are chosen to perform, you must do so. Skipping out or refusal to take the stage will result in removal from the program.
Rules can and will be modified and/or added onto by the CEO or manager. Breaking of any rule will be dealt with, based on its severity.
The whistle chimes once more. Your attention returns to the TV. Risette seems to be grinning once more. However, you notice it’s different. Her lips seem to stretch a bit further than natural. Darkness dances in her eyes. She seems... sadistically gleeful, “Take the next few days to get to know each other. All of you are striving for the same goal, after all. But remember, these are your rivals. Don’t trust them too much. The entertainment world is cutthroat.” Why does it sound like she means that literally? “Being too close to the competition will only risk your place in this world. You want to survive, don’tcha? So, keep a careful eye out. Only the best will make it~ But there’s still plenty of time. I’m looking forward to your growth!”
