Debut or Die

“Wow, they got 3rd place?”

“No, weren’t they doing a great job?”

“In the first place, their ranking was the highest…”

“The reaction was crazy, too.”

When we got third place, the other team participants around us talked about it.

Thank you, but in fact, I had predicted this situation since the moment they said each audience had two votes.

‘The vote is to put us in check.’

If they came to the audience, it meant that most of them were heavy viewers who were pushing for certain participants.

The audience first chose the team that had their favorite participant.

And then they would have voted for the team with ‘low rank and good skill’.

There was no way they would vote for this team who could end up as competitors for the participants they pushed for.

If you think about it that way, honestly, getting 3rd place was a good save.

Because it meant that in addition to the audition who came to watch this team, we were able to gain the votes of the people who just came to watch.

However, the team members seemed to be quite shocked.

“…Thank you!”

Ryu Chungwoo, who answered a beat late, bowed vigorously.

The team members tried hard to copy his move, but it was clear that they were trying to look calm.

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head, too.

The announcement of the first and second places was also postponed to the ranking announcement ceremony. Among them, there was the ‘similar to the first match’ team collected by Choi Wongil.

“Then, shareholders! <Re-listed! Idol Inc.> We’ll see you again at the ranking announcement ceremony with the announcement of the 1st place in the team match!”

After the MC’s closing remarks, Choi Wongil seemed to glance at this side with a triumphant look.

‘Are you an idiot…’

He’s always like that.

Is it because he hasn’t seen the spicy taste of editing yet?

Anyway, this team was too out of mind to notice that. One by one, Ryu Chungwoo patted the shoulders of the team members who were applauding in a depressed state.

“Great job. It must have been cool because we did our best. Don’t worry.”

“Yes…”

“Yes, we did a good job!”

Well, as Cha Eugene said, we certainly did well on stage.

So if we got a sympathy vote for this, we wouldn’t be criticized.

In any case, no one in this team would be eliminated from the next ranking announcement, which was the best result.

The problem was the editing, but unless there was another editing where they only highlighted Ryu Chungwoo and blackened everyone else, it would be fine. Since the performance came out well.

Everyone already had a fandom, so any bad news would be wiped out in public opinion battles.

Kim Raebin, who was ruined in the first team match broadcast, but settled in the rankings through persistent public opinion battles by fans, was an example.

Ah, he’s talking to me.

“That… Park Moondae hyung.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

Kim Raebin nodded.

“Thank you very much for everything. Can we exchange contact information?”

“Yes.”

I gave my number without hesitation.

There was no harm in having a close relationship with this participant. Thanks to the songwriting characteristic, he ate the arrangement raw.

In addition, looking at his personality, unlike Keun Sejin who kept in touch all the time, he seemed the type who finished his business quickly on the phone when needed.

Kim Raebin bowed his head again after receiving my number.

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“I’ll say hello from time to time.”

“…Good.”

I don’t know if I’m talking to an aspiring idol or to my successor.

‘Oh, come to think of it…’

Is this an opportunity to change the so-called ‘group of tied participants’?

Since this team match was also successful, there was a possibility that the fandom would be reorganized on its own if a few eyewitness accounts were leaked in time for the next episode to air.

‘Park Moondae’ and the guys tied up at the beginning had a lot of risk factors from drugs to the final rankings in the future. Furthermore…

‘If possible, wouldn’t my survival rate be higher if I am tied to someone with a higher final rank?’

I couldn’t ignore the possibility of having a less hostile reputation to people who pushed Cha Eugene if I were tied up with Kim Rae-bin.

‘Great.’

To make such a calculation, reality hit me hard, but who cares about that when faced with sudden death?

“Thank you for your hard work∼”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

As I was packing my things and getting ready to leave while occasionally shaking my head, someone touched my back from behind.

“H-hey.”

“Hmm?”

When I turned my head, Seon Ahyeon looked grim.

The guy who has been too busy for the past weeks to say hello suddenly comes to talk with a determined face?

‘Is there a bad rumor going around?’

Seon Ahyeon looked around and after confirming that no one was looking, he opened his eyes wide and whispered.

“Choi-Choi Wongil, you know.”

“…? Yeah, what about Choi Wongil?”

Why are you suddenly talking about Choi Wongil?

‘Did you come here to curse because he said he wanted other parts again?’

Surprisingly, the idea that I just threw was half right.

“He-he-he is so mean…!”

Seon Ahyeon was almost huffing.

No, what kind of personality does he have to make this guy so angry?

“Why, what happened?”

“Y-yes!”

Seon Ahyeon nodded vigorously and carefully began to explain what had happened in the last team match.

“A-at first… W-when asking for his part.”

Oh, my prediction was completely correct.

“H-He kept talking about you! Like s-sarcastically…….”

To summarize the following explanation of Choi Wongil’s deeds, it was roughly like this.

‘I didn’t get camera footage in the first round, so it’s right for me to get some this time. I made the team, so shouldn’t you be grateful?’

‘You gave all the parts to Moondae hyung, but why are you not giving all the parts to me when I am the main vocalist? It seems you’re discriminating against me because of your friendship.’

It seemed he even talked about the latter while crying in an interview with the production team.

‘He must have learned from the last team match that the first punch wins.’

It was said that when the team members who were hit in the back of their heads were struggling, Keun Sejin gently calmed Choi Wongil and cleared the situation.

‘It’s a wise choice considering the broadcast.’

But thanks to that, the frustration of the team members who couldn’t speak properly seemed to have disappeared.

