“Congratulations! The participant who placed 4th in the final personal vote is… the trainee from Heist Entertainment, Na Han-na!”
Waaahhh-!!
As Na Han-na claimed the final 4th spot and joined the Rookies, the audience erupted in cheers.
But among them…
“Aaah…”
There were also fans of Na Han-na voicing their disappointment.
And who could blame them? In the last vote, Na Han-na had outperformed Seo Yoo-jin, who placed 4th, by a significant margin, rising up to 3rd.
Her fans must have hoped she’d finally escape her long-standing 4th place and aim even higher in the finals, only to see her slide back down. Disappointment was inevitable.
Honestly, I thought Na Han-na had a higher chance of placing 3rd or even better, so I couldn’t help but be surprised she settled for 4th.
‘She must be disappointed… Did Han-na get let down?’
Worried, I scanned Na Han-na’s face to see if she was truly upset.
And then, Na Han-na said…
“…Thank you for the support. I could debut in Na Ah Ah because of my fans. I’ll continue to work hard.”
With a face that expressed enough satisfaction even with just 4th place, she wrapped up her speech concisely.
Such a typical Na Han-na response made me smile and applaud.
The audience seemed to resonate with her unwavering character and rallied in support, momentarily forgetting their disappointment.
“I love you, Na Han-na-!!!”
“Let’s do even better in Rookies-!!”
Thus, the Rookies were filled with 18-year-old contemporaries Park Yoo-jung and Na Han-na…
And four spots remained: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th.
Next up was the announcement for 3rd place.
“The 3rd place goes to… SAV Entertainment’s Seo Yoo-jin!”
Waaahhh-!!
With Na Han-na securing the 4th place, it was pretty much a given that Seo Yoo-jin would claim 3rd.
Consequently, Seo Yoo-jin’s fans, I, and even Han Si-woo who was announcing, congratulated her without too much fuss as she officially secured 3rd place.
But…
Thud.
“Yoo-jin…?”
Surprisingly, the very person herself, Seo Yoo-jin, slumped in her seat when her name was called.
I was startled and leaned down to check, finding her in tears.
“Hic…”
As I approached her…
Hug.
She pulled me in tight, burying her face in my shoulder.
“Thank you… really, thank you… unnie.”
“……”
“If it wasn’t for you… I wouldn’t have been able to debut. I truly mean it…”
I definitely didn’t have any memories of Seo Yoo-jin from a past life.
Perhaps the Yoo-jin from a previous life had faced a setback and failed to debut.
But…
“It’s not because of me; it’s all you, Yoo-jin.”
“Unnie…”
There was no way I felt I was the reason for her debut.
Ever since her arrogant days, Seo Yoo-jin had been more serious about becoming an idol than anyone else. She was exceptionally talented and thoroughly ready for idol life.
3rd place in the final voting of Na Ah Ah was well-deserved for Seo Yoo-jin.
“Quickly, go out; the fans are waiting!”
“…Okay.”
Seo Yoo-jin stood up and made her way forward, receiving congratulations from other participants.
Her legs trembled as she walked forward.
Seeing her like this reminded me of something she said on the day of the final parking.
“Pardon? What do you mean? There’s no way I wouldn’t debut.”
Back then, she spoke with an air of invincibility, but perhaps she’d been incredibly anxious all along.
This thought made her shaky figure seem adorable.
As Seo Yoo-jin grabbed the microphone in front of her fans…
“Uh… um…”
“Don’t cry-! Don’t cry-!”
Sniff…
She burst into tears again.
And through her sobs and sniffles, she struggled to articulate her gratitude.
“Huh… Th-there are too many grateful people… Huff… Um… first, m-m-mom, dad… and the director… and unnie Ye-rin… Sniff… Haaa…”
I thought I heard my name somewhere in the mix, but no one could fully understand her words.
Nevertheless…
“And to all the fans who supported me until the end… I sincerely… thank you… Waaahh-!”
Waaahhh-!!!
Her sincerity shone through.
The audience erupted louder than ever, cheering and clapping to comfort her.
With the audience’s support, Seo Yoo-jin stepped to the front of the stage, where Park Yoo-jung and Na Han-na welcomed her.
Thus, three out of the six members of the Rookies were determined.
Gulp.
As we neared the climax, I unconsciously swallowed.
The audience seemed tense, their serious expressions visible even from the stage.
But at that moment, the ones most wound up were…
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
The remaining contestants aiming for the 6th spot.
Honestly speaking, the 1st and 2nd spots were out of their league.
But for the 6th place…
‘It wouldn’t be surprising if anyone took it.’
Yeah… with the margins being so thin, anyone could fit.
Of course, I hoped it would be Lee Hye-jeong, but… it was hard to say it was highly likely.
