Chapter 6
Chapter 6
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Calculated Risk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
—The things you talked about so much
I can finally do them all for you now
The contestants' performances were completely out of sight, but their singing voices came through as clearly as if they were right next to me.
It seemed they had installed speakers in here as well.
With cameras present, it looked like they'd done it on purpose to film the other contestants' reactions.
I had more or less expected to hear the other contestants' songs.
“Yes. We enjoyed the song.”
“Thank you!”
“But you don't look like someone who's debuted before. We're not running this show with a bunch of trainees, are we? If we brought in fifty kids who are training right now, they'd do better than this. Do you know what that means?”
The problem was that their critiques were also coming through loud and clear.
“You don't look at ease at all. You're too desperate. Sure, desperation is fine. But when you're this desperate, it makes the audience uncomfortable. You should save that desperation for practice. How can you bring so much of it onto the stage? You know the saying, 'too much of a good thing'.”
Perhaps because only those who had debuted once were gathered here, the judges' comments were incredibly sharp.
“That's right. It was so overwhelming that it actually made me frown. It was draining to watch. The song you just sang was about expressing apologetic feelings to a loved one, wasn't it? If you had sung a song cheering on those who have failed, it wouldn't have felt this uncomfortable. Choosing the right song is a skill in itself. An idol needs to know when they shine the brightest.”
Few received complimentary comments.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there were none at all.
Because of that, the atmosphere in the waiting area was disastrous.
Some were shaking their legs violently, while others opened and closed their mouths so wide that their jaws clicked.
Eventually, some even started exhibiting strange behaviors.
Unable to sit still, they would stand up and sit down repeatedly, or even tear at their carefully styled hair. It was chaos.
It seemed the only ones sitting still were me and the person next to me.
“Next person, come in.”
“Hello! I'm Haru, formerly of ‘REDTEN’.”
“Haru, you're Japanese?”
“Yes, that's right.”
He's finally here.
Haru, the Japanese member who had been the leader of RE-V.
“I loved K-pop so much that I flew here in middle school to become an idol. I was a trainee for about two years.”
He had a gentle impression with his round face and eyes. Thanks to that, fans often said he resembled a hamster.
‘He was the member who consistently ranked high throughout the program, firmly in the debut-guaranteed zone.’
When the program was airing, I had re-debuted as part of the second generation of ‘GANGSTER-M’ and was living through a hectic whirlwind.
We were certainly in demand, but everyone just wanted to use me and my members.
Whenever I went on social media to post something, it was all about ‘RED CUBE’.
Thanks to that, even though I didn't actively watch the show, I came to know everything about it, just like a fan.
—It rained out
Rained out
‘Rained out’.
It was the song that gave the legendary second-generation idol group ‘CYZ’ their first number-one win.
—Like the rain, my heart pours down
‘He's really good.’
I'd only heard two parts, but I could already see why he was consistently in the safe zone for debut throughout the program.
Even though the song had intense choreography from the very beginning, his breathing was perfectly steady.
—It rained out
It was enough to make me want to see the performance with my own eyes.
Solid vocalization, a beautiful voice, precise rhythm and pitch.
He wasn't lacking in anything.
‘With that level of skill, it's no wonder he was always in the safe zone. I need to do well, too.’
My hands grew sweaty with nervousness.
I quickly wiped the sweat on my clothes.
But it was as if my sweat glands had broken; the sweat just kept coming.
‘Hoo… Just calm down.’
My turn was still a long way off.
I took a deep breath and calmed my mind.
Just do what I've prepared.
Just as I've prepared.
“We enjoyed the performance.”
For the first time, the voice of the judge who had been spewing harsh criticism just moments before was tinged with amusement.
What would come next was obvious.
“It was a very stable performance.”
As expected.
“This is a program for re-debuting, isn't it? We've gathered people who have already debuted, not trainees, so there's a certain picture we want to see. I've been saying that all along. This is it. Haru, you're exactly the kind of person this program was looking for.”
“Thank you!”
Haru's bright voice came through.
“Your pronunciation was so good while watching the performance that I forgot you were Japanese. You must have practiced a lot.”
The other judges also showered him with praise.
“Just keep doing this. We don't even need to discuss it. We'll give you an A grade.”
“Thank you so much! I'll work hard, so please look upon me favorably.”
Haru left, and many other contestants took the stage after him.
