Second Ranking Announcement Ceremony.
The day the 24 survivors would be announced.
Seoyun unnie was gripping my hand tightly.
I whispered to Seoyun unnie as quietly as possible so that the microphone wouldn’t pick it up.
“Unnie, control your expression.”
Right.
Seoyun unnie’s face was stiff.
The reason was—
“The trainee ranked 23rd is...!”
Because of the first trainee to be called.
“Trainee Gu Eunhee!”
‘The reward for first place must be pretty big.’
In fact, it couldn’t be helped.
In the first ranking vote, it was possible to vote for seven trainees, but starting with the second ranking vote, one could choose only four trainees.
In other words, the total number of votes had decreased.
“Depending on the results of the on-site vote, the first-place team in each position will receive votes × 100 as a reward, while the trainee who ranks first overall within their position will receive a reward of 100,000 votes!”
Accordingly, it was only natural that the reward for first place in the second competition had become relatively larger than before.
And Seoyun and Naeun unnie’s group had ranked first in the Vocal & Dance position.
Since Gu Eunhee, who had supposedly interfered with our practice, was ultimately a member of the unnies’ team, she also received the first-place team reward for her position.
Moreover, whether it was because she had managed to rally her small fandom or because she had received sympathy votes, Gu Eunhee ultimately survived at 23rd place, despite having been ranked 58th.
Gu Eunhee rose from her seat and walked toward the MC.
Fortunately, Seoyun unnie quickly put on a bright smile and applauded her.
“I was honestly ready to give up after ranking 58th in the first ranking announcement, so I really never imagined that I would survive again this time. I think this rank is far too good for me, and I’ll work hard to debut so that I can repay the Chusers who voted for me... Thank you so much! I’ll work hard from now on!”
Gu Eunhee climbed onto the stage and gave her speech with her eyes shining brightly, but I wasn’t sure whether I could believe her words.
The second ranking announcement ceremony, where an upset had occurred from the very first ranking.
“I really don’t know.”
“I really wanted to do the third competition...”
“Why are you crying? Don’t cryyy... Unnie, you’ll definitely make it.”
The set was already filled with participants whose eyes were brimming with tears.
Fortunately, I hadn’t let myself become too attached to them, even if I had grown close to them.
The second competition had barely ended, and yet the number of contestants had dropped from 99 to 24.
The rankings continued to be announced one after another.
“Trainee Park Yeeun is ranked 18th!”
I hoped that Ye-eun unnie would survive until the end if possible.
She was the only cute person among the participants who reacted well whenever she was teased.
The ranking announcements that followed were also a series of upsets.
Simply reducing the number of votes had caused the rankings of some participants to change drastically.
Trainees with core fandoms generally tended to maintain their rankings, while trainees who had been receiving votes bundled together with other trainees tended to fall.
“Now, we’ll announce the trainees ranked from 7th place, the debut cutoff. This participant is a trainee under Top East Entertainment. She captivated the Chusers with her charming voice during the second competition!”
The three of us from Top East Entertainment.
Not all of us had been called yet.
“Trainee Kim Naeun!”
I felt the grip of Naeun unnie’s hand, which had been holding mine, tighten.
“Unnie!”
Seoyun unnie sprang up from her seat and hugged Naeun unnie tightly.
I couldn’t do things like this because they were so embarrassing, but since it was Naeun unnie, I stood up and hugged her as well.
After that, the only real surprise was that Chaerin unnie, who had previously ranked 4th, had been pushed down to 6th.
There were two reasons.
She hadn’t received the first-place reward, and the Zy fandom had split between Yoon Seowon and Gong Chaerin.
After Hana unnie, who had risen slightly from 7th to 5th, was announced, the rankings were finished.
This time, I was called as a candidate for first place, along with Sera and Harang unnie.
And Seoyun unnie was there as well.
“Fourth place, Top East Entertainment’s trainee Kim Seoyun!”
Phew.
I couldn’t lose to Kim Seoyun.
“Congratulations!”
With her back to the camera, Seoyun unnie hugged me and whispered into my ear.
“Isn’t it nice?”
Kim Seoyun was twisting my pure-hearted congratulations.
I congratulated her in a louder voice.
“Fourth place! Congratulations, unnie!”
Feeling much more refreshed, I sat comfortably in my seat and waited for the announcement of first place.
.
.
.
“Ugh...”
“Trainee Jeon Harang is in first place!”
In the end, I was in second place again.
Why?
Why else?
It must have been because of the 100,000-vote reward for first place in the position.
“Ugh...”
“Stop sighing and go change your clothes.”
When Sera unnie was called as third place, I had allowed myself to hope, but the problem was that Episode 7 had aired only last night.
In other words, a single day was far too short for people to reflect the scenes from that episode in their votes.
If it had aired in Episode 6, I might even have come in first.
That damn PD ruined everything.
“Ugh...”
“Ah, I told you to stop sighing.”
“Seoyun, in fourth place, doesn’t understand my feelings...”
