Chapter 35

If I can't debut, I'll get a disease that will kill me - Chapter 035

Before entering the filming site, Seo Ah-hyun and Geun Se-jin insisted on eating something, so we met at a restaurant.

"Hey, Moon Dae, hi~"

"Ah, hello…."

However, even with food in front of them, both of their expressions were too gloomy.

One had become a social reaction machine, and the other looked like they were about to cry at any moment.

'This must be because of the negative votes.'

It was the most reasonable guess.

I thought about leaving them alone, but I asked out of concern for their eating.

"Are you worried about the votes?"

"U, uh?"

"You both look terrible."

Then, they reflexively looked at each other's faces.

They probably hadn't realized that their own state was so bad that it was affecting the other's mood.

"...Ah, Moon Dae, you're a ghost~ No, well... It's hard not to worry. I've been looking at the internet too much, hahaha."

Geun Se-jin made a soulless joke. Seo Ah-hyun also nodded with a gloomy face.

"I, I'm worried that people might dislike me a lot…."

Oh.

It seemed they had even searched for posts they didn't need to see. From the atmosphere, it was clear they had spent the whole night on SNS, continuously searching for their names.

Once they enter the filming site, they will see the numbers of how much people dislike them, so it's understandable that the food doesn't go down easily.

'...But they should eat before going in.'

After a moment of hesitation, I sighed and said,

"It's an audition show, so there are probably more people who vote to control rather than out of dislike. A lot of votes being cut could also mean you look promising."

"…!"

Just in the previous team battle, the team with the highest ranks ended up in third place in the on-site vote.

"You don't need to worry unless you're getting a lot of negative votes."

Of course, saying this won't make them stop worrying. But having a place to mentally win is better.

As expected, Geun Se-jin recovered first.

"That's true."

Then, with a bitter smile, he picked up his spoon and muttered to himself,

"...I really need to achieve something this time. The training period was too long... Well, anyway, let's eat well and go in with strength!"

He quickly gathered his words and resumed eating with determination.

Seo Ah-hyun was still anxious and restless, but he ate with determination after hearing that it's better to eat before going in.

'Eating is hard.'

I also sighed and resumed eating.

Although they were latecomers and had been beaten up a bit, they had good recognition and had never been edited out. If they are like this, the other participants are doomed.

'The filming atmosphere today will be intense.'

And this prediction was spot on.

"……"

From the participants at risk of elimination to those with high ranks, the atmosphere was like a funeral.

After the 'If you don't like it, eliminate' vote was introduced, the online criticism and rumors about the participants became even more severe.

The only one who was excited was Cha Yu-jin. It wasn't out of confidence for being first but just her personality.

"Why didn't you go together?"

She even came to me and excitedly told the story of the day she went to see the ad. She really had a great personality.

Soon, the filming began.

"Welcome to the second ranking ceremony of 'Rebirth! Idol Stock Company'!"

I don't know how it will be broadcast, but the ranking ceremony proceeded in a more depressed atmosphere than usual.

"The new system, 'Stock Selling,' will be combined, and the first ranking will be announced today. The ranking will be determined by how many people bought and sold."

Swallow. The sound of someone swallowing and praying could be heard.

It seems like a terrible thing to do, bringing children to this.

"Before that, we need to announce the final first place team from the previous team battle. I mentioned that the final first place team would receive an amazing prize."

The MC cheerfully finished his part despite the heavy atmosphere.

"It is, 'Stock Selling' is invalid!"

"…What?!"

"Wow."

Suddenly, the surroundings were filled with shock.

"The team that came in first will be evaluated without the negative numbers from 'Stock Selling'!"

The reactions didn't get bigger but instead weakened. Then, someone muttered softly,

"That's too much."

Indeed, if the participants were respected, this wouldn't have been a feasible idea. The production team was arbitrarily adding and removing benefits.

'They introduced the negative vote without prior notice in episode 6, so what can you expect?'

"The first place is... Congratulations! The 'Gigantic' team, which reinterpreted 'Fingerprint'!"

The team chosen by Choi Won-gil ultimately took the final first place.

It was almost like a rescue signal for Choi Won-gil, who was sure to be eliminated due to the 'Stock Selling' system.

Choi Won-gil was relieved to tears, but it wasn't a good thing.

'That guy is in big trouble.'

If he had been eliminated due to negative votes, there was a high chance of a sympathy wave.

But if he stays by luck, negative public opinion will definitely surge unless he does something amazing in the next team battle.

Anyway, the first place announcement was concluded with appropriate comments.

"Then, let's start the ranking ceremony!"

This time, there are 30 qualifiers. Like the previous ranking ceremony, the 28th place was announced, leaving two participants.

"28th place, Park Jun-kyung!"

Actually, there were no major changes up to 20th place. No one had a drastically cut or less cut number of votes. The participants who were expected to stay in their ranks were called without much surprise.

The unexpected change started from within the top 20.

"20th place is... Choi Won-gil!"

"Wow."

"Amazing."

It was a higher rank than Gold 2.

