Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Just as Park Moon-dae expected, everyone from the viewers at home to the live audience was thrown into a state of utter confusion by the novel concept of "an average of 6.47 members."
Several audience members were already holding up their smartphones, posting to social media.
However, once the initial confusion passed, the reaction wasn't entirely negative. A sense of solemnity settled over the crowd as they realized the production team had actually tried their best.
People more or less accepted the situation. Of course, there were still plenty of people wailing that the number was far too small.
Around that time, as if perfectly timed, a new VCR began to play.
[Hello!]
[Yay!]
The video showed the participants, dressed in never-before-seen pastel linen outfits, waving and smiling at the camera. They were walking through a dark structure, with lights twinkling between the gaps.
Instantly, the atmosphere at the venue and on the internet calmed down.
The participants took turns holding the camera, each sharing a brief thought about the final broadcast before running off somewhere.
[Thank you for always supporting us!]
[I love you~!]
Since it looked like a typical sentimental VCR, the viewers gave the usual reactions. The live audience cheered whenever their favorite participant appeared on screen.
And the last participant left was, somehow, Park Moon-dae.
Moon-dae looked awkwardly at the camera and gave a slight smile.
[Thank you. I will definitely debut.]
It was a firm statement, unlike his usual self.
Leaving those short words behind, Moon-dae also ran out of the frame. Naturally, the comment sections in communities with many Park Moon-dae fans exploded.
To scrape together even one more vote, the fans suppressed their anger at every comment mentioning his family history and continued their promotional efforts.
Meanwhile, on the empty black screen where all the participants had vanished, the acoustic version of Shining Star playing in the background grew poignantly louder.
The viewers were swept up in a strange lingering emotion.
Then, the camera angle shifted. It was the direction the participants had run toward.
Following the rotating camera, the participants could be seen rising up on a lift.
Before they knew it, the broadcast screen switched to the concert hall. The participants were seen coming up onto the stage. What had seemed like a pre-recorded video was actually a live broadcast.
The participants held their microphones and began to sing. It was the acoustic arrangement of Shining Star.
The participants sang their parts with bright smiles. However, even before the first verse was over, participants began to sniffle one after another.
Of course, Park Moon-dae calmly handled his parts perfectly. His ad-libs in the latter half of the second verse were clean and catchy.
There were a few exceptions, but overall, the stage—filled with participants immersed in the sorrowful arrangement—made even the live audience weep. The performance ended with a close-up of Lee Se-jin’s pale face as a tear rolled down.
As they came down from the stage, the participants themselves were still struggling to shake off the lingering emotions.
Just as the stylists, who were fixing the makeup of the sniffling participants, were starting to get annoyed, the voice of the MC introducing a new VCR could be heard from above.
Ah, is it that?
Moon-dae guessed the content of the video without much excitement. It was the family segment, something that never failed to appear in the final episode of an audition show.
Of course, since Moon-dae had no family, he had just glossed over it.
They probably just filled it with shots of people sobbing.
He briefly recalled Kim Rae-bin crying so hard while watching his grandmother’s video message that his eyes were so swollen his sanpaku eyes weren't even visible.
Thinking that it must have been very easy to pick out cuts since most of the participants had cried.
For the record, Moon-dae only appeared in a few scenes where he was calmly patting the other participants on the back. He had no idea that this actually made people feel even more for him.
“…It’s all over now.”
“……?”
An unexpected person spoke to Moon-dae.
What now?
It was Lee Se-jin, the former child actor.
“Well… the program is ending soon.”
“Are you saying it’s not over for you because you’re going to debut?”
Why is this guy picking a fight all of a sudden?
Since he already had a lot on his mind, Moon-dae simply ignored him and didn't respond.
“…Must be nice.”
Lee Se-jin just mumbled that and went to a corner, looking depressed.
“…….”
Moon-dae decided not to react. If there was anyone who could afford to worry about others right before the final ranking announcement, they were a pushover.
The participants, who had been encouraging each other at the beginning of the live broadcast, had frozen up with extreme tension now that the sentimentality of the final stage had faded.
It was exactly at that timing that the staff called them again.
“Area B! Moving! We’re moving!”
With stiff expressions, the participants moved in a group. The long, final ranking ceremony was waiting for them.
My shoulders ached from fatigue.
If I didn't have the Fatigue Reduction trait, this would be killer.
It was hard to even turn my head or change my posture. The fact that thousands of people were staring intently at us from below acted as a fairly strong pressure.
They’re even closer than when we were performing.
