After finishing the stage and returning to the backstage amid the cheers of the audience, the team members, including myself, collapsed like ragdolls.
This was a long stage with a runtime of 4 minutes and 30 seconds, and the tension of performing in front of 10,000 people…
“Haah… haah…”
“Haah…”
We were so exhausted that we could barely handle our bodies, only letting out ragged breaths.
The first to speak up was Lee Hye-jeong, the oldest among us.
“It’s over now….”
“……”
“This was our… no, Na Ah Ah’s last stage.”
At Hye-jeong’s words, we fell into a moment of silence.
Then one of the team members chuckled and said.
“Everyone… thank you for your hard work. During this time.”
“……”
As soon as one person spoke, the team members echoed back.
“Everyone worked hard…!”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Our last stage was legendary.”
“Ah… finally, it’s over…!”
It felt like a sense of relief after finishing a long marathon.
And the satisfaction that came with it.
But…
Someone’s muttering broke this ambiance.
“Isn’t it… not really over yet?”
“……Huh?”
“The ranking announcement… is still coming up.”
“……”
…Right, we still had one last thing left.
The final ranking announcement, the last verdict.
Among the 100 who started, only 14 participants made it to the end.
But only 6 of them could survive.
Now was the time to determine who those 6 would be.
After the performances which could hardly be considered trainee quality from the Second and First teams…
“Wow… really…”
“I’m glad I came…”
What awaited the captivated audience was a pre-prepared interview video by the production team.
And the theme of that interview was…
[Q: Any final words?]
Final.
It was the end.
[Nah Ah Nah (Heyest): …Thank you for everything.]
[Seo Yoo-jin (SAV): There were many difficult times, but it seems like there were more good moments. I’ve grown a lot in Na Ah Ah, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot.]
As the final interview video of the contestants they supported played, the audience felt a surge of emotion and sighed.
“Ah…”
“It’s over now…”
“Can we have like 20 more episodes…?”
“Sniff…, look at our kids speaking…”
Some among them were even shedding tears while watching the contestants’ interview videos.
Thus, a poignant and heavy atmosphere settled in the Jamsil Indoor Stadium…
Just as we thought the 14th contestant’s interview was the last, the production team asked the participants their next question.
[Q: Do you want to debut in Na Ah Ah?]
[…….]
At the crew’s question, all the participants flinched for a moment.
Then…
[Yoo Seol (JJ): Yes.]
[Park Yoo-jung (Levi): Yes.]
[Lee Hye-jeong (Kidship): Definitely.]
[Ha Ye-rin (Brotherhood Planning): Yes. I really want to debut in Na Ah Ah.]
As the earnest answers from the 14 contestants overlapped…
Kaboom-!!
The dark stage lit up again.
Whoosh!
Something arose in the center of the brightly lit stage.
The participants thought it was Han Si-woo coming out to host.
But…
“Uh?!”
“Waaahhhh-!!!”
“Ahhhhh-!!”
Standing on the platform were the 14 contestants who had just finished the final competition.
The participants appeared neatly lined up on the platform in the same outfits they had worn on stage.
And among them, Han Si-woo appeared holding a microphone.
“As you just saw, all 14 girls here desperately want to debut. But…”
Baam.
As Han Si-woo pointed to the electronic board, the number ‘6’ appeared on the screen.
“Only 6 of these girls can achieve their dream of debuting.”
“Ahhhhh-!!!”
“Nooooooo-!!!”
“Just let all 14 debut-!!”
The audience sighed at Han Si-woo’s somewhat brutal words.
While looking at the audience with a small smile, Han Si-woo continued.
“Now, I will start counting down. Once the electronic board goes dark in ‘6 seconds’… the final voting will also end!”
With his words, the numbers lit up on the display.
6, 5, 4….
But everyone here had already voted for the day.
All the audience could do was clasp their hands and pray for the trainee they were supporting to debut.
…3, 2, 1.
With that, the numbers on the display went dark.
“With this, the 6-member debut team has been decided. All that is left is… the announcement.”
“Ahhhhh-!!”
“Before we announce the ranking…”
With the thought that the ranking announcement was finally here, the participants swallowed hard while the audience shouted.
But Han Si-woo showed a playful expression as if he wouldn’t reveal the rankings that easily.
“…Isn’t there something you’ve forgotten?”
“……Huh?”
…Forgotten something?
At his unexpected words, both the participants and the audience tilted their heads.
