Chapter 9: Oh. Fuck.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: Oh. Fuck.
Honestly, I was so drained after my turn that I couldn't properly watch the other contestants' auditions.
“Hooo...”
I took off my VR headset for a moment, sighing as I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
The heat lingered even with the air conditioner on.
The heat from the computer and the headset itself was nothing to scoff at.
“Haaa... Did I make it...?”
Perched on the edge of my bed, I replayed the performance I had just given.
I felt like I'd done a good job of showing what I had prepared.
I thought I sang as well as I had in practice, and my comments and answers to questions in between seemed clean, too.
In fact, I thought the feedback was pretty decent, all things considered.
It wasn't all praise, but it was true that I'd received a lot of positive comments.
By the way, to think Blackstone-nim watched my stream...
“Ugh... What on earth did he see...?”
When he said I was a really good streamer, I felt more flustered than happy.
Before the audition started, I would've sworn more and done a lot more cutesy, aegyo-like things that my otaku viewers enjoy...
“Gyaaaah!”
I kicked my poor, innocent blanket over and over. Even though no one was watching, I was so embarrassed that I pulled the covers up right below my eyes.
“Ah, whatever. Dammit... It's a good thing if he watched, right?”
Deciding to just think positively, I picked up my phone and turned the audition live stream back on.
I was told to log back into the stage world after all the auditions were over, so it was fine to stay like this until then.
The person auditioning now was a streamer named Seri, who was wearing an avatar with noticeable cat ears.
[Watashi no namae o yonde kurenainara~]
Her clear voice flowed through my phone's speaker.
“Nanno imi mo nai noni~”
It was such a famous anime OST that I found myself humming along to her voice.
But is a song like this really okay for a competition...?
For subculture fans, it was obviously a song choice that would be met with wild enthusiasm, but for everyone else, it would probably be a huge turn-off...
Sure enough, Seri's evaluation immediately addressed my concerns.
There was a comment that being too deeply immersed in Japanese culture could become an obstacle later on, and another that since her existing stream and channel were already focused on that, they had hoped to see a new side of her and were disappointed.
Listening to that, I couldn't help but flinch, feeling a pang of guilt.
I was also really interested in Japanese anime theme songs and J-pop, so I'd sung them a few times on my stream...
It made me think that choosing a Korean song today was definitely the right move.
Before I knew it, the judging was nearing its end, and I put my headset back on.
-Ding-dong-
With the notification sound, the inside of my small room transformed into another scene.
In that space that was neither real nor an illusion, I became Luka and began to move.
“Okay~ Contestants, please move to the stage shortly for the results announcement~”
Following the staff's instructions, the contestants' avatars all moved toward the portal in unison.
“Luka!”
“Ah! Unnie!”
I turned my head at the call from Clover unnie, who I'd gotten pretty close to during the audition.
“You sang so well! Turns out you were a hidden ace, huh, Luka?”
“Nah, what hidden ace? I'm just a plain old loser.”
“For a 'plain old loser,' you were getting a lot of praise. Why are you being so modest?”
Unnie made a [>_<] face, an expression not permitted to actual humans, and looked incredibly cute.
I should do it back.
“You're the one who's so cute! If they don't pick you, it'd be a total crime.”
“I'll probably get cut for my singing.”
Our leisurely chat was brief. We immediately went through the portal and onto the stage where the auditions had taken place.
“Alright! It looks like all the contestants have gathered, so we'll begin the announcement right away!”
“Those whose names are called, please take a seat one by one in the chairs to the right!”
How did they manage to make the map look exactly like a real audition show set?
On the platform, which seemed to be the winners' section, sat ten ornate chairs.
Exactly half of the people gathered here.
Would be eliminated.
“Music... please...!”
Ugh. I hate this.
I hated it even when I was just watching other people's auditions on a screen, but now that I was the one standing in the middle of this background music, my face scrunched up in a frown.
Just call the names already...
