Chapter 1010: What Is an Idol? (1)

The finals of Project I.O.A began with a performance of 'IDOLS' by the twelve finalists, along with Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo. At the same time, the massive screen behind the stage began showing footage from the contestants' very first group evaluation videos when they had joined Project I.O.A.

It was a grand spectacle that should have drawn everyone's eyes. Yet the audience had no intention of looking away from the girls on stage. On the stage, the finalists' performances were on an entirely different level from the girls shown in the old footage on the giant screen.

『Even if this moment were the last~♫』

Expressions were so captivating they could make someone fall in love at first sight.

『I'll sing for you~♫』

Disciplined dance skills were hidden beneath bright, bubbly charm.

『Because I exist because of you~♫』

And vocal colors that had once been completely different were now blending together in perfect harmony.

Every single one of them displayed enough talent to deserve a place in I.O.A.

『I'm your idol~♫!』

Watching the fruits of countless months of training—watching girls who had sacrificed sleep, endured grueling practice sessions, and clenched their teeth while their roommates were eliminated one by one—I couldn't help feeling emotional.

Even so, my eyes never left Park Eun-Chae and Go Eun-Seo.

Park Eun-Chae, nicknamed "Dance God Eun-Chae" for her incredible dancing, moved with a grim determination to make the most of the opportunity she had been given. Every movement of her hands and feet was precise. Her lines were so beautiful that even within perfectly synchronized choreography, she naturally drew attention.

And surprisingly, Go Eun-Seo was showing a completely different side of herself from the previous week. She had always been the type to dance a little too freely. Today, however, she had become one of the pillars supporting the group's synchronized choreography. As a result, the deductions she constantly received for being out of sync had vanished. Still, she wasn't quite on Park Eun-Chae's level yet.

'You're doing well... but this isn't enough, Eun-Seo.'

Before going onstage, she had told me to trust her. However, this level of improvement wasn't enough to defeat Park Eun-Chae. After all, Park Eun-Chae was fighting with everything she had, too.

『I'm your choice, I'm your idol~♫!』

The final line of 'IDOLS' came to an end. The girls froze in their ending poses, breathing heavily yet refusing to break formation.

One by one, the powerful stage lights faded. Then the general lighting came up. Only then did the girls relax their poses and finally catch their breath.

The audience exploded.

-Wooooow!

-Unnie! You're amazing!

-So-Won noonaaa! Grant my wish too!

-Sung Na-Ra Today! Sung Na-Ra Tomorrow! Sung Na-Ra Everyday!

-Go Eun-Seo! Don't be nervous! First place is yours anyway!

-Can't you just make all of them I.O.A members?! Pleeease~~!

The excited fans shouted whatever came to mind. The cheers were so loud that they nearly drowned out the microphones of MC Kim Jung-Ju, Woo Yeon-Hee, and Yang Eun-Bi.

"That was an amaz... incredible... the passion in this venue... audience members, please calm down..."

Kim Jung-Ju and the staff were busy trying to settle the crowd.

Then, a voice came through the intercom in my ear.

Crackle.

-Project I.O.A's viewership ratings have opened at 10.1%!! Stay sharp, everyone! We're making history right now!

Last week, Project I.O.A had finished with a peak viewership rating of 15.1%. And now, incredibly, the finals had broken past 10% from the very start. It was a historic record. Having achieved an opening rating unprecedented in the history of audition programs, I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with pride as the creator of Project I.O.A.

'And on top of that...'

-The competing program, Idol Once Again!, is currently at 2.5%.

At the same time slot, KNET was broadcasting Idol Once Again!. It was a show backed by a 30 billion won investment from HK Entertainment and directed by the industry's most celebrated PD, a man considered the undisputed number one in audition programs. And now, its ratings had fallen so badly that comparing it to our show felt almost embarrassing.

Just knowing I had managed to serve Director Hong Ah-Yoon a massive dose of karma made me want to jump onto the stage and start dancing.

-So from here on, we only need to focus on our own program. Let's all do our best today!

PD Ji Yung-Sik encouraged the staff. After hearing the update, the staff quietly cheered one another on.

"No mistakes today. Everyone understands that, right?"

"Of course! The contestants can make mistakes, but we can't!"

Then, everyone began wondering the same thing.

"Yeah, but if we're already at ten percent from the start, what kind of viewership rating are we ending with?"

"Seriously. This is completely unprecedented. I can't even guess."

"This live special is three hours long. What if the first digit actually changes?"

"Heh. I can't wait."

