011

Suddenly, light burst out of the slot, and the movement from the silver box, which wasn't there, stopped.

"Hmm."

As soon as I saw the word "great success," I had a good feeling.

Will the characteristics be more effective this time? As long as it helps with the stage—.

[Acquired Characteristic 'I heard it's true(C)'!]

It causes emotional agitation to the 'listener'.

Activation rate 35%, basic activation state

How am I supposed to accept this characteristic that seems to be suitable only for people who try to lure other people?

But does this mean that it should attract public opinion on the Internet?

No, it can't be the case because 'listener' is specifically mentioned.

Let's think about it for a while—.

"…."

When I calmed down, I thought it was a pretty good characteristic.

Due to the nature of the show, survival participants often talk directly to the audience during self-introductions and ranking announcement ceremonies.

It was a good characteristic because it would be advantageous for the viewer to feel anything rather than pass by casually.

In addition, the word 'listener' means that songs could also be used as a delivery method.

In this situation, it is definitely an advantage because it's pretty simple to create a feeling of immersion while performing on stage.

Great. It's better than nothing.

After organizing the situation quickly, I checked the status window.

[Name: Park Moondae (Ryu Gunwoo)]

Level: 8

Title: None

Vocal: A-

Dance: C

Visual: C+

Talent: C

Characteristics: Infinite potential, I heard it's true(C)

!Status abnormality: Debut or die

Points Remaining: 1

One point was gained thanks to the achievement of First Experience when the first stage was broadcast.

And there were only three more episodes left until the achievement of practicing the song reached 500 times.

I'm going to level up today and get an extra point, and the points I already have will be distributed immediately.

The highest priority is—.

"Let's take it for a visual."

It's time to break through the B-grade barrier.

Without hesitation, I adjusted the status window.

'…I hope the number of comments will increase from the next content.'

I thought casually and got ready for bed early.

The filming will start again tomorrow. It starts early in the morning, so I should save my stamina from now on.

Based on the order, the first team match or self-introduction video will take place tomorrow.

"Idol Joint-Stock Company has started again! Participants, did you all have a good rest?"

"Yes!"

What I expected was true. I looked around the filming set among participants who answered the MC's question vigorously.

Signs were placed all over the auditorium, where they first showed the theme song.

When you watch last season's game, you will know exactly where the first team battle would take place.

Aside from me, I could tell that some of the other participants were already paying attention to it and exchanging glances with each other.

I'm not sure if we can do it together, but it didn't seem like a bad idea.

Should I cast someone too?

"…."

Come to think of it, I realize that none of the other participants was that close to me. So let's just focus on the MC's words.

"The stage everyone will be preparing for today is~ a team battle!"

"Whoa!"

As expected, everyone responded with a look like this.

"There must be some participants you'd like to team up with since this is the first team battle, right?"

When this kind of word comes, the following sentence will begin with "but."

"However! Idols need to be able to show teamwork no matter who they meet. In this evaluation, no one can team up with the people they like."

The program spoke well for having edited the first season to make it seem like the bullying was purposely done by them when it was all planned out from the start. Five of them experienced hell as a result.

"Then how do you form a team? First of all, please get the ball out of this box!"

"Why is it scary?"

Lee Sejin (Gold grade), standing behind me, whispered.

As far as I know, he was the only person that spoke to me at this place, and it felt like he was doing so to get a reaction cut.

Since the camera is moving, I can't just ignore it.

I nodded roughly, followed the person in front of me, and pulled the ball out of the box.

'Number 12.'

It seems like teams are formed by number or that teams are chosen in this number order.

"Participant number 1, who are you? Raise your hand! Ah, it's Participant Lee Hongsoo!"

A participant with a silver grade clumsily raised his hand. Then, the MC raised his hand and pointed to a sign placed in the auditorium.

"Participants can choose each sign when it's their turn!"

It was the latter. The MC smiled and drew his hand.

"Then, please reveal the content of the sign!"

Ping—!

The sign lit up, and text appeared. It was innovative in its own way, but the content is what really matters.

Each sign had the name of a famous agency written on it.

"Here are the names of agencies leading KPOP around the world! You just have to choose one of these agencies. However, the capacity is 14 people!"

The MC spread out his hands.

"However, if the quota is exceeded, the participant with the higher rank can push the participant with the lower rank and go in instead!"

"Wow, the rules are cruel."

Gold grade Lee Sejin talked to me again and made a big fuss.

"By any chance, can you not push me if I choose the same agency? I'm good, right?"

"…You're gold."

I couldn't understand why a high-ranking guy like him would think I would try to push him.

"Gold can be pushed from the Platinum!"

"…I won't push you."

"Oh~ the answer is cool."

"…."

Let's not get involved.

For reference, there were 5 signboards for the agency.

Unconditionally, 7 people can't stand at the sign and have no choice but to move to the corner.

Interviews are already expected to be included.

[It was really scary]

[Now it's real survival.]

"Then let's start with Participant Lee Hongsoo, who picked number 1!"

The first person stood in front of an agency known for its male idols.

My number is 12, so it's pretty early. Perhaps there was no need to push anyone.

However, it was quite difficult not to be able to check the team members in advance.

Because the quality of the stage and the direction of editing will change depending on who the team members of this first team match are, and the game will change afterward.

Aside from that, I didn't recognize any of the 11 participants who were called. It means that they didn't make their debut.

I had to use my brain well.

"Next participant, please move!"

I decided where to go after a lot of thought.

So far, the high-ranking participants have headed for the most picked sign.

Anyway, each agency had its own hit songs, so I shouldn't have any trouble with song selection as long as I pick the right ones.

So, the team members were more important than the agency.

People who are good at it will make the stage better, so this isn't a big enough sample, but let's figure it out based on the 11 people in front of me.

'First of all, I'm going to a place with many high-ranking participants.'

Two gold grade participants greeted me clumsily as I stepped forward with the ball in my hand.

It sounds like they were both talking about putting up the same sign.

They just said hello to each other but seemed happy to see each other.

They must be suffering a lot.

"Oh~ the main vocalist!"

I decided to be grateful for the above response as well.

Fortunately, both were participants who showed strength in dancing.

The problem was after that.

"Next is~ Ah, Participant Lee Sejin!"

Child actor Lee Sejin also picked up this sign.

Lee Sejin, holding number 15, approached with a stiff expression and stood behind the sign.

The two gold participants appear to have tried to welcome him again this time, but it was somewhat misunderstood due to Lee Sejin turning around and standing behind them.

"Aah—"

I heard a voice of embarrassment in front of me.

Well, it's right behind me, so I'll have to make a gesture like this.

Uhm, it's right behind me, so I should do this kind of gesture.

I turned my head and bowed to the child actor Lee Sejin. Lee Sejin also nodded. It was an unfriendly reaction.

