Finally, it was Naeun’s turn.
[Dohui: Unnie must be feeling pressured.]
[Seoyun: Exactly. They set the bar way too high up front.]
[Chiyo: My score...]
─LOL, you guys were having so much fun and now you’re crying ㅠㅠ
Ua, who had already taken a seat in front of the karaoke machine to enter the song number, turned around and pointed toward the living-room stage.
[Ua: But standing in that spot is really a lot more nerve-racking than you’d think.]
[Seoyun: I know, right? It feels like when I auditioned for a company back then.]
─What kind of job interview feels like this kind of party? LOL
─It’d be nice if you told us some of those audition stories sometime too.
[Naeun: ...Haa.]
[Dohui: Please introduce yourself quickly.]
─This is just like me giving a class presentation... I feel sick watching this.
As if she had made up her mind, Naeun thrust one hand energetically forward.
[Naeun: Hello, I’m...! Magical Girl Naeun!]
And then came sparkling pink captions racing across the screen, along with transformation music!
─What’s with the captions? LOL Turn off the music, damn it LOL
─Ah... the inescapable rookie’s embarrassing past.
─Secondhand embarrassment LOL
As expected, Naeun covered her face in embarrassment, and sighs erupted from all around her.
[Ua: Ah...]
[Seoyun: The important thing is to be confident...]
[Chiyo: Ohhh...]
Of course, among them was one person who supported her with her entire body.
[Dohui: Our unnie is so cute! The best! Fighting!]
It was certainly the sight of an admirable youngest member encouraging her unnie.
But the magical-girl music changed to something wistful.
─AHAHAHA...
─She’s still a cute maknae, so I guess we can watch this...?
─???: Unnies! (throwing hearts) Please vote for our maknae Dohui a lot!
└That was genuinely first-place-center-level aegyo.
─If she did aegyo properly one more time, Grandma would have no regrets...
In truth, it was Dohui’s strategy for winning Naeun over as an ally before the next stage, but at first glance, she simply looked like she was projecting the embarrassing past she had suffered through onto her unnie, just as the captions suggested.
[Naeun: Then I’ll...!]
Anyway, after seeing Dohui, Naeun was encouraged, raised one arm in a fighting gesture, and finally shouted.
─Gapdol and Gapsun LOL
[Seoyun: Ah, this is a song everyone knows.]
[Dohui: Even Japanese people know this one.]
[Chiyo: Huh...?]
─Chiyo the refugee LOL
[Ua: I performed this at my kindergarten talent show.]
[Dohui: Huh? Really?]
[Ua: Yeah, wearing a hanbok with yeonji-gonji. There should be a video of it too. I’ll find it and show you later.]
─Please show us too.
─Lee Dohui, don’t keep all the good stuff to yourself!!!
And at last, Naeun’s solo stage began.
A folk song performed with the delicate grace suggested by the over-the-top captions.
[Naeun: Gapdol and~ Gapsun lived in the same village~]
As if to show off the reactions and performances of musicians, some of the audience members kept adding lively interjections.
[Dohui: Eolssu! (tapping her spoon) Jihwaja, that’s good~]
[Seoyun: Wonderful, wonderful! Deunggiduk, kungdeoreoreore~]
─LOL, what is this duo?
─The Doseo duo really are biological sisters LOL
But there was Chiyo, who refused to lose at a moment like this.
Chiyo once again showed off the granny vibes she had displayed earlier.
[Chiyo: Oh my? What a pretty bride~?]
─What the hell is with Granny Chiyo? Stop giving our baby such weird nicknames.
─The nickname Kimchi Sushi suits her more and more, seriously LOL
─Jisu must be losing her mind for real LOL
─Agh LOL, where does she keep learning to talk like that? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Ua, who never missed a cue, joined in as well.
[Ua: I might end up becoming Gapdol~]
─Ua’s proposing that she’ll marry her unnie, wow.
─What is this? Why am I getting butterflies?
As expected, Naeun received lavish praise from every member, and her high score was a given.
* * *
[Chiyo: Aigoo...]
With Naeun’s score announced, Chiyo was certain to receive the punishment, whether she came in fourth or fifth.
And then the final contestant entered the stage, walking through a sigh.
