The Gauntlet - Babowa Cheonsa
Prologue - Our Origins
My name's LD. A sketch artist. I hate my course and my life. Now I'm in Hell - I unwittingly joined an idol show without knowing anything.
Just a few months ago, I was at our campus pavilions, sketching my ass off like I always do. It's my habit, and all of a sudden....
Boss Eddie
Eyyyy!! Orale, vato!! You look like you have potential! Stand up!
LD
?
Boss Eddie
Short, really chubby. Not the usual loco for tv, but you can pull it off if you put your mind to it.
The f*ck is this old man talking about?
Boss Eddie
Orale, vato, how about you join this contest I'm setting up? It's international, and who knows? You can be discovered!
This got me flustered. It's international, but I have a feeling I won't fly in a plane.
LD
(With a tinge of regret, I said this...) O-Okay, but I'm busy. Maybe some other time.
Boss Eddie
Oh nonono. Your classmates have joined, too. Promise, you won't be alone. Whatever problem you have, I got your back!
(I turned to two of my blockmates, Michael and Rico. Sheeeit. I passed up something like this once, but I won't hedge now).
LD
Alright, I'm in. What do you need?
Boss Eddie
Contest is two months away, mi vato. You'll have to move out of home for a while, but we will give you a place to live in.
LD
O-Okay. Thank you, sir...?
Boss Eddie
Call me boss Eddie, mi vato. I'll be the hefe!
(Awgh shit....)
Just like that, boss Eddie left. I didn't know how to asses the situation. I agreed without asking what the contest was about.
So now I'm in big trouble. I need to tell ma and pa that I have to move out of our home for a while. We're not that rich....
...We just sold our house and haven't gotten paid yet. We're in the crappiest of situations, and I'm in trouble with my grades, too.
Now I'm in a contest I know nothing about. As I prepped to go home, I passed by a girl who would change me forever....
Annyeonghasseyo! I'm Shin Hyun-Ae! I was born in Korea but I moved to the Philippines when I was two. I love dancing and it's my life.
People call me Angel, but we'll get to that part on how I earned that name.
So I study in UST as a music major because it didn't have a dance course. I spend time trying to dance until suddenly....
Boss Eddie
Orale, señorita! I come in peace, your papa recommended you because I heard you want to be an idol someday.
Angel
Really? I-I didn't know appa would mind my dream. He's far from a doting father since he always drinks and all.
Boss Eddie
Nahhh, your papa's good! Just seeing you dance, it's good! Your appearance, oddly pretty. You'll do well.
(I beam up in happiness. REALLY?!)
Angel
Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! What do you need me for?
Boss Eddie
Why, I'm starting an idol contest! I don't know if the others figured it out, but you Koreans know more. You'll be a great fit!
(Oh my God... this is great! The competition is fierce at home, so doing it here is a fresh challenge! Why not?)
Angel
I'm in, ahjussi. Your name is...?
Boss Eddie
Boss Eddie, mija. You're gonna love it at the dorms.
(There are dorms, too?! Yay!)
Angel
Alright! See you soon, boss Eddie!
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! This is unreal! I'm in an idol contest! I know for sure this isn't Starstruck since that's in East Avenue.
This is what I always wanted, even though my uncles called me a monkey for having caramel skin. Appa told me it's why we're here....
That always brought me down because of course, they're telling me I'm not beautiful straight up, but my baby brother Jehu always told me...
Jehu
"Fighting, nuna!"
He's my rock who always supported my dreams. I can already hear him screaming in joy once I tell him about boss Eddie's contest.
I quickly left the campus to pack up my stuff from the dorm. It was at Padre Noval street so it's quite a trek, then this happened...
*BANG*
LD
O-Oh sh*t. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.
Angel
No, no, it's okay! You dropped your sketch pads so I'm the one who should say sorry!
LD
Good thing it ain't wet today.
Angel
Are you okay?
LD
Don't worry about me. I've had worse.
Angel
Ohhh, thank goodness. If I ever run to you again, let's have lunch!
LD
O-Okay.
