“Oh my god, that’s the 3rd place?”

“Even though they did such a good job?”

“They had the highest rank in the beginning……”

“The reaction was no joke either.”

When they announced us placing in 3rd, the other team members around us started murmuring.

Thank you, but in fact, I had predicted this situation since the moment they said each audience had two votes.

‘I put them all in a checklist.’

For people to go so far as coming into the audience, it meant that most of them were heavy viewers who were pushing a certain participant.

The audience first chose the team that contained their favorite participants.

And then they would vote for a team with low rankings and good skills.

There was no reason to vote for this team, which could end up as a competitor to the team they were trying to push.

If you think about it, honestly, finishing in 3rd place was a good save.

Because it meant that in addition to the audition who came to watch this team, we were able to gain the votes of the people who just came to watch.

However, the team members seemed to be quite shocked.

“…Thank you!”

Ryu Chungwoo, who replied a second late, bowed vigorously and greeted.

The team members eagerly followed and gave their thanks, but I could clearly see that they were trying to look calm.

“Thank you.”

I also bowed my head.

The announcement of the first and second places were postponed due to the ranking announcement ceremony. Among them, there was the ‘team similar to their first team’ gathered by Choi Wongil.

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“Then shareholder-nims! 〈Re-listed! Idol Joint-Stock Company〉 We’ll see you again at the ranking announcement ceremony with the announcement of the 1st place in the team match!”

For some reason, after the MC’s closing remarks, Choi Wongil glanced at this side with a proud look.

“What an idiot……”

He was always like this.

Was it because he hadn’t tasted the spice of editing?

Anyway, this team was too out of mind to notice that. Ryu Chungwoo patted each of the team members who applauded in a depressed state on the shoulder.

“Great job. We did our best and looked good. Let’s not worry.”

“Yes…”

“Right, we did a great job!”

Well, just like Cha Yujin said, it was clear we did well on the stage.

So if I get a sympathy vote for this, I wouldn’t be offended.

No one in this team was likely to be eliminated during the next ranking announcement anyway, which was the best result.

The problem was the editing, but unless there was another edit where they only highlighted Ryu Chungwoo and blackened everyone else, then it was fine. Since the stage came out well.

We all had our own fandoms so a lot of bad news would be wiped out in public opinion.

Kim Raebin, who gained a bad image through the first team fight broadcast but settled in the road rankings through persistent public opinion fights from his fans was a great example of that.

Oh, he was talking to me.

“Hey……Park Moondae-hyung.”

“Oh, why.”

Kim Raebin bowed his head.

“I am really grateful to you in many ways. Can we exchange phone numbers?”

“Okay.”

I gave him my number without hesitation.

He was a participant who would cause me no harm if we got close to each other. Thanks to his characteristics of changing lyrics and composing, I was even able to eat raw.

In addition, looking at his personality, unlike Keun Sejin who contacted me all the time, he seemed like the type to quickly do things with his phone when needed.

Kim Raebin bowed his head again after receiving my number.

“I’ll say hello from time to time.”

“……That’s nice.”

I didn’t know if I was talking to an aspiring idol or a successor.

‘Oh, come to think of it…’

Could this be an opportunity to change the so-called ‘tied group of participants’?

Since this team match ended successfully, there was a possibility that the fandom would reorganize itself on its own as long as a few eyewitnesses leaked relationships in time for the next episode airing.

Those who were tied up with ‘Park Moondae’ had many risk factors from drugs to the final ranking in the future. In addition…

‘Wouldn’t my survival rate be higher if I got tied up with someone who has a higher final rank?’

The possibility of my reputation with Cha Yujin getting less hostile if I get tied up with Kim Raebin couldn’t be ignored.

‘Great.’

To make such a calculation, reality hit me hard, but who cares about face when it comes to sudden death?

“Thank you for your hard work~”

“Good Job everyone!”

As I was packing my things and getting ready to leave while occasionally shaking my head, someone touched my back from behind.

“H-hey.”

“Hmm?”

When I turned my head, I saw Seon Ahyun with a sad expression on his face.

The guy who had been too busy the past week to even say hello suddenly came up to me with a sad face?

‘Is there a bad rumor going around?’

Seon Ahyun looked around, confirmed that people were not looking, and soon opened his eyes wide and whispered.

“Choi, you know Choi Wongil.”

“…? Oh, what’s wrong with Choi Wongil?”

Why was he suddenly talking about Choi Wongil?

‘Did he come here to curse because he said he would eat the part again?’

Surprisingly, the idea that I just threw was half right.

“H-H-H-He is so mean…!”

“…….”

Seon Ahyun was almost buffering.

No, what kind of personality did one need to have to make this pushover so angry?

“Why? Did something happen?””

“Uh, yes!!”

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Seon Ahyun nodded vigorously, and began to carefully explain what happened during the last team match.

“A-At the beginning……While asking for his part he said.”

Oh, my prediction was completely right.

“H-He kept talking about you! Like s-sarcastically…….”

To summarize Choi Wongil’s actions, it was roughly like this.

‘I didn’t get the camera footage in the first round, so It’s right for me to get some this time. I also set up the team. Shouldn’t you be thankful?’

‘You gave all your parts to Moondae-hyung before, but now that I became the main vocalist why aren’t you giving it to me? It seems you are discriminating because of your friendship.’

It seems the latter even cried while talking in an interview with the production crew.

‘He must have learned that the first punch wins in the last team match.’

It is said that when the team members who were stabbed in the back were struggling during the night, Keun Sejin gently soothed Choi Wongil and settled the situation.

“It’s a wise choice considering the broadcast.”’

But thanks to that, the frustration of the team members who couldn’t speak properly disappeared.

