Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 30: First Airing And Reactions (1)

<🎧 Song Recommendation: My Oh My by Camila Cabello, DaBaby>

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SUPERSTAR SYSTEM — STATUS PANEL

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[BIO]

● Name: Von Varley

● Age: 18

● Class: Student

● Title: Street Performer

● System Level: 1

[STATS]

● Vocals: C- (50/300)

● Composition: F (0/10)

● Charm: C (0/300)

● Willpower: C- (0/300)

[PROGRESSION]

● Skills: Basic Instrument Mastery, Resonance (D), Emote (D-).

● EXP: 0

● Current Fans: 57

● Quests: 0

● Star Shop: 6 Vouchers, 1x Zone State (A)

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That was all the upgrade had done for Von. He was now able to level up some skills individually.

Von wasn’t really fond of it, primarily because it opened up another paths for his EXP to be spent. It felt like a money pit, and he couldn’t really consider investing in it now until he got a substantial influx of EXP.

Swiping away the panel with a mental command, Von opened his phone to indulge in some games.

He had considered giving Zack a call to let him know he was safe, but the idea died quickly after remembering the strict confidentiality policy. It was better to stay put and silent until the show aired, lest he give the producers a reason to void his contract.

***

At 7:55 PM, the producers gathered everyone in the massive living room.

The space was designed for cinema. A plush, U-shaped sectional sofa large enough to seat thirty people wrapped around a coffee table littered with untouched snacks.

A gigantic 85-inch television dominated the far wall, glowing with the Cloudary Channel countdown logo.

"Alright everyone," Michael called out, flashing his trademark bright smile as he leaned against the doorframe. "Episode 1 is airing on the East Coast in five minutes. We’re going to watch the premiere together. Get comfortable!"

The contestants scrambled for spots on the oversized couches. There was a nervous energy in the air; a mix of excitement and nausea.

Popcorn and sodas were passed around, but most people were too anxious to eat. This was it. The moment they would find out how the world will them.

Von sat on the armrest of a sofa near the back, crossing his arms. He was curious to see how much of his initial audition they would keep.

While he hoped to get enough screen time to boost his fame, he wasn’t deluded enough to be convinced he was the star of the show yet.

After all, looking around the room, he knew he was among the weakest singers of the twenty-four. He had only come this far as a result of favorable conditions and smart tactics.

The screen came to life, and the volume boomed through the surround sound speakers.

Dramatic orchestral music swelled as the screen flashed with high-contrast images of Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

{From the streets... to the stage.}

Fast cuts of contestants crying, falling to their knees, and hugging their families flashed by.

{Thousands applied. Only one will rise.}

The logo exploded onto the screen in gold and diamonds.

PROJECT: STAR — SEASON 5!

{The search begins... now.}

Then, the episode began.

The first twenty minutes followed the classic reality TV formula: The Comedy Montage.

The editors focused heavily on the preliminary auditions, highlighting the characters rather than the talent.

There was a man dressed as a wizard casting spells on the producer judge, a woman who tried to yodel while tap dancing, and a teenager who fainted before singing a single note.

The room erupted in laughter when Max appeared on screen.

He wasn’t wearing normal clothes. In the footage, Max was dressed in a bright yellow, inflatable bee costume.

{I’m here to create a buzz!} On-screen Max declared, winking at the camera. Max stood up from his seat immediately his turn came and ran to the front, imitating his character to bask in the attention.

As the episode progressed, the tone shifted. The joke acts faded, replaced by the heavy hitters.

The editors spent a long time on the Frontrunners.

Julian got the Prince edit. Soft piano music played as he talked about his training. His audition was flawless, and the editors added a glowing halo effect around him.

Aura Nova got the Prodigy edit. She barely spoke in her interview, but when she sang, the editors cut to the judges looking stunned, silencing the background music to emphasize her soft tone.

Many of the other top dogs were also fortunate to get shown a lot, and no one could say they didn’t deserve it.

In some scenarios, some only earned screen time because of their touching backstory. Von couldn’t be less bothered about those ones, because a majority of them had already been eliminated before the voting rounds.

He was only interested in seeing himself on screen, and he finally did.

Just when the episode was about to end, Von’s face appeared. It was the Callback Audition.

{But some contestants... had a history with the Judges.}

On screen, Von walked into the room. The editors had color-graded the scene to look slightly darker, more intense.

{YOU!}

On screen, Rex Sterling slammed his hands on the table, standing up in a fit of rage. The camera zoomed in on the CEO’s eyes, making him appear even more furious than Von imagined. Then it cut to a close-up of Von’s confused face. And in a slight way, he seemed nonchalant.

It was quickly cut to another scene.

{So you’re here because your sister told you that you can sing?} Rex Sterling had asked Von, who smiled proudly and nodded.

{Precisely.}

There were some sound effects and edits that made him look aura-full and a bit arrogant, and Von could only smile wryly as he watched.

At that moment, many people expected him to fail. But as he began to strum the guitar for his original, You’re Gonna Come Home. They actually liked the song.

To Von’s dismay, they barely showed him singing the song, instead showing only its intro and chorus.

When Von finished performing, they made sure not to leave out the praises at the end.

{Did you really write that song?} Aria had asked.

{Yes, ma’am.}

After his affirmation, a flurry of YESes were thrown his way, qualifying him for the desired Ticket.

Von’s scene left the audience with a confident character who had the skills to back up his arrogance. And while it wasn’t long, it gave an impact at least.

The episode dragged on for a few more minutes, showing a montage of the successful contestants running out of the audition room waving their Golden Tickets.

{Next week... on Project: Star.}

A teaser played, showing tears, an ambulance siren, and contestants getting off a plane.

{SEE YOU IN HOLLYWOOD!}

The credits rolled over a slow-motion shot of the Golden Ticket spinning in the air.