After the first episode ended with high ratings and good viewership, the ladies were now ready to start filming for the second episode of the show.

June wasn't able to monitor how Mei had been doing, but it seemed like they had already received their final ranking after the signal song re-evaluation. He wasn't able to join the other members in judging the trainees since he had to continue refilming his scenes that previously involved Lin Zhi.

Fortunately, with all of those refilmed, he could join them for the announcement of the second mission.

At the moment, they were filming their signal song performance, and this year, Azure decided for the girls to perform altogether, contrary to the separate performances they had last year.

June couldn't help but feel bitter about it. He still remembered how he struggled to lead the zero-stars team to victory with how stubborn they were.

Now, the show was back to its original format, where trainees from the five-star class performed on the highest platform and had the most screen time. Meanwhile, those at zero stars would be situated on the floor, and they would be lucky enough to even have a second of screentime.

June glanced around to look for Mei and frowned when he didn't see her on the ground.

"Did she rise in ranks?" he muttered, directing his gaze upward so he could continue looking for his sister.

However, even then, she couldn't catch a glimpse of her.

Just then, the mentors cheered by his side, making June turn to the group.

"The center's solo part is coming next," Ji-hyun said.

June directed his gaze to the very top of the pyramid, where the hailed center would be performing a dance break.

June's eyebrows furrowed when he realized that Mei Ling was the only trainee he hadn't seen all throughout the performance.

"Don't tell me," he muttered, feeling like his heart was going to burst.

Then, the center finally emerged while June continued watching with a halted breath.

"It's Heemin," Gun smiled. "Well, she did very well during the re-evaluation."

"It's expected, though. She's from ESPER Entertainment. Their trainees are famous for being talented and skilled," Bone said.

June felt like a thorn had been plucked from his lungs when he saw that Mei wasn't the center for the signal song. First, it would be ridiculous for her to improve at such a fast pace. Second, June believed that she would beceven more hated once that happened.

June cleared his throat, capturing Lee Sik's attention.

"Umm, how did my lookalike do?" he asked, trying to be subtle.

Lee Sik looked at him with amusement. "So, you also acknowledge that the two of you look alike? I bet that makes you more curious about her, huh?"

June subtly nodded. "Well, how did she do? I don't think I've seen her yet."

Lee Sik sighed as he looked down at the ground, making June frown in confusion.

"Well, let's just say that it's a shame," Lee Sik started off.

June's frown deepened as he continued listening to his master.

"She's right there," Lee Sik said, pointing in her direction.

June looked to where he was pointing and finally saw Mei Ling. She was at the farthest part of the stage, and she almost seemed invisible with how far she was from the center.

It was obvious that she was struggling with the routine. However, it seemed like she had memorized all of the moves. She even lipsynced the song with a great expression, which led June to believe that his sister worked hard to get to such a point.

"What happened?" June couldn't help but ask.

"I honestly don't know," Lee Sik said. "She just...didn't sing. When we asked her what was wrong, she also only responded with gestures."

"That led Amira to scold her for lacking passion. She only danced during her re-evaluation, and although she had significantly improved, it wasn't really enough to hoist her rank up."

"In the end, we decided that she did the worst out of everyone, so we placed her at the very back."

June clicked his tongue. His sister wasn't the type to give up, so he wondered what had happened.

But then, his shoulders straightened when he realized that this might be a good thing for him.

'That's right. This is a hard job,' he thought. 'Give up now before it becomes even more difficult.'

However, as he looked at her, smiling brightly while struggling to dance, June felt a pang in his heart.

He placed his hand over his chest and massaged it.

"What's wrong with me, really," he muttered.

Then, just like that, the filming of their signal song finally cto an end.

The camera went around to film for the various 'ending fairies.' The trainees gave it their all to look the most beautiful out of everyone else.

Usually, the 'ending fairies' were the ones who went viral in the signal song performances and not the performance itself, so even those at the lower tiers felt like they had the chance to show off.

"Alright, ladies, great job!" Ji-hyun said through the microphone.

The ladies clapped excitedly, sof them even jumping as they celebrated the end of their signal song performance.

"The signal song performance would be aired this Friday along with the other half of the auditions and the re-evaluation. Then, after that, we're going straight to the live performances."

The girls now chattered to themselves as they realized that the competition was getting real.

"So, please go to the main hall and wait for us there. June will be announcing your next mission and the exciting mechanics that calong with it!"

The girls couldn't help but squeal at the mere mention of June's name. He had been absent for the entire week, so seeing his face on the set was truly a blessing.

With that, they started going to the main hall, where their second official mission was finally going to be announced.

June followed after them but went through a different entry point. Then, he was handed a cue card that contained the mechanics of the second mission.

He smiled as he read through the lines that the production crew had prepared. It seemed like they were still very creative with their missions based on what he had read.

June positioned himself right at the entrance, where the curtain was occluding his vision. He could already hear the chatters of the ladies outside, so he straightened his back and prepared to emerge before them.

Then, the staff finally tapped his shoulder.

"In 3...2...1..., enter!"