Chapter 115

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The arguments in the comments that TeStar shouldn’t receive the Rookie of the Year award became quite sophisticated in logic compared to before.

It was because they shifted the focus from TeStar itself to the rookies.

-Seriouslyㅠㅠ my heart doesn’t feel good. Thinking about how the kids who had enough results to receive it based on last year’s standards must have resigned themselves…
-In the first place, being from an entertainment show itself is an interference with the market. If TeStar just came out, would their results as rookies be like this? I absolutely don’t think so
└ㅇㅇEven with the fairness issue of Idol Inc. coming out, greedily taking even the Rookie of the Year award is really crossing the line
-Wow, it seems you guys are the ones crossing the line? Someone would think TeStar did something like sajaegi;
└Honestly, I think it’s a matter more serious than sajaegi
└No, sajaegi is a crime, what on earth are you talking about…
└Don’t you think it’s more of a problem because it’s not a crime? That’s why there was no way to block it so far
-Shouldn’t we take this opportunity to separate cases where results are made with the program hypeㅠㅠ The Rookie of the Year award should be received by a real rookie.

‘They weave it well.’

Apparently, since they can’t possibly pick on the group’s results, they don’t want to give even the symbolic Rookie of the Year award.

If this works and we really don’t receive the Rookie of the Year award, they could use that as a basis to say ‘how bad was it that they didn’t even get the Rookie of the Year award’ and use it conversely.

But that won’t happen.

Even if they chatter here, it won’t affect the actual award tallying criteria.

‘Well, it’s not like negative voting is possible like in Idol Inc.’

Anyway, the main public opinion was all secured, so the probability of a problem arising in the judges’ scores was also low.

It would be possible to be criticized in some communities for stubbornly taking the Rookie of the Year award and not being congratulated…… but it doesn’t seem like there will be a problem with the award immediately.

Even this post was being pushed back as time passed.

-Even bringing up sajaegi at long last, they really seem to have flipped over with jealousy
-Well, if there was a comet-like rookie who sold about 200,000 copies, I might have been persuaded.. but unfortunately, such a thing didn’t happen..ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-I understand the feeling, but who are you to be reinventing the Rookie of the Year award criteriaㅋㅋ

Comments like this became quite numerous.

‘Let’s just be practicing for the year-end stage.’

I stopped monitoring for now. It was to avoid being unnecessarily influenced.

‘…I hope the fans don’t get too stressed either.’

Since communication activities like SNS are currently suspended, it was hard to try anything.

In fact, if I pushed it a bit, I could turn the controversy around with a post like ‘Then who do you think should receive the Rookie of the Year award instead of TeStar?’ but…….

If I get caught being Park Moondae while doing that, it’s really a scandal.

‘I should just do the stage properly.’

In the end, my thoughts returned to practice. I sighed and accepted the conclusion.

“One more time.”

“Yes.”

And not long after, the practice atmosphere of the other guys also became especially solemn.

‘They searched for everything.’

Apparently, the controversy-instigating posts had spread quite a bit. I wonder if they saw the fans lamenting.

Thanks to that, the momentum to show something was almost at the level of Idol Inc. team battles.

Ryu Chungwoo, who was almost on the verge of exhaustion, muttered as if to firm up the facts he already knew.

“The one we are practicing now… was it for SBC?”

“Correct.”

Listening to Kim Raebin’s answer, Bae Sejin muttered with a pale face.

“…I think this one is the most difficult.”

“That’s right! It’s fun!”

“…….”

Bae Sejin stared at the cheerful Cha Yujin’s face for a while with an expression that looked like he wanted to hit him just once.

Ryu Chungwoo smiled and settled the situation.

“Right. Let’s work hard and show them something fun.”

“Ye-Yes!”

“Let’s all cheer up~”

Whether the agency was conscious of potential additional controversy, our external schedule in November decreased a bit, so practice time increased.

So, only after thorough preparations were finished for various award ceremony stages did the year-end award season approach.

The first award ceremony was ToneA.

* * *

ToneA. It’s the self-proclaimed Asia’s largest scale global music awards hosted by T1.

