LeTi's survival program 〈Wise〉 invited 500 audience members to this performance.
The applicants were not selected by lottery like regular entertainment audiences. People had been invited from universities, high schools, and hospitals of specific corporations.
The president proudly said that it was to ensure the objectivity of the evaluation team, but there were people who benefited from it.
'Oh my god!'
Among the high school students who said they liked watching idols, the teacher squeezed her hand pretending not to be interested.
'Oh, I never came to see things like this because I was worried my face might get exposed… What's going on?'
She had a passionate crush on an idol during her school days, and even now, several years after she quit, that passion was still alive and burning.
'It's a miscellany, but…'
Yes. She liked all kinds of idols!
Thanks to this, she was able to enjoy LeTi's survival program without being overly immersed and focusing on moderate interest.
Right now, she was even guessing about today's stage after watching all 5 episodes that aired yesterday.
'Since it came out right before the team match, will there be another individual match?'
At the same time, she naturally thought of the most powerful solo exhibition stage.
The Shin Jaehyun VS Cha Eugene death match from episode 4, which aired last week.
-They killed it
-Wow, I get why the president used the Boss Pass on Cha Eugene. I would have done the same thing.
-Honestly, if it was a regular survival show, Cha Eugene has the potential to win ㅋㅋㅋ LeTi's president's insight is still the same. Hoo.
-Cha Eugene doesn't have LeTi's style, so it just makes him stand out. To be honest, I think Shin Jaehyun's quality is better… Still, Cha Eugene has a lot of fans. Congrats, congrats.
The two's stage successfully inherited the aggro of the 'Ryu Gunwoo VS Jin Chaeyul' stage, and flames rose again.
An unusual phenomenon also occurred here.
Basically, company survival shows worked differently from general survival shows, which was a state of everyone fighting against everyone else.
In company-based survival shows, it was obvious that the producers had people in mind to debut already.
-I think it will be perfect if they debut like this ㅠㅠ
However, as the heterogeneous
'There was chaos.'
The sudden chaos that drove existing viewers into corruption and incoming viewers into trouble continued for several days.
Moreover, it had the effect of reigniting the controversy over the phone call.
-It was a waste to let Jin Chaeyul go, so he had no choice but to come forward and say that Gunwoo lost. ㅋㅋㅋ This is ridiculous.
-Does the CEO have any ill feelings toward Ryu Gunwoo? Why is he acting like this? Why is he treating the child so cruelly when he could have passed?
-Ryu Gunwoo… His fans victimize him a lot. It'll be tiring for other fans when Wise debuts.
However, all these conflicts were dramatically resolved when episode 5 aired yesterday.
'A sexy performance!'
The stage already made heavy viewers excited with just 5 seconds of spoilers and pre-releases from the audience members who were there in person.
Shin Jaehyun and Cha Eugene performed together again, and Ryu Gunwoo also joined them. It wasn't an individual game but a complete team play.
Moreover, the pre-released cut was Cha Eugene's solo cut.
It was as if he was asking, "I'm a good fit for this agency, so what do you think?"
-Wow
-Awesome. What's with this guy?
-So, who were the people who were saying that Cha Eugene doesn't fit into LeTi? Fuck. Starting from today, he is a real LeTi trainee.
The stage preparation process in which Shin Jaehyun, who was full of leadership, led the team by gently comforting them, once again reminded people of the nature of in-house survival shows.
'They're going to be an official group soon!'
Since the pool of people was small, many viewers thought that if possible, all the guys who were this good would debut together.
As the toppings included the heartwarming recruitment of new members and the addition of Ryu Gunwoo, even those who were stressed felt relieved.
-I guess these two are really close. Oh, I'm very satisfied.
-Did you see Gunwoo's eyes? It's like a declaration that he'll tear apart every K-pop stage. Is this the anthem of a prosperous nation or something?
-I'm already imagining how great it would be if they made their debut and went to ZACON ㅠㅠ
If Ryu Gunwoo's life outside the country had seemed overly painful, things would have been a bit different. Fortunately, the water level was adjusted to an appropriate level as intended.
