Chapter 34
After the music broadcast and mini fan meeting ended.
I was spending a painful time for a while.
"Atten-hut!"
"Seonwoo Rin, Sergeant nim! Seonwoo Rin, Sergeant nim? Godeong-eoshimnida!"
"Geumeunjeumheureugeu..."
"Yes? Grapefruit soda?"
"Sir Hamburger is looking for you. Sergeant Seonwoo Rin."
The rampage of the twins, who couldn't go on the music broadcast, poured directly onto me.
Because of the twins spouting out ridiculous military jargon every time they ran into me, I felt like the PTSD I had forgotten after my discharge was acting up again.
"You should have told me quickly so you wouldn't get caught... you undrafted fools!!!"
"Yes? Grapefruit soda... ughhhh!"
"How long did you think you could run away?"
"I... I surrender! Prisoners of war under international law... Agh!!"
"This is South Korea!"
As the suppression of the two ended like that.
Someone poked their head out from down the hallway, looking at us and speaking.
"Is it... okay now?"
It was victim number 2 of the rampaging twins, Kang A-jin.
"A-jin!! You came to save us!!!"
"As expected, our A-jin who was cute from birth!"
At Kang A-jin's appearance, as the twins started their second rampage, Kang A-jin hid behind the wall again.
"I'll let you guys go, so go play with A-jin. Got it?"
"Rin-hyung! How could you do this?!!!"
At my words, Kang A-jin shivered and replied, but.
"Ah, Seonwoo Rin. As expected, we speak the same language."
"I accept the deal."
'I'm sorry, A-jin, I just want to rest now...'
As I let the twins go like that, two beagles off their leashes ran toward the baby golden retriever.
"A-jin, let's play with us!!"
"Uwaaaagh"
After admiring the heartwarming scene from afar for a while, I soon got up from my seat and spoke.
"Let's go, guys."
"Huh? Where?"
"We need to gather at the auditorium."
"Ah, right."
At my words, the Boo brothers let go of Kang A-jin and left first.
"Hyung...! That's too much!!"
"A-jin, this is life. Today, you've learned one more thing about life."
"Hmph, I didn't hear anything."
As Kang A-jin spoke bluntly to me and left, I felt it.
'Is this how parents of pubescent kids feel?'
***
"Trainees who have successfully completed the 2nd competition of National Idol Season 2, congratulations once again. Now, the 3rd competition, the final gateway to the final round, is right before your eyes."
It was Ria's hosting as usual, but the emotions the trainees felt seemed more special.
'It's already the last competition.'
It couldn't be helped, as soon as this 3rd competition ended, the ranking announcement ceremony would follow immediately.
After the ranking announcement ceremony, the audition would end along with the live finale broadcast.
It meant that the end of this audition, which seemed like it would never end, was gradually approaching.
"Only 15 trainees can go to the final round. For 25 trainees, this stage could be their last."
Ah-
Sighs were heard from here and there.
'15 people, huh.'
Even for me in 2nd place, it was a ranking where I could easily fall if I made a slip and a controversy broke out.
Let alone the lower-ranked trainees, the expressions of the trainees hovering around the 15th place range also turned pale in real-time.
Especially Yoo Won's expression, who was 13th at the last 1st ranking announcement ceremony, was the most spectacular.
'Please let me be separated from Yoo Won for this mission.'
Seeing Yoo Won's eyes full of hostility, I felt like it was scary to even mess with him this time.
At times like this, avoiding him was the best policy, but.
However, this time there was no factor at all that allowed me to choose my team.
The reason was.
"In this competition, unlike before, you will compete in teams formed by the votes of the national judges."
Because the teams were already pre-arranged.
"There are a total of 6 concept songs revealed after the 1st ranking announcement ceremony. The national judges listened to the highlight sections of those concept songs and directly voted to form the combinations of trainees they wanted."
"By prioritizing the trainee combinations that received the most votes like that, the production team formed a total of 6 teams."
A total of 6 song titles appeared on the large screen behind Ria.
But.
'It's too obvious where I'll go.'
Actually, from the time the concept song voting started after the 1st ranking announcement ceremony ended, I knew which team I would go to. Because.
There was a song title that looked like it was totally targeting me.
"Now, we will reveal all 6 new concept evaluation songs including the choreography."
Along with Ria's words, the screen switched.