Seon Ahyeon’s cautious attitude had changed to a completely turbulent state by the end of the speech.

It seemed he was so angry that he started stuttering.

“Y-you have to be careful…! I-I’m afraid he’ll make your story weird… I-I wanted to let you know.”

Seon Ahyeon, whose cheeks turned red, was worried about Park Moondae while everything was happening, and eventually acted on his concerns.

Perhaps the main point was this.

The situation is funny, but… Yes.

‘I’m kind of grateful.’

In this survival audition where everyone was busy taking care of themselves, he treated me like a real friend, not a connection.

I feel like I’m a jerk who divides kids into groups based on their rankings.

‘It’s not like I’m in a middle school class.’

My future knowledge was already being ripped apart since my team had already lost ground in the first team match, maybe I was being paranoid.

I replied with a smirk.

“Yeah, okay. Thank you.”

“N-no…”

Sun Ahyeon was surprised then hurriedly waved his hands and returned to his usual timid appearance.

Keun Sejin, who appeared after breaking through the gap, put his arms around our shoulders.

He seemed to have a strange ability to join any conversation.

“Hey, guys. What are you doing?”

“T-that… I was telling him.”

“What? Ah… him.”

Keun Sejin shrugged.

It seemed Cheo Wongil had been trolling so much to the point that he was referred to by his pronoun instead of his name.

“Can’t we do it next time?~ The stressed side loses. Look at this. The world is too busy to see good things.”

“W-what?”

Keun Sejin naturally passed on the topic, then popped something on the screen of his smartphone and turned it towards Seon Ahyeon.

It was an SNS post that posted pictures of subway station billboards.

Oh, it’s already time for this.

Placing s on public facilities was one of the idol fans’ representative support. I remembered because I took a few pictures of them.

‘Of course, it was uploaded under a fan account name.’

Anyway, I thought Keun Sejin was trying to show his own billboard, but it wasn’t just that.

“Ta-da! This is the three of us.”

“Hm?”

Looking at it again, it was definitely a picture of three nearby billboards facing each other.

Under the picture, I could see a registered post.

[It’s at Hongik University Station, it’s the same age line from October 31! So cute ㅠㅠ I put a post-it on it!]

Keun Sejin grinned and said.

“Hey, isn’t it amazing? How did they put up ads like this? Did they discuss it beforehand?”

No, they must have fought for a spot.

I felt sorry when I thought about the time and money they must have spent to catch a large billboard at a popular station.

‘Well, Park Moondae’s chances of survival… Thank you for your investment in it.’

I had a new concern. Even if I debuted and avoided sudden death, I would avoid going to hell only if I filled the contract with sincerity.

As I was confused by a strange sense of debt, Keun Sejin got down to business.

“Do you want to go see this? Fans also posted messages, so it’s only right to go there and see them~”

Can’t we just each take care ourselves?

However, Seon Ahyeon’s eyes shone and he shouted okay right away.

“O-okay.”

“Good, good. Moondae, you’re going too right? When should we see it?”

Somehow, just like back when we watched the third episode together, it was a foregone conclusion that we would go together like this.

Still… As Keun Sejin said, I had to go see the billboard once. If people recognized me, it would be easier to deal with it together rather than alone.

I looked at the two of them alternately for a moment, then just nodded.

“If we’re going, it’d better go within this week.”

“The sooner the better!”

“O-okay!”

Listening to the two happy people excitedly setting the date, I continued packing my luggage.

Well, it doesn’t feel bad.

* * *

And two days later.

I took out the black cotton mask I bought at the convenience store last time and put it on.

The destination was Hongik University Station.

When it wasn’t filming time, I was stuck at home, so it had been a long time since I had gone out.

[Seon Ahyeon: Why don’t we have lunch after looking at the billboard? I’ve found some good restaurants, but if it’s okay with you… (View more)]

A message came from Seon Ahyeon.

‘It’s still a long sentence.’

Checking out Keun Sejin’s response which was filled with excessive emoticons, I went out and got on the bus.

I stayed in a cheap apartment, so there was no subway station within a 20-minute walk distance.

‘Like this, I can move quietly to the bus stop near Hongik University Station.’

…is what I thought, but I was mistaken.

“Gasp.”

“Isn’t that Park Moondae?”

“Oh my God… Hey, hey there!”

Because as soon as I got off the bus and crossed the crosswalk, this happened

I hadn’t arrived at the meeting place yet, but people were already gathering.

There were only a few people who recognized me right away, but it was a busy road so the crowd was gathering.

“Who is it?”

“Is it a celebrity or an idol?”

‘I can’t do this.’

I thought about it, bowed my head to say hello, and ran.

I wanted to respond more, but the atmosphere was unusual. The impact of the most successful audition program at this time was amazing.

This was the time when there was at least one news related to rankings of <Idol Inc.> if you turned on the entertainment news section. I was complacent because I didn’t go outside.

‘Now that this happened, I have to quickly look at the billboard and disappear.’

As I was quickly running down the subway station, my smartphone vibrated, but I thought to check it out after leaving the crowd.

And… As soon as I arrived at the location of the three billboards, I figured out what the call was about.

It was because the two people who had already arrived at the billboard were surrounded by smartphones.

‘I guess it was a call saying that they’ve already arrived and that the situation is like this.’

These idiots came out without masks.

Meanwhile, people who recognized Park Moondae cheered.

“Moondae!”

“Moondae is here!”

I am embarrassed but thank you. Really.