SCT-Novel Chapter 113: Enter (1)
Chapter 113: Enter (1)
While Kang Rojun was gaining confidence about composition as he looked at 58Si-hoo, the other 8 participants excluding the two were also spending their respective time. Some in practice rooms, some in their rooms, some taking walks, and so on.The participants in the practice room were doing so with the intention of not losing their touch even during rest.
-♬♪
They were enthusiastically reviewing everything from the group performances they had done so far on 'Produce', 'Survival 100', and 'Bold'. Everyone's expressions were bright, but deep inside, the unease was significant. Soon, 6 out of the 10 would have to leave 'Produce That 100!' That’s why they enjoyed this moment that might be their last even more.
Overall, the atmosphere on the 'Produce That 100!' campus was calm.
That was partly because it was a break after running with full passion, but the biggest reason was that the final voting would be concluded tonight. Not only the participants but also all staff members were in a subdued mood.
However, the world outside wasn’t quiet.
《‘Produce That 100!’ to release final evaluation song ‘Bold’ at 2 PM today!》
《‘Lovers', the first OST of ‘Rental Lover', which wrote history with legendary 21% viewership rating, will be released soon.》
As 'Produce That 100!' and 'Rental Lover' had announced yesterday, they dropped their tracks to the public. The schedule and time were nearly identical.
《‘Produce That 100!’ and legendary ‘Rental Lover’ drop music simultaneously, sweeping domestic and Japanese charts - who will win?》
《Chart-dominating ‘Produce That 100!’ VS rising star ‘Rental Lover’, a major showdown!》
Though the media blatantly framed it as a competition between 'Produce That 100!' and 'Rental Lover', those on both sides didn’t really care which one won. Their styles were different, but there was a shared link in Kang Rojun.
Soon after, 'Bold' and 'Lovers' were released on domestic music platforms. The public, regardless of preference, quickly listened to the songs, and the response was, unsurprisingly, a new peak.
As expected, the final evaluation song 'Bold' had many 'Produce That 100!' fans.
-This song is super trendy frㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Honestly, among the idol songs these days, the ones from Produce That 100! are GOAT
-It’s great to hear such a good song, but... it’s sad that this is the final song for Produce That 100!...
-Came from the other side, but the song’s actually goodㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Si-hoo and Rojun’s combo is insaneㅋㅋㅋ the song is great, and the lyrics are insane, eargasm
-They really nailed this trackㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-This is probably going to win 1st again!!
-It’s clear Rojun and Si-hoo have a sense for trends
On the OST 'Lovers' side, it wasn’t just fans, but also general listeners who joined in.
-Did Rojun sing this??? I seriously didn’t knowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-What can’t this guy Rojun do??
-For your info, Rojun wrote the lyrics and did vocals for this song!!
-Watching the drama… it makes me think of Lover No. 4 and I’m so into it…
-I came because I liked the OST while watching the drama, and turns out it was sung by Lover No. 4 himself
-Come on... does he have to be good at singing too???
-Rental Lover is fun and the OST is also greatㅠㅠㅠㅜㅠ
-Wow... usually when you listen to the full OST, it’s kind of meh sometimes, but this one’s amazing
-I say the song is cute. It’s been a while since I heard this style, I love it so muchㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜ
The results were known by late Tuesday afternoon.
[1(new!)] Bold / Produce That 100! (Theme Song)
[2(new!)] Lovers (Rental Lover OST Part 1) / Rojun
[3(↓2)] Survival 100 (Acoustic ver.) / Produce That 100! (Theme Song)
[4(↓2)] Survival 100 (Japanese ver.) / Produce That 100! (Theme Song)
[5(-)] Survival 100 / Produce That 100! (Theme Song)
[6(↓3)] Produce / Produce That 100! (Theme Song)
.
.
.
.
Both songs ranked simultaneously at 1st and 2nd place as soon as they were released. Because of that, other 'Produce That 100!' songs were pushed down in the rankings, but the overall picture became even richer. Songs related only to Kang Rojun were dominating the top ranks of the music charts.
And this wasn’t just the case on one music platform.
《‘Bold’ and ‘Lovers', released today, sweep major domestic platforms like ‘Melon’!》
It was the overall flow of the entire music market. Thanks to that, the buzz and hook power were multiplied several times, and the media and public opinion spread the issue as much as they could.
Thus, Tuesday night came to an end.
