Chapter 77
“Please… don’t edit this out.”
After finishing his reflection statement, Juha clasped his hands together and earnestly pleaded with the production staff as if praying. Though his pronunciation was a bit slurred, now that it had come to this, it seemed like it absolutely had to air on broadcast for him to feel satisfied.
“Got it. I’ll mention it to the editing team. Can’t guarantee anything though.”
“Thank you.”
Juha bowed deeply in greeting.
Even after finishing the interview and coming outside, Juha kept thinking about ‘Lee Juha-da’ throughout. His rapid rise to 3rd place was due to Lee Juha-da’s high voting rate, but the effect of the clean voting movement was also significant.
Looking at the ranking results, the clean voting movement definitely had an effect.
Though people could just say they were participating in clean voting while scheming behind the scenes, if they got caught doing that, the atmosphere was such that they’d get ‘ganged up on’ by other fandoms. Rather than risk having their favorite get targeted by all fandoms and eliminated, it was easier to just not conspire.
Thanks to ‘Lee Juha-da’, Juha’s image improved along with it, leading to an overall increase in voting rates, which was also a big achievement. No matter how good the response was, rising to 3rd place was all thanks to Lee Juha-da.
‘They should be pleased.’
Juha looked around the hall while mulling over his recent interview.
Now there were only 28 people left, and with many trainees having left for interviews, the hall was quiet.
‘Where did he go now?’
Juha looked for Taeri, but he seemed to have disappeared somewhere after finishing his interview.
At the back of the hall, the youngest staff member was just posting the room assignment chart. Trainees who had finished interviews were gradually going over to check their room assignments.
‘Ah, damn…’
The moment Juha saw the room assignments, curses burst out in his mind.
1st to 10th place: 2 people per room. Rankings after that: 4 people per room.
In other words, Choi Taeri and Na Junho would share a room, and Lee Juha would share a room with Yoo Youngin. Just when he thought he might escape, he was rooming with Youngin again.
“Hey, Lee Juha!”
At the sharp voice calling him, Juha startled and turned around. The person who had called his name and approached was Yoo Youngin.
“What?”
“Come with me for a sec.”
What kind of delinquent way of speaking was this? Though they’d be sharing a room anyway, Juha wondered why he specifically needed to follow him, but he followed Youngin indifferently without reply. Since he was being called here, it seemed like quite urgent business.
The place he led him to was an emergency exit in a corner of the broadcasting station. Somehow he had already learned about this secret location in Gnet broadcasting station’s annex.
As if determined not to be fooled twice, Youngin went up and down the stairs checking that no one was above or below. At his serious expression, Juha looked at Youngin with a chuckle.
“Why did you call me all the way here?”
“Delete it now, you bastard.”
Without even answering Juha’s question, Youngin burst out angrily.
“Delete what?”
Juha looked at Youngin and asked back as if he didn’t understand.
“That thing.”
Youngin pointed at the smart watch on Juha’s wrist. Juha tilted his head for a moment before finally realizing what he was talking about.
Yoo Youngin still thought Juha had the file with the recording of that day’s conversation with Jo Munseok.
“There’s no such thing.”
Juha answered, hiding his bursting laughter.
“Don’t joke around! You promised!”
Youngin burst out yelling, thinking he was being mocked. Seeing Youngin’s more innocent side than expected, Juha felt he needed to show him something. It seemed like Youngin wouldn’t let this go otherwise.
“…I deleted it, okay?”
Juha showed his watch and casually deleted some random file he had recorded while practicing before. Youngin stared intently at Juha manipulating the watch without knowing what he was doing.
“You really deleted it for sure?”
Without even knowing what was deleted, Yoo Youngin still looked at Juha up and down with suspicious eyes. He was so serious that Juha felt like he was about to burst out laughing.
“Yes. Really. I’m not that kind of person.”
“I’m trusting you?”
“Yes. Is that enough now? I’m leaving.”
Juha spoke and turned around.