As expected, it doesn't feel good. Will someone push this punk?

But after that, a bronze grade that was lower than the silver grade came out, and the chance of that happening was very small.

'Damn it.'

And after a while, it was the 30s. Seon Ahyun, who was holding the number 33, came up and looked nervous.

"…."

Well, it's good to have more Gold grades. He is a cooperative person. I gently waved my hand, and Seon Ahyun's expression brightened.

It was a bit embarrassing.

The next impressive person to join was Platinum grade Ryu Chungwoo.

As a former player of the national archery team, he was one of the debut members I knew.

"Please take care of me!"

Ryu Chungwoo smiled as he stood in line as the 13th member.

There is only one person left.

Unfortunately, the 1st and 2nd place of debut members I knew went to different signs. It was the sign that the first participant went to, which was a sign for an agency that was known for its male idol.

Because of the agency's overwhelming popularity, the first number of participants had to be pushed back eventually.

There were many people, like the number 1 member Cha Eugene, who got a lot of attention after their debut and first performance.

Even the silver grade was pushed back there.

"I'm sorry."

The participant in the silver grade who had been pushed and was half heartedly nodding his head walked up to the sign. He looked extremely miserable.

"…."

For reference, that punk is Choi Wongil.

He was fighting hard but didn't do well on the ranking evaluation, so he fell to a silver grade. However, it seemed like his mentality had really exploded.

Maybe it's just how I feel, but I don't think he wants to look at me.

"Huh, you have to push someone to get in now. All 14 people have been taken."

"Gosh."

The first two people in line, who were both Gold participants, nodded.

…Gradually, I began to worry about the members of this team.

What was worse, the one who was pushed back from the 60s and got back was this punk.

"I will give out the name… Bronze grade participant Jung Hyeongjung. I'm really sorry!"

Gold grade Lee Sejin chose this sign.

Lee Sejin, who kept his head down, was the first person to push the other participant away and join this sign.

Because he was sorry and behaved well, everyone seemed willing to do so.

"Oh, Moondae~ Are you going to be the main vocalist?"

"Of course, whoever fits it best will do it."

"Wow, that's cool~ 'whoever fits it best will do it'~."

"…."

I would have swung my fist at him if it weren't for the camera.

I looked at Lee Sejin but didn't say anything. Instead, he grinned and hit me on the back before moving to get in line.

I feel like I was wrongly accused—.

"Everyone, have you all picked the sign you want?"

The movement didn't end until the remaining people who had been pushed out of different places were given new signs.

After Lee Sejin (Gold) joined, the only change at the sign I was standing on was that one silver participant pushed a bronze participant.

So, this is a summary of the grade for each participant.

– Platinum 2 people, Gold 5 people, Silver 5 people, Bronze 2 people.

Overall, it was the best distribution except for the top team. However, it seems that the members were also subtly satisfied with it.

Of course, it will not end here.

"I guess you want to choose the best song now!"

"Yes!"

There were 14 people, but there was no way to put them all on one team. So they will be divided into 7 people.

First of all, the person I definitely want to avoid and the person I want to be with—.

I turned my head away. Then, coincidentally, I made eye contact with Ryu Chungwoo.

Ryu Chungwoo nodded slightly. It looked like he was also planning to make this team into a high-ranking team. Good. So, let's do our best to avoid any rudeness—.

"Well, before that… Whoever picked the first sign, please raise your hand!"

Participants who were standing right behind the signs raised their hands.

MC said with a smile.

"For participants who raised their hands, please press the button above the sign!"

"Yes?"

"A sign?"

"Button, ah, square over there, uh, that's it."

The participants murmured to each other, and each found a button at the top of the sign and pressed it.

Suddenly, the sign's content began to flicker and then change.

"Oh, what's that?"

"Is it a lottery number?"

On the sign screen, there were two rows of seven numbers each. It was the same as the sign of the agency I was in.

[4, 7, 12, 15, 33, 37, 62]

[17, 24, 27, 38, 41, 59, 72]

"Can you see the number on the sign?"

"Yes!"

"I can see it!"

"If you buy a lottery ticket with that number! …Haha, I was joking. By that number, you become a team! …Everyone, do you remember the number of balls drawn in the starting order?"

"….!"

"You'll now be on the same team in the order written on the sign. And you'll perform against the other team in a one-on-one match!"

In an instant, the studio was filled with noise.

"Oh, hey, what's your—I was number 5, right? Oh my."

"Wow, what is this…"

"Did we split up?"

This sign was no different. When he pressed the button for the first time, the gold grade participant cheered and hugged the same gold grade participant immediately behind him.

As expected, the two of them came here to do it together.

Then they looked back at me and shouted.

"Hyung-nim! Number 12~ We're on the same team!"

"Wow, great! You got the main vocal!"

Then, someone grabbed me from behind and hugged me along with the gold grade participants.

"I think I like our team?!"

It was a gold grade Lee Sejin. I see. Number 62 was that punk.

I tried to match the order of the team members among the three people who made more fuss on purpose.

First of all, number 33 is Seon Ahyun.

Well done. I turned back and spoke with Seon Ahyun before slipping out of the three.

I was almost annoyed by how uncomfortable I felt.

"I look forward to your kind cooperation."

Seon Ahyun nodded hard. Okay, who's on the rest of the team?

It would be great to have Ryu Chungwoo, who is both a platinum grade and a debut member, but the number 37—.

"…."

It wasn't him. Number 37 was Choi Wongil. Clearly, he was standing this way awkwardly with the order ball.

On the other hand, Ryu Chungwoo seemed to have gathered a number of people there and was about to start a briefing.

'I'm doomed.'

And the 15s—.

Damn it, it was the child actor Lee Sejin.

Likewise, he was looking at the three gold grade participants there with eyes that refused to talk.

I screwed up. It's going to be edited out.

No matter what I expected, the ranking seemed to be very good.

Because of this, Seon Ahyun added a voice with a rare happy tone.

"I, I, I think the team members are good."

"…."

Yeah, you should think positively too.

012

"Yeah~ We're so good, right? There are a lot of talented people, and there are a lot of good-looking people!"

Gold grade Lee Sejin said with a big smile. Everyone felt embarrassed, but they all nodded as if they agreed.

Even if everyone pretended to be as harmonious as they were, it was a natural thing because it was the right time to grow up. It's a relief to see that everyone has at least some sense.

"But, ah, Actor Sejin. We have the same name—. How do we differentiate ourselves?"

"Yes?"

"Oh, that's nice!"

"Right? Since you're an Actor, how about Bae Sejin?" (T/n: I think they take 배 from 배우 which means actor for this part.)

The gold grade participant who joined first grinned and added.