“Now, the remaining spots are for 1st, 2nd, and 6th.”
“……”
“Then let’s reveal the 6th place contestant who will join the Rookies.”
At the mention of 6th, everyone’s attention sharpened.
As their gazes shifted, Han Si-woo cast a side glance at the clock in the corner and the production team.
It seemed time was of the essence, especially for a live broadcast.
And recognizing it was the right moment, Han Si-woo finally announced the 6th place.
“The contestant joining Na Ah Ah as the final member in 6th place is…!”
“……!”
“Congratulations! The participant from Kidship Entertainment, Lee Hye-jeong!”
Waaahhh-!!
As Lee Hye-jeong’s name was called, I unconsciously clenched my fist.
‘Yes…!’
Turning my head, I found Lee Hye-jeong staring blankly, unable to believe her name shining on the board.
“Unnie!”
“……Huh?”
“You placed 6th! Go, go quickly!”
“I… I’m….”
“You’re the 6th member of Rookies! Hurry!”
Drip.
Tears flowed down Lee Hye-jeong’s face.
“I… debut…”
The eldest sister of Na Ah Ah, Lee Hye-jeong, bowed her head, tears streaming down her cheeks as the surrounding contestants rushed over to comfort her.
Being kind and beloved, she had many friends within Na Ah Ah.
Though the other contestants felt the sting of not debuting, their desires to celebrate her victory outweighed their regrets, as they approached her with heartfelt expressions.
“Unnie… don’t cry.”
“It’s a good day, so you shouldn’t shed tears.”
“Congratulations on your debut!”
“Thank you… guys… thank you…”
Lee Hye-jeong responded to every one of them, and finally…
“Thank you… Ye-rin…”
“Congratulations!”
She came up to me, hugged me like Seo Yoo-jin, then headed forward.
Watching her back as she walked towards her fans made me smile softly.
After facing demotions to B rank and having her screen time edited, she finally succeeded in her debut, overcoming all hardships.
And with this, both my left and right guardian laws would now be active in the same group as me.
*
After Lee Hye-jeong finished her debut speech…
“……”
“……”
Like the calm before a storm, silence blanketed the audience of over ten thousand.
All that remained was to determine the overall winner.
And now, that result lay in Han Si-woo’s hands.
In this moment, Han Si-woo seemed to keep his playful spirit in check, commencing proceedings with a seriously firm expression.
“…Now, all that’s left is to announce the winner of Na Ah Ah.”
“……”
“First… I will reveal the two finalists.”
Though it was a tense moment, everyone present already knew who the two finalists were.
“Ha Ye-rin and Yoo Seol! Please come forward!”
Waaahhh-!!!
Yoo Seol and I were the two unwavering contenders who had never ranked lower than 2nd since Na Ah Ah began.
“……”
As I stepped forward with a tense expression, the audience cheered my name.
Next to me, Yoo Seol looked even more anxious.
“One of you two will earn the prestigious title of my Idol Academia champion! Let’s have a short interview first! Ha Ye-rin!”
“Yes…!”
In a burst of nervousness, I answered loudly, causing Han Si-woo to smile at my reaction.
“Between the two of you, who do you think is more deserving of being the Na Ah Ah champion?”
“……!”
Caught off guard by his sudden question, my mind blanked.
So, I answered from my heart.
“Honestly, I think Seol unnie is more suited to be the champion. But… I really want to win.”
Waaahhh-!
Ahhh-!!
My humble yet ambitious response had the fans roaring with excitement.
Han Si-woo smiled at my answer before shifting his attention to Yoo Seol.
“Yoo Seol!”
“…Yes.”
“Who do you think will win between the two of you?”
“…….”
What a simple yet challenging question. Yoo Seol replied like this.
“Honestly, I believe Ye-rin will win.”
“……!”
Her answer seemed to reflect a lack of confidence, leading the fans to collectively hold their breath.
But in the next moment…
“Still, I will definitely win!”
Waaahhh-!!!
“Yoo Seol-!!!!!”
Waaahhh-!!!
With a tone suggesting she would never give up, her fans erupted into cheers.
As the tension in the venue rose, Han Si-woo responded in kind with a lively voice and continued to proceed.
“I really appreciated hearing your firm responses from both of you! Now! Let’s find out who the true champion is!”
“………!!”
At Han Si-woo’s cue, the audience fell silent.
In the stillness of the atmosphere, only Han Si-woo’s voice could be heard echoing resoundingly.
“The winner of my Idol Academia, after five competitions among 100 trainees, who claimed the 1st spot is…!”
I felt shaky.
My heart felt like it might burst.
Winning? It could easily be Yoo Seol too.
But…
‘…I must do it.’
Yeah… I want to win so badly.
With that thought in mind, like everyone else, I held my breath, focusing on Han Si-woo’s lips.
