Chapter 32 |
After a noisy day with the introduction of the gamble system, the next day came without delay.
‘Woo Kangwon is still sleeping. I have time left.’
I pushed myself up despite my tiredness, even though it was still early in the morning, before the official practice time.
“….I should do some searching.”
At the end of yesterday’s episode, there was a very short trailer about the introduction of the gamble system. It was a system that had never been done before, so it was necessary to see how the public would react to it. And I also needed to see how the public would react to the members.
‘I have to take those bulky losers and make sure our team gets the first place at any cost.’
Lee Hwayoung’s team was the so-called “Avengers” team.
Unlike Woo Kangwon, who selected members by also considering their personalities, Lee Hwayoung simply chose trainees who were popular and would help with the overall votes.
‘Not a chance, you cheeky Nicholas Hwayoung Lee.’
Comfortably leaning on the sofa, I grabbed Do Yuda’s tablet and started using it. Usually, he kept it close to him to check fan reactions, but today the tablet seemed to have been left abandoned on the table.
‘Let’s see the community reaction first.’
Community reactions tended to be more anonymous, so there were a lot of weirdos, but at the same time, raw and direct comments were exchanged. If you wanted to get clear reactions without any filters, it’s more suitable to check the community.
When I clicked on the most popular post, I saw an image that had been screenshoted from the trailer, where a scene featuring another team was zoomed in to highlight the part with our team.
— Based on their positions and the camera angle, it looks like this scene is right after Han Seungbeom announced how many people he would revive, but the kids are all hugging him ㅜㅜ Ah, did Seungbeom really say he would save everyone? It’s so heartwarming…..
└ A captain never abandons the ship ㅠㅠㅠㅠ this is crazy. I’m so immersed in this
— They look like penguins huddled together.
└ Look at their size. Are those penguins or polar bears?
— No way, the Captain is so tiny, how did this happen? He was such a manly man when he was next to Danbi
└ Anyone who’s next to Woo Kangwon looks like that … it can’t be helped.
└ 22. The smallest one, Han Seungbeom, is around 180 cm lol. At this point, isn’t this abuse to Han Seungbeom?? The other kids are so muscular, it’s driving me crazy. The Motorcycle gang team’s physicals are insane.
‘It really came out as tiny as a bean, how did you find it?’
As the person who wrote the post said, the captured scene was indeed at the point when our betting had ended. Those guys who were as big as Namsan1 rushed at me all at once, so I really thought I was going to die.
‘My fans’ reactions are better than I thought.’
To be honest, I got annoyed with the members living like pushovers, so in a fit of anger, I made a bold bet. But that wasn’t the whole story. After all, the risk was just too high.
— Aren’t those team members just pretending to be strong? The Captain must have had a plan and chose to revive them all. I trusted the Captain~!!
└ You’re calling a mere trainee captain lol
└ It’s a heretic. Slash! Cut this bastard down. It’s a heretic. Slash! Cut this bastard down. It’s a heretic. Slash!
└ (a reckless person spraying water on a knife.gif)
The nickname fans gave me was ‘Captain‘, and it seemed that I was perceived as someone who boldly took on any task and had a great sense of responsibility.
‘Everyone has fallen for my wicked schemes. Haha.’
Idols were virtually the same as image battles. A solid character soon became attractive and attracted people.
It seemed like I had built up an image of an alleyway captain.
Then, in this case, if I prioritized my own survival and abandoned my members, it would ultimately destroy the image fans had of me. Therefore, my decision was the right one.
— All Han Seungbeom’s fans are lunatics
└ Amen.
└ Amen (2)
└ Amen (3)
└ No, seriously, why are you guys like this? He’s gone beyond being a captain, this is at level of a religion
└ Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic? Heretic?
I didn’t know why this was happening.
Next, I had to see the reaction of the members.
‘…I guess I should focus on Zen.’
To put it simply, I was most worried about Nagi Zen.
