Chapter 6

Idol Guide for the Finale, Episode 6

"There aren't many eye-catching friends this time."

Pa-ran, a first-generation idol who has participated as a judge in all seasons of Idol Festival, casually remarked.

After evaluating 70 participants, only 9 trainees received an A grade.

Compared to the expectation of at least 15, this was a small number.

"Is there no one who, despite lacking in skills, can really catch the eye, truly charming?"

"But if they lack skills, it's hard to give them a high grade."

"Skills can be improved with practice. Idols are naturally talented, you know, talented."

"True, how can you not be talented?"

An Yu-mi, the choreographer, and PIAI, the rapper, and Eun-gi, the idol, chatted casually for the broadcast.

The reason this evaluation was particularly harsh was that the trainees had to inform the judges of their own level through self-assessment.

For example, a trainee who predicted a B grade might receive a D, and a trainee who was considered a rival might receive an A while the other gets a C.

This rule was created to create a highly stimulating scene among the trainees, who couldn't accurately gauge each other's skills.

The approach was clearly designed to put the trainees in a difficult position from the start.

Conducting evaluations in such an atmosphere was no easy task.

Ra-hee, a 10-year veteran female soloist, stretched and relaxed her shoulders.

I wish there were at least some trainees worth watching to make it less boring.

"Next trainee! Please come in."

The big screen displayed the words "Individual Trainee."

* * *

- Yang Garan, you appeared on 'Voice Live' when you were in middle school, right? You almost won.

- Yes! Although I didn't make it to the end, it was a great experience.

Yang Garan's image appeared on the monitor in the backstage.

I knew about 'Voice Live' too.

It's a survival show where participants enter a booth with their faces hidden and are judged solely by their singing.

Her voice, which sounded well-trained just by listening, suggested she had survived the show for a reason.

"Joon, are you nervous?"

"Not really."

I answered indifferently to Choi Hyun's question.

I've been on stage several times while living in Likerus, so this is nothing.

To stand out among 98 competitors, you need to grab attention for every second.

There are only two ways to do this: perform exceptionally well on stage or do something that makes people think, "What's that?"

My chosen strategy is obviously the latter.

One common trait of the judges this season is that they value natural charisma that captures the eye more than ambiguous talent.

I know their preferences well, having worked with them several times during the Likerus era.

The stage's completion is determined by every expression and gesture.

I shouldn't be outdone by the trainees.

Just as I was thinking this,

"Yang Garan's grade is... C."

C?

I stared at the screen in disbelief at the unexpected grade.

This program is stricter than I thought.

Looking to the side, Choi Hyun was trembling like a scared hamster.

Is he already this nervous when he has to keep going?

"You can do it, Joon. We got lucky to apply here and got lucky to be here, so we'll be lucky this time too!"

What... does that even mean?

Choi Hyun, trembling, clenched his fists and shouted "fighting" softly.

"I'll go in now."

"Good luck, Joon!"

"Ah, no, both of you will go in together."

"Huh?"

I looked at the writer, wondering if he was serious, but his face showed no hint of a joke.

Go in together?

In which survival show do two individual trainees go on stage together?

...But.

This is an opportunity.

Isn't this their way of giving us more screen time?

If we secure early screen time, building an image is just a matter of time.

It's only natural to take advantage of the opportunities laid out for us.

Suddenly, a new window appeared, making my vision flash.

This is your first chance to introduce yourself.

Leave a good impression on more than half of the judges!

Reward: 1 coin, judges' favor, passive skill (B)

I looked at the sudden scenario and slowly walked onto the stage.

I wasn't particularly nervous.

If I can't do it, I can't achieve the ending.

"Next trainee, please come up."

However, the moment I stepped onto the stage without any tension, the first thing I saw was not the MC or the judges.

"..."

Despite their nervousness and fatigue, the sparkle of excitement in their eyes couldn't be hidden...

The earnest faces of the trainees.

Their sincerity, not calculated, but straightforward, left me speechless.

When was the last time I had that look on my face?

"Joon?"

Choi Hyun, who had paused, asked curiously.

Choi Hyun's eyes were the same.

The look of someone desperate to achieve their dream.

I returned because I shared the same heart as them.

Even though I was caught in a loop due to the damn scenario, this much never became tiresome.

The cheers of the fans, the pounding of my heart on stage.

That's it.

What I wanted to be...

"...an idol."

Not a well-paid, award-winning idol, but a real idol.

Not the idol I had already been, but the idol I wanted to be.

I had completely forgotten.

I didn't want to resort to gimmicks on stage just to get through the evaluation.

Even if I accepted this scenario to see the end.

