026
[This participant has been noted for his outstanding dancing skills.]
'Moondae isn't in 7th place either!'
She clenched her hands and screamed wildly inside.
In the meantime, voting… No, it was worthwhile to persistently post videos and posts on SNS asking to buy stocks.
Then came up the 6th place, and 5th place.
[This participant… He's drawing attention with his unique ideas and talents.]
Finally, the MC called out Park Moondae.
[5th place, participant Park Moondae!]
The camera caught Park Moondae, who had been sitting down, standing up from his seat.
'Crazy, really crazy…'
She couldn't hold back the overflowing screams and wrote on SNS.
[Crazy Moondae 5th place ah Moondae-ya ㅠㅠ I knew you'd do well, our Moondae
Because you're a genius ㅠㅠ Thank you for being an idol, really ㅠㅠ]
And she deleted it without posting it.
She couldn't post it because her SNS, which had already become a well-known account, couldn't be used for frivolous reasons.
Park Moondae went up to the podium, his golden brown hair swayed as he bowed his head once, and then began to talk.
[I don't think I deserve this rank. I will show you my development so that I don't go against the expectations of the shareholders who bought my stocks. Thank you.]
And he bowed his head.
It was a standard speech, but perhaps because of the choice of words, it reminded her of a corporate fair rather than an idol.
As words like 'are you a CEO, Moon Puppy? ㅋㅋ' ran rampant on SNS, the MC asked a question that had been prepared beforehand.
[You got a lot of attention from promoting chicken feet. If you debut, what kind of mukbang would you want to do again?]
[Hmm… Steamed daechang?]
(TL note: daechang is cow's large intestine.)
The MC burst out laughing at the unusually specific product name.
[Is there a reason?]
[It's the second most delicious food after chicken feet.]
There was laughter here and there at Park Moondae's calm answer.
The MC wrapped it up on a humorous note.
[Ah, PPL-related products again! The participant who cares about Idol Inc.~ The 5th place! Participant Park Moondae!]
[Thank you.]
Park Moondae just smiled faintly and bowed his head again.
And he moved up to the seat that matched his rank.
The editing was moderately sensible and didn't leave any room for controversy.
While watching, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She was worried because there had been subtle editing that gave strange tension to Park Moondae's attitude every time.
'You must be biting on another participant.'
Unsurprisingly, Kim Raebin, who was announced in 4th place, received an uncomfortable edit.
The conflict between the 7th ranked participant and the team battle was highlighted, so this seemed to be the aftermath of that.
Anyway, she watched the rest of the announcement with a more relaxed mind.
In fact, it didn't really matter who it was.
'Now that it's like this, I wish Seon Ahyun is safe. Oh, and I wish Cha Eugene would fall a little.'
Cha Eugene's malicious fans were calling Moondae names and posting bullshit on SNS. It made her so angry she wanted to sue them.
However, Idol Inc. usually picked participants who had left their agency, so it had traditionally been difficult to calm public opinion through accusations to the agency.
'Even Moondae is just an ordinary citizen…'
She was just worried that he might have been hurt while searching.
'Once he debuts, I'll send pdfs to his agency as soon as possible.'
She made a firm decision and continued watching the broadcast.
Seon Ahyun was in 3rd place.
"T-th… Thank you. Huu."
Seon Ahyun burst into tears and said thanks.
The tearful reaction cuts of several team members of October 31 were captured together along with a touching BGM.
"T-that I c-can do it…, I-I didn't think of that. It-it's all… It's all thanks to the team. That, and those who v-voted… Thank you for that."
The MC mouthed, 'It's not a vote, it's a stock!'
However, the cross-editing of Seon Ahyun, who couldn't see it because he was too hectic, brought a small smile to the viewers.
Seon Ahyun sniffled and went to his seat, and in the process, the warm interaction of October 31 team members, including Park Moondae, was briefly highlighted.
It was proof that the production crew was also conscious of the hot reaction on the Internet.
After that, Cha Eugene and Ryu Chungwoo were nominated for 1st and 2nd places just as everyone expected, and after the competition, Cha Eugene was announced as 1st place.
"Great!"
'Ryu Chungwoo would've been better!'
Cha Eugene, who gave a bright and cheerful acceptance speech, seemed a bit cheeky.
However, she was not stupid enough to write malicious comments, so she decided to just be happy with Park Moondae's fifth place.
The participant who received less attention was announced in 49th place, and the ranking announcement ceremony ended blandly.
Park Moondae's portion was also over after the heartwarming scene where members of October 31 gathered and laughed at Seon Ahyun.
'It's too bad.'
For fans like her, there wasn't enough content. She wanted to see more.
Next time, she hoped that she would be able to take pictures on her way to work, and she wished for Park Moondae to be safe.
After the ranking announcement ceremony was over, filming for the next team match probably continued.
'Isn't he going to be on the same team with Keun Sejin or Seon Ahyun again?'
She speculated and wished deeply.
'Whoever it is, I hope Moondae can make a great stage comfortably!'
I feel like something is going to break.
What is this situation?
"Ah! He has picked participant Park Moondae!"
The MC's excited voice and the participants' surprised exclamations rang everywhere.
"Oh my!"
"Moondae hyung?"
Even though the number was reduced from 77 to 49, it was still the size that made my ear ache.
Are you surprised? I am surprised, too.
Why did he pick me?
"Like this, participant Park Moondae… You will be joining Kim Raebin's team."
Filming the second team match right after the ranking announcement ceremony was a routine I had expected.
– The team… will be chosen by drawing lots!
– The 7 participants I pick will become the leaders, and they will take the quiz to select team members!
I knew this rule would come out at least once.
But I didn't know he'd pick me.
Kim Raebin.
He was a participant from the same agency as Cha Eugene and was currently ranked 4th. As far as I remembered, he was ranked 2nd in the final.
By the way, he never even said hello to me.
"Then, participant Park Moondae, please move!"
I trudged along and stood next to Kim Raebin.
'I can't ask why you picked me out of the blue.'
I don't know what kind of editing I will receive if I do. First, let's nod at each other as if we're business partners.
"Nice to meet you."
"Yes, I look forward to your kind cooperation."
Fortunately, unlike his fierce impression, he greeted me well.
'I guess he didn't have bad intentions.'
I guess I had some prejudice because he gave the image of a handsome bully that teenagers seemed to prefer these days.
'So you really picked Park Moondae because he seemed useful.'
Kim Raebin was a participant focusing on rapping, so it wasn't strange if he didn't pay attention to the main vocal position.
In the first place, If I was chosen by a low-ranking participant I would have guessed I was chosen as the main vocalist.
But obviously… In Kim Raebin's last team, there was a participant who was originally going to debut in the main vocal position.