“L-Lee Juha.”
Suddenly, Yoo Youngin grabbed Juha’s arm. Because he was wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt, Youngin’s hand directly touched Juha’s bare skin.
Youngin, who seemed to have more to say, was startled and let go of his hand.
“Ah, I meant to grab your clothes but didn’t realize…”
Youngin was quite flustered at directly touching Juha’s skin. Regardless, Juha asked back in an indifferent voice.
“Ah, what now?”
“Well, um, you know, ha… sorry.”
Youngin, who had been hesitating and mumbling, whispered in a small voice.
“…Huh?”
Juha doubted his ears.
“No, you said to apologize if Team 1 got first place. It’s not like we got first because of anyone in particular, but since you deleted the file…”
“…”
Juha listened attentively to Youngin’s words that seemed endless with so much to say.
“We might debut together, so I can’t be tiresome about it.”
‘I really hate uncomfortable situations…’ Youngin muttered, trailing off his words.
This side of Youngin he was seeing for the first time was unfamiliar yet subtly cute. Then suddenly getting goosebumps at having such bizarre thoughts, Juha unnecessarily shrugged his shoulders.
“Whatever happens from now on, good job. I’ll change rooms if possible.”
At Juha’s words, Youngin burst out laughing as if absurd.
“Wow… I really don’t want to debut with you. You fucking nasty-tempered bastard.”
“You’re fucking nasty-tempered too, so why do you always call only me nasty.”
Juha naturally delivered a fact-bomb and exited through the emergency door.
* * *
After the ranking announcement and interviews were all finished, the trainees gathered in the hall again. Following the staff’s guidance, the trainees sat in the audience seats and Park Jusung came up on stage.
The trainees who had been chatting and shaking off tension immediately shut their mouths upon seeing Park Jusung. Soon, Park Jusung grinned and picked up the microphone.
“Everyone who survived the 2nd competition, you’ve worked hard. Everyone, you’ve now turned the halfway point. Look around you.”
At Park Jusung’s words, the trainees looked around. The participants now occupied only three rows of audience seats, a small number where you could now identify each individual trainee. With 28 people, even small ranking changes could get you into the debut group or eliminate you. So they couldn’t let their guard down around each other.
“After just one more competition, you’ll stand on the ‘My Job is Idol’ final concert stage. And the final debut members will be decided at the final concert broadcast live.”
Tension appeared on the trainees’ faces. The final audition would be held in concert format. They’d have to prepare the stage like a real concert, but for some it could be their real last concert, while for others it could be the beginning.
Though they hadn’t even started the 3rd competition yet, everyone had expectant looks at the words ‘final concert.’
‘Who among these could make it to the finals?’
Juha fell into thought while observing the trainees. Those anyone could predict would debut were about Choi Taeri, Yoo Youngin, and Na Junho. Though Lee Juha was 3rd place, it was a recently risen ranking, and no one in the upper ranks like Seo Eunwon or Kim Namhong could be certain of debut.
Among the current 28 remaining, there were those close to Juha like Choi Taeri and Seo Eunwon, but there were also quite a few trainees he hadn’t even properly talked to once. Compared to trainees who went around talking to everyone and building relationships, until now Juha had struggled just to do his part.
‘Should I be more proactive?’
There was something Juha realized during the last 2nd competition. Breaking away from saying ‘that’s just how I am.’ In this program with diverse choices, if you don’t show a changed appearance on every stage, viewers are bound to get tired. Meanwhile, the stage is too much for someone who can’t break their own mold.
“Before we begin, I’ll show you what you need to do before the full 3rd competition.”
When Park Jusung finished speaking, large letters appeared on screen.
[?? Mid-Check]
“Mid-check?”
“What kind of mid-check are they doing?”
The trainees’ faces showed even more anxiety. Even the ‘??’ attached in front made them feel more uneasy.
From experience, the ‘??’ symbol always exceeded the trainees’ expectations.