If my heart keeps beating this fast for this long, I might just collapse from some illness.
I could feel my throat going dry.
-Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum-
The distinctive, tension-building music rang in my ears.
“The first person to pass is... Jennifer!”
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Jennifer-ssi, please go up and take a seat in one of the chairs!”
Even though she was quite a distance from me, I could hear Jennifer's scream clearly.
“Wow~ Congratulations!”
The other contestants offered their congratulations, and Jennifer's avatar waved as it moved to the first chair.
To be honest, Jennifer was a shoo-in no matter what anyone said.
It wasn't surprising.
Now began the battle for the rest of us borderline contestants.
“Then let's move on to the next contestant!”
At least it was a live broadcast, so there were no commercials, which was nice.
-Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum-
Ugh, please, not the music again...
It was the results announcement, so I couldn't just mute it. How frustrating.
“Fumurin-nim! Please come up to the platform!”
“Wow...! No way...”
Fumurin's avatar, which had been standing near me, stood frozen in place as if it had bugged out.
“Fumurin-nim! I think she's crying...”
No sooner had another contestant said that than Fumurin began to sob without even moving toward the stage.
“Uwaaah... I really thought I was going to be eliminated... hic...”
I didn't really know much about the streamer Fumurin, but this moment helped me understand a little of her appeal.
Usually, watching someone cry can be frustrating or annoying, but her choked-up voice contained an otherworldly cuteness.
The fact that she even changed her avatar's expression to a crying face was a brilliant touch.
Is this an act?
Could it be strategic crying...?
Rubbing her face with both hands, Fumurin sat in her chair and continued to cry, even as Jennifer, the first to pass, tried to comfort her.
“The next contestant is...!”
Wow. There are still eight spots left?
If I was going to pass, I wanted it to be soon. If I was going to fail, I wanted them to just tell me 'Luka-nim, you have not passed' right this second.
This was a special kind of torture.
I tried to comfort myself by thinking that the people filming real audition shows on-site must have it even worse.
After that, six more names were called one after another, but heartbreakingly, mine wasn't on the list.
“Alright... everyone. There are now only two chairs left.”
Mind control.
Mind control.
If I get eliminated, I get eliminated.
I mean, there were plenty of other contestants who sang well.
And lots of people with cute avatars...
My personal stream grew a lot thanks to this audition, and I gained more fans, so it's not a bad outcome at all, right?
I repeated these comforting words to myself over and over, but I couldn't let go of the hope that a lifeline might still be lowered for me.
“Everyone, how about sending a message of support in the chat for your favorite contestant?”
...Thinking of the Pink Army, who were probably chanting my name right now, made my heart ache.
Ah... please. I'll be good. I'll stream really hard and practice singing every single day. Please. Please.
“The contestant who will seize the ticket to the Project CLOSER final audition is...”
“Leah!”
Aah...
Right. There was her.
Leah, the top vocalist.
The monster contestant who auditioned right before me.
Come to think of it, she was so good it would have been strange if she didn't pass.
The remaining contestants next to me were all congratulating her, but I'm sure we all felt the same way.
The nine who had passed were looking down on us, and out of the eleven of us left, only one could go up there.
It was a moment where it was hard to hide the desolation, even while offering congratulations.
“Well... we are now down to the very last spot.”
At the host's words, a solemn atmosphere once again fell over the stage.
Time seemed to slow down.
The thought that my journey might end here made my chest feel tight.
Ah. Seriously, if I'm going to cry, I have to do it alone after this is all over.
The results weren't even out yet, but I could already feel a lump forming in my throat.
“The chat is going crazy right now. A lot of people are telling me not to drag it out, so thanks to your enthusiastic support, I'll announce it all at once.”
-Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum-
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Don't get your hopes up.
Don't get your hopes up.
The chances are less than ten percent...
“Luka!”
“Oh. Fuck.”
Hearing my name called, the words came from my spinal cord, not my brain.