And yet you skipped him?
'Oh, you're uncomfortable with the last team.'
Now that I thought about it, it was better to skip them.
That's because the atmosphere in Kim Raebin's former team was shattered because of the individual reward for first place.
Well, I remember the last episode.
– Didn't you give me this part on purpose?
– No. It's so everyone can perform their best on the stage…
– So you thought I could only do this much.
It didn't appear on the show, but after the individual voting reward was announced, I heard that there was a guy who grabbed him by the collar.
'That brutality was shown very well on the broadcast.'
Thanks to this, Cha Eugene was the only one who survived the broadcast with good editing.
The team's main vocalist didn't have a lot of footage, but it wasn't strange if they cut off each other due to the awkwardness.
And out of the remaining vocals, it would make sense if you chose Park Moondae, the most verified vocalist.
'But it's a bit weird that you chose me first.'
It's nothing to worry about right now, so I let it be.
I quickly organized my thoughts and grasped the situation.
"Next quiz∼ Five words that start with 'Park (박)'."
"Museum (박물관), applause (박수), bat (박쥐), Park Hyukgeose(박혁거세), park goji (박고지)."
Kim Raebin immediately raised his hand and answered correctly. His momentum was staggering.
"Wow! Participant Kim Raebin, you got it right twice in a row!"
"Aaahh!"
"Isn't this too advantageous for rappers?"
With the rich reactions of the participants who grasped the broadcasting system, Kim Raebin immediately pointed out the next participant.
"Cha Eugene… I'll pick this participant."
Even if he was on the previous team, he was in first place. I would have done the same.
He was surprisingly wise.
Looking at the last team match, it seemed that he had worse social skills than Lee Sejin, but was it just the power of rumors and editing?
However, I didn't know what effect it would have on me if the team was formed like this.
'I think it's going to be very different from the first round.'
"Good choice!"
"Yes."
Cha Eugene ran quickly as soon as he was picked and pretended to know Kim Raebin.
And then he raised his thumb at me.
"We are together!"
"Yes… That's right."
"You're good on stage!"
"Yes. I look forward to your kind cooperation."
I don't know how long I have to talk like this. It's awkward.
The funny thing is, I was the only one who felt awkward. Cha Eugene was nodding his head at the context that he alone understood.
I could already predict our future communication.
In the meantime, Kim Raebin was relentlessly recruiting teammates. His batting average was quite good, so he quickly filled the team.
"Participant Ryu Chungwoo."
"Participant Min Jeonghoon."
And I was starting to feel uncomfortable.
The lineup was too good. Here, 'good' meant that their ranking was high.
All the team members were in the top 15. Just thinking about what kind of editing would come out was already confusing.
'Isn't that mean you wouldn't know unless you're really that good?'
Even worse, I was the only one who felt that the picture got a little weird.
This is because Choi Wongil was among the first 7 people to choose participants to join.
"Seon Ahyun!"
"Keun Sejin, ah, Lee Sejin hyung!"
Starting with Seon Ahyun, Choi Wongil almost restored all of his teammates from the first team match.
Of course, I was excluded. Raebin picked me first, so there was no choice.
'Well, I don't think he would have picked me even if there was room.'
However, there was one more person from October 31 who Kim Raebin picked first.
"Lee Sejin, a former child actor, participant Lee Sejin (A)! You will join Kim Rae-bin's team~"
Lee Sejin walked to this side with a complexion that didn't look so good.
This meant that the ticking time bomb that didn't explode thanks to the crazy social skill of Keun Sejin, Gold 1, and Gold 2 in the first round was now joining Kim Raebin's team.
Why did he pick Lee Sejin?
Did he pick him because he had the highest rank among the remaining people?
After looking at the remaining members who had not yet been selected, I turned my head and saw Choi Wongil's team.
"Moondae~"
When our eyes met, Keun Sejin and Gold 1, and Gold 2 held out their hands with sad expressions as if they were doing some kind of skit.
And Seon Ahyun, who looked embarrassed, waved his hand nervously.
This… What is this ominous feeling of being on the wrong end of the rope?
A chill ran down my spine. I think this is the moment when I need some supernatural help.
'Status window.'
027
I brought out the achievement pop-up that I had turned off.
[Calling for fame!]
50,000 people remembered your existence!
: Draw Rare Characteristic ? Click!
It appeared after the first episode aired, so it was a pop-up from a few weeks ago.
'I unintentionally left it.'
In fact, not long after the third episode aired, I achieved the achievement of 100,000 people and it gave me points as a reward.
So here's my current status window.
[Name: Park Moondae (Ryu Gunwoo)]
Level: 12
Title: None
Vocal: A
Dance: C+
Visual: B+
Talent: C
Characteristic: Infinite potential, I heard it's true (C), Look at me! (D)
!Status abnormality: Debut or die
Remaining points: 1
For reference, the practice points obtained during the team match were already distributed one by one for vocal and dance stats before the team stage.
Ah, taking a look at the visual stat, wouldn't it be a waste to turn my visual into an A stat? There was only one point left.
Of course, it would be a waste.
'However… Unlike other stats, if my visual changes rapidly, I will be suspected of using plastic surgery rather than natural growth.'
This was especially true if the level of the alphabet was changed.
In the beginning, I upgraded it from C+ to B-, it could be excused that I started managing my visuals while preparing for the broadcast. But there was no excuse if I raised from B- to A- right away.
Raising B+ from B- was barely possible due to the long-month break and hairstyle change.
'Well… I am thinking of strengthening my puppy image too, so this is fine.'
Looking at the search rankings, among dog breeds, golden retrievers seemed to be the trend these days, so it would be better if I could give people that impression.
Well, the chatter got long. Let's go ahead and pick out characteristics from the pop-up.
'I hope something useful comes out.'
In the new pop-up, the familiar roulette machine spun and stopped. It was a brass box.
Once again, I didn't catch the silver box which appeared to be high-grade. Just as I was about to think it was such a pity, I saw the name of the characteristic.
[Characteristics: 'Look at me! (D)' Acquired!]
People pay a little more attention to your actions.
'…?'
Why is it this one again?
The pop-up did not stop there, a new phrase appeared.
[Checking the duplicate characteristics!]
Do you want to synthesize 'Look at me (D)'?
This… Isn't this 'Strengthening the duplicate items' which is common in mass-produced trash games?
I couldn't figure out where this system came from.
'Once I debut and avoid sudden death… I'll have to look into it.'
Anyway, there was no other choice, so I synthesized it.
[Successfully synthesized!]
Acquired 'I want to be the center (C)'!
People pay a lot of attention to your actions
– When activated, 'Talent' stat rises by one level
The name was terrible, but the content was impressive.
