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Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: NicoleTempest
Chapter 202 What People Want (2)
Clank.
As the handcuffs came out of my pocket, everyone in the audience, including the trainees and the judges, widened their eyes.
It was natural. I hadnât used this prop until yesterday.
The scarf that I had originally used was gone, and a different thing popped out, making everyone look surprised.
[Lock me up right now, so I canât leave you]
[Dangerous, your movements make me unable to think of anything else-]
Clang. The toy handcuffs were so weak that I could tear them off with a little force, but they were enough to capture everyoneâs attention.
âWow, he changed the prop in a day.â
âThis is better. Itâs better than being compared to the others.â
âIf he has to gather his wrists anyway because of the choreography, the handcuffs are more neat and impactfulâŠâ
Hwijin and Yu-geon, who had been worried about me since the stage started, looked up at me with a bright smile, as if they were relieved.
âGeez⊠Theyâre still young kids who havenât debuted yet, and theyâre worrying about each other.â
I muttered a half-mocking joke to myself as I stepped to the beat.
Although I was getting help from the skill of fate, tap dance was really new to me, so I was worried about what would happen if I fell behind⊠Yeah, right.
When I opened the lid, the other members of the group were struggling with the genre that they had never tried before, and I had to carry them by the collar.
âI guess this is also an experience in its own way.â
With the final victory of my mind, the music was rushing to the end, and
[With a burning thirst, I swim through the unknown that is you]
[Itâs okay, just hold me right now]
As I broke the handcuffs with a force that contrasted with the lyrics that asked me to hold on, a cheer erupted from the entire audience.
âWow, he nailed it.â
âI really didnât expect that, wow.â
The members of group A, who had finished their stage and were having fun, also looked up at me with a chewing expression at first, but this time, some of them looked genuinely surprised.
The handcuffs were broken, but my hands were still crossed as if they were not released, and I continued the choreography.
With the last whisper-like lyrics, I took off the handcuffs and threw them behind the stage.
[Tie me up more, I wonât run away anymore-]
âItâs over.â
The judges couldnât calm their expressions as they were stunned by the cheers that were different from group A.
âThatâs why group A⊠It was obvious that they had agreed to win from the beginning.â
Only the choreographer among the four judges was purely happy, then gasped, and barely regained his senses, shaking his head.
âDIY group B, please clean up the stage quickly!â
One of the staff jumped onto the stage as soon as the recording was over and made us go down.
As the choreography became more intense in the second half, Taeryun and Wonsang opened their mouths with a breathless expression.
âDid we do well?â
Their cheeks were flushed, and they couldnât calm down the excitement of the best stage they had done, and they looked like they were walking on the clouds.
I couldnât help but smile at their faces.
âYes, you did well.â
âWow, look at your hands shaking.â
I felt a surge of emotion in my chest as I watched the young kids, barely twenty years old, unable to contain themselves after finishing their stage.
I wondered if it was really that great, but then I remembered that this was their first stage that they had produced themselves. Even though I had carried them hard, I felt a sense of pride.
âWill this be edited out?â
They seemed worried about how they would appear on TV, as if they had just realized how important it was.
âYes, it will be fine.â
I answered, recalling the broadcast of My Idol Stage episodes 1 to 4 that I had skimmed through, hitting the fast-forward button every ten seconds.
I didnât pay much attention, but the stages were shown for at least two minutes each, even with some editing.
I barely had time to feel relieved that it was over, when Wonsang started sobbing as soon as we returned to the audience seats.
âHuh, are you crying, hyung?â
Taeryun was startled by Wonsangâs tears and offered him the scarf he had brought as a disguise.
âAh, sorry, Iâm sorry. I just got too nervous.â
The camera didnât miss Wonsangâs crying face in the crowd, zooming in on him.
âWell, at least this will give us some more exposure.â
I smiled faintly and looked at the two of them. There was a warm bond between the three of us.
Only Junwoong was isolated, as if he belonged to a different team. He was staring at Park San-ilâs team A with a determined look in his eyes.
âAnyway, itâs done and over with.â
A moment later, I saw that he had disappeared while we were busy calming Wonsang down.
âWell, itâs not my problem anymore.â
I turned my gaze to the stage. Yu-geonâs team, Dream Hot A, was starting their performance.
âCenter⊠he did well back then, but I donât know what happened after that.â
I was briefly worried, but then Yu-geon jumped to the center of the stage and the music began.
âHeâs so disgustingly good.â
He had laid the groundwork well (actually, he had done it himself) and his skills were so annoyingly impressive.
[One two three, this is an emergency]
[Everyone Freeze- when I appear]
He had already captured everyoneâs attention in his practice clothes. But now, with his outfit and hair matching the concept, he was the only one who stood out among the six people on stage.
âWow, really⊠Everyone else looks like backup dancers except for him.â
Someone blurted out their honest opinion and gasped, covering their mouth.
It was a funny remark, but cruelly true.
[Be careful of the upset, Bang-]
[Iâll take all the flashing Cash right now]
It didnât seem like the center had been favored too much over the other parts, considering the fierce competition within the team. But Yu-geon still shone too much.
