“………”
I stared blankly at the Status Window, which asked if I would make Yoo Seol my companion…
‘…Yes.’
I shouted “yes” inside my head.
If Yoo Seol becomes my companion, then she would definitely be on my side, just like Seo Yoo-jin.
If someone as capable as Yoo Seol stands firmly with me, it would feel incredibly reassuring.
There was no reason for me to hold back.
[You have selected Yes!]
[From now on, Yoo Seol will be your companion!]
[Capturing…]
As I thought “yes,” an hourglass suddenly appeared on one side of the Status Window, and it started to turn.
And soon…
파앗.
[You unfortunately failed to make Yoo Seol your companion!]
The Status Window notified me of my failure.
‘…I should have seen it coming.’
Honestly, I hadn’t had high expectations.
Until this stage, my relationship with Yoo Seol had been less than ideal.
Even though the gap narrowed through this performance, it wasn’t enough for Yoo Seol to become my companion.
‘Let’s aim for the next opportunity.’
I thought that and comforted Yoo Seol in my arms.
“……Thank you.”
What exactly did I see in the Sky Demon Enchantment…, or did the feelings I experienced on this stage mean that much to Yoo Seol?
Yoo Seol repeatedly thanked me while shedding tears.
“Don’t cry—!! Don’t cry—!!!”
“Ha Ye-rin—!!!!”
“Yoo Seol—!!!!!”
Receiving the audience’s passionate cheers and the stage lights, I pulled Yoo Seol closer into my embrace.
‘You… didn’t I tell you not to look at me with pity?’
‘…We’re all competitors. Both you and I, even with debut rights, only one person can win.’
‘…I don’t like you. Just looking at you makes me shudder and drives me insane.’
‘So you should dislike me too. Hate me as I hate you.’
For the cold Yoo Seol and me to be this close, embracing each other… was already a tremendous improvement.
‘So let’s be satisfied with this for today.’
With that, I decided not to feel regret for not making Yoo Seol my companion.
Opportunities would come again someday…, for today, this was enough.
“Now, I will announce the results of the 1v1 match between participant Ha Ye-rin and participant Yoo Seol!”
The results of this Fourth Competition’s 1v1 matches were announced after each stage based on live voting.
“………”
“………”
Yoo Seol and I waited nervously for the results.
This stage was so intense that no one could be sure who had the upper hand.
The match that started very evenly was opened by Yoo Seol entering her Awakening state.
Then I took the lead with the Sky Demon Moon Shadow Step, only for Yoo Seol to overtake me again, leading to a back-and-forth of momentum.
A stage where either outcome wouldn’t be surprising.
And soon, the results appeared on the scoreboard.
파앗.
“Waaah—!!!”
“Eek—!!”
“Ahh—!!”
People shouted as they looked at the numbers on the scoreboard.
Some cheered joyfully, while others sighed in disappointment.
I couldn’t hold back anymore and lifted my head after briefly bowing it in response to the results.
The result was…
[Yoo Seol 251 votes vs. Ha Ye-rin 250 votes.]
…a loss by just 1 vote.
“………”
Was my expression serious at that moment after checking the result?
“It’s okay—!! It’s okay—!!”
“You did great!! Ha Ye-rin!!”
“Please marry me!!”
My fans in the audience immediately provided me with comforting cheers.
‘It’s fine…’
Of course, it wouldn’t be a lie to say the pain of defeat didn’t hurt.
This was my first defeat since appearing on Na Ah Ah…, and losing by a single vote stung even more.
However…
Considering the gap between Yoo Seol and me before stepping on stage, this was truly an unbelievable result.
I had come close to a stage where I could have been utterly defeated, catching up to Yoo Seol.
‘It was definitely thanks to the Sky Demon Moon Shadow Step… but…’
Still, I felt satisfied.
I quickly composed my face and smiled, waving at my fans in the audience.
휘휘.
“……!”
“Waaah—!!”
“Ha Ye-rin—!! Ha Ye-rin—!!”
“I love you, Ha Ye-rin!”
Even with just my little smile and greeting, my fans warmly responded and welcomed me.
They weren’t even connected to me, yet they came all the way here to cheer for me.
Whether they were only seeing a fragment of me… I was incredibly grateful for them.
“Thank you, really.”
“Waaah—!”
I waved to my fans until the very end as I headed to the backstage.
And the moment I completely stepped down from the stage….
휘청.
“…Ugh.”
My legs immediately gave way, and I started to fall forward.
욱신.
As the tension in my ankle relaxed, the pain returned to what I thought was fine.
Added to that was the extreme stamina depletion from the Sky Demon Moon Shadow Step, causing me to lose control of my body.
‘I’m falling…’
Just as I braced for the incoming impact…!
턱.
“…Be careful.”
“…Ah.”
