Chapter 30
While Yoo-won's mentality was being shredded in real-time.
Of course, I couldn't avoid Kim Na-hee's reprimand either.
"Who is the leader here?"
"I am the leader."
"Lin-ah, what is the leader's role? When someone is being selfish like this, shouldn't the leader hold the center for the sake of the team? Are you only trying to be the good guy? Can't you say the unpleasant things to your team members?"
"No, ma'am. I'm sorry."
Still, compared to Yoo-won getting torn apart, a remark of this level wasn't even a hundredth of the intensity.
No, it was actually a remark that felt advantageous to me, to the point where I could play the victim. Her skill in subtly blaming Yoo-won while shifting even my mistakes onto Yoo-won's trolling was no ordinary feat.
'Why is Kim Na-hee being so favorable towards me?'
Kim Na-hee, with her abundant audition experience, couldn't possibly be unaware of the impact her words would have.
While watching Yoo-won trolling, as the leader, I had been prepared to get torn apart together to some extent.
I had been waiting tensely like that, but...
'This way, I won't take any damage at all, will I?'
Just as I was feeling relieved at the much better situation than I expected—
"Sunwoo Lin."
"Yes!"
Ah. Of course, there was a second attack, wasn't there?
At Kim Na-hee's voice calling me again, I pulled the string of tension tight, thinking, 'I guess it starts now.'
However. Contrary to my expectations, Kim Na-hee's expression suddenly softened.
"Your dancing has really improved a lot during this audition period."
"Thank you!"
Was that the reason she had been showing me a favorable attitude until just now?
To be fair, my dance skills had grown so rapidly that even Kim Na-hee would be surprised. My dance stat, which had been stuck at C-rank, had finally risen to the B-rank range.
From Kim Na-hee's perspective, who had seen my dance skills from the very beginning, it must have been quite a new feeling.
At this level, I wouldn't hear anyone saying I can't dance anywhere, right?
As I was feeling inwardly proud, thinking about the hardships I had endured so far—
"You said you prepared two things, right? Start with what you prepared right away. Let's talk again after I see everything."
Perhaps Kim Na-hee felt quite embarrassed after praising me, as she immediately gave us the signal to start.
'Let's just do it like we did in practice, Si-hyun.'
On this stage, Baek Si-hyun was undoubtedly the main character.
Si-hyun usually couldn't properly show the skills she practiced in the practice room in actual performances, but...
'It seems like she's gained some confidence lately.'
I felt that today's evaluation would be an important turning point for Baek Si-hyun.
We changed our formation and took our positions with Baek Si-hyun in the center.
I was worried about whether Yoo-won, whose mentality seemed to be quite shaken, would be able to keep up.
Fortunately, we were able to finish up to the part we prepared without any major mistakes.
"Is this what you've prepared so far?"
"Yes, we are still continuously discussing things like the arrangement and stage composition."
"Who choreographed it?"
"Si-hyun choreographed most of it, and we discussed the detailed parts together and made small modifications."
"I see..."
As we were waiting anxiously, watching Kim Na-hee hesitating to speak as if drawing out the suspense—
"The vibe is good. This will work."
"Wow!"
"Thank you!"
As soon as they heard Kim Na-hee's words, the Boo brothers cheered.
"Si-hyun, you did well!"
Park Han-hwi gave a small thumbs up when his eyes met Baek Si-hyun's.
Yoo-won and Kim Dong-soo also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, their stiff faces relaxing a little.
"There were some awkward movements in certain parts, and there will be a lot to revise once the arrangement of the song is done. But first, Si-hyun holding the center as the center was good, and the choreography was sensibly put together."
"T-thank you!"
At Kim Na-hee's direct praise, Baek Si-hyun answered, startled.
"Then I'll only check up to the part you've choreographed today."
The joy was brief.
Kim Na-hee stood up from her chair and started to stretch.
"Now, show me slowly from the first move. There were parts where your movements didn't match, right? It's because you didn't have enough time to practice, right? If it happens again in the same parts next time... you know, right?"
Being with Kim Na-hee, who had returned to her original self, I felt like I had gone back to the days when I was taking D-rank classes after a long time.
"For this part, instead of that, do it like this..."
"Ah...! Understood!"
As soon as she heard Kim Na-hee's advice, Baek Si-hyun absorbed Kim Na-hee's teachings in an instant, like someone who had an epiphany.
Seeing Kim Na-hee developing the choreography created by Baek Si-hyun in real-time, I couldn't help but think, 'Ah. This is truly a pro.'
