Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: A Story in the Making
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Soon, the lights came back on, and Wi Yeo-jun, Park Ji-ham, and Seo Yoon-seul appeared on stage.
“First, please introduce yourselves.”
“Hello. I’m Park Ji-ham from ‘First Love’.”
“And I’m Seo Yoon-seul.”
As the two bowed, a wave of cheers and applause followed.
“I think I know why your team name is ‘First Love’ without even asking.”
“Yes. It’s for the reason you’re already thinking of.”
Seo Yoon-seul played along with Wi Yeo-jun’s comment.
“Then let me first ask if my interpretation is correct. The person Yoon-seul has a crush on has a crush on Ji-ham, right?”
“Yes. You saw it perfectly. It’s an unrequited first love.”
At Park Ji-ham’s answer, Wi Yeo-jun clutched his chest dramatically.
“Ugh. My heart aches.”
Seo Yoon-seul stared at Wi Yeo-jun as if he were a strange creature.
“Yoon-seul. Why are you looking at me like I’m some kind of spectacle?”
“What?”
Seo Yoon-seul, looking flustered, quickly tried to compose his expression.
“Was it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you used to be the shy type, Yeo-jun. You couldn’t even ask for water at a restaurant, so I had to do it for you. Seeing you like this now is just… fascinating.”
“I was like that, wasn’t I? I’ve changed a lot working in this industry. And back then, my self-esteem was really low. I think that’s why I acted that way. Anyway! This isn’t about me, so let’s move on.”
Wi Yeo-jun skillfully changed the subject.
“Honestly, I was a bit taken aback watching the rehearsal. You two are on the same team?”
“We were very surprised too.”
Seo Yoon-seul answered the question honestly.
“That’s right. I can’t say much for fear of spoiling the show, but I think I was in denial at first. The fact that we had to stick together, just the two of us and not in a group, felt like a lie.”
Park Ji-ham spoke cautiously.
“So, at first, I couldn’t speak my mind. Feeling sorry made me even more reserved, and it felt like our relationship was just getting worse. Honestly, in that situation, I would have gotten frustrated and stormed out of the practice room, but he didn’t. Instead, he calmly tried to start a conversation.”
“I just didn’t want to ruin the performance. I thought if we went on stage like that, it would be a disservice to everyone who came to see us. Even if we were eliminated, I wanted to give it my all without any regrets.”
“Why would you be eliminated!”
A sharp, high-pitched voice rang out.
Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere lightened a bit.
“Just in case.”
Seo Yoon-seul spoke in a playful tone he rarely used, careful not to worry his fans while also avoiding any misunderstandings.
He seemed to know all too well that if he confidently declared he wouldn’t be eliminated, the fans of the eliminated contestants would come rushing in, causing an uproar.
“In any case, it’s all thanks to Yoon-seul. He worked hard for the sole reason of putting on a good performance. He helped me in every way possible. Thanks to him, I was able to sing properly on stage. I’m truly grateful and sorry. I had my fortune told once, and they said I would meet a benefactor at twenty-four. I thought it was the writer who offered me a spot on RED CUBE. But it seems that wasn’t it.”
Park Ji-ham’s sincere words weighed heavily on his fans’ hearts.
When the fans of team ‘Villain,’ including Seo Yoon-seul, had been causing a stir, they had gotten angry, asking why their guy was being lumped in with them even after it was revealed he wasn’t involved.
“Let’s go back and apologize.”
“Okay.”
They decided to have a moment of reflection.
Seo Yoon-seul’s fans, however, had a completely different reaction.
A rivals-to-lovers story.
This was clearly a rivals-to-lovers story.
Even without saying it out loud, they were all thinking the same thing.
It was like watching a drama unfold.
This friendship narrative is bound to be a hit.
There was no way RED CUBE would miss out on a story like this.
‘I can’t wait to watch the actual broadcast.’
***
Time flew by quickly.
The fans who had managed to get into the audience for the recording had already drafted their social media posts to upload after the broadcast.
A fan of Seo Yoon-seul, who ran an account called ‘Water Shimmer,’ sat in front of the TV with anticipation.
“Please, let our Yoon-seul… have a lot of screen time.”
While the account owner prayed earnestly, the show began.
[We will now begin the ranking ceremony.]
Although she knew Seo Yoon-seul hadn’t been eliminated, the ranking was still important, so she couldn’t relax.
“Please. A safe spot for debut.”
[9th place. Seo Yoon-seul.]
While it was a high rank, it wasn’t within the safe zone for debut, and she couldn’t hide her disappointment.
“Ah…”
[Thank you so much. The fact that I’ve been given another chance to stand on stage is all thanks to the fans who have supported me. Thank you so much, I love you.]
Unlike his disappointed fan, Seo Yoon-seul looked happy.
He gave a shy smile to the camera and made a finger heart.
“Wow. He knows exactly what we like.”
Objectively speaking, Seo Yoon-seul had cute features.
RED CUBE had even officially given him the nickname Golden Retriever, which said it all.