If it could increase my Talent stat, I welcomed it. This characteristic used to be like a chicken rib, but now it was revived.
(TL note: chicken rib = something that doesn't really give value or benefit, but you can't easily throw it away.)
It felt like that.
But it was the 'Talent' stat. What a mysterious increase in ability.
To put it bluntly, it was the ability to stand out in front of the camera, and to put it simply… Um, it was equal to the quality of a star.
Just in time, there was the participant with the highest Talent stat next to me.
"Like this! The team has been decided∼"
"Uwaa!"
I heard the MC's remark signaling that the recruitment of team members was over.
I also responded with moderate applause and secretly checked Cha Eugene's status window.
[Name: Cha Eugene]
Vocal: C+ (B+)
Rap: B
Dance: A+ (S+)
Visual: A (S)
Talent: A+ (EX)
Characteristics: Black hole (A)
It was a terrifying window status even when I looked at it again.
The three consecutive A stats made me think this kind of guy was meant to be an idol.
In particular, Cha Eugene had the highest stats and potential among the participants.
It was higher than Youngrin, one of the judges, which meant that it was higher than most official idols.
And now, one of the lowest stats in my status window was 'Talent' that I had just managed to fix.
It would be nice if I could get a hint during this team match as to which one of the two, Dance or Talent, that I should upgrade first.
"Everyone, please say hello to your team members first! As soon as the greeting is over, I will introduce the second team match!"
For now, the question was whether or not the team match would end well.
I thought silently as I looked around at the faces of the team members who quietly gathered according to the MC's words.
'Let's not get involved no matter what kind of mess that might happen.'
"Oh, I look forward to your kind cooperation."
Ryu Chungwoo, who suppressed the strange power struggle of other participants and became the leader, greeted the team members with a smile.
Everyone clapped their hands, but I felt the tension underneath it.
'This… I think it'll get caught even if it doesn't get edited.'
The production team was amazing at catching this kind of restraint.
"Have you guys greeted each other?"
"Yes!"
"Oh, it's good to look heart-warming~ Then, shall we announce the second team assignment?"
"Uwoooh!"
Even when the participants shouted at the words of the MC, the participants of this team had a relatively respectful attitude.
'It's like the feeling of losing your body when you're in the same group with other students in liberal arts.'
Anyway, it's not a problem that I can solve, so let's just focus on what the MC says.
"For the second team match, there's content that has been consistently done in Idol Inc.~ Do you know what it is? Oh! That's right. It's the Rediscovery of Hidden Masterpieces project!"
They're doing it again this season.
"On the website… They voted out of 50 songs, right?"
"Yes."
There were murmurs around. Whether the participants actually knew or not, they all gave conventional reactions.
"Masterpieces that unfortunately didn't shine for many reasons! This is a project that Idol Inc. will reinterpret and present in front of the public once again, and this year too, our shareholders have selected several idol masterpieces!"
To put it bluntly, it wasn't successful but the song was okay, so they wanted us to remake it and use it as our own song.
'The composition fee will be fixed so there is no creative economy.'
As I was admiring the production crew's amazing cost-cutting ability, someone suddenly talked to me from the side.
Surprisingly, it was Lee Sejin.
"…Is there any song you want to sing?"
"What?"
He looked regretful for speaking up, but a question was still a question, so I answered it anyway.
"I hope it's an addictive song."
It meant that even though the song must have been low-profile, I didn't want to do a song that wouldn't do well.
"What about you?"
"I… I want to do Base"
It was a good choice. Base was the title song of a popular idol when they were still unknown, just like the debut song from the last team match.
I had actually seen the stage, and I remembered that the concept was strong and the melody was addictive.
"That's a good song. I think it'll be good to make it into a stage."
"…Yes."
Lee Sejin nodded in affirmation.
Just I wondered if he was finally starting to take care of his social skills, Cha Eugene suddenly intervened in the conversation.
"I like that song, too. 'Base~ Uh, the ringing heartbeat~'"
"…Ah, yes."
Lee Sejin closed his mouth with an uncomfortable expression.
'This guy is like this all the time.'
If this is how it's going to be, I want to ask why you come out here in the first place.
Anyway, a camera was here so it would be better not to leave it alone. Let's just sort it out.
"I see. I hope we can do it this time."
"Yes!"
Cha Eugene happily affirmed, not a single thought behind those eyes.
'He doesn't have any sense or context, but he's a positive guy.'
As they evaluated in their own ways, the MC finally announced the selection method.
"There are seven things on the table that you can see in front of you!"
Certainly, a table was seen quite far from the participants.
"These are belongings of the original singers of each different 'Hidden Masterpieces'~ You can use your reasoning and intuition to pick one of these items! You can choose."
"Ugh."
"Ah~ I'm not good at this!"
"The method is- Oh, it's traditional. It's running! Leaders, please get ready!"
"Running?"
Ryu Chungwoo, who was good at sports, was the leader, so this situation was favorable.
Of course, it would be effective only if we could match the song selection by looking at the original songwriter's stuff.
However, such an approach was possible.
"That pouch! I think it's a girl!"
"Baseball… Are they a fan of baseball?"
"Oh, it's a skull pencil. They're somewhat unique?"
There were loud murmurs here and there. Everyone seemed to be thinking in their own way.
Oh, this team reached an agreement in a flash.
"I'd like you to bring the item that looks the most expensive when viewed from a close distance."
"Um, yes!"
It looked like his reasoning was that someone who put expensive things here had a high probability of being a successful entertainer, it sounded plausible enough.
Perhaps it was a judgment that considered not only the song selection but also the amount of broadcasting footage.
At Kim Raebin's words, Ryu Chungwoo nodded and agreed.
Soon after, the MC called the leaders again.
"Now, leaders. Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"Well, here we go!"
The leaders ran recklessly and flew their hands over the table.
'No matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like you can afford to choose anything from there.'
Then isn't this song selection just about luck?
"All right, I got it!"
However, Ryu Chungwoo snatched something and returned with a smile.
And he held out the object with a confident face.
It was a baseball.
"This is a ball signed by Ryu Wanbeom!"
"Wow."
Everyone opened their eyes wide with a surprised look. Ryu Wanbeom was a famous hitter who made it to the Major League.
Cha Eugene immediately asked.
"How do you know?"
"I also watch baseball. So I found out right away."
Ryu Chungwoo smiled then threw and caught the baseball. The atmosphere in which things were going well temporarily relieved the tension within the team and created a comfortable atmosphere.
But it didn't last long.
"The owner of the baseball… Oh, it's Lee Chanwoo, the vocalist of the idol band 'Sun Island'!"
The owner of the baseball is… A stranger that no one knows.
"Who is that?"
No one in the team gave an answer to Cha Eugene's question.
"Wow!"