Of course, there were also elements that had nothing to do with this.
Just as the teacher who came as an audience member thought.
'He… He was really crazy about household chores.'
It was like this.
[Ryu Gunwoo: I like it when I'm cleaning because distracting thoughts disappear.]
[Ryu Gunwoo: So, I'll clean up the bathroom as well.]
[… ?]
[Something that no one told him to do]
Ryu Gunwoo's 3-piece housework set did not build an image of being meticulous and having strong vitality.
Instead, it was aired at 10x speed.
The sight of him frantically sweeping and mopping the dormitory contrasted with the other panicked members made for a very interesting picture, and the production team did not miss this.
[Obsessed ♨️]
[He can't bear to touch it…]
The sight of him thinking about the performance and pouring his burning passion into cleaning was accepted by people like a cute meme.
-Characteristics of a child who is good at studying: Just do it, there is nothing else that can be seen. 〈- Isn't this really it?
-It looks like he received really good home training.
-Becoming a house elf is Gunwoo's way of managing stress…?
-Ah, it's sad and cute, but it's really funny.
Surprisingly, everything was rationalized and the image of a golden spoon did not change at all.
It would have been a surprise if Park Moondae, who was disguised as Ryu Gunwoo, found out, but in any case, the gag image was effective in relieving tension.
The scene where he took care of Jin Chaeyul by going to Shin Jaehyun's team also showed his power and the sharpness of public opinion related to Ryu Gunwoo softened.
-ㅠㅠ This is really sweet. It must be hard to sleep, but in the midst of this, he's taking care of his dongsaeng's mentality…
-The kid has a venom. It's nice to see something.
-Looking forward to the next stage.
And now, as an audience member, she was able to view the stage and sneak a peek into the next chapter…
"Let's start the first stage!"
'Wow.'
The teacher, who had been lost in a flashback for a moment, came to her senses. She then fixed her eyes on the stage.
'Who will come out first?'
Naturally thinking about a popular contestant, she saw dark figures coming up on stage.
Then, there were gorgeous stages with familiar faces, awkward stages, stages that exceeded expectations, and an ambitious but disappointing stage.
Wow!
Still, most of the audience members, who had little experience seeing such a stage in person, enjoyed the show and were excited to vote.
This was because the president deliberately did not tell the audience that they were the ones holding the swords.
Thanks to this, the evaluation was brutally honest.
[The winner is… Jin Chaeyul from 〈Honor Class] who received 371 votes!]
Usually, there was an overwhelming victory, but sometimes there were cases where the performers performed similarly well.
In that case, interestingly, existing participants tended to receive more votes. It was an effect of gaining awareness.
'Oh, it's Yoonshin!'
Likewise, the teacher voted for the person she felt comfortable with and was attracted to.
Then, a contestant who was to perform the next performance watched it on the monitor, got into the mood, and moved to the waiting area.
The stage he would show was a famous dance-pop song by an American male soloist.
This was a stage where the song, with its groove and rhythm, was arranged with a focus on vocals.
But there was a secret.
'Oh, actually, it's a stage I've already done.'
This was a song he practiced a few months ago as a candidate song for his agency's end-of-month evaluation, and then dropped it right before.
But he didn't give up.
'I didn't really show it, so the company doesn't know.'
Even if other participants remembered, they wouldn't bother provoking him and making it into a big deal, so he thought it would be okay to use this trick.
'It's not a fucking scam just because I wanted to save some stamina.'
Wasn't it normal to lead the stage alone? Considering that he took care of everything from song selection to stage, it was only right to see these benefits.
VTIC's former main vocalist and honors class participant, who was given the title of 'Club Main Vocal' by Ryu Gunwoo, had completed his rationalization.
And then he stood upright, complaining about his tight pants.
Next to him, two people with a subtle resemblance, Ryu Gunwoo and Ryu Chungwoo, were standing side by side and waiting calmly.
