GIJS

Chapter 64

The finals, which were broadcast live, saw an explosive reaction to the stage performance of 'The Seven Scholars.'

The real-time viewership rating for the finals was an astonishing 19.4%.

It not only overwhelmingly dominated all entertainment programs airing at the same time but also marked the highest rating ever for an idol audition program.

Not only did the cable TV ratings soar, but the real-time online streaming channels also recorded unprecedented numbers of viewers, bursting with activity.

Despite Music Planet being fully prepared for the chaos, they were overwhelmed by the massive influx of international viewers, particularly from abroad, which was beyond their capacity to handle.

Even people who seemed unlikely to be interested in K-POP were flocking to the streaming channels.

3040 military enthusiasts from the Anglophone world, who appeared distant from K-POP, were among them.

[The server crashed again] [FXXK] [This is so brutal] [How can you show a warrior as cool as Yu gunja and then not let us see it?] [I almost freaked out during the shield and club formation] [The server is crashing here?] [But I've never seen an Asian shield + club formation before] [This is pure Oriental Sparta] [The intermission seemed to be inspired by the Korean palace guard changing ceremony] [This is not just a K-POP performance] [Did you see how perfectly synchronized the formations were?] [Even Hitler or Kim Jong-un couldn't train their troops this well] [Yu Gunja is definitely a terrifying guy] [Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to enforce such strict discipline] [What kind of country is Korea?] [I told you before, it's the country where Dwayne Johnson takes off name tags] [This is insane] [Please open the stream] [And why are foreigners blocked from voting?] [We love Yu Gunja too, damn it]

While viewers in North America, where internet speeds are relatively slow, struggled, Korean viewers enjoyed the live broadcast comfortably via cable TV and OTT, sharing their opinions in real-time.

It was already well-known that Yu Gunja was a "stage master."

However, as with any survival show, the quality of the finals' stage could not help but drop.

Unlike recorded broadcasts where editing can enhance quality, live broadcasts present the participants' performances raw and unfiltered.

Yet, 'The Seven Scholars' stage was different.

In their first performance of [ACACIA], they focused solely on vocals, showcasing a singing ability never seen before.

That alone was refreshingly new.

Just that stage alone garnered a flood of positive reactions.

But once the second stage began, hell broke loose on all SNS and online community servers.

The reactions to the palace guard changing ceremony were nothing short of extraordinary.

[Yu Gunja looks so beautiful todayㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Why does only he keep getting prettierㅋㅋ] [He was already pure and handsome before, but now he's a complete visual genius] [The term visual genius doesn't even cover it] [Visual Nobel Prize, Face Feels Award, Triple Crown for Looks] [At first, I thought Ju Ha-sung was better, but Yu Gunja seems to have overtaken him at some point]

From Yu Gunja's upgraded appearance to the military costume with red accents.

[*Yugo's team + Eastern-style outfits are a no-fail combinationㅋㅋ] [ㅠㅠㅠ The costume team should get an awardㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Our military uniform looks so beautiful and cool] [Please stop with the historical drama constable costumesㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [I heard the costume team doesn't provide 100% of the outfits] [The ideas are from the members] [Yugo, you must have been born to be an idolㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] {*Yu Gunja}

With flawless member verses, addictive and catchy chorus lines, and the most dazzling and elaborate stage setup and props among the four performances.

The praise kept coming. Especially when they used the red conical hat (朱笠) for the shield choreography, even current idols and trainers were left astounded.

At this point, even if they ended here, it would be a legendary performance.

Half of 'The Seven Scholars' could already secure their debut.

The atmosphere, heated to the point of explosion, proved it.

Yu Gunja, hidden behind the six shields, could hear the roar.

Since his in-ear monitor had been out for a while, the roar hit Yu Gunjao's eardrums directly.

But Yu Gunja was determined to make a final impact. He wasn't satisfied with just this.

He wanted to showcase every bit of his effort from the past fifteen days without any regrets. He wanted to debut alongside all seven of his stage partners.

Most importantly, he wanted to express his gratitude to the fans who supported and loved him. Yu Gunja's final verse was filled with his feelings toward his fans.

"Hmm—."

Cha In-hyuk, with his immense strength, lifted Yu Gunja high. It was time.

Yu Gunja gathered his strength in his legs. The moment Cha In-hyuk threw him, Yu Gunja soared high into the sky with the elasticity of his thighs.

Whoosh, thud—.

Breaking through the red shield barrier, the dark blue scholar landed heroically before the audience. Yu Gunja, holding the microphone like a weapon, began to deliver the lyrics with a torrent of emotion.

"Behold, the lord is the lord.

Even when seen upside down, he is the lord.

To serve, the scholar is a scholar.

Even with long legs, he is made of earth.

Whether on a harsh day,

Or in a prosperous month,

To the lord who took everything I earned

I pledge loyalty to the country and loyalty to my nation,

With all my heart, devotion to my country.

With all my body, loyalty to my king and love for my country,

With all my soul, loyalty to the spirit of the dead!

The lyrics conveyed the meaning of loyalty that went beyond love.

There was no exaggeration or falsehood in the earnest voice.

Although there was no king on this land anymore, it was different for Yu Gunja. It was different for idols.

The people who made them exist, those who raised their value with infinite love.

