Chapter 441
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 441
[Huh?]
People who were a beat late to the news regarding the corruption among the ‘Song Camp’ judges were left utterly bewildered.
[What happened with the Song Camp judges???? Bribery???]
[What the—what happened while I was gaming?]
The program was currently sweeping the nation, and with the 3rd competition just around the corner, the public was already at a fever pitch.
In the midst of heated debates over who would ultimately take the win, this sudden controversy shifted the fierce momentum away from the contestants and toward the judges.
[What’s going on? I just checked the boards and everyone is furious.]
The original post that first raised the suspicions had long since vanished. It seemed no one had managed to snag a screengrab, as only derivative posts were spreading like wildfire.
[?????? Is this for real? Seeing how people are digging up all the old programs, it seems legit.]
[No way... if my mom finds out, she’s going to have a heart attack. Do you know how many meals she bought her friends just to collect votes for Ju Yeong-bi?]
[Didn’t we pay for text votes in the 1st and 2nd rounds?? Is this serious? The results were rigged by the judges’ scores? Is there proof? Can we report this to the KCC???]
The escalating anger eventually turned its arrows toward the broadcasting station, but QBS remained consistently silent, refusing to release an official statement.
[LOL, they’re probably struggling inside right now trying to find the leaker. It’s obviously an internal whistleblower.]
[Yeah, I saw it in real-time. It was way too detailed to be an outsider. It felt like someone couldn't stand how shitty things were going and decided to take the hit and open fire.]
[For real lol. It’s credible.]
[Ah, I looked up a review from a former QBS employee and it said, ‘A company that’s only busy covering things up when trouble breaks out’ XDDDDDD
└ LMAO, holy shit ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└└ Time to go on a pilgrimage to that post.]
Just as the issue was rippling out in every direction, a pre-scheduled Song Camp advertisement was posted on social media as part of their marketing campaign.
[The final ‘Song Camp’ competition!
Who is the long-awaited winner chosen by the nation?!
Predict the #1 spot for the next top composer and win prizes!!]
Given the ongoing controversy surrounding the judges, the timing couldn't have been worse.
[Look at these bastards. They really think the public is just a bunch of mindless cattle.]
The words ‘chosen’ and ‘nation’ had effectively provoked the masses.
[Song Camp... who do you think you are?]
[The long-awaited (rigged) winner chosen (deluded into thinking they chose) by the nation (suckers lol)?!
└ Check for corruption at Song Camp!!
└└ LMAO, holy shit ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Look at that rhyme. That’s hip-hop ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└└ Man, the way Koreans find humor even while suffering is so damn funny ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Ultimately, not only QBS’s past survival programs but even previous seasons of Song Camp were dragged back into the light and subjected to ridicule.
[Wasn't there a judge controversy on ‘Find the King of Singers’ too? lol]
[You think that’s all? There was so much talk about the QBS Awards too. This was bound to happen eventually.]
The viewer message boards were flooded with demands to disclose the judges' identities or to have them removed from the show.
The blade that had been aimed at the ‘judges’ suddenly took a turn.
[In the first place, it makes no sense that the judges’ scores account for 40%.]
The direction shifted abruptly toward the ‘evaluation ratio’ that could sway the results.
[I thought you said it was a public vote? That the nation chooses? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ How are we supposed to verify the judges’ expertise when you don't give us any info? What are we supposed to trust??]
[Technically, they are part of the Korean public too. But all I can think is... ‘Who do you think you are?’
└ They won't even release the list, so who knows? lol. Maybe they’re foreigners or just the production crew... ha.]
[Whether it’s the Music Awards or whatever, does it make sense for the judges’ scores to take up nearly half?? ;; These crazy bastards.]
[If you’re going to take bribes, you should at least produce the right results, for fuck’s sake.]
As the negative public opinion continued to spread, Noeul was actually the one who was most flustered. Fans shared their feelings through private social media accounts.
[Fuck, I’ve been burned so much by the Daesang awards in the idol world that I was actually indifferent to this kind of evaluation method... I guess I was ‘Daesang-lighted.’]
[I’ve never seen firepower this strong before... I’m moved by this joint protest with the Muggles.]
[?? But... they were cursing the judges just a second ago... now they’re suddenly demanding a change in the evaluation system.
└ Right? It was funny to me too ㅋㅋㅋ so sudden ㅋㅋㅋ
└ You can never predict the Korean internet...]
