Chapter 132: A Small Trigger (4)
132. A Small Trigger (4)
The first elimination results for Maze of Miracles were officially announced.
All idol fans had their eyes glued to the seventh episode, where the ranking elimination ceremony was broadcast.
[Maze of Miracles 1st Elimination Results]
(Rankings listed in order)
+WINGS Tier (Debut Lineup, 1st-7th Place)
Seo Tae-hyun
Jung Si-woo
Joo Eun-chan
Lee Yu-geon
Dan Ha-ru
Lee Do-ha
Kim Won-ho
+FEATHER Tier (Non-Debut, Survival Lineup, 8th-13th Place)
Yuki
Kang Ha-jin
Park Jae-young
Jayden
Gong Seok
Shin Kyoungho
+1st Elimination
Lee Pa-rang, Kim Min-wook, Kim Hee-geon, Yoon Tae-won
+Over the next 10 days, voting will determine 3 more eliminations in Episode 9
+Final live broadcast with the last 10 contestants
Comments:
"Wait, Ha-jin isn't in the Wings tier????"
→ "22 Shocking. I totally thought he'd be in the top ranks."
→ "33333333333 What do you mean he's 9th??????"
→ "See, this is why I told you not to get complacentㅠㅠㅠㅠ"
"Wow, Yu-geon skyrocketed ㄷㄷ Sympathy votes are no joke."
→ "Shut up if you don't know. Yu-geon had the highest individual votes in Round 3."
→ "Yeah, and that's exactly why it's sympathy votesㅋㅋㅋㅋ Let's be real, people voted because they felt bad he had to raise his siblings alone."
→ "You little— You think defamation lawsuits aren't scary? Congrats, you just earned yourself some jail time~"
→ "LOL good luck suing me~ㅋㅋㅋ I didn't even say anything false. Yu-geon stans are next-level sensitive."
→ "What are you on about? Didn't you see that post yesterday where someone was crying about getting a lawsuit notice? Go cry at the police station insteadㅎ"
"Pa-rang got eliminated after allㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ"
"It's really the beginning of the end for To My Dearest... I got so attached to all of them, this hurts... You guys worked hardㅜㅜㅜㅠ I hope you get another chance to debut somewhere elseㅠㅜㅜ"
"The debut lineup looks solid? If you just add K.H.J., it'd be survival show perfection."
→ "222 I had my doubts, but this actually works. The problem is—who do you kick out to fit K.H.J.? Just debut all 16 of themㅜ"
→ "Kick K.W.H., add K.H.J., and it's flawless. Period."
→ "Honestly, same."
→ "ㄴㄷ...ㅎ"
→ "Uh, K.W.H. fans are here too? Rude much?"
As the debut lineup slowly took shape, everyone began voicing their opinions.
The first elimination, arriving as late as Episode 7.
Rankings fluctuating unpredictably.
Three more eliminations in ten days.
And finally, the seven-member debut team to be decided in the finale.
Because Maze of Miracles had portrayed all trainees so warmly until now, many Destiny fans felt like they were abruptly waking up from a happy dream to this cold reality.
Amidst the loss, emptiness, worry, and anxiety—
The Maze of Miracles production team handled even the farewells with heartbreaking tenderness.
The show's official YouTube channel uploaded solo performance videos of the eliminated trainees—interviews sharing their thoughts, followed by one song each wanted to perform for their fans.
[To My Dearest, Please Stop Making Me Cry]
They rented out studios and prepared props just to give eliminated trainees proper goodbye stages? What kind of insane survival show is this?
[Rumor: Tae-il Came Up With the Goodbye Stage Idea]
He personally requested Miro to let him fund individual farewell stages for the eliminated trainees??? Is this man an actual angel???? Miro agreed, so the staff rushed to prepare everything...
"Seo Tae-il, please establish your own nation."
"Honestly, Miro and the production team deserve props for approving this."
"The company must've cared... Most of these trainees have been with Miro for a long time...ㅠㅜ Ah, I wish the next six eliminations were just a lie."
The goodbye stages ignited another wave of heated discussion, and naturally, the spotlight shifted to the surviving trainees.
Who would fall? Who would stay?
With scores completely reset, nothing was predictable anymore.
[Wait, what's in Episode 8?]
They already aired all the Round 3 performances in Episode 6,
No audience notices for new recordings yet,
Episode 9 is the second elimination...
So what's Episode 8 for? Any spoilers?
As everyone speculated about the upcoming fourth-round mission, Maze of Miracles officially announced it.
[Maze of Miracles 4th Round Mission — Guerrilla Concert (Including Online Live Stream) Notice]
The next mission would be an offline guerrilla concert, streamed live online.
"......."
"......."
"...What's with this atmosphere?"
Inside a practice room at Miro's new building, where the team had gathered to prepare for the guerrilla concert, Hajin broke the heavy silence.
But even Hajin, usually skilled at breaking tension, had no idea how to handle this mood.
Ha-ru, his eyes swollen from crying all night, sniffled as he reached for tissues. Hajin silently pushed the tissue box toward him.
"...The dorm feels so empty now."
