Chapter 75
“Everyone, did you rest well?”
Lee Cheong, in today’s glamorous outfit as well, lightly asked after everyone’s well-being.
“Yes!”
The camera filmed the sight of forty-three sturdy men on stage answering energetically.
“It was fierce competition. I also watched the broadcast and kept checking the Subox Chart. Ah, it was quite a ranking battle. Before announcing the rankings, do you remember this competition mission?”
“One Body!”
“One Body Mission!”
“One Body!”
The trainees all answered loudly without exception to Lee Cheong’s question.
“Yes, that’s right. According to this competition’s One Body Mission, the 1st place team will have all members pass, and the 8th place team will have all members eliminated.”
Lee Cheong smiled calmly while uttering cruel words.
“Gasp.”
“Ah…”
“What…”
Sighs burst out from here and there. The One Body Mission didn’t just mean living together. They could have expected that the mission might be connected to team rankings, and that the 1st place team would all pass, but they couldn’t have imagined that the 8th place team would be completely eliminated. If they hadn’t resolved that incident, Juha’s team would also have faced complete elimination. Juha pushed aside his dizzy feelings and patted his chest.
“Now then, first, I’ll show you the final streaming score rankings based on the rankings compiled from the Subox Chart.”
「8th Place Texture – No Is No
7th Place N.Jean – Fly High
6th Place Voice Spot – Thump Thump
.
.
.
3rd Place Six Tag – Don’t Trust Me
2nd Place Metabolic – Butterfly Dream
1st Place Delfino – Peppermint Girl」
“…”
Juha tightly shut his mouth looking at the chart. It wasn’t an unexpected result.
‘Should I be satisfied with just 2nd place?’
Team streaming ranking 2nd place. As a human being, if you’re in a competition, it’s natural to want 1st place, but since beating the combined attack of Delfino and Choi Taeri fans was impossible, 2nd place was certainly a good result. However, if they didn’t get 1st place in team rankings, someone among the team members would be eliminated.
Juha glanced sideways at Jo Munseok and Yoo Youngin. Though their relationship had started at its worst, perhaps because ugly affection had accumulated, he couldn’t bear to think of their elimination. Though he had heard their foolish thoughts right in front of him, afterwards they had really worked sincerely on the competition. Perhaps some vague camaraderie had formed with them – even if they became competitors in the next round, he wanted everyone to pass together for now.
Of course, all eight teams gathered here would have the same wish that their team members wouldn’t be eliminated.
Since stage voting and judge scores were still remaining, it was too early to be disappointed.
“Then, I’ll announce the final team rankings combining stage votes and judge scores. Rankings will be announced from 7th place, excluding 1st and 8th place teams.”
Everyone swallowed dry saliva at Lee Cheong’s words.
“7th place, Team 8 Voice Spot – Thump Thump.”
“Ah.”
“Ha…”
The disappointed sighs of Team 8 members split the space.
7th place was the same as the streaming ranking. The stage itself wasn’t bad, but it lacked the charm to really grab attention.
“6th place, Team 4 N.Jean – Fly High.”
‘6th place is the same too.’
Juha listened carefully to the rankings coming from Lee Cheong’s mouth. Following that, 5th, 4th, and 3rd places were also the same as streaming rankings and final team rankings. Due to the large weight of streaming scores, it seemed difficult to reverse the order under normal circumstances.
The remaining rankings were 1st, 2nd, and 8th.
After pausing briefly, Lee Cheong looked at the team members remaining on stage.
One team would be completely eliminated, and the remaining two teams would take 1st and 2nd place side by side.
“Team ranking 2nd place.”
Lee Cheong’s gaze slowly moved from left to right, examining each trainee one by one. The tension squeezing his whole body choked Juha’s throat. The more tense he became, the more clearly Juha opened his eyes and stared intently at Lee Cheong’s mouth movements.
“Team 2, Delfino – Peppermint Girl.”
“Gasp!”
“What.”
“Really?”