The other members probably remained in a state of indifference, with neither praise nor criticism, due to their low recognition, but for Zen, reactions of various kinds were starting to emerge.
— But are Japanese people normally like that, with their heads kind of in Andromeda2? This is the first time I’m getting interested in a Japanese member, but he’s just standing there dumbly like a Goblin
└ Hello. I’m Japanese. I’m sorry if the sentences are weird because I’m using translation. It’s rare. People like him. He’s just particularly weird.
Zen started gaining a larger fanbase after showcasing a quirky and eccentric personality during the first competition, along with becoming a trending topic on SNS as a ‘snake-like‘ idol.
— Nagi Zen is cute. I haven’t picked a bias3 yet, but for now, I’m eyeing him. He seems kind of good.
└ Even so, he only got through the last mission without criticism because of Han Seungbeom’s support. When you watch the fancam, you can see he’s a bit clumsy, so the next mission is likely to be a real challenge for him.
└ 22 HAHAHA And you know, physiognomy is science~ He looks like he’s about to cause some trouble soon.
┗ Just go on your way, damn it ㅠㅠ why come over to someone who’s eating deliciously and be like ‘ugh! ugh! This must taste terrible!‘? wtf you’re doing. Mods, this jerk is ruining the atmosphere, ban them~!!
And as recognition increased, sharp negative opinions seemed to appear in the mix of the various responses to him.
‘It seems like there are people who have figured out Zen’s skills are still lacking.’
Now was the perfect time to escape before the image of lacking skill became firmly established. There were no analysis videos on NeoTube yet. If he didn’t get through this properly, the public would analyze and criticize every single movement, even slowing it down frame by frame.
‘If people look at you with such a nitpicking mindset, no matter how much you grow, there will always be something to criticize, unless you’re the main dancer.’
The person in question, Zen, likely wasn’t thinking about this even for a second.
But I strangely got involved in a lot of things with Zen, so I had a lot on my mind.
“Ouch, my head.”
I scrolled down further, clutching my head that was throbbing from a headache.
— I almost broke my head because I couldn’t understand what the gambling system was about. They made the rules so damn complicated just to make a concept. Am I the only one who doesn’t get it?
└ That’s because you’re a total dumbass.
└ Ah haha hit gently. You’re making it worse by hitting me like that.
┗ Our magnificent top two are so tolerant, they even embrace dumbasses.
┗ Those two would probably kill me first if they found out I’m a dumbass ㅠㅠ hahahahahaha
— No, putting aside how complicated it is, what’s the point of the national vote if this happens? I worked my ass off to vote, but now it looks like half of it is going to be wasted damn. My baby is too kind, I think he’ll end up betting out of pressure ㅠㅠ
└ REAL. I’m literally praying right now. Please, I hope my kid didn’t bet…..
— Honestly, only Han Seungbeom fans and Lee Hwayoung fans aren’t worried right now, haha. Anyway, Han Seungbeom is going to take first place so there’s no risk for him, and Lee Hwayoung only picked well-known trainees so there are no trainees at risk of elimination, LOL. Can you believe this.
└ What nonsense is this? Han Seungbeom’s fans are worried too, you know? Stop trying to pit us against each other
There seemed to be a lot of complaints about the new system.
They went all out in voting, but if their chosen trainee bet to save the team members and end up getting eliminated, it’s something that would seriously piss off the fans.
‘The stakes are too high to make a bet just for the sake of good image.’
Therefore, the most efficient choice was to objectively assess the team’s potential based on the practice done over the course of one day, and then choose the safest option for the number of trainees to be saved.
That’s exactly what Do Yuda did.
“Trainee Do Yuda, would you like to bet?”
“Yes, I’ll make a bet.”
“Please tell me how many trainees you’re betting on.”
“One trainee.”
“Then you’ll have to win fourth place in the second mission. Are you confident?”
“I’ll do my best.”
