Chapter 36

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The production team’s explanation was simple.
“While you’re at it, have some fun and win some prizes.”
In other words, the underlying meaning was this.
‘Show off a bit, enjoy the school trip vibe, and promote the T1 sponsored products while you take some home.’
Everyone probably guessed the nuance, but the atmosphere had improved significantly since right after the ranking announcement.
The prizes were decent, and the rules were loose.
“There are no rankings, and it will be conducted on a voluntary basis~”
“Ah…”
“Once you come out, you can definitely take home one of the prizes through a lucky draw!”
“…Yes!”
The responding voices were much more relaxed.
It was a setup where there was nothing to lose.
‘The fact that there’s no MC might have contributed to the feeling of taking a break.’
…To be honest, I was also tempted by the dryer.
I didn’t have a place to put it since I lived in a studio apartment anyway, but to think that a large electronic appliance would come out as a prize for a hastily made plan.
‘The program must be doing very well.’
As I thought that while looking at the picture of the kimchi refrigerator included in the prizes, the pictures of the prizes disappeared from the screen and large letters appeared.
[Talent Show: Random Dance]
[The last person remaining is the winner!]
‘They didn’t even touch the font.’
The Hamchorom Batang font was radiant.
Regardless of my impression, a 5-second countdown soon began on the screen.
Then, a few guys who were in relatively good condition ran out and began to wait.
[Start!]
And famous K-POP choruses flowed out one after another without rest.
“Uwaah.”
“Hey, you got it wrong! You have to go in!”
“Ack, what is this.”
The participants, who had participated mechanically at first perhaps for screen time, ended up picking a winner by almost filming a comedy skit towards the end.
After about 12 songs had passed, a winner emerged.
“Ah, thank you~”
It was Lee Sejin.
“No one asked, but I’ll share my thoughts. I think I might have honed my skills during the PR live for this day! Hahaha!”
“Boo~”
Lee Sejin, who had done similar content during the PR, spoke with a brazen smile and quickly put his hand into the draw box to pick a slip.
“Now, my prize is…”
[(True) Boneless Fire-Grilled Chicken Feet 1 Box]
“I’ll give it to Moondae.”
The participants burst into laughter at Lee Sejin’s quick change of attitude. Even the staff laughed while covering their mouths, so I couldn’t bring myself to look serious at Lee Sejin, who was winking at me.
‘I wonder how long this chicken feet image will last.’
I had a feeling it would follow me until I retired if it kept being mentioned like this.
Anyway, thanks to Lee Sejin giving everyone a good laugh before leaving, the atmosphere loosened up even more.
“Give us the next one!”
“I’m really taking this one.”
In that way, after four or five more rounds, most of the participants had become serious about the talent show.
And there were still a few expensive home appliances left as prizes.
Then, the sixth talent show appeared on the screen.
[Talent Show: Random Karaoke]
[The person who finishes the first verse is the winner!]
“This is an event for me.”
“Wow, I really want to go out, but I already won? What should I do?”
Ignoring the teasing Lee Sejin, I hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.
“Oh~~ Is Moondae confident?”
In fact, I wasn’t particularly confident. I didn’t really want to do it either.
I was just defending against the possibility of looking arrogant if I showed a passive attitude after my rank rose.
…It would be even better if I could win and take the dryer.
There were 7 prizes left, so it would be about 14%, a probability worth holding onto hope for.
Together with four other participants I only knew by sight, I waited for the countdown to end. The production team quietly left a microphone on the floor.
[Start!]
As soon as the screen changed, the prelude flowed out immediately.
Kung-jjak kung-jjak kung-jja-ra kung-jjak~
An addictive ppongjjak melody echoed through the auditorium.
“……?”
“Huh?”
The faces of the participants, who expected K-POP, became blank.
That was right. What flowed out was a K-Trot karaoke accompaniment.
“Uh…”
“Wait, wait.”
The participants listened intently to the prelude with confused expressions, but they couldn’t figure out what song it was just by listening to the prelude.
Because there wasn’t just one or two trot songs that started with an exciting ppongjjak rhythm.
“…….”
After struggling with the decision, I quietly went forward and picked up the microphone.
“…!!”
“Moondae doing trot…?”
Gold 1’s murmuring could be heard all the way here.
“Did he just grab it?”
“Hyung, do you really know that song?”
I didn’t answer the numerous outcries and just started singing in time with the end of the prelude.
“Rain is falling on the streets of Namdaemun in Seoul~ But the person I’m looking for isn’t there~”
“…!!”
The participants whispered.
“Heol.”
“How did he know?”
How did I know? I knew because I’d seen it a lot.
When I went to film events a few times, I often saw stages of trot singers.
In particular, they were frequently placed right before idol stages, so I had heard quite a lot of songs that were popular enough with the elders to appear in the latter half of the event.
I… hmm, I think I’d seen the stage for the original singer of this song twice a day when I saw it a lot.
Later, the singer recognized me and even sent a wink to the camera.
Memories of uploading a fan-cam to Utube out of conscience came back vividly. Well, it’s helpful like this.
“Ah~ The one I was looking for~ The one I wanted~”
Since it was a fairly famous song, the participants sang along once it reached the chorus. I wondered if that singer felt like this at events.
“Has left Seoul~”
“Ohhh.”
Having sung the first verse with all my might after getting into the mood, the participants sent applause along with exclamations.
This was more like the reaction when seeing something amazing at a magic show rather than cheering.
It was a bit embarrassing, but anyway, since I succeeded, I decided to focus on drawing the prize.
I bowed to the participants a few times, put down the microphone, and grabbed the draw box.
As I unfolded the slip I drew, a silver body could be seen faintly in the picture.
‘Could it be the dryer…!’
[Kimchi Refrigerator]
“……”
This is crazy.
“Hey! Kimchi refrigerator!!”
“What is with Moondae’s luck~!”
“The ‘one Moondae was looking for’ was a refrigerator.”
The participants poured out and surrounded me, talking excitedly. I looked at the slip with a dazed feeling, then suddenly realized the reality.
‘…Don’t they give prizes after deducting taxes?’
I didn’t have the money to pay for the taxes.
I should probably sell it through a second-hand trade as soon as I receive the prize, pay the taxes first, and fill up my bank account.
Anyway, catching something expensive made me feel good.
Lee Sejin, who was congratulating me from the side, whispered subtly.
“Moondae-ya, should we swap prizes…”
“No.”
“Okay.”
Just eat your chicken feet.
* * *
After the talent show ended brilliantly with a final chicken fight, the team match filming began in a much more relaxed atmosphere.
Perhaps it was difficult for the MC to proceed due to the adjusted filming schedule, but surprisingly, Youngrin took charge and announced the new team match.
“, it’s already the 3rd team match. Participants, please praise yourselves for surviving until now, starting with 77 people and becoming 30.”
It wasn’t the energetic voice of an MC, but Youngrin proceeded with the situation calmly and seriously.
Above all, because they were the words of an idol who had already succeeded, the participants seemed to take them more meaningfully.
Right next to me, Gold 2 was grinning and stroking his own head. It was a sight to behold.
“For this 3rd team match, we formed teams in a somewhat unusual way.”
Let’s see, since teams had been formed by the participants’ choices so far, it was about time for other factors to intervene.
But that factor was a bit unusual.
“It’s the big data algorithm.”
“…Yes?”
“Big data?”
When a concept usually seen in IT news suddenly appeared, the participants looked at Youngrin with puzzled expressions.
Youngrin continued her lines with a smile.
” analyzed the patterns of the shareholders buying your stocks. Therefore, teams were formed around the stocks that many shareholders purchased simultaneously.”
In short, it meant that the viewers who spent money had decided the teams by grouping the participants they liked together.
“Detailed analysis data can be found on the website. Everyone, are you ready to meet your teammates chosen by the shareholders’ big data?”
“Heok.”
“It’s so fascinating.”
The participants whispered with dazed expressions and began to look around at who they would be with.
I also looked around at the participants reasonably.
‘First of all… Seon Ahyun and Lee Sejin will probably be there.’
It was easy to tell just by looking at SNS for these two. Sure enough, even Seon Ahyun was looking at me with sparkling eyes and waving his hand slightly.
Lee Sejin went a step further, hitting my back and saying this.
“Hey, I’m counting on you.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
Lee Sejin chuckled and burst into laughter at my blunt answer. It seemed like he had talked to me just to tease me.
“It seems you are ready. Then, please come out in order and take a box.”
A table with black boxes lined up was set up behind Youngrin.
“Inside the box is a badge. After receiving the box, please move to the hallway and enter the room where the shape of that badge is displayed.”
And Youngrin began to call the participants in alphabetical order and hand them the boxes.
Naturally, ‘Park Moondae’ was called quite early.
“Participant Park Moondae. Please take your box.”
I walked out the door carrying the box with a paper saying ‘Park Moondae’ on it.
Of course, staff with cameras were waiting in the hallway. Opening the box in front of them as expected, a rabbit head-shaped badge revealed itself.
“…Rabbit?”
I murmured somewhat absurdly, then quickly shut my mouth, conscious of the camera.
And I looked up and checked the rooms lined up in the hallway. Each room had a nameplate.

