Episode 23
Episode 1 of 'National Idol Season 2', which drew viewers' resentment with its provocative preview.
However, it only took a moment for the criticism of the program to turn into buzz.
'4.3%'
This was the viewership rating for episode 2, which aired this week.
Considering that the highest viewership rating of 'National Idol Season 1', which was evaluated as a success, was in the 5% range, this early rating for Season 2 was an incredible achievement that suggested it would soon surpass the success of Season 1.
And the one person who was pointed out as the protagonist of episode 2, with talks already circulating that he might be the biggest beneficiary of this season, was now standing in front of his own front door.
"Mina, oppa was wrong. Please, just open the door!"
For some unknown reason, looking pathetic.
***
Barely managing to get inside the house, I immediately collapsed onto the bed.
It was too late, so I stayed a day at Yoojin Kim's place, but it didn't feel like I had rested properly.
'It's not my body, my mind is just too exhausted.'
I recalled the conversation I had with Yoojin Kim yesterday.
'What's your purpose for coming on this audition, hyung? Is it simply to debut?'
'Because I want to succeed quickly.'
'The reason I'm helping you is the same.'
'What?'
'Have you ever thought about what comes after this audition, hyung?'
I quietly stared at Yoojin Kim's face as he kept throwing suspicious remarks at me.
When I stared back without answering, Yoojin Kim continued speaking.
'What I want to say is this. To me, it's not the debut, but what comes after that's more important.'
'After?'
'Yes, after the debut.'
Yoojin Kim's eyes shone coldly as he spoke to me.
'What's important to me isn't simply debuting, but how successfully I can debut.'
'What's the standard for a successful debut?'
'Achieving everything that can be achieved in Korea within the first year of debut, and immediately advancing into the overseas market after that.'
'Is that possible?'
'That's exactly why we need to make this audition a hit. An idol group that debuts through an audition that receives nationwide attention. I don't think it's impossible with that title.'
The moment I heard Yoojin Kim's words, I realized what he wanted.
'So, to achieve the level of quick success you want, this audition needs to be a hit, and to do that, you're helping me, is that it?'
'That's right. It's a bit much to say it with my own mouth, but. An audition with an overwhelming 1st place is hard to receive public attention.'
'So...'
'I needed a trainee who could threaten the 1st place. Whether it's my rival position, or gaining popularity in another way. Regardless, there had to be a trainee threatening my spot.'
'Then since when did you think of me? There's Park Hanhwi-hyung besides me. He's also 2nd place right now.'
Yoojin Kim, who pondered for a moment at my words, answered.
'Well, first of all, I had no contact with Park Hanhwi-hyung. And I couldn't just force it to happen. Since you and I were in the same grade from the start, there was plenty of room for natural contact.'
'Is that all?'
'And I felt that you were the same type as me.'
'I'm the same type as you?'
'Aren't you? You said it yourself earlier. Your goal is to succeed as quickly as possible.'
At Yoojin Kim's words, I nodded.
'Before I started this audition, I had a position in mind. A hardworking genius, a position that can generally be loved by viewers without much trouble. But I've given up on it now.'
'Why?'
'Because in the category of effort, I cannot surpass you.'
Yoojin Kim's expression as he said that was so serious that I couldn't make any rebuttal.
'Watching you, I felt that hard work is also a realm of talent. You have something I couldn't have from the start.'
'What do you mean by the same type as you?'
'Because someone who works as hard as you can't be without ambition.'
Ambition. That word, which I hadn't had the luxury of thinking about for a while, came to mind.
Success.
That word, which had always been the goal of my life.
'That doesn't mean I decided from the beginning that I had to do something with you and acted on it. There were also things that happened by overlapping coincidences.'
'But is it okay to tell me all this so honestly?'
'Hmm... Actually, I wasn't sure until I watched the broadcast today. There's a limit to how much a mere participant like me can help someone. But after watching today's broadcast, I was certain that the production team was thinking the exact same thing I was.'
Are Yoojin Kim's words right?
I couldn't be sure yet, but everything Yoojin Kim had told me so far was consistent.
That he was helping me for the success of the audition, and for his own success.
'If the production team's intentions are the same as mine, I became certain that you will debut. That's why I'm confessing honestly. Because I don't want to receive any pointless misunderstandings after we debut later.'
Yoojin Kim, who had been expressionless until then, suddenly scratched his head in embarrassment, and then spoke with a slightly hesitating expression.
'And, I am sincerely thankful for when you helped me when I was sick. So I thought it would be good to debut together with you. This is also sincere.'
***
Since that day, I hadn't contacted Yoojin Kim separately.
'We'll meet again at the dormitory anyway.'
Actually, it was a story with no disadvantages for me.
Even so, the reason it felt a bit unsettling was the question of how much I could trust Yoojin Kim.
'I'll have to observe that more.'
