Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: NicoleTempest
Chapter 203 Listen When People Talk
[This is nothing but a one-sided false claim by an individual cast mber that is different from the truth, so let’s proceed with the result announcent right away…]
However, a full-fledged protest began among the lower-ranked trainees.
“I’ve heard it too. There are participants who wrote separate contracts.”
“Honestly, didn’t group B do much better on the stage just now?”
The B and C grade trainees, who were swept away by this, murmured anxiously among themselves and the noise grew uncontrollably.
“…”
The real pre-contract writers, the A~B grade mbers, closed their mouths as if they were dead and sighs of self-mockery burst out here and there.
“What’s the point if the debut group is already decided? What am I doing here?”
With a self-mocking laugh, the atmosphere that should have been quiet in an instant beca a ss.
[Please keep quiet while waiting in the audience. We will proceed right away…]
“It doesn’t matter how hard I try, I’m just a follower. What’s the difference between dropping out in three hours or dropping out now?”
One of the trainees, who sensed defeat, was swept away by the outburst of Junwoong and ripped off his natag and microphone and left the set.
[If you leave now, you will be disqualified imdiately.]
The MC’s threatening announcent did not stop him from heading outside and the door shook once and opened wide and then closed again.
“Who wrote the contract again? If Park San-il wrote it, there must be so in B grade and so in A grade.”
The trainees’ murmurs did not stop and the confusion grew out of control.
Eventually, the production team decided that the judging process was no longer possible and stopped filming.
[All trainees, please return to your assigned accommodation and wait individually. We will call you separately and inform you of the changed filming schedule.]
If they send them back to the accommodation, there will be recording devices and caras in each room.
They seed to want to prevent the trainees from spreading rumors and speculations among themselves.
‘I don’t know if that will work.’
As we returned to the accommodation, piercing the production team’s eyes that seed to doubt whether our group mbers were thinking the sa as Junwoong, Hwijin was already there.
Yu-geon, who was also kicked out of the set, was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Yu-geon hyung?”
When I asked Hwijin, he shook his head as if he didn’t know.
“I don’t know. I thought he ca up first because he wasn’t on the set when I left, but he’s not here. You didn’t see him either?”
“No. Where did he go…”
I couldn’t help but worry, even though he would take care of himself.
He was a guy who had already lost his mind and ran away, so I didn’t know what he would do… It was a relief that this was not reality, but I still cared.
“Let’s just wait.”
Hwijin sat down on the bed with a look of anxiety on his face and glanced at the cara once.
The atmosphere was as cold as an icehouse. I tried to stop Hwijin from biting his lips nervously and blurted out.
“Hyung, you did really well on the stage today.”
This was sincere. Hwijin blushed and pushed his hand away at the sudden complint.
“No, I was just in a hurry to cover it, so I didn’t even think about the direction and just finished it first… You guys were amazing. In such a short ti…”
He looked like he was receiving a sudden confession or sothing, and I laughed in the midst of the serious situation.
“What, why, why are you laughing…?”
Hwijin protested with his eyes tightly shut, embarrassed. I tried to suppress my laughter and calm my shaking shoulders.
“It’s nothing, I just think you really love being an idol…”
I mumbled vaguely, trying to sound sincere. Hwijin nodded in agreent, still blushing.
“Yeah… I do. I didn’t even know I would still love it this much after almost eight years.”
Hwijin debuted when he was in middle school. He was 27 now, which ant he had been in the industry for over 10 years.
He had once quit and ran away from this path, thinking it wasn’t for him. But he ca back to the stage, using promotion as an excuse.
How did he feel when he returned to the stage that he thought he had no connection with, after his idol career had ended in failure?
I couldn’t know for sure, since I couldn’t see into his heart.
But he looked genuinely happy on stage. So happy that it made the viewers’ hearts flutter.
“I have no right to complain, since I never made it big at this age…”
Hwijin laughed self-deprecatingly.
“But singing is when I’m happiest. I don’t want to give up yet.”
His expression was bitter as he said that. It was probably because of what Junwoong had shouted at the set earlier.
That the debut mbers were already decided, no matter how hard we tried. That we were nothing but extras.
I wouldn’t forget the faces of the trainees under the stage at that mont, even if I returned to reality.
I listened to Hwijin’s story without a word, and gave him a short reply.
“Don’t give up.”
The only consolation was that the debut was determined by the viewers’ votes, not by the pre-contracts that pushed so trainees forward.
That was the proof that Yu-geon and Hwijin had made it to the final debut group.
I couldn’t tell them the reason, but Yu-geon and Hwijin’s efforts were not betrayed. Hwijin nodded slowly at my words, and then silence fell.
We had been waiting for almost 10 minutes, but the production team didn’t show up, and Yu-geon still hadn’t co back to the dorm.
‘What if sothing happened?’
I got anxious and finally got up from my seat.
“He’s still not here.”
Hwijin also looked worried, his face dark.
“I know, I’m concerned too.”
