Surviving in an Idol Game CH - 60

"Gasp!"

I woke up today feeling like I was suffocating again, quickly calming my breath and pressing my stiff eyes shut. It was early dawn. The day of the third stage had arrived.

***

Hong Seulgi, a high school girl who had handcrafted a banner with Lee Hanhee's name on it, took a deep breath amidst the bustling crowd. Except for Kim Sungmin, Hanhee’s team luck had been pretty good in the last episode. And even Sungmin wasn't lacking in skills, so she believed Hanhee would once again perform spectacularly.

But why was she so anxious? Seulgi found herself unconsciously biting her nails.

Even though Hanhee had always been pale, his face had become increasingly thinner and paler with each episode. Seulgi couldn't help but worry. She had heard the broadcast schedule was incredibly tight....

Even to Seulgi's eyes, the participants' faces showed undeniable fatigue. It was well-known that this program filmed and edited almost in real-time without prior recording, causing fans much concern. Practicing intensively in such a short time to create a stage and shoot for K-Plus!

"Hanhee looked so tired…."

Although the show tried to depict the participants laughing and playing around due to opinions that they were exploiting the kids too much, the legs sprawled out like corpses behind the joking figures couldn't be hidden.

Just the other day, a post collecting the exhausted expressions of the participants, barely captured outside the camera's view, had gone viral. It seemed everyone had seen the post, as the expressions of those waiting for the stage were already filled with worry before it even started.

"What if our kid collapses…."

Seulgi glanced at a person holding a flashy banner for Song Ahseong, then turned her gaze to the stage. She was just as worried. It was well-known that Hanhee was obsessed with practice. His athletic ability and stamina were surprisingly good, so he never showed signs of exhaustion on the broadcast.

'That's why I'm more worried.'

No matter how incredible one's stamina is, there are limits. He couldn't possibly not be tired, yet he was always smiling and acting as if he was fine even when everyone else was lying down. She wondered if he was getting any proper rest when he should.

Seulgi visited Hanhee's fan cafe while there was still time. Although it hadn't been established long, the cafe's level had already surpassed the seedling and sapling stages, now looking towards the leaf stage.

[Chat] Same team Han Minhyuk, same room Han Sangjin, hyung line is solid

Hanhee is always busy taking care of others, so I hope he gets some care from the older brothers this time

Comments

HaniLover: Han Minhyuk, Han Sangjin, Lee Hanhee triple Han, truly solid. People with Han in their names seem to have great chemistry.

HaanheeS2: All the hyung line is great, but Sangjin is the real deal. Personally, I feel most at ease with him. You can see that Hanhee feels comfortable too.

KeepHoneySafe: Honestly, the first room assignment the kids chose themselves was the best. No bad picks.

HoneyLover: Fully agree with the comment above… but the team luck was bad back thenㅜㅜ Hanhee was like the eldest son of a family…

OverHoney: Seriously, I hope those who cling to Hanhee without any conscience let him go.

Seulgi nodded as she read the comments about room assignments. It seemed not only fans and viewers but also the participants believed that Hanhee would undoubtedly debut. Many participants were trying to take advantage of Hanhee instead of managing their own affairs. It was so obvious now.

One of them was Yu Minseong.

'I don't like it.'

Although it was by chance that they ended up in the same room and team, it was clear to Hanhee's fans that Yu Minseong clung excessively due to their same age. She understood his impatience due to his low ranking, but his behavior of sticking close despite not being particularly friendly was annoying.

'He's probably sticking around to get more camera time and build some light fan recognition to use Hanhee.'

No matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem genuine.

Of course, Yu Minseong wasn't the only one trying to link himself forcibly to Hanhee. Many people who seemed to have internal closeness approached and greeted Hanhee out of nowhere, which was excessively captured in the early episodes. Most of them had already been eliminated.

'There are truly close people….'

In Seulgi's eyes, Hanhee was generally kind to those who approached him, but there were only a few he was genuinely comfortable with. Other fans seemed to notice this too, as the most discussed topic in the fan cafe since the broadcast of the 11th episode was 'Who is Lee Hanhee closest to.'

