Prologue Part 1 | Filmed on Location
As an idol, you have to do things to keep the interest of the public.
That was why, willing or unwilling, you had agreed to participate in The Idol Experiment.
When the promotion for it first came out, it promised to bring in “a new era of entertainment”, advertising itself as an idol-centric game show with a unique twist. It sounded promising enough, so you and your management decided to give it a go; now, you are one of the lucky contestants that have been accepted.
The journey to the set was a lengthy one, requiring you to fly whatever distance from your original location to reach the destination where the crew would pick you up. Though the process and location was different for all of you, each idol eventually found themselves with a personal chauffeur and a car with tinted windows to take you to the location of the recording studio.
The location of the studio? Undisclosed -- but you’ve been assured time and time again it is for safety reasons, and you can’t really disagree. Idol fans can get a bit crazy.
One by one you arrive, being dropped off in front of a large open gate while your vehicle leaves to deal with your luggage. Standing to the side of the gate is a figure, clad in all black aside from the mask hiding their face: a pure white mask with a cut out smile, which most of you would recognize as a comedy mask.
“Ah. You’ve all been expected.”
“Welcome to Cantata Studios. This will be your home for the duration of our show. And, before you let your minds wander -- don’t worry about the mask. All of our crew and staff will be wearing them for anonymity and to preserve the illusion of you being the only guests in our studio areas.”
The figure gestured towards the open gate and further beyond towards a large circular-shaped building marked with a star.
“Please, follow me to the auditorium. Manager-san is waiting.”
Manager-san...? Did they not have a real name? Either way, there was no reason to be difficult, so you all followed along and filed into the building.