Yoo Seol caught me.
I stared at Yoo Seol, who grabbed me, and then tried to straighten my body again.
But….
욱신.
“…Ugh.”
The sudden sharp pain in my ankle stopped me.
Seeing this, Yoo Seol sighed briefly before…
스윽.
She climbed under my armpit to support me.
“…We need to move like this.”
“………”
“If we just walk, your ankle will keep hurting.”
Since her words were true, I quietly allowed her to help me walk to the waiting room.
Due to the irreplaceable height difference between Yoo Seol and me, she struggled while supporting me.
As I looked at the top of her head straining with effort, I said to her.
“I’ll win next time.”
“………”
Even though I accepted today’s result, I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
As I expressed my feelings, Yoo Seol chuckled and replied.
“…Okay, since we have one chance left, do well.”
“One chance?”
“………”
I tilted my head at her answer, and Yoo Seol hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“…After the final, we’ll become the same team.”
“………”
“…Once we’re on the same team, we can’t fight each other. So the next final is our last chance.”
……
Same team.
She said “team.”
In that moment, I recalled the conversation I had with Yoo Seol in the past.
‘If either of us secures definite debut rights, after Na Ah Ah, we’re going to be on the same team, but… can we not show some kindness to our teammates?’
‘Team? Ha! We’ll only be active together for a year and then part ways; what kind of team is that?’
Back then, Yoo Seol had derided the very idea of a team… but now, she was the one bringing it up.
Is that why?
The word “team” that Yoo Seol mentioned struck a chord in me… making me feel the distance between us narrowing down.
So, I rested my chin on her head and smiled a bit playfully.
“Eonni? Weren’t you just saying that being in a team for only a year isn’t real teamwork? But your words are different today?”
“………”
Normally, she would have shot back with a cold glare, but this time, Yoo Seol looked flustered and fell silent.
Seizing my chance, I decided to tease her.
“Why? Did you shed tears of repentance earlier and reflect on your past misdeeds?”
“…Shut up.”
“Do you know how sorrowfully you cried earlier? It genuinely made me feel distressed…”
“This is…”
“Hehe.”
While Yoo Seol supported me, with her hands being busy, I rubbed her cheeks.
Her cheeks, blushing with embarrassment, were warm and soft.
“…Aren’t you going to let go?”
“Why are you acting so stiff? We’re ‘team’ now, right?”
“…It’s not a team yet since there’s still the final left.”
“It’s cute how your face turns bright red while you say that, eonni.”
“…Ugh.”
With that, while returning to the waiting room after that slightly playful yet friendly exchange with Yoo Seol…, my tumultuous journey through Na Ah Ah’s Fourth Competition came to an end.
The end of this long journey was finally coming into view.
Final.
Just one more competition with such a solemn name, and then…
….Na Ah Ah would be over.
“Okay~ Everyone worked hard on this Fourth Competition! Haha, there’s only one filming left, how sad.”
“………”
As always, after the Fourth Competition ended, Shin PD bid farewell to the participants before dispersing.
It was the same old thing, but today, there was something added.
“I have one announcement to make. There will be no filming next week.”
“……?!”
Everyone turned to Shin PD, their heads filled with question marks after hearing his words.
‘Wait, no filming next week? Why suddenly?’
Seeing everyone with filled expressions of confusion, Shin PD chuckled.
“Oh ho ho, actually there’s no special reason… This is a secret, but we thought of prolonging the viewers’ focus and creating some anticipation by suspending the filming for a week to keep the viewers engaged.”
“……Eh.”
For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.
“I think the news about Na Ah Ah being suspended for a week will come out for various reasons next week. Please keep this a secret. Just think of it as receiving a week off.”
“……”
“Then we will see you the week after next; thank you for your hard work this week as well.”
To burn the viewers’ anticipation with a break….
It was truly a typical Shin PD idea.
‘Despite everything that has happened, he hasn’t changed at all.’
People usually don’t change much, but Shin PD seemed to take it to an extreme.
I shook my head, packed my things, and began to leave.
Maybe because of the ankle injury, this Fourth Competition felt even more exhausting, and I yearned to get home and rest.
But just then.
콱.
“……!”
Someone abruptly grabbed my hand, and along with the discomfort came….
‘I-I’ll stop the bleeding myself… with my hands.’
A chilling memory returned, and I reflexively shook off that grip hard.
And when I looked back…
“Ah, hehe. Ye-rin, I didn’t mean to scare you!”
Shin PD wore a friendly smile and laughed at me.
싸아.
Feeling a mix of ominousness and curiosity, I asked him.
“What is it all of a sudden…?”
“Actually, I have something important to discuss with you, Ye-rin. …Shall we move to a different spot?”
He answered my question while pointing to…
스윽.
…a rather secluded area behind the set.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.