Chapter 108
It's a pretty familiar sight.
Um, it's not just a familiar sight; it's a sight I've already seen once.
But why is the air so different, and why is the atmosphere felt through the skin so different?
"Haa, haa."
I looked at the audience seats, rippling with countless lights.
Perhaps because of the lights twinkling above my head, the audience's cheering sticks twinkled like stars in the night sky.
And then, as if the plugs on my ears were slowly being removed, the sound of the cheers of the people filling the gym slowly came in like waves.
"Wow!"
"Guys, this is awesome! "
"You did so well! "
Even amidst the tremendous cheers, there were some words that could be heard clearly.
"Karis―!"
"Just look here once! "
The voices of my fans are shouting my name with more force than anyone else.
It was a really strange feeling.
My name has definitely been Han Ji-hyeok since birth.
Now, it has become quite natural and something to be proud of to be called 'Karis von Walden'.
'I want to hear more.'
A desire burned hot inside me.
I want to hear more of the crowd's cheers.
I want to feel everyone's eyes on me.
I want to keep making them say they want to see more.
"Good job."
Chae Eun-gyu spoke quietly behind me.
It was almost buried in the cheers echoing throughout the gym, but my keen hearing accurately captured Chae Eun-gyu's voice.
"... It's thanks to you, Karis. I was able to enjoy the stage without any regrets."
"Me too."
"Thank you. Sincerely."
After hearing the words of gratitude, I turned my gaze forward again.
Then, my eyes met with the national managers, who were holding a slogan at the closest place to the stage.
[Karis, you always shine]
Yes, that's right.
Because I always want to shine brightly.
I chose my dream of becoming an idol because I wanted to shine brighter than anyone else on stage.
I have once again grabbed hold of that dream that I had long since let go of and am once again challenging myself here.
Now, I really feel like the goal of debuting, which had seemed so far away, is within reach.
But it was strange.
Obviously, my goal was to make the most of my second chance and fulfill my failed dream of debuting.
Why do I still feel regretful even at this moment when my dream seems to be coming true?
'I want to shine the brightest. Higher than anyone else.'
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I smiled faintly.
Yeah, it was like that at some point.
The higher the ranking each time,.
The more I saw national managers cheering me on, the more my heart grew.
I want to sit on that shining throne.
Rather than simply achieving the goal of debuting, I want to stand at the top and achieve my dream.
Right then.
[A linked quest for the Grand Quest, 'Debut within 365 Days' has occurred. This linked quest can be declined.]
[There is no separate penalty for refusing, so you can rest assured.]
[Would you like to check the linked quest details?]
A system notification window notified me of the occurrence of a linked quest.
I stared at the golden system window, still smiling.
Usually, when a sudden quest appears, I can't really predict what the mission will be.
This time, I felt like I knew for sure what the linked quest was.
'... I will check.'
As soon as I accepted, the golden light coming from the system window became even more intense.
And the wish I had in my heart slowly appeared as a phrase.
[The final linked quest, 'Become the final #1 in
[Would you like to accept the linked quest? ]
[Linked Quest Completion Reward: Check the Hidden Fact]
'Checking the Hidden Fact? '
I desperately tried to keep my expression from changing because the camera was still rolling.
I calmed my agitated mind and checked the existing grand quest rewards.
[Grand Quest, 'Debut within 365 days']
[Reward:
There's something else I haven't seen before.
It's a known fact that I won't be forcibly summoned into that shitty game when I complete the Grand Quest.
This means that I can remain in the real world while possessing the body of Karis von Walden.
But this is the first time I've seen the 'Unlock Passive Skill Enhancement' item.
'I used to only strengthen my passive skills with rewards from the Lucky Draw Shop, but now I can really level them up.'
As you might expect, this is a really nice perk.
I looked at the phrase [Hidden Fact Check] again and thought quickly.
'There is something else I don't know right now. But what is it? No matter how much I try to recall it, nothing bothers me.'
It was as if I could hear the crown prince's cheerful laughter in my head.
If you're curious, it seems to be urging you to accept this quest.
'Yes, that's what I was hoping for.'
If I had simply aimed for a 'debut', I wouldn't have had to consider variables at every moment and act with all my might.
What this means is that at some point, I also secretly harbored a desire to take first place on the final stage.
If you think about it realistically, the difference in votes between me and Song Hyung-bin, who is in first place, is almost non-existent.
The variable called fever time has also disappeared.
The malicious accounts that were a major obstacle during the 3rd ranking announcement ceremony can no longer hang on to me.
I spoke to the system without hesitation.
'I accept.'
[Understood, possessor-nim. The final linked quest, '
The moment I accepted the quest, the lights on the stage went out.
A signal for the next team to prepare.