Perhaps because they were more nervous after someone like Haru received such high praise, all who followed made mistakes.
Minor mistakes like an unsteady pitch or a misstep were one thing, but one person stopped singing altogether, as if they had forgotten the lyrics.
That wasn't all.
Someone even fell on stage with a loud thud.
It seemed they had become even more nervous watching others make mistakes.
“Are you kidding me right now? If you're going to keep this up, just go home. How many people do you think wanted to be on this show? Huh? Say something. Why are you silent? Huh? I'm not scolding you right now. I want to hear what you have to say.”
The female judge began to completely tear into the contestant.
“I'm sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“…”
“Since you won't say it, I'll tell you. Hundreds. Hundreds of people submitted their profiles here! You trampled on their opportunities to get here. And you can't even handle this? If you're like this in front of just us, what are you going to do in front of thousands, no, tens of thousands of audience members? If the singer before you messes up, are you going to copy them and mess up too? If they do well, are you going to get nervous and mess up? This is why you all disappeared without a trace!”
That comment was a bit harsh.
It was too deep a wound to dismiss as just something for the broadcast.
I looked around and saw the faces of the other waiting contestants turning pale.
I, at least, was managing to hold my mental state together.
‘Maybe I've developed some immunity after hearing much worse things.’
Whenever I sang on stage, criticism would pour down on me.
Still, that was better than indifference.
Once, when we took the stage, all the light sticks in the audience went out, and darkness greeted us.
Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
They treated us like we didn't exist.
There was only one cheer.
After we had completely left the stage.
‘This is better than that. I guess that experience is surprisingly helpful in a way.’
Thinking that, my heart grew calmer.
After all, I was confident that the people here would at least genuinely watch my performance.
* * *
“Seo Yoon-seul. Let's get you ready.”
“Okay.”
At last, my turn had come.
I took a deep breath and stood up.
‘Alright. I can do this.’
Following the staff's guidance, I slowly made my way forward.
It wasn't a long walk, but to me, it felt like passing through a long tunnel.
Being backstage, it was dark and dim, which probably made it feel that way even more.
The stage lights looked like the reflection of light at the end of the tunnel.
As I stepped onto the stage, I heard voices whispering about me.
“Isn't that Seo Yoon-seul?”
“Ah. From that group, GANGSTER-M, right?”
“Wasn't he the one who caused a stir with that live performance recently?”
The judges' eyes narrowed as they looked at me.
Their gazes seemed to say, ‘So you're the one who's been making all the noise lately?’
But since I had done nothing wrong, I straightened my shoulders to appear more confident.
‘Don't be intimidated. The more I am, the more people will think I've done something wrong.’
“Hello. I'm Seo Yoon-seul.”
Everyone else had introduced themselves along with their former group's name, but I purposely left that part out.
“Are you disowning your group?”
The female judge who had been relentlessly spewing harsh remarks shot a sharp question at me.
It looked like I was already on her bad side, even before my performance.
“I can't say that I'm not.”
“Isn't that disowning your own efforts? Everyone here has steeled their resolve by revealing their failed pasts to the world.”
“I believe my case is a little different.”
“How so?”
“Because every member except me left after causing public controversy.”
A heavy silence spread.
Honestly, that judge probably knows.
That what I want to disown isn't my failed past or my efforts, but my former colleagues who caused a public scandal.
Nevertheless, she probably asked such a question because the producer told her to.
To boost the initial ratings.
‘So I'm the target of the devil's edit.’
I could already picture how I would be portrayed on the broadcast.
Right after that question, they'd cut to a shot of my face showing undisguised discomfort.
If I managed to perfectly control my expression on stage, they'd just splice in a clip from my individual interview.
They were going to create drama one way or another.
The things they told me at the first meeting must have been their way of giving me a heads-up.
To be prepared.
Since it's come to this, I decided to play along and set the stage myself.
The more I stand out, the more screen time I'll naturally get. The production team has no choice.
Because the best metric for a broadcast is viewership ratings.
‘And they won't be in a hurry to eliminate someone like that.’
There are already too many people who work hard and are talented.
All fifty-one contestants here have a desperate backstory.
Since everyone has tasted failure once.
So I need something different.
Something that can capture people's attention.
‘The devil's edit was what I wanted to avoid so badly, yet here I am, stepping into that pit myself. I guess that's how desperate I am. Desperate enough to risk controversy.’
“To be honest, that question is extremely uncomfortable.”