Chapter 28

### Chapter 28: If I Can't Debut, I'll Get a Terminal Illness

To be honest, if someone were to ask me whether "Burning Like the Sun" is a good song, I could say it is. However, if they were to ask me if it's a good song for an idol performance, I would advise them to cut their losses and move on.

This song has the typical lyrics and sound of a 2000s rock band... You can trust me on this. Every time I went to watch the idols I recommended, I listened to this song.

It's a lively band song that doesn't even suit a cheerleader's routine. Its main appeal is the high-pitched, refreshing vocals. In conclusion, the arrangement difficulty is ridiculously high.

"..."

Can't I get a songwriting-related skill? I need it right now.

Despite my hopeless feelings, the conversation between the original composer and the participants was hopeful. The other team members seemed to only know a few catchy lines from the chorus.

"We didn't have a long activity period, so we didn't get to perform this song much. I hope you all can do a great job with it this time."

"We'll do our best to create a fantastic performance!"

How are you going to do that?

...No, I shouldn't stress over this. I'll just try to survive this team battle. As long as the editing isn't too harsh, I'll consider it a decent performance. I can still debut quickly with a small to medium-sized agency.

'Still, the stage... I thought I could at least pull it off to some extent.'

I felt strangely disappointed. I don't know why I cared so much about the stage, given that I didn't start this voluntarily.

'If someone mocks me for being too invested, I won't have anything to say.'

"..."

...Still, it was fun.

Alright. I'll try to contribute more during the discussion. Maybe another participant will come up with a good idea.

The original composer soon left the filming site, saying they would check the practice with the trainer a few days later during the mid-evaluation.

Then, the team members gathered, and the discussion about the stage composition finally began.

* * *

First, Ryu Cheong-woo suggested a concept that seemed like a model answer.

"Wouldn't a cheerleading concept be the best? It would fit the song, and we could add some challenging choreography."

"Cheerleading? Hmm... It's a good experience."

"It seems fine."

"It'll be exciting."

Some, including Cha Yujin, responded positively. The general vibe was that it was okay.

"What do you think? Rae-bin, Moon-dae, Se-jin."

Ryu Cheong-woo quickly scanned the team members' reactions and pointed out the three silent participants, including me.

In such situations, it's better to speak later and choose your words carefully after observing the situation.

So, I naturally looked at the other two.

"Let's hear Se-jin's opinion first."

"Cheerleading seems a bit... tacky."

He hit the nail on the head.

So far, Isejin hasn't been portrayed negatively in the editing, so his uncooperative attitude hasn't been highlighted on the show. From what I've seen, his fans believe he's a "shy, sensitive hard worker."

However, since Ryu Cheong-woo is often portrayed positively, Isejin might be in trouble this time.

Anyway, Ryu Cheong-woo wasn't fazed. He calmly asked for other opinions.

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"I don't, so I didn't want to say anything."

"Hmm, okay. I understand."

Ryu Cheong-woo then asked Kim Rae-bin the same question.

"What do you think, Rae-bin?"

"I'm not familiar with this song, so I need to listen to it first."

"Alright. Let's play it once."

When the smart pad was activated, a classic drum intro followed by an electric guitar melody played the chorus.

"..."

Everyone listened to the song in silence. After it ended, Kim Rae-bin, looking pale, muttered first.

"This is..."

Finally, someone realized the disaster of this song selection.

The lyrics were a typical youth anthem from the past. They could be considered retro or old-fashioned, depending on how you look at it.

There were no distinctive concepts like fairy flowers or vampires, and it would be hard to add any.

The song was designed for a single talented singer to perform, with a chorus that required a very high octave.

If we lowered the octave, the song's charm would be lost. The high, powerful vocals are its main appeal.

"Hmm, the pitch is very high. Did you notice any other difficulties?"

"..."

Kim Rae-bin took a deep breath as if he was about to speak, but then glanced at the camera and closed his mouth. He seemed to be cautious due to the backlash from the previous team battle over personality issues.

"So... Yes, the song is good, but it will be difficult to arrange."

"Is that so? If you say it's difficult, it must be."

Ryu Cheong-woo readily agreed. It seemed he trusted Kim Rae-bin because, despite the show's failure in the first team battle, Kim Rae-bin had led the arrangement and produced a decent song.

'He turned a mass-produced EDM song from the late 2000s into a well-polished EDM trap, keeping only the sample beats.'

"Then, what about Moon-dae?"

Finally, it was my turn.

"I think there's something we need to decide before arranging the song."

"What is it?"

"Part distribution."

If the song selection doesn't work, we need to focus on what we can do well.

We need to ensure we don't fail.

I can confidently say that, in this team, I'm the only one who can properly sing the chorus.

To handle it, the vocalist needs to be at least A- level, and I'm the only one in this team who fits that criteria.

'I can't sing the entire chorus by myself, though.'

So, we need to start by cutting parts and practicing to avoid mistakes.

The arrangement won't yield good results no matter what we do, so let's delay it.

This isn't the time to think big. It's an emergency.

If I convey this as gently as possible, it would sound like this:

"Since the song is difficult to sing, we should start practicing as soon as possible."

"Part distribution... Of course, it's important."

