Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: The Taste of Victory
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The directors, the MC, and several cast members held meetings during breaks in the recording. It was clear they were devising strategies to keep viewers glued to their screens, adapting to the evolving situation.
They were like commanders in a war, crafting new tactics and strategies while watching the battlefield change in real time.
The job of a broadcast producer seemed incredibly appealing.
If you had the skills, could you become a producer through a special hire?
Without passing the rigorous media entrance exams and having the right academic background, was becoming a special hire PD impossible?
A bitter smile formed at the stray thought.
-We're going back live. We will now announce the rankings!
The meeting ended, and the rankings were announced in the order of 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 8th, 9th, 7th, and 10th place.
Since teams up to 7th place could advance to the second round, this seemed designed for the most dramatic effect.
Perhaps because it was only the first round, the groups were simply divided into those who were happy and those who clapped in congratulations; there were no dramatic displays of joy or disappointment.
-Now, we have only the 1st and 2nd place announcements left. I’m so excited. In last week’s competition, there was only a three-point difference out of a possible 200, so the group that won this second part of the competition is very likely to become the overall winner of the first round. It was as fierce as it was fun.
Yi-na, Seol-ah, Ro-si, and Seul-bi were all holding each other's hands tightly.
It was for my own success, too, but from a pure place in my heart, I wanted our members to succeed.
For them, who had overcome such a desperate situation, it was impossible to wish for anything other than success as a girl group.
Please, let us win.
Bzzzt.
-Have the results been announced yet?
-No. I think they're about to announce them.
I texted a reply to the Director.
She hadn't contacted me once since leaving the recording hall, but it was obvious she had been waiting anxiously.
A staff member came up on stage and handed the MC an envelope.
The two judges, suspected to be on Gyeon Sang-jin's side, were forcibly removed before they could even enter their scores. If so, didn't that mean Answer had a high chance of winning?
-Alright. The results are finally in. I won’t drag it out; I’ll announce it right away.
First place is!
Drumroll please…!
“…Ah, damn it, he said he wouldn't drag it out.”
Choi Yoo-jun grumbled as he watched the MC draw out the moment, even without any sound effects.
“Hey. That's what makes it fun.”
“Eek? Are you serious?”
Choi Yoo-jun looked at me like I was some old man.
Should I smack him one?
I acted nonchalant, but honestly, I was extremely nervous too.
Your Girl's performance itself was so well-structured that it was hard to say who was better, and Gyeon Sang-jin's influence likely still lingered.
-And first place is... did I mention they're the cover models for *Elégang*?
“Booo!”
Boos erupted at the MC's teasing.
“Hey, you son of a bitch!”
The sound of empty water bottles being thrown to the floor could be heard.
“Hahaha.”
The boos turned to laughter at someone's explosive curse.
The MC, with a sly grin, wagged his finger back and forth at the person who had cursed.
-Following their victory in the Part 1 vocal round! Conquering the Part 2 dance round as well, it's Answer!
“Yeah!”
Smack!
“Ow!”
Without a second thought, Choi Yoo-jun and I slapped a high-five.
“Woooah!”
The audience cheered, despite being a predominantly pro-SJ Enter fandom.
-The final score was a mere two-point difference!
If I hadn't dealt with Jin Yang-soo and Kim Bong-guk, we would have lost unfairly. Using an item to get them removed was a stroke of genius.
Zzzing.
A powerful ringing filled my ears as a wave of emotion washed over me, and tears began to fall.
It was an unfamiliar feeling.
Were Answer's synchronized emotions being transmitted to me?
The members of Answer hugged each other and cried. For Answer, who had received so little attention since their debut, the emotions must have been even more intense.
“Ugh… that hurts.”
Choi Yoo-jun, with tears welling in his eyes, looked at me with a mix of laughter and pain.
“…That does hurt.”
Seeing Choi Yoo-jun's palm, red as if it were about to burst, I feigned pain and shook my own hand.
Sorry about that.
-Ah… Answer, congratulations…
Watching the crying members of Answer, the MC shuffled through the cue cards in his hand.
-...While this is a rookie special, they're a group that debuted some time ago. It seems they've struggled so much that they even call themselves 'second-hand rookies'.
Starting with Si-ah of N-Pink, the other groups began to gather around Answer one by one, but Your Girl clapped with soulless expressions.