‘Since Do Yuda is in the team, they’ll be able to place 4th or higher.’
Thud! Tuk!
While I was lost in thought, a strange sound came from the bathroom.
“…….”
I sighed as I put the tablet on the table.
I didn’t think it was the right time to be searching.
As I walked to the door, I could distinguish that the muffled sound was the sound of something rattling, like a toilet lid being opened and closed repeatedly.
Knock. I knocked a couple times.
“Do Yuda, open the door.”
“…….”
There was no answer. It looked like he was pretending he wasn’t in the bathroom.
It was a foolish thing to do. The reason I woke up earlier than planned in the first place was because of the sound of Do Yuda tossing and turning in bed.
‘He’s not even a chicken that only hides its head.’4
I already knew he’d gone into the bathroom. I had two roommates and Woo Kangwon was sleeping, so if it wasn’t Do Yuda in the bathroom, then who was it?
I was going to wait for him to get himself under control and come out, but the gagging sounds coming from inside were getting alarming.
“Do Yuda, I know you’re inside.”
“…….”
The doorknob moved slightly. He seemed to be hesitating with his hand resting on the doorknob.
‘…..I knew this would happen. The problem I was worried about has occurred.’
When the discussion time was given, Do Yuda’s team was the first to become noisy as soon as the 15-minute time limit began. Apparently, all the members except Do Yuda were said to be close friends.
I remembered frowning at the commotion caused by them. They were forcing him to make a bet.
At that moment, I made eye contact with Do Yuda. And I shook my head clearly said this to Do Yuda,
Don’t bet.
Assuming that the 1st and 2nd place spots were already taken by my team and Lee Hwayoung’s team, the remaining spots were 3rd and 4th. But even for that, there were too many competitors.
So realistically, the most possible ranking would have been 4th. In other words, only 1 person could have been saved.
‘Do Yuda’s team has two trainees at risk of elimination, so rather than saving just one of them, it would be better to draw the line and not bet at all.’
But he didn’t listen to me and chose to bet.
To one trainee.
‘He probably thought it would be better to save at least one person. That kid is just too kind.’
Everyone knew that choosing to save at least one person was more reasonable than choosing not to save anyone.
However, in reality, it didn’t matter which choice was more reasonable.
Because the human heart doesn’t operate on reasonability alone.
Bam!
“Hyung, why did you wake up so early? You’re like a grandfather. Haha! Did I use the bathroom for too long? Oh, I guess I just created a monster.” Do Yuda, who opened the door late, smiled brightly and said.
“…….”
He smelled of cold mint. The corners of his eyes were red and watery.
It meant that he had vomited, not the usual empty gagging, but a proper vomit.
I stopped the guy who was casually trying to pass by me.
“Don’t try to fool me. It won’t work.”
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Translator’s Corner:
- Namsan is a mountain in Korea ↩︎
- Andromeda is a galaxy far far away (well actually no, it’s the nearest galaxy to ours, Milky Way), but the point is he’s “out of touch with reality“, because we’re in Milky so wyd in Andromeda. ↩︎
- Bias means the most favorite member. Like in K-POP group there can be 7 members, right? Your favorite #1 member is your “bias” ↩︎
- A chicken that only hides its head comes from the Korean proverb 꿩은 머리만 섶에 감춘다 (Pheasants (chicken cousin) hide their heads in a burrow). It mocks the foolishness of thinking that hiding only a part of something that has already been revealed is the end.
This saying exists because, you know, the birds family are full of animals who have environmental awareness from birth perceive their environment egocentrically during their juvenile stage, so they think “What I can’t see, others can’t see“. When cornered, they disguise themselves by burying their heads in bushes (or even dug the grounds, I think?) but raising their buttocks high in the sky. It’s similiar behavior if you play hide-and-seek with babies, they will only hid their head even though their other whole body is visible.
I think MC used “chicken” here because he saw all trainees younger than Han Seungbeom as chickens. ↩︎