"Hey, then, because you're big, you will be Big Sejin."

"Big Sejin? Hey, that's nice. Call! What do you think? Sejin Hyung-nim?"

"…."

Child Actor Lee Sejin bit his lip as if he was holding back something, and said it.

"I just like my name."

"…."

"Ah—. I see."

The excitement disappeared in an instant. Then Gold grade Lee Sejin hurriedly opened his mouth.

"Oh, that's fine. Then, Hyung and Dongsaengs, please call me Big Sejin from now on~"

"It's nice~."

"What a nice nickname!"

Clap clap clap. The atmosphere was set with applause. Then, around the time each person introduced themselves, the MC picked up the microphone again.

"Participants, did you say hello to each other?"

"Please let us choose whatever song we want."

One of the team members muttered desperately. But there was no chance.

"Now then— let's start the song selection!"

"Whoa—"

"The song selection is random—"

Everyone murmurs with tired looks.

The MC waved his hand out and said humorously.

"Ey, everyone! This is one of the hit songs of the representative idols of the agency you picked! Don't be disappointed!"

They might have thought it was worth doing, so the atmosphere has gotten better.

"Now, the representative song will start playing at the sign in front of you. If you want to stop, just press the switch! Then, the first participant to join the sign, please come forward!"

The team members immediately changed their attitude.

"Hyung-nim, I will trust you!"

"The only way to live is a masterpiece song!"

"Phew, do I have to show my ability again?"

The first participant stepped forward in front of the sign with a cheer.

"Now, get ready… launch it!"

"Whoaa!"

A team member made a strange noise and immediately pressed the switch. Big Sejin (Since he brought this up himself, I'm going to call him this from now on) murmured next to me.

"No, we should've seen it and pressed it—"

The titles of a few songs were shown on a sign that rolled slowly.

[Tiger / VTIC]

[LIFE / VTIC]

[Eternal Song / VTIC]

VTIC. At the moment, they are the male idols whose albums sell the most copies.

"Everything is fine… please."

Choi Wongil's desperate murmuring was heard at the end. I waited patiently for the screen to stop.

The screen then slowly stopped.

[Into A New World / MallangDalkom]

"…?"

"…?"

"…!?"

A terrible silence fell.

Except for myself, all of the team members' eyes became like 'BONOBONO' as they looked at the sign. (t/n: Bonobono (보노보노) is a character in a manga.)

"I, is it an error?"

The team member who touched the sign mumbled something in a puzzled voice. However, there was no response from the production staff.

It meant it was real.

"Is it include female idols?"

"Are there any female idol songs?"

Everyone, including us, was saying similar things.

Of course, the reaction was not as strong as ours.

The people on the team muttered as if they were crazy.

"Yeah… So, was it a flower fairy?"

"That… uh, debut song, uh-huh."

Undoubtedly, 'Into A New World' was an innocent and dreamy song that stood for a flower fairy.

Besides, it's a debut song. A song that has never been number #1 on public television since it came out before MallangDalkom's concept changed into something cute and bitter.

"Ah! Thank you!"

"This is amazing!"

The surrounding area was filled with cheers as if there was a good song. It was natural because it would have been full of masterpiece songs. But the climax came from here.

"Aaaaah!"

"Hyung! Hyung!"

The team next to our sign picked "Tiger" by VTIC.

For reference, that song was the title track of the album that received Daesang at the largest music site awards ceremony in Korea two months ago.

I could say that it's one of the most popular songs right now.

Maybe that's why everyone was hugging and making a fuss. The grade of the team members was low, so the atmosphere improved greatly as if they had already won.

"…."

And our side is getting very quiet. It looked like no one could get over the shock.

What am I going to do?

'I was avoiding this.'

I was sweeping my chest. This is because I realized that I chose the sign of the agency with ease.

VTIC's 'Tiger'?

I just can't do it.

I was lucky enough to avoid it.

In that way, the match's luck is great right now.

'It seems like everyone hasn't realized it yet.'

When I saw the team members gathering in a depressed mood, I thought it was rather good.

If there's a sense of crisis, they'll work cooperatively.

"I think the key doesn't match."

Did I think they would work cooperatively? I'd like to say that I was wrong to have such high expectations.

Already, a man who seems to have given up on everything has started to show up.

"Wongil-ah, if you try it again—"

"I've tried it again a few times, and I don't think it's going to work again—"

Choi Wongil lowered his head gloomily and said this.

"That, it was originally a female song, but we changed it to a male key, so I don't think it fits well. I think I can do the high part—"

He looks at me while talking like that.

'You want my part.'

I was wearing the main vocal badge early on, and the three gold grade participants were cheering me on.

Choi Wongil was quiet and only watched me put on my badge, maybe because he got a low grade.

Then he found a place where he could stretch his feet, so he stretched them.

I laughed bitterly.

"Shall we?"

"…!"

Big Sejin hit my thigh. This is really—.

"Hey, don't play around with the kid. At times like this, you have to help him sing his part! What are you doing?"

People talk about it as if it's a joke, which is only natural. It's not something he did once or twice.

'Indeed, he's not just a good punk with no shame.'

I hid my doubts and spoke again firmly.

"No, I really don't mind changing it. If you are going to do it, you should do it at the beginning before you learn the choreography."

"R, really?"

"Yeah."

I calmly ended the conversation. Choi Wongil looked very suspicious, but he quickly nodded because he was afraid I might change my mind.

"Well, then I want to do the first verse chorus—"

"Okay, then I'll do the bridge part."

"Yes?"

"Let's change parts. That's the part where you say you can't do it."

Choi Wongil nodded his head reluctantly. He didn't seem to want me to take part that he couldn't.

He wanted to take the chorus, but he didn't want to let go of his part.

I don't believe it was because he is unable to put things away in the right order, but was falling into silver grade the trigger? It tasted a little off.

Big Sejin looked at Choi Wongil and me alternately and sighed quietly.

'I must have taken the 1st chorus in the picture he drew.'

Then he pretended not to, and continued energetically.

"Okay, then the part would be like this."

There was one main position left. They felt nervous as if they weren't gold grade participants.

"Now all we have to do is choose the main dancer."

Before Big Sejin spoke more, I raised my hand.

"Oh, I have an opinion."

"Yeah?"

"If everyone is okay, I want to decide the direction of the arrangement before choosing the main dancer."

"…Huh?"

An arrangement.

Even though it was the most important topic, everyone was unconsciously avoiding it.

'Into A New World' is an innocent female idol song.

And 'innocent' is—it was a very difficult concept to digest.

People often think that it is easy to do as long as it looks pretty, but that is not true at all.

This is because it's a concept that is difficult to make look strong.

In order for them to leave such an impression on the audience with such a song while they were competing on the survival stage, they had to be exceptionally talented or incredibly good.

