Chapter 153. Someone’s Period (3)
As soon as I saw Dan Haru’s and my face displayed on the billboard, a surge of anxiety hit me, making me turn my head to look at Dan Haru, who was standing on the right side of the stage.
Similarly, Dan Haru, realizing that he was one of the 7th and 8th place candidates, briefly showed a surprised expression before lowering his head, biting his lips as if resigning himself to the result. His unexpectedly calm reaction helped me regain my composure and correct my posture.
‘Stay calm. In any case, both of us have already secured our spots in the final.’
This wasn’t a dangerous situation like last time, where I might have been eliminated without the benefits of the third round. The partially revealed vote counts and evaluation scores were actually a bit higher or at least similar to those from the previous elimination ceremony.
It wasn’t that Dan Haru or I had done anything wrong; it was just that the other contestants and their fans had done better.
‘To overturn this result, they’d have to redo the entire fourth round, but I don’t think they’d take such a gamble in this situation.’
So, we’re still okay.
Reassuring myself like this, I unknowingly loosened the grip of the fist I had been clenching. I must have been so tense during that short time that my fingers tingled with numbness, making my body tremble.
However, compared to the days when I was sent back in time without knowing why, the fact that I could at least predict this much now made me feel much more at ease and able to maintain my composure.
For now, I can still protect everything.
“And now, who among the two will secure the debut rank of 7th place? The result will be revealed now.”
The lights swirled around as urgent BGM played.
Dan Haru and I.
I quickly ran through my mind, trying to figure out which of us would be better off as the 7th, but I couldn’t come up with a clear answer.
Still, considering my previous rank of 9th and the fact that some fans might have left me this time, it seemed more likely that Dan Haru, who had maintained his current position, would be in 7th place.
The lights, which had been spinning for a while, eventually stopped at one spot.
And soon, the billboard filled with…
“7th place, Trainee Kang Hajin.”
…me.
“Me? I’m 7th?”
“Hajin hyung, finally out of the feather rank?”
“Hyung, congratulations!”
I could hear the voices of those congratulating me and felt their hands patting my back, but it didn’t hurt at all. Even as I walked towards the center at the assistant director’s gesture, it all felt surreal. Even when I finally stood on the stage and grabbed the microphone, I still hadn’t fully grasped the situation.
“Trainee Kang Hajin. Since entering the Wings rank by placing 5th in the first round, you remained in the Feather rank but have finally re-entered. How do you feel?”
“Uh… Ah, how do I feel.”
My feelings, my feelings.
Right, I need to express how I feel.
Though my mind understood, my body just wouldn’t follow.
“Well, uh….”
It wasn’t 1st place, or 2nd place—just 7th place.
Dan Haru, the strongest candidate to become the chosen regressor, had fallen to 8th place, out of the debut ranks. This was a serious issue.
Considering how much attention I’ve already drawn, still being in 7th place could really be a problem.
“…This feels really good.”
But right now, none of that mattered.
“So this is how it feels.”
I couldn’t help but laugh foolishly.
Even though this wasn’t the final ranking, it felt as if I had finally let go of one of the ropes I’d been holding tightly in a corner of my heart. Every time I tried to say something, I ended up laughing like a crazy person. The best I could do was keep myself from collapsing by barely managing to hold on.
But I couldn’t keep dragging this out like a fool, so I barely managed to grab the microphone and open my mouth to speak. Even then, my hands shook so badly it was embarrassing.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what to say….”
With so many emotions and thoughts flooding my mind, I found it hard to speak.
I’m not usually the kind of person who struggles to find words.
Even when I did short-term work at a cosmetics stand in the middle of winter, I was good at selling products with my words, so why was I like this now?
I tried to search my mind for the right words to express how I felt, but then I happened to lock eyes with Dan Haru, who was still standing in his place with the other trainees, watching me.
Contrary to my worries, Dan Haru was smiling brightly at me with all his heart. When our eyes met, he even raised a thumbs-up and grinned widely.
As if he was prouder than I was, his cheeks lifted high.
Seeing his face, the chaos in my mind seemed to suddenly calm down.
I relaxed my tense body and, looking into the camera with the red light on, I delivered my thoughts.
“…Now that I’ve come this far, I really want it.”
What started as a challenge to become an idol trainee to prevent regression, and a survival show I suggested with a ‘whatever happens’ attitude,
Now, for both you and me,
I realized it had become a time too precious to give up.
“I will definitely debut with the friends standing here. I will do my best to make it happen. Thank you, Destiny.”
If this is the happiness you’ve found, I promise to protect it in this life.
With that vow, I bowed deeply towards the camera that was still focused on me.
It was a gesture of gratitude to my fans, who had pushed me up this staircase.
* * *
After my speech, the ranking announcements proceeded quickly.
When Dan Haru, who placed 8th, expressed his innocent relief at being able to stay with his hyungs again, the 4th and 6th places were immediately announced.
Despite the dramatic rank changes, the steady top-ranked Joo Eunchan and Kim Wonho, who seemed to have received a surge of sympathy votes, secured their spots.
“I will become an idol worthy of your votes.”
“Oh, I didn’t… I really didn’t expect this at all…. I’m sorry. Thank you so much for voting for me.”
While Joo Eunchan delivered his speech in his usual strong voice, Kim Wonho ended up shedding a few tears. He couldn’t hide his reddened eyes as he shuffled to stand beside me, and all I could do was pat his back, telling him he did well.
It just… somehow felt like the right thing to do.