While the names of his first roommates and former teammates like Nam Hyesung, Lee Wonyoung, and Kim Yohan came up frequently, the two most supported people were Lee Jaejin and Woo Chunghee.

[Chat] Honestly, aren't Lee Jaejin and Woo Chunghee the closest to Hanhee?

Just looking at the three of them going to Han River together….

Seeing the eyewitness accounts from that day, it couldn’t have been more heartwarming. Why don't I live in the metropolitan area?

[Comments]

HeeHee: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋGoing to the Han River that day was the best thing I've ever done in my life^^

KeepHoneySafe: I'm so jealous of those who saw them that day, especially those who followed them from the electronic display tour to the Han River picnic and singing together ㅜㅜㅜㅜ

HanRiverSighting: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ElectronicDisplayGuardian: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└KeepHoneySafe: Show up just like thatㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ But seriously, I'm so jealous;

[T/L: ㅋ basically means LOL or Lmao and the more ㅋ’s there are the funnier the person who posted it finds it. ]

Seulgi sighed as she scrolled through the fan cafe. The Han River. That day, as a high school student unable to leave school in the early afternoon on a weekday, she could only watch the real-time updates on social media with tears in her eyes.

Thinking about that day still made her stomach churn. Especially after a vivid account from a fan who had followed them from the electronic display tour to the Han River picnic and singing together all day was posted.

The sense of pride in protecting her favorite idols and the joy of seeing her favorite idol from up close couldn’t be matched.

"I could protect them too…."

Seeing the last part of the post where Lee Hanhee turned and thanked the fan with a smile as he exited the subway made Seulgi grit her teeth. She should have been there. Why did she have to endure such trials as a high school student?

As Seulgi pined away while browsing the fan cafe, the commotion finally subsided. It was about to start. Seulgi held her gaping mouth shut and tried to calm her pounding heart. Calm down, heart.

"Now, the third stage of <Idol Survival>, the theme Legends Never Die. Before we watch the first performance, let's welcome today's special judges."

Special judges? As she wondered what that meant, familiar faces began to appear one by one on the electronic display, causing the audience to scream.

"Mom! Vesta! Unni! Unnies, I'm dying!"

"Lion! Lion! Lion!"

"Yuri! Yuri unni, you’re so beautiful!"

The faces sitting in the judges' seats were all extraordinary. Seulgi's mouth fell open. What was going on?

"First, celebrating his 40th debut anniversary this year, legendary senior Mr. Heo Min. Hello, sir."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you."

"It's an honor to have you here."

"The honor is mine for being invited."

Heo Min, a great senior in the music industry who debuted as a teenager and was now approaching 60, still had a beautiful voice that drew exclamations from the audience.

Next were Park Joosung, the former bassist and lead vocalist of the disbanded band Blackbird, Lim Hyojoon, a male vocalist whose voice gained depth with age and still topped music charts, Lion, who hadn't appeared in the media for a while, and current top stars Yuri and Vesta. The lineup of special guests was truly luxurious.

"This is insane, how did they gather all these people…."

Seulgi heard someone holding a banner with Song Ahseong's name on it exclaim. She couldn’t contain her excitement. Such esteemed people had come to see her idol perform.

But performing in front of such people? Wouldn't their hearts explode? Seulgi thought as she clutched her chest. As her excitement subsided, a cool tension took over. They had to make a good start.

"The first team to start is Team Violet! The violet, symbol of Vesta?"

"Screaaaam!"

Seeing Lee Jaejin, Kwon Doha, and Cha Jiheon on stage, Seulgi covered her mouth without realizing it. Although Hanhee was her favorite, the black and white outfits with harnesses and chokers, and well-dressed men filling the stage made her clasp her hands.

"Lee Jaejin is already killing it…."

Seeing Lee Jaejin on the display made the person next to her tremble. Although he had obsessively buttoned his white shirt, the black harness crossing over it accentuated his chest and waist, drawing her gaze. She glanced at the person next to her, who looked ready to ascend to heaven.

In truth, Seulgi's attention was consistently drawn to Kwon Doha. At first glance, he seemed neatly dressed in all black, but upon closer inspection, his attire revealed his contours. The more she looked, the more she found herself wanting to keep looking. She hadn't realized before, but he was quite tall and had an incredibly well-built physique, making him look impressive even when standing still.

