Chapter 1012: What Is an Idol? (3)

Five minutes before Part Two of Project I.O.A began, staff members and talent agents hurried back and forth through backstage areas, preparing for the start of the second half.

At that moment, the members of Cherry Blossom, along with Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo, headed up to the stage together for the special opening performance of Part Two.

"We're heading up!"

"Yeah, good luck."

After waving them off, I noticed SBC's Director Lee Gi-Do approaching down the hallway from the waiting rooms alongside President Kang Gam-Chan.

Lee Gi-Do briefly thanked the staff for their hard work before walking straight over to me. Perhaps he had already heard that Part One's ratings had surpassed fifteen percent, because his face was positively glowing.

"Chief Jung. I hear things are going well?"

"It's only just getting started."

"Really? Then maybe I can expect even higher viewership ratings tonight?"

The viewership ratings target I was aiming for was to surpass 17.3%, the all-time record set by Tomorrow's an Idol! among audition programs. And although I already had a plan in place to make that happen, I simply smiled without revealing anything. After all, there was still something I needed to get from Lee Gi-Do first.

Just then, I heard a flurry of commotion.

"Eun-Chae is ready to go up!"

Park Eun-Chae came running out of the waiting room hallway alongside several staff members. She wore a black sheer dress, black gloves, and held a folding fan in her hand. She had dressed in a sexy concept outfit to perform 'Tonight,' the song famous for transforming Yoo Se-Na's image.

"Eun-Seo is ready too!"

The moment a staff member shouted the update, Go Eun-Seo came running out as well. She wore a light sky-blue two-piece outfit and a crossbody bag slung across her shoulder.

The song Go Eun-Seo would perform was the bright and cheerful 'Sky-Blue Picnic,' a track originally included on Cherry Blossom's legendary commercial failure of a debut album. However, genius songwriter Bang Seon-Woo had completely reinterpreted and rearranged it into something entirely new.

At that moment, AD Lee Tae-Eun, who was standing below the stage, addressed the two contestants. "You'll go up immediately after Cherry Blossom and Ling Ling's special stage. We've got about ten minutes left, but once the MC calls for you, you'll need to move right away. Wait here until then."

"Okay..." Park Eun-Chae answered in a trembling voice while gripping her fan tightly.

In contrast, Go Eun-Seo answered energetically, "Yes, Mrs. Lee!"

Even now, perhaps because of what she had tried to do earlier with Director Park Han-Jong from the Variety Division, Park Eun-Chae couldn't even bring herself to meet my eyes. Instead, she kept fiddling with her fan or readjusting the earpiece that was already perfectly seated in her ear.

Then Kang Gam-Chan stared at Park Eun-Chae for a moment before speaking to me. "Chief Jung. May I ask you a favor?"

"Mr. Kang, you don't need to ask. Just give the order."

"Even so, this is your program."

"No, sir. It's something all of us created together. Please don't say that."

"Haha. Fine then. In that case, let me make a request that may be crossing a line a little. That girl, Eun-Chae, is only a first-year high school student. What happened earlier isn't something that can simply be forgiven, but I'd like you to forgive her this once. Just as you did with Eun-Seo... After all, she's one of your girls too. You discovered her and raised her all this time, didn't you?"

He was asking me to remember how much the contestants had suffered during the twelve weeks of Project I.O.A.

Standing beside him, Lee Gi-Do appeared to share the same opinion. "He's right, Chief Jung. If we're being strict about it, this was SBC's fault. I'll apologize on behalf of the network. So I'd rather you not crush the future of a child who's still young."

The reason both men were stepping in was simple—they knew Park Eun-Chae wasn't inherently malicious.

After hearing their requests, I couldn't bring myself to refuse outright. Besides, I was going to have to step in anyway. If the contestants became as pale and rattled as they had been earlier before their one-on-one battles, the problem would no longer be the competition itself. The entire final stage of Project I.O.A could end up falling apart.

