GIJS

Chapter 66

Top Scholar

Right after the "Seven Scholars" stage ended, backstage at the Music Planet Live Studio.

Yang Jeong-moo was nervously fiddling with his custom microphone.

Due to continuous mission failures, Yang Jeong-moo hadn't collected many coins. Although he managed to avoid complete poverty thanks to the 100 coins borrowed from Gunja, it wasn't enough to purchase extravagant stage props or equipment.

So, he opted to buy a custom microphone. With 1 million won, he could afford a decent custom mic.

As a result, Yang Jeong-moo received a personal microphone.

Normally, the staff would manage the microphones until just before the stage, but Yang Jeong-moo was an exception since he used a custom mic.

This was part of Yang Jeong-moo's strategy and Joo Ha-sung's blind spot.

Yang Jeong-moo had been dissatisfied with Joo Ha-sung's attitude throughout the practice. Joo Ha-sung always seemed to divide the ranks in a peculiar way and took the important parts for himself through political maneuvering.

While other participants were naive and good-natured, just letting things slide, Yang Jeong-moo wasn't. As a master of politics himself, he knew Joo Ha-sung was a scheming snake.

A villain knows another villain best.

Joo Ha-sung would reveal his true colors eventually. Yang Jeong-moo had been waiting for that moment, though he never imagined it would come just before going on stage.

Yet, in that unexpected situation, Yang Jeong-moo came up with an effective way to get back at Joo Ha-sung.

The moment Joo Ha-sung uttered harsh words, Yang Jeong-moo pretended to lower his eyes and fidget with the microphone, slightly raising the switch.

He cleverly covered the LED indicator with his palm, so Joo Ha-sung didn't notice.

Yang Jeong-moo acted as a nervous teenager with all his might. His extensive experience in political maneuvering served him well.

"Jeong-moo."

"..."

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

"...Yes, hyung..."

"Do your best."

"...Yes..."

"Get me into the debut group, you bastard."

The conversation between Joo Ha-sung and Yang Jeong-moo was transmitted directly to the stage speakers through the custom microphone.

"...Yes, yes hyung... I'll do my best..."

Maintaining his composure until the very end, Yang Jeong-moo thought to himself.

'That bastard!'

Due to the lively atmosphere of the live broadcast, Joo Ha-sung's curse words weren't clearly conveyed.

Since it was a directional microphone, the sound wasn't perfectly captured.

Nevertheless, the fans could tell who was speaking and how foul the language was.

The live audience at the venue was the first to notice the curse words.

"Hmm?"

"Hey, wasn't that Joo Ha-sung's voice just now?"

"Did he curse backstage?"

"Seems like the mic was on."

"Wow, this is insane."

Following that, viewers watching the broadcast at home started to discuss it fervently.

[Who just cursed? lol] [??] [Was it really a curse word?] [I thought I heard wrong lol] [They were talking for a while; Yang Jeong-moo was mentioned] [It's Joo Ha-sung lol] [??? Joo Ha-sung????] [100% Joo Ha-sung, the tone of the voice, and only Joo Ha-sung in their team would use honorifics for Yang Jeong-moo] [Please stop trollingㅠㅠㅠ Are you Pyun Chang-won?] [Is Conan's game fun?] [The voice clearly sounds like a staff member, but they're trying to shift the blame to Ha-sung lol] [Yes, Joo Ha-sung, clean up your tears first] [Just edited the cursing part again.avi (personal judgment)] [Lol hearing it again, it's definitely Joo Ha-sung] [????? Did he really curse???? lol] [Lol haha so much for being on the bottomㅋㅋㅋ]

Online, the discussion heated up rapidly.

Clips of the cursing segment were quickly made, and the K-Conan enthusiasts quickly identified the culprit.

As a result, during the second stage, the focus shifted more towards the cursing incident than the stage performances.

[Look at his smile] [He seems clueless about what happened lol] [I knew idols had two faces, but hearing it directly is quite shocking] [And he's a trainee who hasn't even debuted;;] [The first ever cursed idol] [Lol cursed idolㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [I'm a true fan of Joo Ha-sung but can't shield him nowㅋㅋ] [He wasn't shaken during the practice room incident, but this is really shocking] [Why do all the ones I support end up like this?] [It's not your fault. It's just the truth coming out] [Disgusting] [ㅇㄱㅈ is better lol] [Yeah, he's a concept-driven guy but at least doesn't curse] [Ah, only Jeong-moo is pitifulㅠㅠ]

Negative reactions surged, but PD Kim Seok-hoon remained calm.

Even as the assistant director and writers were flustered by the unexpected broadcast accident, he just laughed.

"Hehe, Ha-sung is showing his true colors right up to the final episode."

"PD-nim, is this really okay?"

"What's the problem? If it's a scandal, then it's a scandal."

"The curse words were broadcasted. Aren't there going to be any penalties?"

"Let them take the penalties. And it's live, what can we do? Should we call Dormammu?"

"Well, maybe we should at least have a correction subtitle..."

"Why should I apologize? Ha-sung is the one who messed up."

"Eh?"

The assistant director was stunned, but PD Kim Seok-hoon just laughed heartily.

"And this isn't a setback; it's a boon. Because of Ha-sung's tantrum, the debut spots are now uncertain."

"Well, that's..."

"Will people watch the broadcast now or not?"

"!"

"Will the ratings for the ranking announcement go up or not?"

"PD-nim, you really only think about the buzz, don't you?"

"Hmm, thanks for the compliment~"

PD Kim Seok-hoon was actually pleased by Joo Ha-sung's cursing.