They even smiled and spoke about their route as if they weren't nervous.
'Is it worth going that far to save face?'
Wasn't it a disease to be so camera-conscious?
'So what if he had a national archery medal?'
Meanwhile, the guy next to him, who thought he was smart, even spouted an idea to him while they were practicing.
-How about all the challengers appear together only at the end, and until then, only one person in charge of their part appears on stage? A featured stage is usually like that.
It seemed as If he was trying to be helpful, but that wasn't possible in a survival show, so he must have had an ulterior motive.
Originally, he had no authority to do this and that about the stage, so at one point he would need to get some real education… But he let him go for now.
He said he would reduce the amount of parts he had on his own, so there was nothing to be mad about.
'I think he's thinking of conserving his stamina and improving his live quality…'
Since his trainee period was short and he was only studying, he had a clear mind.
Unfortunately, he was originally born with good lung capacity. It was useless though.
'That bastard probably thinks he's a great strategist, right?'
It felt like he had a lot of fun being given a character because he was handsome.
Guys like that tended to become self-conscious trolls even in games. Since it was a solo exhibition, he welcomed it.
"〈Vocal B〉, it's time!"
"Yes!"
And finally, the time came for the stage.
Since they might debut together anyway, the honors class participant joined in giving each other words of encouragement.
"Whether we win or lose, let's do it properly, hyung."
Ryu Gunwoo smiled and nodded.
"Yes, to the best of our abilities. … Why not give it a try and go?"
"Yes, yes."
The honors class participant participated in cheering, drawing an image that he would not be able to survive even after their debut.
"Let's show everything! 〈Vocal B〉, fighting!"
And a moment later on stage…
At first, there was only one person who appeared from behind.
Just like a solo stage.
'What?'
Bambam bam bam bam!
The moment the pinpoint light was turned on, it was the honors class participant who turned around to the music.
The song began with gestures and a light rhythm, like choreography.
Funky rhythm and blues.
[I'm gonna show you something-]
Cheers erupted from the steady, steady high notes.
[Especially good-, and remarkable]
This was it!
The honors class participant coolly sang familiar lyrics.
The accumulated amount of practice allowed him to sing the song automatically without even thinking about it.
[Come on, it's not late!]
Just holding the standing microphone and turning it slightly was enough. Since he sang it so well, everyone would be impressed just by him adding this subtle choreography!
The honors class participant finished the song with a triumphant performance.
'It's as if this is already over!'
But that was the moment the first verse ended.
Another light came on the stage, illuminating a new person.
[I'm gonna show you something]
It had the same melody as the first measure.
However, the arrangement had changed.
The accompaniment almost disappeared, and husky notes fell from the smooth piano.
[Too bad-, and unforgettable]
"… !"
In an instant, his concentration increased significantly.
The honors class participant had goosebumps running down his spine.
A sense of crisis.
'What… ??'
Because Ryu Gunwoo deliberately did not show his best skills during practice.
[Come on, I'm waiting!]
The participants in the honors class were just trainees.
This meant that they weren't used to unexpected situations in actual combat.
For example, the pressure they would feel when they felt that their competitor's skills had suddenly improved.
'… !'
The honors class participant almost missed the timing, but reflexively grabbed the microphone and joined the chorus.
[Break this dance hall!]
The moment he felt reassured by its cleanliness… His teammate sang an ad-lib that went straight to the top.
[Break this dance hall!]
It was just a slightly higher pitch.
However, there was a clear difference in technique and vocal quality.
As if there was a difference in resolution.
Like a chorus and main singer.
He chased after the honors class participant as if he was going to devour him.
Wow!!
The cheering sounded like a comparison.
'Fuck, fuck!'
The tempo of the honors class participant became impatient and slightly sped up. The president raised his eyebrows.
[Ohh- yeah, yeah!]
Just like that, Ryu Gunwoo's part was finished.
Ryu Gunwoo disappeared from the stage with a slightly flashy farewell gesture. People responded to that too.
But all that was left was an empty microphone and lights.