I had a bad feeling. I dusted off my pants and said to Hwijin.
“I’ll go look for him.”
Hwijin startled and tried to stop .
“Are you sure that’s okay? They told us to wait in the dorm…”
Well… it’s not like I’m causing a serious accident. If the production team stops , I’ll just ask them to find him and co back.
I made an OK sign to reassure him, and opened the door to the hallway.
A voice that sounded like a broadcast announcer echoed.
[Attention to the trainees who are waiting. The announcent of the first re-evaluation results, which was scheduled for today, will be conducted soon by voice guidance in each room. Please do not leave your seat and wait during the ranking announcent.]
Everyone was busy dealing with Junwoong’s unexpected exposure, and there was not a single mouse in the hallway.
I searched for places where he could hide and catch his breath, from empty eting rooms to bathrooms, but I couldn’t find Yu-geon anywhere.
‘I wish I could use the replay function now.’
Unfortunately, this was not reality, so I was annoyed by the ssage that said this area was not available for the replay service.
‘Where the hell did he go?’
I couldn’t see Yu-geon, who was heading to the elevator, until I ca down to the conference room that the production team used as an office.
“What were you doing?”
I asked him with a raised voice, as if I was worried. Yu-geon flinched his eyebrows and answered.
“Oh, the writer asked if we could talk.”
“Ah…”
I lost my words and was montarily flustered. Yu-geon smiled slyly and added.
“Don’t worry, I refused again.”
I tilted my head reflexively at the unexpected answer.
“What?”
Then Yu-geon replied with his characteristic confident and arrogant expression.
“He was trying to persuade to rewrite the contract. But I didn’t want to get involved with the trainees who were already suspicious of who wrote it because of today’s incident. So I rejected him right away.”
Damn, doesn’t that an he’s completely blacklisted now?
I gasped with a worried face. Yu-geon smirked and pulled up his lips.
“You said it yourself. He’s not going to disappear after working for a year or two. I don’t want to debut by doing sothing that could hold back in the future. I can debut without doing that.”
Yu-geon shrugged his shoulders and quickly added.
“Probably?”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. Yeah, that’s how he was. The words I had to say to him were already decided.
He was the kind of guy who had to do what he wanted to do to show his full potential.
As I was choosing what to say, the broadcast started above my head.
[We will now start the first round of ranking announcents online. The announcent will start from 10th to 70th place, and then proceed from 9th to 1st place.]
I couldn’t relax if it started from 10th place. We both closed our mouths and listened to the rankings announced by the broadcast.
[10th place Oh Chanhyung trainee B grade]
[11th place Damian trainee C grade]
Among the familiar nas that would later beco Floss, my na was not called until 15th place.
‘This must be 100% bounced from A grade.’
I was nervous for a mont, but then a na I never thought of was called.
[16th place Kang Yu-geon trainee A grade]
“…!?”
“???”
Yu-geon and I both looked at each other in confusion.
“What, did you hear that too?”
“No, I really didn’t know!”
Yu-geon showed a sincere surprised expression, as if he was puzzled by what was happening.
[19th place Lee Hwijin B grade]
Finally, Hwijin too. The announcent ended in the early 20s, but my na was not called.
I was bewildered and ran into the production team and the director at the end of the hallway.
“Go back to your room quickly!”
I hurriedly gestured to Yu-geon and crossed the hallway to the dormitory.
“I really didn’t know.”
Yu-geon protested earnestly, as if he was wronged.
“Fine, just hurry up and co here.”
As I ran towards the dorm, the nas of the trainees ranked below 30th were announced one after another, but mine was still nowhere to be heard.
“Wait, they haven’t called my na yet, right?”
As soon as I arrived at the room, I flung the door open and asked. Hwijin looked startled and answered.
“No, they haven’t…!”
I tried to calm my breath that reached the tip of my chin. By now, the ranking had gone down to 60th.
Only the top 70 survived the first round of evaluation.
Did I really fall that far behind?
The fear of failing the mission started to creep up on .
What would happen if I failed? Would I have to start over from the beginning? I wouldn’t be trapped here forever, would I? My face turned pale and Hwijin muttered sothing as if to comfort .
“In my opinion…”
But I was in a state where I couldn’t hear anything and shook my head.
Was I marked as the instigator who provoked Junwoong? Finally, my na was not called even when it reached 70th.
‘I’m screwed.’
The mont my head turned white, the broadcast continued.
[9th place, trainee Lim Hyun-seong, grade A. Congratulations.]
And at the sa ti, a pop-up ssage appeared.
[Special Event – Congratulations on clearing the mission of ‘Your Pick My Idol’.]
[Mission Achievent Reward]
[Bond> Hwijin, Naru acquired]
[※However, the bond skill of ‘Naru’ cannot be used yet.]
[Special Item> ‘Listen When People Talk’, ‘People Want to Believe’ acquired]
[Do you want to return imdiately?]
[Yes/No]
And above that, another small window popped up.
[You will automatically return in 30 seconds.]
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