Chapter 61

As predicted by Park Moondae, everyone, from viewers to the audience, fell into a state of confusion as a result of the new concept of '6.47 people on average'.

Some audience members even posted messages on their SNS with their smartphones.

– People booed and the atmosphere suddenly turned cold. Idol Inc is really amazing until the end

– Where did you get the crazy idea of averaging it?

– Rather, just keep it neat and make it 5 people. 6.47 people

– Why did the production crew abandon the 0.47? Let's accept the 7th place as a guest member

└this, tbh

However, after the turmoil passed, the response was surprisingly not blindly negative.

It was because they could tell that the production team was working hard, so they became somewhat solemn.

– Well, they didn't fabricate it.

– The production team would have wanted to make it 9 members.

– Those guys are conscientious in weird places… Even if they pull aggro, they don't manipulate…

– Yes, if I have to choose between 5 and 6, then it's 6

People managed to accept the situation. Of course, there were still a lot of people crying, saying that the number was too small.

– You should've blocked one vote for each person in the first place, Idol Inc bastardsㅠ

And around that time, a new VCR began to come out as if it were timed.

[Hello?]

[Yay!]

It was a video of participants in pastel linen outfits waving and laughing at the camera.

They were walking among dark constructions. Light shimmered through the constructions.

In an instant, the atmosphere on the hall and on the Internet subsided.

– What's this?

– When did you take it

– What video is it?

Participants grabbed the camera and took turns saying how they felt about the last broadcast. And ran somewhere.

[Thank you for always supporting us!]

[I love you~]

Because it looked like a typical touching VCR, viewers responded courteously. Audiences watching the VCR also cheered whenever the participants they were rooting for came out.

And the last participant left was Park Moondae.

Park Moondae awkwardly looked at the camera and just smiled.

[Thank you. I will definitely debut.]

It was an unequivocal statement.

Park Moondae also ran out of the camera screen and disappeared after leaving those short words.

Of course, in the communities filled with Park Moondae's fans, comments flooded.

– Aigoo Moondae…

– Moondae has to debut

– Invest in Moondae who is well-prepared with both mental and technical skills… If you vote today, you can invest 100 won for 5 years…

– The one with dead parents, is it really him?

└It's him

└Hii, Your Honor, I didn't say anything

└Aside from his family history, he's great at everything, just try one bite

└Actually, I already voted, he was really good

└Oh thanks

In order to attract more votes, fans continued to operate the business, enduring their anger at people who reacted by bringing up family matters.

In the meantime, all the participants had disappeared, and on the empty black screen, the acoustic version of <Just Me> grew dimly in the background.

Viewers were caught in a strange afterglow.

– It feels like it's really the end

– It has a proper ending vibe

– It seems more so because of the BGM

– Can't all 20 of them debut

– Wouldn't it be worth trying with 20 people? The production team should make a re-voting for the number of debut members

And the angle of the video was turned.

It showed the direction the participants ran to.

Following the rotating camera, participants were seen climbing up on the left.

– ?!

– Heol

– No way

Before they knew it, the broadcast transmission screen was converted to the concert hall. Participants were seen coming up to the stage.

What looked like a video was actually a real-time transmission.

– Ah…

Then, the participants picked up their microphones and started singing.

An arranged acoustic version of <Just Me>.

– No, guys, don't go

– Do Idol Inc forever

└Are you cursing them? But seriously, do it

└Let's just go on stage and be all gooey every week. Don't get dropped out

– How can I send them off when I am so attached to them

Participants laughed and sang their parts with sincerity.

However, even before the first verse was over, a number of participants began to sob.

Of course, Park Moondae calmly played his part well. The ad-lib in the second half of the second verse was neat and easy to listen to.

-You sing really well.

– The fanatics are going crazy for a reason

– It's not too late to become a fan, right?

└It's not too late, isn't he the winner? You don't have to use up your emotions, just watch the last episode and free-load on their debut

-I have decided to dig Park Moondae now. I like his face, too

There were some exceptions, but the stage of the participants filled with sad arrangements made the audience sniffle.

It ended with a close-up of Lee Sejin's crying face.

– He's handsome

└Out of the 13 episodes, I think today is his best performance

– An actor of confidence

– Guys, you've been through a lot

– I hope everyone does well.

The participants who came down from the stage struggled, unable to get out of the afterglow.

Just as the stylists who were doing the makeup for the sniffling participants were getting annoyed, they heard the sound of MC introducing a new VCR above.

'Ah, it's that.'

Park Moondae guessed the contents of the video without much excitement. It was family content that could never be missed in the last episode of the audition.

Of course, Park Moondae had no family, so he just idled away and moved on.

'They must have put in a lot of crying scenes.'

He recalled for a moment how Kim Raebin had cried while watching his grandmother's video letter, his eyes were so swollen that they didn't look sharp anymore.

Since most of the participants had cried, he thought picking the cuts would have been easy.

By the way, a few cuts of Park Moondae were taken where he calmly patted the backs of the participants.

He never thought that it made people feel comfortable.

"…It's all over now."

"…?"

An unexpected person spoke to Park Moondae.

'What's with him.'

It was Lee Sejin, the former child actor.

"Well… the program will be over soon."

"You're debuting, so it's not over for you, is that what you mean?"

'Why is this bastard suddenly picking a fight?'