《[Hot Issue] ‘Produce That 100!’ final voting ends》
The final voting of 'Produce That 100!' was over.
The next day, Wednesday morning.
The location was the 'Produce That 100!' campus. As usual, Kang Rojun had completed his daily mission early, and after taking a shower, he encountered the other participants and headed to the cafeteria. The ten of them, as always, quietly conversed or laughed together, but Rojun sensed a subtle shift in atmosphere.
‘It feels oddly heavy.’
However, no one brought up the heavy atmosphere. Soon, news reached the participants who had finished eating. All ten participants were to finish their personal preparations and gather alone in an hour.
Kang Rojun immediately realized.
‘It’s here.’
The final vote had ended the previous night. And as always, PD Woo Han-suk announced the voting results with a shoot on the Wednesday following the vote.
In short, the time of the death sentence had arrived.
Of course, the other participants felt the same as Kang Rojun. But there were no big reactions. Each of them simply felt the near-bursting tension in their hearts.
‘Hoo- my mouth is completely dry.’
‘Already the announcement... No, don’t start worrying already. I have a good enough chance to be picked.’
‘Even just making it this far is something to be proud of. Still… I really want to win.’
‘Ugh, damn. I'm so nervous I feel like I need to go pee.’
The participants moved on time to the hall with the stage. However, before entering the hall, they first stopped by the backstage waiting room. It was to briefly wait and film each person's final interview cut. All ten were seated, but the waiting room now felt quite empty. Soon, staff members began calling out participants one by one. It didn’t take long. About 15 minutes later, Kang Rojun was called.
“Rojun-nim!!”
In the adjacent waiting room, several cameras and about five or six staff members were waiting for Rojun. Among them was the lively writer Kim Se-hee. As soon as she saw Kang Rojun, she smiled brightly and waved her hand. Rojun, sitting in the chair in front of the camera, thought for a moment.
‘It’s fair to say I started 'Produce That 100!' because of her.’
He recalled the first time he saw Kim Se-hee, who resembled a hamster, and she seemed to be thinking the same, as she brought up their first meeting.
“You remember when we first met, right? In Seongsu.”
“Yes. Of course. It was a bit scary seeing you running toward me back then.”
“Huh?!! What are you talking about! When did I!!”
“I’m joking.”
“What-! Anyway, it feels like I just saw you for the first time yesterday, and it’s already the final. I feel sad.”
Kim Se-hee, with slightly moist eyes, asked her first question.
“Rojun-nim, how has your experience with ‘Produce That 100!’ been?”
Kang Rojun answered without hesitation.
“I enjoyed it. I learned a lot.”
The full round of participant interviews took about 50 minutes, and then Kang Rojun and the nine others moved toward the familiar stage area. Upon arriving at the stage, all of the participants blinked in surprise. Rojun was no exception.
“Wow-”
“Whoa-”
The familiar hall where they had performed their final evaluation performance had gone through a lot of changes. Especially the upper part of the stage. First of all, the gigantic screen attached to the back of the stage stood out. The largest screen was in the center, with ten medium-sized monitors attached on either side.
On top of that, the overall decoration of the stage was elaborate.
With colorful star shapes and the 'Produce That 100!' logo mixed in, it was dazzlingly flashy. At the center of the stage, four square spaces were drawn.
As expected of the final announcement stage?
It was a stage that clearly showed how much effort PD Woo Han-suk and the 'Produce That 100!' production team had put in. There were also more cameras filming the participants than usual. PD Woo Han-suk stood in the middle of it all. His expression was calm.
“......”
Dozens of staff members, PD Woo Han-suk, and many cameras were all focused on the ten participants.
Soon, PD Woo Han-suk signaled the nearby writers with his eyes.
In a matter of seconds, the entire hall dimmed slightly, but the stage lighting became so bright it was almost blinding. Several cameras captured the nervous faces of the participants, and at just the right moment, Woo Han-suk stepped forward.
“All ten participants, please come stand at the front of the stage.”
With that line, the filming of the final evaluation announcement of 'Produce That 100!' began. Kang Rojun and the participants walked forward with rather stiff expressions, and once they were in place, PD Woo Han-suk held up a tablet.
“The final voting results are in my hands. Today, the four final winners and six eliminated participants of ‘Produce That 100!’ will be decided, but I truly believe that all ten of you standing here are the best. Thank you for your passion up to now.”