The most well-known judge, a former singer and producer, handed them a placard with the logo of the magazine 'Elégang'.
-Please compose yourselves and ascend to the summit. It's a custom-made, expensive sofa.
“Woooow.”
After bowing repeatedly to the cheering audience, the members of Answer comforted one another and began to climb the steep steps in the center of the pyramid. It looked precarious, but it was clearly the best set they could build given the stage conditions.
The moment our members sat on the long, red, antique sofa.
Thump.
The members' aura spread through the hall like a shockwave from a heartbeat.
“…Hyung. Suddenly, our artists' auras seem different.”
I was a little surprised by Choi Yoo-jun's words.
For a moment, I wondered if he had a 'third eye' like me… but that couldn't be possible.
“It's like they suddenly have a top star aura, right?”
“It's strange… They were always pretty, of course. Is this what they call a 'camera massage'?”
Now that he mentioned it, it made sense. Celebrities who, despite not having any work done, gain popularity and whose looks seem to radiate more and more each day.
Were they all cases like our Answer now?
⋮
The recording was over, but Answer's tears hadn't subsided. I was both excited and worried to see how it would look on the broadcast.
Choi Yoo-jun and I approached Answer.
The MC reached them before we did, and the members greeted him with bright faces.
“Wow. Seriously, congratulations.”
“Thank you, Seonbae-nim. You look so handsome in person!”
“Ya think? For real?”
“Yes, yes.”
The MC's face broke into a wide grin at Seul-bi's compliment.
“Thank you. You guys were amazing, great singing and dancing. Keep fighting in the next round.”
“Thank you. Goodbye!”
The members of Answer bowed deeply as the MC walked away.
In reality, someone like Director Lee Joo-won was far more powerful, but to them, the person they saw on TV all the time probably seemed more impressive.
“Congratulations.”
My members' eyes grew watery again when they saw me.
“Wow, what is this aura!”
Though we had only been apart for about forty minutes, we greeted each other as if we were reuniting after a long time.
“Answer, congratulations.”
“Hello, Director-nim!”
After receiving congratulations from Director Lee Joo-won, who had been waiting for us, we left the broadcast station feeling as elated as if we'd won the lottery.
“The schedule for the next recording is the same as I told you before. You’ll need to stay for two nights, so please pack accordingly. There may be times when you're cut off from your manager.”
A writer explained the schedule and key points for the next recording.
It felt like we hadn't done much, but it was already close to 10 p.m.
“Ah?!”
Choi Yoo-jun ran to the entrance of the parking garage and spread his arms. A smirk crept onto my face as I saw Your Girl heading in the same direction.
“…What are you doing? Move.”
Team Leader Park glanced at me and spoke threateningly, but he seemed conscious of my presence and didn't raise his voice.
“Shouldn't the teams that took first and second place in the first round at least say hello?”
“Pfft.”
A snort of laughter escaped from me and the Answer members at Choi Yoo-jun's cheekiness.
Your Girl turned their backs and let out exasperated sighs.
“Hey, push past him!”
Team Leader Park and the road manager grabbed Choi Yoo-jun, who was blocking the entrance.
“Whoa, whoa! What are you doing? Is this assault? Is this sexual harassment between men?”
As the entrance was halfway cleared, the members of Your Girl pushed past each other, rushing to get through.
“Aah, don't push!”
“Ow! My foot!”
“Hey! Why'd you kick me!”
Answer’s tears were completely gone, replaced by sneers.
“Ah, for fuck's sake! What rotten luck!”
Finally, Team Leader Park and the road manager pushed through, fuming.
“Aren't you going to say 'see you next time' today?”
“Cut the crap.”
“See you in the next round.”
At my mocking words, Team Leader Park flipped me off from behind his back.
But it didn't bother me at all.
“Aigoo!”
“Whoa! My hair! Don't mess up my hair!”
I ruffled Choi Yoo-jun's hair, and he quickly ducked his head away as the Answer members laughed.
“Why are you so childish?”
“Hey, what's wrong with that? I thought it was great.”
“Me too!”
When I chided Choi Yoo-jun, Seul-bi and Yi-na took his side.
Grrrrowl.
Grrrrooooowl.
Starting with Choi Yoo-jun, two stomachs rumbled in protest.
I pulled a card out from my pocket.
“The Director gave me her personal card and told us to get something delicious to eat.”
“Woooah!”