“Yoon-seul. Don’t worry. I’ll work even harder.”
The account owner’s passion flared.
Once again, first place went to Haru.
[Thank you so much. I came to Korea from Japan with a dream, but I was always anxious because I hadn’t achieved anything… I guess it was all so I could be this happy. I hope that everyone who supports me can always be happy too.]
His sentences were so clean you wouldn’t think he was Japanese.
“Honestly, he deserves to be popular.”
He had chubby, hamster-like cheeks, delicate features, and great skills.
He also took good care of those around him.
He was definitely the type to attract a dedicated fanbase.
“I’m jealous. Objectively, our Yoon-seul is also the type to really draw in fans.”
The account owner felt that Seo Yoon-seul’s situation was incredibly unfortunate.
If it weren’t for what had happened, Seo Yoon-seul would have surely succeeded.
He wasn’t lacking in any department.
After the ranking ceremony ended, a commercial immediately appeared.
[Agh. So refreshing. CCC Lemon!]
It was that drink that kept appearing as PPL, even though no one drank it.
“Honestly, they should give our Yoon-seul a commercial deal later. He didn’t take a single sip… but it’s a fact that he made it go viral.”
The account owner muttered to herself, nodding.
Fortunately, the commercial break was short.
[Now that everyone seems to be seated, let’s first show you the songs.]
Since the account owner had succeeded in getting a ticket to the recording, she already knew who had performed which song.
What she was curious about now was how the teams were formed.
That was all.
[Are you all watching and deciding which position you’d like to take?]
*Dun-dun.*
An ominous sound effect played.
The producers had successfully given not only the contestants but also the viewers a serious case of PTSD, as strange things always happened whenever that sound was heard.
“If I feel this way, I can’t imagine how the trainees feel.”
The account owner felt a sense of pity for the RED CUBE contestants.
[Unfortunately, for this mission, you contestants will not be able to choose your positions.]
“Right. This is why you were stalling.”
The screen showed the contestants’ shocked faces.
Among them was Seo Yoon-seul.
“Ah, our Yoon-seul trying so hard to keep a straight face whenever things like this happen is so cute!”
It was a reaction that lasted barely a second, but the account owner furiously punched the cushion next to her.
[So, how will the positions be decided? You’re curious, aren’t you?]
The contestants’ resounding answer was heard.
“They’re all such pros. If it were me, I would’ve thrown a fit right there.”
[Wow. What a powerful response. Now, bring it in!]
As soon as the words were spoken, an airball lottery machine was brought in.
“What on earth is that?”
It wasn’t some kind of gambling den, but they kept forming teams randomly since the last mission, which the account owner didn’t like.
[I really wish they would just let us form the teams. Didn’t they do that before?]
↳ They did. It’s been unusually random this season.
↳ Previously, fans pretty much paired up people with good chemistry, but that made the atmosphere too friendly, so I think they changed it this time.
The reactions on social media were similar.
“Well, it’s a TV show, so I guess they have to make it entertaining.”
Though she didn’t quite like it, she nodded in understanding.
[We’re going to draw balls now. As you might have guessed, there are numbers written on the balls. So, how about we test it out by picking the two members for the ballad team, which has the fewest members?]
“So that’s how it happened. Isn’t this rigged?”
Otherwise, she couldn’t understand how Seo Yoon-seul and Park Ji-ham ended up on the same team.
“At least it worked out in the end.”
After the team selection was over, it was time for practice.
[Are you thinking about something?]
Park Ji-ham responded to Seo Yoon-seul’s questions with one-word answers or silence.
At that, the account owner pounded her chest with her fist.
“What is this? How do they get close after this?”
[It’s fine with me, so you can take all the highlight parts.]
At Park Ji-ham’s words, Seo Yoon-seul’s brow furrowed.
[You can’t do that.]
It was the first time she had seen Seo Yoon-seul get angry like that, so the account owner swallowed dryly.
“So that’s what Yoon-seul is like when he’s angry.”
[My vocal range isn’t that wide. I was a lead vocalist, but I got vocal cord nodules right before my debut and had to switch my position to rapper. I can’t handle this.]
“Huh?”
As she was freezing in shock, the screen switched to another team.
She was dying to know what happened next, but no matter how long she waited, it didn’t come up.
[What do you guys think about changing this part like this?]
The broadcast continued to show stories from other teams.
“They’re planning to show it next week. But vocal cord nodules… I never would have guessed.”
Just as the account owner finished her thought, the preview for the next episode appeared.
[Ji-ham has vocal cord nodules right now.]
After Seo Yoon-seul’s single line, the screen changed.
It briefly scanned through other teams practicing, then showed a montage of performance highlights.
A scene of Park Ji-ham hitting a high note was included.
It sparked curiosity about how Park Ji-ham, who had vocal cord nodules, was able to hit the high note so stably.
[Actually, I wanted to apologize a long time ago. I just missed the timing… No. That sounds too much like an excuse.]
The preview ended with Park Ji-ham’s apology.