I was interested in Project I.O.A's viewership ratings and success as well. But unlike the staff, my real focus was on the contestants who would ultimately become I.O.A members. And among them, the person I cared about most was Go Eun-Seo—the girl who had asked me to trust her.

'Would she really be able to surpass Park Eun-Chae and make it into I.O.A?'

That was what I wanted to know.

At that moment, while I was checking things beneath the stage, Do Ran-Hee stormed over, huffing in frustration.

"Mr. Jung. Are you really just going to sit back and watch? If Eun-Chae keeps dancing like that, it's going to put Eun-Seo at a huge disadvantage. At least give her some advice!"

Do Ran-Hee had arrived a little late and had only recently heard about everything Park Eun-Chae had done. She was also one of the people most upset that Park Eun-Chae hadn't received the twenty-point deduction. Apparently she still hadn't calmed down.

"The first song just started. Relax," I said.

"Then... during the break later, I can at least tell Eun-Seo to focus on fan service, right? And if we give all the other girls one piece of advice too, it wouldn't count as giving Eun-Seo special treatment."

Go Eun-Seo's biggest weakness was her lack of fan service. For an idol, it was a potentially fatal flaw. If she fixed that one weakness, she could immediately improve her evaluations. However, weaknesses were called weaknesses for a reason. They weren't things that could be fixed with a few words.

More importantly, I had made a promise that I couldn't interfere.

"No. Don't."

"Why?"

"Eun-Seo asked me to trust her and I told her I would. So let's wait and see."

Do Ran-Hee pouted in dissatisfaction. "Ugh. What was that kid thinking? What if she doesn't make I.O.A because of this..."

At first, Do Ran-Hee had disliked Go Eun-Seo more than anyone else, finding her arrogant and irritating. However, after witnessing all the sweat and effort Go Eun-Seo had poured into improving herself, she had grown to care about her more than anyone. She believed if Go Eun-Seo would just improve her fan service, she can gain so many more fans.

Yet, despite the concerns, I trusted Go Eun-Seo.

"She may be young, but she's not thoughtless. I'm sure she's got some kind of plan—"

That was when Do Ran-Hee's eyes widened. She pointed toward the stage with her right hand.

"Mr. Jung. Look... look over there..."

"Huh? Why?"

Wondering what had startled Do Ran-Hee so much, I turned toward the stage. Immediately, the sight made me freeze.

All the other contestants had already returned to the chairs behind the stage, but only Go Eun-Seo had remained behind. Standing alone, she waved enthusiastically toward the audience and greeted fans one by one.

"Thank you!! First place might be out of reach, but I'm still going to go for it!"

Normally, Go Eun-Seo would have been the first one to head backstage and collapse into a chair to save her energy for the next performance. Yet now, even while gasping for breath, she remained onstage until the very end, waving enthusiastically at the fans.

Only then did I understand why she had asked me to trust her. She had come into the finals determined to tackle the one weakness she always had—fan service.

At that moment, a surge of pride washed over me, and I said confidently to Do Ran-Hee, "See? What did I tell you?"

"Holy crap... That's incredible. She actually had an awakening during the finals..."

An idol couldn't exist without fans. Maybe it was because I repeated that lesson so many times, but unlike her old self who only cared about showing off, Go Eun-Seo was now trying to get closer to her fans. And thanks to that, she finally had a chance of beating Park Eun-Chae.

'Good job, Go Eun-Seo.'

***

[PROJECT : I.O.A]

[Subscribers: 3.02 Million]

(Live Chat)

-Go Eun-Seo feels completely different today. She's like ten times friendlier than usual.

-Looks like those rumors about her really were fake. Otherwise there's no way she'd be smiling like that onstage.

-The current Incheon mayor already went into hiding, and Candidate Go Joon-Taek is going crazy attacking back. Didn't you see?

-Anyway, I used to find Go Eun-Seo annoying because she acted so aloof, but she's totally different today. Feels like she's from a parallel universe. Like Go Eun-Seo MK2.

-If she'd always been like this, she'd probably have been my top pick...

Fans were gradually beginning to view the friendlier Go Eun-Seo more favorably.

There was only one problem—The finals had started barely ten minutes ago. This special finale was a full three-hour broadcast. That meant she needed to keep this up for all three hours. If the fans decided her behavior was fake, the backlash would be even worse and she would face even harsher criticism. So while I felt proud of Go Eun-Seo for finally paying attention to fan service, I still couldn't relax.

That was when I heard a voice over the intercom.

Crackle.

-Please proceed.

At Ji Yung-Sik's cue, Kim Jung-Ju stepped forward with a cue card in one hand and addressed the audience.

