Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: A Stage to Remember
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I went into the cafe in front of the company building with Answer.
“Ooh.”
A ripple of quiet gasps and murmurs spread through the cafe as we entered.
Before, when I came to this cafe with Answer, people just seemed to admire their looks. Now, it felt like they actually recognized them.
*Click. Click.*
I could hear the sounds of camera apps opening.
Many celebrities hate having their pictures taken unexpectedly. The biggest reason is the fear of an unflattering photo, but what can you do? It's part of the job.
Seul-bi and Yi-na flashed V-signs and smiled brightly in the direction of the shutter sounds.
Perhaps they remembered what I'd told them about not getting upset over sudden pictures and were responding with an even better attitude.
“Take lots of pictures, and please post the pretty ones on social media!”
As Yi-na spoke with cutesy charm, people started taking photos even more eagerly, and Seol-ah and Ro-si also struck poses with bright smiles.
“Goddesses have descended in the cafe! If that hashtag trends, we might get canceled.”
“Hahaha.”
People laughed at Seul-bi's quirky remark, clearly amused.
“The second part of *Best Idol* airs in fifteen minutes, at five o'clock. We hope you'll tune in.”
“Fighting! Let's go, Answer!”
“Fighting!”
At Seol-ah's refreshing greeting, someone shouted "Fighting!" and many people chuckled.
“Phew... Are you ready to order?”
The excited expression on the employee's face as he spoke to us lifted our spirits even more.
Each of us carried a four-cup coffee tray back to the practice room.
“Thank you!”
“We'll enjoy them!”
Perhaps because they already had an inkling of what happened, the atmosphere was even brighter as we started watching the live broadcast.
The MC's announcement signaled the end of the first part, the vocal competition, and the beginning of the second part, the dance competition.
“I wonder how those guys will come across.”
“The brawlers?”
“Khh. Yes.”
Every time the panel of judges appeared on screen, the image of them falling mid-flying kick and throwing their shoes came to mind, causing us to burst into laughter that no one else could understand.
It seemed Answer felt the same way, as they would suddenly start laughing, earning confused looks from the trainees.
“Don't just laugh by yourselves, tell us. Why are you being so mysterious?”
The Director, unable to contain his curiosity, asked. When I gave him a brief explanation, he snorted.
“Hmph. They took each other down.”
His cynical smile, so unlike him, reaffirmed that using the item to make them fight had been the right choice.
Clips of each group busking or learning choreography in the practice room played before their respective stages.
Once again, I could feel that Your Girl was getting significantly more screen time. And then came Your Girl's dance break.
It was a one-on-one dance battle concept that had gotten a pretty good reaction at the live recording.
“Ooh. They've got some moves.”
“The concept is good, too.”
“Whoa.”
Gasps of awe erupted from the trainees whenever a difficult move or a cool formation appeared.
“They won against *this*?”
“Right? This is freaking amazing.”
“Our seniors must be way better than I thought.”
The trainees' quiet whispers made me and the members of Answer feel even better.
-Yes! That was a truly incredible performance. Your Girl earned high scores in the first part, the vocal competition, with their amazing performance. And now, they've received a standing ovation in the second part, the dance competition. Though they're rookies, this stage proves they are definitely one of the most prepared artists out there.
Backstage, Seul-bi and Ro-si were shown looking nervous after watching Your Girl's performance.
Knowing the results, we could afford a small smile, but viewers who didn't might have predicted that the overwhelming performance by Your Girl would turn the tables and win them the first round.
The judges' comments followed immediately. It was that guy, the one who'd attempted a flying kick during the recording.
-Yes. That was a truly wonderful dance. In the past, girl groups would often just sway their bodies and lip-sync, which was a regrettable sight. This is proof that the efforts of our music industry have not been in vain...
“What's he talking about? What has *he* ever done?”
Choi Yoo-jun grumbled at the man who would soon be off the screen, slurping his iced Americano through a straw in the middle of winter.
I checked the real-time comments.
-Wow, Your Girl is so cool!
-Their title track was so limp, I thought they were just selling their bodies, but they can actually dance.
-The person above me is about to get sued.
-Wow, they're really talented. Are they going to make up for falling behind in Part 1?
-These girls came prepared, LOL.
Your Girl's skills were the real deal, and the comments were very positive.
Which would only make Answer's victory shine all the brighter.
-But why's that judge acting all high and mighty? How many songs has he ripped off, just barely avoiding plagiarism lawsuits?
-Ugh, that judge's attitude is the worst.
-Wasn't it extortion, not plagiarism? I remember he brazenly put his own name on someone else's work.
-That's right. It's been a while, so I forgot.
Malicious comments were piling up in real-time for the flying-kick guy who was about to get fired.
After the judge's commentary, it was Answer's turn.
-Hello, everyone! We're Answer, and we're back after sharpening our swords to win the first round!
Choi Yoo-jun leaped forward and clapped.
“Woooah!”
The practice room filled with cheers.
It wasn't just Answer; the cheering trainees themselves were beaming with joy.
-Are you confident you'll win the first round?
-Well...
It was an interview filmed after Answer's performance, but the broadcast had edited it to appear before the stage.
I worried they were being subjected to some evil editing, and my mind raced with how to handle it if that were the case.
-Your Girl's performance was so outstanding and entertaining, so I'm not sure.
-How humble. Who came up with the idea for this stage?
Ro-si's hands gestured politely off-screen.
-We all worked on it together, but our manager deserves most of the credit.