Right next to us, Choi Wongil's team was excited and making a fuss.
"Hello. I am Jung Haim and I am a movie actor."
"Ooooh."
The owner of the pouch chosen by the team's leader, Keun Sejin, was a famous female actor.
Perhaps because of the first team match, there was a strange sense of deja vu.
I shrugged my shoulders.
'Well, this kind of thing can happen.'
The most important thing is music anyway.
Of course, having a famous celebrity appeared would be advantageous in securing the amount of footage.
In addition, it would also be advantageous in blocking reactions such as 'You are taking away precious songs from poor unknown idols.'
But in the end, it was overwhelmingly beneficial to have a good song. In an audition program, the stage had to be good.
So if you check the song…
"The song I will entrust to you… It is Burning Like the Sun!"
Oh.
Oh… This… What should I do?
"Ah!"
"I know that one!"
The other team members exclaimed.
"I am glad that you know this song…"
"Sunbaenim, I'm listening well!"
The team was overflowing with relief.
It seemed they had regained vitality because it was recognized and known as a good song.
The original singer also seemed excited and eagerly introduced the song.
"Burning Like the Sun was released seven years ago, but it is still loved as a cheering song. I'm sure those who like baseball have heard the chorus."
"Oh, I know. It's a great song."
When Ryu Chungwoo answered softly, the original singer smiled happily. Cha Eugene opened his eyes wide and asked questions.
"How's the chorus? I don't know much about baseball!"
The original singer cleared his throat as if he had been waiting for that question.
"Ah, ehem. 'Now, wake up∼ Like that burning sun∼' This one."
"Aha. That's right."
"Ha ha!"
The team members laughed harmoniously at Cha Eugene's sloppy grammar.
It looked good to create a warm atmosphere with the original songwriter compared to before.
The problem was… The outlook was not good.
After this cut, I think they will probably put in subtitles that say '2 days later' and show the team's atmosphere as a preview.
Because that song is not suitable for idol survival at all…
028
I'll be honest with you.
If someone asks me whether Burning Like the Sun is a good song, I could say that it is.
However, if they ask me whether it's a good song for an idol performance, I would tell them to quickly give up on the idea.
Because this song has the lyrics and sound of a typical 2000s rock band…
Trust me. I listened to this song whenever I went to shoot idols throwing the first pitch.
It's just an upbeat band song that doesn't even fit the cheerleaders' choreography. The coolness of the high-pitched sound is also an advantage.
In conclusion, the difficulty of arranging it is ridiculously high.
Can't I pick a characteristic related to composing? I need it right now.
Regardless of my feelings that went unanswered, the conversation between the original singer and the participants was hopeful.
The other team members only knew one or two lines of the song's addictive chorus.
"We haven't been active for a long time, so we couldn't sing this song that much. I hope you guys do a great job this time."
"We'll do our best to make a great performance!"
How?
…No, let's stop being stressed out over unnecessary things, If I don't get hit by the editing in this team match, I can think of it as a save.
Even if it goes like this, I can make a quick debut by catching a small and medium-sized agency.
'Still, the stage… I thought I'd be able to pull it off to some degree.'
I was strangely disappointed. I didn't know why I was so concerned about the stage when I didn't start this out of my own will in the first place.
'I have nothing to say if someone teases me for being too immersed.'
…But, it's fun.
All right, let's talk a little bit more carefully when discussing. Maybe another participant will come up with a good idea.
The original singer soon left the set. A few days later, he said he would watch our practice with the trainer during the mid-term evaluation.
And as the team members sat around, the story of the stage composition finally came out.
First of all, Ryu Chungwoo came up with a standard answer for the concept.
"Wouldn't it be best to go with a cheering squad concept? I think it'll go well with the song, and it's good to add a difficult choreography."
"Cheering squad? Hmm… Experience is a good thing."
"I think it's okay."
"It will be fun."
Several people, including Cha Eugene, responded positively. The response was okay.
"What do you think? Raebin, Moondae, Sejin."
Ryu Chungwoo quickly scanned the reactions of the team members and took notes of the three silent participants. Including me.
Rather than saying it now, It would work better if I said this after taking a look at the situation.
So let's naturally look in the direction where the other two are sitting.
"Shall we hear Sejin's opinion first?"
"…I think the cheering squad concept looks tacky."
You're hitting us with facts.
So far, there had been no malicious edits, so Lee Sejin's uncooperative attitude had rarely been highlighted on TV.
Just by looking at a glimpse of it while searching for Park Moondae, Lee Sejin's fans believed him to be a 'sensitive and shy hard worker.'
However, since Ryu Chungwoo was edited well, Lee Sejin might be crushed by editing this time.
In any case, Ryu Chungwoo was not very agitated. He just asked back calmly.
"Do you have any other suggestions?"
"Because I don't have any… I wasn't going to tell you."
"Hmm, all right. I got it."
Ryu Chungwoo immediately asked Kim Raebin again.
"What do you think, Raebin?"
"I'm not familiar with this song, so I think I should listen to it first."
"Okay. Let's play it for now."
When the smart pad provided to us was activated, a chorus melody played with an electric guitar came out, starting with the classical drum intro.
After everyone listened to the song with their mouths closed, Kim Raebin muttered first with a pale face.
"This is…"
Finally, there's someone else who noticed this disastrous selected song.
First of all, the lyrics were a youthful love hymn that was popular in our childhood. In a good way, it was retro, and in a bad way, it was old-fashioned.
Naturally, there was no characteristic concept like a flower fairy or a vampire, and it was difficult to attach one to the song.
And since it was built on the basis of a good singer standing alone, the chorus octave was high enough to tear the throat.
What if I adjust the octave? The charm of the song would disappear.
This is because the song's appeal was the exhilaration of the high notes that pierce the vocal cords.
"Hmm, the note is very high. Do you find any other difficulties?"
Kim Raebin inhaled as if he were going to pour out words, then he glanced at the camera and closed his mouth.
It seemed he was paying attention because he was beaten up over a personality controversy in the last team match that aired.
"So… Yes. The song is good, but I think it's hard to arrange it."
"Really? If you say that, it must be really difficult."
Ryu Chungwoo readily agreed. It seemed that even though Kim Raebin's broadcast was ruined in the first team match, he had taked the lead in the arrangement and selected the right song.
'He changed a mass-produced EDM song from the late 2000s to a well-loved EDM trap, leaving only the sample bits.'
"Then what about Moondae?"
Finally, it's my turn.
"I think we should decide on something before arranging it."
"Like what?"
"Part distribution."
You can't see the answer in the selected song? Then we shouldn't be focusing on this.
We have to focus on somewhere that doesn't fail.
I assure you, I'm the only one in the team who can sing the chorus of this song properly right now.
