GIJS

Chapter 101 One Dot

As dozens of cameras flashed their red lights and the stage lights fell upon MC Jeong Hae-jin's head, the live broadcast began.

"Heavenly harmony just for you! Welcome to [Sing Along Duo]! Hello, viewers!"

With Jeong Hae-jin's powerful voice familiar to AYUKSI fans, the camera panned to the participants.

Six participant teams, active in various genres such as female solo dance singers, male ballad singers, and R&B singers, were seated in the waiting area. Of course, 7IN and Park Young-jae were among them.

Jeong Hae-jin, now quite skilled as an MC for music programs, began with light ice-breaking as he glanced at each performer.

"With the concept of top singers creating top music with top partners, [Sing Along Duo] has been a hot topic even before filming. We can't skip talking about Park Young-jae's participation."

As he said this, Jeong Hae-jin's gaze naturally fell upon Park Young-jae.

"Ah, Park Young-jae, we asked you to keep it quiet."

"Ahaha..."

"Why did you reveal your partner?"

"Well, I had to clarify the dating rumors first."

Among the six participating teams, Park Young-jae and Hye-jin were the only ones whose partners were revealed before the shoot. Dispatch, a media outlet known for exposing celebrity scandals, captured Park Young-jae and Hye-jin together in the middle of the night.

The agency, Nations, released a statement claiming, "The two are not in a relationship but were just practicing their performance," which naturally revealed that Hye-jin was Park Young-jae's partner.

While it seemed unavoidable at first, it was actually a scheme set up by Nations. They had paid Dispatch to report on Park Young-jae and Hye-jin together.

The plan was to attract attention with dating rumors and then announce that the two would be collaborating on [Sing Along Duo], hoping to generate significant buzz.

Nations' strategy worked to some extent. Particularly, Hye-jin's high profile among women in their 20s generated considerable interest in their duet stage.

MC Jeong Hae-jin was well aware of this situation.

"Hahaha, that's right. Park Young-jae is an idol too. You have to clear up those dating rumors."

"Of course. It was unavoidable."

"So, can we look forward to a fantastic collaboration stage with Hye-jin today?"

"Hye-jin? Is my partner Hye-jin?"

"Really, are you still acting like this?"

Seeing this from behind the monitor, PD Kim Seok-hoon chuckled.

"What are they doing?"

From the chief PD's perspective, it was a laughable bluff.

It was clear what intentions Park Young-jae and Nations had with their publicity stunt.

However, it was also true that [Sing Along Duo] gained some benefit from Nations' PR. Over the past week, the Park Young-jae and Hye-jin combination had driven searches and interest for [Sing Along Duo].

"Okay, now just perform well, Young-jae."

Muttering to himself, PD Kim Seok-hoon stared intently at the main monitor.

The first performance began with a solo female artist. Her partner was musical theater singer Wi Kyung-pil, who created a stage with a soft start and a majestic finish, a fitting opening for [Sing Along Duo].

"Good, good."

The beginning felt promising. The second and third performances were also excellent.

Male ballad singer Kwak Hyun-min delivered a solid rock stage with the indie band 'One Ran,' which is currently popular in Hongdae.

R&B singer Maeve followed, bringing her label's rappers and igniting a vibrant atmosphere.

Now it was time for the fourth participant, Park Young-jae, to take the stage.

* * *

As Park Young-jae prepared for the stage, 7IN's fans, huddled in the audience, were feeling uneasy.

Unlike AYUKSI, [Sing Along Duo] was a program where finishing last didn't have major consequences. Even if they lost, it didn't mean the members couldn't debut as idols.

However, perhaps because the fans were already accustomed to the competition, they felt uncomfortable with the idea of finishing low.

They knew they had to prepare well for the stage to avoid finishing last, but they also didn't want to see the members' stamina deteriorate.

In this contradictory feeling, fans could only criticize their agency, Solar System.

"Why did they have to be on this program..."

Moreover, Park Young-jae had snatched Hye-jin, a competitor from 'Veritas.'

With Hye-jin's talent, popularity, and girl-crush charm, she was one of the artists the 7IN fans had hoped for as a partner.

Losing such a partner to a rival was understandably upsetting.

Additionally, the rumors circulating on social media about Park Young-jae and the alleged high school bullying involving Yu Gunja  only added to the fans' worries.

Although it was confirmed that Park Young-jae and Yu Gunja  attended the same high school, fans felt uneasy about the potential link to bullying.

The internet posts suggested that Gun-ja was not involved in bullying, but the uncertainty remained.

If a real bullying scandal were to break, fans might not be able to continue supporting Gun-ja.

Fans were curious about Gun-ja's high school years but chose not to delve into it, fearing they might uncover an uncomfortable truth.

For now, they could only hope 7IN would deliver a great performance.

And they wished for Park Young-jae, the competitor, to fail on stage.

"...I hope it fails..."

The fans who threw futile curses were quickly overshadowed by the spectacular performance of Park Young-jae and Hye-jin, who took the stage with an unexpectedly impressive show.

