Chapter 55
Chapter 55
I returned the mascot suit before sunset and headed back to Seon A-hyun’s studio apartment.
My entire body felt like it had been steamed by the humidity trapped inside the suit.
‘It’s so hot.’
I had spent a significant amount of money. On top of that, I was exhausted.
And yet, I didn’t feel bad.
‘Maybe it’s because I only heard good things.’
The reaction when I finally took off the mask was interesting, but honestly, walking around with the mask on was even more intriguing.
It was a fresh experience to have people smile and want to take photos with me, or hand me printed photos of Park Moon-dae and snacks.
‘Of course, I didn’t expect… photos like this to come out.’
There was even a photo where someone had edited yellow animal ears onto me.
I tucked the items I’d received, including that photo, into my luggage. I planned to look through them properly later.
Then, I immediately took a shower.
‘I feel alive again.’
After drying off and changing into fresh clothes, I felt much more refreshed.
As I sat on the bed drinking cold water, the newly created group message room pinged incessantly.
[Keun Se-jin: Whoa, I saw all the news. Everyone did a great job getting around lol. Except for Yu-jin!]
[Cha Yu-jin: ; ( ]
[Kim Rae-bin: Why did you speak while wearing the mascot suit?]
[Cha Yu-jin: I didn’t know...]
Scrolling up to check, I saw a video of Cha Yu-jin shouting "Thank you," getting caught immediately, and then bolting away.
‘Somehow, I’m not surprised.’
[Keun Se-jin: Hey, Moon-dae visited 15 places? That’s insane. A true Korean of sheer will. Everyone, let’s give him a round of applause.]
[Kim Rae-bin: (Old-fashioned clapping emoji)]
[Cha Yu-jin: Congratulations…]
[Keun Se-jin: Moon-dae, I can see the "1" disappearing. Answer us lol.]
I let out a small chuckle and typed a reply.
[Me: Yeah, thanks.]
[Kim Rae-bin: (Basic bowing emoji)]
[Cha Yu-jin: You’re cool!]
[Keun Se-jin: lol No problem (Heart emoji)]
I closed the group chat, which was overflowing with emojis, and logged onto social media.
‘Shall I take a closer look?’
I wanted to check if there were any weird comments like, "Why is he wandering around during his break instead of practicing? Is he brainless?"
"Hmm."
Fortunately, there was nothing of the sort. Everyone seemed to be enjoying it.
I scrolled further up the timeline.
It was the moment people realized that four individuals in mascot suits had been visiting different contestants' ads.
At first, people seemed to think it was just a prank between fans.
But once Cha Yu-jin was caught and the contestants began taking off their masks one by one, the atmosphere turned into a total frenzy.
Afterward, people buzzed about whether this was for an Idol Inc. shoot, but when the mascot rental shop posted a review along with autographs, they became even happier.
=========================
[Looks like the kids rented suits that matched their images. A review from the rental shop just went up (Link)]
=========================
‘…I’m glad they enjoyed it.’
It was a bit embarrassing, but since people liked it so much, it was bearable. However, I wasn’t sure if it was something to call "cute" over and over again…
‘Is it a problem with my sensibilities?’
There was no way to know. I shrugged and straightened the bedding before lying down.
Then I realized something.
‘I haven’t eaten anything today.’
I had been so preoccupied with sprinting around in a mascot suit all day that I’d forgotten.
Strangely, though, I didn’t feel empty.
Should I eat something before sleeping? The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I soon drifted off.
It was a deep, dreamless sleep.
The sleep I fell into in the early evening lasted until noon the next day.
Well… it was a productive holiday.
I spent half a day resting and doing some light exercise.
Then, in the early hours of the following day.
I headed to the filming set to prepare for the live talk show.
Seon A-hyun, who had returned from his trip in the middle of the night carrying walnut cakes for some reason, was naturally with me.
For the record, the walnut cakes were delicious. They used white kidney beans for the filling, so they were smooth.
"It’s Moon-dae. Did you rest well?"
"Yes."
As I entered the waiting area of the set, Ryu Cheong-woo, who had arrived first, greeted me.
Seon A-hyun had been called away by the production crew and wasn't there.
"Did you rest well too, Hyung?"
"Um… yeah."
Ryu Cheong-woo gave a thin smile. Even at a glance, he didn't look well.
‘Come to think of it, he didn’t take the leader role this time.’
I heard he stepped down for someone else, but I didn't know the details. Honestly, I wasn't that interested.
"I saw you guys in the mascot suits. It looked fun."
"Ah, thank you. I saw you did a few ad verifications too, Hyung."
Since I might debut with him, I should at least maintain this level of social courtesy.
Ryu Cheong-woo hesitated slightly before answering.
"…I haven't been able to do them lately."
"……."
What was I supposed to say to that?
It felt like he wanted me to ask why, but I didn't feel the need to hear Ryu Cheong-woo’s long, complicated story.
I shrugged and gave a closing remark.
"You can just do them after the broadcast is over."
"Well… I’d feel too ashamed if I don’t make the debut."
Ryu Cheong-woo let out a hollow laugh.
‘Why does it feel like he’s trying to keep the conversation going?’
I cut him off.
"I think you’ll debut, Hyung."
"Thanks. But you never know. My rank dropped, after all."