To digest this right away, you'll need an A stat vocal or higher, and I am the only one who has that on this team.
'But I can't sing the entire chorus by myself.'
So I had to start by cutting the parts and practicing so that my voice wouldn't crack right away.
As for the arrangement, it doesn't seem like a reward will come out no matter what we bring in, so let's put it off for a while.
This is not the time to look at the big picture. It's a state of emergency.
If you convey this explanation as mildly as possible, it will be like this.
"It's a difficult song to sing, so I think we should practice first."
"Part distribution… Of course, it's important."
Ryu Chungwoo looked surprised.
"But that's unexpected. In your last team match, I heard that you decided to arrange the song first."
"Yes?"
It wasn't even shown on the broadcast, I didn't know how he knew that.
"Oh, I heard it from Keun Sejin."
'When did he talk to Ryu Chungwoo?'
That guy is not ordinary, either.
"Raebin-ah, I'm asking because you're the best at arranging the song. What do you think about Moondae's opinion?"
"…Yes, that's fine. As we practice, we have a lot of options… Let's think about it."
Kim Raebin readily agreed. Although he looked like he was observing a meteorite that would fall on Earth tomorrow.
"Well, then, I've heard all your opinions, so until we come up with a better idea, let's raise our hands."
Ryu Chungwoo didn't waste time and immediately organized the situation.
"First of all, raise your hand if you agree to proceed with the practice with the concept of a cheering squad."
The majority raised their hands. I obeyed for once.
Ryu Chungwoo didn't pay extra attention to Lee Sejin, who didn't raise his hand, and immediately moved on to the next agenda.
"Then, raise your hand if you don't mind distributing parts first."
Fortunately, this gained a majority vote too. Seeing that Lee Sejin raised his hand, I guess my explanation made sense.
Just before our eyes met, Lee Sejin quickly lowered his hand and averted his eyes.
Do you want to show that you agreed with the opinion but not with me? Why?
"Okay, then let's divide the parts first."
The part distribution progressed step by step and soon faced an expected difficulty.
"I don't think I can do it here."
"Oh, me too…"
"This is too high."
The high-pitched melody in the chorus appeared four times and occupied about half of the song.
However, except for Park Moondae, all the team members either failed or grabbed the back of their necks and became embarrassed.
A member of the team, who had very good singing skills with a B+ vocal, was anxious about his voice cracking, and eventually gave his opinion about 'that'.
"I think it would be better to arrange it and lower the key before doing it. Since we have two rappers, why don't we add some rapping?"
In other words, let's arrange the song first. Damn it.
"Lowering the key…"
Kim Rae-bin's expression darkened. The bad impression got worse.
But the tide had already turned.
"I think it's right to lower it."
"I agree."
"Hmm, first of all, the team members should be able to digest it. Why don't we lower the key and rearrange it to match that?"
Kim Raebin glanced around and eventually nodded.
"Yes… Then I'll try."
It seemed he was afraid that If he said he wouldn't do it here, he would lose it all and get crushed by the editing again.
In the end, the arrangement was carried out, reflecting all the inconsistent opinions about 'lowering the key,' 'adding a rap part,' and 'accompaniment suitable for the cheering squad concept'.
I guess those guys want to appear smooth with their loud voices when in reality, they're failing.
The stage is already ruined.
I didn't bother to object to the whole process. No matter what I said, I was outnumbered anyway.
Even if I was lucky enough to trigger I heard it's true, without a proper alternative, I would only seem like a dissatisfied person.
In addition, I had no answers if a talk like, 'You can sing it, so why not sing it as it is?' began to come out.
I would be in trouble if I looked selfish and appeared on the show as a person with no social skills.
So, I needed an outsider to tell us frankly that this was terribly horrendous.
'In the end, staying still and doing nothing is the answer.'
The midterm evaluation, which only judged the first verse, was three days later, and if the judges had ears, at least one of them would tell how bad it was.
Until then, I'll have to think of an alternative.
"Let's make the choreography now!"
However, the choreography Cha Yujin made that day along with that shout, was the move from It's me with sudden extreme difficulty.
Thanks to this, I had to resist the urge to put the remaining stat points into the dance, regardless of the alternative.
As my stamina slowly melted, three days passed.
And, finally, we've entered the midterm evaluation.
"This team's ranking is so fancy~"
"Raebin has sharpened his knife!"
"Everyone had good results at the ranking ceremony."
The judges talked about our rankings first.
The production team might have told them to mention it in advance, but it was the truth anyways, so it would serve as a way to set up expectations.
"Oh, the demo song is already out?"
"Yes!"
It was thanks to Kim Raebin's direct conversation with the arranger.
"It's great∼"
"Right. This team is the only one! Instead of the original song, they've already made their own arrangement."
"As expected of the team made up of talented people!"
The judges were already satisfied.
But.
"Hm…"
After the stage, the reaction was lukewarm.
The judges, who were shrugging their shoulders and exchanging eyes, eventually grabbed the microphones one by one.
"Actually, your stage itself doesn't feel that bad, right? But it is not attractive."
"That's right. You made the choreography well, too. I can see your wit. Um, the cheering squad concept… I think it's supposed to go well with the song, but why does it feel so gloomy?"
"It's a shame that the rap feels come out of nowhere. You touched the original song a lot, but it feels worse than the original song."
As the reviews piled up, the problems began to materialize.
Finally, judge Youngrin asked as soon as she grabbed the microphone.
"Who rearranged it?"
I didn't look at Raebin on purpose. Because instead of him, it was the people who brought it up who were the problem.
But when I looked around, everyone else was looking at Kim Raebin, so it didn't mean much.
"We all discussed it together."
Ryu Chungwoo quickly grasped the situation and turned it into a team responsibility. He also tried to neutralize the situation by saying he misled the team as the leader.
That's a good decision.
But there are trolls everywhere.
"Yes, and… Raebin did the arrangement."
You're going to cut your tail off like this?
'Are you crazy?'
You're doing this something stupid like this when the camera is on?
Looking at his embarrassed face, it seemed he was afraid of being criticized so he reflexively named someone else.
'Fu*k…'
If something went wrong, it would be edited out as bullying.
I also opened my mouth just in case they treated it like a wholesale price.
(TL note: wholesale price = a metaphor for a situation where several people in the same group are treated the same despite their differences.)
029
The judges looked like they were about to say something along the lines of, 'Then are you guys saying that Raebin did everything wrong?'
So, I had to choose my words well.
'I have to make it sound like I am listing facts, not trying to fix the situation.'
"Yes, Raebin… Since he could make an arrangement, we consulted with the arranger, and we all decided on the direction of the arrangement."
Kim Raebin flinched.
'He can't open his mouth.'