For now, a more important problem had approached me.
'I need to raise my vocal stats quickly.'
The vocal stats, which were still stuck at D-grade, were my biggest weakness.
As long as I couldn't know the next mission in advance, increasing my vocal stats was my number one priority.
'If by any chance I have to stand on stage in a vocal position... it's dreadful just thinking about it.'
Thinking like that, I was planning to practice singing first thing when I returned to the dorm, but.
"Now, we will begin the National Idol Sports Festival, played for the incredible prizes prepared by Representative Ria!"
Waaaaaaaah~
'Why do I have to be dragged to something like this right now of all times.'
I sat in one corner of the large auditorium, pretending to be excited against my will.
"We are the MCs for this sports festival! Bu Jiseok!"
"And Bu Jihun!"
It was truly an incredible amount of social clout.
Seeing the trainees cheering, it seemed the two had already become celebrities in this dormitory.
"Jihun-ssi, but what on earth are the incredible prizes that the representative prepared?"
"They are the sneakers and training suits you see right over there!"
"Wow! They look familiar somewhere... like when our 60-second commercial aired... mmph."
"The winning grade in this sports festival can take all of these prizes!"
The prizes seemed to be PPL products.
My already lacking motivation seemed to drop even more.
"Now, this sports festival is held with teams formed by grade."
"Uh, wait a minute Jihun-ssi!"
"Yes, Jiseok-ssi."
"Then, wouldn't the A-grade, where trainee Seonwoo Rin is, be too advantageous?"
"Ah, you're talking about the human weapon, super soldier, Captain Korea, trainee Seonwoo Rin, right?"
'These bastards...'
At the Bu brothers' words, the A-grade trainees booed, but their protests were quickly buried by the cheers of the trainees from other grades.
"So, didn't we propose something to the production team?"
"For this sports festival, the X-grade is specially revived! Now, the five of you who were in the X-grade, please come this way."
The sticker on the covered signboard was peeled off, revealing the letters X-grade.
The X-grade members, suddenly becoming a team of five, gathered with flustered expressions.
"Let's do our best, everyone!"
"Right! Let's work hard!"
The rest of us three, excluding Shim Seongha and Wi Cheonwoo,
'Rather than showing competitive spirit and getting edited badly, let's just do it moderately, moderately.'
nodded vigorously with expressionless faces.
At that moment.
-An emergency mission has been generated.
Mission: Win the Sports Festival
Reward: The lowest stat increases by one grade
"Guys."
At my call, four people looked at me.
"If we don't win, it's death."
"S-save me!"
Wi Cheonwoo, perhaps remembering the nightmare of the past, shivered and slumped down.
Baek Sihyeon and Yoojin Kim's pale faces grew even paler.
"It's too scary here...!"
Shim Seongha appealed to the two MCs, but.
"That's a very good attitude!"
"Now, let's start the first game! The first game is the three-legged race!"
"Four participants from each grade, please come forward!"
"The rules are simple. The first runner passes the baton to the next runner, and the next runner runs one more lap. The team that passes the finish line first wins."
I looked around at the four people and said.
"Yoojin, you're with me. Cheonwoo, Sihyeon, run first. As long as you don't fall, I'll win it for you, got it?"
"Ye-yes sir!"
"Yes, sir...!"
I tied my leg together with Yoojin Kim.
"I-I'm not good at running..."
"It's fine, wrap your arms around my neck."
Soon, all the teams finished preparing.
"Cheonwoo-hyung, Sihyeon, fighting!"
When Shim Seongha sent cheers to Baek Sihyeon and Wi Cheonwoo at the starting line.
"Now, get ready... Start!"
With the start signal, Wi Cheonwoo and Baek Sihyeon came running panting heavily, but they were barely avoiding last place.
After running one lap like that, the leading teams did the baton touch first.
"Ugh. I'm sorry!"
Baek Sihyeon, who was running while watching my reaction, handed me the baton.
"Yoojin, hold on tight."
"Huh? Wh-what? Uwaaaaaah!!!"
With one hand holding the baton, and the other hand lifting Yoojin Kim, I started running.
"R-Referee! He's running while carrying a person! Isn't that a foul?"
"Ah. Unfortunately, there was no rule against running while carrying someone."
"No, where does that exist!!!"
"Trainee Seonwoo Rin! Monstrous strength! Carrying trainee Yoojin Kim with one hand... Now! He's passed them. He's in 1st place now!"
Like that, I easily passed in 1st place.
"Here's some water! Yoojin-hyung! Are you okay?"
"I-I feel like I'm going to die... urgh."
The price of victory seemed to have chipped away a bit of one person's life force, but it was fine.
"Now! The winner of this game is the X-grade!"
Boooooooo-
"Now, everyone is sending congratulatory boos. Then let's move on to the next game. The next game is... arm wrestling!"
