Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Campaign Rally
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Practice continued without rest, like a factory in full operation.
Practice, more practice, and then more practice again.
Before, it had been manageable with just one song, but now we had to master all three, which meant we had to move even more frantically.
If there was one silver lining, it was that we only had to take the lead on the concept and arrangement for our team performance. For the other two songs, we just had to follow what RED CUBE had prepared for us.
“Let’s have lunch.”
“Okay.”
By now, I was sick of the boxed lunches we ate during the training camp.
“Spicy pork again today.”
“Tell me about it.”
The others felt the same way.
Meals had become nothing more than a way to fill our stomachs.
“When RED CUBE is over, I’m going to eat everything I’ve been craving.”
“Me too.”
“Same here.”
One by one, they agreed with Haru.
“That day we had barbecue was nice, though.”
“You can say that again.”
“Still, I’m glad they let us use our phones. I was sure we’d have to turn them in during the camp.”
Jung Eun-woo was right.
Most idol survival shows up to this point had collected phones during the lodging period.
There were too many potential problems for filming: someone could spoil the broadcast, or they could record or film something during the camp that could create public misunderstandings.
“Me too. I was a little surprised when they said we could use our phones.”
“Maybe it’s because we signed that pledge?”
Lee Ho-jun’s guess seemed plausible.
How many of the contestants had the ability to pay the impossibly high penalty fees if they got sued?
*It’s a relief if you don’t have any debt from settlement issues with your previous agency.*
Though rare, there were cases where a company, on the verge of bankruptcy due to mounting training and housing costs, would bill the trainees, leading to the group's collapse.
In such cases, unable to pay off the debt, some would take on various jobs and occasionally end up on a bad path.
*LM was honestly not a good agency, but at least they didn’t resort to such trashy tactics. That’s a relief.*
“Or maybe they know we’re too busy to use our phones anyway?”
“I think Haru’s right. We don’t have any time to use them except when we’re sleeping.”
The agreement was even more fervent than before.
“We all eat together, so we end up talking more than looking at our phones.”
“That’s true.”
The meal continued with light conversation.
“By the way, why did we get our hair and makeup done today? We usually film with bare faces, or just with some sunscreen on.”
Starting this morning, the production staff had taken us to get our hair and makeup done.
It wasn’t a performance day, so I honestly didn’t understand why they were going to such lengths.
It would all be ruined soon anyway, since all we were doing was practicing.
“They said they were just taking extra care of us before the finale… but maybe I’ve gotten a bit paranoid since coming on RED CUBE, because I keep getting suspicious over the smallest things.”
“You too? Same here.”
“Me too. I thought I was the only one.”
It seemed we had all developed the same PTSD from living in the same environment.
“It’s the same for me.”
We were truly feeling a sense of shared suffering.
As we were nearly finished with our meal, Park Ji-ham casually handed me an ion drink.
I glanced up at him, my head slightly tilted in a silent question.
“Drink it.”
A quick look around told me he hadn't given one to everyone; it seemed he had gotten it just for me.
“Thank you.”
I wasn’t thirsty at the moment, but since he gave it to me, I took a sip.
Ever since we had performed on stage together, Park Ji-ham had been subtly looking out for me.
I supposed it was his way of showing gratitude.
While I was thankful for his consideration, a part of me felt a little burdened by it.
*I’ll just have to get used to it.*
“Today’s practice will be held at a special location, so all contestants, please gather in the parking lot after your meal.”
“Okay.”
It looked like they were planning something again.
After finishing our meal, all the contestants gathered in the parking lot.
I had no idea what they were up to, but the presence of a bus made one thing certain: we were leaving this place.
“Where do you think we’re going?”
“I know, right?”
“I have no clue.”
And so, we could do nothing but wait.
After a few minutes of chatting, the PD appeared.
“You see that bus over there?”
“Yes.”
“Please board it for now.”
Without any explanation, we boarded the bus.
“You can sit wherever you like, but you must not open the curtains. You can’t see outside.”
I just picked a random seat near the front.
Park Ji-ham, who came in shortly after, sat down next to me.
“Alright, we’re departing!”
And with that, the bus started moving.
Because of the curtains, I couldn’t even guess where we were headed.
“How much longer do you think we’ll be going?”
“I wonder.”
“This feels like we’re being dragged off somewhere.”
I strongly agreed with Park Ji-ham’s words.
It really did feel like we were being hauled away.
*I just hope it’s not something weird.*
After about an hour’s drive, the bus finally came to a stop.
“We will be getting off after putting on these blindfolds.”