So I ran past him because it's getting late. He looked like he needed to get home, too. España Avenue's not the friendliest street at night.
Hey, everyone. LD here again. So I bumped into this odd girl, but something tells me that won't be a one time thing....
I got home two hours after the chat with Eddie. Trip took longer than I hoped, but it's nothing out of the ordinary.
I then looked for ma and pa to talk to them about the contest. I had to make something up that's closely legit to the real thing.
Ma
Oh, anak. What's wrong?
LD
Uhh... my university is, uhh... picking me to join a contest. An international one. I have to move out for a while so I won't be here.
Pa
They're asking you to move out? Where will you live?
LD
I dunno, but they'll provide us with a hotel, I guess. It's international so probably someplace nice. With spacey beds.
Ma
How long will this be, anak?
LD
I dunno either. Probably a few months. I don't wanna move out, but the upside is you can focus on JM for food.
Ma
Your kuya is being offered the same thing. He's thinking about it. Are you sure you want to join this? Will you be okay?
LD
I passed up on something like this before. I wanna let people know that I can do something and make something out of myself.
LD
I wanna prove to my bullies that they're wrong. I'm more than what I look. If I win this, I'll change our lives.
Pa
I hope you'll win, anak. You have a point on the upsides to this.
Ma
Are you sure, Manuel? Just like that?
Pa
If anyone can do something that's out of their league, it's our son. You said so yourself when he passed in UST.
Ma
You're right. Yens, we love you. Take care there, okay?
LD
I will, ma, pa. You don' t hear this from me a lot, but I love you both.
...And I'mma go to Hell for lying to them. God forgive me.
Angel
JEHUUUU!!
Jehu
NUNAAAA! ...Why are you screaming?
Angel
I'm just so happy! Guess what?! I'm gonna be in an idol contest here!
Jehu
Whoa, no way! Really?!
Angel
Yes, really! I'm gonna work hard on this to make my dreams come true!
Jehu
My nuna's gonna be an idoooool!!
Hey, guys! It's me, Angel! So I bumped into chubby guy earlier, but I didn't mind it for now. I broke the news to Jehu and he's so happy!
Jehu
I... wish eomma was here to see you. She'd be so happy because she knows you love to dance.
Angel
Me, too.... I wish she was here....
My eomma died years ago from cervical cancer when we were young. Appa took to drinking so it was up to me and Jehu to care for everyone.
It was just me, Jehu, David and Serenity. We had a hard time growing up, but that only made us closer to each other....
Angel
Take care of David and Serenity, mm-kay? Don't let appa beat you up again.
Jehu
No worries, I watch kung-fu! I'mma kung-fu his ass, wohhh!
Angel
You need to exercise with it, not just "wohhh". Remember the last time you "wohhh" on appa?
Jehu
Don't remind me.
Angel
Exactly. Now--
Serenity
Unniiiiieeee~. Are you going away?
Angel
For a short time, yes. Why, yeodongsaeng?
Serenity
Appa's scary.
David
Will you be okay, nuna?
Angel
Don't worry about me. I'm more worried about you three.
Jehu
There's three of us anyway. We can triangle appa!
Angel
That sounds wrong, Jehu.
Serenity
It sounds like snu snu.
Angel
All right, all right, enough. Just promise me you'll watch each other's backs, okay?
Serenity
Ye, unnie.
Angel
Great! I have two months so let's enjoy before I leave.
You know that saying "time flies by when you enjoy it"? That's real. Before I knew it, it's time to leave....
I packed my belongings and bid farewell to my siblings. Serenity was even crying, but I told her I'll be back. Appa didn't drop by though...
I got to UST and entered the campus. It was a semestral break so it was almost empty, but then I found a large group at the Grandstand.
It's the people who were scouted I guess. I could tell because the large group was the Salinggawi Dance Troupe, a good group as I heard.
I waited a bit until someone who looked like boss Eddie told us to board the buses that would take us to the dorms. I did what I was told...
...But I did not expect this.
LD
O___O
Angel
Omo! You?!