The Idol Who Returned from Hell Chapter 78

The audience members fell into a lull for about a few seconds.

Song Ji-won tried to process the situation by replaying the words she had just heard in her mind.

She had definitely heard it clearly. The word ‘sponsorship.’

That meant…

“As many national managers predicted, 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉 will be decided entirely by your hands from start to finish. That includes the debut member count as well. Starting in 1 minute, the nationwide text voting and draft sponsorship systems will open. For text voting, you can write the name or number of the trainee you’re supporting. Through the draft sponsorship window, you can use the ‘money’ you have to determine the final member count!”

As soon as MC Go Hyeon-ju finished speaking, the people who had been wrapped in silence awakened, pulling out their phones from their pockets.

“Wait, wait, we have to sponsor using money? No, wait—! I don’t have any money left!”

“We really had to buy the member count using money? This is seriously not right, for real!”

“Money, hey, how much money do you have left?”

“I need to write first, I think—”

It was truly complete chaos.

People checking how much money remained in their respective accounts.

People confirming their balance was 0 and frantically contacting acquaintances.

And people cursing KNet for pulling out vicious moves even in the final broadcast.

But the important content wasn’t over yet.

“Let me tell you the standards. Draft sponsorship can only be conducted by accounts registered on the 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉 homepage, and each account can participate only once. Also, 5 billion money is needed to add one debut member. I repeat. 5 billion money must be gathered to add one debut member. If you want to debut 10 trainees, that means you need to reach a final sponsorship amount of 50 billion money.”

The atmosphere in the venue after this announcement didn’t need to be described.

Amid all sorts of sighs and incredulous screams, the most clearly audible sentence was ‘Are the production team insane?’

Kang Eun-young next to her tapped Song Ji-won’s arm.

“Sister, it was good that we saved money without spending it, right?”

“That’s true, but… where the hell is all that money supposed to come from? Is this even possible? No matter how much I saved, I only have 1.58 million money.”

“I’m the same way. I don’t even have 200. And we have this much because we saved it, but most people probably already spent everything and have barely any left…”

The scene had already been in chaos for a while.

She accessed the community to check the reactions of people watching the final live broadcast online, and momentary lag burst out.

IdolNet, which had hardly ever had server crashes, was experiencing overload.

Because all the national managers watching the broadcast had flocked here.

The screen that finally refreshed after barely breaking through the lag was beautifully decorated with expletives too harsh to mention in text.

—DAMN for real why didn’t this kind of backstab come out this year lmao how do they drop this kind of bomb in the final episode live broadcast

—Are they seriously insane, what kind of place determines member count in real time without any prior survey? Wow… I doubted my ears

—On their end they’ll probably be like ‘We kept mentioning money would be important~’ those disgusting broadcasting bastards LOL. If you were going to tell us, you should have told us clearly instead of pulling this low-level aggro every time, is it satisfying?

└I hate to admit it but they probably pulled proper aggro… ISL 2 is already trending and it’s chaos

└Again, again we’re bowing down to these devil-like bastards, taking our innocent kids hostage T_T I’m going crazy

—Guys guys it’s still too early to lose hope! If you create an ISL 2 homepage ID with a completely new phone number, they give you 10,000 money for free! Tell all your acquaintances and family to sign up and invest in ‘draft sponsorship’ T_T I’m also working hard to bump this post

└Really? I need to go make my younger sibling do it right now

└No but to gather at least a few hundred billion, the simple numbers won’t be manageable at all. Just looking at myself, I already spent all my money last week T_T

└Are there any superhumans who saved money?? By pure calculation, if 1 million people watch the main broadcast and everyone sponsors at least 50,000 won, we could easily break through 50 billion. No matter how much people say their balance is 0 won, aren’t there big spenders who sponsor 1 million won or more?

└This is seriously the hope episode but I don’t know, everyone around me seems to have spent everything

└This won’t work, I just need to promote to all communities as much as possible TT

In the end, the conclusion was trending toward a few options.

The faction that would invest all their money and focus on the main broadcast, and the faction that would work their feet off to find unregistered acquaintances.

Thanks to the super-sized bomb KNet dropped, an unintended national unity was about to be achieved.

Song Ji-won also steadied her dizzy mind and invested all her saved 1.58 million money into 〈Draft Sponsorship〉.

In a situation where she couldn’t gauge how much would be gathered in the remaining 2-3 hours, MC Go Hyeon-ju continued the proceedings.

“Where will this unscripted drama’s destination be? National managers, please stay with us until the end! Play the Stage!”

It was an intentionally fast development, but as all the lights in the vast set went out, expectant cheers began to gradually build up.

And dozens of black shadows appeared on lifts installed below the stage.

“Gonna make it HIT!”

