Chapter 21
Chapter 21
The first donation message was blunt and to the point.
#Why on earth did you pick chicken feet? lol
The comments buzzed, calling it an excellent question. Park Moon-dae thought for a moment before answering honestly.
"Um, actually, my collaboration item keyword wasn't chicken feet; it was frozen food."
-Wow, that sucks.
-Looking at it that way, chicken feet are a godsend.
-Why did those Idol Inc. jerks put frozen food in an idol PR video...?
-They have T1 Sparkling Water, so why put something like dumplings as a candidate? lol
Unable to see the comments, Park Moon-dae continued calmly.
"Out of all the frozen food samples I received, the chicken feet were the most delicious. That’s why I chose them."
-!!
-He... tried all the samples?
-This contestant is the "real deal."
-At this point, it’s beyond just working hard; it’s hilarious lol.
"Since it’s an advertisement... it’s hard to say something tastes good if it doesn't."
As he answered, Moon-dae stuffed another chicken foot into his mouth. Immediately, more donations started popping up one after another.
#What food do you like besides chicken feet?
#Which contestants are you close with?
#Then what was the criteria for picking the rice balls? lol
"I’m not picky; I eat everything well. As for the contestants I'm close with... um, I think saying it might be a spoiler, so I'll skip that."
-He’s so thorough lol.
-Our Moon-dae has close friends, right? This grandma believes in you! ^^
-Dude, Seon A-hyun just said on the other stream that he’s close to you lolololol.
-Lmao, okay Moon-dae, so you're close with A-hyun?
From Moon-dae's perspective, he had dodged the question because he felt mentioning anyone specifically could be a risk factor.
However, the commenters had already turned even that into a topic to play with.
Just as Moon-dae was meticulously explaining his reason for choosing the tuna mayo rice ball, the backlog of donations exploded.
"The tuna mayonnaise is rich, so it acts like a sauce that pairs well with the chicken feet... Ah."
#Moon-dae, please, just one verse of a song T_T
#Don't just eat, do an introduction too lol
#Is there a secret to singing well?
"Um, singing."
Moon-dae put down the last chicken foot he was about to eat.
-Fi. Nal. Ly.
-Has his idol persona finally awakened?
-Is it even meaningful that he only revived after one chicken foot was left...
-No, Moon-dae’s singing is insane. I went to the team match recording and he was incredible T_T
-He was good on the broadcast, but I wonder how his live is.
Amidst the whispering comments, Moon-dae began to sing.
"Standing on this stage, you might not know me yet~"
It was the show’s theme song, <Shining Star>.
Moon-dae had simply chosen a song that was already proven and well-received by the trainers, but to the viewers, it looked like he was solidifying his character.
-Park Moon-dae, he’s a pro.
-Isn't he the contestant most sincere about the broadcast?
-He’s truly unpredictable. This isn't how a normal person thinks.
-I’m dying, this is too funny lol.
The comments were flooded with people making jokes. But that wasn't all.
-But he’s actually good.
-Why is it so sweet when there's a chicken foot in the same frame?
-It sounds great even without accompaniment.
-Good job, Moon-dae. Now sing one more song T_T
Despite using budget equipment due to the reckless decision to have 77 people broadcasting live simultaneously, Moon-dae’s voice was being transmitted clearly.
Without any slurring or blurring, Moon-dae carried the song with refreshing ease.
It was a pleasant voice without a single unstable note.
As if they were focusing, the speed of the comments slowed down slightly. Occasional exclamations of admiration mixed in.
And then, just as he passed the end of the pre-chorus and the chorus was about to begin—
"Now, on this stage—"
Ring-ring-ring-ring!!
The alarm on the desk rang loudly.
It was the 30-second warning before the end. The five-minute extension was over.
"Ah, time is up."
Moon-dae stopped singing immediately.
He had no intention of creating controversy by dragging out the time to sing more.
The problem was that he stopped far too decisively.
-Wait, you're cutting it here?
-Right before the chorus, of all times lol.
-Aaaargh, so frustrating! Ugh, I'll just sing it myself! Now, the one shining on this stage is me!! Aaaargh!!