As soon as Bu Jiseok finished speaking, the staff brought arm wrestling tables into the auditorium.
"No! If it's arm wrestling, the X-grade is too advantageous again!"
"Now, everyone calm down! The number of participants has increased this time. 10 trainees from each team, please come forward!"
"Huh? We only have five people."
"Yes, if you don't have enough people, you must participate with 5."
"Whaaat?"
At Bu Jiseok's words, the participants from other grades stirred.
"Still, with five more people, shouldn't it be doable?"
"Even if it's Seonwoo Rin, he's still human."
Like that, the trainees from each team who thought they had some strength came forward with their shoulders squared.
"Hyung, what do we do?"
"Don't worry, just play in the back."
It didn't take long for the winner of the arm wrestling to be decided.
"Ugh!"
"Seonwoo Rin wins!"
"Trainee Seonwoo Rin is now on a 19-win streak! If he takes down just one more, it's the X-grade's victory just like this!"
I stared intently at the last remaining opponent.
"Haha, so we meet here too."
Park Hanhwi approached me with a good-natured smile.
"Shouldn't you be getting a bit tired by now?"
"Let's get it over with."
"Y-yeah..."
This time as well, the match was decided within 1 second.
"Kkeugh... M-my arm...!"
"Trainee Seonwoo Rin achieves 20 consecutive victories and takes the win!"
"With this, the X-grade takes 2 consecutive wins."
Now, there weren't even any boos.
Everyone looked at me with expressions as if looking at a monster.
"H-hyung... good job!"
"That's ama-zing. Haha!"
'For some reason, I feel like I've grown distant from the kids...'
I was feeling regret, wondering if I should have gone a bit easier on them, when.
"Now, only the last game remains."
"Ah, the last game already? Then is the X-grade, with 2 wins, the confirmed champion?"
When all the trainees were looking blankly at the two MCs as if they had no intention of protesting anymore.
"Then there's no fun! What's the purpose of a sports festival? Unity! Harmony! Peace! Isn't it?"
"That's right, Jiseok-ssi! With that meaning, the last game will be a late-game comeback!"
Waaaaaaah-
'No, this damn...'
Regardless of my expression hardening, the large auditorium changed into a festival atmosphere.
"The last game is chicken fight!"
"Then how many participants are in this game?"
"The participants are... everyone participates! The grade with the last remaining trainee is the winning team!"
"Jiseok-ssi, then let's participate too!"
"Yes, here we go! Move out!!!"
Bu Jiseok and Bu Jihun cockily walked into the B-grade side.
The staff started drawing a large line on the floor with tape.
"Hyung, everyone is only looking at us."
"Uh, what do we do?"
To the kids looking at me with anxious eyes, I said with a smile.
"Kids, survive on your own."
'70 to 1 is a bit tough.'
It seemed I would inevitably be the first target no matter what.
I took off my shoes and socks and put them on the floor.
And, I released 'that'.
Thump-
"H-huh? Why sandbags?"
"Hyung!!! You were wearing these all along?!"
"Th-that's incredibly heavy!"
"Let's go, kids."
I stepped inside the line.
Soon after, trainees began to enter one by one with nervous expressions.
Bweeeeet-
With the sound of the whistle, the match began.
'First of all, I can't get pushed to the sides.'
"Rin! Where are you going... ugh!"
"H-hyung! I'm going too, aaagh! Foul! Foul!"
I lightly sent the Bu brothers flying who were running to block my way.
As I pushed through the trainees surrounding me.
"Leave Seonwoo Rin alone!"
"I kept telling you, if you don't listen, what are we supposed to do!"
Each grade started to change their strategy.
First, the X-grade trainees excluding me became the primary targets.
"Ugh!"
"Rin-hyung! I'm sorry!"
And then, A and B grades immediately formed an alliance and started attacking C and D grades.
"B-betrayal!"
"No, it's strategy!"
While a fierce battle took place, I stood quietly in the very center.
"Looks like it's all over?"
"Rin, I won't go down easily like before."
About 10 trainees, including Park Hanhwi and Woo Jungwoo, started to surround me.
"Charge!!"
"Let's go!!!"
The attack that started like that.
"Ugh!"
"Monster...!"
"Mother, I had a brief dream... your ugly son goes first..."
"Don't talk like you're dead!"
After taking down the last remaining person, I.
'Why isn't it ending?'
thought as I looked around.
Tremble, tremble-
I saw Kang Ajin barely holding on, shivering in the farthest corner.
I slowly moved in front of him.
"Ajin."
At my call, Kang Ajin looked at me pitifully and spoke.
"H-hyung..! Can't you let it go just this once?"
"I'm sorry."
'Become my stat...'
"Ack!"
After finally taking down Kang Ajin as the last one.
-Emergency mission successful.
Vocal stats increase to C-.