Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The First Elimination
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Two weeks flew by.
Once again, I packed a large bag for the training camp and arrived at the broadcast station.
“Yoon-seul.”
Lee Ho-jun, who was chatting with Jung Eun-woo, spotted me and waved happily.
I walked over to them.
“Hello.”
“How have you been? We never even got to contact each other since we don't have each other's numbers.”
Lee Ho-jun scratched his cheek with an awkward expression.
We had talked about exchanging numbers after the shoot, but we were so exhausted from the long filming that we missed the chance.
“That's true.”
“Since we're on the topic, let's do it now.”
After we exchanged phone numbers, Jung Eun-woo raised his eyebrows at me.
It seemed to be his way of showing he was glad to see me.
“Thanks for the advice back then.”
“Advice? What advice?”
Lee Ho-jun chimed in, his face full of curiosity.
“Last time, when I asked you to pass on the ointment I borrowed, we had a short chat. Thanks to the advice I got then, I managed not to ruin my video. So I wanted to say thanks.”
“Oh, that.”
Lee Ho-jun nodded as if he knew what it was about.
He must have seen the B-rank video.
“But what happened with that? They wouldn't have uploaded a video where you made one mistake, right?”
It was the question I was most curious about but hadn't dared to ask.
“Actually… it wasn't just once.”
Jung Eun-woo said in a low voice, glancing around cautiously.
“Not just once?”
Lee Ho-jun asked, as if to confirm the bad news.
“Yeah.”
I wasn't the only one shocked by his answer. Lee Ho-jun tilted his head so far it nearly touched his shoulder.
“Thankfully, they were minor mistakes, so the PD said there wouldn't be a problem with the footage, but I was so surprised when I saw the video. They used the biggest mistake I made.”
I could roughly guess what had happened.
‘If they had aired the minor mistakes, it wouldn't have created any buzz, and it was obvious the production team would get criticized for trampling on the dreams of a desperate contestant. But if they edited out the mistakes and made it look perfect, it would have been a bit boring.’
They must have weighed their options and realized that turning Jung Eun-woo's mistake into a positive story would generate good buzz, so they clearly pivoted.
Finally, all my questions were answered.
“By the way, did you two know each other before?”
The two of them seemed too close to have just met on set, so I asked out of curiosity.
“Ah. We were on the same show once before. You know ‘Star Light’?”
‘Star Light.’
It's a show where about thirty celebrities—idols, comedians, actors, and so on—sit on a panel and watch ordinary people showcase their talents.
The problem is, with so many panelists, the well-known ones sit in the front row and get to chat with the MC, while the less famous ones just end up clapping in the back.
They're basically human props.
They can't even introduce all thirty panelists, so the most you get is your group's name appearing in the subtitles.
You have to endure over four hours of filming just for that one line of text and a ten-second bust shot. It's a show with a terrible return on investment.
‘I was on that show too, early in my debut.’
At least back then, all four of us were there, and it was during what could be called GANGSTER-M’s golden age, so we got a decent amount of attention.
Though in a 90-minute program, our airtime was a mere five minutes.
“Yes.”
“We got close on that show. The wait times were long, and we sat right next to each other during the broadcast. Misery loves company, I guess?”
Lee Ho-jun said playfully, forcing a smile.
It couldn't have been a pleasant experience, but he seemed to be brushing it off like that, knowing there was no point in dredging up bad memories now.
“Get your outfits by rank!”
At the production staff's shout, the contestants who had been chatting in small groups moved to their designated rank areas.
“See you later.”
“Yeah.”
As Jung Eun-woo left for the B-rank area, Lee Ho-jun and I started walking as well.
* * *
Filming began after a short break to get ready.
We had changed back into our training sweatsuits, each marked with our rank.
“It's been two weeks. How has everyone been?”
Wi Yeo-jun said with a light greeting as he walked onto the stage.
“Yes!”
“We’ve been well.”
“We got plenty of rest and came back!”
Wi Yeo-jun nodded at the contestants' replies.
“I can tell from your bright faces. I saw the uploaded videos, too. You all were amazing. I watched every single one, and my eyes nearly popped out of my head.”
As if to show them his eyes properly, Wi Yeo-jun pulled down the skin under one eye with his index finger.
“Look how bloodshot they are.”
It felt strange to see the once timid Wi Yeo-jun acting like this in front of so many people.
“I watched every single one of your videos. So that means I voted, alright? Got it?”
Cheers erupted from all around.
“Before we move on to the next mission.”
Wi Yeo-jun paused for a breath before speaking again.
“I have an important announcement. I'd love to continue this journey with all of you, but due to the nature of a survival show, I'm sorry to say that there will be an elimination today.”
