Chapter 56 - Because We're Going to Get 1st Place

The recording for episode 1 of 'The Idol' began.

Originally, it's a format where each group performs a mission and the judges give them a score, but today the judges did not participate in the recording.

Because it was the first episode, more weight had to be put on the content of each girl group introducing themselves and interacting with each other.

However, a mission does exist.

The structure is that the seven groups each practice a mission song and show their performance at the end of episode 1.

The ones who judge who did well and who did poorly are not the judges but the viewers, and the rankings are decided by viewer votes when episode 1 airs.

They say the voting results are scheduled to be reflected in the content of episode 2.

“Programs that make you vote in this way are rare these days. The buzz will be huge.”

“The fans will probably fight fiercely among themselves.”

While watching the filming, Baek Hyeon-woo conversed with Team Leader Park Yeong-ho.

Director Choi Tae-hyung had other work, so he had left.

“Simply put, N.A.N, with its large fandom size, is at an absolute advantage. The next most advantageous is Choux-pop.”

Park Yeong-ho said with a bitter expression.

“In the end, it's highly likely that the rankings will be decided according to the fandom headcount. So for now, we should just aim for 3rd place.”

“Well. I don't think so.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Would PD Seo Dong-cheol-nim really do it in such a predictable way?”

Baek Hyeon-woo stated his opinion.

“If it's purely by viewer votes without judge evaluations, as you said, the possibility that the result will be decided by fandom size is high. However, that is distant from PD Seo Dong-cheol-nim's philosophy.”

“The PD-nim's philosophy...?”

Seo Dong-cheol hates the obvious, the stable.

He has a philosophy that there has to be great fluctuation, up and down, for fun and emotion to be created.

“Therefore, even if it's a viewer voting format, he must have prepared a device that allows one to root for the underdog.”

“What is that?”

“Well.”

Seo Dong-cheol did not give any hints in advance about what kind of mission would be given.

Because unlike 'Idol Weekly', this is a serious survival program.

“Still, he probably decided on a mission event that would allow the result to be determined by skill rather than fandom size.”

A mission where each group's skills can be revealed without filtering.

What on earth could it be.

“I've been investigating the survival-format audition programs that have been held so far, and if it's PD Seo Dong-cheol-nim, probably...”

As Baek Hyeon-woo, who was about to state his guess, shut his mouth, Park Yeong-ho urged him on with an impatient voice.

“If it's PD Seo Dong-cheol-nim, then what? Hurry up and tell me.”

“It'll be faster for the MC to say it than for me to.”

“What?”

Park Yeong-ho urgently turned his gaze to the stage.

Currently on the stage, the multi-entertainer who was the MC was right about to announce the first mission.

“'The Idol', which will determine the truly skilled idols, its first mission is...!”

The idols on stage, and the managers below the stage, were all swallowing their saliva and waiting to see what mission would be given.

“An a cappella live performance!”

“Gasp...!”

The sound of people holding their breath was heard from here and there.

The idols and the managers were all in a state of being caught off guard.

Still, there were people who were relatively less shocked.

Baek Hyeon-woo, who had expected this... and the Newstarz members, who had already heard Baek Hyeon-woo's story and were mentally prepared.

‘It was a cappella, as expected.’

An a cappella live is literally singing and dancing in a state without any musical accompaniment.

When Baek Hyeon-woo investigated the Seo Dong-cheol Division's audition programs, there were quite a few cases where they had given this kind of a cappella performance as a mission.

In the rapper auditions, they made them do a cappella raps, and in the dancer auditions, they made them do a cappella dances.

That's why he had been predicting that this kind of a cappella format mission would be given this time as well.

‘If you have them sing and dance a cappella without playing the track, the skills of each individual are laid bare.’

A considerable number of idols probably won't even be able to match the beat properly.

The groups with solid basic skills and the groups without are bound to be starkly revealed.

If it becomes like this, it also becomes easier for the viewers to make an evaluation.