Seon Ahyun’s cautious attitude changed to a completely turbulent state by the end of his sentences.

He seemed to be so angry that he started stuttering.

“Y-You have to be careful…! I-Im scared that he will make your story strange so……I-I wanted to tell you.”

Seon Ahyun, whose cheeks turned red, was worried about Park Moondae while everything was happening, and eventually acted on his concerns.

Maybe the main point he wanted to make was this.

The situation is funny, but this is………That’s right.

‘I’m kind of grateful too.’

In this survival audition, where everyone was busy trying to deal with themselves, he was treating me like a real friend and not just a connection.

I feel like an idiot who used to divide the group rankings with my children.

‘This isn’t a middle school class.’’

My future knowledge was already being divided since my team got in trouble during the first team match, but I wonder if I was being paranoid.

I smiled and answered.

“Oh, okay. Thank you.”

“N-no……”

Seon Ahyun was startled, then hurriedly waved his hands and returned to his usual timid appearance.

During that time, Keun Sejin, who appeared out of nowhere, put his arms around our shoulder.

He really seemed to have a strange ability to join anywhere in the conversation.

“Yeah~ friends. What are you doing?””

“T-that……I was telling him.”

“What? Oh……Him.”

Keun Sejin shrugged.

Looks like Choi Wongil was labeled as a troll so much to the point that he was referred to by his pronoun instead of name.

“We don’t have to do it together next time. The stressed side loses. Look at this. It’s a busy world to see good things.”

“Huh?”

Keun Sejin naturally passed the topic, then he clicked on something on his phone screen and showed it to Seon Ahyun.

It was an SNS post that posted photos of subway station billboards.

Oh, the time for this had already come.

Putting advertisements on public facilities was one of the most popular support for idol fans. I remember the pictures since I had also taken them many times.

‘Of course, it was uploaded under a fan account name that I bought.’

Anyway, I thought Keun Sejin was trying to show his own billboard being seen, but that wasn’t all.

“Ta-da! It’s the 3 of us”.

“Hmm?”

Looking at it again, it was certainly all of our billboards being near each other and facing each other.

Below the picture, I saw the registered article.

=========================

[It’s at Hongik University Station, it’s the same age line from October 31! So cute ㅠㅠ I put a post it on it!]

=========================

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Keun Sejin smiled and said.

“Hey, isn’t it amazing? How did they put up an ad like this? Did they discuss it beforehand?

“…….”

No.

I’m sure they fought for the seat.

When I thought about the time and money they must have spent to try and catch a large billboard at a popular station, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for it.

‘Well, Park Moondae’s chances of survival……Thank you for investing in it.’

I had a new concern. Even if I was able to debut and avoid sudden death, I would be able to avoid going to hell only when the contract period is filled with sincerity.

When I was confused by the strange sense of debt, Keun Sejin got to the point.

“Do you want to go see this? The fans even put on messages, so isn’t the right thing to go and see~”

“…….”

On the contrary, can’t we protect our own?

However, Seon Ahyun blinked and shouted okay at once.

“O-Okay.”

“Good, good. Moondae you are going too, right? When do you guys want to go?”

Being tricked into going together like this felt familiar to back when we watched the third episode together.

Still……Anyway, as Keun Sejin said, I had to go see the billboard once. Even if people recognised me, it would be easier to deal with it together rather than alone.

I took turns looking at the two for a moment, and just nodded.

“If we are going, we’d better go within this week.”

“The sooner, the better!”

“G-Good!”

Listening to the two excitedly setting a date, I went back to packing my bag.

Well, I didn’t feel bad.

***

And two days later.

I took out the black cotton mask that I bought at the convenience store last time and put it on.

The destination was Hongik University Station.

I mostly stayed in my house whenever I wasn’t filming, so it had been a while since I went out like this.

[Seon Ahyun: Why don’t we have lunch after seeing the billboard? I found some good looking restaurants, so if it’s okay with you guys…(See more)]

A message came from Seon Ahyun.

‘It’s still long.’

While looking through Keun Sejin’s reactions that contained too many emoticons, I went out and got on the bass.

Because I was staying in a cheap room, there wasn’t any subway station within a 20-minute-walk distance.

“Like this, I can move quietly from the bus stop near Hongik University Station.’

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…However, thinking something like this was a mistake.

“Gasp.”

“Isn’t that Park Moondae?”

“Oh my god………H-Hey there!”

Because as soon as I got off the bus and crossed the crosswalk, this happened.

I hadn’t even reached the meeting point yet when people started gathering around.

There were only a few people who recognized me right away, but a crowd was gathering due to the busy street.

“Who is it?”

“Is he a celebrity or an idol”?

‘I don’t think I can do this.’

I thought for a moment, bowed down and ran.

I wanted to respond more if possible, but the atmosphere was unusual. At this point, the ripple effect of the most popular audition program was amazing.

It was a point in time where when you turn on the Hagiya Entertainment News, you would see at least one news related to 〈Idol Joint-Stock Company〉 in the rankings. I was just relieved because I normally didn’t go outside.

‘Now that this happened, I just have to quickly look at the billboard and disappear.’

While quickly running down into the subway station, my smartphone vibrated, but I was going to check it once I was out of the crowd.

And……As soon as I arrived at the location where the three billboards were hung, I noticed the situation.

Because the two people who had already arrived at the billboard were surrounded by smartphones.

‘It must have been a call saying, ‘I’ve already arrived, but this is the case.’’

These idiots came out without even wearing masks.

In the meantime, people who recognized Park Moondae cheered.

“Moondae!”

“Moondae is here too!”

It was awkward, but I was thankful. That was true.