The audience was closer than they had been during the team matches, which had been the closest so far. Even a slight roll of the eyes would lead to eye contact with an audience member below the stage.
Slogans were being waved right beneath us.
[Moon-deng-deng is debuting today]
The fact that it was written in Gungsuh font made it look incredibly solemn.
I feel like I should at least wave.
But I couldn't do that in this tense atmosphere.
“Now then, who will be the participant to take the glorious 6th place…?”
The MC had been recycling the same few lines, including that one, for fifteen minutes now. It was impressive that not a single person had been announced even though twenty minutes had passed since we came up.
Looking at the vote counts, I guess it makes sense.
I heard that the text votes exceeded a million, so it wasn't strange that they were still tallying them. Only after another three minutes did the MC receive a signal from the production team.
“Re-listing! Idol Inc., the final stock ranking combining internet and live text investments, 6th place! We will announce it now!”
I could feel the participants’ bodies stiffen around me.
“This participant has garnered attention for his overflowing leadership and outstanding skills.”
The electronic screen showed the faces of the corresponding participants in a dizzying blur.
…But why am I there?
I could understand Ryu Cheong-woo and Keun Se-jin.
I tried hard not to make an absurd expression. However, perhaps because I looked like I had no expectations unlike the other two, a few people below laughed when my face was caught on screen even in this atmosphere.
“Congratulations, Lee Se-jin… B!”
Keun Se-jin’s eyes widened, and as soon as the ‘B’ was added, he burst out laughing and hunched over.
“Haha…!”
Countless handshakes and congratulations from the participants poured toward Keun Se-jin. I gave a light high-five to Keun Se-jin as he came out after receiving all the congratulations.
“Ah… really, thank you so much. I tried so hard to give up hope.”
With a flushed face, Keun Se-jin smoothly shared his thoughts on making the debut group, showed off something like aegyo toward his fans, and then went up to the podium.
He really debuted.
I thought he might, given his upward trend.
It’s much better than someone I don’t know.
I calmly waited for the next ranking announcement.
…And after a long, painful wait of over fifteen minutes, the next ranking was announced.
“5th place is…! ……Ryu Cheong-woo!”
It was a completely expected selection. I actually thought his rank had dropped a bit, but he must not have expected it at all, as he showed tears for the first time in the program.
It’s good to have a decent person.
I sincerely applauded this time as well.
And then, 4th place.
“Participant Kim Rae-bin! Congratulations!”
Kim Rae-bin was so nervous he couldn't even properly receive the congratulations and stumbled as he ran toward the podium. Then, with clear pronunciation, he poured out his thoughts.
…But honestly, it sounded more like a presentation than a speech. It was because he listed what he was good at and what he was currently improving.
“…Therefore, the competency I have been developing recently is vocals. I will also pay more attention to my communication skills in the future so that I can fulfill my role as a member of the group in any situation with a more complete appearance.”
Only the last two sentences sounded like an actual speech.
“…Once again, I thank the shareholders who invested in me. And Grandma, Grandpa. I love you.”
Then he briskly pulled his mouth away from the microphone.
…Shouldn't he have said he loves his fans too?
Kim Rae-bin seemed to realize this only after returning the microphone, as he looked at the MC with an ‘oh no’ expression, but the ship had already sailed.
…Still, he’s a guy with a lot of uses.
I was reasonably satisfied.
The next announcement was 3rd place. I hoped it might be time for my name to be called, but… that didn't happen.
“3rd place is…… Seon A-hyun! Congratulations!”
Seon A-hyun’s face appeared on the screen after a long delay between him and Cha Yu-jin. Heat instantly rushed into Seon A-hyun’s face, which had been pale.
“Th-thank you….”
Surprisingly, Seon A-hyun didn't cry as he received congratulations. Thanks to that, I ended up hugging him along with the others, even though I hadn't planned to.
“I-I am a truly lacking person. T-to the shareholders who believed in and supported me… and to my friends, I am truly, th-thankful. I will become a person you can be m-more… proud of. Th-thank you.”
Seon A-hyun wept uncontrollably as he returned the microphone and went up.
Seeing someone who definitely hadn't debuted in the future eventually make it in made me feel strange.
Hmm…. I think it’s closer to a good feeling.
Because Seon A-hyun is a decent guy.
Now, all that was left was…….
“The final ranking ceremony of Re-listing! Idol Inc. is heating up! We are now on the verge of the long-awaited 1st place announcement!”
It ended up like this.
I suppressed a sigh.