-Don't you see the big picture of making us watch Episode 2? Moon-dae is sincere about the program.
-If he had eaten just one less chicken foot, wouldn't he have finished the first verse?
-He could just continue for one more line right now T_T Oh, Moon-dae.
A delayed donation appeared on the screen.
#Your voice is so lovely!
The comments exploded even more at the gentle donation that contrasted with the current atmosphere.
"Thank you. I will work hard. Um, come to think of it, the remaining donation questions..."
Moon-dae quickly scanned the questions again, catching "self-introduction" and "secret to singing." He thought to himself:
‘It’s actually a relief that I ran out of time.’
In truth, Moon-dae had been intentionally stalling with the song to delay answering the next donations. They were difficult to answer.
First, the self-introduction... Since he was in someone else's body, he had nothing to say.
He hadn't fully grasped "Park Moon-dae’s" background yet. Moreover, the background he had figured out was bleak as hell.
The secret to singing was even more awkward to explain.
‘The system window helps me? That sounds insane.’
Moon-dae made a split-second judgment and continued.
"First, to introduce myself—"
At that moment, the screen turned black.
[The Live has ended.]
The broadcast time was completely over.
-??
-What
-I think it’s over?
-The production crew shut down all the broadcasts at once.
The remaining viewers were confused for a moment before realizing the situation and bursting into laughter.
-lolololol
-And so, not a single word of his self-introduction was heard...
-I feel like I just watched a blatant product placement mukbang.
-Ah, that was the most fun I've had in a while.
-No, Park Moon-dae is seriously funny lol. An accidental comedy character.
People left one last comment in the still-active real-time chat before leaving.
However, a significant number of people stayed for quite a while, continuing to leave comments. These were the people who had grown fond of Park Moon-dae.
They had a blast comparing the Park Moon-dae from Episode 1 with the Park Moon-dae from the PR live.
-But Moon-dae is seriously cute... With that face that looks like he has no motivation, he eats so well and sings so well T_T Even his lack of tact is the best.
-His face is the trendy type, which is the cherry on top. If he gets a bit more grooming, he’ll be really handsome.
-Alright, I’m making a fan account right now.
-Where can I vote?
-Idol Inc. homepage -> Stock Purchase window. One vote per day, and you can get extra votes if you buy the collab bundle.
-The sales tactics are insane.
-I gave him a vote because he’s cute, seriously.
Criticism of the money-hungry voting system followed, but the conversation soon returned to Moon-dae’s recent broadcast.
-In the meantime, he ate those chicken feet so deliciously T_T I ended up clicking the link and buying them.
-I just ordered delivery. Thanks, Moon-dae. Chicken feet at this hour... my diet is ruined.
Then, one comment suddenly brought up something unexpected.
-But why does the way Moon-dae eats look so familiar? I feel like I've seen it somewhere.
-Eh, really?
-Did he film a baby formula commercial when he was a kid? (Heart flutters)
-lol, they said Moon-dae has no entertainment experience.
-Ah, found it. This is it. Exactly the same. (Link)
The link led to a video of a dog eating chicken feet.
The way it stuffed a chicken foot into its mouth and crunched away was identical to the live broadcast they had just seen.
Only the species was different.
[Countryside Puppy’s Chicken Feet Mukbang!]
In the video, a large mixed-breed dog of unknown lineage was eating raw chicken feet.
The channel name was "Dietary Exploration of a Countryside Mutt."
The dog, with perky ears and black fur, looked a bit gloomy because its fur had been clipped, but it wagged its tail and diligently accepted the chicken feet.
Moon-dae’s indifferent yet hearty mukbang naturally overlapped with that image.
-Holy crap.
At that moment, Park Moon-dae’s first nickname was decided.
-Look at this, they’re identical lol. From now on, Park Moon-dae is Moon-puppy. I will not accept any counter-arguments. (Screenshot of Countryside Mutt mukbang) (Screenshot of Park Moon-dae’s live)
The social media post, which had been shared over 4,000 times, featured a scene of me in Park Moon-dae’s body putting a boneless chicken foot into my mouth alongside a photo of a large dog biting a chicken foot.
I felt a bit complicated.