Fortunately, Ryu Chungwoo came right in.
"That's right. We'll talk about the problem you mentioned and solve it. Therefore, on the day of the team match, we'll make sure to show you the best performance."
We saved it.
Ryu Chungwoo and I didn't add anything else.
The judges looked thoughtful, but they soon nodded.
'They probably thought that the opportunity to reprimand us already passed.'
It was a relief.
"Then you'll have to start rearranging it again, but you'll be far behind the other teams. Can you do it?"
"We'll do it. We can do it, right?"
"Yes!"
"We can do it!"
If only it wasn't for the guy who threw his senses to the trash can and brought us all the way here, hopefully, he wouldn't miss the answer again.
Fortunately, this time, the troll also came to his senses and answered vigorously.
Judge Youngrin nodded.
"Okay, but you have to know that it can be a reckless challenge in this time constraint, the consequences are yours to bear."
"That's right. There's no guarantee that changing it will make it better than it is now."
But if the stage wasn't good because we didn't change it, there would be a reaction like, 'Why didn't you change it even after getting feedback?'
And since it would include something like 'you have no challenge spirit', it was meaningless.
In the end, whatever we do, the process is edited and evaluated according to the results.
All the participants knew this implicitly, so there was a sense of discipline and tension in the team.
"Yes, we'll keep that in mind."
The moment Ryu Chungwoo's answer seemed to end the situation, a voice interrupted.
"May I say something?"
It was the original singer with a microphone.
"Oh, yes… Go ahead."
With a slight reluctance, the judges answered the original singer who suddenly stepped in, and the original singer lifted the microphone with deep eyes.
"On your stage… I couldn't feel the power of Burning Like the Sun."
"…?"
What are you saying out of the blue when everyone's already done talking?
The original singer continued to talk over the people who were subtly bewildered.
"This song needs to inspire courage and passion in people's hearts, right? But just because you guys are handsome and good at dancing doesn't mean you can properly deliver that message."
"…"
Ah, yes…
"When we were promoting, we really wanted to give off that feeling. You shouldn't forget the respect for this kind of song just because you're a little famous now."
Aren't you ashamed to say things like that to audition participants who haven't even made their debut yet?
It seemed he mistook old-fashioned remarks as advice for kids. His ego also seemed bloated.
However, it was painful that we had to pay attention since our reactions would go into editing as well.
I still have to squeeze out an alternative arrangement, do I have to take that nonsense into account?
It was annoying, but if we refuted it, only the image of taking a song away from a 'poor unknown idol original singer' would come out, so everyone answered meekly.
"Yes!"
"We'll keep that in mind."
Well… Social life is like that.
After all the other teams finished their midterm evaluation, the rearrangement discussion finally began.
The troll hesitated and spoke to Kim Raebin.
"Hey, I'm sorry…."
Is it okay to let him apologize in front of the camera?
Well, since the team setup was already covered, it was up to him to fix his mistake.
Kim Raebin was silent for a moment but he soon nodded.
"No, it's fine. It's true that I was in charge of the arrangement."
In fact, it wouldn't be strange if he answered, 'No, fu*k you, you're the one who told me to do it'.
Anyway, Ryu Chungwoo patted both of them on the back and ended the conversation.
"Great job, guys. Let's talk about the arrangement again as soon as we're ready."
For reference, 'ready' here is referring to the camera setting of the production team.
"Yes!"
During the interlude, the participants dispersed briefly in determination.
Their expressions weren't very good because the midterm evaluation was close, but perhaps because it was settled at the end, they still had some hope.
'But hope is useful only if we can come up with an alternative.'
Looking at the situation, no one had come up with the arrangement direction, and it seemed they just expected something to come out.
It meant that they wanted to turn it into a happy situation without having to do anything.
'The future isn't very bright.'
"Hey, Park Moondae hyung."
"Oh, yes."
As I sat in the corner and tried to think alone, Kim Raebin spoke to me.
'It's unexpected.'
He hadn't talked much to me in the last three days.
…No, come to think of it, he rarely talked to anyone for the past three days in the first place.
I practiced so hard that I couldn't afford to chat.
Anyway, Kim Rae-bin knelt next to me and said solemnly.
"…Thank you."
"No, what?"
He was probably thanking me for cutting off the troll's words earlier.
"It was the first time someone else helped me in such a situation…"
I see, I understand the situation roughly.
Kim Raebin was also worried.
If we fought because he couldn't adapt to the team again, he was afraid that the public opinion of him wouldn't be recovered.
'No wonder you're keeping a low profile.'
Sure enough, he slowly told his long story.
"I was worried that I would be criticized for lacking teamwork again after the first round, but thanks to Park Moondae hyung, I overcame the crisis. As expected, it was a wise choice to recruit someone with good teamwork first."
"…?"
Is it because of 'teamwork' that Park Moondae was picked first?
When I asked that question, he nodded.
"Yes, I saw you treat your team members reasonably. Of course, your singing skills were also great."
"…Uh, yes. Thank you."
He was very unique in the aspect that he believed the contents of the broadcast even after being crushed by editing on the said broadcast.
I can't believe you trust Park Moondae's teamwork ability even though I was edited as unsocial in the beginning…
It was really amazing. I would have understood it better if he had picked Keun Sejin.
'Ah, you didn't pick him because his role as leader overlapped with Ryu Chungwoo.'
I guess you have a standard.
As I was confused, Kim Raebin spoke again.
"Oh, hyung. I don't mind if you speak comfortably."
"…Um, yes."
Well, it doesn't hurt to talk to a high-ranked guy.
After I answered meekly, I realized that I had a question to ask in the current situation.
"By the way, do you have any idea about the arrangement?"
"…Actually, it's a little difficult."
Kim Rae-bin's impression of a popular bully softened a bit, and his expression turned gloomy.
"Even if I start rearranging again, it's a matter of which part and how much I should fix."
So basically he didn't know how many touches he had to do in order to meet the deadline, because he already practiced everything.
"I don't think we should fix it too much… I don't know what to do because there's no unity in the corrections we have right now."
"That's true."
So he meant he didn't have any particular ideas and couldn't decide what to fix.
It was the same as me.
Kim Raebin muttered his worries as if he couldn't stop once he started.
"We should also reflect the original singer's advice, but I'm not sure what it means specifically to 'insert courage and passion'."
"…Yeah."
That's… really true.
It was hardly an advice.
'How can idols inspire courage and passion when they're not some sort of American superhero from the 1980s?'
"…?"
Wait. Just now… I think I realized something.
I recalled my previous thought and realized that I had caught a strange idea.
But the more I thought about it, the more the idea… fitted perfectly with the situation.
A concept idea that can be arranged so that it can be digested even if the original key is used as it is.