The fans are their lords.

This realization became the lyrics. Writing the lyrics took less than an hour.

Because it was filled with sincerity, the voice delivering it naturally carried strength. The presence of the audience was like fuel for Yu Gunja.

Perhaps because of this, the fiercely starting verse grew even more intense, reverberating throughout the performance hall.

Like a pine tree standing in a snowstorm,

And like a bamboo grove in the wind and rain.

The heart is solely steadfast,

The direction is a single path.

We look up to our lord,

And the lord looks at us.

Ephemeral gestures became choreography,

Meaningless voices became songs.

With all my heart, repaying the country with red sincerity,

With all my effort, dedicating my loyalty,

With devotion and filial piety, fulfilling both,

Giving everything, like a humble servant.

Loyalty to the faithful, not serving two lords!

Words must be loyal, actions must be respectful!

As a messenger, with courtesy; as a servant, with loyalty!

Loyalty and patriotism, the loyal and righteous!

···.

···.

Boom, boom—.

This time, Yu Gunja froze everyone.

Every line, every word was felt by all the audience.

It was a moment of awe. Every audience member had their jaws dropped.

The beat subsided, leaving only the sound of the big drum, but the fans' hearts beat stronger than the drum.

Boom, boom, boom—.

Centered around Yu Gunja, who was breathing heavily, the seven scholars soon gathered again.

Loyalty between ruler and subject, loyalty between ruler and subject.

Loyalty is solely between ruler and subject.

Trust between friends, trust between friends.

The Seven Scholars' resolution as one.

Slowly stepping from a low place, with the increasing beat of the big drum.

Loyalty between ruler and subject, loyalty between ruler and subject.

Loyalty is solely between ruler and subject.

Trust between friends, trust between friends.

The Seven Scholars' resolution as one!

Like a sanjo that starts quietly and turns into a thunderous melody, the voices of the seven scholars came together to declare their resolution.

With the beat growing lively again, the scholars repeated the final chorus with fervor.

Yes, our concept is loyalty, salute to the fans!

They bow to our lord, our king!

Betrayal is disloyalty, always in solidarity with you!

On the path to success, a toast to the fans' eyes!

The Seven Scholars, the dancers filling the stage, and the audience completely immersed in the performance, reached the peak of the atmosphere.

[Concept: Loyalty]
The song title appeared once more on the rear LED, and Yu Gunja delivered the final line.

"Yes, our concept is loyalty—!"

Wow—···.

Hearing the roar that seemed to lift the stage, the scholars captured by the one-shot camera were all smiling with heavy breaths.

It was a flawless success, with no room for criticism.

* * *

The heat from the first stage did not subside easily.

The audience was on the brink of losing control. Despite deploying the highest level of security team, the stage of 'The Seven Scholars' rendered it meaningless.

Wow—···.

Not only was it necessary to prevent safety accidents immediately, but naturally, the next stage would also be somewhat delayed.

Behind the stage, Ju Ha-sung felt his blood run cold.

Nothing was satisfying.

Not Yu Gunja creating yet another insane stage.

Nor the reality of having to go on stage right after.

Not even Yang Jeong-mu, who was grinning despite the looming defeat.

"Yang Jeong-mu."

"?"

"Are you happy?"

"···."

"Are you happy?"

"···."

"Damn···."

Trying to take it out on Yang Jeong-moo didn't really help him feel any better.

The situation was close to being the worst it could be, but anyway, Joo Ha-sung still had to focus on his debut. In fact, Joo Ha-sung was still on the edge of making his debut.

He had ranked 4th in the final rankings, but his pre-vote rankings had gone back up since then. The controversy over the practice room had not significantly impacted his core fandom.

If he performed well on the final stage, he could get back into the debut lineup, even if the team as a whole didn't make it.

Yang Jeong-moo seemed tense as he fidgeted with the microphone. Joo Ha-sung approached him again and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Jeong-moo."

"?"

"Are you happy?"

"..."

"Damn, Jeong-moo. Answer me, okay?"

"...Yeah, hyung..."

"Let's do this well."

"...Okay..."

"Please get me into the debut lineup, you bastard."

Yang Jeong-moo nodded with a scared expression.

"Yeah, don't make any mistakes."

Joo Ha-sung patted him on the back with a satisfied expression.

The performance was set up to highlight Joo Ha-sung's strengths, so as long as there were no mistakes, he could definitely make it.

He hated the idea of working with the damn Yoo Gun-ja, but that would only last for 3 years. After 3 years, he could use 7IN's fame and recognition to do whatever he wanted.

Joo Ha-sung took the stage, completing his performance without major mistakes.

It wasn't a perfect performance, but it wasn't a risky one either.

If it was a team-to-team showdown, 'The Seven Scholars' would have won decisively. But this time, the final result would be determined by audience and viewer votes.

No one knew who would survive, which meant everything was up in the air.

After both teams' performances were over, the MC Jeong Hae-jin, dressed impeccably, took the stage.

"Now, we've seen the final stage performances of both teams! Everyone, the live voting will be closing soon!"

10, 9, 8... 2, 1, 0.

After the countdown with the audience ended.

It was finally time to announce the debut members for Season 2 of 'Idol Training Simulation'.