There was a pile of reactions to the episodes that aired on the Internet. I sorted it out in chronological order and viewed it.
I started with episode 7 and took a look at the basic public opinion.
This was the atmosphere after episode 6, when the sexy concept stage completed by Cheongryeo picking up Ryu Gunwoo, an outsider, was aired:
-A stage that seems to shout that this is the essence of LeTi.
-This is the first time in my life that I have ever been jealous of the stage floor…
-If they just debut like this, my savings will be taken away. Why are they making this into a survival show? Let them all debut.
-The most surprising thing is that at this stage there are two new trainees from the inferior class. The color of the agency is very clear, and the leader named Shin Jaehyun, who carries it out perfectly… [see more]
To be honest, I thought there would be more peripheral reactions because keywords like sexy were used, but at this point, analysis comments about the stage occupied the top spot.
'It means there are a lot of people who come back and keep watching.'
And it meant that there were many people who gave narratives. Additionally, it showed that the group's image was gradually improving.
'Cha Eugene was also completely accepted.'
The fact that Cha Eugene, who used to be an anomaly, completely accepted LeTi's style created a synergy and created an influx of people to the stage itself.
Yes, viewers were already predicting the debut member lineup by this time.
-The 9 members of Kim Taein's debut group that I think will make it (photo)
-The key question is who will be added? Will the president stick to his own stubbornness or will he pay attention to the public?
└Please vote quickly so that President Kim Taein can take notice (Link)
After the program, more and more people began to trace the outline of the debut group. Even the aggro announcement at the end of episode 6 about the appearance of the public support supplementary team didn't really work.
Everyone thought of it as just a passing obstacle and focused on existing participants.
But episode 7…
Ryu Chungwoo appeared.
-Oh my gosh
-That was a spoiler.
-Is this crazy Gunwoo's relative? What did everyone know? Am I the only one who didn't know?
At first, everyone was surprised by the unexpected new face of a big name in another field, but it was also very exciting.
… I think my reaction also played a role.
[From now on, let's see the person's reaction when a relative who was living alone suddenly appears on set as a participant.]
Above the subtitles flowing in red letters, a cut from my interview appeared.
[Ryu Gunwoo: … I see.]
[Ryu Gunwoo: (unable to continue speaking)]
[It took a day for Gunwoo to regain his fluency in speaking.]
'Damn it.'
I knew it would be like this, those broadcasting stations… The exquisite close-up of my goofy-looking face contrasted with the interview cut of someone with a similar appearance, and it worked well as an entertainment cut in a tense atmosphere.
- ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I guess the shock was severe.
-Ah, Gunwoo is cute, but I think I would have felt the same way. Even now, I'm not sure what's going on.
└Gradient confusion
-How did he come here?
And with Ryu Chunwoo's honest interview and the serious and cooperative preparation process, the on-air response was favorable.
That was, until spoilers spread widely.
[Have you seen LeTi's survival show?]
Is it true that Ryu Chungwoo gets in and Choi Taejun gets eliminated?
-??
-That kind of thing doesn't happen unless the president goes crazy.
└The eliminated candidates were selected based on audience voting scores…
└No way
-Oh no way… this isn't real.
However, until this time, public opinion was that it was a fake spoiler or a mess, so it seemed like it had managed to stay under the water due to tension.
And viewer public opinion, which was unexpected, exploded only after episode 8 was aired.
-All the spoilers were real. It's crazy.
-I was sad when he dropped out of a national college, so now that he's even an idol, I wonder what he's doing.
-Honestly, isn't this just Choi Taejun's fault? Who are you guys blaming? ㅋㅋ Genius <- To be honest, I expected it.
└Look at what they're saying about the eliminated candidate. Do you know this is a malicious comment?
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It's so transparent~
-What can we do about the fact that Ryu Chungwoo was so good and performed well on stage?
└Think carefully about whether or not you would have said this if he wasn't on the same team as Ryu Gunwoo.
The general opinion on the negative side was that I was so good that my relative Ryu Chungwoo hopped on the bus as well.
Ryu Gunwoo's spirit of challenge, jumping into the main vocal VS main vocal battle, was an appealing character in the survival show.
