The short break given to the trainees was completely over, and all the cast and production staff rushed to prepare for the final live broadcast. Although it seemed like there was so much to do that I hadn’t rested at all, thinking that the program would end soon made it quite bearable.
“Hello, trainees! Did you enjoy the amusement park and the fan signing event?”
“Hello!”
“It was fun!”
As we moved to the audiovisual room to receive instructions for the live broadcast mission, as always, Yang Hajun was standing on the stage. As the program progressed, he seemed to have grown fond of the trainees, and whenever he saw familiar faces of trainees entering the audiovisual room, he would acknowledge them with a little wave or nod.
“Ah! Trainee Ha-Han Seungbeom!”
But I had no idea why he greeted me so much more shyly than necessary. He tried not to show it on the outside, but something about the way he stuttered didn’t seem normal.
‘Is he really a good actor? He doesn’t seem like he could lie at all.’
“…Hello.”
I greeted Yang Hajun with a nod and went to sit on the chair in the front row, right in front of the stage. Do Yuda and Lee Hwayoung, who had been with me since we left our room, sat on either side of me, and Woo Kangwon sat next to Do Yuda. As soon as we sat down, the camera quickly turned toward us.
‘Since the top-ranked trainees are all gathered together, it’s natural that we should be filmed.’
When I realized that the recording was already underway, I immediately stared straight ahead with sparkling eyes and a pretty expression on my face. Then, I heard Do Yuda’s voice beside me muttering, “
This hyung is acting like that again
“. Lee Hwayoung was watching me with a look of curiosity, while Woo Kangwon simply chuckled and watched us three with a kind gaze.
‘Fans are taking screenshots of every second, so I can’t afford to get caught with a silly expression.’
Of course, I knew that Han Seungbeom’s stunning appearance would make it impossible for him to look silly on camera, but there’s still something called
sincerity
.
I pretended not to notice the gaze of my roommates, and soon the other trainees entered the audiovisual room and found their seats. Once all the trainees were seated, Yang Hajun picked up the microphone and script again.
“Alright, our trainees who have survived to the final competition, you’ve worked hard. Now that all the trainees have taken their seats, shall we proceed with the announcement of the live mission?”
“Yes!”
Yang Hajun smiled at the trainees’ enthusiastic responses, and then read the next line.
“The live broadcast mission you will be preparing for this time is the one where the debut members will be decided, so it will be conducted in a way that is quite different from the previous missions. I believe all the trainees are already aware that there will be no additional benefits, and the rankings will be determined solely through real-time text voting.”
I nodded at the predictable progress.
As expected, since it was the final competition with debut on the line, they seemed to be planning to simply consider how many people desperately wished the respective trainee to debut, without applying any special benefits.
‘I’m sure I won’t be pushed out of the debut zone, but since I’ve maintained first place until now, votes might get split among the other trainees for the final broadcast. If someone has a top favorite who’s guaranteed to debut, and a second favorite whose debut seems less certain, they might vote for the latter.’
1
No, was
turning my attention to another trainee
a thought I could have because I had never experienced being a fan?
Thinking back to what I saw in the community and on SNS, I didn’t remember getting that kind of vibe.
What is the current record for the highest number of votes ever? Honestly, for Han Seungbeom, debuting in 1st or 2nd place isn’t the problem. It would be better if we aim to surpass the record. It will also boost the overall morale of the fandom.
[RT] ❤ Han Seungbeom Final Competition 1st Event ❤ Vote for Survive IDOL’s Trainee Han Seungbeom and win a laptop! After voting for Trainee Han Seungbeom via text, send a proof photo to complete your participation in the event!
It seemed like my fans were already on board with the idea of breaking the record for the highest number of votes and were clearly ready to give their all for the final round of voting.
Despite maintaining an absolute ranking without any threats from the beginning of the program, the reason why their voting power hadn’t diminished yet was because they’d been through just as many storms as I had.
— I got attacked badly by Nihwalee fandom recently. I exposed the account of an anti who’s setting up the Captain
2
. I found evidence that they’re actually the same person with a Nihwalee fan account, but when I posted it, that fandom just accused me of making it up hahaha be for real lololol
— That kid is super close with our Captain, but his fans are ruthlessly slandering the Captain and claiming they will snatch away the first place. Who do they think took care of him when he got injured last time? And who do they think did the headband show at the fansign for them? Their ungratefulness is legendary
└ Ah, seeing them do such dirty tricks just to steal the first place makes me even more fired up, haha
└ But there was also someone on our side who posted slanderous stuff and got criticized for it, so it’s hard to see this as a problem with the entire fandom. Let’s not get distracted by the crazy people that exist everywhere and just focus on our fandom….
└ What do you mean. I’m not being distracted right now, I’m adding firewood and fanning the flames.
Originally, the fandom of the first place trainee was bound to be targeted by the other trainee’s fandom, and it seemed like my fans had been enduring all of that and holding the grudge throughout the entire program.