And while glaring fiercely at Baek Si-hyun, who was monopolizing Kim Na-hee's attention, there was a trainee putting in effort while exuding an aura of 'I'm working hard!'
'Yeah, work hard. That's the only way you'll survive.'
It was Yoo-won, who desperately needed Kim Na-hee's praise.
He too was slowly starting to worry about his appearance on the broadcast.
Since he couldn't undo what was already done, it seemed he was trying to make up for his mistakes by showing a hard-working attitude from now on.
'I'm not sure if that will go as he wishes.'
Carrying the earnest hearts of many people.
Our preparation for the second competition was proceeding quite smoothly, much more so than I had initially worried.
***
Since the stages of the first competition for 'National Idol Season 2' were revealed, the reaction to the stages was just as tremendous as the program's hot popularity.
['National Idol Season 2' Finally revealed 1st competition stages. Reinterpretation of 'OFF's song surpasses 3 million views within a week of release!]
Among them, the videos of the two teams covering 'GAME' by 'OFF' competed with each other, taking 1st and 2nd place on the video site's trending video chart.
-I've been getting a lot of DMs lately and wondered what it was about, so our juniors covered our song. The stage was so cool! I'll be cheering for you too!
#NationalIdolSeason2 #OFF #GAME #VotingProofShot
As 'Louis', the leader of OFF, who boasts an impressive Instagram follower count of over 40 million, made a post on his Instagram, the cover stage video started spreading to overseas fans as well.
As the popularity of National Idol spread overseas like that.
"What, why are there only English comments all of a sudden?"
Sunwoo Min went to the video site to check the view count of the 'GAME' stage video of the 'Captain Nat'l Idol' team out of habit, and...
She felt perplexed seeing the comment section where it had suddenly become hard to find Korean.
-Where did all the Koreans go?
-Congratulations. You have found a comment written by a Korean!
It wasn't just her own thought; as she scrolled down the comment section, she saw a few comments written by Korean people.
Sunwoo Min hurriedly entered the group chat to figure out the situation.
-Hey guys. Why are there only English comments in the GAME stage comment section? It wasn't like that until yesterday.
-Louis uploaded it on Starstagram yesterday with the stage tagged!
-Aha!
Sunwoo Min hurriedly searched for Louis's Instagram ID and went in.
'Wow... how many followers is this?'
It had been a long time since they were active after the members started enlisting in the military, but.
Still, she thought, as expected of a legendary group.
'At this rate, is my brother going to become a Hallyu star too?'
Sunwoo Min felt like she was counting her chickens before they hatched, but at the same time, the thought of 'What if it really happens?' coexisted.
'To be fair, if you succeed as an idol in Korea these days, you always expand overseas. If only my brother debuts...'
Sunwoo Min imagined her brother in the scene of Hallyu stars being surrounded by fans at overseas airports.
'It doesn't suit him at all. My brother isn't an idol, he's a bodyguard.'
After stopping her delusion, Sunwoo Min checked the group chat again, where the messages had already piled up like a mountain even though she had only looked away for a moment.
-Today is the first ranking announcement ceremony. I'm so nervous...
-Ah, why are you so nervous? Lin is on the rise anyway, so you probably don't need to worry.
-What rank is everyone predicting?
-Since the last revealed rank was 7th, wouldn't he at least be in the top 5?
'Is he really going to debut at this rate?'
Looking at people's predictions, it seemed highly likely that her brother would already be in the safe zone for debut.
'No. You never know until the results come out.'
Waiting for Episode 5 with half worry and half anticipation like that.
[Hello! We are Si-yeon, who came to the National Idol Season 2 situation room!]
[I'm Min-ju!]
The broadcast started with the appearance of two members of Every Girl who had debuted through Season 1.
[During this time, the daily lives of the trainees that you've been curious about will be revealed!]
[There will also be interview videos containing the inner thoughts of the trainees, so please look forward to it!]
'No, not this kind of thing, just show me the votes quickly!'
Judging by the looks of it, it seemed they were planning to fill the first part before the ranking announcement ceremony with these trivial videos.
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-bam-
The morning of the dorm broke with the sound of the reveille.
-Current time 6:30AM
The time appeared in the subtitles, capturing the trainees waking up.
And the X-rank dorm.
Under the Torch of Communism Annihilation-
A familiar background music played.
While the other trainees were still tossing and turning, unable to wake up.
Sunwoo Lin was seen returning after already finishing his shower.
As Sunwoo Lin's figure flashed by briefly, the dorm where everyone had woken up.