What this means is that it’s an award ceremony hosted by the parent company that is full of intention to push TeStar.

Naturally, TeStar took the awards according to their results.

“The winner is… TeStar! Congratulations!”

I heard these words four times today alone.

Excellence Award, Popularity Award, even Music Video Award.

And of course… we also received the Rookie of the Year award.

“Thank you so much! We will take this as an award given to us with the meaning not to lose our original intention, and we will be more careful, work harder, and progress.”

Big Sejin gave the Rookie of the Year award speech on purpose. It was a matter discussed with Ryu Chungwoo.

Since the content was also well-settled with the company to the extent that it wouldn’t cause controversy, we’ll only get as much criticism as we were originally going to get.

…However, as expected, my status abnormality did not clear.

‘I didn’t even expect it.’

Even if ToneA says it’s Asia’s largest scale, everyone watching will know that it has no real authority.

Anyway, the members seemed quite relieved now that the first award ceremony was over safely.

“Good work everyone~”

However, even though we won awards, the feeling of relief that ‘we did it’ seemed greater than joy.

‘I only suffered because it exploded right now.’

It didn’t feel very good for these guys to miss the timing to most intensely feel the worth of their hard work for a year.

“Guys, you really worked hard.”

“Heehee.”

“I-I’m glad it seems to have ended well.”

“If we judge only based on ourselves excluding other variables, it seems we handled the stage as well as we prepared.”

Silence fell for a moment at Kim Raebin’s words.

‘……We did work hard.’

We were given about 8 minutes for the stage here.

Tnet asked us to make the composition a boast of ‘TeStar released this many hit songs’, so we performed four songs tied in a medley.

Thanks to that, there were almost no additional movements, so practice was relatively easy. The problem was that we had to look for an oxygen tank after coming down from the stage because there was no time to rest in between.

Still, I think we handled it well without mistakes, but the problem was… the camera.

I barely monitored only the latter half, but they captured it in a way that I didn’t even know what they were doing.

Furthermore, the screen was too dark, so I couldn’t even concentrate well.

‘It makes me angry.’

I don’t care even if it’s a data-seller, I hope someone filmed it well with a fixed cam. I should look for it on WeTube later.

“…Hmm, it must have been well-conveyed to the people who were at the scene.”

“The cheering was good~”

Since we couldn’t vent about the camera in the hallway behind the stage for now, everyone glossed over it diligently.

It seemed the disappointment was tolerable because many more stages prepared with more focus remained.

‘…Let’s go get our smartphones in the waiting room.’

I planned to see if any other problems popped up. It seemed it would probably end with being criticized in one or two popular posts.

And when I returned to the front of the waiting room as it was, I met an face that I completely didn’t expect and wasn’t glad to see.

“Hello.”

“Heok! Sunbaenim!”

“Hello!”

…It was Cheongryeo.

‘The Grand Prize winner is standing in front of the rookie waiting room door?’

It looked like a demonstration to make the officials see.

‘Are you trying to make it unavoidable?’

Anyway, flustered by the situation they couldn’t have even imagined, the members bowed their heads repeatedly and poured out words of celebration.

“Congratulations so much on winning two Grand Prizes, sunbaenim!”

“Congratulations!”

“Ah, thank you.”

Cheongryeo received the greetings with a smile. Kim Raebin asked with sparkling eyes.

“What brings you to our waiting room?”

“I thought I’d see the juniors’ faces while congratulating them.”

Cheongryeo met my eyes.

“Congratulations on the Rookie of the Year award. Although it probably didn’t have much meaning.”

“……!”

“Pardon?”

Cheongryeo added to Kim Raebin, who was a bit dazed, as if he were embarrassed.

“Since you won four awards, it means you are juniors who are already doing too well to be seen as rookies. I will look forward to your activities in the future too.”

“Ah, thank you!”

“Then since I’ve seen your faces, I’ll take my leave. I have a schedule.”

“Yes, we hope you return safely!”

Cheongryeo nodded slightly and smiled.

“Work hard.”

And he disappeared, walking down the hallway with long strides.

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

‘…He completely pinpointed the Rookie of the Year award.’

