Chapter 153
After the stage ended.
In the atmosphere filled with silence.
Yoon Cheong and DashDash bowed their heads to the audience.
Then, a wild applause poured out.
The judges, to begin with, were clapping generously.
“Wow, really…. This performance wasn’t disclosed even to us, who are in the same agency… I was wondering why it was kept such a secret. I think I know why now.”
“If it were me, I would have hidden it too.”
“Right….”
Han Jae-i and Dan Ha resumed the proceedings.
“Well, it seems the judges have a lot of questions. First, Judge Jin Dong-il, could you share your thoughts?”
Under the intense gaze of the judge who had been raising his hand enthusiastically.
The two finally had to stop bantering and pass the microphone.
“Yes, Yoon Cheong. First of all, I really enjoyed the performance.”
“Thank you.”
Yoon Cheong bowed her head in greeting.
“Was this stage planned by you? The song selection, arrangement, casting, etc.”
The judges nodded as if it was a question everyone was curious about.
“Yes. Kim Geum, a member of our Steel Blue, helped with the arrangement. The rest was planned together with DashDash seniors and me.”
Yoon Cheong said, passing the microphone to DashDash’s guitarist, Park Ki-hoon.
“We just delivered the meal this young junior prepared to the public. Almost everything was done by Yoon Cheong here.”
“No, I really didn’t do much. If it weren’t for the seniors, this stage wouldn’t have been possible. Even though he couldn’t come here due to his schedule, I want to express my deep gratitude to DashDash’s vocalist, Seong-yoon, who personally provided vocal training.”
As warm compliments were exchanged.
The judges had one more question.
“What kind of connection do you two have…?”
“Ah.”
Park Ki-hoon smiled awkwardly.
“There’s a cafe I frequently visit. We happened to meet there…. I don’t know much about young people these days. This friend recognized me first and asked for an autograph. That’s how our relationship began.”
“It’s really fate.”
“Haha. For me, it’s just nice when a young person remembers me.”
Guitarist Park Ki-hoon said so and looked at Yoon Cheong with a warm uncle’s gaze.
“She’s a talented friend, so I was happy to join, thinking it would be a meaningful stage. While preparing the stage together, I even thought that maybe it’s time to change our vocalist….”
“Hyung, if you say that, Seong-yoon hyung will get upset.”
“Haven’t we all thought about it at least once, right?”
“Just keep it to yourself.”
After the pleasant jokes were exchanged.
Everyone in the studio had no choice but to admit it.
An undeniable winner was born.
Considering how well she handled that minor genre, what more needed to be said?
***
It was now time to vote.
The audience went outside the studio and could vote for only one person.
And, the judges gathered separately to discuss and cast their final votes.
There were a total of five judges.
Four singers and one composer.
The judges’ votes were always transparently disclosed, showing who voted for whom each time.
Each judge’s vote was worth the same as 100 audience votes, so the result was obvious given the weight.
This voting method had been set since the program started.
However, PD Kim of <Dear My Diva> was now regretting that decision.
They had already coordinated with the Moment side to make Dahin of Inleven the first winner.
But seeing how things were going, it seemed that it wouldn’t be an easy task.
“Wow, all the performances by today’s contestants were excellent.”
The faces of the five judges looked very pleased.
Because of the performance of Yoon Cheong that had just taken place.
Even though they didn’t say it, the PD could tell.
He had personally scouted these people and filmed them just now, so how could he not know?
The difference was very apparent when they watched other contestants’ performances compared to Yoon Cheong’s performance.
When watching other contestants, their reaction was, ‘They’re good.’
But during Yoon Cheong’s performance, it was evident they watched as if mesmerized, with no time to think.
PD Kim, having produced music-related programs at SWC for over 20 years, could tell.
Frankly, PD Kim himself felt, ‘This is the end,’ the moment he heard Yoon Cheong’s first note.
Some songs can end everything with just the first verse.
Some performances can make indifferent people lift their heads with just the prelude.
‘Honestly, I never thought a performance of this caliber would come from a program where idols are the main focus.’
PD Kim had promised Moment with great confidence that he would make Dahin win.
Of course, he knew that the rookie Yoon Cheong was quite good.
He had done basic monitoring even before the scouting.
But in his view, Dahin was also a top-level vocalist for a rookie idol.
And isn’t it true that the main vocalists of idols are all about the same?
He was convinced that with appropriate editing and a bit of manipulation, he could make Dahin number one.
“…Now, let’s talk about Dahin’s performance, which was the second stage.”