Park Young-jae and Hye-jin chose a tango concept. They masterfully mashed up their solo songs and rearranged them to fit a Latin-style main melody.

Honestly, even for 7IN's fans, it was a great stage. Especially the chemistry during the dance break was remarkable. In the completely tango-styled dance break section, Park Young-jae and Hye-jin displayed such intense chemistry that it felt almost as if they were genuinely dating.

"What the heck..."

"Are they really not dating?"

"Come on, Hye-jin deserves better."

"But why do they match so well?"

"Our members need to step up their game too..."

Unlike the anxious 7IN fans, the fans of Park Young-jae and Hye-jin erupted in cheers.

"Park Young-jae—!"

"Hye-jin is amazing—!!"

As they struck their ending pose, crimson rose petals fluttered over the stage.

Park Young-jae flashed a highly charming smile at the camera.

'Perfect!'

The actual stage was definitely better than the practice. As he left the stage, he high-fived his partner Hye-jin with a good mood.

"Thanks, Hye-jin!"

"Thank you, oppa."

"I'll buy you dinner next time! Do you like sushi?"

"Uh, I'll ask the company."

"Haha, alright."

Although Hye-jin's firm response slightly dampened his mood, it couldn't ruin the triumph he felt.

Back in the waiting room, Park Young-jae immediately looked for his manager, Hong Hyun-seok. Hong Hyun-seok's expression was already one of victory.

"Got it, Young-jae!"

"Was it okay?"

"Not just okay! It was fantastic!"

"How was the audience reaction?"

"You saw it from above, didn't you?"

"Hehe, everyone seemed to like it."

"Hey, are you sure nothing happened between you and Hye-jin? On stage, you two looked like a perfect dance couple."

"Nothing happened. There was nothing like that."

"You know, you've been buying sushi and doing your thing..."

"No, it's not like that."

"Alright, anyway, it was the best. No matter what the 7IN kids do now, it will be hard for them to beat this."

"Right?"

"Of course. Even if the Yeonguijeong  is some all-rounder, how could she prepare the stage properly given how far away she lives?"

"What about the song?"

"Oh, that. I saw the cue sheet..."

Hong Hyun-seok then handed over a piece of paper. It was the cue sheet for the first round of the competition, listing the performance order.

"Look, it's You Go-woman. It's just riding on the coattails of the You Go-woman hit song."

"Eh, it's not 'You Go-woman' but Yugyo-woman.'"

"Really? I guess so."

Hong Hyun-seok, checking the cue sheet again, shrugged off the mistake.

"Must be a typo."

"Ah, I see."

Park Young-jae chuckled at Hong Hyun-seok's explanation. Despite their rehearsal being half-hearted, calling You Go-woman and performing a ten-year-old hit song seemed odd.

"But during rehearsal, it seemed like there were some Korean traditional instruments."

"Predictable. They probably added a few Korean instruments to the You Go-woman song and are pretending it's a Korean version."

"Oh, so that's why it's written as 'Yu-gyo-woman.'"

"Ah, right. It's not a typo but a play on words?"

"I guess so."

Sitting on the waiting room chair, Park Young-jae and Hong Hyun-seok watched the next performance.

After the bland fifth performance passed smoothly, it was finally time for the last act: 7IN and You Go-won.

"Ugh, I was so frustrated about that order."

"···"

"Seriously, how can they just stick You Go-won in the last slot?"

"Well, it can't be helped. She is indeed a hot topic."

"That's true."

Although it was somewhat frustrating that 7IN took the last spot like the main characters, Park Young-jae accepted it graciously. After all, he felt confident he could win in the evaluation.

Let's see how outdated this performance will be.

On the dark stage with all the lights turned off, the signature guitar riff of You Go-woman was replaced by the sound of a geomungo.
While the intro was warmly anticipated, Park Young-jae and Hong Hyun-seok clapped, knowing it was coming.

"Looks like it's all about nostalgia!"

"Haha, indeed."

But the lyrics were different.

Woman, Hey You Go Woman.

Now, Imma Yu Gyo Woman-.

"···Huh?"

The lyrics changed along with the rhythm. The main melody of You Go-woman was still there, but the song had become a completely new piece.

At the same time, the stage lights brightened, and the set depicting a luxurious palace with colorful LED decorations was flamboyantly displayed.

Among it stood You Go-woman and the 7IN members.

Under You Go-woman's eyes, a dot that had never been seen before was marked.

Woman, Hey You Go Woman.

Now, Imma Yu Gyo Woman-.

A dot marked, tearing apart yesterday's self.

"···Wait a minute..."

Only after seeing You Go-woman's dot did Park Young-jae and Hong Hyun-seok realize the true meaning behind the title 'Yu-gyo-woman.'

"Adding a dot to You Go-woman... so it's Yugyo-woman?"

"Crazy..."

What kind of lunatic came up with this idea?

While the two were frozen in shock, You Go-woman and 7IN began to smash the stage.