On the surface, it was clearly a crisis for ‘Song Camp,’ but for The Dawn—who had consistently been snubbed by ‘judge’ scores—it was an incredible stroke of luck. Consequently, the fandom decided to actively seize this opportunity.
[I think it would be good to join in and fan the flames.]
[Yeah.
That’s why I’m cramming the speech patterns of all sorts of online communities right now.
I’m going to try acting like a Muggle.
‘Song Camp... do the judges’ scores really make sense? ^^;;’
└ Too weak.
└└ Give us a demo.
└└ Look.
‘I am a fresh, dream-filled 10th-grade middle schooler who giggles even at a rolling leaf.’
└└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Fuck ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└└ ‘There’s a lot of talk about the judges’ scores right now, but isn't it common sense to leave it to the experts? ;; Honestly, does the general public even know what mixing is? Do they know the difference from mastering? Even as a young person with a narrow view of composition, I think it’s better to have experts.’
└ Oh fuck, please stop ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅠㅠㅠㅠ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└└ ‘+)) Looking at the comments, I think I see the current standard of people. I’m rooting for the Song Camp production team. Don't be shaken by the nonsense outside and keep fighting! ^^’
└└ Wow ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Your ability to aggro is impressive.]
Since QBS had remained silent the entire time, various articles only repeated the phrase, “Broadcasting station officials are looking into it.”
Then, on the afternoon of the following day, an official statement was released through the Song Camp website.
【Official Statement from the QBS ‘Song Camp’ Production Team】
There was no direct mention of the corruption.
However, it stated that they were actively considering a change to the internal evaluation method in consideration of the public’s opinion.
[?]
[QBS is responding faster than I thought?]
The specific details were unknown, but most people were baffled when the broadcasting station—which they assumed would ignore the issue and push through with the 3rd competition—readily expressed their intent to accept public opinion.
[Huh??? They’re getting rid of the judges????]
[Is QBS betting their life on Song Camp... I thought they’d play dumb until they got hit by the KCC, but they’re suddenly bowing down.]
[Maybe they really were clean? It feels like they’re sharpening their blades because they’re being unfairly beaten from all sides.]
[ㅋㅋㅋ Whatever... I didn't like the judges anyway ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ At least this is a relief.]
.
.
.
On the day the relentless downpour finally receded and bright sunlight pierced through the white clouds to signal the start of peak summer, a small business owner who ran a bakery and cafe was busy tidying up the shop since morning.
Though it was quietly known as a great bakery, it was located in a residential area that required a bit of searching off the main road lined with buildings, so there were very few customers in the early hours.
After checking the expiration dates on the dairy products, he stacked the coffee beans neatly behind the counter. Then, he scooped some out, ground them, and brewed a cup of coffee for himself. Enjoying the fragrant aroma, he took a sip and pulled his phone out of his apron pocket.
Accessing Nutube out of habit, he scrolled through the endless stream of short Song Camp clips and learned about the judge controversy.
“The world is ending, truly.”
As he clicked his tongue, a message arrived from the ‘Landlord.’
[OMG]
[Crazy]
[Hey, Song Camp is going to decide the results 100% by public vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
[Ha, fuck, I’ve been waiting for this day.]
[Get ready, let’s go.]
[Yang A-chae’s day in the sun has finally come.]
[Hey, apply as a tenant right now.]
The excitement was palpable in the texts. A deep furrow formed between his brows.
‘I can’t apply for Song Camp. I have a strong feeling the ticketing is going to be a bloodbath...’
The final competition of Song Camp was scheduled to be held at a renovated resort in the countryside, set up like an outdoor festival stage.
Despite the penalty of the distance, he assumed that because so many people were waiting with bated breath for the application site to open, seeing it in person was a lost cause.
However, he couldn't just ignore the message.
‘If only the “Landlord” wasn't my mother’s daughter.’
He knew he’d be nagged to death if he went home, and just as a sigh escaped him, the first customer walked in.
“Welcome!”
It was a man wearing light blue jeans with small rips from the thighs to the calves, a black T-shirt with a flashy English print that looked faded to a grayish hue, and a dark navy ball cap pulled down low over sunglasses. A crumpled vinyl duffel bag was slung over his shoulder.
‘He looks like a celebrity... who is he?’
Most of his face was covered, but his clear skin, the red hair peeking out from under the cap, and his small, fist-sized face radiated an extraordinary aura.