-Hello. We are the Brave Couple. The song we prepared this time is a New Jack Swing genre...
"Wow, they are really famous people."
"Daebak! I'm looking forward to it."
The songs were revealed along with the introduction of the composers.
'They must have spent quite a bit of money.'
Although I didn't know about the composers appearing on the screen, when their representative songs came out, I could tell what level they were at.
Even to me who didn't know well, it seemed like they had only scouted composers of at least A-class or higher.
'Then can I look forward to that song too?'
Since the only song I would probably be picked for was that one, I didn't feel much excitement as the other songs passed by.
And finally, that song with an unusual title was introduced.
-Hello, trainees of National Idol Season 2, I am composer JYT Jo Yong-tak. The song I am giving you is a very intense and masculine song.
Along with the composer's introduction, the music was played.
'It's better than I thought?'
Unlike the worry I had just looking at the title, it was a very trendy song with a lot to show performance-wise.
If it was almost certain that I would be picked for that song, the next thing was who the members who would be with me were.
'I just hope I don't get stuck with weird people.'
When I was praying earnestly inside, the introduction of all the songs ended.
"Now, it's time to reveal the 6 teams decided by the national judges, right? First of all, I will announce the trainees who were selected as the 1st priority trainees fitting the concept of the song."
'Does that mean the trainees who will be the core of the team?'
While everyone was nervously looking at Ria's mouth, the trainees' names were announced one by one.
"Park Han-hwi trainee to the team. Eugene Kim trainee to the
After that, the names of the top-ranked trainees were called.
"Lastly, Seonwoo Rin trainee to the team."
With my name called, I nodded, trying hard to manage my facial expression.
"Isn't this completely a custom-made song for Rin?"
"As expected, Sergeant Seonwoo Rin!"
Ignoring the words of the Boo brothers who were yapping next to me, I walked out in front of Ria along with the named trainees.
"Seonwoo Rin trainee, do you like the song?"
"Yes, I like it too, but I think my comrades watching on TV will really like it."
"I'm also personally looking forward to this stage!"
After a few personal questions ended, Ria returned to her host mode and spoke.
"The six trainees are the temporary leaders of each concept team. Leader trainees, please move to your respective prepared rooms right now and wait for the other team members in the room."
'Ah, this makes me a bit nervous.'
I moved to the prepared room following the staff's guidance.
When I entered the room, a total of 6 chairs were prepared.
I sat in the middle chair and waited for the other trainees to come in.
And not long after, the second team member entered the room.
"Please take care of me! I'll work hard!"
"Welcome, Jung-woo."
'Well, the main vocal position is secured at least.'
Feeling much more reassured with Woo Jung-woo's joining, the other trainees started to come in as well.
'Umm, it's a bit ambiguous.'
With five members gathered, excluding me and Woo Jung-woo, the other three team members were all trainees outside the top 20.
When I was worrying that no matter how well we performed on stage, we might fall behind in the votes.
The last team member opened the door and came in.
"Hello...?"
"Huh? A-jin!"
Kang A-jin carefully opened the door and came into the room.
'Is this concept right for him?'
"Are you really in the right place?"
"Yes, I'm in the Soldier Game team!"
Kang A-jin said while puffing out his chest confidently, as if he was happy to have joined this team, but.
'A masculine Kang A-jin... It absolutely doesn't suit him...'
Hmm, then should I change the concept to saving Private Kang A-jin?
A-jin coming in itself was a very good thing when thinking about the competition votes, but honestly, it was unknown whether Kang A-jin would suit this song.
As I was looking at Kang A-jin thinking like that, Kang A-jin made a curious expression and spoke to me.
"But, what should we do now? Do we just start practicing right away?"
Those shining eyes, the blonde hair swaying, the cute cheek fat. No... the only way.
"First, let's shave your head, A-jin."
"N... Noooo!!!"
***
While Seonwoo Rin was smoothly preparing for the concept stage like that.
As episode 6 of 'National Idol Season 2' aired, an enormous crisis began to descend upon one trainee.
-Yoo Won is completely a troll. I'm an idiot for voting for a guy like this until now lol
-I really thought I'd get cancer while watching. Yoo Won, if you have any sense, let's leave the show right now, okay?
The preparation process for Seonwoo Rin's team's 2nd competition, which was edited so that Kim Na-hee's "nuisance" line burst out exquisitely, was broadcast.