The atmosphere sank with frightening speed.
No one here could have expected an elimination today.
The first episode hadn't even aired yet, and we hadn't been told anything about eliminations.
‘Everyone must have packed all their things for the training camp…’
All 51 contestants had brought their bags, ready for the camp.
To pack everything assuming you'd be staying, only to have to turn around and go home with it right after arriving… that would be utterly miserable.
“The number of contestants who will taste the bitterness of elimination today is…”
I could hear someone next to me swallowing nervously.
“Just one.”
It was the kind of moment that called for a dramatic sound effect.
‘Just one person.’
Not going home with someone else, but alone.
It would feel like having it confirmed that you were dead last among the 51 contestants.
‘So this is how they crush your spirit.’
“Just one?”
“That's so cruel.”
“Please, I hope it’s not me.”
I even saw someone clasp their hands together in prayer.
Getting eliminated now would be a huge regret.
You'd be cut without having had a chance to show anything.
‘It won't be me, right?’
Honestly, compared to the others, I was relatively free from the fear of elimination.
‘Thanks to my main vocalist position, I got a lot of screen time, and the increasing number of posts saying the show was pushing me actually piqued people's curiosity, causing my view count to explode.’
Currently, Haru was number one in views.
And I was right after him.
Since they said views were votes, that meant I was in the safe zone.
“Unfortunately, the contestant eliminated today must pack their belongings from the dorm and go home.”
The room was solemn.
There was no reaction whatsoever.
Even those who usually forced a reaction were silent this time.
“You all know how the eliminated contestant will be chosen, as I explained last time, correct?”
“Yes.”
The reply to Wi Yeo-jun's question was weaker than ever before.
The faces of those with low view counts were turning pale.
“Before we check the results, let's watch the video of the contestant who ranked first in views.”
The screen lit up, and Haru's video began to play.
“Wow…”
“He's really good.”
Exclamations of awe burst out throughout the video.
“Is he really Japanese?”
Everyone was stunned by his perfect Korean pronunciation, so good that it made you forget he was Japanese.
Haru had a power that drew your eyes to him.
Despite being a main dancer, he had stable vocal skills and his facial expressions were excellent.
So it was never boring to watch him.
When the video ended, a round of applause erupted.
Everyone acknowledged his skill.
Haru licked his lips, looking a bit shy.
“Haru. You’re incredibly talented. I can see why you're number one in views.”
“Thank you.”
Haru bowed his head in thanks at Wi Yeo-jun's praise.
“Now, let's watch the performance of the contestant who ranked last in individual views.”
Everyone must have checked the video platform countless times to see the view counts, so they already knew who was last.
Therefore, all eyes immediately turned to him.
Choi Seon-il of C-rank.
As if sensing the stares, Choi Seon-il's shoulders began to tremble slightly.
“It’s okay.”
“That’s right. The total rank views matter too, right?”
The contestants sitting next to him quickly tried to comfort him.
Meanwhile, Choi Seon-il's video started playing.
In truth, it wasn't a terrible performance, nor did he make any mistakes.
It was just... unremarkable, with nothing to make it stand out.
That was the reason for the low view count.
‘After all, the contestant who made a mistake in the B-rank video ended up with a high view count.’
From Choi Seon-il's perspective, it must feel unfair.
He hadn't made any mistakes, yet he ended up with the lowest views. It was only natural he'd feel that way.
“We've finished watching contestant Choi Seon-il's video.”
As Wi Yeo-jun offered a formal comment, Choi Seon-il simply bowed his head in response.
He hadn't been singled out for a good reason, so the words 'thank you' probably wouldn't come out.
“This time, let's watch the video of the rank with the lowest total views.”
The screen went black for a moment before a video appeared.
It was the F-rank video.
A wave of mixed emotions swept the room.
Relief washed over the faces of the A-rank contestants, while anxiety clouded the faces of those in F-rank.
“Actually, there was one more voting method that we didn't tell the contestants about.”
As soon as the video ended, Wi Yeo-jun dropped a bombshell.
“Another method? They didn't say anything until now.”
“What could it be?”
“I was on my phone all day and I didn't see anything like that.”
Everyone was thrown into confusion.
I was, too.
‘There was another voting method?’
A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.
This was no time to be complacent, thinking I was in the safe zone.
I waited anxiously for Wi Yeo-jun to speak again.
The production team's skill at toying with people's emotions was no joke.
“When you watch videos on the platform, there's one feature that always catches your eye, isn't there?”
The moment I heard that, the ‘Like’ and ‘Dislike’ functions flashed into my mind.