While observing, Seulgi noticed someone in the front row holding what looked like a camera resembling a telescope.

They seemed to be covering it with a coat, as filming and photography was prohibited during the performance, but from the diagonal back row, Seulgi could see the shape because of the stand. Despite the coat hanging over it and swaying loosely, they seemed entirely focused on filming or photographing, as if they didn't care about being caught.

Their confidence in not being chased away after just taking that shot was remarkable. Was that person really a homma, as she had heard? <!>

Seulgi's curiosity was piqued. Perhaps she wanted a high-quality photo taken at the scene more than she thought.

Even though she discreetly tried to take a photo with her phone's camera on, she couldn't help but click her tongue at how unclear it was. How much would a camera like that cost?

Putting her disappointment aside, Seulgi focused her gaze on the stage. She wasn't interested in the staff member rushing towards them, probably because they had spotted the camera. The only thing that mattered right now was that the performance was about to begin.

"Yeah, my vision's good. I should engrave it in my memory."

As she kept her eyes wide open, watching the stage, she soon heard the sound of the lights dimming and the rumbling of car exhausts. This was it, the race!

"Whoa, insane. A Vestal racer? They chose that?"

With the rough sound resonating, the seven figures that had taken their seats began moving dynamically, alternating between stopping and moving, as if starting an engine.

As the beat gradually set in, they smoothly took control of the stage, and just as Seulgi was thinking that, Kwon Doha's high note struck her ears like a blow.

"Wow!"

The introductory part overwhelmed the left side of the audience, and Seulgi felt goosebumps rising on her arms. It was truly a perfect display of dominance.

***

In the waiting room, the expressions of those watching the first performance were overwhelmingly impressed by the powerful performance.

"Isn't that a balance collapse? Honestly, if those two are on the same team...."

As Jo Min-joon's troubled expression suggested, Kwon Doha and Lee Jae-jin were tossing the stage like a fish out of water, as if they had never fought like that before.

"Wow, Locker, what's going on...."

Even as they danced vigorously in the middle of the stage, the participants' faces wrinkled with endless high notes. It was a mixture of admiration and sighs of disbelief at how it was possible.

The screen occasionally flashed to the VIP seats, capturing the special guests clapping and laughing. It seemed the production team was impressive indeed, skillfully capturing the moments of the contestants showing their true skills and the senior contestants being surprised and proud of them. Even with just clips, they managed to create a layout that would surely attract viewers.

"They started off well."

"Yeah, they did, but how are the people after them going to handle this...?"

In response to the calm comment, Yu Minseong retorted with a trembling voice.

However, the first start was clean, fast-paced, and refreshing, leaving no room for lack in the atmosphere. It was of sufficient quality to meet expectations. Even the audience who had some concerns seemed ready to enjoy themselves now. This was an excellent start.

Since our turn was last, we had to keep waiting until it was our turn. Among the 20,000 idol hopefuls selected from all over the country, only 100 remained. And after eliminating more than half of them, the remaining elite were not expected to disappoint.

"Their gaze is intimidating...."

The eyes of those passionately dancing on stage, as if it were the most important moment of their lives, varied in intensity.

Before we knew it, it was the fourth turn. As a slightly crooked participant found his place with determination, the fury in his eyes dripped down like blood, and his neck poured sweat in a manner suggesting he was trying to make up for a mistake. As I watched him, I couldn't help but think that people must feel intimidated by such a sight.

Amidst the team members' focus on the Tulip Team stage displayed on the monitor, Han Minhyuk opened his mouth.

"Let's not make mistakes and deliver as we prepared and practiced."

As he said, it was now our turn.

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T/L- It’s really, really late for me rn so I’ll go to sleep. I don’t know if there’s any mistakes, if you want any changes to the names, if you find anything else, then please comment it.

Also, I haven’t read the novel yet. I picked it up because it looked interesting and i saw someone like it a lot. I’ll read it in a bit and make all the names similar to the names in the original tl. Good night. Review it on NU if you can. Thanks.

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