Maybe everyone thought that far, but the opinion of the arrangement started out like this.

"A little…How about changing the lyrics and going strong?"

"With a strong beat?"

"yes. It's perfect for a new world~ with so much ambition to do it!"

The first gold—. It's annoying to call it this way. Should I call him Gold 1 appropriately?

So, this was Gold 1's opinion. This is something that any participant in a survival show who is thinking can come up with.

Strong change.

The problem is that it looks like it would be difficult for this song to give the impression of being "full of ambition," as the saying goes.

The lyrics of 'Into the New World' are like this.

– At some point, I realized

I wandered in an imperfect time

In this unstoppable maze of time

Please save me from being trapped in it

It's withering away gradually.

In this little space inside (little flower~)

I'm waiting for the day it will bloom again

Please come to find me

This is the first verse.

If you want to be ambitious, you need to change the lyrics so that they focus more on the speaker. If you don't, the song's story gets messed up from the pre-chorus on.

This is because the chorus of this song is about asking the other person to come to you quickly.

– One step, two steps

The sound of you coming

It's ringing in my ears

Don't hesitate and give me your hand

Now, I'm going into a new world~

Come to me

Come to me

It's dazzling, a paradise by your side

Come to me

Come to me

Melody of love for you (continues)

"Then do we have to change the lyrics of 'Come to me' after 'Into A New World'?"

"Uh… if we say 'come to you'…"

Gold 1 muttered and scratched his head. He seems to have realized that the problem is not only that.

"Then, shouldn't we have to change everything from 'Save Me'?"

"Mhmm."

Yes. Since the chorus is so focused on what the listener does, changing that to "I'm coming quickly" takes away from the meaning of the next lyrics.

"If we're going to do this, we'll have to change the whole thing."

"Yeah…But if we make too many changes, we might suffer from fairness."

It was also a question of whether the opposing team or the production staff would allow them to fix everything like that.

"…."

The team members got quiet as they slowly realized how serious the situation was.

Big Sejin quickly intervened and changed the subject.

"Why don't we discuss the arrangement with the teachers and decide? I think it would be better to learn the choreography as soon as possible to get feedback! Is it okay, Moondae-ya?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Let's do it."

I obediently agree. Anyway, the idea of bringing up the arrangement at this point was meant to shock them.

The more desperate the atmosphere is, the less noise will come out when I give my opinion about the arrangement.

"Okay, let's play the choreography video!"

When Big Sejin played the dance video, everyone turned their heads to look at the tablet PC screen.

No matter where they hear the chorus, no one on the team probably remembers the choreography in detail.

However, as expected, less than 15 seconds after the choreography video started, everyone gave out voices.

"Ah—"

013

"…The dance?"

Ballet and modern dance movements appeared from the opening choreography of 'Into A New World.'

It's dim and dreamy, but it's also, as expected, not very intense.

"It's pretty, but—"

Gold 1, who had opened his mouth, was speechless.

In other words, the difficulty of arrangement has again gone up vertically because of this choreography.

Following the lyrics played over and over, they began to learn the choreography in an atmosphere very similar to a house in mourning.

"Let's get it as soon as possible!"

"Yes!"

However, it was surprisingly nice to practice because everyone closed their mouths and worked hard. This may have been because the hopelessness of the future made everyone feel like they were in a crisis instead of desperate.

They also seemed to know that if they complained for no reason, their negative comments about the song could be broadcast.

'It's nice because it's comfortable.'

I continued to practice silently without saying a word.

Anyway, I had zero experience with choreography, so I couldn't say that I was particularly impressed by what I saw, as it was all the same to me.

"Here, if you grab my arm and turn it like this—"

"Uhm."

"Oh, it was similar."

And waited for the right timing.

Now that the atmosphere has been set, the thing that really matters is the picture, which should be so powerful that the editors won't want to remove it when they're editing. It was also important how the arrangement process came out on the program.

The chance came two days later when the trainer came to check on them.

"You must have been very worried when you got this song, right?"

At the choreographer's words, the team members laughed awkwardly. They can't say that they just learned the choreography without putting their worries out of their minds.

The choreographer didn't seem to like this response very much, but for now, he didn't say anything about it.

"Let's start by seeing what you've done."

"Yes!"

And the team members, including myself, finished the first verse choreography without any mistakes.

"Whoo…"

People who were breathing hard around me let out a sigh of relief when they thought there were no mistakes.

"…Well."

The choreographer nodded. It was a fairly neutral move.

"How did everyone memorize the movements? Who got the choreography?"

"Uh, the team members who are a little more used to dancing and all together…"

"Yes. We did it all together!"

Big Sejin added words to Gold 2.

The 4 Gold indeed took the lead, but Seon Ahyun was the one who did the most. I found out that he was a dance major.

Well, he wasn't completely alone, and the main dancer became Big Sejin, so it looked like he would crush it to the extent.

The choreographer just nodded.

"Yeah, you've worked hard. But—"

The choreographer snapped his neck.

"I can't see anyone."

I could hear Gold 2 taking a breath right next to me. Whoever sees it would think a ghost came out.

"What are you going to do? It's just 'They're dancing. They're doing this move. They're doing that move.' This is a compliment you might hear at a school trip talent show, but didn't you come here to make money with this?"

The team members flinched whenever the words came out.

"It's not worth watching."

In fact, it was a natural result since they didn't try to figure out what the song meant and only learned the choreography mechanically. Still, the choreographer kept saying the same thing, like using abusive language instead of advice.

"There are kids who are below the level at all."

It was obvious to look at actor Lee Sejin while he was speaking. Lee Sejin was bowing his head.

To be honest, I was at a level where I could barely remember the choreography, but should I think it's a good thing that they become human shields for me?

There was constant feedback to the point that it wouldn't be strange for one person to be dragged on.

The choreographer openly moved his mouth.

"You, Seon Ahyun."

"Y, yes…"

"I heard you majored in modern dance. But why does it seem like you're weaker than Moondae?"

Seon Ahyun's face turned pale.

I had a strong feeling that they would never edit those comments.

This punk who will get hair loss—was he trying to intentionally shock him by making a comparison between myself and the person who couldn't do that right now?

"That kid sings well. You're auditioning here, so the feedback has been positive so far. But if you make your debut, someone will write a story about you, but do you think someone will tell you you did a good job?"

There aren't many fields that are as skilled at storytelling as the entertainment industry, but those who work in it like to play it cool and insist that they are judged only based on their skills.

It was still the same. No matter what, it looked like it hurt Seon Ahyun a lot, and he looked like he was about to sink.

''This is a bit difficult—'

He was already in strange condition, but I'll get in trouble if he couldn't do his part because it got worse.