─LOL, the Rahee show.
─But seriously, her walk has the feel of a professional in this field.
└That model aura really comes from her extraordinary proportions and face, for real.
[Seoyun: Who are you, and where did you come from?]
Now that the viewers’ expectations were running high,
Dohui, as expected, began playing up a concept instead of giving an ordinary introduction.
[Dohui: Hello, I’m Jospehine, Josephine, from America.]
─LOL, is Josephine Dohui’s new alter ego?
─So cute LOL
Naturally, the members began interfering.
[Seoyun: Weren’t you Rahee?]
[Ua: Why Josephine of all names?]
[Chiyo: Anyone can see you’re Lee Dohui.]
─LOL, the captions are killing me.
─Seoyun, LOL. RAHEE on a broadcast, LOL
Even Naeun, who had been silent until now, joined in, since she had already finished her stage.
[Naeun: I think she’s part of the Rabbit Club~]
Her tone was still gentle and lovable, though.
And this field’s expert was not someone who would be discouraged by that.
[Josephine (Dohui): My family usually calls me Yosephina, so you may call me that.]
Dohui pressed on stubbornly.
[Yosephina (Dohui): Then, I, Yosephina, will...]
─Her first-person speech is so full of self-love that it’s cute LOL
[Dohui: I’ll do number 8282.]
─Ah LOL, going full-on local LOL
The New Nitpickers—the members, basically—caught their opening and got to work.
[Seoyun: What does that mean?]
[Ua: Does it mean “hurry, hurry”?]
[Naeun: 8282? An American person...?
Of course, even at this moment, one member had fully transformed into an audience member.
[Chiyo: Aigoo...]
─LOL, Chiyo has lost everything in the world.
─Why is grocery shopping such a big deal? LOL
Regardless, Dohui talked back, refusing to lose.
[Josephine: People from my hometown have always liked doing everything quickly.]
[Seoyun: Oh? People from my hometown too...]
─No, that’s because you’re both Korean;;
─What an amazing coincidence LOL
[Dohui: Oh my, you’re from America too...? (No way.)]
[Seoyun: Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Brittany.]
[Dohui: Ah, Brittany! (delighted)]
─She’s so happy LOL
─Yosephina and Brittany LOL The Yob Duo LOL
[Ua: That’s strange... People from my hometown also do everything quickly.]
[Dohui: No way... You too?]
─A new joke every five seconds LOL
─LOL, seriously, what kind of group is this?
[Ua: Please call me G. Elegance.]
[Dohui: Oh, Giregance!]
─Ji Ua = G. Elegance LOL
─Ua answered insincerely because she couldn’t be bothered LOL
─What the hell is Giregance? Dohui is insane LOL
[Seoyun: Oh, this person here seems to be from the same hometown as us too.]
[Chiyo: Yes, well... I’m Jiminy. Watashi Jiminy.]
[Dohui: Oh! Jiminy!]
─Watashi Jiminy LOL
─Is she Korean, Japanese, or American? LOL
Anyway, the members’ half-hearted answers in this utterly random skit continued all the way to Naeun.
[Dohui: What? NA.silver...?]
─Naeun, this is a bit much...
At last, number 8282 was entered into the karaoke machine.
─Oh, Metallica?
[Dohui: Heavy metal...]
Dohui hurried forward and switched on the sheet music.
─LOL, so natural.
─It’s even funnier that nobody’s stopping her LOL
But the instrumental intro went on and on.
After about thirty seconds,
Dohui, who had been standing there blankly, looked at the sheet music with puzzlement.
[Dohui: ...Wait, when does the song start?]
[Seoyun: Ah~ Unfortunately, Yosephina’s time ends here. Two minutes have already passed.]
[Dohui: What? I didn’t even sing three lines!]
─I wanted to hear more...
─LOL, the instrumental took up all the time.
Still, it was a stage that left everyone satisfied.
Dohui herself had ultimately managed to avoid grocery shopping, after all.
[Dohui: Huh?]
[Ua: Wait, what? Am I the one going grocery shopping?]
And so, the preview showed the members who would go grocery shopping next week and the members who would cook and eat, bringing Debonaire’s second self-produced episode to an end.