PD Woo Han-suk bowed almost 90 degrees toward the participants. His eyes were heavy with fatigue, but his voice was full of sincerity. At that moment, 58Si-hoo and a few other participants welled up with tears, and after a brief pause, PD Woo Han-suk continued.
“The voting was so intense that the page crashed several times, and now, the results are in.”
At that moment.
-Sss.
The screen and monitors behind the stage lit up. The central giant screen was simply white-toned, but the ten surrounding monitors began displaying the faces of the participants, including Rojun.
“From now on, I will call out the four final winners. When your name is called, please step onto your designated spot on the stage. And.”
PD Woo Han-suk trailed off as he looked deeply at the ten participants.
“The six who are eliminated, please leave ‘Produce That 100!’ immediately.”
PD Woo Han-suk lowered his eyes to the tablet, then looked back up.
“I will now begin the announcement.”
The final evaluation announcement. No, the final winner announcement of 'Produce That 100!' was calm and not noisy. Other than PD Woo Han-suk’s voice, it was silent. Of course, in the edited version, many scenes would be added along with sound effects and dramatic BGM, but the live setting was quiet.
Still, the tone for announcing the winners couldn’t be too flat. PD Woo Han-suk knew that very well.
“The first final winner!!”
Suddenly adding strength to his voice, PD Woo Han-suk shouted loudly.
“Si-hoo!! Congratulations!!!”
58Si-hoo’s name echoed throughout the vast hall, and 58Si-hoo, before he could stop himself, let out a loud “Wah!” Simultaneously, fireworks burst from the stage. With the loud popping sounds, the remaining nine participants including Kang Rojun applauded in celebration. Naturally, dozens of staff members joined in.
-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!
The camera captured 58Si-hoo in full shot, bust shot, and close-up.
“Phew- thank you so much. Thank you, really, truly!!”
58Si-hoo, unsure whether this was a dream, bowed repeatedly in all directions. Anyway, the first winner of 'Produce That 100!' was confirmed to be 58Si-hoo. After watching the situation for a few minutes, PD Woo Han-suk spoke with a smile.
“Congratulations. Si-hoo, please go up on stage."
Whether his legs gave out or not, 58Si-hoo no, Si-hoo, wobbled as he made his way up to the stage. Before anyone noticed, Si-hoo’s name had been displayed on one of the four square slots on the stage. His position was the second of the four. Also, out of the ten monitors at the back, Si-hoo’s face was moved to the central giant screen.
Still seeming weak in the knees, he kept sitting down and standing back up.
-Swish.
He somehow managed to stand straight. It wasn’t an unusual reaction. He was likely seeing all the moments until now pass by like a panorama. The bright stage lights filled Si-hoo’s eyes. To him, it felt like they were praising all the effort he had put in.
‘I did it. I really became the winner of Produce That 100!!’
Then it happened.
“The second final winner! Do-kyung!!! Congratulations!”
The next winner was announced. The spotlight was on 26Do-kyung. Even Do-kyung, who was usually lifeless and expressionless,
“GRAAH!!!”
He roared, unable to contain the catharsis of the moment. Throwing both arms up, he shouted for several seconds before suddenly bowing 90 degrees.
“Thank you very much!!!”
Applause from the participants and staff poured out again, and Do-kyung’s face followed Si-hoo’s on the giant screen behind the stage. Do-kyung’s stage slot was the third, next to Si-hoo’s. Now only two slots remained, the first and the last.
The eight participants remaining in front of the stage began to feel their mouths go dry.
Then PD Woo Han-suk called out again in a booming voice.
“The third final winner!!! Kang Min!! Congratulations!!”
The third winner was 46Kang Min, with his strikingly handsome, exotic features. He exhaled deeply and covered his face with both hands. His fingertips visibly trembled, as if his heart were about to explode. Fireworks burst again, applause rained down, and Kang Min’s face was added to the giant screen behind the stage.
Before long, the screen had three of the participant slots filled.
“Thank you!! I’ll work very hard!!!”
Among the four square slots on the stage, Kang Min’s name appeared in the last slot. In order, it was Si-hoo, Do-kyung, and Kang Min. The only slot left now was the first.
Seven participants remained in front of the stage.
Interestingly, for some reason, six of the participants except one wore resigned smiles. As if coordinated, they all looked toward one person with overwhelming visuals.
“The final winner!!! Rojun!! Congratulations!!!”
It was Kang Rojun.
*****
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