17
Step Seventeen
:: The Major Mistake ::
The studio set for today’s show was transformed into a small concert stage, divided into two sides.
The left side stage was red, representing Team Kim Jong, while the right side was blue, representing Team Kim Lee.
Chairs were arranged below for 250 viewers on each side, with a small stage in the middle extending to a table for the four judges who faced the stage to watch the performances.
[All right, judges are ready.
Our first show will be a singing performance.
Each team’s judges, please choose a group of trainee kids to come up on stage.]
“I choose Team Monday,” Lee Danbi confidently announced.
After a quick consultation with Kim Bomi, they decided to send their hot favorite onto the stage first as appetizers, clearly banking on their Class A center to set the stage on fire.
The trainees in the waiting room peered anxiously at the gleaming TV screen.
As the team leader announced the chosen group’s name, eyes turned to the fortunate team, whose members, however, were wearing faces like they’d just swallowed bitter pills
“Go for it, don’t lose!” someone shouted.
“Of course not!” Wang Qi raised his fist to reassure the teammates, before leading his own group towards the backstage, half-walking, half-running, to have the production team check the readiness of their in-ear monitors.
After ten more seconds of inner calmness and letting go of any nervousness, he confidently ascended the stairs, flashing a smile against the lights, waving to the audience cheerfully.
As soon as Team Wang Qi appeared on stage, all the mommy fans quickly raised their light signs to let him see that they were there to support him.
Go ahead, show off your full potential!
[That was a great song indeed.
Now, it’s Team Kim Jong’s turn.
Who do you want to send to battle?]
“As they’ve prepared something grand, we won’t back down either,” Kim Sujin smiled at the senior hosts before handing the mic to her teammate, Jung Wangseong, to announce.
“We’ll send Team First Love to battle,” Im Kureum, who was sitting in the red team’s waiting room, pretended to look like the world was ending for the camera before raising his fist high above his head when someone told him not to give up.
He waved for his comrades in fate to come out of the waiting room and onto the battleground for tonight.
[Oh, the centers of these two songs are all from Class A, aren’t they?] Park Insa watched the son of the head PD walk onto the stage first, followed by the other members of the team.
The outfits of the two teams differed significantly.
[Do you think Team First Love will defeat Team Monday?] the senior artist asked as he walked over to interview PD’s son.
“Whether we win or not…
it depends on the audience below,” he made a V-sign with a pleading face like when he was trying to appease his father when he was angry that he wouldn’t go on a blind date.
”
Number two, number two!”
‘Kyaaaaa!!
Does PD Im want a daughter-in-law?!!’
‘Im Kureum!
Im Kureum!
Im Kureum!
Woohoo!’
Cheering mixed with loud screams echoed.
[What about Team Monday?
Don’t let them score all the points on their own.] Park Insa walked over to Wang Qi’s team’s side on the adjacent stage.
“Real men don’t talk much.
They use their abilities to speak for them.
I promise that the show we’ve prepared will make everyone vote for number one for sure.” He turned to Im Kuryum and raised his eyebrows twice.
‘Kyaaaa!
That little brat is asking to get flicked on the forehead again.’
‘Oh, that rascal.’
“…” Wang Qi.
Why did the cheers for him sound strange…
or was it just his imagination?
[Okay, we’ve had enough of each other’s bluffing.
The real thing is about to start.] Park Insa changed his position to stand in the middle of the small stage, facing the trainees from both teams.
[Everyone raises both hands up.]
Fwoop
Even though they didn’t know why they had to do it, they did it without hesitation.
[I have something to confess.
The PD gave me the right to choose the order of the performances.
Just now, Team First Love raised their hands a second faster.
Please go ahead and perform first.]
“!!!!” Im Kureum
Shoot!!
Was it that easy to choose the performance order?!
[It’s show time!]
Oh well!
Let’s do it then!!
The spotlight inside the studio went out.
Members of Team Monday retreated to their side of the stage, not obstructing the view of the audience on this side.
Meanwhile, Team First Love hurried to their designated spots as rehearsed.
Tick, tock.
The sound of a clock ticking invaded the darkness.
The lights on the red stage gradually brightened, but it was still difficult to make out what the people on stage were doing.
