Chapter 23

If I can't debut, I'll get a disease that will kill me - Chapter 023

The arrangement meeting was led by Daesejin. And he received a considerable amount of screen time.

[Heo Seung: It was a relief that Daesejin was the leader!]

[Ha Iljun: He definitely has leadership.]

From the interviews of Gold 1 and 2, it seemed that the production team intended to push Daesejin's leadership role.

"Ah, thank you everyone~"

"If you're grateful, then talk about me in the next interview."

"Me too!"

"Ah, of course~"

In contrast to Daesejin's relaxed expression, another participant was watching the screen in the living room.

I glanced at Choi Won-gil.

"......"

Choi Won-gil, who had been quiet even after today's meeting, now had a tense look on his face.

I wondered how the production team had edited his complaints about me.

From my perspective, as long as I didn't come off as the one starting the conflict, it was fine. In fact, I didn't really care much about it.

However, the editing took an unexpected turn.

They completely cut out Choi Won-gil's complaints.

[The idea is good, but it might look like we're mocking the original song.]

Moreover, Daesejin's rebuttal to my comment was also cut out.

Instead, a scene of Daesejin nodding seriously was inserted.

[After thinking about it, there might be a way to maintain the original song's emotion while making it more intense.]

Then, it was connected as if I had suggested the idea.

'Looks like they thought Choi Won-gil wasn't necessary for the story.'

To enhance the dramatic flow of the arrangement, they made the ambiguous conflict disappear.

'Come to think of it, the part change at the beginning was also glossed over.'

Choi Won-gil seemed relieved, but I wasn't sure if that was the case.

In the end, Choi Won-gil didn't get a proper cut throughout the episode. He didn't even get a proper interview.

Perhaps he often said unpleasant things about parts and arrangements in his interviews, so there wasn't much to use.

Anyway, that was fine, and what mattered was my editing.

Just then, Park Moondae on the screen was faintly smiling and finishing his line.

[Let's mix in some horror.]

[…!!]

Then, the camera zoomed in on the shocked faces of the team members one by one.

‘…Isn’t this a bit much?’

It looked like someone would think he had come up with a groundbreaking idea.

Moreover, another interview clip appeared.

[Ha Iljun: Wow! (Moondae) said it perfectly!]

[Heo Seung: I thought this was it.]

[Seo Jin (A): That's... talent.]

The young actor Seo Jin's words sounded somewhat bitter. But more than that, I couldn't believe this guy had such an interview.

Thanks to this, the living room was filled with cringeworthy interviews, with jokes and jeers flying around. Seo Jin, however, kept his mouth shut and watched the screen resolutely.

Then, as Daesejin's interview appeared, everything turned into laughter.

[Seo Jin (B): Moondae is really funny, isn't he? (Laughter) I mean, his expression is like a Tibetan fox, and his ideas are explosive, it's really funny!]

With Daesejin's words as the background, scenes of 'Park Moondae' reacting to various situations were edited together.

Sun Ah-hyun's ranking evaluation.

[I... I, when I was... young, I had an accident...]

[What can we do...]

As the sympathetic public opinion passed, Park Moondae was shown in a close-up.

"......"

Even I could see he was completely calm.

And the subtitle appeared.

[Park Moondae: (Calm)]

"Ah! That's right!!"

"He really did that! Ahahaha!!"

Then, the scene of the trainer's harsh criticism.

[This kind of evaluation should be a compliment at a school trip talent show!]

[......]

Among the team members who were bowing their heads and biting their lips, Park Moondae's calm face stood out.

[Park Moondae: (Calm)]

That's right.

In every situation where other participants were shaken,

Park Moondae was the only one with a poker face.

"Ah, hah!!"

"That face! It's so funny!"

"......"

At that moment, I realized my mistake.

Among the participants who were overacting, I was the only one who remained calm, making me look like I had some mental issues.

‘I shouldn’t have blamed the production team.’

I was laughing madly while dodging Daesejin's hand, which was patting my back in apology, and reflecting on my mistake.

In the broadcast, the arrangement process was shown to be progressing smoothly, without spoiling too much.

[Seo Jin (B): We'll do well!]

[Park Moondae: ...Good luck.]

I don't know why I shouted "Good luck" so unenthusiastically...

And soon, the stage began.

Even the team members who were making all sorts of comments were now focused on watching.

I looked at the stage makeup of 'Park Moondae' with a sense of unfamiliarity. I was that guy.

[Ooooh-]

Soon, the eerie prelude began with the opening choreography, and the performance started in earnest.

