Chapter 9
The stage lights shone brightly on Luca, just like they did for every other contestant.
Hello! I'm Luca!
Her voice was so cheerful it made me wonder why I'd been worried at all. The moment Luca appeared, I felt a huge grin spreading across my face.
Today's avatar for Luca was dressed in a white dress that radiated pure innocence. She usually went for hip, trendy outfits on her streams, but maybe she'd chosen this to match her song concept. It had that perfect air-conditioner-ad vibe—fresh and appealing. Especially the silver headband that seemed like the focal point; it matched her outfit perfectly.
Yes~ Nice to meet you, Luca. We have to ask, of course. The third audition is heating up—how are you feeling?
Ah~ Actually, I was monitoring the live viewer count right up until a moment ago.
And wow, way more people are watching than I ever imagined.
It's a mix of nerves and excitement, I guess.
I wondered how many viewers it took to get her that excited, so I checked myself. Holy crap...
98,623 watching
Nearly 100,000 people watching. This really drove home how massive the Clozer Project had become. The first audition live stream hadn't pulled numbers like this... But with clips spreading everywhere and word of mouth building, fans had latched onto candidates left and right, thickening their fanbases.
Have you started feeling your popularity lately?
Ah... Hmm... Honestly, it hasn't really hit me yet, but since the auditions started, more people have been dropping by my personal streams. Hehe.
Got it! So, can you give us a quick intro to the awesome stage you've prepared today?
The song I prepared today is...!
From here, it was clear Luca had her lines rehearsed—she dove right into a crisp explanation of her concept and the song.
Then let's jump straight into Luca's performance!
A gentle accompaniment began to play. As I'd guessed from her outfit, I was even more convinced now that donating all-in on that song during her voting stream had been the right call. If this kills it, I saved you, Kim Do-ah. My monthly part-time gig nets me 500,000 won. That day, I'd blown 200,000 in one go on donations because this song was perfect for her. Not letting the judges and the world hear it would've been a global crime.
Unlike her earlier energy, the first verse laid calmly over the backing track.
"Missing spring means I still haven't forgotten you, right?"
"A season full of regrets. I'm still right there."
Good... good...! It felt like the exact same skill she'd shown on her stream that day. I gripped my fists so tight my palms were sweating as I glued myself to the screen.
The camera occasionally cut to the judges' faces, but since they were avatars, it was impossible to tell if they were actually smiling or what. From my view, she wasn't losing to Lea at all... I wondered if viewers felt the same, so I scanned the chat.
That jerk—look at what he's saying. What's Luca lacking? Huh? I'll remember your nickname, punk. But my reflexes couldn't keep up with the chat flying by too fast.
For first-timers or non-fans, reactions were mostly like that. Meanwhile, us, the villain fan club Pingdduk-dan, were unleashing absolute fire in between.
Whoa... No bans here, they're going all out. On her personal stream, that level of spamming would've gotten kicked instantly. But with so many viewers, even the spam got scrolled up in a blink.
Before long, the song hit its climax.
"Will that spring we shared together come back again?"
The high note signaling the chorus kickoff.
"Warm sunlight. That blinding smile."
The highlight she'd practiced endlessly—the melody that revealed her true identity—echoed through my tiny room.
"Still makes me breathe."
Kughhh...!This is it...!Exactly...! No cracks, perfect chill vibe. If this doesn't pass, what will? It's not pure vocal skill anyway! With singing like this and charm like that, isn't that enough?!
As the piano faded, the camera panned back to the judges' avatars.
Judges! What did you think of Luca's stage?
I'll start.
Surprisingly, streamer Black Stone jumped in first.
I really enjoyed the performance, Luca.
Ah. Thank you!
Luca's avatar bowed politely.
Vocals are Sisho's domain, so I'll talk streaming. From a personal streaming angle.
Yes, sure.
His gruff uncle voice had even me, just watching, on edge.
I've known you since before the auditions. I've dropped into your streams during my off-time, and my viewers send me your clips sometimes.
Ooh... Black Stone? Makes sense—Luca wasn't some tiny streamer; popular clips existed.
Haha... Yeah...
She hadn't expected that; Luca let out an awkward laugh.
Anyway, I strongly recommend Luca to the other judges.
Oh? Why's that?
The boss in his Taoist avatar leaned on his chin, intrigued.
What I value most is her deep understanding of subculture.
Sure, there are existing idol fans or random newbies joining the project, but right now, the most immersed viewers are those who already watched personal streams regularly.
Since it's a group emphasizing communication, having a member who gets viewer culture is key, in my opinion.
Sorry if I was harsh on others, but watch her stream and you'll get it. She’s really good at broadcasting.
Whoa... Black Stone, what the hell...! I'd been bracing for a beatdown when he volunteered first, but now I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Like having a daughter praised at school someday.
Heh heh... That good, huh?
Yeah, Boss. Check it out when you have time.
Other fandoms scoffed "That much?" while Pingdduk-dan roared "Obviously!" in the ensuing chat war.
Sisho! What about the vocals?
The host turned to the vocal coach.
Sigh... Tough one. But overall, I'm positive.
Her vocals aren't 'complete' or 'great singer' level, but she knows her voice well.
She seems aware of how others hear her voice and prepped accordingly. Right? Did you?
The camera focused on Luca's avatar.
I agonized over it, but using the viewer chance was huge. Haha...
Ah, the crowd wisdom chance.
Sisho's avatar cracked up.
Finally, project leader Hasaem gave his take.
As Black Stone said, Luca fits our ideal talent perfectly.
Yes! One rave review. One "not bad." Hasaem sounded good too—this locked in her third-round pass for sure.
However.
Ah. Why. Again. You said she fits. Just skip it.
From what I know, you haven't streamed long, and sessions are short... Hmm... I'm doubtful if you can handle the project schedule.
...This was tricky. Her student life got called out, and my mouth went dry.
Ey... If it's about real-life schedule...
Luca flashed a grin.
Just quit and be done with it!
...Does that include group projects? I had no clue whether to laugh or not.