"Everyone worked hard! "
"I'm so glad I didn't make any mistakes! "
"...Thank you for your hard work."
We walked backstage, arm in arm.
I came down from the stage and looked at the large, stepped set on the other side.
A glorious position for trainees whose debut has been confirmed.
In the middle of it all, a splendid throne stands majestically.
'So that no one can covet it.'
Worship me more.
I will show you a stage that suits you.
* * *
Before the shock from the stage had even subsided, the next stage, the
A team comprised of high-ranking trainees had an unexpectedly tough time.
The
[What is the order of the steps here? ]
[I'll try again, slowly. Look carefully here: first the left foot forward, then the right foot back... ]
From the moment the trainees first saw the demo video, they said that the choreography for this song would be extremely difficult to keep up with the fast tempo.
And the result of actually dancing.
Everyone was having a hard time with the extremely confusing shuffle steps.
[... It's the highest difficulty? ]
[What should I do with this? ]
[Yeah, but we can do it if we practice! ]
Although Ken Hashimoto, the brightest personality in the team, tried to somehow inject energy into the practice room, the atmosphere in the practice room, which was filled with frustration, was not easily reversed.
In particular, the complexion of Song Hyung-bin, who took on the role of leader, was not good.
[Song Hyung-bin: A bit... Should I say that we had a group mental breakdown? Haha.]
[Song Hyung-bin: I thought I was pretty good at learning choreography, but even for me, this choreography was a bit difficult. But if I don't learn it first, the rest of the team will have a hard time, so I feel a bit of pressure to do it somehow.]
If the team had trouble capturing the feel of the choreography, they will struggle with the pace of the choreography.
Because they have to have fast footwork and sing at the same time.
The trainees all stuck out their tongues, saying that it was the most difficult song among the mission songs in
It is not an exaggeration to say that they hit the reef, so the speed of picking the overall choreography was very slow.
And this problem was revealed during the midterm evaluation.
[I think everyone has a rough idea of how this choreography works. But you just know it, and I don't think you guys are dancing it properly. It's like you're just waving your arms around like this, right? Right? ]
This time too, Ha Sang-pil's harsh criticism was merciless.
The mood of the trainees, which had been sluggish to begin with, fell even further after the midterm evaluation.
But here, there was someone who turned the situation around.
[Kang Si-yoon: I felt like I had no other choice.]
[Kang Si-yoon: It's just that we're slow in learning the choreography, but it's not that our teamwork itself is lacking. In that case, all that's needed is for someone to fully understand it first and teach it well.]
[Kang Si-yoon: That's why I made the suggestion to Hyung-bin Hyung.]
Kang Si-yoon went to see Song Hyung-bin and offered his opinion.
He said that he would stay up all night to choreograph the second verse, so he asked if Song Hyung-bin could somehow choreograph the first verse.
It was a simple but extremely exhausting strategy: have the two best dancers learn the choreography as quickly as possible and teach it to the other members.
[Song Hyung-bin: After hearing what Si-yoon said, I thought there was no other answer.]
[Song Hyung-bin: And when Si-yoon spoke, I felt a tremendous will.... Ah, I also thought that I really needed to come to my senses and lead the members.]
Knowing that there wasn't much time left until the final round, Song Hyung-bin accepted the offer.
The scene continued with the two trainees continuing to practice while only sleeping 2-3 hours a day.
Karis had helped Chae Eun-gyu overcome adversity.
Kang Si-yoon collaborated with Song Hyung-bin to somehow master the most difficult choreography ever.
[We know that our hyungs are working hard, so we promise ourselves that we will never fall behind.]
[Because we absolutely cannot let such efforts go to waste....]
[While we were sleeping because we were tired, Siyoon and Hyungbin didn't even sleep. If I can't keep up here, I don't think I'll be satisfied with myself.]
The rest of the team members also burned with fighting spirit and renewed their determination.
They desperately tried to fix the parts that were pointed out during the midterm evaluation.
The national managers watching the broadcast focused on Kang Si-yoon and Song Hyung-bin, who showed amazing physical strength and tenacity.
―I didn't know, but Siyoon seems to have leadership skills and is also very good at judging situations.... Just like Karis helped Hyung-bin in the last team, it feels like Siyoon is taking his place this time? It's really a science between the two of them ㅠ ·̫ㅠ
[Birds of the same feather flock together.
과학이다(science) is meme in korea. It means that scientifically, everything is logically correct. The fact that those guys are gathering together is logical and scientific.]
└The deputy director of Karis' counseling center is suspected to be Kang Si-yoon
└I was worried because Siyoon didn't have much screen time ㅠㅠㅠ He's so special
└Hyung-bin and Siyoon seem to have good chemistry togetherㅋㅋㅋ
Finally, the final stage of
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