We didn't have to change the choreography of the cheering squad concept that we'd already practiced, and we could even catch the concept of 'courage' and 'passion.'
It might be a wonderful solution. But the problem is…
'…It's too much.'
That's right. Not only it was excessive, but it could also become childish. Then I couldn't just fix it. It was clear that even if only one person made a mistake on the stage, it would be ruined.
Huh?
"…No."
"Yes, hyung?"
"Wait a minute."
I ignored Kim Raebin's retort for now.
Instead, I shouted to myself as I saw the team members slowly returning after the break time.
'Status window!'
And I quickly swept through the status of my teammates.
"…!"
I didn't know about the other stats, but all of their 'Talent' stats were above B-.
For reference, having the B stat meant that they could go for the main position with that level.
Indeed, it was a team made up of only high-ranking people.
'This… Seems like this is going to work?'
No wonder the judges didn't really care about the out-of-season cheering squad concept.
"Raebin. This arrangement."
"Y-yes?"
I spat out the idea I had to Kim Raebin who seemed a bit bewildered.
"Yes…?"
Kim Raebin seemed perplexed at first. However, as I added more explanation, he became calmer, and soon his eyes began to shine.
(TL note: the eyes are described with 삼백안 which means a type of eyes that shows the white beneath the pupils. It doesn't translate well to English so I left it out.)
The response was better than expected.
"W-wait a minute."
Kim Raebin ran to the keyboard installed on one side of the practice room and began to tap something out.
And I thought of Kim Raebin's status window that I saw earlier.
[Characteristics: Maestro (A)]
: What you need is just a small opportunity.
When inspired, creative speed +120%
Just like Seon Ahyeon, there was also a separate golden spoon in his status window.
'The ability to copy other people's characteristics… Is there none? It comes out often in web novels.'
I wanted to lament, but I had to do what I had to do. I quickly called the status window.
And I invested the remaining points in the 'Talent' stat.
With this, my stat also entered B-.
'All right, I match their figures.'
"Moondae, why did Raebin go to the keyboard all of a sudden?"
Ryu Chungwoo approached, unable to speak to Kim Rae-bin who was pounding the keyboard, and spoke to Park Moondae.
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I came up with a concept idea, and I guess he likes it."
"What's your idea?"
"Transformation Hero."
Behind the confused Ryu Chungwoo, Cha Eugene whispered to the person next to him.
"What is a transformation water tongue?"
(TL note: Here, Cha Eugene heard it wrong. What Park Moondae said = 히어로물 (hiromuri). What he heard = 혀로물 (hyoromuri).)
There were five days left until the day of the ccompetition.
And five days later, on the day of the competition.
It was crowded in front of the stage set building where the second team match of Idol Inc. would be held.
The number of audiences hadn't increased much. It was only thanks to the soaring ratings and the increasing popularity index that there were more people wandering around and trying to listen to our voices.
It was terribly unsettling that some people were already giving out slogans and photo cards even though it was not the last broadcast.
'Wow, it's no joke.'
A woman stood in the line, avoiding the crowd with a sullen gesture.
At the request of a friend, both of them had applied to be part of the audience, however, she was the only one who managed to get in, so she finally canceled her class thinking 'Shouldn't I just go?'.
'Because it's so famous these days.'
Of course, this choice was greatly influenced by the request of the friend who appealed with tears and food, saying, 'Please, tell me how's Moondae doing.'
Still, in the back of her mind, she had this thought.
'Is it that good…?'
She had also seen a picture of Park Moondae with golden brown hair on SNS.
He was quite attractive, but she thought he wasn't handsome enough for her to like him.
Still, she entered the building, thinking that since she got treated to a meal, she should keep an eye on him.
She never imagined a future where she would beg her friend for a picture of Park Moondae after the audience was over.
030
The woman who came to the audience at the request of her friend managed to sit in the middle seat with a good view.
'I feel a little awkward.'
When the woman who had never seen such a spectacle alone felt embarrassed, the person sitting next to her spoke up.
"Who are you here to see?"
"What? Uh… Park Moondae?"
"Ah… yes."
The person next to her, who was holding the slogan Kim Raebin Debut in one hand, looked up and down at her, and then quickly turned her head away while looking at her smartphone.
She felt strangely bad.
Feeling like coming here was a waste of time and emotions, the woman began to watch the first stage in a sullen mood.
"The first stage is… It's Fingerprint from 'Rolling Couple'!"
Along with the MC's loud introduction, the stage of 'Rolling Couple', a mixed-gender idol group who failed after two activities, was briefly shown on screen.
It was shown under the pretext of 'consideration for the audience who wasn't familiar with the song because it was a hidden masterpiece' and 'respect for the original singer.'
However, in fact, it was intended to contrast the old idol's tacky stage with the current participants' stage.
"And the participants who reinterpreted this stage… They are Ha Iljun, Ji Taewoo, Lee Sejin, Seon Ahyeon, Choi Nahoon, Seok Heekang, and Choi Wongil~ Team 'Gigantic'! Please come in!"
The stage screen showing the original song suddenly turned off, and the profile photos of the participants filled the screen one by one according to the MC's call.
Then the screen gradually turned off, and the stage was illuminated.
– Feel it when you put your hands together∼
Keun Sejin's smiling face filled the screen.
Tta-tta-tta-
And with the fast beat of the electro-house accompaniment, a splendid group dance unfolded on the stage.
'Wow…'
Unlike seeing it on the screen, it felt more powerful in the field because the sense of space in the choreography was alive.
It even felt a little shocking for the woman who was directly watching an idol performance for the first time.
'Should I have gone to a dance singer concert instead of a ballad singer?'
She unintentionally regretted it and enjoyed watching the stage in front of her, immersing herself in it.
"Thank you!"
So by the time she applauded the participants who left after the stage was over, she was completely excited.
'This is actually kind of fun?'
It was boring to wait for the preparation in the middle of the stage, but watching the stage while the broadcasting equipment was running tasted different.
It was regrettable that the team's skills fluctuated depending on the participants.
'This team is a bit… Yeah.'
The second team was disappointing, and the third and fourth teams were quite fun.
Since the woman had never done the so-called 'fangirling', she forgot about it and only a lumpy feeling remained rather than a detailed appreciation of each stage.
First of all, the first team did the best so far, that was the impression left in her head.
'I was told to vote for the two best teams on the way out, right?'
Saving a spot for the first team, she continued watching the stages.
The next teams also had their own concepts and were fun, but none of them left an impression as big as the first team.
'Um, I'm a little tired.'
In fact, the teams in the second half were not inferior to the first half.
Looking at songs she didn't know well one after another, the freshness she felt in the beginning disappeared and she started to get bored.