"Anyway, your current level is just an amateur who practiced a little. Think about what you want to convey through this song, and then perform it again while you're in a state where you're worth watching."

"Thank you…"

The team members walked quickly out of an evaluation room as if they were mop.

They already had no lives.

However, a similar situation occurred in the following vocal feedback.

"Guys. What do you guys want to do?"

Mudie tapped on the keyboard as if she were frustrated and sorry. But, instead of attacking a person, she poured out specific instructions. It seems like she really wants to give advice.

"The concept of this song is the fairy of flowers. It's a clear and beautiful song. But all you're doing is singing the notes. It had neither a beautiful nor a sad feeling. Isn't it embarrassing for you to sing it that way?"

"…."

Aside from the fact that this song wasn't suitable for an audition program, I honestly wondered if there were any team members who didn't think of that. But, of course, it was because they are around the age of high school students.

But I can't honestly say that I'm embarrassed, so this is the answer.

"Since it was an audition, we wanted to arrange with a stronger feeling—. Because the concept of the song is so pure, it's difficult to naturally change it to a stronger direction."

"If the arrangement seemed hard, you should have thought about trying to keep the original song as close as possible."

"…."

Mudie waved one hand with a sad expression.

"Guys. First, you have to know which direction you want to go."

And as soon as the production team stepped in to help, the team members began discussing the situation immediately.

The camera was close to the front, and the production team was sitting in front of it. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was so bad that we couldn't even say anything.

But someone had to say something, so the guy with the armband was the first to speak up.

It was Big Sejin.

"Uhm, we worked really hard these two days. Thanks to it, we learned the choreography quickly. I believe we can do well enough with the quality of the stage if we immerse ourselves in the song with that momentum from now on."

It was a natural comfort as if he had prepared for it. Look at this punk?

"Let's not get distracted and work hard to keep the original song's meaning! It may be a little embarrassing, but naturally, if we do our best— it's like a hit song by MallangDalkom Sunbaenim, wouldn't it be fun?"

"Ah, just like Moondae did?"

"That's it! If you're humorous and pure, you'll also feel fresh. Why don't we just make the beat a little faster to make it more exciting?"

In the end, he suggested that we should shamelessly overdo the song of the innocent female idol and that we should digest it in the same way as MallangDalkom's cute concept did back in its heyday.

'…I think he really prepared this.'

At that moment, I realized. This punk was waiting like me.

'He left it alone on purpose until the trainer gave them feedback.'

Because if he tells them to stick with the original song, which has a more innocent concept, there will definitely be people who disagree with his decision.

It also eliminates the possibility that Seon Ahyun, a major who fits the original song, will be the main dancer.

He picked the episode cuts that were like this and took the impact of being the leader.

It wasn't an ordinary skill.

But that's too bad. It would be useless for this guy to draw a big picture.

Because my opinion was better.

First, let's throw the bait.

"The idea is good, but wouldn't it seem like a mockery of the original song if we make a mistake?"

Still, it's a senior idol's song. I didn't know what people would say if we went too far and looked ridiculous.

Of course, I did not expect this objection, Big Sejin replied with a smile.

"We just have to do our best to make sure it doesn't look like that!"

"Isn't Moondae Hyung doing too much?"

"….?"

Suddenly, Choi Wongil stepped forward and interrupted the conversation.

"Uhm, Wongil-ah?"

Big Sejin rarely looked embarrassed.

Rather than being supported, it's a fun development in which I gain more from being attacked.

I can hear the Big Sejin's big picture shattering.

Choi Wongil poured out angry remarks to Park Moondae.

It seems that he keeps forgetting that there are cameras.

"Does Hyung have any great ideas? You may feel at ease because the trainers like you, Hyung, but you also need to think about how the other team members feel. If you just oppose it so blindly—"

Oh, that's a surprisingly plausible statement.

"Oh, of course I do. My opinion."

"Yes…?"

"I've been thinking about it, but it seems like there's a way to go strong while keeping the feeling of the original song."

"….?"

"Is there such a thing?"

The sudden idea of idealism surprised the other people on the team.

In contrast to Choi Wongil's momentary dissatisfaction with the atmosphere, which was quickly resolved, Big Sejin put his hand on the back of his head in an embarrassment.

This punk is really not normal.

"Of course, it's good if it's real— but what is it?"

I said with a smile.

"Let's mix it with horror."

"….!"

Let's go not just as a flower fairy, but as a flower fairy who went to America.

After a short period of silence that was followed by an exclamation mark, a reaction erupted.

"O, oh! I think it's good?"

"Hey, I think this choreography would be really scary if we added a horror concept!"

"Oh—"

From Gold 1, who shouts Eureka while roughly swaying the choreography he memorized with his hands, to Lee Sejin, whose expression looks better, the majority of the responses were positive, though the level varied.

At this age, if you were an aspiring idol, you would want to do something cool rather than something terrible, so I figured it would be better to say horror.

Big Sejin also gave a brief exclamation and then nodded his head. He turned right after seeing the member's opinion.

"It's a little embarrassing to say this right away, but—I think I like Moondae's opinion?"

"Wow, he gave up his opinion and switched!"

"As expected from a leader!"

The atmosphere brightened in an instant. Behind the buzzing team members, Mudie could be seen with a happy expression.

Since Mudie is also caught on camera, I think that cut will also be used—. I hope it's well cut and edited.

But there was a guy who messed up the heartwarming cut scene.

Choi Wongil was— anxious, but it wasn't him.

When he came to his senses, he seemed to be worried about how his actions would turn out to be edited.

He is trying to get into the mood somehow, but he tries not to look at me because he is too proud to apologize.

If it were me, I would say that I was too harsh, sink into the situation, and end it.

We're in a situation where the opponent has to accept me, but I don't know why he's acting this way.

Maybe because he was young, he didn't know how to get along with other people.

Then who is the culprit, Seon Ahyun?

"Ghost! Let's go with ghosts! There's a flower with a story about a dead person."

"What kind of horror movie is this? I think you're too serious? Ah! You know the movie, the black swan if you do it with that creepy feeling—"

"Wow, the choreography would be really scary if you do that."

In what looked like a happy episode of the group project, Seon Ahyun was stuck in the corner with a gloomy expression.

"…."

Perhaps because of what the choreographer trainer said, it seemed that he couldn't recover his mental condition.

I had a moment of hope that Big Sejin would come out and show what a true leader looks like, but there was no sign of that happening.

Seon Ahyun seems to be afraid that when he comes to his senses, he will be mistaken for the main dancer with a major's buff.

The rest are just guys with bright minds or lack social skills, so am I the only one who doesn't need to be checked because my positions don't overlap?

It can be so annoying— I was frustrated that I had to do something for a mental protector that wasn't in my fate.