However, it was also suspicious that Ryu Chungwoo chose that team… or something.
'I knew there would be side effects.'
In fact, there was an atmosphere that went beyond the line to talk about manipulation and deep-rooted corruption, but it turned around again as even the public, not just viewers, questioned this aggro.
-Wow, Ryu Chungwoo is trying to become an idol? ㅋㅋ
-When did he grow up so much? He's still so great;
Because Ryu Chungwoo was a gold medalist.
'Public favorability is unconditionally high overall.'
Even if 〈Wise〉 was doing very well, it was only an idol survival entertainment show. There was a gap with the general public.
-So you guys are criticizing him for winning the vote?;;; Wow, how bizarre.
-Ah, this crossed the line.
-This is the problem with idols, especially LeTi's. It's so bad… They're even beating up the national team member who won gold medals just to support idols in their life.
Thanks to this, even people who didn't watch the program would join in and it would become a mess… It was obvious, but the self-cleaning effect worked to some extent, and the people who were criticizing it were suppressed.
Still, resentment was seething beneath the surface…
This happened before the guerrilla concert.
[Wise Choi Taejun leaked video]
It was a video of Club Main Vocal drinking and smoking.
It was a video posted a few years ago on social media of him having a birthday party at a bar.
Comparing it to the guy's appearance at the time, it was obvious that it was him, and it was even verified.
-Wow…
- ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
And everyone coolly changed their stance.
-Foresight came true
-Kim Taein's first time winning
-The audience's insight is top-notch in Korea. I reflect on myself for being ignorant.
-Wow, we avoided this.
Now, if this had exploded in the middle, the fans' heads would have exploded in pain.
Choi Taejun was good and had a lot of fans, and since he was the president's pick, he was unlikely to be eliminated.
Moreover, if a contestant issue arises, it would have a negative impact on the image of the program as it is an in-house survival show.
'But this ended up being something that Ryu Chungwoo prevented by joining so suddenly.'
Thanks to that, he was treated like a hero.
-Ryu brothers… how far have they seen?
-Looking at it now, I think he does have LeTi's style. Anyway, that's right.
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋ It's brainwashing!
Because the reevaluation was so fun, fans of all the contestants were so excited that they added friendly words.
'For some reason, there are a lot of fans who are not involved in the Club Main Vocal program at all.'
Since the situation was fun already, the public didn't say much about anything else.
In addition, things ended with a fancam of Ryu Chungwoo flying around, having regained his TeStar skills at the Guerrilla Concert.
-His improvement of skills like this… Is it possible?
-Okay, let's both become idols.
-We almost lost him to archery, I understand now.
Now, Ryu Chungwoo would no longer be ostracized, at least until the finals.
'It's neat.'
As if someone had planned it out already.
"… … I see."
And who else on earth could draw a picture here?
[Shin Jaehyun: Happy with the smooth progress (^-^)]
This guy was good at it.
As soon as I checked my list of companions, I made a call.
[Shin Jaehyun: Answering a call from a colleague (^▽^)]
Soon the call was connected, and I asked him directly.
-Well, wouldn't it make sense if things exploded around this time?
"I'm not sure. Since the timing is so exquisite, someone must have done it exquisitely."
I heard laughter on the other end of the phone.
-You can see it that way.
In fact, he was no different from a poet.
"How did this not get exposed in the past?"
-Originally… well. Maybe it was because the person who originally uploaded that video had their account hacked for some reason and quietly disappeared?
Oh, I understood now.
This guy seemed to have managed VTIC properly, even through every single controversy. No wonder they were a first-rate group for 10 years.
'That's acceptable.'
I thought for a moment and then asked him a question amicably.
"It's the program finals soon. Will you get rid of anyone else?"
-Oh, you want to try it yourself?
"There's nothing you can't do."
The guy laughed and then answered.
-There is one… I think everything would be balanced if they were naturally eliminated from the program.
"Who?"
-We'll see.
What?
-Because I want things to be neat. I'll leave the fun of guessing to hoobaenim.
He was truly a bastard who always treated people the same way. If I had been talking to him face to face, my fist would have gone out.
