Chapter 7: This is Just Unfair!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: This is Just Unfair!
7 PM.
I sat down in front of my monitor with the chicken I'd ordered for delivery and switched to full-screen.
[Alright, folks! Thanks for waiting!]
Inside my small studio apartment, the host's cheerful voice flowed from the monitor's speakers.
[The third round of auditions for YM's Metaverse Project, CLOSER! Let's dive right in!]
The auditions were always live-streamed like this.
Since "Metaverse" was the core concept, the judging also took place in the virtual world of VRWorld.
The map, which resembled a large broadcast studio set, gave off the vibe of a real-life idol survival show.
[Now, let's meet our panel of judges!]
At the host's cue, the judges took their seats at the panel one by one.
There were four judges in total.
While there had been three judges up until the second round, it seemed one had been added this time.
[Alright, let's have you introduce yourselves one by one!]
At the host's request, the judges' avatars began to speak in turn.
[Yes, hello. I'm Shisho, a dedicated vocal trainer at YM Entertainment~]
Shisho had already made a name for himself as a vocal coach on a real-life idol survival show.
I'd thought this last time, too, but why was he using an avatar like that?
Shisho's avatar looked exactly like a typical delinquent you'd see on a bustling Japanese street.
If he was going to use that, he might as well just show his own face.
It always felt a bit strange seeing well-known people sitting there with avatars that didn't suit them at all.
[I'm Ha Saem, the team leader of the YM Metaverse Team.]
Ha Saem, who introduced herself as the general manager of the CLOSER project, was using the avatar of a red-haired witch.
Again, I had no idea why she was using that avatar.
[Hahaha~ It's a pleasure to meet you all~]
But when it came to name recognition, no other judge could beat this guy.
[I'm the streamer, Blackstone!]
The man had come with a pitch-black stone avatar, fitting for his nickname.
The avatar itself looked ridiculously insignificant, but he was a top-tier streamer.
A pioneer of early internet broadcasting, Blackstone was the streamer who first popularized VR content in Korea.
He said he was specially invited by YM's casting team to be here.
The public's reaction to this was very positive.
This was because he was someone who had a thorough understanding of both the new technology of VR and the medium of streaming.
Alright. That left one new face on the judging panel.
The avatar he was using looked like a Taoist sage with a long beard.
[Hello, everyone. It's my first time greeting you like this, so it feels quite new and interesting.]
His voice sounded kind of familiar... Who was he?
While I was blankly trying to guess who it was, the chat was already going wild.
[Gasp...!]
[Wait... why is he here?]
[For real?]
[LMAOOOOOOO he showed up himself LMAO]
What? What's going on?
His next words made me fully understand the chat's reaction.
[The CEO of YM Entertainment. My name is Yoo Ho Seong.]
Huh...?
Wait. This guy is showing up?
It wasn't that rare for an agency's president to appear on an audition program, but the CEO of YM was known for not making many broadcast appearances.
[To be speaking like this in a virtual reality world and thinking about meeting the contestants... it feels very novel.]
This old guy.
He talked exactly like a middle-aged man who'd just encountered technology for the young.
[Of course, I'm sure you won't, but I hope all the contestants don't feel pressured and comfortably show us what you've prepared today. Hohoho.]
...That must feel like a division commander telling a private to "relax."
I started to worry about Luka.
Luka wasn't the type to get extremely nervous while interacting on her streams, but when it came to this audition, she'd always shown a very timid side.
It was the same during her last stream when she was worried about her song choice.
She had sighed over and over as if she had a real headache and seemed to be swayed a little too much by the viewers' comments.
She has to do well...
Anyway, I wonder what song she ended up preparing.
[Now, let's meet our first contestant!]
The first contestant to be called was the streamer Yuhwa.
[Hello! I'm Yuhwa!]
Just from her greeting alone, Yuhwa gave off the aura of a current idol.
Her avatar, with its shiny, flowing blonde hair, raised both arms high and waved.
[Yes, Yuhwa-ssi. This is the third round, so you've beaten quite a lot of competitors to get here. How do you feel?]
[Uh... I'm just really surprised, and I kept thinking, "Wow, I actually made it?"]
[So, what song have you prepared for us today?]
[Ah~ The song I'll be performing today is...!]
