Chapter 136
Ironically.
We were both moved and shocked by Kim Geum’s words.
And it felt like something was welling up inside.
But we couldn’t cry on the broadcast. Everyone struggled to swallow their tears, unable to lift their heads.
“No. Don’t get too emotional, everyone.”
Kim Geum waved her hands in embarrassment.
“How could you just now realize how cool I am? You all clearly haven’t experienced the true charm of Kim Geum yet.”
“…Good grief.”
Ryu Bo-ra raised her eyebrows to hide her red, tear-filled eyes.
“Haha. This really feels like a moment that shows how close you all are. Wow, thinking about our All Colors members makes my heart feel so warm. Members! If you’re watching this live… I love you! Are they even watching?”
Day tried to change the topic to lighten the mood.
“Now, it’s finally time to announce the winning team of <Top of Idol>! After an 8-week journey, let’s witness the finale together.”
With those words, the screen on the studio ceiling changed.
[Total Votes: 317,896]
“Wow, that’s incredible. In just 60 minutes, an astounding 317,000 votes have been gathered. The global voting trend is also remarkable. This is Mnet, <Top of Idol>. As expected from a fierce survival show aiming for the top, the numbers are phenomenal.”
Wow.
It felt like there wasn’t a single moment of silence in the audio.
Amazing.
At this rate, their variety show skill level must be around 90.
“Then, let’s first announce the team in 3rd place.”
[3rd Place: Cha Yul]
What?
Cha Yul only got 3rd place?
It makes sense that being a solo artist is a disadvantage for gathering votes… but making it to the finals is still impressive.
“Ah, our only solo contestant, Cha Yul, has placed 3rd. Still, it’s an impressive ranking. Cha Yul, please share your thoughts on coming in 3rd.”
“Even being 3rd is more than enough for me. I love all my fans who worked hard to vote. Let’s not go through such hardships again… Ah, should I not say that? Thank you all so much. To the cast members, I hope to see you again on another great stage.”
Typical of Cha Yul.
Hmm.
Looking around, everyone seemed to have similar thoughts.
“Wow, such a cool and impressive speech. Truly fitting for superstar Cha Yul. I want to learn from you.”
Day tried to cover Cha Yul’s unique speech and returned to the main topic.
“Now, let’s announce the winning team of <Top of Idol>, the artist aiming for the true pinnacle of idols.”
All five of us held hands tightly.
And we stared intently at the scoreboard.
MaxBurning had the huge advantage of an international fanbase.
Could we, who just debuted and had a weaker international presence, really win?
I looked at the screen that filled my vision.
[~Personal mission from Yoon Cheong~
Achieve 1st place in <Top of Idol>
Reward: 1,000 points]
It must have appeared now because it wanted me to make it happen.
I took a deep breath,
[Winner: MaxBurning]
and exhaled.
I heard the sound of my heart sinking heavily.
A very heavy sound.
Along with it, something burst and confetti fluttered.
Ding!
[Mission failed!]
[The mission disappears….]
[Current points: 1,700 points]
In the end….
We didn’t win.
I tried hard not to show my disappointment.
Not because of the points.
I could earn those from other missions.
But….
I looked around at my members.
Just as we discussed before, no one showed their disappointment.
Everyone smiled as brightly as they could and clapped for MaxBurning’s hard work.
But I could read it.
The disappointment in their eyes.
…I knew in my head that it wasn’t something to feel sorry about.
Everyone worked hard, and that was enough.
These days had already been meaningful. What did the result matter so much?
I knew that.
But I couldn’t help feeling sorry.
To the members, to the Everblue fans.
I took another deep breath, then exhaled.
I couldn’t let it show.
If I did, the members would feel the same guilt.
As MaxBurning gave their speech and the final credits of <Top of Idol> rolled,
when the live broadcast ended,
I pulled all the members into a hug without thinking.
“We really did well. Right?”
“!”
Even though I spoke with all my might, no one answered.
Everyone just hugged each other in a circle, looking down.
“We really did well. I’m so proud of us.”
On the floor where we looked down,
it seemed confetti and tears had fallen.
—
**Steel Blue Reaction:**
So close! The stage was amazingㅠㅠ We couldn’t beat their international power.
MaxBurning got 140,000 votes, 90,000 of which were from overseas. It was an unwinnable battle.
How many votes did Steel Blue get?
└ About 100,000, with only 10,000 from overseas.
└└ Wow….
It’s disappointing for the Steel Blue kids, but even placing 2nd as rookies is impressive! Congrats!
MaxBurning’s stage was boring, but they still won.
Surprising.
I’m realizing the power of international core fans again.
I understand why idols go on overseas tours…yes, I get it now.