It seems that fans, aware of the negative votes, rallied and voted for him, causing his rank to rise.

Choi Won-gil ended his long comments with an apology.

"...Also, I deeply reflect on my immature attitude... Ah, I will show a better side from now on, black."

Then, he sniffled and sat in his rank.

'Maybe it would have been better to get Gold 2 and apologize?'

Well, it's not my problem to worry about. I should focus on my rank.

Summarizing the ranks... Lee Se-jin plummeted, and Kim Rae-bin successfully recovered to 6th place.

And the participants from Choi Won-gil's team, including Geun Se-jin, rose. With the negative votes removed, their ranks significantly improved.

Judging from the trend, I thought I might drop a bit. So, I was prepared to react immediately if my name was called quickly.

But it wasn't necessary.

My rank rose.

"4th place is... Park Moon-dae!"

"…?"

It was an unexpected good performance in this chaotic situation.

I thought I might have plummeted to 28th place or below, but I didn't expect to be called for 4th place.

I stood up in surprise, and something even more surprising was waiting for me.

"Congratulations!"

Ryu Cheong-woo stood up, approached, and patted my back with a pleased expression. Cha Yu-jin also came over and congratulated me.

"Congratulations!"

'I was just going to pretend to know you and go...?'

It seems the stage performance was so good that the distance in our hearts was easily closed.

Especially, Ryu Cheong-woo, who had no close friends after the previous team battle, seemed to have played a role.

I accepted the greetings and did a high-five with Seo Ah-hyun, who was standing awkwardly, before going up to the stage.

It felt like I had become a legendary insider. It was very unfamiliar.

"...First, I thank the shareholders who bought my stock. I will always strive to achieve results that match the investment, keeping in mind that this rank is more than I deserve."

As soon as my standard comments ended, the MC jumped in.

"Park Moon-dae, you always bring unique ideas to each stage, delighting the shareholders. Do you have any ideas you want to try next?"

It was a very difficult question. It would be easier to ask for a bit of charm.

I decided to give a general answer.

"...Next, I want to try something more cheerful."

"Ha-ha, are you starting to miss 'POP☆CON'? I look forward to your next stage, Park Moon-dae."

The MC linked 'cheerful' with 'popcorn'?

Of course, I couldn't glare at the MC, so I bowed and went to my seat.

The luxurious sofa for 4th place was a bit embarrassing, but since I was honest, I waited for the remaining rankings more comfortably.

"3rd place is~ Cha Yu-jin!"

"Wow."

"You were 1st."

Cha Yu-jin, who was 1st in the previous ranking ceremony, dropped two ranks.

But she didn't seem to mind much. She came up with a bright comment about being happy with a high rank and settled into the sofa.

And the highly anticipated 1st and 2nd place showdown.

The finalists were Ryu Cheong-woo and Seo Ah-hyun.

'Is he going to faint?'

Seo Ah-hyun wobbled as he stood up and went to the stage. He looked like he might faint if he got 1st place.

"Rebirth! Idol Stock Company, the glorious 1st place is... Congratulations! Ryu Cheong-woo!"

"Thank you!"

1st place was Ryu Cheong-woo. I knew this would happen unless something unexpected happened.

He is a national team member with a good image, so he probably didn't receive much negative votes.

After Ryu Cheong-woo and Seo Ah-hyun's comments, the 29th and 30th place participants were announced, causing a lot of tension. The participants were so tense that their backs were sweating on the sofas.

But the true highlight came next.

"This is the rank you would have received if the 'Stock Selling' system didn't exist!"

The production team revealed the total votes and the cut votes, rearranging them and displaying them on the screen.

Sighs could be heard everywhere.

"I can't look."

I quickly found 'Park Moon-dae' on the screen.

[Buy: 893,452 / Sell: 12,257]

[Combined Rank: 4th / Buy Rank: 3rd]

3rd place?

I checked the 4th place, which was my original rank, and it was Seo Ah-hyun.

It seems the top ranks had similar vote numbers, so the negative votes made a significant difference.

But I felt a different emotion than regret.

'This is unexpectedly... uncomfortable.'

[Sell: 12,257]

That's right. Even though the result was good, seeing the number of people who wanted me to drop by the thousands... it felt a bit strange.

'This is more impactful than I thought...'

...Wait!

'Stop whining.'

My goal is to debut and avoid sudden death.

What does it matter if one in 90 people dislike me?

'I should be grateful for the 890,000 votes that will save me from sudden death.'

I defined the situation and stopped thinking.

But looking around, most people, regardless of their rank, had a face that said, 'I'm going crazy with worry.'

'This team battle is going to be a mess.'

I could already see the participants crying and sobbing.

* * *

"Please wait a moment!"

The production team, seemingly flustered by the funeral-like atmosphere, temporarily stopped the next team battle filming, which should have started immediately after the ranking ceremony.

Instead, they brought out a strange mini-plan.

'Idol Talent Show'

...As expected of a hastily planned event, it was embarrassingly amateurish.