Who Owns the Throne

Who owns the throne?

As far as I knew, Yu Seol had won My Idol Academia in my previous life with overwhelming results. But in this life, my participation had become a shackle around her ankle.

My team had taken first place in the first team performance, and my individual fancam had surpassed hers to claim the number-one view count. From Yu Seol's perspective, I had to be an intensely irritating presence.

In fact, she had…

"A genius like you… you'd never understand me."

She had spoken words laced with resentment toward my existence and had clashed with me at every turn. Now that I had risen to a level that threatened even first place at the first ranking announcement, it would have been natural for her to find me detestable.

And yet…

"……."

"……."

The expression she wore as she looked at me held no malice — only her usual cold blankness.

No… something about it feels a little different from usual…

Similar to her ordinary face, and yet somehow not. Looking at her expression, I felt a strange sense of dissonance I couldn't quite place.

And before that dissonance could resolve itself—

Swoosh—.

Yu Seol walked straight past me.

"……?"

It was strange. Even without cameras rolling, Yu Seol's behavior was always cold — but just now she had passed me as if I were a pebble on the roadside. As if she were deliberately ignoring me.

Even for Yu Seol, standing on the brink of such an important ranking announcement, she should have been conscious of me as a rival…

…What is this?

I tilted my head and kept staring at her retreating back, but I couldn't figure out the reason. In the end, I had no choice but to carry that unsettled feeling with me as I headed toward where the others were gathered.

"Unni—!"

As I approached the crowd, Park Yujeong called out with the familiar brightness I had come to expect, and—

"Yerin."

—Lee Hyejeong greeted me as well.

"…Unni."

The moment I faced Lee Hyejeong, I checked her wrist first. I needed to make sure she hadn't lost any more weight.

"Hmm… Unni…"

…Still thin. When I narrowed my eyes at her, Lee Hyejeong managed a difficult smile.

"Well… once you lose the weight, it doesn't come back easily… haha…"

"……."

"I'm serious, Yerin. I really tried, but it just wouldn't…"

"…I understand. And Unni — I'm only worried about you…"

"I know, I know. Thank you, Yerin."

She smiled brightly, as if she understood my sincerity, and I stepped closer to take her hand.

Watching us, Park Yujeong came over and said,

"More importantly, Yerin Unni. You were always pretty, but today you're literally glowing."

She nestled against me with a mischievous face and giggled.

"I guess the predicted first-place finisher at the ranking announcement really is on a different level, huh?"

"Hey… you…!"

"Eeing—, I was joking!"

She frantically shook her head, terrified someone might overhear, then threw herself into my arms like a puppy.

"But you know it wasn't a complete joke, right? I really think Unni is going to take first! Oh, Unni! You hit number one on YouTube's trending list too — did you see?"

"…Yeah, I saw."

"Number one individual fancam says it all! Unni! You're definitely going to get a great result!"

"Thanks. You will too, Yujeong. And you as well, Hyejeong Unni."

"…I hope so."

The three of us cheered each other on and made small talk while waiting for filming to begin.

And then—

"Alright, everyone. We'll begin the main shoot now~."

With a staff member's cue, the cameras started rolling.

"Hello, everyone."

The opening remarks belonged to Han Siwoo, by now a familiar presence. But there was one difference…

"We will now proceed with the ranking announcement. And any contestants who fall under the elimination criteria in this ranking announcement must leave this place immediately."

…There wasn't a single trace of humor in his tone.

The elimination criteria for the first ranking announcement were clear: the bottom six teams from the first team performance, excluding the top three individual ranks from each of those teams.

So at least several dozen people will be eliminated here.

And many of the contestants seemed to have already roughly figured out whether they were safe or not…

"……."

"……."

Dazed faces were scattered throughout the room. They wore expressions that said they just wanted the filming to end as soon as possible.

But the production staff were never going to let that happen.

"Alright, then — before we announce the rankings…"

Swoosh—, swish.

"……Huh?"

"…What is this?"

Before Han Siwoo even finished speaking, the staff appeared en masse and began distributing something to the contestants. They were name tags made in sticker form. But unlike ordinary name tags…

Next to the name, a predicted rank was printed.

"The name tags the staff are distributing right now list not only your names, but also the ranks you yourselves predicted and sat in during the first filming's seat selection."

Ah, right. During the first filming of My Idol Academia, when the only seats left were first and ninety-ninth, I had sat in the ninety-ninth seat without a second thought. The predicted rank seemed to refer to the seat I had chosen back then.

I had nothing to be ashamed of, so the moment I received the name tag, I stuck it right onto my jacket.

But not every contestant could attach theirs with the same pride.

"Um… do I really have to put this on…?"

One contestant was pleading with the staff, her face flushed red.