“Ah, what’s wrong with her again?”
Seoyun unnie made a disgusted expression.
“Geez, there’s a seventh-place person here too. Can you really say that?”
Naeun unnie said it with a playful smile.
Still, I had been thoughtless.
“Sorry, I take it back.”
“Ugh, you only listen to Naeun unnie and never listen to me, do you?”
As if I would.
After the ranking announcement ceremony ended, it was time to prepare for the third competition.
Jodol3 had entered its latter half.
***
Audiovisual Room.
“Nice to see you, trainees!”
Only a few hours had passed since the ranking announcement ceremony, but the MC spoke as if he were seeing us for the first time today.
It must have been a point intended for editing.
After filming Jodol3 for nearly four months already, I had gotten good at figuring things out immediately.
“Now, only 24 contestants remain. You’ve done more than enough to be proud of yourselves! Applause!”
The atmosphere was still gloomy from saying goodbye to the eliminated contestants, but following the MC’s lead, all the trainees forced themselves to cheer and applaud as if they were happy.
“But now, the third competition remains. And only 13 contestants will survive this competition. What is the third competition!?”
“““Theme Evaluation!”””
“That’s right, the Theme Evaluation. The 24 trainees will be divided into four themes and compete.”
“And, of course, there are rewards for first place this time as well.”
“Through the on-site vote, the first-place member of the first-place team will receive 50,000 votes, while the remaining members of the first-place team will each receive 20,000 votes.”
I had heard that beginning with the new vote starting today, it would change to two votes per person.
That meant it would have an influence as great as the reward for first place in the second competition.
“Over the past two weeks, the Chusers selected the image that suited each of you best through their votes. Now, we’ll reveal the theme songs for each image!”
On the enormous screen in front of us appeared footage of each song’s composer, along with the songs and choreography videos.
[Hello, we are...]
[The song we’ve prepared as a gift for you is ‘Gossip,’ the sexy-themed song.]
.
.
.
[Hello, Jodol3 contestants. We are Team Alchemy...]
[The song we composed for you is ‘Slyly,’ the cute-themed song.]
—Try turning your eyes away slyly
The songs weren’t bad overall.
But they had the feel of competition songs, to the point that I could tell they weren’t particularly polished.
Whatever happened, I just hoped I wouldn’t get the cute theme...
Please, I hoped that as many people as possible had changed their votes after watching Episode 7, which had aired yesterday.
After the introduction videos for all the songs ended, the MC took hold of the microphone.
“Now, we should find out which songs the Chusers chose for you, shouldn’t we? First, trainee Jeon Harang, please come forward!”
It seemed that first place came with the benefit of more screen time.
“Harang, which theme do you think the Chusers chose for you?”
“I think it might be Girl Crush.”
Indeed, Harang unnie was a rapper, so she did have a Girl Crush image.
I want to do Girl Crush too...
“Did the Chusers vote for Girl Crush, just as trainee Harang thought? Hmm...”
The MC put on an oddly meaningful smile.
That man always rubbed me the wrong way whenever I saw him.
“Then who do you think is a trainee who would really suit the Girl Crush image?”
Me.
“Hmm... I think Hana unnie would suit Girl Crush really well.”
Right, I hadn’t expected anything anyway.
“Then is there a trainee who isn’t suited to Girl Crush and should do something else instead? Is there anyone like that?”
Harang unnie answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Dohee!”
You son of a—
I nearly blurted it out loud.
I must have become much more short-tempered since joining Jodol3.
As a gentleman, I shouldn’t behave that way.
Phew...
“Now, I’ll call out the trainees who will be on trainee Harang’s team one by one! First, trainee Kwon Hana!”
They were clearly all in the sexy or Girl Crush category, but by the time the called trainees had left the audiovisual room for the practice room, my name still hadn’t been called.
“This time, trainee Lee Dohee, who ranked second, please come up onto the stage!”
Please let it be Girl Crush.
“Now, trainee Lee Dohee, which theme do you think you were chosen for?”
“Girl Crush.”
“What? Really?”
The MC spoke as if dumbfounded, his earlier meaningful smile nowhere to be seen.
I’m saying it’s Girl Crush. Do you have a problem with that?
Should I smash his head in?
“Hmm... I see. Then I’ll call out the trainees who share the same theme as trainee Lee Dohee! First, trainee Kim Seoyun!”
Oh?
Seoyun unnie could be Girl Crush since she had a somewhat boisterous side.
Or maybe not.
On the show, she often acted coy and feminine, so perhaps not.
“Next, Park Yeeun!”
...Hmm.
Ye-eun unnie was Girl Crush.
The way she had confidently chosen the main vocalist position during the first competition.
That had been more than enough Girl Crush.
“Next is Hwang Yeonha!”
Although the community was plastered with comments calling her cute, she was the oldest at 25, so perhaps she could be Girl Crush...?
“Meilin!”
Couldn’t I at least get Pure...?
“Lastly, trainee Gu Eunhee!”
Huh...?