I answered, "I was planning to do that anyway."

Kang Gam-Chan looked slightly embarrassed. "Looks like I got ahead of you."

"Not at all. You actually made it easier for me to say it. I'll go give Eun-Chae and Eun-Seo some advice now."

"You should. They're all your girls, aren't they? Make sure you give advice to everyone who's performing. That way nobody can say you're playing favorites."

"Yes. If I'm going to get involved, that's how I'll do it."

In the end, I bowed to Kang Gam-Chan and Lee Gi-Do before heading toward the trembling Park Eun-Chae.

At that moment, the opening music of Project I.O.A began to play, and MC Kim Jung-Ju stepped onto the stage.

"Thank you for waiting. We'll begin Part Two with a special performance featuring Cherry Blossom, Ling Ling, and Seo Hee-Joo. Please welcome them with a big round of applause!"

As Kim Jung-Ju finished speaking, the members of Cherry Blossom, Ling Ling, and Seo Hee-Joo moved to the center of the stage.

While that was happening, I walked over to Park Eun-Chae. "Park Eun-Chae."

Park Eun-Chae flinched. She had been staring at the stage, but now she couldn't even bring herself to look at me. Her entire body shook like a leaf.

"Y-ye...s..." She sounded like a bleating lamb.

"What are you looking at? Look at me."

Slowly, Park Eun-Chae glanced at me from the corner of her eye. The way she trembled made her look like a puppy soaked by the rain.

"I told you to take deep breaths before going on stage. Did you forget already?"

"I'm... sorry..."

Park Eun-Chae's head immediately drooped again.

"Lift your head. This isn't about what happened earlier. That's already over. How long are you going to keep dwelling on it?"

"Right..."

"I came because it looks like you're not ready to step on stage. That's all. So lift your head."

Only then did Park Eun-Chae slowly raise her head.

"Listen carefully. When you act, you immerse yourself in your role, right?"

"Y-Yes... I did..."

"Then think of it this way. From this moment on, you're playing the role of Yoo Se-Na. Once you step onto that stage, don't think of it as singing. Think of it as acting. Immerse yourself in the role."

With a trembling voice, Park Eun-Chae asked, "But why... are you being... so nice... to me? You're on Eun-Seo's side, aren't you?"

"On her side? Do you not remember that I was the one who gave Eun-Seo a twenty-point penalty?"

"Ah... right."

"And you did something foolish too. Something I didn't like." I paused. "But you're still one of my girls."

The truth was that I didn't know much about Park Eun-Chae from before my regression. She had been a popular child actress once, but in the end, she had become just one of countless entertainers who disappeared from the industry without leaving a mark.

The Park Eun-Chae standing before me now, however, I knew well. She had caused a major incident because she desperately wanted to pass. Nevertheless, she wasn't the type to mastermind something like that on her own.

She had enough backbone from spending years in the entertainment industry, but she had never abused her position or bullied others. At her core, she wasn't a bad person. That was why I was giving her a second chance, just as I had given one to Go Eun-Seo.

"So forget about what happened. Focus only on the stage in front of you. Give it everything you've got. Not for me. Not for yourself. For the fans who spent twelve weeks supporting you." I pointed toward the audience. "And for the fans sitting out there holding your name and cheering for you."

Park Eun-Chae slowly turned toward the audience. Fans were waving tablets displaying messages of support for her.

-Dance Goddess Eun-Chae.

-♡Eun-Daeng♡ You're Number One Today!

-No matter what anyone says, Eun-Chae is Number One to Me!

-Eun-Chae! Just One More Step Until Your Debut. You're Almost There!

Park Eun-Chae stared at one side of the audience for a long moment. Then her body trembled slightly. She clenched her fist and took three deep breaths. After calmly finishing her breathing, Park Eun-Chae suddenly opened her eyes.

At that moment, the corners of her lips lifted slightly as a seductive expression appeared on her face.

Fwaaash.