Then, the shocked faces of the other participants waiting in the wings were inserted whenever a part changed. Oh my.

Fortunately, the editing was done well, so the stage didn't feel choppy.

‘Hmm.’

Anyway, the stage definitely turned out well.

Especially, Sun Ah-hyun's performance was like a fish in water, making her look like the main dancer rather than Daesejin.

‘Sun Ah-hyun’s ranking will definitely rise.’

Next, Daesejin stood out, and the others also performed their parts well. Surprisingly, Seo Jin also did a good job with his expressions, making him look natural.

Choi Won-gil, who appeared in the center during the chorus, seemed to lose out a bit due to the choreography, which divided the focus with Sun Ah-hyun.

And I... fortunately, my bridge part was well shown.

[Can’t You feel me?]

This one line was followed by two or three reactions.

‘...It almost became a round-robin song?’

I was grateful, but also suspicious of the intention.

‘Is this the start of the talentless but nice guy gimmick again?’

So when the trainers' conversation was inserted during the bridge part reaction, I watched the screen with a suspicious eye.

[Mu Di: Was this originally Won-gil's part?]

[Jeong Tae-song: Really?]

[Mu Di: Yeah, when Won-gil said he couldn't do it, (Moondae) gave him his chorus part and did the arrangement... (by himself).]

I didn't expect them to develop this story.

Moreover, from the trainers' conversation, it sounded like I had kindly swapped parts with Choi Won-gil.

Well, it was technically true.

Mu Di even had an interview cut.

[Mu Di: Moondae is surprisingly kind.]

[Mu Di: But, his singing is strong!]

Thank you.

Even if it was the same character, being portrayed as 'clueless but nice' was much better than 'clueless and annoying.'

It felt like I should send ginseng as a token of gratitude for avoiding a sudden death.

The stage ended with the enthusiastic audience shouting for an encore.

[Encore! Encore!]

The team's joyful embrace was also successfully broadcast.

“We did great.”

“To be honest, it was my stage, but I thought it was good even watching it.”

“Agreed.”

The living room echoed with the meaningless applause and the satisfied conversations of all the team members.

I focused on my parts, but in a broader sense, the team members received a relatively balanced amount of screen time.

Thanks to this, the living room atmosphere remained harmonious.

I'm sure many of the participants felt like they were at a funeral.

For example, the team that came after us, Ryu Cheong-woo's team, was... at a level where you wanted to offer a moment of silence.

Here are a few excerpts from the subtitles.

[Did you choose the best song?]

[Tha...t...’s...it.]

[Team members who couldn't focus on practice]

[Leader Ryu Cheong-woo's struggle]

The highlight was clearly Ryu Cheong-woo's interview, which looked very difficult.

[Ryu Cheong-woo: ...We have to do it.]

‘Wow, they really did it.’

I already knew it wasn't that bad, but watching it made me feel bad.

Even our team members couldn't help but talk sympathetically.

“What are they going to do?”

“Cheong-woo was struggling. Well, still...”

In summary, it was a story of Ryu Cheong-woo, who had no talent but a lot of complaints, leading his team through a difficult time to complete the stage.

“Cheong-woo has a good personality, but... wow, he looks like a perfect gentleman.”

Gold 1's muttered words accurately described the editing.

Anyway, the broadcast showed us easily defeating Ryu Cheong-woo's team.

[The score is... an incredible, 82 to 401!]

[Wow!!]

It was a well-received cut.

Regarding the individual votes, the editing ended with a strange twist to encourage votes for Ryu Cheong-woo.

[Ryu Cheong-woo: I think my lack was significant.]

[Park Jeong-sub: Honestly, (the individual vote) should have been won.]

[Lee Do-jun: The responsibility of the person who led the team...]

Well, our team was clean and good for not even mentioning the individual votes.

It was a clear victory both on-site and on the broadcast.

When the third episode ended, all the team members collapsed on the floor and sofas.

“Wow... this is draining.”

“I was so tense, I thought I would die!”

“It was... scary.”

Even Sun Ah-hyun added his comment.

They seemed to have used up a lot of mental energy.

Daesejin, lying on the sofa, said,

“Ah, to be honest... everyone really worked hard. Wow, watching the broadcast, everyone did so well!”

“Daesejin, you did a great job~”

“It’s good that you came out well.”

Gold 2, with eyes wide open in anticipation, left this comment.

“Our reactions will be great, right?”

And as if someone had granted a wish, it came true.

* * *

The first reaction appeared on Vtube.