Ring ring ring ring!!
Whoos
Suddenly, as the ticking sound of the seconds hand turned into the sound of an alarm clock, the lights on the stage brightened along with the first melody of the music starting to play.
The song “First Love” by Team Center Im Kureum, originally named as the Love Song of the Year during the peak era of the music industry, still held its charm even amidst the influx of new songs into the scene.
Over time, people tended to revisit old familiar tunes to immerse themselves in the nostalgic atmosphere.
A popular song had the advantage of being easy for the audience to follow along with the performance.
However, if it fell short of the original standards set by the artist or was performed poorly, it could quickly turn into a double-edged sword.
Originally, Im Kureum was more of a dancer, and although his singing skills weren’t bad, they couldn’t compare to those who were primarily vocalists.
Therefore, in this song, he delegated the standout parts to one of the trainees in Class B because he couldn’t handle the high notes of the original song.
Consequently, the climax of the dance break became Im Kureum’s domain alone.
‘Woohoo!!’
‘Yaaah!!
Im Kureum!
Im Kureum!
Im Kureum!!’
It became a first love that evoked emotions vastly different from the original, one that was both passionate, intense, and painful.
[That’s it for Team First Love.
What did everyone think?] Park Insa walked out onto the stage, holding the microphone out to the audience below.
‘Absolutely amazing!
Im Kureum looks so handsome!’
‘The vocal was also great.’
‘PD Im, do you want a daughter-in-law?!!!’
The mix of cheers and the names of other team members echoed.
They called forth wide smiles and confidence to Team First Love, who swelled with pride in their own work after ten days of relentless practice.
Im Kureum turned, arching his eyebrows at Wang Qi.
Though barely able to catch his breath, he still managed to tease the other party.
Wang Qi responded with a wide grin and visible teeth.
“Super handsome, big brother,” the sentiment behind the smile.
“All right then, folks.
This first group is already on fire.
Let’s move on to the next team!”
Poof
The spotlight inside the studio went out once again, giving Team Monday members time to prepare on stage without the audience below seeing their moderate chaos.
It took a moment for the eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Upstairs, they stood ready.
Then the lights brightened once more.
“Who doesn’t love Mondays?!” Wang Qi, dressed in an ancient peasant costume, shouted into the microphone, his voice booming.
He extended the microphone out for the audience below to respond.
The result was unanimous; everyone claimed it was their own voice.
‘Meeeeee’
“It’s a song by Lee Danbi, a collaboration with a soloist.
The song is split into two parts, with vocals and rap each taking half.
The lyrics lament the weekends that slip away too quickly, and the original music video featured a famous actress, Han Shinsu, playing an office worker caught in a repetitive cycle of seven days, endlessly revolving around the same events.”
Wang Qi and his team transformed the scenes in the MV from the present era to the ancient era.
All team members dressed in ancient-themed costumes, ranging from laborers wearing rough cloth to the upper class adorned in smooth and luxurious fabrics, portraying wealth.
However, regardless of wealth, they still had to work endlessly, trapped in an endless loop they couldn’t escape.
Ultimately, Monday became just a label.
We were the ones who determined what we would do each day.
Whether it was boring or exciting, it was all up to us.
[Oh, it’s so profoundly meaningful, isn’t it, everyone?] Park Insa returned to his original spot.
This time, both teams were called to stand on the sides with the team’s center standing on the left and right of the senior artist.
‘Excellent!’
‘I’m going to eat barbecue pork this Monday!’
[What do the four judges think about the performances of both teams?]
Every trainee looked to their respective team leaders with hope.
They had put their hearts and efforts into their performances for ten full days.
Regardless of the outcome, today they must receive praise from the judges…
after being criticized for ten days.
Jung Wangseong took the microphone and held it first, looking back at his team members who returned his gaze nervously.
If their eyes didn’t deceive, there was a hint of pleading.
“You did exceptionally well today, better than during rehearsals.
Yesterday, I criticized your vocal range during the chorus, but today, you surprised me by delivering more than I expected.
Your rap section was flawless, and our center performed admirably.
You captivated my attention during the breakdance.
I must commend you,” praised the dance king himself.
Im Kureum, who had been holding his breath to listen, breathed a sigh of relief.