If he could trade a written apology for higher ratings, he was always ready to cause a scandal.

And a participant causing the scandal was actually a welcome surprise.

"Ha-sung, Ha-sung. I'm grateful, but... what about you really?"

Joo Ha-sung was unaware of everything.

He didn't know his curses were broadcast nationwide, or that even his most loyal core fans were abandoning their votes.

It wasn't until he saw Yang Jeong-moo smiling and fiddling with the mic that he realized everything.

"...Damn it..."

It felt like the world was closing in on him.

He had to smile, but in the live broadcast, he couldn't manage even a grin.

Had everyone really heard the curses? Did the audience and viewers all hear it?

The gazes of the audience seemed unfriendly. The fact that his name wasn't being called while the debut spots were being filled was ominous.

Everything seemed to point to despair for Joo Ha-sung.

He had to come to terms with the fact that he might be eliminated here. He had to accept it and at least manage his expression.

After all, when he returned to his agency, a chance for debut would come soon. Fans would forget everything and welcome him back. So he needed to smile now.

He tried desperately to smile, but it didn't come easily.

It was frustrating. Anger was rising. This was absurd. How much effort he had put into this audition, how he had remained the top performer!

The ranking announcement wasn't over yet, so there was still hope. Maybe he could be 2nd, even just 2nd...

"2nd place is Hyun Si-woo—!!"

"Hahaha, thank you—!!"

However, the continued announcements crushed Joo Ha-sung's hopes mercilessly.

From 6th to 2nd place, the names of the "Seven Scholars" filled the ranking chart.

Now only the 1st and 7th places remained.

Everyone expected the 1st place to be obvious, but Gunja was different. As the ranking chart was filled, his tension grew.

This might be the last chance.

Gunja had never considered himself 1st before.

With so much more to learn, being the top scholar was unthinkable!

Thus, when Jeong Haejin's voice announced the 1st place, Gunja's eyes widened in shock.

"Now, I'll announce the 1st place! For Idol Training Simulation Season 2, the highly anticipated 1st place is... Congratulations—!! Yu Gunja—!!"

"Waaaaaaa—!!"

The scholars rushed towards Gunja as if they had been waiting for this moment. Everyone had predicted him to be 1st.

It was a result that everyone, including Joo Ha-sung's fans, could accept. Even Joo Ha-sung's fans stood up and applauded.

"Scholar hyung——!!"

"Gunja, what did I tell you! I said you'd be 1st!"

"Yes, the top scholar..."

"Yes! Top scholar! Gunja, you're the top scholar! 1st place!"

"I'm the top scholar..."
Gunja, still stunned by the unbelievable result, couldn't believe it. Until just a moment ago, he had been worrying about elimination, but now he was first. He had achieved the top spot!

However, seeing the enthusiastic reactions of his peers, he was certain that this was no dream. As he became aware of the reality, tears welled up in his eyes along with a beaming smile.

"Hehe, hehehee."

"Puhahat, why is this guy laughing like a fool?"

"Yu Gunja has lost his mind!"

Naturally, being first place was a delightful experience. More than anything, Gunja felt proud to show his parents and fans that he had lived up to their expectations.

He always felt he had received more than he deserved. But with this top place, he felt he had somewhat met their high expectations.

"Thank you—!! Really, really thank you—!!"

Once again, Gunja bowed deeply in all directions towards the audience. It seemed that the fans didn't dislike this display of gratitude.

"Yes, Gunja. You did well!"

"Just don't cause any more trouble!"

"You're someone we can believe in—!"

Looking at the fans, Gunja nodded vigorously.

"Of course—!!"

Although he couldn't promise much, he could guarantee that he wouldn't act against his principles. He would always pursue righteousness and goodness, as that was the way he understood.

With the rankings from 6th to 1st announced, only the 7th place remained.

Out of the seven scholars, six had already been called. Now only Kwon Tae-woong was left.

The six scholars eagerly awaited his result, but the outcome was uncertain. Compared to the relatively clear top rankings, the middle rankings were chaotic.

"Tae-woong hyung..."

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay. If it doesn't work out, so be it!"

"..."

"I had a great time. I did my best in everything, so it's alright if I get eliminated!"

Though he spoke bravely, Kwon Tae-woong was visibly tense. He also hoped that this journey wouldn't end here.

"There's only one spot left! Who will secure the final member position in the debut group 'Chillin'? We will now announce the result—!!"

As Jeong Hae-seon spoke, the large LED screen displayed the faces of the four remaining contestants.

Kwon Tae-woong, Yang Jeong-mu, Min Kang-yeol, and Joo Ha-sung.

All four were strong contenders for the 7th place.

Joo Ha-sung had maintained first place from the start and built a strong core fan base. Despite losing many votes, his momentum meant he could easily secure 7th place.

Yang Jeong-mu had struggled initially with a negative image but had improved steadily, showing a quiet upward trend from the middle of the competition.

Min Kang-yeol was also a serious contender. His older brother, Kang Hoo, was a member of the popular group 'Favorite,' which likely influenced the live voting.

In contrast, Kwon Tae-woong had started weakly. Initially, he was seen as just a comedic character, but as the episodes progressed, he revealed his potential and climbed up to the debut line.

If Kwon Tae-woong secured 7th place, it would mean all seven scholars debuted together. This was the most ideal outcome for 'The Seven Scholars.'

"Among these four participants, only one will debut with 'Chillin'! We will now announce the name of the 7th place participant who will join the debut group—!!"