Chapter 5

If I don't debut, I'll get a disease that will kill me - Chapter 005

The familiar intro music glided by, and then a lively vocal hit my ears.

I struck the iconic starting pose I had memorized.

One of the judges spewed out the water they were drinking.

"Ah, me too! I like you~"

My heart is beating! The feeling is~ like popcorn!

POP! POP!

The explosive beat starts to ring~

This feeling overflowing in my chest!

Chap chap chap, the only one who seriously nods her head to the simple footwork is Young-rin, who requested the dance. She seems to be the only pro here.

Soon, the part that half of my peers can dance to comes up.

POP! POP!

You're my Popcorn~ (Oh Yeah!)

My heart

CON CON CON CON

Control it~

The chorus of "POP☆CON" by Malrangdalcom, released 10 years ago, powerfully pounded my eardrums.

It was infamously known as the "college entrance exam banned song," having ruined the listening evaluation of that year's college entrance exam with its bizarre lyrics and insane addictiveness.

For the record, I took the exam that year too. I couldn't afford to retake it due to lack of money.

POP POP!

Exploding Popcorn~ (Ooh~)

It was also famous for the countless cover dances people uploaded, indicating how easy it was to perform.

To be more blunt, it was a level that even elementary school students could learn with practice.

If I had brought it out during the peak of its popularity 10 years ago, I probably would have been ridiculed. But now, I thought I could turn it into a gag through nostalgia and make it work, so I chose this song.

Of course, I'm performing it with a serious expression.

Even if it's seen as a gag, I, as a participant, can't laugh and ruin the impression.

I had to give the impression that I had prepared diligently within the range of what I could do.

Of course, I had actually worked hard. I even leveled up while practicing, achieving the "First Movement" and "10 Movements" achievements.

Seeing the judges laughing and clapping, I felt a bit regretful... but I didn't know. They would evaluate it as they saw fit.

After the last move of the first verse, I stopped dancing.

As I gathered my breath and bowed, a more composed applause followed.

"Thank you."

Young-rin was the first to grab the microphone, but the choreographer was the one who spoke up.

His eyes were bloodshot from laughing so hard, as if he had even shed tears.

"Wow, man... I never expected that. When the popcorn came out, weren't you ten years old, Moon Dae? Did you prepare for a talent show back then?"

"No, but I prepared it because I'm a fan of Malrangdalcom."

"Ha!"

By the way, Malrangdalcom's most recent album was released four years ago.

They were so far past their prime that it was unusual for a 20-year-old to be a fan.

It was a level where even a male idol wouldn't find any fault.

Sure enough, the choreographer who asked laughed again.

Beside him, the producer murmured with a pleased expression.

"Ah... so cute~"

"You worked hard, at least you did!"

A male idol judge chimed in.

His expression was one of suspicion cleared away, which he had when I said I had no experience earlier.

Only then did Young-rin speak.

"That doesn't mean you did well."

I knew it.

This was a situation where a close-up and sound effect would be added in the edit.

And the red subtitle would appear three times larger, saying "Dun dun."

I anticipated the editing angle while waiting for the remaining comments.

"First, your movement lacks proficiency. Even if you get a good score in this atmosphere, the future missions will be tough."

"I'm prepared for that."

It was my status window, not me.

No matter what he swallowed, Young-rin nodded heavily.

"Yes."

And she added with a relaxed expression.

"...Anyway, your effort is visible. Good job."

"Thank you."

I must have said "Thank you" about ten times today. I guess this frequency will continue.

Just as I was gauging this, the judges were exchanging opinions without holding microphones so I couldn't hear them.

This is where another cruel aspect of this show comes in.

Here, even in the first round, they rank from 1st to 77th place. And they assign seats according to the ranking.

They do this immediately using a temporary ranking right after the audition.

And if the next participant performs better while the seats are full, the ranking is pushed down, and they have to give up their seat.

The lower ranks are pushed down one by one until the last place sits and cries, which is a trademark of this show.

Fortunately, I don't think I'll end up in that situation.

My ranking... around 24th place.

"Park Moon Dae's ranking is... 17th place!"

They overrated me to get a good scene, but it was similar to my prediction.

'I feel like I climbed a few more steps with the atmosphere.'

If the judges' infatuation wears off over time, I might have to give up my seat to middle and high school students.

