Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The First Elimination
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“Of course, you can leave your thoughts on the videos in the comments. But there's one other method, isn't there?”
My lips went dry.
“The very thing that's probably crossing your minds right now. That's right, the 'Like' and 'Dislike' buttons.”
I’d guessed correctly.
The problem was how the two buttons would be applied.
‘Ah… this is bad.’
“The 'Like' button will be added to your total vote count.”
Since views and likes are almost proportional, there wasn't much of a reaction.
“Then, on the other hand, what about the 'Dislike' button?”
No way.
Feeling a tingling sensation in my fingertips, I clenched and unclenched my fist.
“The number of 'Dislikes' will be subtracted from your total vote count.”
Those who had been trembling with anxiety now rubbed their hands together, their eyes sparkling as if they'd found a ray of hope.
For me, this was devastating news.
In my case, while my views and 'Likes' were high, so were my 'Dislikes'.
It meant we couldn't know the results just by staring at our phones and checking the view counts all day.
‘I underestimated the production team. Of course it wouldn't be that simple.’
A producer who specializes in survival shows, of all things, wouldn't make it so easy for the contestants to predict the results.
We were all baited.
How ridiculous we must have looked, cluelessly checking our own view counts nonstop before the show started.
“Now you have no idea who the eliminated contestant will be, do you?”
The hands of those who had been offering comfort froze in an instant.
There's no room to comfort others when you yourself might be the first one eliminated.
“The contestant who received the most 'Likes' was Haru.”
With this, Haru was another step further away from elimination.
Even after subtracting the 'Dislikes', there was no way he'd be last among the 51 contestants.
“And conversely, the contestant who received the most 'Dislikes' is Seo Yoon-seul.”
Wi Yeo-jun's gaze briefly turned to me.
He looked worried.
I gave a small nod to show I was okay.
“Now, let's check the contestant in first place overall.”
The screen flashed chaotically before finally closing in on Haru's face.
“Congratulations. The overall first-place winner is also contestant Haru. Please share a few words.”
A staff member ran over with a handheld microphone and gave it to Haru.
Taking the microphone, Haru calmly gave his speech.
It was a standard speech about being thankful for the support and promising to work hard in the future.
“Yes. Thank you for your words. Now, we will announce the eliminated contestant.”
Unlike the first-place announcement, they dragged this one out much longer.
My legs were trembling.
I was glad I was sitting in a chair.
If I'd had to stand, my swaying body would have been broadcast for all to see.
The screen once again showed the faces of contestants.
But this time, there were two.
“These two are the candidates for elimination.”
One was Hwang Jae-hyeon, who made a mistake in Grade B.
And the other was Kim Tae-jin from Grade F.
Choi Seon-il from Grade C, who had the lowest individual view count, survived.
“For both of you, today could be your last day of filming. How are you feeling right now?”
Wi Yeo-jun asked, his voice slightly more subdued than before.
As the staff handed them microphones, they began to speak with difficulty, their voices thick with suppressed tears.
“There was still so much more I wanted to show... It's disappointing and upsetting to think I might be eliminated. But I won't give up here. I'll keep chasing my dream. Please watch over me.”
“I prepared so much, you know? I worked so hard to get here...”
His words trailed off.
He didn't seem to be in a state to continue speaking.
Watching them, Wi Yeo-jun let out a short breath, as if announcing the eliminated contestant was difficult for him too.
“I will now announce the true eliminated contestant.”
A loud drumbeat echoed through the room.
I had a feeling that after this show was over, just hearing a drumroll would give me chills.
“The eliminated contestant is Kim Tae-jin from Grade F.”
Kim Tae-jin's face filled the screen.
You could clearly see his eyes growing moist.
“Please give us your final words.”
Kim Tae-jin lifted the microphone with a trembling hand.
“Ha... I prayed and prayed it wouldn't be me. The moment I saw my own face, I couldn't breathe. I can still do more. This isn't all I have to give.”
As he continued, Kim Tae-jin's lips began to tremble.
It seemed he had reached his limit.
“Hic…”
In the end, he bowed his head and began to cry.
The Grade F contestants who had filmed the video with him gathered around to comfort him.
But his tears showed no sign of stopping.
You know how sometimes, when someone tries to comfort you, the emotions just overwhelm you even more?
That seemed to be exactly what was happening now.
“Contestant Kim Tae-jin. I understand you're upset. The more you wanted it, the greater the disappointment.”
Wi Yeo-jun added words of comfort in a calm voice.
“But I don't believe this is the end for you, contestant Kim Tae-jin. The actors who participated in *The Actor* with me told me something similar. They said they thought their lives were over when they were first eliminated from the program, but that wasn't the case. Many opportunities came their way, as if to show them it was a new beginning. As a result, every actor who appeared on *The Actor* is now shining in their own right, you know?”