“Before announcing the ranking, I will unveil the name of the project group that the debut members will be active in for a year!”
“……!”
At the mention of the group name revelation, the audience’s eyes widened.
And soon…
Boom!
The electronic board lit up brighter than ever, and pink letters shimmered.
[Rookies].
“A name that will shake the entertainment industry for a year like a comet. This is Rookies!”
Rookies.
The moment a girl group that would leave its mark in idol history in just one year was born.
When I saw the name Rookies, two thoughts crossed my mind.
First of all… I liked it more than I thought.
For people to remember well, the name needs to be simple and straightforward.
“It seems like the name was also Rookies in my previous life.”
I was worried that the name might change due to my involvement in this life, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
I liked the name Rookies, which although it seemed simple, would stick in people’s memories rather than some weird long name.
And the second thought was…
“Seeing the group name… it feels real that it’s a short-term project group that will only be active for a year.”
Rookie.
Literally means newbie.
Everyone starts anything as a rookie.
And as time passes, they build experience and become veterans.
But Rookies can never rise beyond rookie idols to become veteran idols.
Only one year… they would disband before shaking off their rookie status.
Thinking about this made me feel bittersweet.
I wished to work alongside my members who struggled together in Na Ah Ah, not just for a year, but for 5 or 10 years…
“Given that each company has different positions, it would be hard…”
Knowing that it was almost impossible made the aftertaste even worse.
Of course, even so, I wanted to debut in Na Ah Ah.
It’s still better to be active together for a year than to do nothing.
I resolved to make the most of that one year without regrets later.
While I was thinking that, Han Si-woo held the microphone…
“Now, I will announce the members of the debut team.”
He started announcing the Rookies members who would be together for a year.
“The seats for Rookies members will be filled by participants who ranked 1st to 6th in the final personal votes.”
“……”
“And the ranking announcement will… start from 5th, not 6th.”
“Ahhhhh-!”
“Uuuuuu-!”
The most curious were the champion 1st place and 6th place who barely made it in, yet we won’t hear about 6th place until later.
Even though the audience booed, Han Si-woo kept going without caring.
“Okay, let’s announce the 5th place participant! The first to join the Rookies members, who ranked 5th in the final personal vote is…!”
“……”
As Han Si-woo paused, the arena filled with tension.
Then Han Si-woo called out the member…
“Congratulations! It’s Park Yoo-jung from Levi Entertainment!”
“Waaahhhh-!!!”
The audience erupted with thunderous applause.
‘Phew…’
I breathed a sigh of relief when Park Yoo-jung, whom I secretly wanted to team up with, was called.
In contrast, Park Yoo-jung…
Grinned.
She stepped forward as if she had expected her name to be called.
Come to think of it, Park Yoo-jung had never faced a single problem or setback while participating in Na Ah Ah.
From the time she sat in the 100th place during the initial seat selection corner, she steadily climbed the rankings and achieved an astonishing rise to become 5th.
Throughout Na Ah Ah, Park Yoo-jung always wore a smile, and in the end, with her pure and bright smile, she became the first member of Rookies.
“Uh… First of all, I have a lot of people to thank. First, the people from our company, my aunt and uncle, and the sisters and juniors who’ve performed on stage with me so far. Thank you so much! And finally…”
Park Yoo-jung winked and threw a heart to the audience.
“I want to say a big thank you to the fans who supported and voted for me! Thank you!”
“Waaahhhh-!!”
Thus, Park Yoo-jung finished her acceptance speech, not forgetting to charm the fans.
With that, she secured one of the six spots in Rookies…
“……”
“……”
With one of the easier spots, either 5th or 6th, filled, the remaining participants waited for Han Si-woo’s announcement with heavy faces.
The audience felt the same way.
“Ah…!”
“What to do…!”
The fans of the participants on the brink of debut started murmuring, worried that their supported trainee might not debut.
While smiling at the audience’s anxious expressions, Han Si-woo began the next segment in a relaxed tone.
“Now then… let’s announce the 4th place participant who will become a member of Rookies.”
“……”
4th place.
In fact, from here on out, the rankings were almost fixed.
‘For 4th place, it’s definitely…’
Deep down, I had a rough idea of who would be 4th… almost certain.
With that, I waited for the announcement of the final 4th place while feeling somewhat at ease.
And then….
“Congratulations! The participant who ranked 4th in the final personal vote is…!”
‘……Huh?’
I was a bit surprised by the unexpected 4th place contestant.
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