It was a fair fight, so no one should criticize anyone.
Cha Yul, Steel Blue, MaxBurning, all worked hard and did well.
It’s not like the overseas votes were manipulated… it happens.
Agreed. It’s disappointing for the Steel Blue kids, but they’re rookies, so they’ll rise higher~~
└222 Steel Blue will explode overseas soon enough.
Most reactions were about feeling regret and congratulating the 2nd place finish.
However,
Not all reactions were positive.
Steel Blue’s bubble is about to burst.
Ironically.
The bubble popped instantly, didn’t it?
It was even worse than expected.
No counter-arguments, huh?
Where did all those Edeung fans go, who were so full of themselves? Hahaha.
Serves you right.
Just disappear already.
So even Colors produces flopped idols.
Even with the backing of a huge entertainment company, they still fail.
The first-ever agency-invested survival show where the idols lost 1st place to another singer, haha.
Hahahahahahahaha.
Isn’t Colors known for its strong core fandom?
Steel Blue seems to be the only one with a weak core fandom.
So where are all those Steel Blue fans who boasted about their strong core fandom because of their survival show background? Hehe.
It’s fascinating to see everyone go silent when objective metrics are revealed.
Honestly, didn’t your 100,000 votes come from All Colors’ Day fans? Hahaha, Day’s fans pushed it because their oppa composed the song.
Why are you saying they failed when they got 2nd place? By your logic, wouldn’t Cha Yul, who got 3rd place, be an utter failure?
└Yes~ Cha Yul has been washed up for a long time~ He’s a total flop idol~
└└Hahahahahahaha, so much talk from someone who can’t even reach that washed-up level…
I heard Moment is debuting a girl group soon.
They’ll be crushed immediately, haha.
Is it true you got only 100,000 votes today?
Wow.
I always thought Steel Blue’s survival show fame was inflated.
Now it seems the bubble is bursting.
Even though fans knew all these comments were nonsense,
They couldn’t help but feel upset.
The sudden flood of comparison posts with the yet-to-debut ‘Inleven’ made them even more upset.
★
Are we attracting trolls now? Why are they linking our girls with the rookie group from MMZ;
Link things that make sense, seriously.
Pick your battles, guys, or it will backfire on you. Don’t you know karma comes back around?
Some new rookie girl group trying to piggyback on our Steel Blue… seriously, don’t do this, especially among fellow girl groups.
Two major points of exasperation:
1. Steel Blue is being bashed despite finishing 2nd.
2. In the meantime, a yet-to-debut group is using this chance to say they’re better than Steel Blue.
└As expected, Steel Blue must be true superstars if they can drive both haters and fans crazy…
└└Seriously, they debuted less than two months ago… it’s like they’ve attracted ten years’ worth of haters already. This is the life of a superstar.
And so,
A sensitive atmosphere was forming among both the fandom and public opinion.
***
“Good work, everyone!”
“Ah, everyone worked so hard.”
“I love the dorm… really.”
“Today’s stage was so much fun. I want to perform every day.”
The two months of intense <Top of Idol> filming had finally ended.
Amid the members laughing in relief at the thought of no more survival shows,
Only Kim Geum had a calm expression.
…Of course, this wasn’t unexpected.
Our stage was filled with lyrics and concepts targeting Kim Ryeo-yu.
We knew the reaction would be intense.
Even a quick glance at the live chat on the K-App during the ride home revealed the genuine worries
And the hateful comments disguised as concerns.
It was obvious that the anti-fans pretending to be fans didn’t have any impact, but I didn’t understand why they did it.
All the members had anticipated some negative reactions, so no one was particularly surprised.
But, as the reality set in, a corner of my heart began to fill with worry.
Was I worried about our popularity declining?
No.
I worried about Kim Geum getting hurt.
When I first saw the lyrics, I feared that the criticism might be directed at Kim Geum, the lyricist.
But Kim Geum had reassured us, saying we didn’t need to worry about her.
At that time, I thought she said that because she wanted to sever all ties with Kim Ryeo-yu.
However, I could tell from Kim Geum’s voice during his final remarks.
Everything had been Kim Geum’s choice to protect us.
In fact, Kim Geum had already resolved herself before going on stage, and even after the performance, she seemed calm.
The person in question was fine, yet I couldn’t shake my worry.
This was the most sensitive time.
“Geum.”
After confirming that all the members had gone to their rooms,
I quietly knocked on Kim Geum’s door.
“Are you asleep?”
Knock, knock.
As soon as I knocked, the door opened.
At this point, it was almost like she had been waiting for me by the door.
I was slightly taken aback as I looked at Kim Geum.
“I’m not sleeping.”
Her eyes were swollen.
“Geum… were you crying?”
This was bad.