Because he had a lot of thoughts at this time, Park Moondae just ignored his words without answering back.

"…It must be nice."

Lee Sejin murmured, then went to the corner and fell into a depressed state.

"…"

Park Moondae decided not to react. If there was anyone who could care about others right before the final ranking was announced, they were just pushovers.

Participants, who had encouraged each other at the beginning of the live broadcast, had lost their sensibility after the last stage was over and were now turning stiff with extreme tension.

It was at this time that the staff called them again.

"Move to Area B! Go!"

The participants moved in a hurry with stiff faces.

The long final ranking announcement was waiting for them.

* * *

My shoulders ached from fatigue.

'If I didn't have the characteristic of reducing fatigue, I would have perished.'

It was difficult to turn my head or change my posture.

It was quite a lot of pressure that thousands of people were staring this way from down there.

'They're closer than when I was on stage.'

At least, the audience was closer than during the team match stage, which was the closest it had ever been.

If I rolled my eyes just a little, I could make eye contact with the audience below the stage.

A slogan was also swaying right below.

<Moon Puppy is debuting today>

The words written in Gungseoche style were very grim.

(Author Note: Gungseoche/Gungche = a Korean font used by court ladies since the mid-Joseon Dynasty to write Hangul more quickly and flexibly.)

'I think I should wave my hands at least.'

But I couldn't do that in this tense atmosphere.

"Sure enough, who is the participant who will take the 6th place of honor…"

It was because the MC had been dragging the progress for 15 minutes with several lines, including that one.

It was amazing that 20 minutes had passed since it started, but not a single person had been announced.

'Looking at the number of votes, it's understandable.'

I heard that there were more than a million votes, so it wasn't strange that they were still counting.

The MC didn't get the production crew's signal until about three more minutes later.

"<Re-listed! Idol Inc.> the final stock ranking combining the investment from the Internet and live broadcasts, 6th place! Announced now!"

I could feel the participants' bodies stiffening around me.

"He's a participant who has received attention for his leadership and outstanding skills."

The faces of the corresponding participants were shown dizzyingly on the electronic display.

'…But why am I there?'

Ryu Chungwoo and Keun Sejin were understandable.

I tried not to look ridiculous.

However, unlike the other two, I looked like I had no expectations in my eyes, and when my face was captured, several people from below laughed despite this atmosphere.

"Congratulations, Lee Sejin… B!"

Keun Sejin opened his eyes wide, and when B was added, he burst out laughing and bent down.

"Haha…!"

Countless handshakes and congratulations poured out to Keun Sejin from the participants.

I gave a light high-five to Keun Sejin, who came out after receiving all the congratulations.

"Ah… Thank you so much, really. I tried to get rid of my expectations."

Keun Sejin expressed his feelings about joining the debut group with a heated face, and after showing off something similar to aegyo to his fans, he went up to the podium.

'You're really debuting.'

It seemed he was on the rise.

'Better him than someone I don't know.'

I calmly waited for the next ranking announcement.

…And after waiting for more than 15 minutes, the next ranking was announced.

"5th place is…! …Ryu Chungwoo!"

It was a selection that was completely expected.

On the contrary, I thought the ranking had fallen a little, but he showed tears for the first time in the program as if he really hadn't expected it.

'It's fine to be a normal person.'

I applauded from the bottom of my heart this time as well.

And next, fourth place.

"Kim Raebin! Congratulations!"

Kim Raebin was so nervous that he couldn't even receive the congratulations properly and staggered to the podium.

Then he said his impressions one after another with clear pronunciation.

…But honestly, it sounded more like statements than impressions. It was because he recited what he was good at and what he was improving.

"…So the skill I've been developing lately is vocal. I will pay more attention to my communication skills in the future so that I can play my role as the member of the group in any situation with a more accomplished appearance."

The only thing that sounded like actual impressions was the last two sentences.

"… Once again, I would like to thank the shareholders for investing in me. and Grandma and Grandpa. I love you."

Then, he bravely removed his mouth from the microphone.

'…Shouldn't you say I love you to the fans as well?'

Kim Raebin looked at the MC with a regretful expression, perhaps realizing it only after returning the microphone, but the ship had already sailed.

'…But he's a very useful guy.'

I was moderately convinced.

The next announcement was third place.

Isn't it time to be called now, I had hope, but… That didn't happen.

"Third place is… Seon Ahyeon! Congratulations!"

On the electronic display that had dragged it on between Cha Eugene and Seon Ahyeon for a long time, Seon Ahyeon's face floated.

Seon Ahyeon's face, which had been white, quickly turned heated.

"T-Thank you…"

Surprisingly, Seon Ahyeon received congratulations without crying. Thanks to this, I didn't intend to hug him, but the other guys did, so I followed their example.

"I-I am a really lacking person. T-The shareholders who trusted me and supported me… To my friends, really,… Thank you so much. M-More.. I'll be a person that you'll be more proud of. Thank…you."

Seon Ahyeon returned the microphone and cried his eyes out as he climbed up.

It felt strange to see the guy who couldn't make his debut in the future eventually made it.

Well… It seemed to be a good thing.

'Because Seon Ahyeon is a good guy.'

So now all that's left is…

"It's getting more and more heated, the last ranking ceremony of <Re-listed! Idol Inc.>! Now, the long-awaited 1st place announcement is just around the corner!"

'It ends up like this.'

I held back my sigh.