The stage video of the team Park Moondae was in, 〈October 31〉, ranked 9th in the real-time popular videos.

The comments were chaotic.

- From the arrangement to the stage presence, everything was amazing.

- Such a precious stage in a humble studio;;

- This is the stock that will skyrocket.

- What? Vampire? I’ll drive a blood donation van right away.

- I’ve organized the names! 0:12 Sun Ah-hyun, 0:21 Seo Jin (B) ... (more)

- October 31, I hope you debut like this.

- Watching the preparation process, everyone seemed so innocent and close, it was so cute. Is the stage and the gap real?

Immediately after the broadcast, similar recommendation posts and reviews started to appear in the popular posts or were shared in the thousands.

[Reinterpretation of a girl group debut song by a participant team]

[The participant team that made the original song even more artistic]

[The ranking of the participants in the second episode of 〈Ajuza〉 won’t change]

Moreover, new viewers started to join 〈Idol Corporation〉 after watching this stage.

- I saw the vampire concept stage, is this a new season of 〈Ajuza〉?

- I thought it would be bad, but the stage quality is amazing.

- I’ve never liked idols, but how do I vote for this? :(

Therefore, posts expressing support for the team were also seen.

- I hope they debut like this!

- I’m voting for them one by one. Why aren’t they already a group?!

Some quick KPOP reaction channels also moved.

They uploaded a reaction comparing the original song of Malangdalcom and the arranged version of October 31.

[WOW! It’s like, one of a kind, right?]

That video was subtitled and re-uploaded to reaction translation channels, continuously reproducing domestic and international viewers.

In this process, the frequency of mentions of the team members on SNS and related communities increased dramatically.

It was a seismic shift.

The highlight came when Malangdalcom themselves posted a reaction video to this stage on Vtube.

[〈Ajuza〉’s hot stage! Malangdalcom reacts to October 31’s ‘To a New World’]

After their peak, the members of Malangdalcom, except for one who became a successful actor, continued to live as SNS celebrities.

Two of the members collaborated and opened a YouTube channel to ride the trend.

And they didn’t miss this trending content related to themselves.

Thus, all the members, except for the one with a busy acting schedule, gathered to watch October 31’s arranged stage.

“Wow~”

“Ah, this is a difficult part.”

“Yoon Eun’s part, Sun Ah-hyun? Now he’s my stock.”

“Oh~ The main vocalist is a fan of ours! Park... Moondae!”

“Thank you~”

The reaction started with the usual exclamations, then moved to appreciation of the details, and praise for the participants.

“Oh! Dried flowers in the costumes!”

“They used our symbolic flowers. Wow...”

“They are very meticulous.”

Of course, when the bridge part came, they all gasped.

“Raise the key like this?!”

“Wow, really?!”

“Wow, it’s really cool...”

“Seems like they are really our fans.”

And at the end, it ended with sniffles.

“Ah, no, why am I crying? Why am I crying?”

“Aah~ You did so well, we were really moved.”

The members, fanning themselves with their hands, slowly spoke.

“We... received excessive love for our B-grade concept. But originally, our debut song was like this.”

Malangdalcom debuted as flower fairies and then became famous with a so-called 'sick cuteness' concept.

So there was a famous meme at the time.

- From flower fairies to X with flowers on their heads lol

It was the day they wore hairpins symbolizing their flowers on the 〈POP☆CON〉 stage.

Someone compared a screenshot of that day with the debut stage and left that comment.

“Actually, we... liked the gap between our debut song and the concept. We received more love because of it, but we were a bit... disappointed.”

The comment became famous, making the 〈POP☆CON〉 song even more popular.

They had more good feelings than bad about the sick cuteness concept that brought them their peak.

But it wasn’t entirely without sadness.

“We could have done various concepts...”

No one could remain unaffected by the subtle mockery.

So they were deeply moved by the participants who seriously approached their debut song, which didn’t receive much attention from the public.

“Thank you so much. For beautifully interpreting Malangdalcom’s... um, pure concept!”

“Yes. The reinterpretation was also great. Vampire... We would also love to try it if we get the chance!”

The original song's emotion was preserved and beautifully reinterpreted, which added to their impression.

They finished their words with slightly teary voices.

“Really... it was a great stage. We’ll all buy stocks!”

“October 31, fighting!!”

“Fighting~”

As the screenshot of this video was posted on communities and SNS, the view count of October 31’s stage video skyrocketed again.

And before the fourth episode.

All the individual close-up videos of the team performances were released first.