Ha-ru blew his nose loudly, his words slightly slurred from holding back tears. Hajin patted his back, remembering that Ha-ru's roommate, Pa-rang, had been eliminated.
Just last night, the eliminated trainees had cleared out their dorm rooms. None of them had chosen to stay with the company—their contracts were fully terminated.
Both the eliminated and surviving trainees knew what that meant, so the dorm had turned into a sobbing mess the night before.
'I get how they feel, so I can't even say anything.'
The regret of parting.
The fear that they might be next.
The exhaustion from this endless competition.
All of it had crashed down at once.
Hajin couldn't bring himself to coldly tell his fourth-round teammates to pull themselves together.
'And of all teams, I had to get this lineup...'
He passed the tissue box to Seok-i, sitting across from him.
"Seok-i hyung. Here."
"...Thanks, Hajin."
A timid introvert and a deflated sparkle—what a pair.
Hajin sighed softly, glancing at the cameras positioned around the room.
How was he supposed to fix this?
"What's going on? Why is everyone like this?"
Just as Hajin raised his hands to pat some backs, he froze mid-motion.
Someone walked in—neatly dressed in practice clothes, a stack of sheet music in hand.
Jung Si-woo, the final member of their fourth-round team and their assigned leader.
"Did you finish reviewing the references and concept ideas? You were supposed to start while I printed the sheet music."
"Ah. Well, hyung, we were about to, but..."
Hajin trailed off awkwardly under Si-woo's sharp gaze, tapping his fingers on his thighs.
Even without Hajin finishing, Si-woo seemed to grasp the situation instantly upon seeing Ha-ru and Gong Seok—eyes puffy, noses red.
Hajin shot Si-woo a pleading look, hoping he'd know how to comfort them.
Si-woo sighed, resting a hand on his hip—but what came out of his mouth wasn't what Hajin expected.
"Dan Ha-ru. Gong Seok. Both of you, get out."
"......? H-Hyung?"
"Go wash your faces with cold water. Come back when you've stopped crying."
What kind of response is that?
Hajin and the other two trainees gaped at Si-woo's icy tone.
But Si-woo's expression didn't waver as he continued coldly.
"Save the crying for off-camera. This survival isn't over yet. We don't have time to waste—how long are you planning to sit here sobbing?"
"...But hyung, I mean—"
"Do you think the eliminated trainees wouldn't kill for this time you're wasting? Are you really going to throw away this chance just to cry?"
"......."
Hajin, about to intervene before Seok-i and Ha-ru burst into tears again, shut his mouth at Si-woo's next words.
A primal fear told him that speaking up now would be a terrible idea.
He hadn't known Si-woo for long, but...
One thing was clear: when Si-woo spoke like this, you didn't interrupt.
'Besides... he's not wrong.'
Hajin understood Seok-i and Ha-ru's pain, which was why he hadn't spoken up earlier. But he agreed—they needed to start preparing immediately.
And they weren't in any position to wallow in self-pity.
"......."
Silence settled after Si-woo's final words.
Hajin glanced between Si-woo and the other two trainees.
After what felt like minutes, Ha-ru abruptly stood up, biting his lip to hold back tears.
"...Sorry. I'll... go wash up and come back."
His words were mumbled, voice thick with suppressed sobs, but he didn't cry.
He just bowed once before darting out of the room.
Seok-i, hesitating, followed soon after.
"......."
"......."
Left alone with Si-woo, Hajin stared at him.
Si-woo ignored his gaze, calmly organizing the sheet music he'd brought.
Hajin helped sort the pages, lost in thought.
'This guy... I just can't figure him out.'
Si-woo was a potential Fixed Regressor candidate, but Hajin still couldn't pin him down.
They'd grown closer after the Blue Flare team's regression loop, but if someone asked if Hajin truly understood Jung Si-woo?
'Absolutely not.'
Si-woo wasn't the type to reveal much about himself, but Hajin found him...
Difficult.
'Still, since he's a candidate, I should try to get closer...'
"...Got something to say?"
"Huh?"
"You keep staring."
Si-woo didn't even look up as he spoke, making Hajin flinch.
This. This was exactly it.
Every conversation with Si-woo left Hajin feeling three steps behind.
Si-woo's previously silver-dyed hair had mostly faded, so he'd recently redyed it a soft brown. The strands fell smoothly over his forehead.
'...Fine hair.'
Hajin studied Si-woo, recalling the physical traits he'd noted from the Seon-gwija's past.
Soft facial contours, thick eyebrows, large deep-set eyes.
A sharp nose bridge, thin translucent lips—the epitome of a visual idol that would make Rene Entertainment drool...
"Am I that good-looking?"
"Yeah... Hyung, you're seriously handsome— Wait, what?"
Hajin, nodding absentmindedly, jolted when Si-woo smirked, as if reading his mind.
Somehow, Si-woo had finished organizing the sheet music and was now resting his chin on his hand, watching Hajin with amusement.
"Oh? Thanks for the compliment."
"...Hyung, I seriously don't get you sometimes."
"Yeah. I feel the same about you."
...What kind of person is this?
Hajin blinked stupidly at the incomprehensible exchange.