That girl…

She had clearly received an F Rank in the final grade evaluation and had also landed in the bottom six teams during the team performance. I remembered her — the one who cracked on a high note and botched ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the choreography mid-stage, completely wrecking the performance.

And on her name tag…

…a rather high predicted rank was printed.

"I—I never meant to sit in the eighth-place seat back ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then…! There just weren't any other seats left…! I don't want to put this on…! Please…!"

"I'm sorry, but under the contract, all contestants are obligated to follow the production staff's instructions~."

The contestant cried out in injustice, but the staff cut her off coldly — there was nothing they could do.

She might feel wronged, but it can't be helped.

Besides, by sitting in a high-ranked seat back then, she had received more screen time than the other contestants. She had to pay the price for that.

And whether there were many contestants of a similar type, most of them looked even more miserable after receiving their name tags.

"Alright! Once all contestants have attached their name tags, please look at the screen!"

Flash—!

Han Siwoo pointed at the screen and called out, and a list containing dozens of names appeared.

"…That's."

The moment the list went up, the contestants started searching for their own names before any explanation was given. I did the same. But my name wasn't on it.

"This list is the candidate list for elimination."

"……!"

"Of the fifty people listed here… regrettably, a total of thirty-eight eliminations are included. Those thirty-eight eliminated contestants must, I'm sorry to say, leave the set immediately."

"……."

At Han Siwoo's words, some people exhaled in relief while others hung their heads. The difference was simply whether their name was on the elimination list or not. The knowledge that the eliminated would have to leave the set right then and there only deepened the pity.

"Then, from this moment, we will call out your ranks."

And so, under a heavy atmosphere, the ranking announcement began.

"……This contestant's rank is ninety-eighth, with a total of 541 votes!"

"Th-thank you—!!"

The ranking announcement started with contestants who had avoided elimination by not being in the bottom six teams, but who still held low individual ranks. The girl just called had placed ninety-eighth in individual votes, yet her team had finished fifth in the team performance, sparing her from elimination.

…541 votes. That's about the level of family and cousins voting every day.

She had been lucky enough to survive this round, but what would happen in the next performance was painfully obvious.

And yet…

"……."

"……."

The contestants on the elimination candidate list looked even at the ninety-eighth-place survivor with envy.

Like that… the calling of the low-ranked survivors proceeded at a rapid clip, and—

"Next are the contestants who ranked from thirtieth to twenty-first. Those whose names are called, please come forward."

From thirtieth place onward, they announced ranks in groups of ten to heighten the tension. Among those worth noting, Lee Hyejeong received a total of 23,186 votes and was assigned twenty-eighth place.

When her name was called for twenty-eighth, Lee Hyejeong managed a difficult smile, took the microphone, and gave her remarks.

"…Thanks to all of you, my fans, I've been able to continue on to the next challenge. I'm truly grateful, and I will make sure to repay you."

As she sat in the twenty-eighth seat after saying that, her expression looked somehow bittersweet. And she had every right to feel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that way. She hadn't merely been in the safe zone — she had originally been an upper-tier A-grade contestant. Production staff's deliberate suppression and her limited broadcast screen time had assigned her a rank far below her actual ability.

If our team had fallen into the bottom six during the team performance, Hyejeong Unni would have been eliminated.

Thinking that left a bitter taste I couldn't quite shake.

Next, one of the contestants I was closest to — and my teammate from the first team performance — Park Yujeong was assigned sixteenth place.

"I truly feel like I've received more love than I deserve, all thanks to my fans' support—!! I'm so, so grateful, and I'll show you an even more improved version of myself going forward—!! I love you, fans—!!"

Shouting that with a radiant smile and even throwing heart hands at the camera, Park Yujeong looked genuinely adorable. Compared to the predicted rank of 100 on her name tag, her actual placement of sixteenth gave a real sense of how much she had grown.

Yujeong played it smart.

Right about now, plenty of contestants were probably regretting it — wishing they had sat in a lower-ranked seat during the seat selection segment.

Yujeong might actually debut…

She was sharp, her image was good, and her skills were solid. She had laid down a growth narrative from the very start, giving her excellent ranking potential. It felt like she was methodically checking off every box on a curriculum designed for debut.

"Alright, then next…"

"Ah."

I had been thinking about Park Yujeong when Han Siwoo continued his remarks, and I flinched. The previous group had covered eleventh through twentieth, so I assumed I was next.

But—

"The group from third to tenth place."

"…!"

"First and second place will be called separately."

Apparently the production staff had no intention of announcing first place so easily. I shook my head as the next group stepped forward, and of course, the only ones left were Yu Seol and me.

"…Ugh!"

