Chapter 33
Chapter 33
It was the day of the long-awaited <MAKE100%> Episode 3 broadcast.
On an anonymous community that talked about nothing but idols all day long, as always, a real-time live chat thread was opened for the on-air broadcast.
―ㄷㄱㄷㄱ
―Finally, we get to see how good Seo Cha-gyeom is?
└Even his fans seem nervous, they hyped him up so much in their reviews
└They keep saying he's good and all, but we haven't actually been shown anything
└Haven't been shown anything? What bullshit, go check the views on 'Eohyu' again lol
―If Han Neuti gets over 1 minute of solo screen time, I'll buy you fried chicken
―Am I the only one getting calm-before-the-storm vibes right now?
The buzzworthiness graph of <MAKE100%>, which had steadily been declining with each added season, was, surprisingly, showing an uptick from its dying embers.
It was thanks to the visuals that swept all sorts of communities with just a short solo shot from the music video, and the skills to match. It was all because of the trainee pool being called the greatest in survival show history.
Nevertheless, the firepower in the live chat thread wasn't intense from the start. As per its nickname Brain-Cut 100%, the show had already induced nothing but boredom in viewers with its usual repertoire.
Because of that, during the broadcast time for the unpopular teams, these kinds of reactions were the mainstream.
―It's time for a bathroom break
―Crying all over again. Ugh, so boring~
―My pick did really, really well, I'm begging you guys, just watch them once...
It wasn't that I hadn't thought that maybe a decent contestant had appeared during those carelessly missed times.
It was just that, since it was obvious clips would be uploaded later anyway, I felt no need to devote time to it right then.
―Wow, the Wit app 2-pick vote, the dimension kids[1] overtook the Airplane Duo
└But there are a lot of people who hate them lol. Right now it's 7-pick voting, so they're gritting their teeth and acting all friendly with alliances and death squads to get carried by each other, but once it turns to 1-pick, it's a guaranteed split, yep
└Commenter above, stop writing out your wishes
―The Seo Cha-gyeom fans are literally being taken for suckers and they're the only ones who don't know it, so frustrating. How many kids has Seo Cha-gyeom given a ride on the screen time bus, seriously... Even if you bang your head on the ground in regret when the votes split during the finale and his face barely shows up in the 2-split[2], it'll be too late by then
―Dude, Chaegyeom's fans are staying quiet, but they're all going woo-hoo, woo-hoo among themselves throwing bananas and acting crazy, it's annoying
└Staying quiet, my ass... Weren't they the ones who took the lead in beating up Hyun-i?
└They were definitely in the wrong for that, but right after, tons of other decent Chaegyeom fans swarmed in and smacked them with their flip-flops, I swear
└Hey, to be honest, that Hyun-i kid was being petty, wasn't he? Conveniently timed pick-troll lol. Did his fans decide to get petty along with his pick, or what?
└ㄴThis is not the opinion of the Chaegyeom camp, bitch, get the flip-flops!!!!
―Hello, our kids are performing right now
―Just stop fighting, give each other a kiss, and end it
└Muah
└Not to me, you two
Just like this, aside from the extremely small number of teams that included popular contestants, the live chat thread was constantly spammed with other topics rather than real-time reactions.
They fought, got stopped, fought, fought, and got stopped again, for a full hour like that.
Finally, the team the vast majority of viewers had been waiting for appeared.
―Hamjjiwon!!!! T_T
―Please, just show us Gyeonwoo this time
―Everyone, do you need a reliable, nice leader to be a role model for the team? Please remember Tier 2 leader Kim Hanul
―Feels like the production crew is seriously pushing Choi Junbin so hard as main vocal role...
└Right? They're showing him a lot
└For real
―These kids here are basically just an outright collection of PD picks, and they're keeping each other in check thinking their ultimate bias isn't one of them, fucking idiots
└Even though Gyeonwoo got promoted to Tier 1 from Tier 2, there are still a truckload of people who don't know he's Tier 1 because he got completely edited out, and he has to hear people call him a PD pick? T_T
└Where did you leave that screen time... Honestly, if you look under the hood, he might've just been meh and got into Tier 1 thanks to Youth Entertainment's backing, who knows ha
It was Ahn Jiwon and Baek Gyeonwoo, who had been gaining support from many former contestants since the music video release.
Kim Hanul, who was rapidly emerging in a leader role by showing his performance as Tier 2 leader, and Choi Junbin, who was steadily gaining popularity by showing gradual growth, and so on.