The moment Juha heard the announcement, he froze in place. Those words right now meant that Juha’s team could get 1st place. Next to him, Eunwon was making a fuss and whispering, ‘H-hyung, aren’t we getting 1st place?’, but Juha couldn’t think of anything as if his thought processes had stopped.
In contrast, Taeri’s face showed little change upon hearing the unexpected result. It was the perfect situation to be criticized for only getting 2nd place despite receiving Delfino’s boost, but he calmly patted his team members’ shoulders and comforted them saying they did well.
Lee Cheong looked at them with a bright smile and picked up the microphone again.
“Two teams remain. The team I’m about to call will be in 8th place and all members will be eliminated, and the remaining team will automatically be in 1st place.”
Team 1 members all held hands together tightly.
‘No way…’
Though it would be unthinkable for a team with 2nd place streaming scores to be completely eliminated, you never knew. If it was those broadcasting ‘bastards’, anything was possible.
Juha held Yoo Youngin’s hand with one hand and Jo Munseok’s hand with the other, waiting for the results. This happened because Youngin had squeezed between Juha and Na Junho.
After pausing briefly, Lee Cheong slowly opened her mouth.
“8th place, Team 7 Texture – No Is No. Congratulations, 1st place goes to Team 1 Metabolic’s Butterfly Dream!”
As Lee Cheong finished the announcement with a bright smile, the judges all applauded together.
“Gasp.”
“What…”
“Huh…”
Though this was the answer they had been waiting for, all Team 1 members seemed unable to believe it and were at a loss for words.
Juha’s mind went blank for a moment. They had gotten 1st place in team rankings. And with Metabolic’s Butterfly Dream, no less. Only now realizing this fact, Juha felt intense emotion flooding through his entire body.
It seemed like he could now truly abandon the memories of being abandoned by Metabolic and Butterfly Dream. Since it was clearly revealed in numbers, no one could object. Lee Juha had surpassed Metabolic. Rising above those who had abandoned him, Lee Juha had achieved a high-level revenge that no one else could accomplish.
The team members shared the joy of 1st place together. Jang Chaemyeong and Seo Eunwon hugged each other and cried loudly, Na Junho and Jo Munseok also patted each other’s shoulders exchanging satisfied greetings. And Yoo Youngin clenched his fists while trembling and holding back tears. Since there were six team members, for the picture composition, it was time for Juha to go to Youngin.
“Hyung.”
When Juha called out and approached him, Youngin’s glistening eyes finally poured out tears. Seeing the stream of water falling from those sparkling eyes, Juha thought for the first time that Yoo Youngin was human. Though everyone had struggled, the pressure Youngin must have received was hard for even Juha to readily imagine. With his past he wanted to hide exposed in detail and even his protective fans receiving tremendous criticism, Youngin’s self-loathing, who had been showing off until now, must have reached its peak. Though he appeared composed to the point of shamelessness to others, one could imagine how much his insides must have burned black getting to this point.
Though he had been an annoying competitor and enemy until now, Juha wanted to encourage Youngin just this once.
The detailed judging results appeared on screen. Though Juha’s team was 2nd in streaming rankings, their team voting and judge scores were higher than Taeri’s team by a hair’s breadth. Delfino fans had strongly supported streaming, but they couldn’t take responsibility for team voting as well.
They had all escaped the elimination crisis. However, they couldn’t just be happy. The atmosphere among teams other than Team 1 was as heavy as a funeral home.
After all team rankings were announced, the production staff brought out the trainees’ luggage they had collected earlier. The luggage was organized by teams, and the corresponding team members gathered behind them.
Juha’s team, with all members confirmed for the 3rd round competition, sat in the front row of the audience seats, but felt quite uncomfortable. Taeri was also on stage. Strictly speaking, Taeri was also an elimination candidate, but he didn’t seem particularly nervous.
Once seats were arranged, this time Master Blue Eo took the microphone.
