Save a Failed Idol's Life

I glanced at the vocal units waiting in their designated areas. They were hidden behind partitions, so I couldn’t see what they were doing, but I could feel the tense atmosphere.

There were three units, but only one winner. Even if their own unit didn’t win, two out of the three units had members from their group, so the chances of winning were higher than the other parts.

‘Well, that’s assuming the winner is random.’

For the participants who cared more about ‘my’ victory than their group’s, it must have been bitter.

And the typical example of that was…

“You said you were going out for some fresh air, right? Do you think I’m like someone who smokes in the broadcasting station and gets caught on camera?”

It was none other than the walking time bomb of Floss, Shim Naru.

I wasn’t in the vocal part, and there was no one from our group in the B unit that Shim Naru belonged to, so I didn’t know for sure.

But from the rumors, the A unit was the strongest contender for the win. The C unit also had a lot of ambitious participants, so they couldn’t be ignored. The B unit was in a vague position.

‘That’s just based on what the staff were whispering, so it might be different in reality.’

The B unit also had some famous main vocals, so it was possible that they could pull off a surprise win with a powerful performance on the day.

The other team members would have to hope that he did well, even if they hated him.

I watched as the rap B unit, which Yaejun was in, finished their stage and came down.

“Vocal A unit, please get ready!”

As they cleared the stage and cleaned up the flower petals and various stage props that had fallen from the sky, the six vocal A unit members gathered below the stage.

They surrounded Seong-won and Hwijin, who were tall, with the rest of the members who were about half a foot shorter.

Unlike Shim Naru, who seemed to have written on his face that he only cared about himself and his own victory, Hwijin knew how to act according to the situation.

Of course… he didn’t seem like a fox who would pretend to like something in front of someone who was struggling.

Anyway, that was my opinion. The outfit was oddly different for Seong-won, so I guessed they gave him some special role since he was the most confident in his vocal skills.

‘Let’s see how he used his great directing skills.’

The group members stood in front of the standing microphones and cleared their throats.

Soon, the lights went out with a thud.

And then, a faint spotlight shone on Seong-won in the middle, like a ray of light in the darkness, and the accompaniment started.

[When the white snow falls on the street, I think of you who smiled-.]

[Today, I walk alone again, hoping to see you by chance.]

I couldn’t tell what song it was from the accompaniment alone, since they had arranged it a lot.

But as soon as I heard the first verse, I thought they had made a smart choice.

It was a mega hit ballad song from the 2010s, an OST for a drama that expressed the feelings of two protagonists who couldn’t be together.

It started off softly and gradually became more passionate, leading to a high note at the end.

It wasn’t a carol, but it matched the winter mood very well, and the lighting that made it look like ice crystals were sparkling in the air was also very fitting.

[The words we said when we broke up. Let’s smile and greet each other if we meet again.]

[You promised not to forget, but I can’t see you.]

The spotlight that was shining on Seong-won moved to another member as the part changed. One by one, each of the six members sang a line of the first verse. When the verse ended, all the lights and the background turned on.

[If I hesitate, you might disappear, even if I hurry my steps-.]

[My heart aches at the sad story that our fate ends here-.]

Like ice melting, glittering star dust-like lights poured down from the ceiling. I didn’t know who came up with this idea, but it was a very fitting effect for the beginning of winter. They pulled off a neat and standard winter-themed stage without overlapping with our first mission theme.

[Please come back to me as if by chance-.]

[Tell me you haven’t forgotten me, that we shouldn’t break up, please-.]

The mournful chorus raised the pitch, signaling the start of the high note battle. The part that would decide the outcome began.

[It’s okay if I smile again, do you know how my feelings fade away.]

The stage background also changed from a white background with snowflakes to a dark one, creating a contrast in the atmosphere. It was a pleasant stage to listen to, with solid vocal skills and well-distributed parts. They also did a good job of highlighting the high note part with ad-libs. I was surprised that Hwijin, who seemed like the main, had a small part, but it turned out to be a good choice.

‘He sacrificed himself to save the unit.’

I was impressed by their stable and smart performance, and they finished the stage with a bow.

