For the theme song stage, the arrangement of the contestants was arranged in a fan shape, keeping the Platinum grade boys up front and in the center of the lineup. Of course, the higher the rating, the more you get to the center.

Apart from that, there were parts of the choreography that only the Platinum grade would perform, thus showing the importance and preference of the grade.

However, everyone seemed to be paying attention to their grades, because getting a cut on camera could change their starting rankings.

In addition, the production team and coaches seriously talked about the great importance of the grade, which was understood and taken advantage of by the participants from lower grades.

In other words, the number of guys who talked to me as soon as I got my Platinum badge increased fivefold.

I was a bit skeptical about the explicit social hierarchy that I had never experienced when I was studying at school.

If they created an atmosphere like this, what would they do with the guys who debut at the end of the show...?

Fortunately, the vicious production team also had an idea of ​​direction. Participants with a dance level of A or higher among the Platinum grades will stand out more in the recordings as they would be front and center of the group, while those with relatively inferior dance skills were displaced and positioned farther from the center.

Obviously I am included in the latter case, although behind my position were the members of the Gold grade; I could see Seon AhHyun and Lee SeJin almost next to me.

Come to think of it, child actor Lee Sejin was in the Silver grade. Based on the flow of ratings from him, I doubt that he really debuted in the past...

-Don't you feel a little sad?

So, the way Lee SeJin spoke to me as if we were close friends startled me. My defense walls towards him fell inadvertently because I was distracted thinking that the other boy was perhaps above suspicion.

-Not really.

I answered bluntly.

I guess he's referring to the fact that my stage placement isn't very good considering I'm a Platinum grader.

-Wow, you must be disappointed.

-Rather, you don't deserve it.

-Eh? What makes you think that?

-Because you are very good at dancing.

Lee SeJin's dancing was A- and his singing ability was C+. If the judges hadn't heard some of his high notes out of tune from him, it's possible he would have gone Platinum instead of me.

-Hmm... Thanks!

Lee SeJin smiled widely, it seemed like my words made him feel much better.

At that moment, a different voice broke up the conversation.

-Can't you dance?

He was a Platinum grade contestant who stood in the center of the front row. He had no trace of malice in his expression as he asked me.

The problem is that he ranked first in the first evaluation and, as far as I know, he continued to win the first place in the rankings until the end of the program.

He is Cha YooJin [1]. He was famous enough to have seen his face several times on TV at the restaurant near the goshiwon I lived in.

But it was stranger than expected.

The microphones are on and the cameras are recording, why are you asking me that way?

He was able to win first place with such a daring personality.

Of course, the details of his status window and his evaluation rating were definitely excellent.

It was very likely that the edition of the chapter of the program was also friendly, it would be better not to waste the opportunity to use this material.

So I laughed on purpose.

-Didn't you see my performance?

The boy's face changed to a somber expression. I guess he's the type to feel guilty at times like this.

-I was preparing for my own presentation, so I couldn't see you.

-Then watch me next time and you can evaluate me with your own eyes.

-Ok.

Cha YooJin nodded and looked straight ahead again. Lee SeJin smiled with a strange look...

-I guess he has a unique way of speaking because he lived abroad for several years.

-Yes.

The conversation didn't last long since SeJin was also aware of the cameras. Instead, I looked at the staff offstage. They seemed to have organized themselves well and were all ready to go...

- Let's start the rehearsal!

One of the staff members announced when they finished setting up the entire stage.

I held my breath.

I knew it was hard to wait so many hours for the project you participated in to be approved, but I didn't think I would experience it myself.

Right now it's 6:00 am, but the actual recording will take place at 4:00 pm...

It seems that I will have to endure even if it is difficult.

***

Just at 8:00 pm, the filming ended.

-Thanks for all your hard work!

Just as I had thought, it was very difficult.

-Haaaa...

-Ah... I feel like I'm going to die.

The participants fell one after another to the ground, generating noise due to their continuous collapses. They were all drenched in sweat.

My condition was no different, but there was no space to sit down as the participants around me had sat down or lay down first.

Seeing them all like this was a funny sight.

"I have no more energy."

First we rehearsed all morning until we were exhausted and then we had a short break and lunch. They may not have wanted us to neglect our appearance on camera, so they only served us kimbaps wrapped in foil.