-Then, have a good rest. I'll see you in the practice room.
"Be prepared to talk."
-Haha.
And then the phone hung up.
'I'll have to get him to talk before we start filming.'
I gritted my teeth and closed the currency page.
Then, a new message popped up on the screen.
- Bae Sejin: You worked hard. I still remember that choreography.
This was evidence that the person who heard about this shooting contacted me and had a brief conversation.
The following was another message I just received.
-Cool Dongsaeng Sejin: Are you finished filming? How was the Guerrilla concert? ㅋㅋ
Lee Sejin.
It seemed like he contacted me just in time for the end of filming.
Last time he asked a few questions about the tour, this question came up.
I responded appropriately.
-It was a bit short, but it was fun.
-Cool Dongsaeng Sejin: That's right, that's right ㅎㅎ
-Cool Dongsaeng Sejin: But it's so short ㅋㅋ Aren't you going to fly when you debut?
Was he saying that we should paint gold on each other's faces?
I smiled and replied.
-You're the one who will be flying around on tour.
Replies poured in immediately.
-Cool Dongsaeng Sejin: Oh, the correct answer (firecracker emoticon) Sejin is pretty good at it. ㅋㅋ
-Cook Dongsaeng Sejin: Oh, that's right, a video of our tour is coming out? Tomorrow!
-Cool Dongsaeng Sejin: If you have time at night, can we watch it together? ㅋㅋ I want to hear hyung's thoughts about the guerrilla concert as well.
Hmm?
Given the terms of this guy's management, I thought we would only be able to meet after the finals were over.
'Well… There's no need to refuse since filming is over right now.'
This guy was also good at reading public opinion, so while watching 〈Wise〉, he may be able to catch some things that I didn't fully notice.
I responded calmly.
-If you can make time.
And the appointment was made quickly.
Given the timing, it would be hard to meet outside like last time. I was worried about sightings, so the place to meet was either that guy's house or my house.
Well, since that guy lived in a dorm… There was only one conclusion.
Ding dong.
"Hello~"
It was 9 o'clock at night. Lee Sejin came to the officetel with a gift set.
Of course, I wasn't the only one at home.
"Hello. Oh, I heard you're living together! I am enjoying the program."
"Welcome!"
"Hmm."
"… ?"
Beyond Cha Eugene, who was waving excitedly, Ryu Chungwoo looked closely at the team member he hadn't seen in a while and grinned.
"Have fun. Ah, is it okay to say this since you're my sunbaenim?"
"Ah~ Take it easy! I know you're my hyung."
"Haha, really? Thank you."
Lee Sejin handed over the gift set and entered the officetel. And when he came to the living room sofa, he made a social comment, 'The house is really nice.'
"If you do this, the sofa backrest will go up."
"You can remove the cushion too."
"… Ah, yes! Okay."
As he reflexively adjusted his preferred style, an expression of 'How on earth did you know?' almost passed over his face.
Still, Lee Sejin successfully took care of the situation and continued chatting amiably, but soon Ryu Chungwoo and Cha Eugene stood up.
"Then, we'll go grocery shopping."
"If you find something delicious, eat it!"
Since I was in charge of making late-night snacks, they decided to take care of the supply of ingredients.
"Hmm, if it's okay with you, how about I order some for delivery?"
"It's totally OK~ Enjoy!"
Cha Eugene simply answered Lee Sejin, and the two left.
Tiririk.
Lee Sejin looked at the closed front door and reacted appropriately and politely.
"Oh my… I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. It's always like this, not because you're here."
I chuckled.
"Let's discuss the tour."
"Hmm, is that so?"
Lee Sejin neatly changed his stance and actively operated the device.
The Blu-ray disc he brought played, and the video successfully appeared on the TV screen.
[GY-ROP – FIRST DROP : THE OPENING CONCERT]
"Oh, they made the letters really big~"
"It's good. I can see it well."
And the first song to be performed in a fairly large concert hall.
"Oh."
After the opening of a hip-hop bass song with an intense beat, a light reggaeton dance song followed.
I lifted my chin.
'It's a choice that shows the group color.'