For now, giving off a sense of familiarity to offset a negative image... seemed to have been a success, but...
"Moon-puppy..."
To think I’d get such an embarrassing nickname at twenty-nine.
I had been told a few times in my life that I ate well.
‘It’s probably because I don't leave leftovers and I'm not picky...’
It was simply because, after my parents passed away, I wasn't in a position to be picky about food.
So I hadn't expected this kind of reaction just from eating some chicken feet.
"Fourth place."
Not long after the live ended, the PR videos were uploaded, and currently, my video’s view count was within the top five.
It was even still on the rise. At this rate, it looked like I might even overtake the video of Lee Se-jin, the former child actor who was in third place.
I decided to accept the situation.
‘Embarrassing or not, it’s a good situation.’
I couldn't afford to be picky when sudden death was on the line. Besides, the novelty was greater than the embarrassment. I was also... quite grateful.
‘Thanks to this, I’ve moved one step further away from sudden death.’
I offered a brief thanks to the person who posted the SNS thread and those who shared it, then moved on to my next concern.
Now, there was only one immediate problem.
How would I be edited in Episode 2, which was about to air?
Specifically, getting Platinum in the rank evaluation weighed on my mind.
‘If the editing is even slightly bad, people will say things like, "This person should have gotten it, but Park Moon-dae did instead."’
Feeling slightly nervous, I opened the live stream on my smartphone.
At least Episode 2 was easy because I didn't have to film any useless reaction shots. Thanks to that, I could even crack open a can of beer.
[Re-listing! Idol~ Inc.!]
Listening to Young-rin’s voice in the opening, I slowly sipped the beer and focused on the content.
"..."
By the time Episode 2 ended, the number of beer cans next to my smartphone had increased to two.
Taking the last sip of beer, I thought to myself.
‘It was okay, wasn't it?’
The production crew had put effort into editing my rank evaluation as well.
They validated my skills by having the judges mention that I nailed the choreography and had perfect pitch.
They didn't even highlight the scene where I received the Platinum rank that much. They handled it with a nuance like, "Of course, a contestant this good should get it."
They didn't even bring the possibility of a judging controversy to the table.
"What are they thinking?"
The alcohol was making my inner thoughts slip out. I carefully reflected on the direction of my editing.
‘There is... something that bothers me.’
They didn't show a single second of me practicing for a week without sleep.
Since they can't show everyone's circumstances, I could let that go, but it was strange that they specifically aired the scene where I asked Seon A-hyun about the choreography.
It also bothered me that it was edited to make it look like I followed the entire choreography after hearing it just once.
‘Come to think of it, they even included an interview where I looked unimpressed after receiving my rank.’
Um, now that I’ve organized it this far, I have a hunch.
The production crew intended to keep pushing the "Park Moon-dae" character from Episode 1.
To put it bluntly... the "clueless, my-pace, talented commoner" character.
The fortunate thing was that, thanks to the PR live, internet opinion had already labeled me with the "chicken feet puppy" image.
‘They probably just let it slide.’
I immediately turned on SNS to check. As expected, the people who had already branded Episode 2's Park Moon-dae with the "smart puppy" gimmick were the ones leading the discourse.
It was a relief, but I couldn't let my guard down. Editing triumphs over everything.
‘Should I lean into the puppy thing more?’
Vibrate!
While I was pondering, my smartphone rang.
It was Keun Se-jin. The fact that he sent a text instead of using a messaging app felt calculated.
[Moon-dae, our team is going to watch Episode 3 together, what do you think?]
Do we really have to? I immediately started typing a reply.
‘Sorry, but I have something to do then...’
Just as I was about to decline with a suitable excuse, another text arrived in succession.
[Surely... the sad event of only Moon-dae being missing won't happen, right? T_T Lee Se-jin hyung said he’s coming too!]
"..."
Everyone already agreed?
This guy was the type to tell the production crew we watched it together and even send proof shots.
The editing direction was already suspicious; I didn't know what would happen if I was the only one missing.
I slowly edited the text.
[Yeah, sure. I'll be there.]
A reply came back instantly.
[Haha, I knew Moon-dae would like it too~ See you then!]
"..."
Somehow... I feel like I lost.