Normally, people would be tired and lose their affection after going through something like that, but my fans, on the contrary, seemed to have their fighting spirit increase.
Indeed, is it true that you become like the one you love?
— I want to give the Captain a happy debut ㅠㅠ Let’s do our best, everyone!
— Let’s support the baby’s growth. Everyone, don’t let your guard down and please vote. Good luck. Seungmen.
3
└ Seungmen.
└ Seungmen.
└ SM
This is love.
It’s
love
.
‘Thanks to the fans, I don’t have to worry about my ranking plummeting.’
Just as I was warming my heart by thinking about the fans’ reactions, Yang Hajun read the script again.
“Although there are no benefits given, if you show a great performance on stage, you can leave a good impression on the viewers and gain their votes. So, trainees, please make sure to do your best.”
‘That’s true. For the trainees, that stage will be their last chance.’
There’s no guarantee that a sudden influx of new fans wouldn’t occur on the very day of the live broadcast.
The cheeky Nicholas Hwayoung Lee could end up taking his shirt off on that day and completely overturning the rankings. Han Seungbeom didn’t have any means to counter, as he had a smooth, flat stomach.
Don’t let your guard down
, that’s what they said. Well, it was half a joke, though.
‘I can’t afford to show a low-quality performance.’
I had to make sure Lee Danbi could shine to some extent on the stage, so I had to give my best until the end. Filled with competitive spirit, I clenched my fist and waited for Yang Hajun’s next words.
“There will be a total of four stages that the trainees will perform in the final competition. The very first stage will be a group performance where you will sing the program’s theme song that you learned for the grade re-evaluation at the beginning of the program.”
It was the second coming of
I’m Sexy, I’m Cute, I’m Cool.
Well, the song itself was good. With its strange lyrics and addictive melody, it gained huge popularity among the public, so it was a great song that fulfilled its purpose. But that ridiculous dance break was a bit concerning.
‘If I’m the only one standing while everyone else collapses behind me, we’ll be a total laughingstock.’
“Ah, just thinking about doing that again already makes me break out in cold sweat.”
“Can’t we just modify the choreography for the dance break a little?”
“Everyone made fun of me back then. Seriously, what are we going to doooo?”
I could already hear the trainees screaming, clutching their heads in worry. It was only natural, considering there probably weren’t many among the trainees who could perfectly pull off that dance break.
‘What do you mean by what to do. Either film only in burst mode or distract the viewers by cutting the video to focus mainly on the kids in the front so the others aren’t visible. As for the live audience, there’s nothing we can do about that.’
The production team probably asked Jay to ‘
make it as difficult as possible
‘ for the sake of the broadcast. And this was the result of Jay faithfully following that request.
‘That guy is really cruel too. He has no right to say anything to me.’
Actor Yang Hajun, who had no idea why the trainees were screaming, mercilessly read the next line.
“For the first public performance of the theme song, we conducted a vote by grade to determine the center position. But this time, the trainees will stand in order based on the rankings from the previous ranking announcement ceremony.”
“Ooooh, so the center won’t change after all! That’s such a perfect symmetry, it’s insane.”
4
As soon as the standing arrangement was mentioned, Do Yuda poked me in the side playfully and teased me.
“As expected, hyung should be the center. Whatever happens, the center is Han Seungbeom!”
Usually, the center for the first public performance of the theme song is decided by the trainees’ votes, and the center for the final performance is chosen by the public’s votes, so it often doesn’t match.
It was truly unusual for one trainee to consecutively take the center position like this.
There were some people who expressed fatigue over this situation happening repeatedly. They were mostly people who supported other trainees, particularly those with no personal connection to me.
I looked at the other trainees who seemed quite disappointed and thought about the reactions on SBS.
— I’m getting really tired of seeing Han Seungbeom being pushed so much. It’s not like the other trainees are just extras, yet they’re treating a mere trainee like he’s a top-tier idol, lol.
└ Excuse me, if you look at the amount of airtime, Han Seungbeom doesn’t get that much screentime. Rather, the ones getting pushed on the broadcast are Do Yuda and Nagi Zen … they’re getting promoted a lot as Pat and Mat duo.
└ Han Seungbeom is extremely blunt that he doesn’t really react much, but if it feels like he gets a lot of screentime, it’s probably because of his stage performance. But what can we do? The stage is based on skills hahaha If you’re bitter, tell your child to practice more~~
└ I also thought that Han Seungbeom seems to only push the kids he’s close with…. If you look at Kim Saemyeong, he’s really consistently doing well, but compared to Han Seungbeom’s friends, he’s not getting the same recognition, it makes me feel sad for him…ㅠㅠ Honestly, it’s true that Han Seungbeom only takes care of the people he likes ㅜ
└ But it’s not that you have to be friends with Han Seungbeom to do well. It’s just that the kids who are already good awaken their potential when they hang out with him, right? And Han Seungbeom is not everyone’s problem-solver … I don’t get why people think it’s mandatory for him to take care of everyone when this is a survival show.