She snapped open her fan and covered half her face with it, bending her knees slightly and tilting her head. "Thank you for the advice, Mr. Jung."

As though she had completely become Yoo Se-Na from 'Tonight,' even her voice carried a sultry quality. Lifting the hem of her long black dress with one hand, she began walking slowly toward the stage stairs. Even her gait had changed. She looked like an entirely different person.

'Not bad.'

A small note of admiration escaped me without realizing it.

Just then, Go Eun-Seo poked my arm.

Tap. Tap.

When I turned around, she was staring at me with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Ah, Eun-Seo. Sorry."

I thought Go Eun-Seo might be feeling left out, but she immediately shook her head. "No. It's okay. You're Eun-Chae's talent agent too."

"Then why..."

"What about me? Don't you have any advice for me?"

"You'll be fine if you just do what you've been doing."

When I answered matter-of-factly, Go Eun-Seo immediately puffed out her lips, looking slightly disappointed. "Mr. Jung. You said you were my fan today. So why aren't you giving me any advice?"

"That is my advice. The version of 'Sky-Blue Picnic' you're performing was completely rearranged by Bang Seon-Woo and has never been released before. That means it's your song now. You're the person in the entire world who can perform this stage better than anyone else. So don't get shaken. Just do exactly what you've been doing."

Go Eun-Seo's face immediately brightened. "That's why?"

"Yeah."

Go Eun-Seo snapped a salute toward me. "Got it. Then...I'm off on my picnic!"

I returned the salute. "Good luck."

Go Eun-Seo headed toward the stage stairs with a cheerful bounce in her step.

At that moment, the thunderous cheers following Cherry Blossom's performance finally began to settle down, and Kim Jung-Ju raised the microphone.

"Yes, that was a wonderful celebratory stage worthy of the finals. And now, we'll finally begin the one-on-one battles you've all been waiting for."

Escorted by staff, Park Eun-Chae and Go Eun-Seo began making their way onto the stage for their final performances. Just then, a Kk Talk message arrived informing me that the viewership ratings were holding steady at 15.9%.

Before it was too late, I immediately turned to Lee Gi-Do. "Mr. Lee. I have a way to push Project I.O.A past 17.3% and break the all-time ratings record. Would you like to hear it?"

Lee Gi-Do, who had been watching the stage with satisfaction, widened his eyes. "If you've got something like that, of course I want to hear it!"

"Then double the production budget for I.O.A D-30, which airs two weeks from now."

Thanks to the tremendous success of Project I.O.A, a two-part behind-the-scenes special titled Project I.O.A – Moments from a Difficult Journey would air in the same time slot over the following two weeks. After that, a debut documentary following I.O.A during the final thirty days before debut was scheduled to air.

So when I asked him to double the production budget for that program, he looked visibly troubled.

"Ugh... We're already giving it nearly the maximum budget."

"Even if I increase the viewership ratings even more?"

Lee Gi-Do hesitated for a moment.

I quickly acted as though I was backing off. "Well, if you don't want to, forget it."

Grab.

Lee Gi-Do suddenly grabbed my arm and stared directly into my face. "Double the budget, right? You're not going to quietly turn that into triple somewhere down the line, are you? Hm? I've been tricked by you so many times that I've developed trust issues."

"This time it's a clean deal. Trust me."

"Then okay. Deal!"

At that moment, a grin spread across my face.

Lee Gi-Do asked nervously, "What? Why are you making that face? You're hiding something again, aren't you? Huh?"

"I'm not hiding anything."

I immediately called Lee Doo-Oh, the administrator of the [PROJECT: I.O.A] app.

"Doo-Oh, start it."

-Yes, hyung. It's going out now.

The moment Lee Doo-Oh answered, notification alerts began ringing on my phone and on the phones of everyone around us, including Lee Gi-Do and Kang Gam-Chan.

Ding.

Ding.

Lee Gi-Do tilted his head and checked his phone.