In any case, the fact that the stage quality has decreased is a source of great regret. So let's get some words out.

014

After the most hectic and optimistic discussion of the past two days, I talked to Seon Ahyun during a short break.

"Are you tired?"

"N, no—"

Seon Ahyun shook his head with a nervous face. He seemed nervous because he was worried that he would be scolded if his condition wasn't good enough.

Could I approach him this way? I opened the conversation as gently as possible.

"Then, is it because you were worried about the feedback during the choreography evaluation?"

His apology came right away.

"…I, I, I'm sorry… I, I will work hard…."

This guy really looks like a sunfish. My heart becomes magnificent. (t/n: Sunfish means extremely fragile, while my heart becomes magnificent is an expression when you feel touched by something.)

"You don't have to be sorry for me. And please don't misunderstand about this."

Let's try to explain the saying, 'The choreographer has a personality problem, so he motivated people by attacking them.'

"The dance trainer didn't say that because he really thought I was better than you. It must have been meant to provoke you."

I sat next to Seon Ahyun and kept talking to make the atmosphere more relaxed.

"I think he was disappointed because he thought you could do better. Because he was originally a strong talker."

"…."

Seon Ahyun couldn't answer, as if he couldn't say something stupid like, 'No, you're better than me.' to me. Do you also think my words are plausible?

"D, do you really think…I, I can do well?"

"Hmm?"

Are you asking me?

He must have calculated it and asked because I couldn't say, 'The choreographer is the choreographer, but I don't think so.'— no, it must not be it.

I crossed my arms and spoke calmly.

"Why would I lie?"

"….!"

Seon Ahyun swallowed his saliva and asked back in a slightly anticipated voice.

"T, t, then… H, how can I d, do it well…."

"…Are you asking for my opinion?"

"Y, yes!"

Seon Ahyun nodded eagerly.

'Are you asking for advice from a beginner who started his career through auditions?'

I tried to hide how cold I was feeling by coming up with a theory based on Seon Ahyun's status window.

"I think you are thinking too much."

Seon Ahyun seemed shocked.

"U, u, useless…."

"It's not that your thoughts are useless. I think you're even thinking about things that you don't need to think about. How about clearing your head?"

Let's add a more specific example.

"Just think 'I'm going to make this happen'."

"…."

Seon Ahyun seemed to be lost in thought. What a contradictory response for someone who has just been advised to clear his mind.

Anyway, the words that came out immediately were positive.

"O, okay… I will do it."

His face showed his determination, so it didn't seem like he was saying empty words.

But he seems to be burning with passion more than I expected? There was also strength in the shoulders.

Besides, he even mumbles something—it was probably something like 'I can do this'.

"…."

Hmm, did I have any talent for advice to this extent?

As soon as I started having doubts, the status window popped.

['When I heard it, you're right (C)' activated!]

-Target: Seon Ahyun

-Effect: Activation of characteristics by successful persuasion

I see. It looks like the probability of this 35% was shown.

I didn't know I could use it this way—but it seemed quite useful due to the nature of this program.

Of course, this is assuming that it opened through 35%.

First, I turned on Seon Ahyun's status window to see exactly what had changed.

[Name: Seon Ahyun]

Vocal: B- (A)

Dance: A (EX)

Visual: A+ (S+)

Talent: B (A+)

Characteristics: Grit (A)

!Status abnormality: Lack of self-esteem deactivated.

Status abnormality deactivated?

Earlier, the pop-up said that some characteristics were activated. Is that the effect?

Let's check the characteristics.

[Grit (A): To make one's mindset. Burn up the concentration and press the negative state.]

– When activated, one status abnormality (highest priority) is canceled.

Isn't this characteristic a fraud?

If I had this characteristic, I would have deactivated them and withdrawn from the audition if I couldn't make my debut.

I was so angry that I couldn't think straight.

After some time had passed and vocal practice continued, I was able to sort things out calmly.

Anyway, can Seon Ahyun use his skills as it is in that status window?

Just in time, Mudie praised Seon Ahyun's vocal.

"Ahyun, you just made the right sound!"

"T, thank you…!"

Even when I just listened, it sounded better than when he practiced. It's probably starting to sound more and more like his B stats.

'Hmm.'

It was good that Seon Ahyun came to his senses, and the stage quality improved. But I shouldn't let him come out by himself too hard.

'Even if our positions don't overlap, it's difficult for me if he eats all the buzz by himself.'

I guess I'll have to come up with a stage quantity that can appeal individually.

It was necessary to contribute to the quality of the stage and, at the same time, be able to eat the impact alone.

"So, horror? If you do well, I think that direction will be good. What are you going to do?"

After the team members were excited about Mudie's question and discussed the arrangement direction, I raised my hand.

"I have an opinion on the arrangement of my part. Can I say it?"

"Oh, Moondae~ Where is it?"

"This part."

I put my finger on the lyrics.

"The bridge."

Choi Wongil, who was standing next to me, could be seen with his mouth wide open.

Thank you for the part Wongil-ah. I will use it well.

Season 3 of Idol Inc. was burning on the Internet with ridicule and criticism that it would fail.

At this point, only the profiles of the participants and the first stage were revealed. Although the production presentation has not yet been held, the Tnet broadcasting company's website has already begun recruiting an audience for the first team match.

Although it was due to a problem in the order of filming, thanks to the overflowing buzz, there was quite a bit of competition in selecting applicants for the audience.

And here, a person broke through the competition rate (27:1) and came to the audience proudly!

'I won't get caught, right?'

Now that she sees it, she doesn't have confidence.

While swallowing saliva, a small bag that was easy to carry and a camera were hidden in her backpack under a cardigan covered with a smoke screen.

There was some reason why she had to come to the audience and hide the camera.

Because she had a hunch as soon as she saw It's Me, the first stage of this season's Idol Inc.

This might work!

'This atmosphere—I'm sure they're being criticized right now, but when the broadcast starts, all of this may turn into interest. As long as the kids who come out are fine!'

Then the value of the pictures she takes now will be soaring!

It was half a gamble. However, the original soaring stock gamble was dominant in her mind. Furthermore—.

'…If there's someone really good, it's good for me to be fansite master early on.'

At the same time, her (former) idol was destroying her pride by getting into social media in a dirty way, so she wanted to use this chance to clean up her own account.

So today, she had to take as many pictures as possible because she didn't know which participant would explode at the stage.

She calmly waited for the filming to begin.

Filming began after the MC, who changed from a public broadcast announcer to a talent, came out on stage and delivered a few words of advice.

"In this stage, the two teams that covered the songs of senior idols from the same agency will compete. The winning team will receive a huge benefit. The benefits are…please watch the show!"

Even though people vowed on oath not to reveal spoilers until the show aired, so many people were talking about it on the Internet that they didn't want to say anything except on the stage.

