Debut or Die

Chapter 9

On the theme song stage, the participants were set up in the shape of a fan, with the platinum grade group in the center. Of course, the higher the grade, the closer it gets to the center.

Aside from that, there were parts that only the platinum group could perform, so the grade preference was all that mattered.

However, everyone seemed to pay attention to the grade because getting one shot on the camera could change the initial ranking.

Besides, the production staff and trainers spoke and acted as if grades had great meaning, making it perfect for young participants to be swept away. And in other words, the number of people who talked to me went up five times when I got the Platinum badge.

As someone who had never experienced this kind of social hierarchy in high school, I was a little skeptical.

What steps will the production team, which has such a unique personality, take in the future to create an atmosphere like this—?

Fortunately, the vicious production team also had direct thoughts. Participants who got a Platinum grade and had a dance level of A or higher were moved to the front of the line at the start timing and during the dance break.

And the participant who wasn’t very good at dancing was pulled back cleverly. Well, of course, this was also the case for me.

My dance break movements were slightly behind Gold because I saw Seon Ahyun and Lee Sejin (Gold) right next to me.

Come to think of it, child actor Lee Sejin got the silver grade. Judging only by the general public’s reaction, it’s unlikely that he’s making his debut.

“Isn’t it a little sad?”

So, I skipped over this close friendship with Lee Sejin (Gold). A little bit past the point of suspicion, the obstacle went down without any trouble.

“Not really.”

I answered calmly. I think he means that the stage location isn’t all that great for a platinum grade.

“Wow, I must have been very sad.”

“You deserve it.”

“Huh? Why do you think so?”

“Because you’re a good dancer.”

Lee Sejin’s dance was an A-. The vocals were a C+, and if he hadn’t messed up on the high notes, he might have gotten a platinum grade instead of me.

“Uhm, thank you!”

Anyway, Lee Sejin smiled widely as if he was feeling better. Then another voice came in.

“Can’t you dance?”

It was the platinum grade participant who stood at the center of the front row. The blank expression didn’t give the impression that the person had any ill intent toward me.

But the problem is that he was the one who came in first place in the ranking evaluation. And as far as I know, he was the final number one.

His name is Cha Eugene. He was so famous that I had seen his face on TV countless times while eating at the Baekban restaurant in Gosichon. ( Baekban can mean simply steamed white rice or a full menu of rice, soup and side dishes. Gosichon is a Korean term used to refer to residents of civil service examinees.)

However, he was stranger than expected. How can he ask such a thing when the microphone and camera are both turned on?

With such a personality, he won first place.

Of course, the details in the status window and in every evaluation were great.

Nonetheless, there was a good chance that the broadcast editing was also favorable to him. Let’s not get involved in this kind of material for nothing.

So I purposely laughed.

“Did you not see my evaluation?”

Then his expression turned sour. He seems to be the type of person whose conscience is prickled at this place, which is surprising.

“We have to prepare for our own performance. So I didn’t really watch it.”

“Then watch it next time and judge for yourself.”

“All right.”

Cha Eugene nodded his head, turned around, and looked ahead. Lee Sejin laughs with a look of bewilderment.

“I guess he has a unique way of speaking because he came from abroad?”

“I know.”

The conversation didn’t go further as Lee Sejin was also conscious of the camera.

Instead, I looked at the staff offstage. It seems to be getting solved as well.

“The rehearsal will start!”

The staff shouted. The setting seems to be complete.

I held my breath.

It was hard to wait on the floor while they packed equipment, but I didn’t know I would have to do this myself.

It’s 6 a.m. right now.

And they will record the actual performance at 4 p.m.

It seemed as if I was going to have a rough march.

******

It’s currently 8 p.m.

This filming has been completed.

“Good job~!”

As I expected earlier… There was a lot of hardship.

“Whoo…”

“Ah… I will die.”

One participant after another fell to the floor, making a sound of pain from the side. Everybody was dripping with sweat.

I was in the same condition as the other participants, but there was nowhere to sit down because the participants who had fallen first had filled the floor.

It was funny.

‘I ran out of stamina.’

First, I rehearsed all morning and was exhausted. After that, I took a short break and then a lunch break.

The only thing on the menu was gimbap wrapped in silver foil. This was probably because they didn’t have the necessary PPL yet.

After eating a bit, many stylists came to the filming set to do their jobs.