“I thought the future of K-POP looked bright. Not just because she’s an idol, but because she showed a very impressive stage as a vocalist.”
Yooz, a 21-year veteran singer and judge, spoke first.
“But she was visibly trembling. It seemed like it was because she still lacked experience with solo stages as a rookie.”
“I also felt that she couldn’t fully showcase her abilities, which was a bit disappointing. However, I think she has tremendous potential. In fact, her vocal skills themselves were very good.”
“That’s right. But in terms of expressiveness, there’s still room for improvement.”
PD Kim had no choice but to agree, even while biting his lip.
Today, Dahin showed an unusually clear sign of nervousness.
It was probably due to the lack of experience typical of a rookie….
He didn’t know.
PD Kim shook his head.
He had done his best.
What could PD Kim do if that rookie couldn’t handle even a spoon-fed opportunity?
“Next, let’s talk about Yoon Cheong from Steel Blue. How did everyone find the performance?”
At someone’s question.
All the judges’ faces bloomed with smiles.
That alone was already an answer, but.
Everyone started to speak in turn.
“First of all, as a long-time fan of DashDash and a lover of rock. I was thankful for the song selection and the session. Knowing it was a stage she planned herself. I thought, how did she come up with the idea to challenge the rock genre? What a remarkable friend.”
“I agree. It felt like witnessing the birth of a gemstone-like vocalist, rediscovered and polished.”
“Everything about this stage was flawless. It even felt like watching DashDash’s Seong-yoon in his prime. Learning that a female rendition of <The Night of Broken Machinery> could be this beautiful was a revelation.”
Endless praise upon praise.
And the voting that followed….
Unanimous for Yoon Cheong by all five judges.
PD Kim couldn’t help but turn pale.
After a short deliberation, PD Kim finally picked up his phone.
He had no choice.
If the judges wouldn’t help him this much, he had to find someone who could move them.
To: SWC Entertainment Department Director
Director, we’re in big trouble.
The cooperation with Moment wasn’t something decided only at PD Kim’s level anyway.
It was deeply tied to TMM, the parent company of Moment.
If the judges realized what they had meddled with, they would eventually change their decision.
***
In the waiting room.
After seeing off DashDash, I was quietly waiting for the voting results.
“Cheong, you were really amazing today. You did so well.”
“Thank you, unnie.”
As I leaned back on the chair while drinking the water handed to me by my manager unnie, the exhaustion that had built up in my body finally surged.
“Today, the expressions on the judges’ faces were really different, weren’t they? It seems like winning is almost guaranteed.”
“Haha. That… we have to wait until the end to see.”
Of course, it was different.
Did I choose the rock genre for no reason?
It was the result of analyzing the favorite genres of the five judges one by one.
If Moment manipulated the audience.
The variable I could count on was the judges.
If I could win over the judges, I could win.
I thoroughly investigated and analyzed the judges’ usual interviews and reviews.
As a result, I found that the rock genre, especially DashDash, was the answer.
Didn’t I think the judges might manipulate the voting results too?
No. I knew they wouldn’t be able to do that easily.
What about during <Make a New Color>?
Even when Kim Mokyung caused such a fuss.
Judges who came out under their own names couldn’t actively favor Kim Ryeo-yu with their scores.
At best, they gave her the second-best feedback.
It’s naturally difficult to manipulate scores openly with your face on the line.
Viewers wouldn’t tolerate such deceit.
Furthermore, since the voting results of the judges on <Dear My Diva> were completely transparent, it would have been even harder to manipulate.
PD Kim probably didn’t realize it either.
That I would overwhelmingly hit the judges’ preferences.
“But it was really surprising. DashDash coming in person…. You were really lucky. It’s really rare to coincidentally become close with such people.”
“Yes, I was really lucky.”
Lucky, my foot.
I planned everything.
Fortunately, I had a close relationship with guitarist Park Ki-hoon in my past life, so I knew all about the cafes he frequented, his favorite songs, his personality, and so on.
Because of this, I could get close to him much faster in this life.
Well, in some ways, I was lucky.
In my past life, I had collaborated with DashDash too.
It wasn’t on <The Night of Broken Machinery>, but on a track from their album.
I never thought that connection would come in handy like this.
While I was lost in thought.
There was a knock on the door.
When I opened it, a staff member peeked in.
“Yoon Cheong, please come up now. We’re announcing the voting results.”
“Yes, I’ll be right there. Thank you.”
Now, let’s go up.
Will they obediently give me the victory?
Or will they stir things up as originally intended?
Let’s find out.