Ryu Cheong-woo seemed surprised.

"But that's unexpected. Didn't Moon-dae suggest starting with the arrangement in the previous team battle?"

"Excuse me?"

I didn't know how he knew that, as it wasn't shown on the show.

"I heard it from Isejin."

"..."

'When did you start talking to Ryu Cheong-woo?'

He's not an ordinary guy.

"Rae-bin, since you're the best at arranging, what do you think of Moon-dae's suggestion?"

"Sure. It's fine. I'll consider various options while we practice."

Kim Rae-bin agreed easily, though he looked like someone who had just observed a meteorite about to hit Earth.

"Alright, since we've heard everyone's opinions, let's proceed with a show of hands until we have a better idea."

Ryu Cheong-woo quickly summarized the situation without wasting time.

"Who agrees to start practicing with the cheerleading concept?"

A majority raised their hands, including me.

Ryu Cheong-woo didn't specifically call out Isejin, who didn't raise his hand, and moved on to the next item.

"Who agrees to start with part distribution?"

Fortunately, this also passed with a majority. Seeing Isejin raise his hand, it seemed my explanation made sense.

Isejin quickly lowered his hand and avoided eye contact just before our eyes met.

"..."

He wanted to show that he agreed with the idea, not with me. Really?

"Alright. Let's start with part distribution."

The part distribution seemed to be progressing smoothly, but soon we hit a snag.

"I don't think I can do this part."

"Me too..."

"The high notes are too high."

The high-pitched chorus melody appeared four times and made up about half of the song.

However, all team members except me failed to sing it or looked embarrassed and clutched their throats.

One team member, who had a decent singing ability (B+), was anxious about hitting the notes and finally suggested:

"Maybe we should lower the key and add some rap parts. We have two rappers, so it could work."

They were suggesting we start with the arrangement. Damn.

"Lowering the key..."

Kim Rae-bin's expression darkened, making his already bad impression worse.

However, the majority opinion was already leaning that way.

"I think lowering the key is the right choice."

"I agree."

"Hmm, the team members need to be able to handle it. How about lowering the key and arranging it to fit?"

Kim Rae-bin glanced around and finally nodded.

"Sure... I'll try that."

He seemed to be giving in to avoid another editing disaster.

In the end, the arrangement included lowering the key, adding rap parts, and creating a backing track that fit the cheerleading concept, despite the lack of coherence.

It's clear that when inexperienced people with loud voices take charge, things go wrong smoothly.

The stage was already doomed.

I didn't oppose this process. Even if I did, I would be outnumbered.

Even if I somehow got the "Now I see your point" skill to activate, it wouldn't help without a proper alternative. I would just be seen as a complainer.

Moreover, if someone started saying, "You can sing it, so why not just go with it?" it would be a nightmare.

I already come off as socially awkward on the show. If I also seem selfish, it would be a problem.

So, we needed an external person to honestly tell us how terrible it was.

'In the end, waiting it out is the answer.'

The mid-evaluation, which only covered the first verse, was four days away. If the judges have ears, someone will tell us it's terrible.

I need to think of a solution by then.

"Now, let's create the choreography!"

However, the choreography Cha Yujin created that day was as difficult as "It's Me" level.

I had to resist the urge to spend my remaining stat points on dance practice as my stamina slowly drained over the next three days.

Finally, the mid-evaluation arrived.

* * *

"This team's ranking is impressive~"

"Rae-bin has sharpened his skills!"

"Everyone's performance in the ranking ceremony was great."

The judges started by mentioning the rankings.

The production team must have asked them to do this, but it will set expectations.

"Oh, you already have a demo song?"

"Yes!"

Thanks to Kim Rae-bin's direct communication with the arranger.

"Excellent~"

"Indeed. This team is the only one! They're already performing their own arrangement, not the original."

"Truly a team of talented individuals!"

The judges were already satisfied.

However.

"Hmm..."

The reaction after the performance was lukewarm.

The judges, who had been exchanging glances, one by one picked up their microphones.

"Actually, your performance wasn't that bad. But it lacked charm."

"Right. The choreography was well done and had some wit. The cheerleading concept... It should fit the song, but why does it feel so gloomy?"

"The rap parts feel out of place. You made a lot of changes to the original, but it ended up being worse."

As the critiques piled up, the issues became more specific.

Finally, when the last judge, Young-rin, picked up the microphone, she asked:

"Who arranged the song?"

Kim Rae-bin deliberately avoided eye contact. The problem was with the person who suggested it, not him.

But looking around, the others were all staring at Kim Rae-bin, so it didn't matter.

"We all discussed and decided together."

Ryu Cheong-woo quickly assessed the situation and took collective responsibility. As a leader, he was about to take the blame to diffuse the situation.

It was a good judgment.

But there are always trolls.

"Yes, and... Rae-bin was in charge of the arrangement."

What, cutting the tail like this?

'Is he crazy?'

Doing something this stupid while the camera is on?

He looked surprised himself, as if he had reflexively mentioned someone else's name out of fear of the harsh criticism.

'F*ck...'

He might end up being edited out of the show due to group bullying.

To prevent a mass backlash, I decided to speak up.