The story of Team Iced Americano, a victory so clear anyone could see it, started with a wholesome self-introduction scene and maintained a bright atmosphere throughout.
The mood of the live chat thread had started off somewhat precarious due to the combination of members who hadn't really been associated much before, but thanks to what seemed like forced efforts by the production crew, it gradually changed to become harmonious.
―They could just debut like this. Attach Seo Cha-gyeom and make it 7 members
―(Baek Gyeonwoo Ahn Jiwon 5x zoom capture.jpg) Caught Hamjji and Rabbit whispering!!!
―Ah, I love this so much T_T. How can even a head-on part competition be this wholesome and cute??? There's no that damn whoosh— sound effect, so my heart feels at peace T_T
[Meanwhile]
However, the opposing team that appeared next was.
[(Producer interview, right after team formation)]
[Park Gyumin (Failing Grade): (Sniffling sound)]
[Im Seongjun (Failing Grade): I'm trying my best... I want to do well.......]
[Hwang Jaehyeon (Failing Grade): I feel so sorry to the hyungs.......]
[Seo Cha-gyeom (Tier 1→Dropped to Tier 2): ....... (Lowers head)]
With everyone's common ground of having dropped in grade, the segment was met with dark cloud CGI from the very start.
Because of that, a storm also rolled in on the live chat thread.
―The moment juice[3] showed up, this was a failure
―Juiced[4]
―Let's die
―Not this crap, show me Kkam-gyeom socializing instead
―I'm one of the people who went to the live audience, and the babies did better than you'd think T_T. Don't insult them too much
└No one's insulted them yet
└They will soon...
―Seo Cha-gyeom's interview, is that from when his grade dropped?? The shape of his bangs and even his rolled-up sleeves twice are exactly the same as that time (Episode 2 capture, color corrected.gif)
└Ah, it really is lololol
└As expected, QTen never disappoints
└T_T So Chaegyeom was just pretending to be okay... Ah, it hurts my heart
―Here too, they're not even supporting Neuti at all. Our kid's grade dropped too, you know.
[Just what will be the fate of these two contrasting teams?]
Then a mid-roll commercial appeared,
and by the time the screen returned, it had already moved on to the story of another team.
―Hey!!!!!
―Feels like they gave Kkam-gyeom fans a break to go buy soju real quick
└Ah, overflowing with consideration
―Just how many times are they going to show these guys' preview lol
The firepower that had been blazing up rapidly subsided.
Like that, near the end of the broadcast.
Finally, the subtitle in the upper-left corner changed back to [Iced Americano vs Cucumber Sparkling].
Unlike before, where they had shown the Iced Americano team first and emphasized the contrasting atmosphere, this time, the Cucumber team's story started first.
The midterm evaluation scene. Over the faces of the mentors, including the mosaic-blurred Park Hyungtae, a gloomy BGM flowed.
―Hyung-jaic[5] lololol. It's funny every time I see it
―The production crew must've had a hell of a time, seriously
―But if that's the case, does that mean we won't get to see why Park Hyungtae scolded the kids in last week's preview? I'm curious
└They can't show it...
└Lol, ah, he's lucky too[6] lol
In the live chat thread, people were busy holding back laughter at the traces of Park Hyungtae that appeared intermittently, but amidst it all, the broadcast tried its best.
Best at tearing the wholesome atmosphere of the scene to shreds and ruining it, that is.
Licks Hour's tone, which had been full of playfulness, was made into sneering, and the moment Ju Yeonhee momentarily frowned was reprocessed into 0.1x speed and a smattering of chilly sound effects.
Ju Yeonhee, who had been leisurely monitoring the show at home, threw the peanuts she was eating in a rage, but there was no way the viewers would know the truth.
Following the midterm evaluation scene, which was nothing but harsh criticism, came the teary-eyed interviews of the Failing Grade trainees.
―Why did they even come on the show, seriously
―Stop crying so much
―Unless you're gonna cry in my arms, I suggest you stop the waterworks
―Did Neuti drop out? Why isn't this kid doing an interview either T_T
└Our Neuti is super shy... Maybe he couldn't say anything during the interview either T_T (Han Neuti having an earthquake in his pupils after seeing a fansite master filming him.gif)
└His face makes you want to go buy every type of bread, you little King Timid Cat... T_T
In reality, it was just the post-team-formation interview split in half and placed once more, but in the eyes of viewers who knew nothing, it was simply a frustrating situation that naturally elicited the response, 'Crying again.'