‘...That presence is no joke. A singer? Maybe an idol??’
Pretending not to care, the owner unnecessarily fussed over the cookies that were already arranged, stealing glances at the customer.
“Excuse me, what’s good here?”
Then, a low, husky voice reached him. It sounded heavy with exhaustion.
He quickly adjusted his expression and replied even more brightly.
“The tiramisu and banana pound cake are our bestsellers!”
“Are they both sweet?”
“Ah... yes. If you don't like sweet things, the Earl Grey cake might suit your taste better. I recommend that.”
“It’s fine. It’s not for me; I’m giving them to my friends.”
The man’s lips quirked up slightly as he picked up a tray and began to sweep the display. The owner smiled warmly as he watched the man pile up the bread two or three at a time with decisive movements.
‘Right, that one’s delicious. Oh! That one’s good too. Yeah, he knows what he’s doing.’
Walking to the counter, the man set down the tray and then went back to sweep up even more bread.
It seemed he had met a wonderful customer for his first sale of the day. Excited, he told the man to take his time and pick comfortably, then connected his laptop to the shop’s Bluetooth speaker and played music from the Mango Daily Best Chart.
Ever since the 2nd Song Camp competition, Baek Ji-jun’s ‘Moonlight’ and Kang Yi-chae’s ‘Three Os’ had been wrestling for the #1 spot every day, and it seemed ‘Three Os’ had won this time. It was the first song to play.
As he hummed along to the song his sister—the ‘Landlord’ and his annoying sibling—had been obsessed with lately, the man bringing his third tray stared at him.
“Oh... the, uh, the music is good, right? It’s from Song Camp...”
Feeling a somewhat unique vibe from the man, the owner felt a sudden wave of intimidation and responded reflexively with an awkward smile.
As the man handed over his card for payment, he asked, “Do you watch Song Camp too, boss?”
“Of course. Is there anyone who doesn't watch it these days? My sister, of course, and even my parents love it.”
“I suppose. I watch it too.”
When the man let out a small laugh, it felt as if a radiance burst from his surroundings.
Since he was a customer who had just brought in a massive sale and possessed an aura that was anything but ordinary, the owner wanted to keep the conversation going and brought up the topic he had just seen on Nutube.
“Ah! Did you hear? They say the judges are being removed from Song Camp! People are going crazy over it.”
“...Ah.”
“I also thought the evaluation method wasn't right and cursed it a lot, but I didn't think they’d actually get rid of them.”
“...I didn't know that either.”
The man’s head, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses, tilted slowly to the side.
“To think that would happen.”
While stealing glances at the man’s face and ringing up the mountain of bread on the counter, the owner was about to pack some service cookies.
The man, who had been quietly watching the items being placed into paper bags, suddenly asked a question.
“...Who did you vote for?”
The owner paused with five cookies in his hand, then put them back in the bag and replied warmly.
“The funny thing is, I’ve participated in every vote since the Song Camp initiation ceremony, and it turns out I’ve voted for the same person every single time.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. There’s this idol group called The Dawn that’s really popular lately! I didn't mean to, but people around me have started calling me a ‘hit-maker detector.’ I wonder if I’ll end up picking the same people next time too. There, all done—”
“Wow. I’d love it if you voted for us.”
“Pardon?”
As he handed over two large paper bags packed carefully so the bread and cakes wouldn't get crushed, the man gripped the kraft handles, his hand overlapping the owner’s as if they were shaking hands, and chuckled.
“Because I really want to get first place.”
Then, with his other hand, he pulled off his sunglasses.
The owner of the flashy appearance, shadowed by deep dark circles, wore a mischievous smile on his lips.
“I want to make a good impression.”
‘Kang...’
“I’ll enjoy these,” the man added, putting his sunglasses back on and leaving the shop with a light step.
“AH!!!!”
Only then did the owner snap out of it as he remembered the one thing he had forgotten.
‘A photo!!!!!’
He had just hit the jackpot on behalf of his sister, who fervently worshipped Kang Yi-chae.
But even if he wanted to brag, there was no proof left.
He felt reluctant to pull up the CCTV footage as it felt like an invasion of the customer’s privacy, so he could only grind his teeth in regret.
And while the cafe and bakery owner spent the next few days clutching his head in frustration,
【100% The People’s Choice!
The final blind voting for Song Camp begins soon!】
The blind voting for the long-awaited 3rd and final competition began.