-*Whistle! Cheers!*
Choi Yoo-jun's faint whistling and cheering from the broadcast were displayed as on-screen text, and Answer and I couldn't help but laugh.
-Ah... is that your manager? He's very handsome.
-Yes! Our managers were trainees, too.
-Ah... could he be the manager who almost debuted with Fire Emblem?
The name 'Fire Emblem' filled the screen in huge letters.
“Ooooh.”
I gave a bitter smile at the sound the trainees made as they looked at me.
-Yes, yes! That's him. He's a great singer, a great dancer, he's handsome, and he's smart. He's really good at everything!
“Woooah.”
The trainees gave me knowing glances.
“Alright, that's enough, don't you think?”
“Yes!”
The trainees responded cheerfully to my playful threat.
The camera panned to me. Choi Yoo-jun gave me a double thumbs-up below my face, and I playfully covered my face with my hands.
-Oh, is that the guy?
-I wish they'd stop milking the Fire Emblem thing, but he is handsome.
-The manager thing is just a front, he'll probably debut later, right?
-But the manager next to him is handsome too. Maybe Park Jae-yong is planning a duo group of ex-manager trainees? LOL
-There's no way that would succeed.
-Park Jae-yong is known for swinging and missing, LOL.
A sigh escaped me. That was the extent of our CEO's public image. I even started to feel a little sorry for him.
Another insert clip played. It showed Seul-bi and Ro-si dancing in sync in front of a large club crowd.
-Answer's Seul-bi and Ro-si, who went to a club to practice for the second competition.
The on-screen text was exactly what I had hoped for.
It was a video I had sent separately to the PD who filmed the insert, and it would serve as a solid counterpunch to the few people who still believed the malicious articles about Answer.
After a few more insert shots, Seul-bi and Ro-si's stage was revealed.
♪♬
*Dung du-gu tak du-gu-du-gu tak*
♪♬
A 16-beat drum intro gave way to a soul rhythm as the stage gradually brightened. Their long, ash-blonde hair came into view first, followed by white off-the-shoulder tops that revealed their smooth shoulders, and denim skirts.
The sight of them with their heads bowed, like a decalcomania print, was even more impressive than it had been in person.
“So cool!”
“Our seniors are gods!”
The camera caught shots of people grooving to the 16-beat drum.
A soul dance began, with a rhythm that conjured images of a classy jazz bar.
“Woooah...”
The initially playful atmosphere of enjoying Answer's performance as mere entertainment gradually shifted, filled with heavy gasps of admiration.
Wave-like movements based on the groove tantalizingly highlighted their exposed shoulder lines, creating a sense of tension.
Ro-si, who seemed to have a habit of biting her nails, was nibbling on the fake nails from the salon, looking startled at every moment.
Quiet gasps rippled through the room again at the soul dance, where their symmetrical movements created a decalcomania effect. With movements so identical it was like watching a mirror image, the performance built towards its climax.
-This is cool too.
-It's a toss-up so far. They're both so good, it must be hard to judge.
-Was Answer always like this? I'm seeing them in a whole new light today.
-At this level, aren't they beyond just dancers and more like choreographers?
♪♬
*Dugudung...*
♪♬
The music stopped just as Ro-si and Seul-bi struck a pose, their shoulders touching.
-What? They built it up like something was gonna happen, and this is the end?
-Your Girl wins!
-That was anticlimactic.
-Still, they did well. *Clap, clap, clap.*
A flood of disappointed real-time comments appeared.
It seemed like the broadcast added about half a second more of silence than there was at the live recording.
♪♬
*Dum-chit dum-chit*
♪♬
As a drum beat suddenly erupted, the two began to perform the shuffle Rub step, crossing their feet back and forth to create an X shape.
-Woooah!
The camera captured the audience and judges with their mouths agape.
♪♬
*Bbi-bbi-bbi-ri-bip dum-chit bbi-bbi-bbi-ri-bip dum-chit*
♪♬
Their steps, which made them look as if they were floating in zero gravity, were perfectly synchronized.
“Woohahahaha!”
“This is the real deal!”
The trainees, still seated, started grooving along, radiating excitement.
Seeing Answer's proud faces, a satisfied smile spread across the Director's face.
-Wow, they're tearing it up!
-Their feet aren't even touching the ground!
-Seriously, they're levitating.
-Are these the same girls from that old audition? Wow, Park Jae-yong really has an eye for talent.
-They're seriously amazing.
-I became a fan after hearing them on the radio, but I think my real stanning starts today.
-Ooh, I heard them on the radio too. They seemed so nice, and even though they're young, they sounded like they had a real philosophy. They're great singers, too.
-Surprisingly a lot of people listen to the radio. They were filling in on a viewable radio show, so they didn't even have makeup on and were in casual clothes, but they had this great vibe. The song was amazing too.
-Everyone's praising the radio show, I should look it up. It's probably on the Tube, right?
As the climax of the performance passed, the real-time reactions exploded.
Seul-bi must have been watching the reactions too, because our eyes met for a moment and she grinned.
-*Haa... haa...*
-*Heok... heok...*
Seul-bi and Ro-si, who had struck their ending pose by leaning against each other's backs as if for support, panted heavily. Most of the judges and audience members cheered and gave them a standing ovation.
With beads of sweat trickling down their faces, Seul-bi and Ro-si stared out as if they couldn't believe the praise being showered upon them.
It was a beautiful two-shot, like a scene from a movie.