The PD said, handing out black blindfolds.
*What on earth are they planning that requires blindfolds?*
The production team wasn't going to answer me even if I asked, so I put on the blindfold without a word.
The others must have been thinking the same thing, as the only sound in the bus was the rustle of blindfolds being put on.
“It’s dangerous with your eyes covered, so please follow the staff’s guidance and get off one by one, carefully.”
“Okay.”
I placed my arm on the shoulder of the person in front of me and calmly disembarked from the bus.
There were no particular sounds or smells.
“Please line up.”
Following the instructions, we stood in a line and then stopped.
“You’re all curious about where you are, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Slowly, take off your blindfolds.”
As I removed the blindfold, a sudden flood of light made me instinctively squint.
“Waaaaaaaaah!”
I squeezed my eyes shut at the sudden roar of cheers, then opened them again.
We were on a stage.
I was bewildered.
And I wasn’t the only one reacting this way.
The other contestants also wore baffled expressions, their heads whipping around as they tried to make sense of the situation.
“Hello, everyone.”
A comedian who often served as an MC appeared with a microphone.
“You’re probably wondering what’s going on, right?”
This time, even the usual perfunctory reply didn’t come.
“Today, ahead of the final stage, we’re going to hold a campaign rally on the street.”
A campaign rally.
This was the first I’d heard of it.
“From now on, each person will have five minutes. We’ll give you time to hold your rally. The order will be from 14th place up to 1st place, in reverse.”
It was so sudden that my mind went blank.
We had our hair and makeup done, but we were in our practice tracksuits, so I hadn’t expected anything like this.
*Five minutes. How am I supposed to fill that time?*
“We should probably give you a little time to think, right?”
“Yes!”
It wasn't us who answered the MC’s question, but the people who had gathered to watch.
“Wow. We really have a lot of people here, even though we announced it so suddenly. We posted a notice on social media this morning, saying that the contestants would be holding a campaign rally today and asking anyone with time to stop by. But we never expected so many people to show up.”
People in the crowd waved their slogan banners vigorously.
Those without banners held up their phones with various messages written on them, like ‘We’re cheering for you’ or ‘Just came to watch,’ turning the screens so we could see.
“Alright, will the 14th-place contestant please step forward?”
The 14th-place contestant took a step forward.
He seemed incredibly nervous, his lips pressed tightly together.
*Beep…!*
An odd sound made me look around.
I soon identified its source.
It was a stopwatch.
It was a size you wouldn’t normally see on the market, likely so that the people in the back could also easily check the time.
“The clock starts now. Do whatever you can to leave a strong impression of yourself on the public.”
The MC finished speaking, but the 14th-place contestant just stood there, unable to do anything.
Meanwhile, the clock kept ticking.
“Hello.”
He finally managed to introduce himself after about a minute had passed.
*The higher your rank, the more time you get to think. That’s why they’re starting from 14th place.*
Even this was so typical of RED CUBE.
Watching the 14th-place contestant struggle to do something, I felt a pang of pity.
But if I didn’t want to end up like him, I had to think about how I would use that short five-minute window.
“…So please continue to support me in the future!”
Before I knew it, the 14th-place contestant’s time was up.
He returned to his spot with slumped shoulders, seemingly filled with regret for having used his time to ramble incoherently about himself.
Immediately, it was the 13th-place contestant’s turn.
After a brief self-introduction, he showed off a special talent.
It went over better than expected, and the atmosphere became cheerful.
“Hahahaha.”
The sound of people’s delighted laughter flowed endlessly.
His skill was impressive enough to make one think he would do well on variety shows in the future.
“Thank you!”
Seeing the 13th-place contestant use his five minutes so effectively made me even more nervous.
The 12th-place contestant performed beatboxing, and the 11th-place contestant performed mime.
He added that it was something he had developed at his old company when they told him to work on a special talent, and his skill was surprisingly high-level.
*I guess no one is dancing because there’s no background music. Most of them are showing off a special talent along with their pledge to work hard. But I don’t have a special talent like that.*
Soon, it was the 7th-place contestant’s turn.
I was next.
*Alright. I’ll sing a song. That’s my special talent.*
I remembered seeing a fan-made post on social media titled ‘A list of songs we want Yoon-seul to sing.’
I decided to sing one of them.
There was nothing more accurate than the fans’ perspective, after all.
“Thank you.”
“Will the 6th-place contestant please step forward?”
At the MC’s words, I took a short, deep breath and stepped forward.
“Hello. I’m Seo Yoon-seul.”