Chapter 13
It was like a typhoon was about to hit.
'Oh, shit. It's been a long time since I've been this scared of the clock hitting 7 o'clock.'
A woman bit her lip as she stared at the computer screen, clicking between browser windows.
One is her own SNS account.
One is the K-Countdown Live Talk.
And one is a prominent idol community platform bustling with crowds.
This homma, who has been a shining idol fan for 10 years, has a shining experience that speaks for itself.
The texts were originally endlessly regenerated, but today the atmosphere is a bit different.
That's understandable, because today is the first day of the new idol survival program,
Homma went into her timeline and looked at her friends' reactions.
―The theme song hasn't even been released yet, so why does it feel like mental illness is coming? ㅠ
―I still haven't recovered from the mental shock from the IP1 [Idol Produce 101]survival, and now it's survival again... Oh... If my child falls at this time, life will be really hard.
└I have nothing to say because it's the same for me ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Survival addiction can't be cured
-Is this year's trainee pool okay? I heard the news late and I haven't heard anything.
└ It's not up yet, but I'm told it will be on the homepage after the theme song is released!!
└I wish there were more handsome guys ㅈㅂㅈㅂ
└But as the episodes go on, there are fewer and fewer good ones ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
―But what if the trainees only have good looks, but also have poor skills? Even during the time of IP1, only the kids who got PD picks debuted, and all the kids I pushed for with good skills were eliminated.
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It hurts, the kids who could take in the main vocals all got kicked out in the 3rd round and in the end they only released songs without even a single high note
└But in the end, they didn't fail... It seems that these days, looks are more important than skills.
└It's true that IP1 was a dog, but the basic virtue that an idol should have is a faceㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
As 7 o'clock approached, everyone began to feel anxious and began to write down worries that stemmed from past experiences.
The complaints of those who absolutely cannot stand idol survival shows, even if they have their own bases, and of true addicts who only like survival groups like nomads.
Homma also couldn't get out of this addiction, so she was waiting to pick another favorite.
'Please, I hope someone comes out who is worthy of my one-pick. And I hope that person doesn't get sick in the middle of the game.'
It was funny that this was happening even before the official broadcast, but it was a long-standing tradition of survival auditions.
The phenomenon of some trainees who completely forgot their past and were naturally eliminated after being carpet bombed by their acquaintances.
Some of the trainees who always make it to the top often cause various problems, such as school violence or underage drinking and smoking, which even makes viewers' minds explode.
'I'm ready; I just need to feel it!'
Homma's former headquarters were blown up a year ago.
That's because the member she loved the most became a runaway ninja due to a premarital pregnancy.
So for a while, Homma's cannon camera and editing program were forced to take a break, but this time, a new opportunity had come.
Thanks to taking a break from fandom, she has enough money.
All the devices that will beautifully capture her favorite moments are also fully warmed up.
Homma swallowed hard and waited for KNet's music show K-Countdown to end.
After all teams' stages were completed, the subtitles in the upper left corner changed.
[Special Stage: Idol Producing Simulation]
As the camera moved towards the ceiling in a dazzling manner, people who had been waiting for the theme song also began to express their emotions.
—Let's go, let's go
―What kind of chaos awaits us this time?
―I just need a lot of good-looking kids haha
―Honestly, I am a newbieㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It maybe the first time I've done a survival since Idol Production? I really like this feeling
―I'm a senior in high school. What should I do?······.
└ Student!!! Put your phone down
The light from the upward-pointing camera lens disappeared.
At that time, only faint EDM sounds could be heard.
At the back of the set, twinkling stars shone, illuminating the platform in the center.
The trainees crouched on a circular stage and raised their arms.
And they started dancing energetically to the first verse of
'Central platform, small number of people... These must be the highest ranks!'
This is a detail that anyone who has ever been a fan of survival can quickly understand.
They kept putting out articles saying there were a total of 96 trainees, but now, in the beginning, it looks like there are only about fifteen.
Then, of course, they would be the trainees who received special privileges, that is, the boys who received the highest rank.
Homma leaned forward with even greater concentration.
There is a very high chance that the trainee who will become her number one pick will be there.
The trainees made serious eye contact with the camera and showed off their skills.
Not yet. There hasn't been a trainee who has completely caught Homma's eye yet.
―Shine your light on me!
Then, the trainees on the central platform changed their routes.
The new faces at the back moved forward, showing off their skills.
It was just then.
"...Who was that just now?"
Homma spoke loudly in the empty house.
She just made eye contact with a trainee for about a second.
It was a scene that passed by so quickly, but she felt it for sure.
The fact that there was a really, really handsome trainee.
―Hey, did you see the kid who just passed by?? What's with blonde hair??
└??? Why? I missed it
└It was really fucking cool!!!! ㅁㅊ
└Who is it? Why can't I see it?
└It happened so quickly that I couldn't see him properly, but he was definitely blond. ㅇㅇ Among the blond kids, there's one who's the most handsome.