"Now then, let me explain today's finals format. Since three teams remain, each team will participate in two team battles. Please refer to the LCD screen behind me for the scoring system."

A graphic appeared on the giant screen.

[Team Battle 1 / 2 (Same Rules)]

Score Value: 300 Points (per battle)

Bonus: +75 Points to all team members if the team wins

Maximum Score (Combined): 750 Points

[Individual Battle]

Score Value: 200 Points

Bonus: +50 Points to the winner

Maximum Score: 250 Points

Every contestant would have three opportunities to perform—two team battles and one individual battle. The theoretical maximum score was 1,000 points, and the battle order would be determined by drawing lots.

"We'll now determine the matchups."

Kim Jung-Ju pointed toward a hemispherical structure mounted atop a one-meter-tall stand at center stage.

"Leaders of the three teams, please come forward and place the two draw balls you're holding into the container."

Immediately, Song Mi-Hee of Team One, Han So-Won of Team Two, and Wang Lina of Team Three stepped forward.

Each of them placed the fist-sized red lottery balls they had received into the transparent dome-shaped container. The lottery balls could be opened in half, and inside each one was a team number.

Once all six balls had been placed into the container, Kim Jung-Ju announced.

"Now we'll draw the matchups. If two balls from the same team are selected, we'll return them and draw again."

Kim Jung-Ju reached in and pulled out the first ball.

"The first team is Team Two!"

He immediately opened the second ball.

"The second team is Team Three!"

That meant the first-round matchup would be Team Two versus Team Three. As if fate had a sense of humor, the very teams containing Park Eun-Chae and Go Eun-Seo had been paired against each other in the opening team battle.

The remaining draws proceeded quickly, and the bracket was soon completed.

[Team Battle Matchups]

Round 1: Team Two vs Team Three

Round 2: Team One vs Team Three

Round 3: Team One vs Team Two

The moment the bracket appeared on the giant LCD screen, everyone's expressions changed.

'This favors Park Eun-Chae.'

Teams One and Three would have to compete in consecutive battles. Only Team Two, the team that included Park Eun-Chae, would get a break before its next match.

"The highly anticipated first round of the team battle will begin shortly. Voting will consist of 70% viewer votes, 20% live audience votes, and 10% judges' votes. Miss Ling Ling and Miss Seo Hee-Joo will remain for a brief interview. Teams Two and Three should head off to change and prepare for Round One."

Leaving only Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo onstage, the contestants rushed down from the stage. The members of Teams Two and Three looked especially frantic since they would be competing almost immediately.

"Make way, please!"

Do Ran-Hee and Team Lead Eun Ji-Yoo stepped forward, clearing a path through the staff. The girls ran toward the waiting rooms without even having time to greet anyone. Yet even amid the chaos, Park Eun-Chae and Go Eun-Seo remained acutely aware of each other.

Park Eun-Chae looked at Go Eun-Seo with an expression that seemed to say 'I'm sorry, but I'm going to win.' Go Eun-Seo's expression answered back 'No matter what, I'm winning.'

The desire for victory burned so strongly in both of them that tension crackled between their gazes.

However, because she was focusing so much on Park Eun-Chae, Go Eun-Seo was making a mistake. She had finally realized how important fans were. Yet now, consumed by competition, she was looking beside her instead of toward the fans.

I briefly considered calling her over and pointing it out, but I couldn't. Doing so would break my promise to trust her. And there was another reason. I wanted to see Go Eun-Seo continue growing by recognizing and overcoming her own weaknesses.

I had to wait for a girl who had spent her entire life sheltered by overprotective parents, never needing to think for herself, to break free from that shell and learn to stand on her own.

'Still...At this rate, I'm going to achieve enlightenment.'

Watching the problem unfold right in front of me while forcing myself to stay silent felt like torture.

***

"Round One goes to Team Two by a margin of five points."

Standing before Team Two, which included Park Eun-Chae, and Team Three, which included Go Eun-Seo, Kim Jung-Ju announced the final results.

Go Eun-Seo's Team Three had delivered an outstanding performance and earned a strong score of 250 points. However, Park Eun-Chae's Team Two scored five points higher.

The song performed by Team Two had been 'LOVELY DAYS,' a hit track by Petite More. Its flashy choreography made it ideal for grabbing viewers' attention. Determined to win, Team Two's leader, Han So-Won, had boldly placed the exceptionally skilled Park Eun-Chae in the center position. As a result, viewers found it impossible to take their eyes off her.