Moreover, the participant requested by her friend to watch had not yet appeared.
'Isn't it the last team now?'
Resisting the urge to turn on her smartphone, she barely listened to the introduction of the next team.
"This performance is… It's Burning Like the Sun by the band 'Sun Island'!"
And a video that looked like a music show from about 10 years ago appeared on the screen.
'Oh, this song.'
This was the cheering song she heard at the baseball stadium she went to with a friend who liked baseball.
'It was originally sung like this…'
Well, it wasn't as exciting as it was at a baseball stadium. She just thought it was a difficult song with a lot of high notes.
She sang the passionate vocals on the screen without much excitement and was startled by the MC's roaring voice.
"And the participants who reinterpreted the stage! Ryu Chungwoo, Lee Sejin, Kim Yujun, Park Moondae, Yoo Jiho, Kim Rae-bin, and Cha Eugene!"
'He just said Park Moondae, right?'
She hurriedly looked back at the screen. Profile pictures of the participants appeared on the screen.
'Oh, I know them.'
It was the last team because it had a lot of famous participants.
She repositioned herself with her anticipation rising again. The cheers that were several times bigger than before pierced her ears.
'Oh my gosh, they're really popular.'
"That's right, the 'Hero' team! Coming in now-"
Before she could think the name was tacky, the stage went dark.
It was a dark stage with no screen lights.
The moment a ray of blue spotlight hit it.
A participant holding his index finger up to the sky like a gun was revealed.
A tall black jumpsuit with a racing suit-like pattern absorbed the intense blue lights.
In that hand, a red finger suit glistened in the light.
And she heard a low voice.
-Yah, yah-" Hero Time
[HERO TIME!]
In an instant, the same letters filled the screen.
Screech!
The intense bass began to tear the speakers apart with a blatant glitch sound.
All the lights on the stage came back as if they were exploding. And the seven people began moving in unison.
"…!"
As their outstretched limbs hit the floor and their bodies were bent, an elaborate group dance like a sword unfolded.
They were all dressed in black jumpsuits with different patterns.
Cha Eugene, located in the middle, started singing.
My heart is burning
as bright as the sun
A participant who stood up from behind took over and sang.
– It reaches far and high up in the sky
So that I can fly further and catch you
In the accompaniment where the typical band sound should flow, there was a heavy and intense dubstep sound, leaving only a rocking feeling.
WOB- WOB- WOB- WEEEB-I
BRMMMM-!
And the group danced again.
Participants who reached out with one hand moved as if they were doing martial arts.
She looked at the stage with her mouth open. The more intense movement caught her attention.
The choreography consisted only of large and solid movements without any small movements.
The composition, which might seem monotonous and excessive, just became powerful thanks to the change of movement in the blink of an eye.
-There's one thing that saves the world
A burning passion
Ryu Chungwoo, wearing a navy headband, sang the pre-chorus.
The moment she thought there was a strange and wonderful choreography that seemed to shoot at something, the chorus burst out.
Fly away! Until the end~
Until the day that shines like the sun!
The hair color of the participant, who sprinted forward and stretched a high-pitched tone, was shiny blonde.
A bright yellow glossy choker matched as if it had been made from his own hair.
With that high note, the participant was grinning.
'Crazy.'
Is that Park Moondae? The woman reflexively covered her mouth.
'Y-You're so bad at taking pictures…!'
He looked nothing like the picture her friend showed her!
That's not how you take a picture of someone who's good and cute!
Beating low expectations had tremendous destructive power.
In addition, there was no business that could win over preference.
'I had similar tastes with her…!'
As she was getting a new realization, the stage entered a new phase.
Kim Raebin entered the seat where Park Moondae had sat down.
Goggles with purple lenses shook near his collarbone.
-Rising like a star
Shining like the sun
'Huh?'
The high note of the chorus continued in the original song, but for this part, rap came out instead.
However, the remaining chorus melody didn't disappear.
Instead, it was treated as a synthesizer like a sampler, adding a lively sound to the hip dubstep accompaniment.
When the rap was put on top of it, the momentum of the high notes did not die off. Rather, it felt easier to listen to.
Besides, the lyrics in that part were old, so the rap lyrics translated directly into English made the song more modern.
– It's flying away! Right now~
It's burning like the sun, time!
-Take your wings
And fly up
Let's catch up
To the moon!
'Wow…'
The woman who was not familiar with the original song only felt the impression that 'this one is better', but she certainly heard that the arrangement was much better than the other teams.
And most of all, the stage was just cool.
By the time the final chorus came out, she was leaning toward the stage, almost bewitched.
– Fly away! Until the end~
This time, Park Moondae and Kim Raebin sang the chorus as if they were exchanging at the end of the formation.
The choreography that moved as if it were a single body looked like a wave.
Under the blue-purple laser light, the black jumpsuit doubled the feeling of a sci-fi comic character.
And the last chorus with the super high note.
– I'll save your world!
"Oooh."
She swallowed a groan that was about to come out of her voice.
Park Moondae, who raised his head in the white pointing lighting, seemed to be able to save the world any time.
No, it was clear that he was saving the world…!
On the stage, Cha Yu-jin came out with the last dance break and back tumbling.
The body cut through the air and landed on the stage floor like a sequence in an action movie.
Thud.
It was a very symbolic, superhero landing.
Over the remaining accompaniment of the top line, narration like a glitchy announcement flowed out.
– Thank you for flying Hero Air today…
The boys on the stage slowly turned back.
And as they all raised a thumb-up together, the song ended.
Only then she realized that the surroundings were filled with tremendous noise.
"Aaaaah!"
"Uwaaaah!"
All the cheers and screams that she unconsciously ignored while focusing on the stage rang in her ears.
What was even more surprising was that she was also screaming.
"It's crazy! Crazy!"
The person sitting next to her was screaming as if she was about to jump out of her seat.
The slogan in her hand was already crumpled and shaken recklessly, so she wasn't able to fulfill her original role at all.
In her head, images of Park Moondae smiling, Park Moondae pushing the high note all the way, and Park Moondae turning his back were playing endlessly.
At the same time, in order not to miss a single shot of Park Moondae leaving in front of her eyes, she thought with her eyes wide open.
'Vote! I have to vote!'
And above all, she was sure of one thing.
'First place no matter what! Definitely the first place!'
This team is the winner!
After the stage was over, the ranking announcement began immediately in front of the empty audience seats where the audience had left.
With participants lined up in front of each team, the MC announced the next ranking.
"Third place… 'Hero' team, which reinterpreted Burning Like the Sun!"
"What?"
"Hey, that's ridiculous."
As soon as the MC's presentation was over, the place was filled with murmurs from all directions.
I looked at the screen with cold eyes.
'I knew this would happen.'