"Idol Inc. Season 3, the long-awaited first team battle begins now! Shine Your Star!"

After they announced the voting method, the first stage began immediately after the stage setting check.

The first stage was two teams that covered idol songs of QuZ Entertainment, which is famous for producing popular idols.

'I think it's kind of boring?'

It wasn't bad, but overall, it just wasn't as good as the original song.

Although she secretly took a few shots, she had no expectations. The important thing was the team with some of the participants mentioned on the internet.

After the second team match, which was boring, a team that was worth seeing came out.

It was a match with Cha Eugene, who had the most cuts on the stage of It's Me.

"Heol, Cha Eugene!"

"They're all good~."

Since it was a team with many familiar participants, the cheers were also different from the early stages. There were already people holding placards.

Above all, he performed well on the stage.

'Wow, I think they're really good at this?'

People would believe it if they had already debuted because they have good skills and had good arrangements.

It was a stylish and cute digest of an old song with an overly sexy concept that was consumed like a top goal meme on the Internet.

In addition, not only Cha Eugene but also participants in charge of rap from the same agency stood out.

'Both of them will make it.'

She diligently left data centered on the two. While cleverly avoiding the eyes of the security guard who wandered in the middle.

It was interesting in a different sense because there were many familiar participants in the next team against this team.

'Maybe this will be the last one to be aired on TV?'

She found it both exciting and disappointing.

Now, from the next team on, it didn't seem like it would be fun at all.

Since more than half of the participants worth watching in the previous team match were present, it seemed like the next team would be boring.

And sure enough, the next stage wasn't very interesting.

Maybe it was made up of the participants who weren't chosen, but the absolute evaluation method was only used to judge one team, and she can see why they weren't chosen.

It was the worst stage ever.

"What the hell?"

"My legs hurt."

Now there were even people sneaking out from behind.

They were tired and their legs hurt, so they didn't want to see backstage.

In that distracting atmosphere, the MC exclaimed.

"The first team match is getting hotter and hotter. The turn now—these are the participants who covered the song of LeTi, the agency of VTIC, a global trending group that recently won the Daesang!"

The MC didn't even mention 'MallangDalkom.'

That means they want the audience to take the bait.

But the effect was great.

"VTIC?"

The audience started to get excited.

VTIC was the hottest male idol at the moment.

People who were about to go out stopped for a while when they said that they covered a song by an idol who sold 1.2 million copies in the first week.

The MC shouted cheerfully in the atmosphere where some expectations were returned.

"Then the first team to go on stage, October 31!"

The name of the team that came to her mind was the name of the ice cream shop.

It wasn't a name that caught her ear all at once.

Originally, it was common for the participants to have a poor sense of their own, so everyone leaked the team name without much inspiration.

'That's enough. What VTIC song did they cover?'

"The song that the participants covered—ah, they debuted as flower fairies, right? This is 〈Into the New World〉 by the girl group 'MallangDalkom' who was active as a national girl group!"

"… !?"

People were bewildered.

015

Why did MallangDalkom suddenly come out here—?

It was only then that the bewildered audience realized that the stage wasn't covering VTIC's song but idols belonging to VTIC's agency, LeTi.

She was confused for a moment because the MC talked about VTIC openly before.

"What the hell—"

Because it wasn't a very popular song, there were some irritating reactions here and there.

Rather, it would be a different story if it's a hit song like 〈POP CON〉 because most people only remembered the chorus of the debut song.

It was the same for her who was changing the camera settings.

'Should I just get a picture of the public vote?'

When she thought this insincere thought and hid the camera from security, the stage went dark, and the intro began to flow out.

Woo~. Whoooo Ooh~. Woo~.

The melancholy melody of a modulated synthesizer filled the stage.

Originally, it was supposed to be a part where string instruments and piano would flow out to introduce a pure female idol-style orchestra in the 2010s.

"Huh?"

As she raised her head, she saw participants in white stage costumes and blackish decorations that looked like shoulder straps.

It was a suit-like style, so there was nothing new because it was a typical male idol's outfit, but she had a strange sense because of the lyrical atmosphere opposed to the intro, which is full of electronic sounds.

At that moment, the participants began to move.

– At some point, I realized

I am trapped in an imperfect time

The participant who began the first verse clearly had a handsome face and was good at movement.

'Was it Seon Ahyun?'

Even the choreography was mixed with lyrical and elegant dance moves, but somehow— It was a bit strange.

– This unstoppable maze of time

Save me from being trapped in it

The moment the next part came out, she realized.

'…Why is everyone so expressionless?'

Except for the person who sang the song, all the participants had no expression on their faces.

Originally, it was common for them to have less expression on their faces when it wasn't their part yet, but it was rare for them to have no expression at all.

Furthermore—.

'W, why are their eyes so strange?'

They were looking up at the air, not at the camera.

It was probably intentional, as their expression and eyes suddenly returned to focus only when their own part returned.

It would be a different story if they couldn't make eye contact with the camera because of their mistake, but idols knew that it was their job to look at the camera like a ghost even when it wasn't their part.

—So it was an even more strange sight.

It was even creepier in comparison to the participant who smiled alone in his part and had glowing eyes.

– It's withering away

Inside this small space

I'm waiting for the day it will bloom again

Come and find me

Bzzz. As he lowered the pitch, a dreary noise mixed in MR, and the desperate voice increased.

The lyrics are definitely soft and sad, but because of the intro and the directing, it sounded like a trap.

If you hear someone crying at a closed school, wouldn't you be more scared than wanting to help?

The stage was unfolding with such an eerie nuance.

– One step two step

The sound of you coming

It's ringing in my ears

Don't hesitate, give me your hand

I'm into a new world now~

Her spine was tingling when she heard a high-pitched voice singing the same lyrics as the song's title, "Into the New World."

Even though it was a pure and clear sound, it sounded strange and evil since it was made into dissonance by raising half the key.

Even though they were the participants, she became more immersed in the stage than their singing skills.

– Come to me

Come to me

It's dazzling, a paradise by your side

In the chorus, the same string instrument from the original song came in, and it was creepy how it clashed with the synthesizer's modulation sound.

Jiiing~ Kiiing~~

The movement borrowed from ballet and added a few more violent movements made it feel inhuman.

At that moment, she realized.

October 31, October 31—it was Halloween. The night when evil beings come out into this world.

– Come to me

Come to me

Melody of love for you (continues)

This is what a non-human singing to lure people in!

'Gasp!'

She covered her mouth as the sounds of explosions filled her head.

Of course, some idols used inhumane concepts.

But in the amateur idol debut audition program, no one would have thought they would try something so daring with a female senior song with the opposite concept—!

She instantly became immersed in the stage without even having the time to give evaluations such as 'They have great guts.'