Meanwhile, Team Three had chosen Sunshine's 'Eye Contact,' another major hit built around cute and charming choreography. However, driven by her rivalry with Park Eun-Chae, Go Eun-Seo had made a critical mistake. Instead of showcasing her idol appeal, she had tried to win through dancing.

As a result, Team Three ultimately lost.

"The members of Team Two receive the 75-point victory bonus, bringing each of their totals to 330 points."

Han So-Won, Park Eun-Chae, Liu Lan, and Nagai Haruko of Team Two each finished with 330 points. Meanwhile, Go Eun-Seo, Oh Hae-Nim, Wang Lina, and Minamoto Aoi of Team Three were left with 250.

They had lost only one battle, yet the gap had already widened to a staggering eighty points.

Watching the results, Do Ran-Hee stamped her feet in frustration beside me. "Seriously, we should've just given her the twenty-point deduction!"

However, that was already in the past and the competition wasn't over yet. Most importantly, the person standing on that stage hadn't given up.

"All right, Team Three, please prepare for your next performance."

At Kim Jung-Ju's announcement, the girls responded and came off the stage.

Since Team Two would be sitting out the next round, they descended at a leisurely pace. Team Three, however, had to face the strongest team—Team One—immediately afterward, so they headed toward the waiting room looking visibly anxious.

"Huff, huff... Do you think we can beat Team One?"

At Wang Lina's breathless question, Go Eun-Seo ran toward the waiting room and replied, "We can do it, unnie! Don't give up! Mr. Jung always says it isn't over until the stage is over!"

Just as I had expected, Go Eun-Seo still hadn't given up. And she hadn't forgotten what I told her.

As Team Three disappeared into the waiting room, Park Eun-Chae watched Go Eun-Seo running away and quietly muttered to herself, "I'm sorry, Eun-Seo. Huff, huff... But I... won... huff, huff..."

At that moment, the taut string holding Park Eun-Chae together snapped. She still had a battle against Team One left, and she still had her individual battle left. Yet the relief brought on by an eighty-point lead had caused her to let down her guard.

Go Eun-Seo had made a mistake, but Park Eun-Chae's mistake was even bigger. The competition wasn't over until the final stage ended. And because of that, the outcome had become impossible to predict.

A little later, Team One stepped onto the stage first. Then the members of Team Three appeared after changing outfits. The tense girls greeted me before heading toward the stairs leading up to the stage.

Go Eun-Seo, who had been about to follow them, suddenly stopped and looked at me nervously. "Mr. Jung... you're disappointed in me, aren't you?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No. Not at all. In fact, I was happy to see you recognize your own weakness and try to fix it. The result is a little disappointing, but I've never once been disappointed in you."

The worry on her face melted away into a smile. Go Eun-Seo bowed her head. "Thank you for keeping your promise. And... thanks to that performance just now, I realized what mistake I made."

Thump. Thump.

My heart began to race.

"What mistake?" I asked.

"I forgot that the people voting are the fans... For a little while, I got too caught up competing against Eun-Chae. No matter what, I should've been looking only at the fans."

It was a good thing I held myself back. Not only had she recognized her mistake on her own, she even found the solution herself.

Go Eun-Seo was right. Even though the team battle was fought against another team on stage, the people casting votes weren't the opponents. They were the viewers. If she had focused only on the fans, the way she had earlier, she almost certainly would have earned a better score.

Watching Go Eun-Seo grow in real time made it impossible to stop smiling.

"And I'm not going to make that mistake again. I'll put on a performance for the fans, so... Mr. Jung. Will you cheer for our team?"

Team One, led by girls like Sung Na-Ra and Song Mi-Hee, was the strongest team in the competition. Faced with such a formidable opponent, she seemed a little nervous and made a wish of her own.

'Fair enough. After everything she'd done, I could grant her that much.'

"All right. They're all my kids, but today, I'm a Go Eun-Seo fan! Go Eun-Seo, you got this!"

When I raised both arms and cheered, Go Eun-Seo's face lit up with a radiant smile. "Yes! Then I'll definitely win this stage—No. I'll put on the best performance possible for the fans!"

The way she spoke and the look in her eyes almost seemed as though she were preparing a performance just for me.

"That's right. Give it everything you've got."

"Yes, Mr. Jung!"

Filled with energy, Go Eun-Seo ran down to join her teammates gathered at the foot of the stairs.

"Don't be intimidated just because they're Team One! All we have to do is focus on the fans!"

"Right!"

"Then let's get up there and crush it, unnies!"

At this moment, Go Eun-Seo energized the members around her as though she were Team Three's true leader.

She began climbing toward the stage bathed in brilliant white light—completely unaware that those confident steps were about to create a miracle.