'It's okay!'
It was around this time that the honors class participant, who doing light choreography, finally found his composure.
He hadn't even started singing, but suddenly he heard cheering again.
Wow! Wow!
'What… ?'
This time, Ryu Chungwoo entered the vacant Ryu Gunwoo's standing microphone position.
People were shocked and reacted provocatively to the unexpected appearance, but Ryu Chungwoo simply entered the second verse in a soft, low voice.
[I'm gonna show you something-]
The good voice was followed by cheers.
However, it was a competency that was not much different from practice. The honors class participant clearly sang better.
He went into the next verse with his nerves tense.
But…
'Why… Aren't they yelling as much for me?'
Normally, it was right for the person with the most screen time to stand out on stage.
The problem was change.
The audience got bored quickly.
The moment something that something new appeared and caught the eye of the audience members, something that had always existed would become old.
It would be plain with a boring taste.
And the people who kept being switched in and out would actually become the protagonists.
'Ah… …'
Anyone who kept their position the whole time would simply become background music.
…Unless he did it overwhelmingly, at the main level, and really well.
Ddok.
As soon as the honors class participant instinctively felt it, cold sweat ran down his back.
His pace began to slow down due to tension.
'Ah.'
The inertial habit of singing became disorganized as his mental strength collapsed.
And that was visible to the audience as well.
'Hmm…'
'Is he a little anxious?'
His impression which was overshadowed by Ryu Gunwoo in the first half was completely shattered in the second half.
'He's not as good as I thought… '
However, whether the person next to him performed worse or better than he practiced, Ryu Chungwoo was natural and calm.
Since he knew that his abilities weren't as good as his opponent's anyway, there was nothing to be intimidated by or expect.
Then, a third microphone appeared from behind, and Ryu Gunwoo appeared on stage again, carrying his part even as the audience cheers grew louder.
[Ohh- yeah, yeah!]
The ending had exquisite chords.
Wow!
Cheers erupted again, and the stage ended like that. And the person everyone was predicting soon appeared on the electronic screen.
[The winner is… Ryu Gunwoo from the
The victor. Ryu Gunwoo.
And it was virtually decided who among the losers would be eliminated.
• * *
The stage was over.
There was a short backstage break before the real loser emerged.
"Hyung, this… It was really fun."
As soon as Ryu Chungwoo took off the microphone, he even forgot how hard he was breathing and rushed over to say this.
And then he poured out words without listening to the answer.
"I never thought it would feel like this. This… Even though I didn't score high and even though I lost… I feel like I definitely won the game. It's interesting."
His voice was unusually excited for a guy who always behaved like an adult.
And then he spoke with his eyes shining.
"It's difficult to expect results because he is more skilled than me, but… I want to stay and do more. Even if I get criticized."
I smiled faintly.
"You don't have to worry about that. I think it will work out without getting criticized."
"… Really?"
Ryu Chungwoo's face was filled with hope and desire.
At that moment, I saw this damn status window turn on and flash and spit out new phrases.
[The status of his characteristic is… ?]
No way.
[B-]A!]
[Full draw (A)]
-When you pull the bowstring, it will hit the target.
: Performance composure +120%
"… !"
Right. It seemed that Ryu Chungwoo's passion for something had regained its influence and it had even affected his characteristics.
Really… It was a good thing, though.
"Hmm…"
Ryu Chungwoo's excitement faded for a moment, but then worry spread across his face.
"… Hyung. Is there a problem?"
"No, not that."
It wasn't a problem.
However… Actually, the moment I got off the stage, I did something in the heat of the moment.
[Fame is increasing…]
+50000 Exp
At that time, the reputation value was settled.
[Hahahahahaha you can spin it 50 times, hyung!!]
It felt like I had just sent the clubbing bastard away, so I felt good.
So I thought it would be no big deal and tried it out of adrenaline…
And then it happened.
[Haha!]
[★★★★★ Ryu Chungwoo / Lead Vocal]
"…"
This… How?