After eating, a large group of stylists entered the film set.

-Oh, I really don't have much space to put my tools~

-Bow your head like this!

-I'll make it quick.

The stylists were annoyed at having to work quickly while crammed with the contestants in the waiting room, but they did their job of doing the contestants' makeup and hair properly.

To be honest, there weren't any dramatic changes, but it was enough for us to look great on the stream.

Then they gave us uniforms that we had to wear. At that moment, a cameraman approached me filming.

-Do you like the new uniforms?

-...Yes.

Is there anyone here who says they don't like it when he's on camera?

-What do you like the most?

-Well, it's a design inspired by school uniforms, so I think we can create various concepts by wearing it.

It's a shame that 77 people are wearing the same kind of clothes. I can't say that I find it creepy because I feel like I'm back to being a high school student.

As soon as I finished speaking, the cameraman cut in on other participants around me.

-I like it because I can match it with a variety of accessories~

-Oh! Looks great with the badge!

Although they would only edit one or two cuts to be shown in the chapter, they were all very passionate.

And on set... honestly, here... I don't know how the editing will be done.

-Start again.

-Okay...

We had to dance approximately 30 times in a place so hot from the intense movements of each of the 77 participants that I felt like we might get heat stroke, so I couldn't help but worry.

I think I heard some compliments, criticisms and motivational comments to cheer the boys up, but I felt my head drift.

My memory is somewhat hazy. I don't know how many cuts the editing and production team will choose to use from the 30 recordings that were made.

I heard the PD speak, so I paid attention again.

-Everyone has done a great job...

At the end of the recordings, the PD seemed to be giving empty compliments, but fortunately, after a few words, he gave useful information.

-This presentation will be broadcast next Friday night on the MusicBOMB program. We will start filming again the next day. Until then, you can rest well, but do not forget that this is a great opportunity for you... you have to take advantage of it.

At these words, everyone believed that if they tried hard, they would be able to seize the opportunity. Participants responded enthusiastically to the DP's comments.

-Do your best, even if you feel dead tired!

-Yes!!

-I'll see you next week. Good job guys~

-Thanks for your hard work!

Everyone used their remaining energies to cheer and applaud. I clapped too until my hands were shaking.

-...

I will have to increase my resistance level until the broadcast of the evening program.

***

The week passed in an instant.

The plan to increase my stamina was only partially successful.

This is because after the shoot, my temperature suddenly rose and I took medicine for three days to control the fever. In those days I had to rest in my bed, under the blankets.

Park MoonDae's body couldn't handle so many weeks of hard work.

Anyway, after waking up in three days, I increased the amount of food I ate. I practiced more dances and did muscle training at the same time. What's more, right now I'm doing exercises holding dumbbells while watching MusicBOMB. Since it's hard work, let's say my mission was fairly successful.

On the screen, a couple of idols happily hosted the show. They seemed to read a lot of their flashcards that they always hold, but they polished their scripts really well so it had a good sense of humor.

Even though both young men's schedules were very tight, they acted as if they were wasting their time having fun.

The presentation will start in a few moments. I put down my dumbbell, grabbed my smartphone, and looked at the page I had already logged in to beforehand.

It was the best page to see the general reactions of the Internet, like a special forum created by a big web portal.

Since there was no flashy news like a major artist's comeback or new release, the page was only filled with stories about Icorpo.

Will Idol Reincorporation be a big deal again?

Someone's brain fails.

Wow, season 3 is coming out!

Hahahaha yeah, I won't watch Idol Reincorporation. It's excluded from my list of shows to watch.

What? What's going on?

L Icorpo has a new season.

L Oh...

Am I the only one who came to read the comments instead of having fun watching the slideshow?

Good. I had already expected to see a lot of reactions after the announcement.

Every time I refreshed the page, different comments full of ridicule came up. There seemed to be more comments from the general public than from viewers watching the late-night music show.

And to sum up those answers, they considered that season 3 would surely be ruined because the previous season was also great and splendidly self-destructive.

The perception that the show failed and was hopeless was quite strong.

This time, is it between boys? Do you want to further expand your power in Korea?

