Chapter 45

45

"Great job!"

"Thank you!"

Leaving behind the thunderous applause, we hurriedly left the stage. I roughly took off the hanbok and swept back my sweat-drenched hair.

"Did it go well?"

"Yeah, really."

It went much, much, much better than the rehearsal without the hanbok. As expected, the camera director passed by and gave us a thumbs up.

"Wow, it was really good. The members' eyes were full of determination…."

"Thank you!"

"Who was supposed to put in the dance break?"

"Ah, it was me… me."

"The choreography was really good, right? I haven't seen such high quality in a long time. It was better than the rehearsal."

"Thank you!"

Kim Sung-hyun, whose ears were red, bowed and thanked the director. Watching the camera director walk away with a hearty laugh, we scratched our heads and then turned to head for the waiting room. In the narrow corridor, Mazu was ascending the stage.

"I'll cheer for you."

"…Yes, thank you."

Unlike last time, the look in their eyes was filled with recognition and admiration. The most noticeable emotion was undoubtedly caution.

'You did well. …Kim Sung-hyun.'

It was a compliment to a suddenly rising newcomer. It was worth making Kim Sung-hyun the main focus.

Everyone seemed to have the same thought, as they all entered the waiting room with a satisfied expression.

"Alright! Let's go and wait!"

"Yeees, great job."

As we entered the waiting room, Mazu's performance began.

"Clearly, their vocalist is good."

I should have checked the stats when we passed by earlier.

Well, even if their vocalist is good, they still don't match Seong Ji-won or Ju Woo-sung.

'The ecosystem destroyers…'

Seong Ji-won, as a diligent person, was focused on monitoring the TV, not missing a single moment of Mazu's performance. He took a deep breath and drank water after the song ended.

[The next performance is by Today!]

"It's our seniors from Today."

Kang Eun-jae openly sneered.

As Today ascended the stage, I first checked their costumes. They were sharp.

'Second Chance.'

"There was no other choice, right?"

"Well, with only two songs, and Glow already used by us…"

We scrutinized Today's performance more seriously than anyone else. The stage was splendid, and they were dressed in top-notch designer outfits from head to toe, but the anxiety on Today's faces was evident. I smiled slightly.

'They're scared.'

The anxiety was due to our performance. Meanwhile, a familiar beat played.

[We'll say it again, it's the beginning, so I will come back every time]

"The concept is different, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it seems they kept the original intro."

In this competition, we and Today took completely different approaches.

While we kept the core melody and lyrics of "Make Love" and created a completely different concept, Today maintained the concept of "Second Chance" and only slightly changed the beat.

'Today, trying to overwhelm with skill, what kind of plan was this…'

I gave an honest evaluation.

"They're not good."

"……!!"

"Hey, hyung!"

Seong Ji-won took a deep breath. Jung Da-joon, startled, spoke up.

"Our camera is on."

"Should I say it nicely?"

Should I bring up the dialogue box and say 'really bad♡'?

While pondering this pointless matter, the members (obviously excluding Kang Eun-jae) looked at me with anxious faces, so I kindly explained.

"We're already being overshadowed."

I don't think Kim Hee-young expected us to be this far behind.

Everyone rolled their eyes and nodded.

"Come to think of it, that's true…?"

Jung Da-joon, convinced, immediately refocused on Today's performance. He tilted his head, looking at the part that was originally mine.

"Did they… understand the concept? When Seo Ho-yun did it, it was really cool, but why does it feel so awkward when they do it?"

That's because I did it well.

Whether it was due to his broad-mindedness or quick wit, Kang Eun-jae, who usually didn't care about the camera, laughed out loud when a Today member messed up a rap line and skipped an entire verse.

"What is this, it's so funny~. Is this a comedy show?"

As expected, Kang Eun-jae. His words were terrifying.

[I'll find the way-!]

"Wow!"

Even the main vocalist hit a wrong note. He tried to cover it up with a cool act, but the audience clenched their fists in embarrassment.

"Ah…."

"I can't watch…."

Jung Da-joon, who seemed to have hit the maximum empathy level, screamed. I chuckled and sipped on ginseng juice.

"Wrong notes are really embarrassing…."

"Our vocal range is a bit high."

"But still, as idols…."

=Not being able to do that is an exaggeration….

It was very harsh. After letting out all the things he wanted to say, everyone looked relieved, as if they had just had a good soak in a bath.

Even after Today's performance ended, the chatter continued for a while.

"Hey, did you hold back all your comments?"

"Hyung, you were the worst."

I put on a sly smile and threw the ginseng juice wrapper in the trash.

"More, it's time for you to go on stage!"

"Got it!"

At the staff's words, everyone slowly got up from their seats.

As we walked out the door and headed for the stage, our eyes met with the Nightmare group.

"Seo Ho-yun senior!"

"……?"

Then, as if he had been waiting, the youngest member of Nightmare, Lee Han-sung, approached us.

"I'm not a senior. I've only been in the industry for a month."

"Ah? Not a senior? Then Seo Ho-yun? Or hyung?"

"……."

"Your performance was amazing just now!"

What is this?

Lee Han-sung clenched his fists and, with an excited face, walked away. The Nightmare members patted his back with a strangely pleased expression.

"…What?"

I muttered, bewildered. Kang Eun-jae leaned in and whispered.

"Hyung, you're popular~."

"Why me?"

"Last time, you could have targeted Nightmare, Mazu, and Refined, but you chose to target the biggest of the big. They think you did it out of a noble heart, offering a favor."

"What?"

I let out a hollow laugh.

I swear, that wasn't my intention.

"The kids are really considerate. They're only thinking positively about you."

"Why? Hyung is cool, that's true."

Kang Eun-jae smiled and walked away. I frowned slightly, shrugged, and shook off the thoughts.

'Focus.'

As we stepped onto the stage, a loud cheer filled the hall.

"Alright, then it's time for the much-anticipated announcement."

Yoo Ji-ah smiled brightly. I thought, what a big deal this person is.

"Let's start with the 4th place. They captivated the judges with a refreshing concept different from their usual style."

The commentary was long. It was a typical survival show tactic, deliberately dragging it out to heighten the tension. The camera focused on us during this time.

Jung Da-joon was the most visibly tense.

"4th place! Refined!"

Oh.

The Refined members looked slightly disappointed but quickly composed