Chapter 62

===================

Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

Only the announcement of 1st and 2nd place remained.
He wasn’t worried that ‘Park Moondae’ might be eliminated.

‘There are no candidates.’

Among the remaining people, there were no faces that could take 1st or 2nd place.
Ah, that person who took 3rd place in the last ranking announcement had his public opinion plummet because of sightings with a girlfriend.
It was a bit unfortunate… but wasn’t meeting a girlfriend every time filming took a break while participating in an idol audition a disaster he brought upon himself?

“We are now revealing the two candidates for 1st place!”

The MC shouted a few hints into the microphone with a booming voice. His voice was a bit hoarse from the long proceedings.
And after drawing out some time like the previous rankings, the candidates were announced.

“Cha Yujin!”

Cha Yujin came forward with a grin. Below, people cheered as if it was obvious.

“And the other candidate is…”

Let’s get ready to go out.

“Participant Park Moondae!”

As expected.
I received formal congratulations from several participants I wasn’t close with and came forward.

“Hyung, congratulations.”

Gold 2 seemed to be the most sincere, but I could see him pretending to be brave as he gradually realized his elimination.
I just patted his back a few times and went up to the platform.
Cha Yujin, who was already up there, reached out his hand.

“Let’s shake hands!”

He looked very excited. I hoped he would take this momentum and get 1st place.
I didn’t say much and accepted the handshake obediently. The atmosphere of the concert hall temporarily became amicable.

‘Is debut confirmed with this for now?’

I checked if there were any changes in the status window, but there was only the ‘Successful Stage’ popup that appeared earlier.

“You two, what do you think looking at the opponent you’re competing with for 1st place?”

Cha Yujin immediately picked up the microphone.

“He’s really cool!”

“Haha! That’s a very clear answer~”

The MC laughed and threw a fishing question to build tension.

“Do you think you’ll get 1st place today?”

“I don’t know. But 1st place is good!”

Cha Yujin gave a thumbs up.
It wasn’t to the extent where people would feel repulsion because he was playing around in the finals, but just enough leisure to make the viewers feel good.

“All right~ Well, shall we hear Participant Park Moondae’s thoughts? What do you think when you look at your opponent?”

I picked up the microphone.

“Since he’s a friend who’s so good… it doesn’t feel real to be mentioned alongside him.”

“That was a very humble statement just now~ But, 1st place… how do you see the possibility?”

I knew he would ask me this question somehow.
I paused for a beat as if thinking about it. And then I replied while slightly shaking my head.

“…It seems like it’ll be hard… well. Actually, 2nd place is also a very high ranking compared to my goal, so I’m just grateful.”

I didn’t know why, but when I answered ‘It seems like it’ll be hard’, small laughter broke out among the audience members below the stage.

‘Did it sound too sincere?’

“Ah, you won’t be disappointed even if you get 2nd place? Will you really not be disappointed?”

“…Yes. Of course, it would be a very thankful thing if it happens.”

“Oh~ All right. Everyone, that was Participant Park Moondae’s mindset.”

‘Persistent bastard.’

The MC finally stopped the questions and went back to building suspense.
The topic, viewership ratings of , reactions from various fields, and the (self-proclaimed) best treatment they would receive once they debuted were broadcasted again in a stream.
And after drawing out time for a long while, just before the announcement.

“The long-awaited 1st place is… will be revealed after the commercial!”

‘I knew it.’

Normally, candidates should show dramatic reactions like getting nervous and then collapsing, but because the candidates happened to be me and Cha Yujin, only applause and laughter came out.
Instead, groans of resentment and several curses popped out from below the stage.

‘I think I just heard a swear word.’

I was almost certain I heard a curse from behind the ‘Moondae-doggie’ slogan.

“Hyung! Debut! Let’s do lots of fun things with me!”

“…That sounds good.”

Cha Yujin spoke to me as soon as the commercial break sign appeared. He was completely excited; if someone saw him, they would have thought he had already debuted and entered the dorms.

‘Is he really not interested in 1st place?’

Well, the 1st place benefit was still being roughly kept alive with the words ‘enormous benefit!’.
If he had no desire for fame, it wouldn’t have been strange if he was in a state of ‘I don’t know~ I’m debuting~’.
But in my position, knowing what the 1st place benefit was, I was nervous.
As I said before, that benefit was effectively a penalty.

Actually, Cha Yujin was 1st place originally and was also 1st place in the last ranking announcement, so I knew the probability of him winning was higher.
But didn’t a person have a hunch?
Looking at the internet reactions I had seen yesterday, the anxiety that ‘Park Moondae’ might get 1st place wouldn’t go away.

‘I gave up on thinking. It’s fine as long as I avoided sudden death.’

After responding to a few things Cha Yujin was chatting about, the live broadcast resumed.

“, ahead of the long-awaited 1st place announcement!”

The MC repeated what he had said earlier one more time. I was at the point of memorizing it.

‘Just say it already.’

Honestly, both of us have already made it, so why spend so much time like this?

‘I think everyone has already changed the channel.’

Fortunately, the MC finally said the name.
The long-awaited 1st place is….

“…Park Moondae!”

It wasn’t the name I expected, though.

‘…It turned out like this.’

Meaning, I got 1st place.
I lowered my head deeply to hide my face in case it showed, and then I realized an unexpected fact.
I felt… good.
Penalty or whatever, as soon as I heard that I won, adrenaline strangely surged all the way to the top of my head.
The taste of achievement was thrilling.

I almost laughed out loud.