Was he really talking about dropping from 1st to 4th?
‘I already know you’re going to debut and even end up as the leader.’
I looked at Ryu Cheong-woo with a bit of distaste, but I acknowledged that any contestant at this stage could feel anxious.
Besides, this guy looked like… he was suffering from burnout.
‘Wait, if Ryu Cheong-woo drops out like this, a spot opens up.’
I entertained the hopeful thought for a moment but quickly discarded it. Even if his mental state was crumbling now, only the finals were left, so it wouldn't matter much.
I decided to just give him a casual answer.
"Even if you were to be eliminated, wouldn't the fans prefer you verifying the ads rather than not doing it at all?"
"I don't know… I wonder if the fans will still be there after I’m eliminated and the program ends."
"I don't think they’d suddenly disappear after spending that much money on ads."
"Huh?"
"You know those ads at transfer stations cost at least two million won, and the prime spots can go up to ten million, right?"
"I-is that so?"
"Yes."
I heard Ryu Cheong-woo gulp.
‘Did he seriously not know?’
"I… I really need to work hard then."
"Of course."
I stared blankly at Ryu Cheong-woo.
"Moon-dae!"
Just then, Keun Se-jin entered energetically with one hand raised.
‘I can use that as an excuse.’
I gave Ryu Cheong-woo a natural nod and walked toward Keun Se-jin.
And then, a new thought occurred to me.
‘In that case… even at the minimum rate, am I in debt for 54 million won?’
That was an amount that required me to work like a dog just to keep my conscience intact.
I didn't expect to find such a clear motivation, second only to the threat of sudden death.
The subtitle for this week’s broadcast of Re-listing! Idol Inc. was as follows:
<Re-listing! Idol Inc. – Performance Review>
I didn't expect a talk show to have such a concept-heavy subtitle, but it was a fairly impressive naming choice.
The content was no different from a typical audition program special.
They brought in the surviving contestants, sat them down, asked questions, and had them share some behind-the-scenes stories.
However, because it was a live broadcast, there was no magic of editing, and naturally, the intensity of the questions was much lower than usual.
"Oh~ 14 people are 'Dippers'! As expected, dipping is the trend!"
Consequently, the majority of the screen time was filled with this kind of TMI.
‘They’re really phoning it in,’ I thought to myself as I lowered the "Dipper" paddle I was holding.
Instead of the usual MC, a celebrity frequently seen on talk shows was hosting the program.
His wit was impressive; he managed to keep the energy up without any dead air, even with twenty amateurs.
‘Still, at this rate, the ratings are going to tank.’
Every time I thought that, the MC threw in a new segment.
"The next corner is~ Random Play Dance!"
It was a famous segment with a simple rule: run out and dance when the music starts. But with twenty people rushing out at once, it was a chaotic, festive mess.
- Come to me
Come to me
Dazzling, the Paradise by your side
"Waaaah!"
"I wanted to try this!"
Cha Yu-jin and several other contestants ran out to dance to Malang Dalkom’s Into the New World.
"Oh~"
Seeing them follow the choreography from the first team match as if they were completely immersed, the contestants from the October 31 team burst into laughter and applause.
Since they only used songs that had appeared on the show, seeing contestants perform other teams' choreography seemed like it would be in high demand.
‘Not bad,’ I thought.
…But the moment I did, a familiar melody hit my ears.
- POP! POP!
You’re my popcorn~
"Uh? Uh?"
"Whoa, this one!"
"Hahaha!!"
The contestants who were heading back suddenly sprang out and started dancing to Popcorn.
Since the dance was so easy and famous, almost all twenty people seemed to have come out.
Meaning, everyone except me.
"Moon-dae-ssi! Moon-dae-ssi!"
"……."
The MC excitedly called out for Park Moon-dae.
‘I guess this will haunt me until I retire….’
I trudged out and joined the other contestants.
Since I was doing it anyway, I might as well do it right.
- POP POP POP!
POP☆CON!
Thanks to the production crew who insisted on playing the track until the very end, I even had to do the final pose before heading back.
The guys who had been at the front while dancing chattered as they walked back with me.
"Wow~ Moon-dae, you’ve really improved!"
"He’s a genius, a genius."
"…Let’s stop."
"Oho~? It’s a compliment. Are you shy?"
"Hyung-nim, you’re far too humble~"
"……."
I started to think that being on the same team as Keun Se-jin and Gold 2 was a mistake.
Anyway, the broadcast picked up a good rhythm like that.
The twenty contestants, none of whom held back, desperately threw themselves into the content and actively followed the MC’s lead.
"Now, now, let’s take a moment to ask some questions we received from our viewers."
"Oh~"
"Wait a moment, let me pick a name…."
The MC pulled a ball from a box prepared in the corner of the set and read the name inside.
"Contestant Park Moon-dae!"
"…Yes."
I didn't expect to be hit by that 1-in-20 chance.
I quickly raised my hand and answered.
The MC picked up a tablet PC—a PPL product for Idol Inc.—and swiped through the screen.
He seemed to be filtering for a question suitable for the broadcast.
"Among the questions coming in now… Ah, this one!"
The MC tapped the screen to enlarge the question, then turned it toward the camera and read it aloud.
"Um, 'Is it true that Moon-dae changed his name?' is the question!"
"……."
What?