It was a typical style that combined a rebel style with sharp group dances. Still, the quality of the song and choreography was good, so I thought there would be a lot of fans.
"Well done."
"Ahaha… Thank you."
While speaking brightly and naturally, Lee Sejin looked at the screen with rather quiet eyes.
He didn't look like a guy who got excited and brought his own video.
I understood why.
'He's working hard on his own.'
It was funny. This guy tended to be obsessed with overall balance in group songs. Thanks to this, it was his daily routine to grab Cha Eugene and pull Bae Sejin up during choreography practice.
That meant…
'The way those bastards dance stick out like a sore thumb.'
In the name of doing a live performance, he was controlling the choreography line less. So, if Lee Sejin danced according to what he wanted to do, it would look messy. Because his movements alone looked big.
Since he was already a tall guy, I could see him being conscious and careful, but as the song progressed, he became more immersed and his movements became bigger again.
Moreover, in the unit song performed by three of them… I could even feel the difference in quality.
[Yes, move forward, move forward! Just further forward~]
After confirming that the guy was almost skipping the choreography of lying down while pretending to make a gesture, I asked him outright.
"Was it a waste?"
Of course, he would probably say no, but since it felt better to talk shit, the person listening would probably do the same…
"Such a waste."
"… !"
It was a dry voice.
But he quickly became cheerful again.
"… My hyung was a little sick at that time~ So it was a performance where we both felt a bit disappointed!"
I nodded.
"… Okay."
"…"
There was a short silence.
"Ah~ Still, it's embarrassing to keep showing my performance to hyung like this. Do you want to drink? Hyung is non-alcoholic… ah."
The guy stopped talking. I stopped moving too, but he began to speak again.
"Is that not it? Ah, I thought I heard that last time. I'm sorry~"
"…"
I moved again.
"No, non-alcoholic is better."
"Oh, yeah? Then shall I bring it?"
"But this is my house, so I should treat you."
He bursted out laughing.
"Ah hyung, what are you talking about!"
I brought out a drink. Lee Sejin accepted it quite politely.
"Ah, thank you~"
"It's nothing."
The atmosphere relaxed again. I sat down and looked at the GY-ROP tour video again.
And then I remembered.
We used to work together, but now we work in different places.
Bae Sejin, Seon Ahyeon.
And the person on the screen… Keun Sejin.
"…"
In fact, rationally speaking, I had already come to a conclusion.
'There's no point in trying to get him in the lottery anymore.'
Unless Kim Raebin appeared, it would be better to try a cheat-level trick that used awakening points on me instead and made all my abilities EX.
But still.
'I'm pissed.'
I saw a bastard who used to be in the same group as me struggling over there, feeling out of place and limited.
Wouldn't it be better for him to know his true situation?
'There's plenty of room.'
Because reputation points were steadily coming in.
After struggling for a moment, I opened the status window. And with an inconspicuous movement, I repeatedly pressed the pop-up "Companion Draw" button 10 times in a row.
Light, light, light.
But what would happen if Seon Ahyeon appeared?
'I don't know, fuck!'
There was no time to think about it.
Starlight continuously splashed around the screen of GY-ROP's tour.
[Well, I think you spent about 100,000 points… ?! 100 times!]
Really? I kept pressing.
And I guessed I pressed it about twelve more times.
[Uh, uh?]
A strong light finally bursted out of the pop-up.
A light so strong that it obscured GY-ROP's tour screen.
And the stars were displayed in the status window.
[Hoo~]
[★★★★★ Lee Sejin / Main Dancer]
"…"
I got him.
[Would you like to greet your companion?]
The status window asked me.
I opened my mouth with my eyes on the drink.
I spoke to Lee Sejin.
"I'm just saying."
"Hmm?"
"There's more to your success somewhere that you haven't noticed."
"…"
"I mean… There might be another result of your efforts and you are not aware of it."
I asked him a question.
"If there was a way to find out, would you want to use it?"
"Yes."
"… !"
The answer came back without hesitation.
I looked back at him. Lee Sejin looked at me without expression.
"Let's try it."
"…"
"What will it be?"
I stretched out my hand.