Chapter 17

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Of course, in the entertainment industry, being noticed was an important talent. There were many cases where a short moment on stage changed a career.

However, I couldn’t shake the impression that this trait was exclusively for attention seekers, from its title to its content.

Even the exact increase rate wasn’t shown. ‘Slightly more’.

“Is it okay to use such ambiguous expressions in the status window?”

Was that why it was a D-grade trait?

But the miracle of the status window interacting with my dissatisfaction did not happen.

I eventually accepted reality.

Right. A trait for being noticed… it’s good. It would be great if it helped with the debut.

Drrrr!

The moment I closed the status window, the smartphone vibrated. I quickly checked it, thinking it might be a contact from the production team.

But it wasn’t.

“What is this?”

It was a messenger message.

[Big Sejin: Moondae-Moondae, aren’t you checking the group chat? Hahaha]

[Big Sejin: Leaving us on read is so cool it’s cold, Moondae-ya]

“…….”

I should have turned off the notifications for my personal messenger too, but I hadn’t thought of it. Since ignoring messages that had already been read was as good as grabbing someone by the collar among people who would continue to see each other, I had no choice but to send a reply.

[Me: I don’t usually look at my phone much. Sorry]

[Big Sejin: Hey, why are you apologizing? It’s embarrassing, haha]

[Big Sejin: Please check the group chat quickly!]

Is there any special news?

I checked the group messenger room. More than 500 new messages were displayed in the room with the team members from the last first team battle.

Of course, I didn’t intend to read them all. I scrolled all the way down and only checked the last conversation.

The team members were capturing and sharing review posts of the last stage after the audience’s visit.

In the reviews, they were picking out expressions like ‘Everyone in this team was handsome~’ and it seemed like social life was being exchanged about how handsome the older and younger brothers were.

[Big Sejin: That’s right, now that I think about it, Moondae seems to be washing his face with broadcast water. He gets more handsome every time I see him, haha]

[Big Sejin: Considering our comradeship, please share your dermatology clinic]

It’s the level-up effect, you punk.

Of course, I couldn’t say that, so I just sent a message saying I didn’t go to any.

This guy, who used words like ‘Please check’ just to ask about a dermatology clinic, was really…….

Was it just my imagination? I suddenly felt exhausted.

At that moment, it vibrated again.

[Seon Ahyun: Moondae-ya, how have you been? Thank you for always treating me well during the first team battle. I’ll definitely repay you next time…… (See more)]

A long, rambling message was posted in the group chat.

Like a lie, suddenly no one posted a message.

It was nothing short of solemn.

“…….”

After giving a short reply out of human decency, I turned off the data immediately.

When we meet at the next shoot… I should definitely say I couldn’t see the messenger messages because I didn’t have Wi-Fi at home.

It was five days before the production presentation, which was the next shoot.

* * *

Production presentation. A promotional event held ahead of the first episode’s broadcast.

In fact, there was almost nothing for the 77 participants to do as individuals. They just had to sing one song, , and get their pictures taken.

Of course, the fact that ‘pictures are taken’ was important here.

It was an already proven fact that the photos taken at this production presentation could play a major role in preempting the initial voting rate.

‘Thanks to that, I also got paid to take some.’

Since it wasn’t just taking and selling, but being specifically commissioned, the pay had been decent.

Anyway, if I were to express my feelings standing at such a production presentation……. That was it.

‘I’ve seen all these faces somewhere.’

The faces holding out personal cameras behind the press were familiar.

It felt like more than half of them had sat next to me at some event at least once.

If I were to analyze a bit… Let’s see, first of all, one in every two people looked like data sellers.

Excluding that, most were fans of existing idols. Half were there to look for new idols, and the other half were just there for fun.

Perhaps because of that, there didn’t seem to be many people who fixed their gaze on just one person to take pictures.

It seemed like they were planning to crop each person after taking a shot where three or four participants were in one frame, as the lenses were moving slightly.

Anyway, there were more people than I expected.

Slowly, an atmosphere was secretly being created that this program would succeed by using controversy as a hot topic.

‘It’s a pity, but even if I use the remaining points on Park Moondae’s appearance, it won’t get past B.’

Since the benefits of the production presentation would probably be taken by those with an appearance stat of A- or higher, I should just work hard on the performance and go back.