L Same-sex marriage is not allowed in Korea, so you won't be able to get past the "strength" of the 2nd season ^^ Hahahahahahahaha...

L Shit hahahahahahahaha...

That is the main reason why the 2nd season was heavily criticized. It was a survival show to debut a mixed idol group, so it welcomed both male and female contestants.

Come to think of it, it was a strange idea. I wonder what result the production team expected.

If a male version had been made in season 2, we wouldn't have this kind of reaction in season 3 since it would be a female version again. Those rules should have been followed, but they did a mixed version and...

I don't know~ And now, who else will be able to get pregnant before marriage and become a legend in the world of idol survival shows?

L No lol Two seasons in a row!

L Now it makes me laugh, but at that time it almost gave me a trauma. They are crazy bastards. Why the hell do they go on a show if they just make the viewers angry?

L They decided on impulse

L I'm so immersed in entertainment shows~

L No, it's not just an entertainment show. It's an idol survival show that consumes your money~

L On the other hand, I still shudder when I remember how Icorpo tried to promote the romance of the century in a good way.

Yes, the 2nd season had a scandalous prenuptial pregnancy...

Until now, pregnancies before marriage, even if it is from a couple who have been in a relationship for a long time, are fatal.

The scandal exploded among the participants. The biggest problem was that the pregnancy was contracted among the most popular participants of the 2nd season.

Since the production team couldn't change the focus from debuting to a co-ed group, they thought it would be better to use the scandalous situation to draw the public's attention and, after a while, eliminate those contestants instead of expelling them from the group. immediate.

I guess that's why they edited the rest of the show like it was a romantic reality show.

But that was not the end...

She said that even though she was pregnant, he was cheating on her with another girl. They're crazy, they shouldn't be on the show.

Icorpo has become a legend... No, not Icorpo, but the participants who had the prenuptial pregnancy scandal.

In reality, the contestant was dating other female contestants. The trainee who got pregnant was going to put up with it for the sake of her career, but when she saw the broadcasts with pink edits, her patience broke and she reported all the details of the truth to the media.

After that, well...

It was terrible.

Search terms for the scandal in real time flooded all portal websites, entertainment news blogs and social networks.

I only remember that the 2nd season ended quickly and the final ceremony did not take place.

As long as this huge scandal remains ingrained in the minds of the audience, no matter what we Season 3 contestants did at the beginning of the show, we can't help but make viewers think we're ridiculous.

I pushed my memories aside and refocused on the screen. In contrast to the tumultuous comments, the MusicBOMB MC's kept smiling.

And here comes the famous catchphrase.

At that time, the number of comments generated suddenly tripled.

— Fly high, sorcerer... Fly with... ↖ The wings... of fantasy ↗

It was a song that you could easily find on the internet because it was once popular. I think it was often used when a contestant who was supposed to be very talented either wasn't or gave a poor performance.

Among the comments there were several users who used that phrase, there were so many that they were seen almost everywhere.

Wow, they're writing that again.

Who chose the phrase? That's so clever.

Haha, it seems that the old man wants to be fashionable.

How crazy are they! SiWonnie shouldn't say that phrase when he's on air TT TT

I smiled bitterly.

-But he did.

That means that somehow they tried to insult us.

But being told that was hundreds of times better than receiving indifference. This early audience will definitely help position us in the first news. I already experienced the success of the 3rd season.

After all, when the show reaches its final episode, there will be fans who will invest in us and cry when they watch us struggle to debut.

Of course that will not happen at this early stage, but I am very excited to see the reactions that will arise in the future.

A few seconds after the MC's finished talking, the TV screen showed the stage lit up.

YoungRin was standing on the stage. The lighting on his face showed a dramatic shadow contrasting with the clear outline of his.

Well, "Idol Corporation" was originally a B-class black comedy humorous entertainment program, but it seemed like it was trying to change its image a bit because after the scandal, it had become underrated and the public discarded it because they liked it. It seemed crazy.

NT: "Class B" is a term mostly applied to movies. It is understood as a low budget production.

Now it seems to have a touch more... Solemn?

-...

My prediction was shattered as soon as YoungRin spoke.

Big subtitles in front of YoungRin came to mind, a phrase expressing that she boasted of having a powerful voice.