Yuhwa, the first one up, sang an idol song that had been a massive hit a few years ago.
To a non-expert like me, it felt... just okay?
In truth, since these were people who had already passed a singing evaluation, it was safe to assume that the terribly tone-deaf or rhythm-deaf had already been weeded out.
I was curious to see what the judges thought.
[Who should go first?]
The judges hesitated, deciding who would speak first.
[Should I start?]
Shisho, the vocal trainer, spoke first.
[Thank you for the performance, Yuhwa-ssi. But at the end of the day, this is a competition, and I'm here to evaluate vocal skill.]
[Yes.]
I could hear the tremble in Yuhwa's voice.
[To be honest, looking at pure vocal talent alone, I think it would be difficult for you to participate in this project.]
[Your ability to hit high notes is very weak, and you don't seem to be able to bring out your voice's potential in the lower register either.]
[Of course, we're not looking for a 100% professional singer, so there's room for consideration, but if you do join us, you'll have to work very, very hard on your singing.]
Oof... harsh.
While there had been a more coddling atmosphere in the first two rounds, even for those who weren't great, it seemed the judging from the third round onward was much stricter, since they were now picking the actual debut group.
[Then shall I give my comments now?]
The witch avatar, the metaverse team leader, took over.
[Yuhwa-nim, I understand you were active as a dedicated horror game streamer for quite a long time before joining this audition...]
[Yes, yes.]
[If you were to join our project, I think your usual style of streaming would be restricted, or its proportion would have to be greatly reduced.]
Makes sense... It was a project run by a major agency, so it was only natural they'd want to avoid excessively provocative content or streams with a lot of profanity.
The evaluation of her concept and suitability continued, and Yuhwa was only able to leave the stage after being bombarded with one hard truth after another.
"Brutal. Absolutely brutal..."
I muttered to myself, taking a bite of my chicken leg and popping a piece of pickled radish into my mouth.
The fortunate thing, however, was that quite a few streamers received similar critiques to Yuhwa.
Most contestants couldn't escape the vocal coach's harsh words, and you could see their spirits getting crushed in real-time by Blackstone's lectures on streaming.
[Hoho. This is quite difficult, since we're not exactly picking people who will become actual singers.]
The CEO in the sage avatar gave an awkward laugh.
[I suppose it's because there are so many different areas to consider.]
The next contestant appeared after the storm of harsh criticism had passed.
[Ah~ this person~]
The judges started whispering among themselves.
And I, too, stopped cleaning up the delivery food trash and sat back down in my chair.
Light green bobbed hair.
Round, thin-rimmed glasses that seemed to be her signature.
[Hello. My name is Leah.]
With the appearance of Leah, who was emerging as a powerful dark horse for the debut group, the chat exploded with activity.
[Leah-chan! Let's goooo!!!!]
[Best singer! Best singer! Best singer! Best singer! Best singer! Best singer!]
[Ah~ a pro athlete showing up to a Sunday league game~]
Watching the stream was fun, but seeing people go wild in the chat was a special treat you couldn't miss.
[Then shall we have a listen?]
A calm instrumental began to play, and Leah started to sing the first line.
["A winter without you is painfully cold."]
Wow...
She's really good.
Even though it was just the first line with no special techniques, I got goosebumps all over.
Everyone else must have felt the same way, because the chat lit up with fiery responses again.
[Yeah! This is it!]
[She's just on another level. It'd be crazy not to pick her lol]
[I love you, Leah! I love you, Leah! I love you, Leah! I love you, Leah!]
["Love me again. Like you did yesterday."]
When Leah's song ended, the judges applauded.
[Leah-nim, you could have gone for a real-life audition instead of the Closer Project.]
High praise poured in.
[Wow... There's nothing for me to criticize. I felt this during the last evaluation as well, but I think you're already a complete package, vocally speaking.]
[Hoho... Do you happen to have an account where you upload music? I'd like to follow you right now.]
Even Blackstone was full of praise.
After a series of evaluations that strongly suggested she was a shoo-in, the host, wanting to keep the heated atmosphere going, brought the next contestant onto the stage.
[Alright, let's bring up our next contestant! Streamer Luka-nim! Please come out!]
"Fuck!"
Ah. Why did Luka have to be next, right after her!!!!
As a die-hard Luka fan, my hands and feet started to tremble.