‘Is the trend really faces after all…….’

A brief regret that I should have invested in the appearance stat first passed by again.

“We’ll start after the reporters enter!”

When we stood in formation as rehearsed at dawn on the outdoor grass, the staff shouted for a brief wait.

While I was warming up my feet using the intermission, someone suddenly spoke to me.

“I saw the stage.”

“Pardon?”

It was Cha Yujin standing diagonally in front of me. If my memory was correct, he was the participant who would take 1st place this season.

‘But why is he so out of context?’

At that moment, I remembered. It was like this last time too.

Perhaps it was during the filming of the broadcast stage, Cha Yujin suddenly asked if I couldn’t dance, and I think I replied to judge after seeing the stage.

Could it be that this talk about the stage was an extension of that conversation?

If participants were talking about a stage now, there was a high probability it was the first team battle based on the timing.

If it was that, I had to admit it. Even I thought I did well. But even so, it was equally unexpected.

It wasn’t some boy’s manga… did he feel a sense of rivalry?

And even more unexpectedly, Cha Yujin gave a thumbs up.

“You did really well!”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Let’s be on a team together next time.”

“That would be great if possible.”

Regardless of what this guy was thinking, it would be a benefit to work together.

I said okay without asking or questioning for now. Even if it was empty words, I didn’t need to care.

The conversation with Cha Yujin ended abruptly there.

“Do, do you… want to eat this?”

“Uh, thanks.”

“Heok! Ahyun-nim, is there none for me?”

“Wow, Big Sejin, now that you’ve quit being the leader, you’re like a sycophant.”

“H-here.”

I chewed on the jelly I received from Seon Ahyun nearby, and continued to warm up my feet.

As I was half-listening to the noise made by the former team members of the gold grade, the staff gave a signal.

“Please get ready~”

Soon, the prelude that I had heard so many times during the first week of filming flowed out.

Anyway, this stage would surely be uploaded to Wetube, so let’s avoid choreography mistakes at least.

* * *

The moment we finished the stage safely and were exiting, I heard someone’s shout.

“Moondae-ya!”

Did they really call Park Moondae just now?

When I turned my head to check, it was one of the people in the camera legion.

The woman wearing a hoodie seemed to be clicking the shutter constantly as soon as I looked back.

…Is she taking pictures while fixed on only me? When I instinctively pointed to my face with my hand, the woman shouted again.

“Moondae-ya! A heart, please!”

“…….”

I didn’t know the day would come when I would hear those words.

But since an opportunity was an opportunity, I somehow made a finger heart and held it up.

It was a bit… embarrassing.

“Cheek poke! A poke on the cheek too!”

Beside me, Seon Ahyun was trying to slip away to the side. He seemed to have already been tormented by cameras calling him before the stage.

I signaled with my eyes.

‘You do it too.’

It would be less embarrassing if even one guy did it with me.

Whether he received the signal properly, Seon Ahyun came back creakily. And in the meantime, Big Sejin pushed in.

“What are you two doing? Ah, photos~”

He’s really good at jumping on the bandwagon.

I wished he wouldn’t do things like putting his arm on someone else’s shoulder, but I decided to endure it because of the camera.

So the three of us ended up taking a photo with our arms around each other’s shoulders.

‘In the end, even before the first episode, we’re leaving a photo of the three of us like this.’

It had been suspicious since the time the group messenger room was opened.

It was a bit uncomfortable, but since it was already spilt water since the first team battle, I decided not to purposely avoid it.

Anyway, I could see the face of the woman who was finally taking her eyes off the camera, as if she had caught a decent cut.

Uh…….

She was someone who used to buy some data from me.

There were quite a few fansite masters who, if it was difficult to take pictures of an event personally due to the schedule, would buy data, edit it, and post it as if they had taken it themselves.

Well, that person was also of such demand.

Let’s see, since I uploaded and called the market price, being a data seller, I have vivid memories of being ridiculed for having no conscience about the unit price.

…But I didn’t take pictures of private lives like airport arrivals and departures.

If the data didn’t sell, I also released it for free on fan communities or Wetube.

‘Well… anyway, I have nothing to say even if I’m criticized.’

Even though companies were just leaving it alone for business purposes, it was true that it was a situation where people were doing business while ignoring other people’s portrait rights.