As for Kim Sujin, she praised her team members one by one and returned the microphone to Team Kim Lee for feedback on their performance.
“Wang Qi, you did much better than in rehearsals.
The rap solo I critiqued was perfectly corrected.
Moreover, the creative adaptation of the original MV for the show was highly commendable.
It makes me reconsider Mondays,” Lee Danbi handed the microphone back after finishing the critique, followed by applause from the studio audience.
[Received overwhelming praise, indeed.
However, our competition isn’t over yet.
Everyone remembers that you can only choose one performance you like, right?] Park Insa scanned the audience from left to right.
[If I give the signal, get ready to vote.
Team Blue, number one.
Team Red, number two.
You can only choose one team.
Who will be the first to win points?
When you’re ready…
vote now!]
‘First love, First love, First love!
‘Monday, Monday, Monday!’
The cheer mixed with the song title echoed along with the names of the trainees, causing both the judges and the singing teams to be excited to the point of holding hands to calm their nerves.
It was no different from the waiting room, where each team cheered loudly for their own team.
When it was time to broadcast, the editing team would capture this excitement to show viewers the atmosphere both on and off the stage.
[The voting time is up!
And the winner of this round is…!]
The lights on the two sides of the stage turned on and off in the colors of their respective teams, while the production team played music to create suspense for nearly ten seconds before the blue stage lights lit up.
“The winner of the first battle is Team Monday!
Congratulations!!”
‘Woohooo.
Kyaaaa!!’
‘Wang Qi, you did amazing!
Absolutely superb!’
“!!!!” Wang Qi’s eyes widened, stunned.
He collapsed to the stage floor as his teammates rushed over to hug the little rascal who was shocked into silence.
“We won!
We did it!!” The trainees in the team jumped, hugging each other in a circle, while their center sat in the middle, still in disbelief.
Eventually, he let out a loud cry, eliciting a mix of laughter and affection from the audience.
“Hic..
Thank you so much!
Huuu.
Thank you!”
Wang Qi’s tears caused a commotion among the fan girls and fan mothers below.
They all shouted that the little boy did a good job, that he was great, and that he shouldn’t cry.
It took a while for the young man to hold back his tears and stand up to bow to the audience almost ninety degrees.
Im Kureum’s tear-soaked face turned before he clapped to congratulate the winner.
They competed fairly and got a clean result.
Although it was heartbreaking, he didn’t feel regretful.
[Let’s give a round of applause to our first pair of the night!
Both teams’ performances were impressive, marking a great start.
Alright then!
I think if we continue with singing, it might be too repetitive.
How about we mix it up with some dancing, and songwriting?] Park Insa raised an eyebrow, asking.
‘Sounds good!’
[If that’s the case, for the next show…
I want to see some dance shows!
What do you all think?
Do you want to see that?]
‘Yes!
Anything you say, oppa!’
[Alright, let’s agree on that then.
PD Im, please don’t scold me for mixing up the shows.] However, no one said anything to him anyway, because this was the script prepared from the beginning.
[Ready to meet the next team or not?!]
‘Ready!’
[Please welcome the judges for the next dance battle round!]
“I’ll let you choose first.
We already have a lead.
No rush,” Lee Danbi handed over the mic.
“Just one point ahead, and there are still many teams left.
Don’t be too eager,” Jung Wangseong smirked and glanced at Kim Sujin, who nodded in agreement.
“We choose Team Black Card.”
“And we’ll go with Team Summer Sea.”
The battle continued to alternate, keeping both viewers and trainees guessing what kind of performance they’d see next.
Waiting eagerly until their turns came, and feeling like it took forever!
…
After some intense competition, the scores weren’t far apart.
Wins and losses were exchanged, with neither team willing to concede.
There were four more teams left to perform before the filming for the night would conclude.
[Next up, singing performances or original compositions.
Which show do you want to see first?]
‘Singing!’
[The decision was unanimous.
Then please invite the final two teams to sing!].
‘Kyaaaaa!’
In the red team’s waiting room:
“Kim Jiseong, fight them.
Your opponent is from the same class.
Don’t come back defeated.” The room that had housed over 50 trainees before the stage performances began, there were now less than 20.