“Before today’s competition, you’ll undergo individual evaluations once again. Though this is unrelated to 3rd competition rankings, it will be referenced for mission team formation, so all trainees please do your best. The identity of the question marks will be revealed after individual evaluations.”
“Individual evaluation?”
The trainees began murmuring. They had just gotten used to team evaluations, and now they had to do individual evaluations again.
Juha bit his lip slightly.
“The mid-check order will proceed as the 1st place trainee wishes. Choi Taeri trainee, please come forward.”
Following Park Jusung’s call, Choi Taeri came forward.
“Choi Taeri trainee just needs to tell us whether he’ll go first or last.”
“I’ll go first.”
Taeri answered without hesitation.
Then the evaluation order would be in forward direction. Juha, in 3rd place, would be third.
“Participants, please follow staff guidance according to your rankings and head to the evaluation room!”
Park Jusung left his final words and disappeared behind the stage.
Following the guidance, trainees waited in chairs in front of the evaluation room in groups of five. In front of Juha sat 2nd place Na Junho, and behind him sat 4th and 5th place Yoo Youngin and Seo Eunwon.
Following the guidance, Taeri entered the evaluation room first. Though it was a thick soundproof door so no sound from inside could be heard, Juha listened with all his might. Though he couldn’t hear sounds well, he could feel vibrations. His body naturally reacted to the familiar bass beat.
‘This is…’
Realizing the song’s identity, Juha slowly raised his head. This song was the ‘My Job is Idol’ main song.
Na Junho, who had completely lost interest in what was happening inside, and Yoo Youngin and Seo Eunwon, who were pressing their ears to the wall, didn’t seem to have noticed yet. Juha quickly recalled the lyrics and choreography in his head. Though he had practiced it to death, he hadn’t touched it for over a month so he couldn’t be sure of accuracy.
Eventually the music ended, and soon Taeri came out.
“Oh, he came out quickly?”
Youngin made a comment, and the next in line, Junho and Juha, just looked at Taeri nervously.
“Choi Taeri trainee, move to the waiting room.”
Before mixing words with other trainees, Taeri was dragged away by staff. Taeri’s eyes looking at Juha were different from usual. He seemed to want to say something.
‘Why?’
To Juha’s questioning look, Taeri answered with a puzzling expression. Juha couldn’t read the meaning.
“Na Junho trainee, please enter.”
Na Junho, who went inside, came out in less than 5 minutes. He also had a meaningful expression.
‘What exactly?’
It was certain that the check song was ‘My Job is Idol.’ But what was happening inside that made everyone who came out look strange? His suspicions only grew. Once the inside was organized, staff came out again.
“Lee Juha trainee, please enter.”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
Juha was pushed inside. There was no one inside. There was only a large screen with the My Job is Idol logo and a camera facing forward.
“?”
Juha looked around in confusion. It was a mid-check but there were no masters to evaluate. Meanwhile, the production staff had disappeared and Juha was left alone.
-Please look at the screen.
When Juha looked around in all directions, a dry AI voice awakened him. On the screen appeared his own image reflected by the camera.
When Juha looked at the screen in surprise, a photo was taken with a click.
‘What is this?’
-You closed your eyes. Please look at the screen once more.
Juha finally realized this was an unmanned audition.
‘Don’t tell me it’s all unmanned?’
He stood facing forward, centered his chin and looked at the camera. Another photo was taken with a click.
-Photo taken. Next is the dance and vocal audition. The song is ‘My Job is Idol.’
As soon as the guidance ended, the screen showed Juha’s image reflected by the camera.
-The song will start in 5 seconds.
This wasn’t a situation to be dazed. Juha hurriedly positioned himself at camera center and stood.
Though he had practiced in his head outside, when it actually came to it, he was flustered. Fortunately, Juha remembered the dance and song well so he finished without major problems, but it was enough of a situation for anyone to make mistakes.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
well given how their relationship before this reconciliation is much more makes sense