If there are idols in the process, I must give my all for every moment, for the sake of my past self.

The deliberation was long, but the decision was short.

I need the skill shop now.

Kim Dae-bum cheerfully popped up with an alert.

...I can't fully trust this scenario yet.

But I can't miss the opportunity in front of me.

Since I've come back, I should take full advantage of every opportunity.

The desire to make the stage more perfect was stronger than my resentment towards the scenario.

I've had enough of half-hearted performances.

I stared at the alert window and made my decision.

Due to the damn reset, my stats from the Likerus era are all F now.

I need to recover my fallen stats.

"Joon, are you okay?"

"Ah, let's greet them."

Choi Hyun smiled, relieved.

I took a deep breath while looking at the stat window in front of me.

* * *

"Usually, individual trainees come up alone, but these trainees said they wanted to come up together from the interview. They must be close, right?"

MC Kaya asked playfully, trying to ease the tension.

I wouldn't have done that.

But to appear as a good-natured rival to the nervous Choi Hyun, I naturally smiled and replied.

"Because we always practice together. We're also roommates."

"Did you prepare the stage together, then?"

Of course, we prepared separately.

Before Choi Hyun could freeze from the unexpected question, I spoke.

Broadcast experience is used to fill in such sudden situations.

"No, we thought it would be better to showcase each other's strengths this time. Hyun... and I wanted to show what we're good at."

"That's right, working together isn't always better. Especially when the initial appeal is important."

An Yu-mi, a professional dancer and a successful idol choreographer, nodded.

"Let's start with Do Joon-jae."

I stepped onto the stage where fluorescent tape was crossed in an X.

The vocal song I chose was 'Layt's '.

It was an anime theme song released by Layt, a top-tier girl group that has maintained its position for years, during their rookie days.

Objectively speaking, even with Kim Dae-bum's help, my current vocal stats are low.

I can only make it somewhat listenable with the right atmosphere.

Fortunately, my clear voice tone remains.

So, I'll focus on my voice tone, maintain the song's atmosphere, and keep the camera focused on me.

Given that my biggest strength is my visual stats, mixing in a bit of choreography to attract the camera is key.

The song, fitting for a school romance anime, has a cute and fluffy atmosphere.

But I look like a thug.

So, my role is clear.

I'm the tsundere male lead from a typical shoujo manga.

I'm a thug who sits at the back of the class and skips school every day.

Ignoring Kim Dae-bum's window, I grabbed the microphone.

As the sentimental accompaniment played, a few trainees exclaimed, "Oh!"

The gap between us

Is filled with hesitation

One more step

Should I take it, or stop?

What I bought just before the scenario started.

It was a skill to re-evaluate my stats based on my skills during the Platform Enter trainee period.

Sure enough, using the skill made my breathing much smoother than before.

I don't know exactly what my current vocal stats are.

But if the song was a threat when I was downgraded to F, it now feels like a high school song.

I slightly swayed to the rhythm, meeting the camera's eye.

Your ridiculousness is quite concerning, I smiled.

Pretending to be fine

Pretending not to like

Keeping a distance

But maybe you

Are just pretending not to care

If love is difficult between us

Should we at least try to like each other?

The most important part is the highlight that later evolved into an SNS challenge.

The song is famous for a dance where you tap your neighbor's shoulder.

Instead of copying the challenge choreography, I added a simple movement.

When you stand next to me

Tickling butterfly

Ask me one more time

My heart feels so high

"Haha, what's that!"

"Really cute!"

Holding the microphone with both hands and spreading my palms, the so-called butterfly dance.

Moving my hands to the sides for two beats each creates a small, subtle movement that looks "cute but not really."

The point is the contrast between my thug-like face and the innocent attitude.

Seeing me do this seriously, the trainees behind me were in stitches.

"Thank you."

As the song ended, applause erupted.

The judges all had bright faces, but I couldn't relax because they had smiled and announced a C grade earlier.

Unable to tell if they were impressed or not, I took a deep breath and bowed.

Looking up at the judges, I saw triangular marks floating above their heads.

Three were a deep yellow, and the other three were a light yellow.

I had successfully left a good impression.

Just as I was watching Eun-gi and Kim Kyung-rae nod,

"Hmm, should we also evaluate the dance?"

Pa-ran tapped the table lightly with her fingers.

Her gaze suggested I was at a decent level.

But it didn't matter.

Compared to just a decent vocal performance, my dance was on a whole different level.

I had always been the main dancer even before raising my stats.

"Please play the music."

As the familiar music played, I couldn't help but smile.

The scenario said to leave a good impression on three judges.

But my temper wouldn't allow that.

The goal is six yellow triangles.

And they should be very bright yellow.