GIJS

Chapter 156 Our Difference

The provocative "caste system" and the outrageous preliminary results made [Dynasty] a hot topic right from the start.

The intense online reactions from Episode 1 didn't die down until just before Episode 2 aired. Thanks to this, Episode 2 of [Dynasty] began setting insane streaming records the moment it was released.

Most 7IN fans, both local and international, gathered in front of TVs, smartphones, and monitors to catch the live broadcast of Episode 2. The 7IN members at Dynasty Castle also gathered in front of the TV in their commoner quarters.

"There's no TV in the slave quarters, but this place is definitely different."

"Yeah, if we were still slaves, we'd probably be huddled around a tablet watching it."

"Down in the basement, the data and Wi-Fi barely work. Even if we watched in 480P, it probably would have kept buffering."

"480P? So many people had to suffer for just one video?"

"Yeah, that's right. By the way, this TV is 1080P."

"Wow, I'm not watching it then!"

"Hahaha—."

As the members finished teasing Gunja, the commercials ended, and finally, Episode 2 began. Thankfully, the scenes of Gunja suffering from claustrophobia had been edited out.

"Phew—."

It was a relief from Gunja's perspective as well. If those scenes had aired, it would have surely worried the fans.

Of course, not all scenes were edited. After a panic attack, the members' efforts to keep Gunja safe by putting their beds together were shown in full.

"...Ugh, this is embarrassing..."

"What? What's wrong?"

"Showing such a weak side to the fans..."

"Oh... is that so? But why does it matter?"

"I always want to show only my best side, and I'm worried it might make people dislike me."

"Come on, don't worry. The fans won't think that way."

With these words, Hyunjae patted Gunja on the shoulder.

Hyunjae's words were true. Fans were simply worried seeing Gunja in a weakened state.

[ㅠㅠㅠ I was really worried about Gunjaㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Looks like he really hates dark, confined spaces] [His expression has been bad since entering the basement] [He's always smiling and laughing, butㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Really, Kim Seok-hoon is such a jerk] [Honestly, it's frustrating that he's just a bad PD] [ㄴ I totally agree... The PD is causing Gunja so much trouble] [Seriously, no practice rooms at all? Is that for real?] [But our members are so cute] [ㅋㅋㅋ Look at them huddled together on the beds] [It looks like they're holding hands while sleepingㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [ㅁㅈㅁㅈso cuteㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [32:54 Is that Yuchan holding Gunja's wrist while he sleeps?] [He must have wanted to protect himㅠㅠㅠㅠ He's a true angel] [How come all seven members are so sweet? It's heartwarming] [Ah, I also want to hold hands with Gunja and sleep] [ㄴ Don't pretend to be modest while dreaming bigㅋㅋㅋ] [Ah, I got caughtㅎㅎ]

The small moments of the 7IN members overcoming their basement living and the preparations for the competition followed.

The collaboration of 7IN – Guardians started off rough. Thanks to the Guardians members' use of profane language, more than half of the audio was muted, and on top of that, the Guardians members were at a level where they could barely dance.

Korean fans who had believed the domestic spoilers were in for a shock, seeing the poor practice atmosphere. On the other hand, Chinese fans who had fallen for fake spoilers were overly confident.

However, the 7IN members watching Episode 2 and the audience present at the scene were simply waiting for the stage reveal.

They knew. They knew that the 7IN – Guardians combination had delivered the best stage in the first round.

When the stage was finally revealed, viewers of [Dynasty] Episode 2 also learned that fact.

The stage content followed the spoilers exactly. No, the actual stage was even more extravagant than the spoilers had suggested. The members in orange jumpsuits shone even amidst the flames. The stage design, transitioning from ice to a grand flame, was flawless in every detail.

The sense of relief quickly turned into admiration. From that shabby slave quarters to such an amazing stage. Thinking of Gunja, who could barely sleep on a bed pushed close together with his teammates' help, brought tears to the fans' eyes.

"You did so well, really, so, so well..."

The stage was mesmerizing no matter how many times you watched it. The unlikely combination of a rock band and idols created a phenomenal stage. As the judges showered praise, fans in the comfort of their homes also clapped and admired.

[ㅠㅠㅠ I trusted themㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Ah, my heart stopped from the moment In-hyuk appeared] [So many highlights from start to finish] [The heavenly parts are so many, I feel like I'm in paradise] [Korean spoilers were all correctㅋㅋㅋ] [What were those Chinese spoilers aboutㅋㅋㅋ Why were they like that] [I guess it's because they're from the land of fakes... even the spoilers...] [ㄴ Hahaㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Ah, but this is crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why spread such fake spoilers] [Maybe they just wanted to enjoy it before the live broadcast] [Teibo's slave act is so excitingㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [But among the two Chinese teams, QUAN is the more likable one] [They don't pick fights] [And QUAN's Shaolin Master is kind of good-lookingㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Ah, that hairstyle? Can we tolerate that?] [Anyway, anyone on stage looks like a goddess compared to Teibo] [Ah, I need to rewind the final krump part] [[DAMN!> Gunja playing the geomungo gifs] [ㄴGold hands추] [ㄴI love youㅠㅠㅠㅠ Have a lot of luck]

As expected, the reactions were explosive. The perfect stage, the outpouring of judges' comments, and the Chinese judges' internal conflicts at the end. Episode 2, packed with fun, emotion, and humor, was met with widespread acclaim from viewers.