└ Exactly, if he doesn’t take care of his close friends when they’re going through a tough time, people will criticize him for neglecting them ㅜㅜ If he gives up the center position, they’ll say he doesn’t look desperate enough to debut … What exactly is he supposed to do?
But what am I supposed to do?
I hated being swayed by other people’s words.
‘I’m going to be the center until the end, and I’m only going to take care of the kids I like, so you guys just figure it out on your own. This or that, you’ll still be spouting f**king nonsense either way.’
‘I’ll push the ones I like until they debut, and the ones I don’t like, I’ll push them off a cliff.’
, ‘
I’m the best.
‘. That mindset had never changed. I must protect my small and fragile original intention
5
.
As I was nodding and thinking about that, Yang Hajun continued.
“And for the second and third performances, the trainees will be divided into two groups. New songs have already been prepared for you, and we will begin introducing the songs and assigning the positions now. Starting from the trainee with the lowest ranking to the one with the highest ranking, you can step forward and attach your name next to the song and position you prefer.”
“…….”
“…….”
‘I feel like the back of my head is going to burn.’
As soon as the explanation of the song assignment was given, the eyes of the guys sitting around me flashed ferociously.
And the moment Yang Hajun lowered his microphone, my limbs were grabbed.
“Han Seungbeom, do it with me.”
“Nooo! I said I’d overlook it just once! Do it with me! Hyung, where are you going without your main vocalist, seriously!”
“Leada, now is your chance. Please look at how much I’ve grown.”
“Do it with me, Seungbeom-ah. I’ll definitely show you what I’m capable of this time.”
“Seungbeom-hyung, you promised me!”
“I think I can do it more confidently if I’m with you…..”
Let go of me, you chicks.
Han Seungbeom
is going to be torn apart.
If this isn’t dismemberment, then what the hell is it?
6
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Translator’s Corner:
The word used for “
top favorite
” is 최애, basically in kpop fandom term, it’s “
bias
“, and for “
second favorite
“, it’s “차애”, aka
bias wrecker.
Since idk if every readers familiar with kpop term, I just use the ordinary word. ↩︎
The term used here is
지능형 안티, literally “intelligent (smart) anti”
, It’s a hater, but they pretended to be a fan to gather hate to the idol. For example, you’re a hater of A. Then, you made a fan account in internet pretending to be a fan of A. With that account, you started attacking other idols, making the fans of those idols hate A in return. ↩︎
Seungmen is written as 승-멘
. My guess is it stands for Seungbeom + mental / mentality / mindset (
멘
탈). But the point is, Victory (winning) in Korea is Seung-ri (
승리
). So “Seung-men” is like the short for
승
리의
멘
탈 (
The mentality of victory / winning mentality
). But “Seung” also stands for “Seungbeom”, so you can judge how clever the chant is lol
And if you think about about it in English, Seungmen sounds like
Seung
beom + a
men
, which really suits his religious fandom concept lol. ↩︎
The word used for
symmetry
here is
수미상관 (lit. head and tail are correlated
). It’s a literary technique that mainly refers to the first and last verses in verse having the same or similar forms. Also used in other art forms, such as movies, dramas, animations, and music videos to describe when the beginning and the end are similiar or mirroring or corresponding with each other.
Like you watch a drama, and the first episode started with A doing things in B place. Then the last episode, the last shot showed similiar scene to that. It can also be applied to broader contexts, such as situations, events, or even patterns, where
the start and end align or echo each other
.
I’m actually at lost how to translate it because I can’t exactly use the world “comes a full circle” since MC basically never left so what’s circle lol he’s not moving at all. ↩︎
Original intention (초심)
(can also be read as original resolution/mindset) literally means the intention which one had at the start of something. Generally used to mean the
pure intention and mindset you had when you start to do something in earnest with a specific goal.
Like in kpop, you can clearly show how most rookies who just debuted are doing everything they can, because they still have the “original intention”. ↩︎
Dismemberment
here is
거열형
type, (means: to tear off a person’s four limbs and head using five horse drawn carts). It’s one of the execution methods used in Ancient era. The wiki said it was developed by Shang Yang, a prime minister of the Qin Dynasty. It is a method of killing by tying the limbs and head to five carts led by horses or oxen, pulling them to all directions, which would pull the body apart. ↩︎
Ugh I DON’T KNOW WHY I SHOULD EXPLAIN THINGS LIKE THE LAST ONE IN AN IDOL NOVEL T_T MC TONE DOWN YOUR THOUGHT THE TRANSLATOR IS GOING TO FAINT AFTER SEEING THE GRAPHIC. SOMEONE SAVE ME, I’M ALREADY DYING ENOUGH FROM TLING THE NETIZEN FIGHTS ZDJKHDFJKHFDKJFDHF
but wow you can know who said what in the last part without specifying their name lol