“Thank you. We were Vocal A!”

“Thank you!”

“Good job!”

They greeted the audience and came down the stage, wiping their sweat with the towels handed by the staff. I wanted to go out and encourage them if I had a chance… But no one had left the waiting room yet, so I wasn’t sure if it was okay.

‘Well, it’s already over, so it doesn’t matter, right?’

As I thought so, Vocal B came down to wait for their turn.

‘Was this all decided by Shim Naru and his kids?’

Shim Naru was the only one who had a different color of outfit. They must have had some pride, but they somehow agreed to that. I could imagine how stubborn he was.

He would rather cooperate and let him do what he wanted than see him whine and not cooperate. Or maybe they thought, fine, we’ll let you have it, but you better not fail.

Either way, it wasn’t pleasant, and Vocal B’s stage began.

‘Hmm…’

It was exactly as I expected, without any surprises. Vocal B chose a rock ballad song that was known as a test of male idol’s vocal skills. They seemed confident in their vocals, so they challenged it boldly.

That’s fine if they’re confident, but… There were six members, but Shim Naru’s part seemed to take up 40% of the song.

And it wasn’t even that he hit the high notes well, so the other members had to take care of the parts where the emotion reached the climax.

If this was a live stage with an audience, I had a reasonable doubt that Shim Naru would hog all the high notes and pass the mic to the crowd when he couldn’t hit them.

‘Isn’t this too much?’

I wondered what the other members were thinking to put up with this, when the song was nearing the peak after the chorus.

The rest of the members stayed still like toy soldiers around Shim Naru, who was at the center of the stage. Then, one by one, they changed their positions in a playful choreography.

This is not bad, hmm. I watched with a judge’s eye, when Shim Naru’s climactic part and the disaster happened.

[The waiting that seems to never end↗-.]

Of all the parts, he had a pitch problem in the most prominent one. Everyone in the waiting room held their breaths to suppress their laughter.

I don’t know which group it was, but someone burst out laughing without hiding it. Uhahak, it was almost like a crying sound.

The waiting rooms were not separated by walls, but by partitions, so the laughter was clearly heard everywhere.

At least it didn’t reach the stage, right? I shook my head, wondering how much trouble Shim Naru would cause with his temper.

As soon as Shim Naru faltered, someone took over his part as if they were waiting for it. It seemed like it was his part until the end of the verse. That meant…

They either anticipated it or… prepared for it.

I didn’t know who it was, but it seemed like a member of Playground.

[Together, we were happy, I’ll go back to the invisible moment and hold you-.]

With the help of a rookie that no one could remember their name, the stage ended safely. Before they even finished their gratitude, Shim Naru threw his mic to a staff member and ran out of the set.

‘Wow… what a hothead.’

It’s a pity, but… it was his choice to take the risk. I felt sorry for the members who followed him.

But still, I felt a bit sorry for him. He must have thought that he could always act like that.

That might be okay now, when he’s young and popular. But it would be fatal when he gets older.

I was worried, but I had to worry about my own group first. It was time for the results of Kyunghwa and Seon-woo’s group project.

Group C did a pop song, right? They all insisted on doing what they were good at, so they ended up choosing a pop song that no one wanted.

That was the moment that proved that majority rule does not always represent the best choice.

‘But it’s better than having a pitch problem.’

After a brief wait, Group C’s intro started and the stage began.

It was a synth-pop song with a retro vibe that dominated the Billboard chart last year.

The concept was clearly the most eye-catching among the three groups. But I wondered if it would be good. Everyone watched with half expectation and half worry, when the first verse started.

[Empty night, everybody drunken and slept-. The city is asleep]

[No one says anything-. Everyone is silent.]

The protagonist of the first verse was the leader of AtoX. He confidently took the opening and made an impactful start.

Contrary to my worries, the stage quality was much better than Group B’s, thanks to their excessive passion for the ace position.

‘The question is how long this atmosphere will last.’

The concept was well done, the set was well made, when will our kids’ parts come? I watched with a bit of relief, when…

‘Huh?’

Neither Seon-woo nor Kyunghwa had their parts until the end of the first verse.