Yoo Won had already become a traitor to the viewers.
-Does everyone not know that Musicnet usually maliciously edits like this? Only the trainees who get maliciously edited become pitiful for nothing.
-Exactly lol. It's disgusting to see people swearing excitedly according to the broadcasting station's intentions.
-If you judge right and wrong, wasn't Seonwoo Rin, the leader, more at fault? Why is only Yoo Won getting sworn at?
Of course, Yoo Won's few remaining fans and Seonwoo Rin's antis gathered and tried to counterattack, but.
-Are the people writing comments right now even watching the broadcast? If they're doing that even after watching, their intelligence is a bit...
-Yes next, really disgusting trolls. Trolling doesn't work here, so go back to your home forum.
-Even my grandma said Yoo Won did wrong.
└lolololololololololol If grandma said so, I acknowledge it.
That was how the counterattack was suppressed in an instant after taking concentrated fire.
"Haa, why do they keep clinging to our Rin and causing such a fuss."
Kim So-young was sighing while looking at the comment section.
"It's good that Rin is doing well, but it seems like quite a few antis have attached to him too."
Seeing the posts that cleverly swore at Seonwoo Rin while defending Yoo Won, it felt like the skill of a veteran who had been through the mud of internet wars.
Right now, the atmosphere itself was so hostile towards Yoo Won that it didn't show well, but.
The fact that many antis had attached was definitely something to be careful about.
"Anyway, that Yoo Won is completely finished. Still, his ranking was a bit high in the beginning... well, it's not my business."
Muttering like that, as Kim So-young searched for posts about Seonwoo Rin again, she soon discovered a post whose view count had started to explode.
'The real reason Eugene Kim was sick? What is this? Why are the views so high.'
It felt like a common clickbait title, but the reaction was unusual.
If it was a post about Eugene Kim, she wouldn't have clicked normally, but right now, feeling something iffy, Kim So-young clicked on the post.
'Huh? This is the photo I saw before.'
In the photo visible as soon as she pressed the post, Seonwoo Rin wearing only a short-sleeved shirt and getting into the car, which she had seen before, was seen.
'Eugene Kim was next to him too? Is this the filming for Nat-Idol?'
The appearance of the person sitting in the passenger seat, which was not visible at that time, was properly seen in the photo taken from a different angle.
Kim So-young hastily scrolled down and started reading the post.
To roughly summarize the content of the post.
The photo was taken on the day the trainees went to their dorm. In fact, the reason Eugene Kim's condition was bad was the production team's fault for making them ride an open car in the middle of winter.
However, the production team omitted that from the broadcast content and aired it as if Eugene Kim himself hadn't taken proper care of his body.
'They're crazy.'
After reading the post, she immediately understood why there was such an uproar right now.
'Then what happens with this?'
Kim So-young hurriedly checked the reaction of the comments.
-The production team is really crazy. Shouldn't they cut the PD right away for this?
-Really despicable. They did that, gave Eugene Kim a D grade, and even used his being sick for the broadcast?
-Yoo Won even said he was sorry for not taking care of his body at the ranking announcement ceremony, but thinking that the production team knew all that, it's so disgusting. I'm crying ㅠㅠ
The comment section was already bursting as much as it could, and the condemnation of the National Idol production team continued endlessly.
-But why was Seonwoo Rin fine even though he rode wearing short sleeves in the same situation?
└That's because... he's Seonwoo Rin...?
└For real, he endured because he's Seonwoo Rin.
Occasionally, comments about Seonwoo Rin could also be found.
-Heol, I came from another post, and the padding that Eugene Kim is wearing there was given by Seonwoo Rin taking it off. Really daebak!
└Wow... So that's why he was wearing short sleeves. Seonwoo Rin is really cool...
└It wasn't for nothing that Eugene Kim said he was most thankful to Seonwoo Rin.
-I didn't really like Seonwoo Rin until now, but my mind changed after seeing this. From now on, Seonwoo Rin is my second favorite.
└222222222222
'Is this a benefit for Rin? No, still, if the program gets sworn at like this, it's a problem even after debut? Just don't cause harm to Rin, you Musicnet bastards...'
Whether the program gets sworn at or not, Kim So-young, for whom Seonwoo Rin was the most important.