Perhaps that’s why I’m in a situation where I’ll die suddenly if I don’t debut.

It was like telling me to feel the heart of an idol being photographed by putting myself in their shoes.

“Park Moondae is really cute!!”

“…….”

Wow… I really can’t get used to this.

Come to think of it, the male idol that person used to take pictures of had a drunk driving incident at the end of last year.

‘That guy, his position was main vocal…….’

It seemed like she was planning to… switch to Park Moondae.

I waved my hand with a subtle feeling.

Anyway, since the production presentation data was precious, I hoped she would take pictures diligently.

‘It would be even better if the photos were uploaded before Friday.’

Because this Friday, would begin its first broadcast.

* * *

Tnet Headquarters. The editing room located in the corner of the 9th floor was full of office workers who had stayed up all night.

Ryu Seorin, who had recruited Park Moondae, was one of them.

“Seorin-ah, your eyes are bloodshot. Do some work after drinking some coffee.”

“There’s no time. Just give me coffee.”

It was the 7th cup today.

The faces looking through the video data while gulping down coffee like water were all haggard.

Ryu Seorin’s former superior sighed.

“The editing of the first episode is important.”

“…Yes. You can see the direction of the program.”

What to show, and what to cut.

“Right, there has to be a story for anything to be interesting.”

“It’s only interesting if people can immerse themselves even if they watch without thinking.”

Even in audition programs, there must be a narrative for it to be interesting. And that narrative must be easy to watch for viewers to stick around.

This was considered almost like an established theory.

“Correct. That’s why… you think up to about episode 4 and build up from episode 1.”

“That’s right. Setting the first team battle results as the episode’s conclusion… capturing the flow of the story and establishing the kids’ characters.”

Of course. In deciding that, the authority of writer Ryu Seorin or her superior was not powerful.

‘In the end, what the main PD thinks is important.’

She took her hands off the video for a moment.

“Going to rest?”

“…I’m thinking of making a suggestion.”

“Ah, the editing?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm~ that’s good. Even during season 1… was it Lee Goyun? Producer Jeong accepted your talk about the editing for that commoner participant.”

Should I do it too? Ryu Seorin inwardly snorted at her former superior’s words.

‘I did it by aiming for the timing well.’

Now was exactly that timing too.

Because people who were soaked in fatigue sometimes forgot their sense of authority due to a sense of comradeship.

“This time, that… well, there’s no kid we have to push, so it’s a perfect time to make a suggestion.”

“Yes. We only need to think about the viewer ratings.”

Coincidentally, because the previous season had ended early with controversy, there were almost no requests from influential agencies.

If so, which participants should be shown and how, so that the viewers could feel catharsis by the time the team battle was aired?

“Catching the kids that people like is important, but we also need kids for them to dislike. How about talking about that? You’re good at it.”

There was bone in the playful words. Ryu Seorin shrugged her shoulders.

“Ayy, do the production team make all of that? People are originally like that. They want to keep liking the kids they like, and they want to keep disliking the kids they dislike.”

“Hmph.”

When she tied it to the production team, her former superior shut his mouth.

“We’re just making it easy for the viewers to immerse themselves, that’s all.”

“I suppose so.”

Her former superior slightly backed down. It was because Ryu Seorin certainly had a sense.

So, turning the topic, he started again as if he knew everything.

“So you chose the underdogs this time? Because there’s a lot for the editor to touch in that case.”

“…….”

The underdog effect.

It meant the effect of being enthusiastic about a thrilling reversal drama where the weak beat the strong, just like David beating Goliath.

And it was one of the most interesting narratives an audition program could show.

Of course, to see a proper effect, a lot of adjustment work by the editor was necessary. Because it had to be put together well.

“You’re going to suggest them, right? You were watching them repeatedly.”

“Well…… we’ll see.”

Ryu Seorin brushed it off, but it was practically an affirmation.

‘No matter how much I think about it…… I have to give it to them.’

Recalling the video she had watched repeatedly, Ryu Seorin had already made up her mind.

“Good luck~”

She appropriately responded to her former superior’s insincere words and approached the main PD to talk.

“Excuse me, PD-nim,”

And she was half-certain that the main PD would probably be thinking something similar.