I shouted along with Choi Yoo-jun and Answer's cheers.
* * *
Everyone was giddy with the dream of a company dinner, but at past 10 p.m., our options were limited.
We chose a *nakgopsae* restaurant that was still open for a while but had very few customers.
Our members, bundled up in aprons to protect their outfits from splattering sauce, looked especially cute today.
Sizzle.
Octopus, tripe, shrimp, vegetables, and glass noodles went into the pan with the sauce, releasing a sweet and spicy aroma.
“Ugh. This smells amazing.”
“I know, right? It seems a little different from other places.”
Yi-na and Seul-bi drooled as they stared at the ingredients filling the wide pan.
“That's because they don't just stir-fry it after marinating it in the sauce.”
“Huh?”
Seul-bi asked, as if to say, what does that mean?
“They par-cook the ingredients first and then stir-fry it again.”
“Ahh. They grill it over a fire first to get rid of any gaminess and add a smoky flavor!”
I had only given her a hint, but Seul-bi knew exactly what I meant.
“How did you know that just by looking?”
Seol-ah and the other members stared at her in wonder.
It was nothing special to someone in the know, but I guess it seemed amazing to those who weren't.
“Well, I know because I've watched my parents cook a lot, but what's more amazing is that you knew, Seul-bi.”
“Hehe. Our Min-jun oppa is in humble mode.”
“More importantly, we should try to get you on a cooking show, Seul-bi.”
“Ooh? Is that really possible?”
Seul-bi asked, clasping her hands together as if in prayer.
Was it because she could eat without having to worry about her image?
“Let's have a toast, a toast!”
At Seul-bi's lead, everyone raised their glasses. As always, Yi-na, her cheeks puffed out, raised her glass of cider.
“Imembeo!”
“……”
Seul-bi started the chant, but no one could follow.
“Agh, you don't know this one either? When I say 'Imembeo!' you say 'Rimembeo!'”
“Ahhh.”
Everyone's faces brightened at the toast, which meant to remember all of us gathered here today.
“To Team Leader Min-jun, the star of our first-round victory, I express my sincere gratitude. Imembeo!”
“Rimembeo!”
We all happily clinked our glasses and took a long drink.
“Ahh! So sweet, so good!”
Lettuce wraps filled with *nakgopsae* and thick glass noodles found their way into all our mouths.
The lettuce and plump octopus crushed together, releasing the sweet and spicy sauce, which was enhanced with a savory, smoky flavor.
I realized I hadn't been able to enjoy delicious food like this often because I was always with the members of Answer.
“Sooo good.”
“Hehe. Right? If you're talking purely about taste, isn't this better than some expensive dish?”
Ro-si, along with Seol-ah, was savoring the food with an ecstatic look on her face. At first, she'd said the tripe was too gross to eat, but now she was eating it just fine.
“…Hyung… why aren't you dwinking?”
Choi Yoo-jun asked, his mouth full of food.
“I'll drive. You eat.”
“I… can do it.”
“I have to work when I get home. I can't if I drink.”
Just as Choi Yoo-jun swallowed his food with a ‘gulp’ to ask another question.
“Hey! The treasures of JD!”
“Welcome!”
CEO Park Jae-yong and the Director walked in.
Unlike when we had arrived, the few other customers began to murmur.
“It's Park Jae-yong.”
“The goddess Lee Sun.”
His ears perking up, CEO Park Jae-yong turned to the customers.
“Yes, yes. That's right, I'm that Park Jae-yong. A pleasure to meet you.”
“……”
CEO Park Jae-yong froze, still smiling and waving.
But when the people didn't react, CEO Park Jae-yong spoke again.
“…No… I mean, you can take a picture.”
The Director let out a small sigh as she watched CEO Park Jae-yong, still holding the same pose and smile. Her sigh seemed to be contagious, as it felt like an invisible sigh escaped from Answer's lips as well.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you, Director-nim.”
I held out the card to the Director.
“No, it's fine. I might have to leave early.”
A modest celebration began.
“That guy who gave you the *Elégang* placard, he's a guy who looks up to me like an older brother. You all worked hard, but I've been working hard behind the scenes too, you know?”
CEO Park Jae-yong's boisterous bluffs filled the company dinner—which consisted entirely of *nakgopsae* and cheese fried rice added on top—but not a single person felt uncomfortable.
It was just that happy of a day.