It was clear that he himself was under similar conditions. Since he even threw the point that it has no meaning as a ToneA Rookie of the Year award.

‘It’s uncomfortable.’

The aftertaste was not good because it felt like information was passed one-sidedly without profit.

‘He might come at me with a deal using the list of status abnormalities he experienced.’

While I was speculating, other guys talked to me from the side.

“Ooh~ Moondae, did you make connections through the entertainment show?”

“A-Are you… very close?”

I almost turned serious at Seon Ahyun’s question.

“…We just know each other’s faces a bit.”

“Th-Then may I ask for one question…!”

The last one was not Seon Ahyun but Kim Raebin who joined the conversation. It seemed he stuttered his words due to excessive excitement.

‘Come to think of it, has this guy mentioned VTIC often?’

While I was guessing if he was a fan, Kim Raebin, who soon regained his senses, said earnestly with a serious face.

“I am really curious about the arrangement program VTIC sunbaenims used for their last album title track work…!”

“…….”

He was more interested in the side dish than the main meal.

“I’ll ask if I get the chance.”

“Thank you!”

Kim Raebin, who didn’t catch the meaning that the opportunity might never come at all, was happy. Well, I’m glad at least one person is happy.

‘Let’s check the viewers’ reaction.’

I lightly went around SNS and communities in the car returning to the practice room.

Still, the public opinion had not worsened, and the opinions saying congratulations were in a state where they were more numerous than the opinions being subtly sarcastic.

‘…The fans are holding back.’

I could see they were trying their best to ignore the sounds of subtle scratching and push the posts with congratulations in order to not give any opening.

It’s because if you get involved in an emotional fight, only the group whose identity is clear ends up losing in the end.

Of course, on personal SNS accounts, posts of lamentation continued.

-In the end, what remains is the record. I’ll just have to vote without caring about the bullshit that will disappear even after half a year
-Ah damn, I should beat up all the bullshit but I’m trying to hold back so beads of patience are likely to come out
-There are so many guys who got a taste for hitting the rising stars. In the meantime, even bad camera workㅋㅋㅋ it’s driving me crazy
-What’s with all this because of Ryu Chungwoo’s non-charming muggle-pick. Everything was a mess since the team was ruined in Idol Inc. and it was uneasy since the time he put on the leader’s armband again

From group fans to malicious individual fans, everyone without exception was complaining of fatigue.

A sense of debt rose up.

‘…I rather want to say it’s okay not to receive it.’

It was a bit bitter to be keeping my mouth shut just to avoid sudden death.

‘Still, it doesn’t seem like I’ll die.’

The good thing was that since we weren’t pushed back in public opinion, it seemed it would continue to fluctuate at this intensity and then fizzle out toward the end of the award ceremonies.

‘I only took the parts that were worth taking in ToneA too.’

I was a bit worried they might give more excessively, but they finished at a reasonable line as if they had some sense.

It didn’t cause the critical public opinion to rise above the water because it was at a level that anyone could take in a friendly award ceremony.

‘It’s a pity that there’s no profit from the stage though.’

I thought that would be resolved to some extent if I waited for fan-cams. And next stages continue to remain.

‘Things didn’t go well, but I guess there are times like this.’

When things calm down a bit, I should post content that fans can relieve their stress with.

I organized my thoughts and turned off my smartphone.

No, I was going to turn it off… but I saw the title of a post that was just registered as the latest popular post in the community.

[The rookie boy group that only had to clap while the Tnet entertainment-born won 4 awards]

“…….”

I clicked the title immediately.

Then, image posts in the form of card news appeared one after another.

‘Damn.’

These guys have started working.

* * *

Cheongryeo looked down at his smartphone. A certain popular post that had become a mess with the Rookie of the Year award was displayed.

“I’m curious.”

“…Yes? What is it?”

Cheongryeo didn’t answer the member’s words. He just pulled up his SNS account on the screen.

‘How will it turn out.’

Cheongryeo uploaded several photos he took today to SNS in order along with comments.

And in the meantime, he chose and added one photo as if it passed casually.

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The hard-working juniors
I hope you have good results at the end of the year too
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And he pressed upload.

The fuse was lit.