[From today, Kim Seok-hoon -> Godgodgod] [ㅅㅂ He's undeniable now] [The way he makes things so delicious is the king] [But I really hope they stop making the kids suffer] [Aside from his terrible personality, Seokuni does seem to like the Chillin' members] [Shouldn't they give him the protagonist role in every program?] [Isn't it likely that the main storyline will be the Chillin' members going from slaves to kings?] [It's terrible that they had to live as slaves] [The devilish PD really made it impossible to look away] [Ah, I'm already looking forward to the second round of the competition]

As the viewership ratings and buzz continued to rise, interest in the next round of [Dynasty] began to gather.

Naturally, the preparations for the next competition were already underway at Dynasty Castle.

The second round of competition was not a collaboration mission but an individual team mission. The mission was called "Instant Mission." In other words, teams had to create a performance and song in a short amount of time.

With Ji Hyun-su's reputation for handling large workloads quickly, the mission seemed quite advantageous for 7IN. However, the problem was the special rule for the Instant Mission.

"For the Instant Mission, each team must submit one 'suggested word.' All teams will be randomly assigned one of these suggested words. Each team must include the assigned word or a similar word in their song!"

The key to the "Instant Mission" was the "suggested word."

Teams that drew a good suggested word would find the mission easier, while teams that drew a bad one might struggle.

The suggested word submitted by the 7IN members was "Seonbi" (Confucian scholar). This word was given to the senior group, Veloce.

Veloce, having drawn the word "Seonbi," playfully complained to the 7IN members.

"Hey, you guys put this in on purpose, didn't you!"

"Oh, if it's about scholars, they're the best at this."

"It's going to be compared to ours..."

"These guys are such foxes!"

Despite their grumbling, the Veloce members gathered to brainstorm a stage fitting the suggested word. Having already experienced Eastern-themed stages, it seemed unlikely they'd have trouble creating a stage fitting "Seonbi."

"I'm glad they don't seem to dislike our suggested word."

"Yeah, 'Seonbi' is pretty... safe."

"...I wonder what suggested word we'll draw."

"I hope it's something safe."

Please, let it be a good word.

Praying, Gunja drew a plastic ball, but inside it was a grim word.

[Our Pao Cai]

"Pao... Wait a minute."

"What is this..."

Once again, Teibo's antics blocked 7IN's path.

* * *

The members of Teibo, who had become slaves, and the Pi Houkam members no longer saw anything worth noticing.

The Teibo members, who had fallen from their luxurious and comfortable noble quarters to the slave quarters, had to endure an overwhelming sense of reverse culture shock.

Everything in the slave quarters was uncomfortable. Moreover, every time there was a gathering, they had to handle pre-preparations and clean-ups, all of which were tasks that 7IN and Guardians used to take care of.

"Damn, damn—!!"

Whether there were cameras or not, it seemed Teibo and Pi Houkam had decided to ignore such concerns. Now, they were determined to shake up the situation and make 7IN suffer by any means necessary. It had to be that way until 7IN's noble ascent.

Thus, they came up with the suggested word "Pao Cai."

Pao Cai, self-proclaimed "original kimchi," was one of the representative cultural items pushed by the Chinese.

Pi Houkam knew how intensely Koreans reacted to the word "Pao Cai." Although the chances were low, if 7IN drew this suggested word, it would definitely shake them up.

Teibo's gamble succeeded. 7IN indeed drew "Pao Cai." Now, they had no choice but to include Pao Cai in their lyrics, whether they liked it or not.

"It seems like it's really loved by the locals, so I'm looking forward to their reaction."

Teibo and Pi Houkam, satisfied with their successful gamble, smiled with content. Just imagining 7IN members singing a song with Pao Cai in the lyrics made them smile.

It probably wasn't easy to keep their composure after drawing such a word.

Time passed, and the recording time for the second round of the competition approached. With a much larger audience than in the first round, the participants were making final preparations for their performances.

Teibo had drawn the suggested word "Lightning," which was suggested by SHINO.

Teibo's relaxed expression showed confidence, as they had prepared a safe and typical electro-pop number suited for the suggested word. Without a doubt, no other team had drawn a more straightforward and favorable suggested word than they had. Of course, 7IN, who had drawn the Pao Cai landmine, would be in the worst situation.

As they warmed up in the waiting room with their relaxed expressions, a staff member came in and posted the cue sheet on the wall.

Let's see what the title says.

As they thought that, and glanced over the cue sheet, the expressions of Teibo and Pi Houkam shifted to shock.

"...Huh?"

[[Our Power Difference> 7IN]]

Once again, 7IN's choice completely exceeded Teibo's expectations.