It was realistic advice, appropriately mixed with his own experience.
“So, for you too, contestant Kim Tae-jin, this won't be the end. An opportunity to show your true self will surely come again.”
Finally seeming to have calmed down a bit, the contestants surrounding Kim Tae-jin returned to their seats.
Kim Tae-jin wiped his tears with the edge of his sleeve.
“Thank you.”
“It was a short time, but you worked very hard.”
Wi Yeo-jun's farewell concluded the situation.
It was like a signal that Kim Tae-jin now had to leave.
And with that, the filming concluded.
All the contestants went over to Kim Tae-jin.
“You worked hard.”
Although I didn't know him at all, I offered the polite words.
And just like that, he packed his things from the dorm and went back home.
***
A short break was announced.
With the unexpected elimination, the atmosphere in the dorm was indescribable.
Even the air felt heavy and stagnant.
Everyone was either lightly stretching or sitting on their beds looking at their phones; there was no conversation to be heard.
I also sat on my bed and took out my phone.
A message had arrived from Wi Yeo-jun.
[I believe you're not the type to be eliminated easily. So, hang in there.]
Wi Yeo-jun's manager had come up to me last time and given me his contact information, so we had started texting casually since the break.
Honestly, it would be difficult to go back to how we were then, when we were practically inseparable and closer than family, but we were slowly becoming friends again.
[I'll work hard. Let's grab a meal or something when the show is over.]
After sending the reply, I had nothing else to do, so I refreshed my social media timeline.
[RED CUBE premieres today, right? At eight?]
↳Yeah. That's right. I ordered chicken to eat while watching the premiere.
↳The ratings are gonna be guaranteed.
↳I'm gonna watch with my own two eyes to see if they push Seo Yoon-seul or not, and then I'm filing a complaint with NTV.
[Ugh. The sympathy wave for Seo Yoon-seul is so annoying. LMAO what's so pitiful about him...? Wasting sympathy on a celebrity is pointless. Go volunteer at a dog shelter or something. He's better off than you.]
↳LOL for real.
↳Didn't he make a ton of money?
↳He forced his way into events and variety shows.
↳True. Someone like him probably earned enough for a normal person to retire, right? It's easy for celebrities to make hundreds of thousands.
That was wrong.
Hundreds of thousands?
I'd never even touched that kind of money.
My payout was exactly 12,600 won.
We had to cover the dorm fees, food expenses, and even the damages caused by the members who left.
‘During the second-gen promotions, I think I made around 300,000 won?’
I was in my sixth year since debut and still living off my family. That said it all.
[There are so many desperate kids out there, so why does it have to be Seo Yoon-seul?]
↳But why do you hate Seo Yoon-seul this much? I seriously don't get it.
↳Seeing him just reminds me of the other members, so I hate him. And yeah, he denied it on a livestream, but who knows if that was a lie? Can't he just lie and be done with it?
↳Same thought here. Who would openly admit to doing something like that? Of course he'd deny it.
↳The RED CUBE production team must be thrilled. The controversy around Seo Yoon-seul never dies down. The show hasn't even aired yet, so honestly not many people have stanned anyone LMAO but so many people want to see what happens to Seo Yoon-seul and that kid from Grade B who messed up, what was his name? Jae-hyeok? Jae-hyeon?
[RED CUBE at 8. Can someone reply to this to remind me? Like 5 minutes before 8.]
↳LMAOOOO me too.
↳Me too, please.
↳Can someone watch it and just give me a summary?
↳A summary sounds good.
↳LMAO why are so many people suddenly gathering here? At this rate, I'm just gonna be glued to my phone all day and then watch RED CUBE.
I also wanted to watch the first broadcast today, but since it overlapped perfectly with the first day of training camp, it seemed I'd have to watch a rerun.
“Yoon-seul.”
Lee Ho-jun called my name in a low voice.
“Yes?”
I looked up from my phone at Lee Ho-jun.
He gestured for me to follow him.
I put my phone in my pocket and followed him out of the room.
When we reached the very end of the hallway, our steps naturally came to a halt.
“Yoon-seul.”
Lee Ho-jun spoke in a low voice, as if he had something secret to tell me.
“Yes.”
“I found this a little while ago.”
He fumbled in his pocket, pulled something out, and showed it to me.
It was a small badge.
Looking closely, I could see the number '1' engraved on it.
“What is this?”
“I don't know. I found it when I was getting water from the dispenser. At first, I thought it was nothing and was about to ignore it, but these things are scattered all over the place.”
“What?”
Lee Ho-jun pointed his finger toward the camera at the end of the hall.
There, resting on the camera, was a badge of the exact same design as the one on Lee Ho-jun's palm.