[PROJECT I.O.A: Urgent Comment Event Announcement]

1. For the next 30 minutes, anyone who correctly predicts all final I.O.A members will receive a two-night, three-day suite voucher for Jinseong Hotel and Daechon Hotel.

2. To enter, leave your prediction in the comments section of one of the fifty DCM_TV-affiliated MeTube channels currently livestreaming the show.

3. (Most Important!) To qualify, you must have participated in the text-message vote during Part Two of Project I.O.A (mobile text message — contestant's name — send to #1XXX).

4. (Important!) Prizes cannot be awarded without proof of text-message voting.

5. The voucher covers two adults and up to two children. (Includes a 70% food and beverage discount coupon.)

6. Official MeTube channel links for the event are listed below.

(1. Music Witch (link), 2. Music Is My Life (link)...)

After reading the announcement, Lee Gi-Do stared at me in disbelief. "What is this?"

"It's the launch event for DCM_TV, established by Daechon Media."

DCM_TV was a new MCN—Multi Channel Network—operated by President Lee Ha-Yoon under Daechon Media, a management company for MeTubers and influencers. I had secured sponsorships to help publicize the launch.

However, Lee Gi-Do looked completely dumbfounded. "Wait. If you're launching an event like this right at the start of Part Two, that means everything was already prepared beforehand."

"That's a misunderstanding."

"What misunderstanding? The timing is way too perfect!"

"I said it's a misunderstanding. It's a pure coincidence."

Lee Gi-Do stomped his foot in frustration. "This guy has a habit! A habit of draining broadcasting stations dry!"

Well, there was certainly plenty to drain from a broadcasting station.

After grumbling for a moment, Lee Gi-Do suddenly froze. "Wait a second! If this is a DCM_TV launch event, won't all the views just go to their MeTube channels? How does this help SBC at all?"

"The text-message voting requirement is mandatory, isn't it? The viewership ratings will rise soon enough."

"Oh, come on. There's no way something like that could increase viewership ratings that much—"

Just then, I heard PD Ji Yung-Sik's voice through the headset.

Crackle.

-Mr. Jung! The one-on-one battles haven't even started yet, but the viewership ratings are suddenly climbing! What's going on?!

"Oh, I just ran a small event."

-A small event? This isn't small at—wait, what? What?

Someone in the monitoring room must have informed him about the promotion because his voice suddenly turned flustered.

"What's the viewership rating at now?"

-16.5%—no, 16.6%! At this rate, once the Eun-Seo and Eun-Chae battle finishes, we'll break 17%!

"Let me know when we pass 17.3%."

-Wow~ I ought to come down there and kiss you or som—ah, this isn't the time for that. I'll talk to you later.

I turned and looked at Lee Gi-Do. "Seems like 17.3% should be easy enough, don't you think?"

"I should never have gambled against a hustler..."

Lee Gi-Do looked thoroughly defeated. Meanwhile, the one-on-one battle had begun.

"All right, all right. Let's watch the stage. Eun-Chae's up first."

"We'll now present Miss Park Eun-Chae's performance of 'Tonight.'" Kim Jung-Ju announced.

The stage lights dimmed, and a crimson-tinted wash of light settled over the stage.

***

Park Eun-Chae's performance was good enough to be called the return of Yoo Se-Na. The dancing, the singing, and even the expressions were on point. As she performed the sexy choreography of 'Tonight,' she captivated the audience with an alluring charm.

Yet the moment Go Eun-Seo's stage began, memories of that excellent performance were effortlessly pushed aside.

Go Eun-Seo's song may have shared the title 'Sky-Blue Picnic' with Cherry Blossom's original track, but it had effectively become a song created entirely for her. Unlike Park Eun-Chae, who had been recreating Yoo Se-Na, Go Eun-Seo delivered a stage that belonged completely to herself. Her bright smile, paired with the upbeat melody, made everyone watching smile along with her.

