LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 42
Chapter 42
After coming down from the stage, we headed to the room to check the votes.
Even though the stage performance had ended a while ago, my heart was still pounding like a madman.
Perhaps it was due to the hot lights, the unfamiliar costumes, or some other factor.
It was three times harder than during practice.
I almost collapsed from exhaustion during the stage.
If it weren’t for Ji-hye’s effect, it would have been a disaster, seriously.
After taking a brief rest during Team 2’s stage, I gathered all my remaining strength to speak with a smile during the individual appeal time. Now, I felt like I was about to die.
“Huff, I think I’m going to throw up….”
“Are you an idiot? Breathe slowly.”
“Huff….”
“…It’s a miracle you stood on stage. Inhale on one, exhale on two. One.”
“Ssss.”
“Two.”
“Ha….”
“One more time.”
Following Ban Yo-han’s instructions, I regained my breath, while the other trainees looked at me strangely.
I explained in a small voice, “My stamina is a bit pitiful….”
[The trainees who heard you feel sorry for your stamina. Stamina +1]
Wow. What a windfall.
From now on, if they’re going to pity me, I should ask for it in stats.
At that moment, the TV screen in front of us changed without warning.
[Revealing Trainee Rankings]
The atmosphere, which had lightened a bit due to my and Ban Yo-han’s antics, grew heavy again.
The voting was for selecting one trainee who was deemed the best among all the trainees in both Teams 1 and 2.
In extreme terms, it meant Ban Yo-han could receive all the votes, leaving the other trainees in Teams 1 and 2 with none.
“I’m nervous….”
Han Da-hoon muttered unconsciously, and several others nodded in agreement.
As for me… not really?
I was probably more nervous waiting for the prelude to start on stage.
Having finished the most important performance, I only thought, ‘I want to sit down and rest quickly.’
While I stared blankly ahead, the rankings of the trainees began to be revealed from 14th place.
It seemed they were counting both Team 1 and Team 2 together.
14th place was a trainee from Team 2 with 5 votes, and four trainees each received 7 votes, tying for 10th place.
Maybe because I only exchanged perfunctory words of hard work here and there while half out of my mind, things seemed to pass by quickly.
Ji Yeon-woo, who received 49 votes, was revealed to be in 5th place before I knew it.
Now, in Team 1, only Ban Yo-han, Oh Hyun-jin, and I remained, while in Team 2, only Kim Jun-woo, who had a relatively low overall vote count, was left.
I saw Kim Jun-woo next to me tightly shut his eyes.
And then….
[Kim Jun-woo 70 votes]
This confirmed Team 1’s victory.
In Team 2, the best-performing Kim Jun-woo was teary-eyed, apologizing for not doing better. The Team 2 members surrounded him, comforting him, saying it was okay.
Finally regaining some energy, I was able to take an interest in the unfolding situation.
‘The vote counts are much lower than I thought… Did all the votes really go to Ban Yo-han and Oh Hyun-jin?’
Even though my ranking had not yet been revealed, I didn’t think I could beat Oh Hyun-jin, who had shown a stage performance befitting his major background, or Ban Yo-han, with his amazing visuals.
At best, I thought I might manage to get 3rd place for being the center….
[Oh Hyun-jin 86 votes]
“What?”
That guy already?
Seeing the result on the screen, Oh Hyun-jin showed a noticeably disappointed expression for a moment before composing himself.
“Everyone worked hard.”
“You did great.”
Oh Hyun-jin in 3rd place. That meant I did better than that True guy at least.
More than anyone else, I wanted to beat that guy.
It felt like the fatigue pressing down on my body disappeared in an instant.
Managing my expression, I spoke to Oh Hyun-jin.
“Good job.”
“T-thanks.”
Haha, his pride must be hurt to death.
[Oh Hyun-jin is angry that he lost to you, of all people. Oh Hyun-jin’s favorability -4, current favorability -50]
I had long since given up on his favorability anyway.
With Oh Hyun-jin in 3rd place, only Ban Yo-han and I remained.
Although I managed to beat Oh Hyun-jin, I honestly thought it would be hard to beat Ban Yo-han.
Even though Ban Yo-han didn’t take many parts because he wasn’t greedy, every time he stepped forward, he literally captivated the audience like a fox, even in my distracted state.
Just when I thought enough time had been drawn out for the result to be shown….
[On Raon 203 votes]
[Ban Yo-han 149 votes]
The vote count revealed simultaneously was hard to believe even with my eyes wide open.
With about a thousand audience members, 203 votes meant roughly 20% chose me.
‘Why…?’
It was hard to understand people’s tastes.
No matter how different individual preferences are, how could they choose me over Ban Yo-han? Did the votes come to me because they were keeping other trainees in check?
As I stood there dumbfounded, Ban Yo-han tapped me and spoke with a genial smile.
“Why are you spacing out? Congratulations.”
“Me? Why?”
“You did well as the center.”
“Did I do well?”