Other people had the same reactions as Homma.
They had a brief glimpse of the blonde trainee's outstanding face.
But the cameras, unable to hear her desperate prayers, did not show the blonde trainee again.
The viewers put aside some of their regrets and once again gave their overall impressions.
―The song is good...
―It's not at the level of a song banned from the college entrance exam, but it seems like something you can hum along to
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ But it seems like no song can beat the addictiveness of previous survivalㅠ There's no song that can beat Beloved
―But I don't think I can see the landmines very well? Overall, the facial condition looks like they're all messed up
└It may be that they only caught the good-looking guys······.
└First of all, you have to be happy to watch the show, so I'll pass for now ㅎㅎ
―But why are there so many tap taps [ aren't good at dancing] this time? Even when I see them for a little while, they make a tap tap sound. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└The center platform kids were getting along well, but then other platforms started flying in from both sides, and they started breaking apartㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└I can already imagine the scene where the trainers are throwing angry punches
└Is this the same lineup that came out in IP1??
└ㅇㅇ Bae Kang-woo is coming out
└If Bae Kang-woo appears, there will be a lot of memes this time tooㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
―Ah, why does it seem like it gets worse as it gets further into the middle? It already feels like it's ruined
└It hasn't even started yet ㄷ
└Don't mess around, okay?
└I'm just saying facts, what the heckㅋㅋㅋㅋ To be honest, I hardly see any good-looking kids these days and their dancing isn't that good either
└ You're right, the excitement cools down a bit because the kids from lower ranks are mixed in.
Two additional crescent-shaped platforms were added on either side of the circular platform.
The stepped platform gave off the impression that it was intended to be a level system.
Even in Homma's eyes, the trainees who were considered lower-ranking seemed to have a good reason for being so.
Now that public opinion is cooling off a bit,
KNet heard people's prayers near the highlight of the chorus.
"Oh, oh, oh! "
Homma stared at the screen with her eyes wide open, forgetting how to breathe.
It's the trainee from earlier.
The blonde trainee passed by in an instant.
Earlier, she couldn't properly appreciate the visuals because the portion was as small as a flea's liver.
Just now, they caught a one-shot that lasted a whole 3 seconds during the point choreography!
―ㅁㅊ Is the kid that just came out the kid you were talking about earlier?? The one with the blonde hair was handsome
—Is he Korean? He doesn't seem to be Korean.
└ Doesn't he look like mixed blood?
└The hair color and body shape looked like a foreigner, but the eyes were black.
└He's mixed race and he's just so damn handsome. He's at the level of ignoring all the current idols.
└If nothing happens, he'll definitely debut
As the final dance break came, the trainees came running from the bottom of the stage.
Viewers who are familiar with survival programs immediately realized that
—They must be the lowest-ranked kids.
―It's a shame... Because their ranks are low, they can't even go on stage and have to dance on the floor.
―The portions have all been cut out ㅠㅋㅋㅋ They made it so that they appear after Danb [dance break]
└Looking at it that way, the central platform is a scam. They took all the shots from start to finish.
└But they must have been so good and handsome that they ended up like that
└You're right ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Look at the kids at the bottom right now... Honestly, I'm sorry to say this, but I don't really see their value as idols.
└But you never know, they might debut thereㅋㅋㅋㅋ There was a kid from IP1 who debuted with a huge fan base like that
└I think there are a lot of kids who don't want to be idols and instead become actors because their goal is just to be famous? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The trainees, who had burned the last flame until the end of the song, looked at the camera, breathing heavily.
This is where the crisis comes from.
Being overly greedy or having too much willpower can actually backfire in a one-shot.
Five or six trainees passing by just now made this mistake.
—What is that heart?? It's so far-fetched lol
―ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The third one caught seems okay??
―It's hard to pretend to be fatal ^^;;;; ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― I find it so ugly to see someone panting so hard on purpose when they're not even that out of breath ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Don't they know that doing that would have the opposite effect?
―The kid caught in the middle has double eyelid surgery; it's so obvious… I think the picture was taken when the swelling hadn't gone down yet. What should I do?
It's okay if you appeal to the charm appropriately, but if it was that kind of reaction... Well, the answer is already revealed in people's reactions.
Homma, who had been looking at the
At that time, they were showing off the various heart aegyo of other trainees for a few seconds.
Just before the special stage ended, the blonde trainee's face was zoomed in.
And then he gave one really innocent wink.
"Huh?"
Homma instinctively took a deep breath and quickly sat up.
Her head was spinning.
'I felt like this... When was the last time I felt like this?'
She didn't get this kind of first impression when she supported her last favorite, who broke the news about a premarital pregnancy and left.
It really felt like she was seeing a crown prince in a novel....
'okay!'
This review was exactly right.
That noble aura was definitely like that of a crown prince from somewhere that does not exist in this world.
After recovering from the initial shock, Homma immediately went to the KNet homepage.
While waiting for the profiles of the
The moment had come to rekindle her professional spirit once again.
—