After already showing her warmth and camaraderie during the team battle, she now revealed an unexpectedly fresh and youthful charm. No matter how deeply Park Eun-Chae immersed herself in her role, she simply couldn't overcome Go Eun-Seo.

Not long afterward, the results arrived.

"Oh... the outcome has finally been decided. Then let me announce our first winner."

Dududududu.

As the rapid drumroll echoed through the venue, Kim Jung-Ju spoke.

"Miss Park Eun-Chae receives 170 points! Miss Go Eun-Seo receives 192 points! The winner is Miss Go Eun-Seo! Congratulations!

"With the additional 50-point bonus, Miss Go Eun-Seo earns a total of 242 points! And beginning now, all contestants' cumulative scores will start appearing one by one on the giant screen behind us."

The moment he finished speaking, scores flashed onto the massive LED display backstage.

[TOTAL SCORES]

[1st Place (Korea): Go Eun-Seo — 845 points (Team 603 + Individual 242)]

[2nd Place (Korea): Park Eun-Chae — 723 points (Team 553 + Individual 170)]

Finally, the first member of I.O.A had been decided. It was Go Eun-Seo.

The gap between her and Park Eun-Chae now stood at a staggering 122 points. In other words, Park Eun-Chae's chances of debuting had all but disappeared.

As Park Eun-Chae staggered slightly, Kim Jung-Ju tried to comfort her.

"All right. Both contestants, please wait below the stage. Miss Eun-Chae, there are still other performances left, so don't give up."

After bowing, Park Eun-Chae and Go Eun-Seo exited to the side of the stage. Believing she had already been eliminated, Park Eun-Chae nearly lost her footing. Go Eun-Seo immediately caught her and supported her. Together, they made their way down the stage steps on shaky legs.

The two girls approached me.

Park Eun-Chae gently pulled away from Go Eun-Seo's support. "Eun-Seo. I'm okay now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And..." She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. And thank you."

Then Park Eun-Chae turned to me. The crushing pressure that had weighed on her shoulders seemed gone. Her expression had become strangely calm. Yet the moment she clasped her hands together and bowed her head toward me, her voice broke.

"Mr. Jung... thank you... for everything... You were always so good to me... and I ruined it all..."

The point gap was simply too large. Unless every remaining contestant somehow tripped on stage and started doing windmills and Nikes instead of performing, there was no realistic way for her to catch up.

Park Eun-Chae had already accepted her elimination. And she was sincerely apologizing for losing sight of the twelve weeks of effort that had brought her here.

I said, "Your performance was excellent. Your opponent was just too strong."

Park Eun-Chae had done everything she could. However, she simply couldn't defeat Go Eun-Seo at her absolute best.

That was when Go Eun-Seo stared directly at me. "Mr. Jung. It's time to grant my favor!"

Having won her one-on-one battle, she looked impossibly confident. I had promised, so I had to hear her out.

"Sure. Go ahead. I'll do whatever I can."

At that moment, Go Eun-Seo's eyes sparkled. Then she bowed deeply.

"Please recruit Eun-Chae into Hoop Entertainment. She used to be a child actress. She can act, sing, and dance. She could succeed at anything. Please help her stay in the entertainment industry!"

Go Eun-Seo wanted me to forgive the very person who had tried to bring her down. Not only that, but she wanted me to bring Park Eun-Chae into Hoop Entertainment.

Even Park Eun-Chae clearly hadn't expected such a request, and her eyes widened in shock. A moment later, she hurriedly tried to stop Go Eun-Seo.

"Mr. Jung, I don't think that's right, no matter how much Eun-Seo wants it. You know what I did. I'm okay."

That was when Go Eun-Seo rounded on Park Eun-Chae sharply. "Hey! You have to become an entertainer! I know everything! So why are you throwing away this chance?"

After snapping at her, Go Eun-Seo turned back toward me. "Mr. Jung. About Eun-Chae..."

For the first time, Go Eun-Seo began explaining why she had tried so hard to protect Park Eun-Chae throughout the day.