“Then, I’ll announce the eliminated contestants from the 2nd competition ‘Retrograde King: Become the King of Reverse Hits!’, sub-mission ‘One Body’.”
Team 7, who placed 8th, hung their heads as if they had committed a crime.
“Team 7, all eliminated. There are no survivors.”
When the announcement ended, the trainees on stage let out low gasps. Though it was the ‘One Body’ mission with complete elimination, they had held onto a ‘just maybe’ hope. Moreover, since Team 7’s leader Jo Hyeon had been 7th place in the last ranking, they didn’t think he would really be eliminated. However, the results were merciless.
Juha and other Team 1 members straightened their back muscles. It felt like watching colleagues being tortured with their eyes open.
“Team 7 members, please take your luggage and exit through the exit.”
Following Master Blue Eo’s instructions, they all glanced around at each other before picking up their respective suitcases placed in front of them and dragging them out hastily. Two cameras surrounded them, filming their pitiful end.
‘That’s what it was for?’
Juha was inwardly shocked. To create that picture, the production staff had told everyone to pack their bags regardless of whether they were eliminated or passed.
It was too cruel a sight.
“Team 8, Oh Byeongcheol, Kim Jihwan, Park Giyeong, eliminated.”
When names were called, the corresponding trainees came forward on stage. They took their luggage with their names written on it and walked out through the prepared exit route.
“Team 4, Jae Byeongho, Yuk Myeongwoo, Gi Minho, eliminated.”
Seo Eunwon flinched when Jae Byeongho’s name, who had been his partner during the death match, was called. After that, 2-3 people from each team were eliminated. Finally, it was time for the eliminated members from 2nd place Choi Taeri’s team to be called.
“Team 2, Kim Jinhyeon, eliminated.”
When his name was called, Jinhyeon bowed in greeting and exchanged final farewells with his colleagues. Though Juha had no friendship with him, he had made quite a good impression at the karaoke last time, but he was eliminated right away.
Juha, who had been lost in sentiment watching colleagues fall like autumn leaves, suddenly came to his senses.
If he had thought just slightly wrong, Juha and his teammates could have all ended up like that too. Elimination seems like nothing when viewed from afar, but from the perspective of the person experiencing it, the world collapses into despair. Though someone might say you can just try again, that it’s not your entire life, for Juha who had been running toward a clear goal from early on, elimination was a shock too difficult to bear.
It was so terrible that he never wanted to feel those emotions again.
The remaining number was 28. After all elimination announcements were finished, the survivors’ luggage disappeared behind the stage again. It was too cruel a production just to create stimulating visuals.
When it was time for individual ranking announcements, Juha’s team went back up on stage.
“Now then. We’ll begin announcing individual rankings based on the 2nd competition results.”
This time rapper Hisan took charge of the proceedings. The tension that had been hidden began to surge again.
“28th place Park Sangtae.”
When his name was called first, Park Sangtae greeted with a dark expression. Though he survived this mission, the system where he could become a likely elimination candidate in the next mission was extremely cruel. Hisan continued announcing rankings in order. Each time their names were called, everyone silently greeted and took their luggage before disappearing behind the stage.
“21st place Yeom Sangyeop.”
‘That was close.’
Yeom Sangyeop had performed well on stage in Choi Taeri’s team, but the problem was his insufficient fan base. If he couldn’t pull off something big in the next competition, Yeom Sangyeop’s advancement to the finals would be hard to guarantee.
“14th place Andrew Son.”
“Oh!”
“Wow!”
Hearing his name, Andrew Son’s eyes widened. Since his last ranking was 42nd, it was a tremendous rise.
Andrew Son’s ranking was 100% thanks to Choi Taeri pulling him up.
As expected, Andrew, Son Saesun, immediately looked for Choi Taeri upon hearing his ranking.
‘Why is he hugging him…’
Juha unconsciously frowned watching Son Saesun joyfully embracing Taeri.
For now, since his name hadn’t been called yet, it seemed certain that Juha’s ranking had risen from before.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