They can quickly judge who did well and who did poorly, and vote.

‘If that happens, the viewer voting will no longer be a fandom fight.’

Survival programs aren't watched only by the ardent fans of a specific idol.

There are more general viewers who watch just for fun.

If their votes are concentrated on the 'truly skilled group', they can even overpower the organized votes of the ardent fans.

“This, there must be a lot of kids who regret appearing on this.”

Just as Park Yeong-ho muttered, there were many idols who were shocked by this mission.

Checking their status windows, everyone's Mental Condition was plummeting.

The ones who were relatively okay were Newstarz, who had been expecting this kind of mission, and Choux-pop, who had solid basics.

‘Originally, N.A.N, who has the most outstanding basic skills, should be showing the most composed reaction... but that's not the situation they're in.’

Right now, N.A.N is maintaining a relatively composed expression.

Befitting a group in the 'big sister' position with the most popularity, they were showing an unshaken appearance.

However, Baek Hyeon-woo had already seen through the fact that their inner feelings were by no means calm.

Because their Mental Condition was fluctuating greatly on the status window.

‘The aftereffect of their mental state being shaken by the talk of smoking from earlier still remains.’

Before the filming began, Baek Hyeon-woo had gotten Choi Tae-hyung's help to spread the story that he could see through smokers.

As a result, the N.A.N members who were actual smokers became greatly agitated mentally.

Being able to see through whether they smoked or not is limited to when their blood carbon monoxide level is high a few hours after smoking a combustible cigarette, but there was no way the N.A.N members could know that.

He might expose them as smokers to gain an advantage in the competition... the N.A.N members, who fell into such thoughts, had their mental state greatly shaken.

‘In a state like this, they were given the difficult mission of an a cappella live, so their mental state is bound to shatter.’

Baek Hyeon-woo fixed his gaze on N.A.N's Ryu-hwa.

Perhaps because she had directly clashed with Baek Hyeon-woo earlier, Ryu-hwa's condition was the worst.

—————

[Ryu-hwa]

Vocal: A-

Dance: S-

Visual: A-

Potential: A

Body Condition: 60%

Mental Condition: 40%

– A headache is occurring due to a problem with the trapezius muscle in the head and neck.

– Body Condition is slightly lowered.

– Mental Condition is greatly decreased.

– Minus corrections will be applied to Vocal, Dance, and Visual.

—————

Right now, as Ryu-hwa's Mental Condition collapsed, her Body Condition had also dropped along with it.

Due to the stress, her trapezius muscles had tensed, and she was even developing a headache.

There's no way a proper performance is possible in that state.

‘If they're in such a greatly shaken state, no matter how big N.A.N's fandom is, it's worth a try.’

Newstarz's final goal is to survive until the end on 'The Idol' and take the win.

However, if possible, he wanted to get a good result in the episode 1 viewer vote as well.

‘All this time, everyone has worked hard in preparation for this program. If they can properly display those skills...’

Baek Hyeon-woo turned his gaze to the Newstarz members.

Unlike N.A.N, they were all in a state of maintaining a Mental Condition of around 90%.

We will defeat not only Choux-pop but also N.A.N... they were burning with that kind of motivation.

‘Maybe we can even catch the big fish.’

……

“Now we will have time to move to your respective practice spaces and practice the mission song! Please move in an orderly fashion!”

Following the staff's guidance, the participating idols moved to the practice spaces.

Because managers were not allowed to approach during practice time, they had to prepare with only the idols' own strength.

‘I'll work hard, Manager-nim.’

After conveying her feelings with a gaze to Baek Hyeon-woo, who was visible in the distance, Seo Na-eun moved with the other members.

“Anyone who needs to go to the restroom, please go one by one per group from now on! Don't go around in a crowd!”

Hearing the staff's voice, Seo Na-eun turned her gaze to the other members.

“You guys go first. I'll go last.”

“Okay.”

Seo Na-eun sent the other members first and entered the restroom last.