Once echoed with cheers, it was now quiet and tense.
“Brother…” Kim Jiseong looked at Jacan, never expecting that the remaining singing show would pit his team against An Junsa’s.
“Give it your all.
I believe you can do well,” Jacan not pressuring him to win, but offering support.
“You’ve practiced a lot.
Make yourself proud today,” and not regret later.
“Everyone, let’s give it our best.
1,000 points are waiting for us,” before offering encouragement to the remaining trainees in the team.
“Osu!”
At this moment, the current score showed that the red team was at a disadvantage, as they were one point behind the blue team.
If Kim Jiseong’s show lost, they would have no way to win.
“I’ll always bring points for us,” the class A boy assured firmly.
“Fight on.
Let’s not get injured,” as there were only two groups left, all the trainees escorted them all the way to the front of the lounge, shaking hands and cheering them on non-stop.
…
[Here they are, the last two singing teams.
How are you feeling?
Excited?
Let’s start with the Tears of the Last team,] Park Insa walked over to interview An Junsa’s side first.
“I’m ready.
I’m confident that the audience will love my performance for sure,” An Junsa confidently looked down at the audience.
When he noticed his name tag missing among them, he couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction before masking his expression as if nothing had happened.
[You’re confident, that’s good.
Next up, it’s the One Night team.
You’re trailing by one point.
Feeling the pressure?]
“I didn’t feel pressured coming up here.
But when Senior mentioned the scores, I felt like I was on pins and needles,” Kim Jiseong’s body trembled as he explained.
[All four judges, anything to say to your own team?]
“We’re not worried.
We’re doing well,” Kim Bomi expressed, leaning back as if about to dissolve into liquid in the next few seconds.
“If we lose this stage, I’ll do aegyo one-minute live apology,” Kim Sujin challenged, picking up the mic.
[Saying like that, the fans might pray for your team to lose,] Park Insa teased, assessing the readiness of both teams for a moment.
[I want to see the runner-up team perform first.
Team Red, get ready!
Let’s start the final singing show stage!
It’s show time!]
Poof
Step, step, step
As soon as the lights went out, the sound of chaotic footsteps running could be heard.
Then, a spotlight shone down on the center of the team, revealing Kim Ji-sung standing with his hands behind his back, arms spread, and shoulders tense, like he was in a military “parade rest” position.
His eyes were closed tightly, and his lips, coated in natural-colored lipstick, opened to sing the intro without melody in the silence of the night.
Coupled with the all-black costumes of the team members, it further heightened the feeling of loneliness and isolation, as if they were being swallowed by the dark night…
Because she said they still love each other,
I never changed my mind (never looked at anyone).
Kim Jiseong was quite lucky to have drawn the song “One Night,” which had a melancholic melody but still retained a touch of coolness, helping to make the trainees on stage look mature and irresistible.
Even though their team didn’t have an impressive vocalist who could reach high notes like the original, they cleverly manipulated the sound by adding rap verses where none existed before, making it another show that would be talked about in the survival industry for a long time to come.
[Woah!
Absolutely amazing, right everyone?] Park Insa walked out, soaking in the applause from the audience that seemed thunderous.
‘So amazing!
Aaaahh’
‘Woohoo!
The tank tops are the best!’
‘So cool!’
Kim Sujin and Jung Wangseong, seated on the viewers’ side, stood up, raising both hands to encourage louder cheers.
“Just this, and we already know the result,” the dance king senior turned to wink at the opposite team.
“Yeah, don’t forget, we’re still leading.
Plus, my other team’s singer is all-round talented too,” Lee Danbi refused to give up, bluffing for the fun of the show when it was cut to air.
[Before the judges get into a fight, I think we should go watch the next performance.
Please welcome the Last Tear team!]
An Junsa led his team members to stand and halt at the marked spot they had rehearsed.
They then assumed doll-like poses, limbs hanging loosely, arms and legs swaying unnaturally.
The performance during the intro went smoothly, and the audience below the stage still enjoyed the show.
But as they entered the second and third verse, many began furrowing their brows, noticing the differences from the previous shows, which were clear to see.
An Junsa, standing on stage, could also sense the abnormality.