“Didn’t Yeon-ho senior just say you did well? You really did well.”
Han Da-hoon and Kim Sejong also congratulated me, hugging me tightly or ruffling my hair. They were definitely doing things they wouldn’t usually do in front of the camera.
As expected, our team’s total votes were far ahead, securing the fancam.
### Chapter 42
It was only when the staff told us it was time to move and escorted us out of the results announcement room that I finally began to accept the incomprehensible result of ‘On Raon 203 votes.’
* * *
Even after we returned to the waiting room, the competition continued for quite a while.
The on-site reaction was overwhelming for Team 1’s performance of Jupiter’s “Call on Me,” the last song.
Their visuals alone justified their audacious team name, “Face Geniuses.”
The moment the team, led by Seo Moon-gyeol, Jing Xiao, and Na Yoon-jae, and including Ok Do-yoon and Kashima Sora, stepped onto the stage, the sound of mixed screams and cheers never stopped reaching the waiting room.
The trainees in the waiting room spoke self-deprecatingly.
“It’s over.”
“How can we beat that?”
I was thinking something entirely different, feeling that this was somewhat foreseen from the team formation.
‘No matter how I think about it, Ban Yo-han should have been in that team, not ours.’
When I shared this thought with Ban Yo-han, he turned his head sharply towards me as if he’d heard something strange.
Then, with a chillingly kind and gentle voice, pretending to be a good person, he replied, “Whatever team you were on, I would have gone there.”
No matter how you look at it, this was insincere. Does this guy finally think he’s really the main character?
The nearby trainees looked surprised, glancing back and forth between Ban Yo-han and me. Their expressions were as if subtitles saying “Oh my!” would appear in cute fonts if this were on a broadcast.
They were under the illusion that Ban Yo-han and I were extremely close friends….
[Ban Yo-han, who sincerely said something he didn’t mean, hopes you will be eliminated.]
Don’t be fooled. This guy is a thousand-year-old fox who can genuinely say things he doesn’t mean.
I didn’t want to be involved with such a deceitful and contradictory person every moment.
If it weren’t for the perception system, I would’ve been completely fooled and then stabbed in the back at the perfect moment.
How much does he want to see me eliminated to the point where he followed me into the same team?
* * *
The competition ended, but the filming dragged on late into the night.
The winning teams had to perform the same stage two or three more times in the empty studio, as the audience had all left, for the fancam recording.
“Director… please save me….”
“Raon, you can do it. Let’s just do it one more time with the mindset that it’s the last.”
If I could, I’d take the word “one more time” away from everyone in the world.
I think I had this thought last time too.
“Wow, it’s my first time seeing someone who needs a resolve to do this.”
“Ban Yo-han, shut up.”
In the end, I began the last stage in a state no different from a zombie.
It was fortunate that my video was shot the first time. I can’t imagine what the result would have been if it had been shot during the second or third takes.
Ugh, just thinking about it makes me dizzy.
After all the winning teams, including us, finished the fancam filming, it was already dark outside.
While waiting for the overall team ranking to be announced, the trainees had sandwiches for dinner.
I bet a hundred won that these were sponsored.
“I’m so tired.”
“Raon, please get a nosebleed just one more time.”
“Hey, do you think my nosebleed comes out like pressing a button? Like a water dispenser?”
Thanks to sitting down the whole time except for when performing on stage, my fatigue level was manageable and not enough to incur penalties.
Still, my stamina had improved somewhat.
‘Improved to this state.’
I could only sigh.
Of course, it was better than my real body, no matter what.
That body was truly unusable garbage.
On Hae-jae’s body, which had become even more frail from being cooped up indoors during rain or snow, was worse than this.
I was sure that the limit of physical activity I could do with that body was finger exercises.
But my frail body…
Is it doing okay? It’s not neglected and starving while I’m here, right?
Though I doubted it, considering the ruined personal relationships and consistently deteriorated physical condition from birth, it seemed plausible, making me suddenly anxious.
Aunt, who was my speed dial number 1 for half my life, I believe in you.
Give some precious attention to the handsome man who’s too precious to die young.
It was then that a staff member, as tired as the trainees, took a megaphone.
“We’ll start filming in 5 minutes. Please line up according to the competition order! The person with the highest votes should be in the front!”
Confirming that the cameras weren’t rolling, Oh Hyun-jin glared at me as he stood behind Ban Yo-han.
What are you going to do by glaring?
I only felt a stronger desire to get out of this team soon.
A moment later, the filming began.
“Everyone worked hard today.”
Jena, who had arrived a bit earlier and was waiting in the same attire as during the competition, climbed onto the round platform and faced us with a smiling face.
“To commemorate successfully completing the first competition, which must have been very nerve-wracking, shall we all give a round of applause?”
Clap clap clap. As we all clapped our hands together, I felt a bit more awake.
“Then, let’s reveal the overall rankings for the 1st competition, the mentor song cover evaluation.”