Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: The Pyramid of Idols
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It was only a 1.5-minute highlight performance, but I couldn't help but be surprised by Your Girl's skill and stage presence, which I had vaguely assumed would be nothing special.
Their gazes were intense enough to devour the camera.
‘You think someone like you can have me?’
They were a group perfectly in sync with their concept.
Still, they couldn't possibly beat our Answer.
As soon as the lights on Your Girl dimmed and the music faded, the opposite sub-stage lit up, and another group's introductory performance began.
In this kind of showcase, the first team to perform has an overwhelming advantage, while it gets harder for the later groups as the audience's concentration wanes from similar performances.
It was clear they were blatantly pushing Your Girl.
Finally, Answer's performance began.
♪♬
Today is the third day I'm meeting you
Will we meet again tomorrow, this 'some' between us
Please know my impatient heart, you fool
♪♬
The Answer members, who had been incredibly awkward during their debut, now looked as if they were wearing clothes that fit them perfectly, having gained experience, changed their mindset, and even acquired traits.
Seol-ah, sweeping her chest with her long, shimmering purple hair.
Yi-na, exuding an overwhelming beauty, her expression projecting a yearning for adulthood.
And even the decalcomania effect of Seul-bi and Ro-si, creating symmetrical shapes with their similar looks during the choreography.
The theme was conveyed even better, making it superior to the original lineup with Mi-ji.
Reflected in the lights, our members' eyes held confidence, and their lips, a bold assurance.
Now they're quite... convincingly sexy.
Despite it being a song that had essentially flopped, the aura they emanated rivaled that of Your Girl.
It was a real shame we couldn't release the new song we were preparing here.
The Answer members, who once made me cringe with their awkwardness, now delivered a flawless performance.
Beckoning with heated gazes, they were not the girls I once knew.
A satisfied smile formed on my face.
* * *
The members of Your Girl were watching the other teams' performances from backstage.
“Hey, hey, they’re on. Answer.”
Your Girl's main vocalist, Seyeon, said, nudging Mi-ji with her shoulder.
“Hey, no need to watch. They suck. Only the leader can sing a little, and the rest are trash. Oh... that Seul-bi bitch can rap a bit.”
“Still, she’s probably better than you, Mi-ji. Weren’t you the lead vocalist?”
Mi-ji snapped back when the rapper, Perry, spoke.
“What are you talking about? They only made her the main vocalist because she’s older than me. And their vocal training sucks.”
“Who’s their vocal coach?”
“They don’t even have an in-house trainer, so they outsource it to some loser academy. Said he's a failed singer.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
The Your Girl members, who were taught by a top-tier in-house vocal trainer, snickered and mocked JD Enter.
“You think that’s it? Once recording practice started, even Park Jae-yong tried to act like he was a trainer. How could they be any good after that?”
The Your Girl members shook their heads with bitter smiles.
Mi-ji firmly believed that her skills, which had improved significantly since leaving Answer, would now surpass Seol-ah's.
“But their visuals are top-notch, right? Especially that girl, the one who replaced Mi-ji.”
“Oh... the one with the same hair as Seul-bi? She was a nobody trainee. Her vocals, rap, and dance were all mediocre. She just overlaps with Yi-na for the center position. Seul-bi will handle all the rap and dance.”
“But how did they even get on this show? They’re not even rookies. They're a completely failed group.”
“For real.”
“Rookies, my ass. It’s almost been a year since their debut. How are they rookies? So shameless.”
“Right. And JD Enter doesn’t seem to have any pull. How’d they get a spot?”
“Maybe... they lobbied with... other things?”
The rapper, Perry, said, suggestively twisting her body.
“Ahaha!”
The Your Girl members were busy cackling and badmouthing Answer.
“But their manager is seriously handsome. I heard he almost debuted with the Fire Emblem guys?”
“...What are you talking about? He was a roadie trainee.”
Mi-ji, not realizing they were talking about Min-jun, was talking about Choi Yoo-jun, and the Your Girl members scoffed.
“What? You acted like you knew everything, but you didn't even know their team leader was part of Fire Emblem's debut lineup?”
“……”
Mi-ji, looking deflated, scowled.
And she naturally began to focus on Answer’s performance.
It was because their singing and performance were far better than she had expected.
“...They’re using autotune too, right?”
“O-Of course. Or maybe they just layered the doubling heavily.”
Contrary to Mi-ji's expectations, their improved vocals and performance, along with Ro-si’s harmonious presence, made her increasingly uneasy.
* * *
The introductions for the 10 teams, a total of 60 rookie girl group members, were over.
Although they were edited songs of about 1.5 minutes, you could feel that every single one of them did their best to appeal with their charms.
The teams who finished their performances moved backstage for a short greeting and interview that would be aired.
It was a space decorated in green for CGI.
“Two, three! Ask us questions! Hello! We are Answer, here to answer you!”
-Great performance. What are your resolutions for 'Best Idol'?
“Many of you might not know us, but we’re actually... second-hand rookies? Is that the right term for this? Anyway, our first single basically flopped, and it’s about to be a year since then.”
-Hahaha. The people from your company are probably watching. Isn't that a bit too honest?
“Well... if we flop this time, we’re really done for anyway!”
-Hmm... in a way, it sounds like you’re that confident, then?
“Yes! We are confident. We gave up school for our dreams and have dedicated our entire, albeit short, lives to this! We'll treat this as our last chance and throw our whole bodies into raising the viewership ratings!”
The interview, led by the most articulate Seul-bi, was filled with the Answer members' energy and determination.
She's speaking so well, even though we didn't really prepare any lines.