His mouth was close enough to see every subtle movement.
As Han Si-woo’s lips parted, I felt time slow down…
“ㄱ……!”
‘Giyeok…?’
I could decipher the letter ‘ㄱ’ forming on his lips.
Definitely… it was a ‘ㄱ’.
And the identity of that ‘ㄱ’…
“Stay tuned for the advertisement-!!!!”
Ahhh-!!!!!
It was the advertisement that made Na Ah Ah possible.
Soon, the screen displayed an advertisement for 60 seconds like on TV.
[What? The first work of the ’Bad, no, Happy Ending is Good’ author, “Don’t Worry, I’m a Regular Bandit” is about to hit its 1st anniversary? Wow! Let’s binge-watch again!]
I looked at it with a somewhat empty expression.
*
During the 60-second break, I turned to Yoo Seol beside me and asked, “Do you really think I’m going to win?”
“…….”
After recalling Han Si-woo’s question, she nodded in reply.
“…Yes, but I’ll definitely win.”
“…….”
The reason why she was so determined to claim the victory must be due to her mother’s hospital bills.
After a moment of silence, I softly murmured to her, “I really want to win too. But…”
“…….”
“Even if you win, I won’t feel bad at all.”
Upon hearing this, Yoo Seol paused, then turned towards me and said.
“Me too.”
“…….”
“I want to win and I absolutely wish for it. But… if you were the winner, I wouldn’t feel bad at all.”
“…It’s the same with me.”
Our thoughts resonating, we locked eyes and…
Clasp.
We held hands tight.
As the 60-second ad concluded, Han Si-woo took the microphone as if this moment was finally real.
“The glorious winner of Na Ah Ah will be awarded a cash prize of 100 million won and the opportunity to sit on this throne.”
As he pointed, we saw the magnificent first-place throne we had used for all the ranking ceremonies.
In just 60 seconds, the staff had managed to set up a towering throne at the center stage that all the audience members could admire.
“So, now let’s truly announce the champion!”
With that, silence fell yet again on the venue.
Could it be another prank? That thought crossed our minds, but there was no longer any playfulness on Han Si-woo’s face; he was entirely serious.
Everyone’s intuition confirmed it.
This time, it was genuine.
“The anticipated champion of my Idol Academia…! The participant who placed 1st in the final personal voting is…!”
At that moment, memories of my journey in Na Ah Ah rushed through my mind like a vivid flash.
So much had happened.
In it, I saw the tears of many, felt the pain of others, and also shared countless laughs.
And the result of that long journey…
“Congratulations! The participant from Brotherhood Planning, Ha Ye-rin!”
It was… my victory.
Waaahhh-!!!!!
…….
Hearing Han Si-woo’s announcement, even with the audience’s cheers ringing in my ears, I stood there in disbelief, a blank look on my face.
The one who jolted me back to reality was Yoo Seol.
“Congratulations on your win.”
“…Unnie.”
Yoo Seol’s bright smile seemed to confirm her earlier statement, genuinely celebrating my victory.
“…Thank you.”
I embraced her.
In that moment, I could hear the congratulatory voices from the confirmed debut members of Rookies and the other Na Ah Ah contestants.
“Congrats-!”
“Ye-rin, congratulations!”
As I took in every congratulatory word while stepping out of Yoo Seol’s embrace, Han Si-woo smiled and said, “Winning participant Ha Ye-rin, please take your place on the throne!”
I nodded and climbed the steps to 1st place.
Having already been up the 1st place seat multiple times during the ranking ceremonies, today felt especially meaningful with each step up the stairs.
As I turned around to face the crowd of 10,000, my heart swelled.
Waaahhh-!!!
Ahhh-!!!
“Ha Ye-rin-!!!!!!”
“Of course, the winner is Ha Ye-rin-!!!!”
“Congratulations, Ha Ye-rin-!!!!!”
All those people are looking at me.
All those people are cheering for me.
All those people love me.
All those people… love me.
“Participant Ha Ye-rin! Please share your winner’s speech!”
Overwhelmed with excitement, I grabbed the microphone and began speaking without even knowing what words were coming out.
“There was a time I thought, ‘What if I win in Na Ah Ah?’”
“At that moment, I thought I’d cry, but now that I’ve won, I’m so happy I can only laugh.”
“It feels like I was born again. This feels like the best day of my life.”
“It’s all thanks to my fans who love me. Thank you, and…”
“I love you all, too.”
Though I stumbled over my words here and there, the fans were so caught up in the emotion that they ignored my little gaffes.
Waaahhh-!!!
“I love you-!!!! Ha Ye-rin-!!!!!”
The fans shouted louder in response to my speech.
I waved back at them one by one.
It was a beautiful night.
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