The song entered the bridge after passing through the second verse, which was modified and cut.

And once again, something unexpected happened.

– Can't You feel me?

The arrangement suddenly returned to the original song at Bridge!

Even the vocal range is back. The pure boy's voice echoed in the same high key as the original song, which was sung by a woman.

– Your warm touch

It wakes me up, it's beautiful

Spring garden

It felt sacred at first when the beautiful accompaniment music and lighting were changed to make it brighter.

– Ooh, Ooh…

But as the lights brightened, other things became clearer. It was the details of the outfits.

She thought the fabric of a shoulder strap-like was just dark, but it was actually stained with dark red dye on the same white cloth as the outfits.

There were even stains on the shoulder strap that seemed to flow from the neck.

'It was a vampire—!'

The bridge came to an end as soon as it had left an impression on the audience's minds, and immediately after that, the chorus of the modulated sound began.

– Come to me

Come to me

It's dazzling, a paradise by your side

However, this time, the dissonance with the orchestra has subsided and the noise has disappeared, revealing the sadness of the lyrics.

The artificial expressionless faces they put on when it wasn't their part disappeared, and the dreamy feeling became stronger than the feeling of eeriness.

The sound composition also has a sense of space like Dream Pop instead of sharpness.

– Come to me

Come to me

Melody of love for you (continues)

The modulation sound disappears, and the sound ends with the violin.

Unlike the original song, which ended with a ballet movement, the song ended with everyone collapsing as soon as the chorus ended.

In that way, the stage ended with more sorrow than fear at the end. As if the narrator of an inhuman song really fell in love with a person.

"….Whoa!"

People who suddenly came to their senses cheered loudly at that moment.

It was a stage that stimulated the audience's hearts from start to finish, with a shocking beginning and a tragic end.

It wouldn't have been this or that if they had done it badly.

However, the team's participants did it right.

'This is so crazy!'

Many people in the shouting audience realized it was possible because these participants' skills were above average and their appearance and style were good.

The voices of the excited audience could be heard here and there as if they had already made up their minds.

The participants who got up patted each other on the back a few times and greeted the audience with a smile.

"Thank you!"

"T, thank you!"

It felt cuter because of the other teams' actions and the gap between them and the stage was too wide.

"Cute—"

She, who had been directing the camera, also muttered heartwarmingly. In particular, a member with a high-pitched bridge caught her eye.

Even after she went home, she couldn't stop thinking about that unexpected bridge.

With this pronunciation, he hit the high notes ridiculously well, and his face was cool and cute, and he didn't even flinch as he did the excessive concept.

'When the voting came out, I will remember his names.'

She kept looking at Park Moondae, who was leaving the stage and made a promise to herself before realizing she was holding a camera.

And she was surprised.

'I was so focused on the stage that I totally forgot about the camera—!'

It's too bad that she can't take a picture, but she's so happy to be able to see it with her own eyes and not have to worry about the camera!

This was the first time since the former idol.

A shudder passed.

Well, it was a sign of being too immersed.

When the team members left the stage, they either grabbed the wall or slumped down as if their legs were losing strength.

I leaned against the wall and thought.

'It was… more fun than I thought.'

It was strange.

To be honest, I never expected this to be fun.

I had no choice but to do it because I would die suddenly if I didn't debut.

I've never danced or sang in front of anyone in my life. Even with makeup on.

—Obviously, up until the time I sang and danced 〈POP CON〉, I just felt like I had to do it.

'I thought I'd come back to reality… Why is it fun?'

I'm even in a condition where my breath is about to pop out of my throat.

'It's harder than practice.'

I think I put more energy into it because it was a real match.

And probably, the guys who climbed on top together with me were all out of breath in the same way.

Because I'm also out of breath.

But their expressions were bright.

It was because the shouts were loud enough to tear their ears.

"Whoaa!"

"Encore! Encore!"

I could even hear some shouting for an encore from behind now.

'There weren't many people.'

And the results— were better than expected.

It was a cheer that even the first and second-place teams didn't receive.

No way. Is this why it's fun? Because of the reactions that are pouring out in front of me?

"Everyone— thank you for your hard work! We did a great job! Really!"

As the camera approached, Big Sejin quickly opened his mouth.

I can't say he wasn't conscious of the camera, but it seems like his words are sincere anyway.

Originally, everyone praised everything if the results were good, and the team members started thanking each other and hugging each other.

"Thank you for your hard work!"

"T, thank you…"

Should I say something too?

"Thanks to you— it was fun. Thank you."

"Moondae-ya…"

"Oh my, even Moondae says things like this."

What are they doing?

I'm impressed by how much these guys were moved by every word.

Even the sullen Lee Sejin was filled with a tearful look on his face.

"…Everyone has worked hard."

"Heol. Hyung-nim."

"I'm touched."

The team members who rarely look at Lee Sejin now look at him with warm eyes as if they are not aware that the camera is there.

The atmosphere was very similar to the ending of a boy's manhwa.

I remembered the last practice session.

– Hyung! As expected, we should also strengthen our fear! But, don't you think we need to go strong? So that we don't fall behind with innocence!

– Right? Hyung, thinking about it, what about the killer!

– Oh~ that's strong!

– …It could overlap with the existence of a real person, so why not think of it as a fantasy creature?

– G, ghost…?

– …Ghost?

– Ung, u, uh, like this, if you move… Because it looks amazing, so…

– Hahaha! There are a lot of good opinions~ Let's vote by a majority of the people!

—.

…I only remembered the process of struggling to euphemize the absurd excessive claims that these talkative people were making.

At this time, I was grateful for Big Sejin. He's good at leading public opinion.

In the end, most of the arrangement was carried out according to the wishes of Big Sejin and me. This was because this punk also pushed the vampire option I chose.

Nonetheless, it has been proven that vampire popularity was better than the ghost or the killer.

So what if it's a ghost or a killer? Are they going to get cursed for sharing 10,000 units on SNS?

Anyway, I was satisfied with the good results by properly arranging fear and innocence.

And honestly—.

It's fun.

I thought I could understand why so many people wanted to do this job.

My teammates gathered around me as I took a deep breath and stood up.

I shrugged. Without it, the atmosphere wouldn't be alive.

It's also important to show the camera how good our team works, so I didn't try to get out of it.

"Let's make sure to be a team in the next team match."

"Ah, let's do it together again next time!"

"I, I like it."

"Honestly, our teamwork was the best."

The congratulations kept coming, and when there was no longer a repertoire, they moved to the area to check out the opponent's stage with the guidance of the staff.

As soon as we arrived at the room where the monitor was installed, the opposing team's Tiger stage began.

"Oh—"

These guys were politely admiring, but they probably realized it.

That there is a big difference in how audiences cheer.