The young man gritted his teeth and swiftly changed his position with the main dancer to let him breakdance to save the situation.
As the third verse with high notes and adlibs approached, perhaps due to nervousness and a refusal to give in, the sound that came out before his last breath was no different from a chicken being slaughtered.
This time, no matter how much he wanted to maintain his composure, the former young master of OMM Ent.
couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Whispered discussions erupted.
Murmurs and whispers filled the studio as the show ended, but not a single person inside sent out a cheer.
They simply leaned forward, looking up, and turned to talk to the person beside them, as if they were analyzing the subpar performance that just happened.
Yeu Unche sighed in acceptance of his fate.
He did what he could best.
The results of this battle were predictable; everyone already knew who the winner was.
[And that concludes the performances of the two final teams in the singing show.
Everyone, don’t forget that you can only vote for one team.
I’ll give the signal, then you can vote.] Park Insa walked out holding the microphone, ready to salvage the situation.
He quickly cut off the judges’ comments, so that both teams could quickly go back to rest backstage.
He would use the remaining two songwriting shows to close the show.
The suspenseful music didn’t help An Junsa feel excited about the result, especially given the lukewarm response from the audience and his own mistakes during crucial moments.
As the red lights illuminated the entire stage, the host declared.
[The winning team is Team One Night!]
‘Woo!
Kyaaa!
Kim Jiseong!’
‘Kim Jiseong is so cool!’
As expected, the winning team of the singing segment was Kim Jiseong’s “Night” song.
Yeo Unche smiled in acceptance of defeat, genuinely applauding his friends.
Perhaps only An Junsa wore the face of unacceptance.
He might still be in Class A now, but after today’s show, he might not stay there for long.
He shouldn’t have missed it.
He could have easily hit that high note.
It was the strange reactions from the audience that had shaken him.
Or was there someone in the team who made a mistake without him knowing?!
“May I know the mistakes of my team, please?” Because Park Insa cut off the judging segment, he didn’t know what happened while his team was performing.
Apart from the embarrassing high note, if he could just get confirmation from the judges that he wasn’t the only one who didn’t perform well, at least his fans’ popularity wouldn’t drop too much.
Park Insa stood still like a rock.
In his four decades of life and over twenty years as an artist, it was not often that his colleagues did not cooperate in running the program.
Even though he had found a way for An Junsa to go back and reflect on himself, this guy still stubbornly insisted on hearing the judges’ comments, which he knew would be more criticism than praise.
“Do you really want to hear?” Kim Bomi calmly picked up her microphone to inquire.
“Yes, ma’am.
I want to hear and take it back for improvement,” An Junsa affirmed, believing that his segment wouldn’t be cut from the show.
There had to be people willing to vote for him because they saw his determination.
“If you want to hear, then we can’t just critique one team.
Let the red team talk about their own team first,” Kim Bomi queued up the winners to speak first, as it seemed she had a lot to say all at once.
It was rare to see Kim Bomi behave like this, making An Junsa feel that he had made a mistake asking for the critique.
But it was too late to back down now.
“Today, Team One Night did really well.
Better than yesterday’s rehearsal, where there were more mistakes.
There was no off-key singing, and everyone breathed properly.
Even though some made small mistakes, they quickly recovered.
It was really good,” praised Kim Sujin.
“Yesterday, I criticized the inner dancing part, which seemed insufficient.
Today, you all were excellent,” complimented Jung Wangseong, clapping to encourage them.
After the evaluation of their own performances, both Kim Jung teams looked towards Kim Bomi and Lee Danbi, who had icy expressions.
[…] Park Insa stood, his hand resting on his chin, waiting to witness the drama that would immediately become the talk of the town once this episode aired.
Because the attendees at today’s event were required to sign confidentiality agreements, disclosing the content of unaired programs would result in hefty fines.
“Do you understand teamwork?” Kim Bomi looked at the nine trainees with a calm expression, her eyes revealing nothing.
“You don’t have to answer.
I’m just asking,” she raised her hand to silence anyone about to speak up.
“The reason I asked that question earlier is because your team isn’t quite like a team at all.
It’s okay for the center to stand out, but you can’t just be everything in the song and push your teammates into background dancers.”