– Ah, I really don’t have a place to put anything~

– Tilt your head this way!

– I’ll do it quickly.

Even though they were annoyed by the poor conditions in the empty lot that was being used as a waiting room, they put make-up on the participants and smoothed their hair.

To be honest, there was no dramatic change for anyone, but it was enough for broadcasting.

After that, I put on a broadcasting uniform.

By this time, a camera was coming toward me.

– Do you like your clothes?

– …Yes.

Is there anyone here who would say no?

– What do you like about it?

– Since the design includes both uniforms and school uniforms, I think I can use it to make a variety of concepts.

I wish I could say it’s a bit gross because 77 people are wearing the same clothes, but I can’t.

As soon as I finished speaking, the participants around me started talking.

– I like that I can mix and match various accessories~

– Ah! It’s good because it also goes well with the badge.

There might have been one or two camera shots here, but everyone was excited.

And the actual shooting.

Honestly, here— I don’t know how the editing will go in.

– Let’s do it again~

– Ugh…

I didn’t think about that while I was dancing in a group in a place that was so hot that I thought I would get heatstroke about 30 times.

I think I’ve heard compliments, criticisms, and comments meant to motivate the participants, but it’s all getting fuzzy in my head.

To be honest, my memory was vague. I don’t know what kind of cut the production crew will use in episode 30.

I listened to the PD, trying to come to my senses.

“Everyone, you worked really hard—”

The main PD, who came out of nowhere at the end of the main stage, seemed to be giving empty compliments at first, but he gave some useful information after a few words.

“…And this performance will be on Music Night next Friday. You will start shooting again the next day. Until then, rest well and never forget that this is a great opportunity for you. You have to take this opportunity.”

Anyone who sees it knows that they could grab the opportunity if the participants worked hard.

The participants responded enthusiastically to the PD, who could make the opportunity fit their liking.

“Let’s work hard until the end.”

“Yes!!”

“Then see you next week. You did a good job~.”

“You have worked hard!”

With their remaining strength, everyone cheers and claps. I applauded even though my hands were trembling.

“….”

Until next week’s Music Night monitoring, I guess I should build up my stamina first.

******

The week went by in an instant.

My plan to build up my stamina was only half successful. The reason for this is because after the first filming, I suddenly got a fever, and for the next three days, I stayed under the blanket and took medicine for it.

It seems that Park Moondae’s body couldn’t stand several weeks of hard work.

Anyway, when I woke up in three days, I ate more food and started practicing dancing and training my stamina at the same time.

I can now say that I’m working hard because I’m holding dumbbells while watching Music Night.

So let’s call it half a success.

[Siwon, did you enjoy SoulWe’s comeback stage with an exciting EDM?]

[Of course, Siwon is so excited that my heart feels relieved~]

[Are you kidding me? Whoo~]

[Whoooo~]

On the screen, two idols are hosting with joy.

They seemed to be reading the prompters with a lot of effort, yet they still managed to deliver the cringy script.

Even though they are both busy, it seems like they are trying to split the time.

[Siwon-ssi! Now, instead of making jokes, let’s talk about the next stage, shall we?]

[Yes. Did you hear the news, Yoonji-ssi?]

[What kind of news is it?]

[The news that shareholders have been eagerly waiting for! Right away~ <Idol Joint-Stock Company> has been relisted!]

[Whoaa!]

It’s about to start. I put the dumbbell down and picked up my phone to go back to the page I had been on before.

As a huge portal site created the viewer’s fireboard, it was the best page to watch the general Internet reaction.

Since it was not even a famous singer’s comeback week, the page was dominated by the topic ‘Idol Joint-Stock Company.’

[‘MusicBOMB’ talk talk!]

– It said re-listed ???. Is this for real?

– Stop talking about it.

– Wow, pretending to be season 3!

– ?????? It’s not a re-listed; it’s a delisted.

– What? Why are you here all of a sudden?

? IJC is launching a new season ?

?Ah…

– ? Am I the only one who came to see the comments instead of the boring performance?

Well, I did expect a lot of this kind of reaction.

Every time I clicked refresh, a different kind of ridicule poured out. It seemed that more people came than the previous Music Night’s viewers.

And to sum up the reactions, they all said that Season 3 was going too far and would fail. Because Season 2 was too grand and flashy, the series seemed to have a strong reputation for being a failure.