And the name I was looking for appeared in the last room.

“……”
Overall… a naming sense that stood out like a kindergarten classroom.
‘Well, it’s just for dividing the teams.’
Guessing it was intended for humor, I immediately opened the door.
Since all the participants who could potentially be on the same team would be called later than me, I wasn’t very nervous.
‘I’ll be the first one.’
But the moment I opened the door and stepped inside, the person sitting on the floor snapped his head up and looked at me.
“…?”
It was Kim Raebin.
Why are you coming out of here…?
“Park Moondae-hyung.”
Kim Raebin stood up abruptly with a welcoming face, then slowly moved away and stepped aside.
It seemed like a consideration for me to sit in the middle.
Since there were only two of us, did he really need to…?
“I didn’t know we could be on the same team again. I’m really glad to see you.”
“…Right. I’m counting on you.”
“Yes.”
A peaceful conversation took place, but complex deductions crossed my mind.
‘Why is Kim Raebin on the same team?’
The only scene where I interacted with Kim Raebin that was broadcast was just in the previous Episode 7.
Then, did the voting rate after Episode 7 become large enough to affect that ‘big data algorithm’?
‘Of course, it could have been possible if only the stocks from the previous ranking announcement were considered…’
While I was weighing the possibilities, I realized a simple fact.
‘Aha.’
It was because there were few participants that Kim Raebin was involved with.
I don’t know how they weighted it, but it was quite convincing that he ended up in the team I was in because the only participants associated with Kim Raebin were at most me and Cha Yujin.
‘Well, it’s good to have a participant with a high rank.’
I neatly organized my thoughts and sat on the floor. Kim Raebin immediately talked to me again.
“Hyung, the song you sang at the talent show just now is a song I also like.”
“…Really?”
I wondered if I really needed to know that Kim Raebin liked trot, but anyway, I spent time roughly chatting until the next teammate came in.
And only after quite some time had passed did the next teammate open the door and enter.