It was a bit funny to bow deeply while thinking this.

"Thank you."

"I'll teach you hard, so aim for a higher ranking next time."

The choreographer said with a smirk. If my skills don't improve, he'll probably turn nasty, but I have my status window.

'It would be nice if the choreographer can get a touching scene out of this.'

I nodded again and headed to the set with the seats.

The seats, engraved with rankings, became larger, more luxurious, and more comfortable as they went up. The difference was clearly noticeable, almost vulgar.

My 17th place seat was a leather chair that looked like it was for a corporate executive.

As I sat down, a participant sitting in 15th place across from me greeted me. He had a gentle appearance and seemed to be around Park Moon Dae's age.

"Hello~"

"Hello."

"You sang really well!"

"Thank you. I think you did well too."

"Really? Ahaha!"

I couldn't say for sure since I didn't see him properly, but his ranking suggested he did well.

The participant laughed and pointed to the name tag on his chest.

"My name is Lee Se-jin!"

"......!"

I almost gasped. I tried to respond with a bold face.

"I'm Park Moon Dae. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you~"

We naturally ended the conversation and looked forward, just as the next participant entered. But I was thinking about the name I just heard.

Lee Se-jin.

A name that debuted through this show. So, he's like a guaranteed connection for victory.

But there's a problem.

That guy will get caught for drug distribution next year.

I clearly remember seeing his name on the 9 o'clock news at a nearby country restaurant near a one-room apartment.

['Idol Corporation' Lee Se-jin arrested on suspicion of drug distribution.]

...I won't talk to him from now on.

Cutting ties is all about timing. Now, I'll use this break to check my status window.

[Name: Park Moon Dae (Ryu Geon-woo)]

Level: 5

Title: None

Vocal: A-

Dance: D

Appearance: C+

Talent: C

Trait: Infinite Potential

!Status Abnormality: Death if not debut

Remaining Points: 1

First, I leveled up on the stage, so I got a point. It seems to be thanks to the "First Stage" achievement.

And it looks like the Dance and Talent categories were created by this performance.

They were inactive during practice, but do they only appear when officially recognized? I'm not sure of the exact criteria.

Anyway, I had a vague feeling... even if my Talent is decent, my Dance seems to be lacking, just like "Park Moon Dae."

If Dance is D, it's about average.

I'll need to invest points in Dance a couple more times to make any progress.

On the other hand, the Appearance category showed a new possibility in the status window. The evaluation improved just by paying attention to my actual appearance, even without investing points.

It meant I could improve my stats separately from the status window's level-up effect. It's a pretty positive aspect.

Lastly, a unique popup appeared next to the status window.

[Successful Stage!]

Impressed the majority!

: Draw a common trait ☜ Click!

'Another strange thing appeared.'

But the words "successful" and "impressed" suggested a strong sense of reward.

Pretending to touch my head, I clicked the draw button. A rather interesting thing appeared.

It was a gray slot machine picture. The slot next to the pulled lever was spinning tightly.

However, the speed gradually slowed down. Soon, I could glimpse the contents of the slot.

A few slots were bronze, most were gray.

[Strong Heart]

[Embarrassment Eraser]

[Crocodile Tears]

[Sleep is for the Dead]

[Look at me!]

[......]

"......"

Well, I could guess what the traits would be, but... aren't the names a bit crude?

I looked at the slot machine with waning expectations. Still, it seemed like it would stop soon.

Dun dun... dun!

Flower petals flew out of the slot machine.

The stopped slot was bronze.

[Trait: 'Sleep is for the Dead (D)' Acquired!]

When activated, you don't get tired even without sleep.

+30% experience bonus from 00:01 to 04:00

Lasts one week, one-time use.

"......!"

Surprisingly, a very useful trait was drawn. The name... is a bit much, though.

Anyway, it was a literal "draw." To get a slot machine and a one-time use item in a game of luck is quite amusing.

I confirmed that 'Sleep is for the Dead (Inactive)' was added to the trait section at the bottom of the status window. I'll have to think about when to use it for maximum effect.

"Jang Min-jo is... 56th place!"

The evaluations were progressing steadily.

So far, no debut members have appeared except for the drug suspect next to me.

I watched the next participant enter.

A tall, slender figure with long limbs stepped onto the stage.

Seeing him alone, it was clear he was a participant without any particular connection to other trainees.