As expected, there is also a mockery directed towards Season 2.

– This time, it’s between guys? Are you going to be bigger in Korea? ?

? Korea doesn’t allow same-sex marriages, so you can’t beat the stronghold of season 2.^^??????

? Fuck ????

This is the main reason why Season 2 ends up destroying itself because it was a mixed audition for idols, with both men and women participating.

But when I think about it now, it was a strange idea.

I wonder what kind of silly thoughts the production team had.

It wouldn’t have happened if they had made season 2 with a male version as the standard or if they had made the female version again.

If that’s the way it is—.

– I don’t know~ Who else might get pregnant before marriage and remain a legend in the idol audition world?

? Ah ??? Two seasons in a row!

? Now is the time to laugh but fuck. At that time, I was almost truly traumatized. Crazy bastards, why are you crawling out on an audition program to piss off the innocent viewers?

? Huh sudden acceleration

? They’re too immersed in the entertainment industry~

? Yeah, it’s not just entertainment; it’s an audition that wastes money~

? Even with everything going on, it still makes me nervous to think about how IJC became the romance of the century.?

Yeah. It was a premarital pregnancy—.

Pregnancy before marriage at a time when even dating can be fatal.

It also broke out among the participants.

The bigger problem is that the two contestants whose premarital pregnancies broke out were popular contestants who were leading Season 2.

Since the production team already made it a mixed group, it seems like they thought it would be better to use it to get people’s attention than to get rid of it right away.

That’s probably why they worked hard to edit the rest of the show like a romance reality show.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

– To say you were pregnant while walking on two legs, you must have been a lunatic who will never be seen again.

– It’s really a legend in IJC…Oh, it’s not IJC but RJC (Ruin Joint-Stock Company) ?

The male participant in the scandal involving premarital pregnancy was actually dating another female participant.

The female participant said that she was going to put up with it for the sake of her career, but after watching the pink episode, she turned her back on it and told the media about the messenger.

After that— it was terrible.

Portal real-time search terms, entertainment news pages, and even social media were all a mess.

I just—remember that IJC Season 2 didn’t make it to the finals and ended early.

In addition, as long as these huge scandals remain fresh in viewers’ minds, no matter what they do at the beginning of the program, they will be subject to mockery.

I stopped thinking about the past and looked back at the screen.

In contrast to the crazy comments, the Music Night MCs were still smiling.

[Idol stocks waiting for shareholders to invest!]

[Shine your star!]

And here comes the famous catchphrase.

[Now, invest in idols who are about to fly high!]

The number of comments on the post suddenly tripled at that point.

– Fly high, stock… Fantastic skyrocket… ?Fly…high?

This was also once popular on the internet. It seems to have been used very often when a participant who was intended to be successful failed due to some unfortunate event.

These comments, which are getting close to becoming plastered, were filled with several lamentations.

– Wow, you’re using this again.

– Whoever decided the phrase is really heaven sense.

– Really. It seems like the old man who was a piece of trash tried to act hip but failed.

– Don’t make Siwon say those lines, you crazy broadcasting bastard ??

I laughed bitterly.

“But you still watch it.”

They watch it to curse at them.

It was hundreds of times better than indifference. Because there’s no doubt that these early viewers will help spread the word. Season 3 is a huge hit because it is based on facts that have already happened.

After all, it means that by the time the finals are over, most of them (to put it in an IJC way) will grab anyone’s stock and watch it until they cry.

But it won’t be like that from the first stage.

I was very excited about what reaction would come out again.

After the MC’s words, the TV screen showed the stage a few seconds later.

Youngrin was standing on the stage. The pinpointed lighting made dramatic shadows with a clear outline on the face.

Well, at first, <Idol Joint-Stock Company> was in a humorous position with a black comedy and a heartwarming B-style, but it seemed like they were trying to change their image by becoming crazy.

Maybe they’re trying to cover it seriously.

[All shareholders! Do you remember the last delisting?]

“….?”

They smashed my prediction as soon as Youngrin opened her mouth.

[Everyone, for making your stock into pieces of paper— I’m so sorry!!]

They put big subtitles in front of Youngrin, who shouted loudly.

[?This is an apology from the production team. Youngrin is not guilty.?]

[?We are still accepting claims for damages on our website.?]

“….”

Have they gone mad?