As she was washing her hands after using the restroom, a voice was heard from behind.

“Seo Na-eun, do you have a moment?”

“……?”

It was Seong Hae-won, the leader of Choux-pop.

She hadn't expected Seong Hae-won to speak to her first, so she was a bit bewildered.

“What was that earlier?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the cigarette talk.”

Seong Hae-won asked with a smiling face.

“Your manager, can he really tell who smokes at a glance?”

“……”

It's true that such a thing actually happened.

Seo Na-eun wasn't on-site, but she heard the story from others.

However, there was no reason for Seo Na-eun to obediently answer Seong Hae-won.

“Why do you ask?”

“Am I not allowed to ask?”

“Do you guys smoke too?”

At Seo Na-eun's question, Seong Hae-won chuckled.

“Ayy, don't be ridiculous. If we smoke, we'd be killed by my Uncle.”

“……”

Seong Hae-won's uncle is Director Seong Soo-ho of DP Entertainment.

Seo Na-eun recalled the fearsome face of Director Seong Soo-ho that she had seen before.

It seemed that if a person like that threatened them, they would quit smoking no matter how much of a chain smoker they were.

“Anyway, your manager is really strange. What on earth is his identity?”

“Why are you so concerned about our manager?”

Glaring at Seong Hae-won, Seo Na-eun asked in a stiff voice.

“He's someone who has nothing to do with you guys, isn't he?”

“Because I'm interested in your manager.”

“What?”

Hearing the unexpected words, Seo Na-eun was caught off guard.

However, the words that followed were even more shocking.

“I'm thinking that I'd like him to come be our Choux-pop's manager. How about it? Is it okay if we take him?”

“Don't say such ridiculous things.”

As Seo Na-eun glared, Seong Hae-won covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

“Wow, so scary. You were able to make that kind of gaze?”

“Seong Hae-won, you...”

“But what to do? I'm serious about wanting to bring your manager over to Choux-pop.”

“……”

“This isn't something I'm thinking of on my own. My uncle also wants to recruit your manager.”

Seo Na-eun bit her lip and glared at Seong Hae-won.

It wasn't just a provocation; it felt like she was seriously coveting Baek Hyeon-woo.

“Seong Hae-won, our Manager-nim will never go to you guys.”

“Wouldn't being in charge of Choux-pop be more rewarding in many ways than being in charge of your Newstarz?”

Seong Hae-won said provocatively, sweeping up her hair.

“Think about it from a manager's perspective. Wouldn't you want to be in charge of a more popular and successful group? That's only natural.”

“Certainly, your Choux-pop might be more popular right now. But in the future, it will be different.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yeah, we're going to show it on this program.”

At Seo Na-eun's words, Seong Hae-won made an amused expression.

“Then shall we make a bet? How about we say that the side with the higher rank this time gets to take your manager?”

“Stop talking nonsense. There's no way we can make that kind of bet.”

“Ayy, what a shame.”

Saying that, Seong Hae-won shrugged.

“Well, whatever. Let's talk after seeing the results of this viewer vote.”

“……”

“You guys are probably aiming for 2nd place too, but it won't turn out that way. Because it will be different from the Night-Bomb Festival.”

Putting N.A.N aside, they won't lose to Newstarz.

That thought was contained in Seong Hae-won's voice.

“Then wash your hands slowly and come out. I should go spy on the N.A.N unnies.”

“Seong Hae-won.”

She called out to Seong Hae-won, who was about to leave the restroom.

“Something like 2nd place, you guys can just have it.”

“What?”

Seong Hae-won turned her head and made a dumbfounded expression.

“What, are you giving up before even fighting? I didn't know you were such a coward...”

“That's not what I mean.”

Seo Na-eun shook her head.

And she looked straight at Seong Hae-won and said in a clear voice.

“Because we're going to get 1st place.”

So that no group can snatch away our Manager-nim, we must become the best group.

That resolve settled within Seo Na-eun.