A murmur spread among the participants sitting in the ranking seats. Of course, it wasn't because he came alone.

"Wow!"

"Amazing."

The participant who entered was extremely handsome. I even heard the judges openly admiring him.

"He looks like a deer~"

To me, he was at a level where he didn't need to worry about debuting.

He was at a level where he didn't need to appear in a survival show. He must have done something after this show.

But looking at the name tag on his chest, it was a name I didn't know.

[Seon Ah-hyun]

To not debut with that face, he must be quite talentless. He's better looking than most current idols who sell their camera data.

Hmm, if I convert it to the status window... all his stats except Appearance are probably between F and D.

'It would be great if I could see other people's status windows.'

Surprisingly, as soon as I thought that, a window floated next to the participant.

"......!"

Can others see it too?

[Name: Seon Ah-hyun]

Vocal: B- (A)

Dance: A (EX)

Appearance: A+ (S+)

Talent: B (A+)

Trait: Perseverance (Inactive)

!Status Abnormality: Lack of Self-Esteem.

It was a splendid status window. He would easily make the top 10 in this round. The numbers in parentheses are probably his maximum growth potential, so his future looks bright.

But the last item caught my eye.

[Status Abnormality: Lack of Self-Esteem]

With that face? I would have thought arrogance would be more fitting.

Anyway, being able to check others is a huge advantage. If I need to, I could probably survive by leaking this to an entertainment company.

As I was interestedly checking the items, I heard the MC's voice.

"Yes, please introduce yourself, participant!"

Then Seon Ah-hyun picked up the microphone.

His hand holding the microphone was trembling.

"A, ah, hello......"

"......!"

It wasn't a mistake due to nervousness. His tone was awkward to the point of discomfort.

It was a clear symptom of a stutter.

Moreover, it was evident that he was very aware of his speech impediment. His anxiety and embarrassment were palpable.

That's why. I immediately understood Seon Ah-hyun's status window.

Still, with that level of appearance and talent, he could have turned his stutter into a narrative. Why didn't he debut?

Is it because of the 'Lack of Self-Esteem' status abnormality? I need to know more...

[Lack of Self-Esteem]

: Despises oneself.

All stats reduced by two levels.

"......!"

Suddenly, another popup appeared. I could check the details just by thinking about it.

'Very useful indeed.'

I should check my own status abnormality again to see how much time I have left.

While I was being sarcastic, I was actually surprised by how extreme the content of that status abnormality was.

If I got such a debuff in a game, I would probably quit. Since this is a life game and I can't reset, he must be quite frustrated.

"Ahn-hyun, do you have trouble speaking?"

"I... I, I, when I was young, I had an accident..."

"Ah..."

The story-telling on stage had begun.

Seon Ah-hyun seemed to be explaining his condition, while the production team was trying to turn it into a story.

Artificial reactions were bursting from the participants around me.

Especially the one who was nodding his head with a pained expression would definitely be used as a reaction cut.

He was even saying things like this.

"What do we do..."

This kind of reaction to a sensitive topic is not appropriate.

Even a slight editing mistake could lead to accusations like "That reaction is also a form of violence."

I just looked straight ahead with a calm "I see" expression.

The judges gave a few cliché compliments and cautiously asked for the performance.

"Then, Ahn-hyun, can we see your performance?"

"Y, yes..."

The following performance wasn't bad. It was good enough to be viewed positively overall.

In other words, if the status window is correct, he performed worse than his actual ability.

"Seon Ah-hyun is 18th place!"

This is what happens without mental strength and strategy. To be ranked lower than me with that status window.

Still, the performance seemed good enough, or maybe they didn't want to say anything bad, so the comments were positive.

"You did well~"

"We look forward to you in the future."

The judges gave various warm comments, even giving a thumbs up.

But Seon Ah-hyun's face was dark as he bowed deeply in greeting.

He forced a smile and came off the stage, following the MC's guidance to sit next to me.

"......"

I should probably greet him...

Seon Ah-hyun glanced at my seat but didn't speak.

I can't let it be seen as me ignoring him.

But I was too lazy to speak, so I just nodded to the side.

Seon Ah-hyun was startled and nodded his head repeatedly.

"The next five participants will be evaluated! Choi Jin-soo, Hong Sung..."

I counted the remaining participants in my head and let out a weak sigh.

There are still many left.