âThatâs a relief, I guess.â
If he had stolen the spotlight without being the center, he would have taken away all the advantages of the center, who wouldnât even be able to console himself by saying that it was because he was the center.
By the end of the second verse, the stage was completely dominated by Yu-geon.
âThey canât not air this.â
No matter which scene they edited and broadcasted, Yu-geon would be noticeable.
âWell, Iâm glad it ended well.â
I let out a sigh of relief as the final 14th group finished their performance. The only thing left was to check the results of each group and the first round of re-evaluation.
[Well, thatâs it for the passionate stages of the 14 groups! You all did a great job. And⊠Now itâs time to decide the winners and losers!]
As the MC proceeded quickly, the seats where the judges were sitting lit up and flames shot up high.
[The groups that are called will come up to the stage and listen to the judgesâ comments and check their judge cards.]
Judge cards? What are those? I squinted my eyes at the changed method from the broadcast I saw.
[There are four judges in total, and the team that receives three or more judge cards will win the honor of being the winner.]
Then⊠they probably wonât go 2:2, but what if they do? Wouldnât that be a tie? I wondered, when the MC added an explanation.
[If the judge cards do not determine the outcome, the trainees sitting here will decide the outcome themselves.]
According to the MCâs explanation, the production staff went around the audience and handed out something like buttons.
âI wonder how often theyâll be used.â
Soon, a panel that recorded the results appeared on the large screen behind the stage.
[From Today, We]
[Dream HOT]
[Next]
[Endlessly]
[First Love]
[You and I Lead]
[D.I.Y]
And then, the first one to be called was âFrom Today, Weâ and the judgesâ comments began.
âIâll be back to reality soon.â
I secretly loosened my tense body and took a long, deep breath.
It would be nice if I had a chance to talk to Hwijin or Yu-geon for the last time.
But there was no time to regret, and it was our turn soon.
âD.I.Y, please come up!â
As we went up to the stage, a bright spotlight shone down on our heads.
[Okay, letâs start with group Aâs comments.]
As the MC guided, the judgesâ comments that were obviously clichĂ©d followed. They used the props well, and they brought out the original songâs atmosphere well. It was a comfortable stage to watch. Something like that.
And then, the comments for group B, which I belonged to, followed.
âUm⊠I got the impression that it was quite different from the original song. It was good that you used props that werenât obvious, but you used something too eye-catching that it diminished the meaning of the coverâŠâ
Ha.
I laughed first because it was ridiculous. It was obvious that they were trying to make group A the winner somehow.
âI think it would have been a better result if you respected the original song more.â
Singers, idols, rappers, they all spouted nonsense, and the choreographer was the last one to grab the microphone.
âI⊠I loved it. Iâm looking forward to seeing how much more amazing stages youâll show when you go self-producing. I could see the traces of your efforts to fill the gap with fewer members. Donât worry too much about the results and keep working hard.â
As soon as the last comment that seemed like giving poison and medicine ended, four huge card shapes rose behind us and the lights flashed red and blue alternately.
And the result that was raised with a bang-bang-bang sound effect was.
[Group A 3 : Group B 1]
As expected. It was a predetermined outcome.
The members of Team A cheered as Park San-il, the center of attention, grabbed the microphone.
âThank you. I will work harder!â
His face was soaked with joy, as if he had already won the internal evaluation without a doubt. In contrast, Junwoong gritted his teeth.
The self-praising interview of Team A ended, and the microphone was handed over to hear the voice of the loser.
ââŠ?â
Junwoong snatched the microphone that should have been delivered to my hand.
What the hell is this? He turned on the microphone with a bitter expression, as if he was going to kill someone. I was momentarily flustered.
âAh.â
He checked that the microphone was working properly, and then dropped a bombshell.
âI quit as a trainee.â
Why did he say that here, of all places? Everyone was stunned, unable to move their eyes. Then, from Junwoongâs mouth, a story that everyone vaguely knew but couldnât say came out.
âI donât want to do this so shamelessly. You were curious why the props that were overlapped until rehearsal suddenly changed, right? I leaked the props and directing ideas to Team A under the agencyâs ordersâŠâ
The production team sensed something was wrong and quickly cut off the microphone broadcast, but Junwoong didnât stop.
âI stole Team Bâs idea and gave it to Team A. The trainee from our agency in Team A signed a pre-contract. The trainee who is being pushed has to win stably, but Iâm just a sidekick who couldnât make it to the production teamâs pick, you know.â
His voice was so loud that turning off the microphone didnât seem to be enough. The production team hurriedly ran up to the stage and dragged Junwoong down.
âDoes this sound like someone elseâs story? Youâre the same! The ones who will debut are already decided. Weâre just filling the headcount, right? Ugh, let go! Let go, you X! Iâll quit this X thing!â
He struggled like a drunkard being dragged to the detention center. Junwoong disappeared behind the set, and there was an awkward silence. The MC and the production team exchanged a few words.
Then, he opened his mouth in the midst of the noisy atmosphere.