“Next, we will announce the trainees in 2nd and 3rd place.”
The tension around the 2nd and 3rd places was actually less than for the 7th and 8th ranks.
With the parachute Han Sungwoo’s move in the first round, and even Joo Eunchan dropping to 4th, it was obvious who would take those spots.
Sure enough, as I expected, the billboard displayed a split shot of Lee Doha and Seo Taehyun.
“The trainee who placed 2nd in the second elimination ceremony is… Trainee Lee Doha.”
“What? Not Taehyun hyung?”
The only surprising thing was that Seo Taehyun had dropped to 3rd instead of 2nd.
Given that the difference in detailed scores wasn’t significant, even though Lee Doha had secured the benefit, it seemed more accurate to say that Lee Doha had risen rather than Seo Taehyun underperforming.
‘This is going to be a headache for Seo Taehyun.’
This guy also experienced a similar drop right before the final during *Boy’s World*, so it was concerning.
I wasn’t sure if falling from 1st to 3rd counted as a drop, but for someone like Seo Taehyun, who had consistently ranked high in Wings, it could be a shocking result. It’s like the difference between a student who usually gets top grades falling to third place compared to one who’s always been in the middle ranks.
‘The current debut group lineup isn’t exactly favorable for Seo Taehyun either.’
Jung Siwoo, Lee Doha, Joo Eunchan, Lee Yugeon, Kim Wonho, and me.
Though Jung Siwoo had a slightly more relaxed aura, when you considered the intimidating presence of his flawless, statue-like appearance, the overall vibe and aura of the group didn’t really match Seo Taehyun’s.
There was a reason why people were surprised by the idea of “Seo Taehyun in Miro?”
And the reason Seo Taehyun was eliminated from *Boy’s World* was also because “he didn’t fit the group’s concept.” Compared to the image people wanted for the debut group, Seo Taehyun was too young, pretty, and fresh.
‘It was an issue he was bound to face sooner or later.’
Considering that Seo Taehyun struggled with similar concerns during *For You*, it was also something he needed to overcome at some point. Whether it was because he was persuaded by Cha Minseok or not, it was a challenge he had to face once he decided to join Miro.
I watched Seo Taehyun slowly climb to the 3rd place spot before quickly averting my gaze to look forward again. There were still those who hadn’t been called yet, so it was too early to worry about the next step.
“Now… it’s time to announce the first trainee to be eliminated in the second elimination ceremony.”
Seo Taeil seemed heavy-hearted, remaining silent for
a while.
Even after receiving a cue from the production team to read his lines, he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Eventually, after taking a moment to compose himself, it took a few minutes before he could finally pick up the microphone.
“In the second elimination ceremony of Miro Maze, the first trainee who will leave without making it to the final is….”
There were now five trainees left.
Jaiden, Gong Seok, Yuki, Park Jaeyoung, and Shin Kyungho.
And the first one to be eliminated was exactly who everyone expected.
“Trainee Shin Kyungho, who finished in 13th place.”
Shin Kyungho, seemingly resigned to his fate, lowered his head deeply. The light that had been shining on him on the stage, where the five of them stood in a line, quietly dimmed. It seemed they planned to hear the eliminated trainee’s thoughts separately at the end, as Seo Taeil wasted no time in moving on to the next announcement.
“Next, we will announce the 9th place trainee who narrowly made it to the final. This trainee has solidified their position with the public through their performance in this round.”
Among the remaining trainees, the only ones who could be highlighted with the keyword “position” were Gong Seok and Jaiden.
Both had firmly established themselves as vocalists and rappers of Miro Maze in the fourth round.
‘Jaiden was ranked one place above Seok hyung last time.’
And he even received benefits, so unless Gong Seok’s fandom suddenly doubled, 9th place would likely be…
“Trainee Jaiden, in 9th place.”
“Oh….”
As expected.
In an instant, the emotions of Jaiden and Gong Seok diverged.
Jaiden, upon hearing his name, immediately burst into all sorts of English exclamations as he stepped forward. He even joked that he looked up the price of a flight back to Chicago yesterday, but judging by the sweat pouring down his back, it seemed he was more scared of being eliminated than he let on.
“Seok hyung….”
Hearing a soft mumble beside me, I turned to see Dan Haru in 8th place, clasping his hands tightly together, frowning at the stage. He seemed worried that his teammate Gong Seok might be eliminated.
“Dan Haru.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t bite your nails. It’ll become a habit.”
“…Ah. Yes!”
His clasped hands were fidgeting, so I glanced over and noticed he was picking at his nails. I softly scolded him, causing him to startle and quickly drop his hands. But now, with eyes on the verge of tears, he was clutching and releasing the hem of his clothes over and over.
In the end, I moved slightly closer to Dan Haru and pulled his hands away from his clothes, speaking gently.
“It’s okay.”
“…….”
“It’s okay, Dan Haru.”
Perhaps, those words were meant for myself as well.
“I will now announce the trainee who placed 12th and was eliminated.”
Since the regression, I had intervened and shaped this survival show.
The fates of the contestants were changing because of it.
Perhaps I had taken away someone’s rightful spot.
“Trainee Yuki has been eliminated in 12th place.”
Perhaps those words were a way to shield myself from the inexplicable guilt that clouded my vision and hearing.
“There’s only one ticket left for the final. And now, only two trainees remain.”
The faces of the two remaining trainees appeared on the billboard.
“Trainees Gong Seok and Park Jaeyoung, please step up to the podium.”
It was time for someone to put a period on this journey.