It seemed to be the scene before the first competition, as the trainees were seen gathering in the practice rooms by their first competition teams.
[Now I can say it.]
Like a corner within a corner. A few trainees were sharing the stories they experienced while living in the dorm through interviews.
-Reports poured in from trainees in the same room that someone snores terribly.
-No, when I sleep in an unfamiliar environment...
-They say you disappear for exactly 30 minutes every evening, where do you go?
-Well, there's a trainee I'm closest to...
As those nutritionless questions and answers continued.
The video of OFF's Team B began to appear on the screen.
-This instructor can become an angel or a devil depending on how you act.
A red instructor hat was photoshopped onto Sunwoo Lin's head.
-I feel like I'm really going to die! Please save me!
-Sunwoo Lin is a demon! It's too hard!
The interview of the OFF Team B trainees, who looked like they had aged 10 years after practice, passed by.
-Trainee Sunwoo Lin. What do you think about the other trainees complaining about the pain?
-Yes? Why?
-Um... that the practice is too hard...
-Ah, is that so... So I'm holding back a bit.
-Holding back... you say?
-Yes! I let them sleep!
With that, the segment for OFF Team B ended with Sunwoo Lin's interview, answering with an innocent face.
As soon as she saw her brother's interview, Sunwoo Min immediately checked the chat room.
-lololololololololololol
-'I let them sleep' is the quote of the year.
-Our Lin is being so serious alone that it's so funny lololololololol
Her brother's image seemed to be getting weirder and weirder, but.
'People like it, so whatever...'
As Sunwoo Min was watching the broadcast today and letting go of something in her heart.
[They say a sports day was held in the dorm this time?]
[Yes, we participated in Season 1 too. Since they're male trainees, the atmosphere must have been quite different from our time.]
[That's right, Si-yeon. They say an incredible match took place. Let's check it out right now!]
As soon as she heard the words 'sports day', Sunwoo Min felt a chill again, but.
'No way my brother caused trouble again, right?'
Contrary to Sunwoo Min's expectations, the sports day was also becoming Sunwoo Lin's solo stage.
-Wow, did everyone see Lin running while carrying Yoojin with one hand? That's seriously crazy!
-I found the arm wrestling more surprising than that???
-Isn't he really Captain Korea?
-Um... that nickname is a bit...
-Ah, I'm sorry ㅠ
And a serious atmosphere began to linger ahead of the final chicken fight.
Sunwoo Lin's sandbags were untied.
-Wow, seal release...!
-lololololololololololol Why is he wearing sandbags in an audition?
-Isn't he going to cause a real accident at this rate?
-No, no matter what, there are 77 people, can he beat that with his own strength?
As everyone was watching Sunwoo Lin.
Aaaargh!
I'm so frustrated!
The trainees were seen falling like autumn leaves the moment they collided with Sunwoo Lin.
The A and B ranks even tried a joint attack at the end, but.
-But that actually happened...!
-Didn't he just take down about 10 people by himself???
-Is this... UDT?
-I knew Lin would win!
With the X-rank trainees rejoicing as they received PPL products as rewards, the sports day scene ended.
'The ranking announcement ceremony finally begins.'
The ranking announcement ceremony proceeded quickly.
The ranks were announced starting from the lower-ranked trainees.
While she was watching, thinking 'no way, no way.'
'My brother made it into the top 3?'
Did all the trainees who made it into the top 3 in the first ranking announcement ceremony last season debut?
Sunwoo Min was about to look up the ranking results from last season, but.
'I need to see the results first.'
It's good that her brother is doing well, but.
She now felt like her brother had become someone living in a different world.
'If he does this well, it'll be hard to even see his face from now on, won't it?'
As Sunwoo Min was feeling strange while looking at Sunwoo Lin's face on the screen.
Coincidentally, Sunwoo Lin's interview was playing on the screen.
-My younger sister told me not to even think about coming home if I don't get 1st place. So I have to get 1st place to go back home.
"Hey! When did I!!! Hup..."
She couldn't hold it back for a moment and yelled out.
'Do you know how much I suffered all this time!'
The memories of fighting for her brother all this time flashed by.
Of course, the 1st place in downvotes...
'That was a mistake! Sunwoo Lin... so this is how you're coming out?'
Sunwoo Min picked up her phone and checked the text message.
-Notice for 2nd Competition Audience Attendance.
Hello. This is MusicNet's
'I wasn't going to go, but I have no choice. I'm going to vote for Yoojin Kim...!'