It was a sight that would both stir the viewers' sympathy and make them want to cheer happily for them.
After the interview, the Answer members rushed over.
“How was it?”
“It’s not your first or second time on stage. But today was truly amazing. I felt like I was watching completely different people.”
Seeing the members' flushed, excited faces was gratifying.
“When you ad-lib, make sure it flows from the script. So it doesn't get edited out.”
“Don’t worry!”
“Don’t think of them as competitors at all, just have fun.”
“Yep. You emphasized over and over that a jealous expression might show up on screen. We won’t forget.”
All the Answer members nodded at Seul-bi's words.
“Answer! Hurry up.”
“Coming!”
At the staff's urging, the Answer members scurried away.
“Fighting, artists!”
At Choi Yoo-jun's words, Yi-na, who was at the very back, raised a clenched fist.
“...Hyung, you really surprised me.”
“With what?”
“They weren't the artists I knew. They used to be so awkward, but today, it was like they suddenly had a sexy awakening or something. Their gazes were just…”
It was understandable. Even within the company, Answer was considered a failed group. It had gotten to the point where we even held auditions to form a new team.
“Hyung, I think you're someone who really has something special.”
“If you know, then you'd better serve me well.”
“Of course!”
“...Try to take a joke as a joke.”
“What can I do? It’s real.”
Choi Yoo-jun's excessive trust is sometimes a burden.
“...Yoo-jun.”
“Yes?”
“Name your top three favorite female celebrities.”
“Choi Ji-min, Yoo Ji-eun, Shin Yi-kyung?”
He listed them without hesitation—all of them were beautiful actresses or girl group members.
That's a relief.
“...But why?”
“Just curious.”
“...Ah, what is it? Now I’m curious!”
“I was curious if we had similar tastes. We do.”
While the girl groups moved to their designated spots, the MC reappeared on the opposite stage, which the cameras were now focused on.
Behind the MC, a brightly lit white pyramid structure was revealed. At the very bottom were simple stools, just big enough to perch on. Above that were wooden chairs, then leather chairs, and at the very top, a dignified, throne-like sofa.
For now, everyone was at the bottom, but depending on the competition results, they would climb one by one, and I could already picture the despair of those left behind.
-Did you enjoy our mainstays of K-pop, who are stretching out to the world? Aren't they amazing? As an 'uncle fan' myself, I'm cheering them on. But competition is inevitable.
-Do you see the pyramid behind me? Life is the real deal. The team that occupies the highest seat on the pyramid in the end will be the winner.
-The winning team will be the stars of various promotions, starting with a commercial for our sponsor, and will also headline a small, broadcasted concert on a special stage we've prepared.
-And results need to come out right away to be exciting, right? Through the two-week broadcast of the first round, split into two parts, the first-place winner will become the cover model for the global edition of the fashion magazine 'Elegang'.
“Woaaah!”
The participants let out gasps of genuine awe.
Unlike regular print magazines that had declined with the rise of the internet, 'Elegang', which primarily featured luxury brands, was an influential magazine with regular subscriptions from various shops and fashionistas.
For singers aiming to expand beyond the domestic market, it was both unparalleled publicity and an honor.
It was too big a prize to be just the reward for the first round, not even the overall victory of 'Best Idol'.
It was undoubtedly a reward pushed by the cash-rich SJ Enter, who had already accepted Your Girl's first-place finish as a foregone conclusion.
They'd probably have a mental breakdown if our Answer girls snatched it away from them.
I smiled with satisfaction, imagining Answer taking first place in the first round instead of Your Girl.
-Alright! Let's begin the competition in earnest. Times change and trends shift, but what is the first thing emphasized for a singer? Vocals, of course! Show off your unique vocal talents and steal the votes from our judges and the panel.
The way he spoke so fluently without looking at a script confirmed why he was a former announcer and a popular MC.
One, or at most three, vocalists from each team came forward and began to showcase their unique vocal skills.
Some teams sang nursery rhymes with childlike, innocent voices, while others showed off their vocals while playing instruments like the guitar or piano.
Even if their vocal specializations were ordinary, there wasn't a single girl without talent.
I saw many girls who could have become top idols if I had managed them.
But it's a shame; I'm Answer's manager. I need to focus on our girls.
“Wow, amazing!”
“That guitar is so cool!”
Although they were contestants who had to step on each other to climb up, the girls in the audience were acting exaggeratedly, almost over-the-top, to get even a moment more of screen time.
-Yes. That was wonderful. Vocals and piano skills unbecoming of a rookie. Singing while playing an instrument might look easy, but when you actually try to play...
The judges' evaluations and the panel's scoring followed.
Some received high scores for their excellent singing, while others, despite lacking in skill, scored well with unique concepts.
But the thought that they were all just sacrifices to make our Seol-ah shine brought a triumphant smile to my face.
Although it wouldn't be caught on camera, the sight of the staff bustling around during the few minutes between stages on the left and right was impressive.
It felt like a silent war.
But an unusually large number of people were moving across the dark stage.
The silhouettes of string instruments like violins and cellos.
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to check the cue sheet.”
I approached a staff member who was checking a cue sheet and solved my curiosity.
It was Your Girl's turn for the vocal performance.
Aren't they pushing them way too blatantly?
If they're going to make the stage quality so different under the guise of a competition, I'd think it would actually repel the viewers.
Long after the previous group's performance and the judges' comments and panel's scoring were finished, the stage was still being set up.
Fine. Let them push them. Let's see just how good they are to be so arrogant.
I crossed my arms and looked forward to the performance of Your Girl's main vocalist, Seyeon.