It was right when their throats felt clogged, as if blocked up by sweet potato.
The screen went poof— and turned off.
―Uh?
―??
―Thought my TV just developed a brainwave detection feature.
And a moment later.
What appeared on the screen, now bright again, was.
[Seo Cha-gyeom: Hello. This is Cucumber Toktok Sparkling Ade.]
[Han Neuti: Hel-lo.]
It was a self-camera of Seo Cha-gyeom and Han Neuti, seemingly filmed outdoors in the middle of the night.
The screen was low quality, with static crawling all over due to the dark background, but combined with the viewfinder frame, it actually created an effect that enhanced the sense of reality.
―Fk
―ah
―Wow
The live chat thread was instantly plastered with exclamations.
After pushing past several pages of comments like that, the former contestants, having barely regained their senses, began to stammer out sentences.
―Kkam-gyeom is giving us a two-shot and an extreme close-up all at once? Suddenly...?
―Chaegyeom just did another /Chaegyeom thing, plain and simple.
―It's so freaking absurd, totes absurd
―Neuti-yaaaaa!!!!!
―Ah, suddenly it's hella interesting
―Look at him making sure to show that PPL clearly lol. Won't that get caught by broadcast review!!
Receiving everyone's focused attention and anticipation, Seo Cha-gyeom, who was holding the camera, opened his mouth.
[Seo Cha-gyeom: Right now, we're behind the practice room building.]
[Seo Cha-gyeom: (Nudging him) Hyung, what's the reason we're here?]
[Han Neuti: ......Yes!]
[Seo Cha-gyeom & Han Neuti: (Silence)]
[Seo Cha-gyeom: ......Yes. It's Neuti and Gyeom's special~ training! Ah, but hyung, you said you'd do this part.]
[Han Neuti: S-sorry.]
―Lolololol so cute T_T
―A baby fox having a hard time because of King Timid Cat (special note: 2 years younger)
―Kkam-gyeom, at least they're on talking terms... That's a relief
―Ah, even I'm feeling awkward lol. Hurry up and get close, you two
In truth, what Han Neuti felt awkward about was the camera, not Seo Cha-gyeom, but whatever it was, the former contestants made a fuss, calling it cute.
Meanwhile, the camera turned to the opposite side.
There, reflected in it, were the Failing Grade trainees standing in formation with tense expressions.
[Seo Cha-gyeom: Then, first, I'll introduce the students.]
And one by one, they came forward, shuffling their feet and starting to introduce themselves.
Name and age, even a simple Q&A.
This self-introduction scene, which went on for quite a long time, was actually just a 'useless' scene the production crew had no choice but to insert to fill screen time.
However, this sparked yet another reaction.
―Oh wow, so the kids were seventeen,, I didn't know
―K-pop "experts" behind their living room monitors picking up the rod on kids who just graduated middle school lol, it really is laughable lolol
―Suddenly making me think of Hyungtae... T_T Me, a college student, am procrastinating on my assignments and doing this
Once the team member introductions were over, Seo Cha-gyeom fixed the camera on the floor.
He waved his hand at the camera a couple of times as if checking the focus, then naturally blended into the formation.
Soon, the shouts counting the beat and the sound of footsteps began to echo together as one.
Over it, someone's voice was layered on like a narration.
[There's nothing as regretful as being able to do something but not being able to show it.]
There was no name on the subtitles, but all the viewers would have figured out whose voice it was.
[Later, when time passes just like this... it would feel so futile to realize we were simply scared.]
[So, let's just go as far as we can. Exactly up to there.]
[That's how I thought about it at first.]
2x speed, 4x speed, 8x speed.
The footage sped forward rapidly.
A dark dawn where one couldn't even tell how much time had passed. Occasionally, a trainee who would slump down would be jumping up to repeat the practice in the very next frame.
Again and again, countless times.
[I couldn't be satisfied with just that.]
Until the sun rose, scattering its hazy light.
At the request of a Failing Grade trainee asking if they couldn't run through it just one more time before assembly, everyone lined up in formation without a single complaint.
A natural overlapping of images was laid over this, changing to the sight of the team members who had just stepped onto the stage.
The screen that had shown the stage in a long shot closed up, illuminating each team member's grimly determined expression one by one.
And finally, Seo Cha-gyeom, standing at the center, raised his head.
A narration appeared.
[We have to pull this off.]
[We're idols, after all.]