Everyone else must have known that first and second place would be between Yu Seol and me — everyone except Seo Yujin, apparently. She seethed with frustration at not being included among the first- and second-place candidates as she walked forward.

And within the third-to-tenth group, fourth place went to Na Hanna, and third to Seo Yujin.

Na Hanna delivered her remarks with her usual sleepy eyes and minimal emotion, while Seo Yujin…

"…Of course, this isn't a result I can be satisfied with, but I'll work even harder and definitely take first place next time."

A thoroughly characteristic remark from her. Calling third place an unsatisfying result was the kind of comment that could rub people the wrong way — but nobody's attention was on her at all. Only the final highlight remained.

"Well then… all that's left is the announcement of first and second place, and… the elimination announcement."

"……."

Those whose names were on the elimination list looked thoroughly uncomfortable, as if they would rather have their own results announced first. But the production staff of My Idol Academia had no interest in the feelings of the weak.

"We'll announce first and second place first."

"……."

I had thought I was fine at first… but now that my own rank was about to be announced, the tension hit me.

I'm not the only one, right?

Curious about what expression Yu Seol would make, I glanced sideways at her. Standing in front of the cameras, she was putting on an exaggeratedly tense face. Knowing her as well as I did by now, I could tell she was overacting.

Still performing even in a situation like this… she really was a professional.

But then, the next moment—

"To give you the vote counts first… first place has 635,820 votes, and second place has 587,475 votes — a difference of roughly fifty thousand votes between first and second."

"……!"

A fifty-thousand-vote gap between first and second. The moment that larger-than-expected difference was announced—

"……."

……Huh?

Yu Seol's acting face cracked, and for an instant her true expression slipped through. It was only a moment, but it was a mistake I couldn't believe Yu Seol of all people would make.

"What? Fifty thousand votes?"

"…Whoever takes first here is basically locked in for the win, right?"

But the other contestants were too busy murmuring over Han Siwoo's words to notice Yu Seol's momentary change. I was the only one who had seen her real face.

And—

More than that — a fifty-thousand-vote gap…

I, too, was soon surprised by how large the difference between first and second actually was. Fifty thousand votes was a margin that could still be overturned depending on the content of future stages. But if you had to ask who had the higher probability of winning if it went all the way to the finale…

The person in first place right now has an overwhelmingly higher chance of winning.

I swallowed hard. Sweat gathered in my palms, and my fists clenched on their own.

The peak of the pyramid. The first-place seat.

During the first filming's seat selection, I could have sat there — and I had deliberately avoided it, choosing the ninety-ninth seat instead. Back then, I had believed that seat wasn't mine.

But now…

…I want it. First place.

I wanted to sit in that seat. It felt as though the seat itself was calling to me.

"Then, we will now announce the first-place contestant of the first ranking announcement—!!"

Time seemed to slow as I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠focused entirely on the shape of Han Siwoo's mouth.

And—

"Congratulations—!! First place is…!"

Step. Step.

The contestant who had taken first place at the ranking announcement climbed the stairs toward her seat. Han Siwoo — main MC and producer of My Idol Academia — watched her as if he were under a spell.

His heart pounded.

Even though he had known the results before any of the other contestants… he still couldn't calm the racing in his chest at the scene unfolding before him.

It's truly strange… Even if she's first place, she's still just a trainee who hasn't even debuted. Why is my heart pounding like this?

His original reason for appearing on My Idol Academia had been nothing special. He had simply wanted to fill the gap left by his long absence from broadcasting. The show had high topicality, so taking on the dual role of MC and producer would raise his name value for whenever he decided to start something new later on.

But those earlier calculations felt almost laughable now — his chest was bursting with a thrill he could barely contain. There were probably several reasons for that. But the greatest one was surely the contestant who had just ascended to the first-place seat.

"……."

Upon reaching the first-place seat, she examined the chair with her characteristic blank expression. And then—

"……."

—like a queen surveying her kingdom from a castle, she swept her gaze over the contestants below her and even the production staff beyond the stage.

From that look, Han Siwoo felt an overwhelming presence. It was something that couldn't be dismissed as mere talent — something residing deep within the soul.

Swoosh—.

Having finished surveying those below, the first-place contestant slowly settled into the first-place seat. On her name tag was a predicted rank that suited her not at all — ninety-ninth.

Ha Yerin, seated in first place, looked as though she had simply taken the seat that had always been hers — as if she and the chair were a painting made to fit together.

The queen of My Idol Academia had reclaimed her throne.

"……."

Han Siwoo forgot even to continue hosting and held that sight in his eyes for a long time.

The grueling trainee years. Debut. The first solo concert. The first album to hit number one. He had weathered so many of life's storms as a top idol…

But this scene… was one of the moments in his life he would never be able to forget.