‘This is stronger than when I got into college.’

Thanks to that, I could immediately share my thoughts without having to hide my face.

“Congratulations~!”

Cha Yujin hugged me very loyally.

‘It’s American style.’

I returned the short hug and picked up the microphone.
When I looked at the concert hall from the same angle as the MC, several production staff members directly below were looking with expressions that seemed to say, ‘Don’t you intend to cry?’.

‘No. I don’t.’

I just smiled.
Well, honestly, half of it was luck and thanks to the status window… but anyway, don’t I have my share too?

“Participant Park Moondae, your thoughts! Please tell us your thoughts.”

“Yes.”

I paused for a moment and then just spoke honestly.
Maybe it was because I was suddenly drunk on adrenaline. It felt like the words came from my spinal cord without much calculation in my head.

“To be honest, I came out with the goal of debuting. I really wanted to debut, I had to… Therefore, I didn’t even think about 1st place. I didn’t even expect it. I thought that just debuting was already more than enough.”

I took a breath.

“But… now that I’ve done it, it feels so good.”

Cheers and light laughter burst out from here and there.
My words that followed, ‘Honestly, I didn’t know it would be like this’, were barely audible.

The MC received a signal from the production team to ‘still draw out time’ and asked me again.

“Is there someone you want to thank through this position?”

I was going to say it anyway.

“Hmm… no particular person comes to mind to mention. Just, thank you to the person who invested in ‘Park Moondae’.”

I stopped for a moment as screams burst out from below the stage, then slowly continued my words.

“It would be nice if I could repay you in some way… Well, no matter what you consumed for me, I will work hard so that consumption can produce the best efficiency of the same price range. Thank you.”

After finishing my words, I bowed my head. Sniffling sounds could be heard amidst the cheers and applause.
Even the person holding the ‘Moondae-doggie’ slogan seemed to have gripped it so hard while sobbing that the slogan was almost crumpled and looked like ‘Noodaennae’.

‘At these words…?’

I was a bit taken aback, but well, it’s a good thing if they saw it favorably.
Looking at the people who were happy together even though it wasn’t their own business, my heart felt a bit tingly.

‘It’s not bad.’

At this rate, isn’t it fine to receive even something like a 1st place penalty?
By the time I settled my mind, the MC was conducting an interview with Cha Yujin, who took 2nd place next.
Cha Yujin grinned and conveyed his feelings to his mother in English, and waved his hand hard toward the audience.
He was an overt ‘fun gamer’, so I think I knew why people voted for him. He’s the type who doesn’t give people unnecessary stress or emotional exhaustion.

“Thank you~”

Cha Yujin finished his speech cheerfully. The production team sent a sign to join the debut group’s seats next to the platform.
After Cha Yujin left with an excited run, the MC looked back at me.
The background music that creates tension began.

“Now, the time for choice has come.”

It came.
I stood in a proper posture and gathered my two hands.

“The enormous benefit given to the 1st place, its identity is now! Revealed. Participant Park Moondae!”

“Yes.”

“What kind of benefit would you like it to be?”

“…I don’t know.”

I’d like to receive about 100 million won.

“I’m not sure. …A quick debut?”

“Ah~ that’s important!”

The MC spread his hand.

“Now, please show the benefit!”

Then, an opening effect appeared on the large electronic board in front and the electronic boards next to it, and soon the text appeared.

[Prize money of 50 million won!]

“…!?”

Why is prize money appearing from there?

“Yes! Participant Park Moondae can receive 50 million won as the 1st place benefit immediately! As soon as this live broadcast ends!”

“…”

This shouldn’t be it.
Even in my confusion, my head was busily calculating the actual amount received. 39 million won.
Of course… it was good to receive it.
But as expected, there was no such thing as eating 30 million won just like this.

“Or! There is another option!”

Following the MC’s words, new text appeared on the electronic board.

[Recruitment of a new member!]

“Participant Park Moondae has the authority of 1st place to nominate one person among the 14 participants who came up together until the final ranking announcement as a team member to debut with!”

‘It appeared.’

This damn option finally appeared.
The crazy benefit of telling the 1st place to choose one of the final eliminated people themselves and have them join the debut group!
A penalty wearing the mask of a benefit!
It even became more vicious.

‘Was it choosing between the prize money and the two…!?’

How could I choose the prize money in that situation!
If I chose the prize money there, it was like turning the people who had voted for the other 14 people into enemies, so wasn’t there no choice but to choose the new recruitment option!
The angle of how I’ll be cursed at is already set.

– 50 million won is a lot of money, but isn’t it not as much as someone else’s life?
– He’s going to earn a lot anyway once he debuts lol He really likes money~ I see a future where he becomes a pigeon (doolgi) in a few years h
– I didn’t know he’d choose the prize money after seeing the kids suffering together… It seems like his image is totally shattered.

Probably no matter who stood there, they wouldn’t have been able to choose the prize money.
The production team bastards must have known that and committed such a deed.
Tormenting the winner’s mind just to put some drama into the final episode of the program was indeed typical of those who put negative voting as an official rule.

‘This is irritating.’

Should I just eat the prize money and get cursed at a bit?

“Participant Park Moondae?”

“…Yes.”

I barely managed to answer without being late.
All sorts of screams were rampant in the audience seats to the point where my ears were ringing.
The people standing below the stage also let out their respective names and screams, but my head didn’t work.

“Have you made a decision in your heart?”

“…Yes.”

There was nothing good about dragging it out. I opened my mouth.