〈HIT〉, the theme song of 〈Idol Stove League Season 2〉 that boasted presence beyond even the national anthem at this moment, rang out.

The 20 surviving trainees who appeared in a triangular formation raised their hands up with knife-sharp precision.

They all swept their hands downward in time with the beat.

The stage lighting that had been dark suddenly burst out blue flashes all at once.

「Gonna make it hit, shouting toward you

All of this burning heart shouting to you

Gonna make it hit, you who made my heart beat

I want to run only toward you」

Along with the lyrics that had made Korean girls sick for months, Ryu Si-hwan showed a bright smile from the center position.

“Si-hwaaaaaan ahhhhh!”

Song Ji-won found herself shouting toward the front without realizing it.

Until just about 3 minutes ago, her head had been complicated because of sudden situations like draft sponsorship.

The moment she saw her ultimate bias, all her senses concentrated in an instant.

Did KNet hit the back of their heads without hesitation knowing this would happen?

She felt like she was succumbing to the production team’s bad habits again, but it didn’t matter.

The Ryu Si-hwan singing in front of her eyes was so handsome.

「Gonna make it HIT

The only person to catch you is me

Gonna make it HIT!」

When the lyrics announcing the end of the first verse came out, a huge lift on the left side of the set activated again.

Dozens of figures on top began dancing while holding each other’s collars.

“All the eliminated kids are coming out too!”

“Sister, over there! A lift is coming up from the right side too!”

Kang Eun-young had also escaped from the initial shock and was excitedly bouncing in place while pointing to the right side of the stage.

They had already seen the complete 〈HIT〉 stage dozens of times.

Since this was the first full video released to national managers.

But watching through phone screens anywhere and singing along with hot air while doing group chanting at the scene were completely different dimensions.

The stage that had seemed so vast was now completely filled.

Just like the 〈HIT〉 pre-release video, three triangular platforms slowly approached each other.

Finally connected on a single stage, 100 trainees displayed their unrusted knife-like group dance, properly announcing the beginning of the real final.

People watching this spectacle online also clutched their hearts and freely gushed in text.

—Wow I should have tried for audience viewing once T_T

—They really sharpened their teeth from the first stage, you think you can just gloss over things like this?

└No matter how I look at it, that’s what’s going to happen

└Actually I’m the same way lol I put all my 30,000 money in, so I’m just going to enjoy this moment, the kids are damn handsome!

—Does Si-hwan look like he has a halo behind him or is it just me?

└No no, the lighting is pouring down insanely behind the center position so it really looks like he has a halo attached LOL

└All the flashy effects are good but my eyes are getting seriously blinded lol T_T

As the finishing touch, sparks even burst out from both sides of the stage.

While breathless, the trainees who had been staring at the cameras until the end naturally rode the lifts and slowly descended below the stage.

“Wow, insane!”

“What’s with the kids’ visuals today, seriously!”

“Should I vote now in advance? Did you do it in advance?”

The people around her were also excitedly chattering, seemingly having forgotten about the draft sponsorship fact.

It seemed like it would be okay to give the audience members a little time to catch their breath.

But once KNet had stepped on the accelerator, speed bumps didn’t exist for them.

[We will now reveal what mission you need to handle to advance to the 〈Debut Evaluation〉.]

Immediately, a VCR containing MC Go Hyeon-ju revealing what the 〈Debut Evaluation〉 concept was and the trainees’ shocked expressions was broadcast through the electronic billboard.

The final mission song 〈Royal Road〉 had its first and second verses divided into two genres, and the trainees had to write applications for their desired genre.

A very interesting scene also appeared here.

[Production team) Have you decided which genre you’ll go with?]

[Ha Sang-hun) I still have some time so I’m torn… Honestly, the genre doesn’t matter to me. But there is someone I want to work with.]

[Seong-hwi) Ahaha, is it okay to say this openly in this kind of setting? (glances at staff) If I had to answer, there is someone I want to work with. It might be a bit obvious though.]

[Kang Seon-woo) I think everyone probably has the same thought, but what can we do? It’s close to a cheat key.]

[Trainee Ryu Si-hwan/Brother Si-hwan/I want to be with Si-hwan…]

The majority of trainees who conducted individual interviews all mentioned Ryu Si-hwan’s name.

The next cut showed Ryu Si-hwan’s moments of displaying trustworthy leadership subtly in each past round like a revolving lantern.

Though it wasn’t very long, it was screen time that fans supporting Ryu Si-hwan would receive most welcomingly.

Skills recognized by everyone. Plus talent as a leader on top of that.

He was gradually emerging as a trainee with no flaws to pick at.

Afterward, scenes were drawn of the two teams dividing and even creating choreography, showing how much the trainees had suffered during the past two weeks.

Sessions that continued regardless of day or night.

Center selection battles unfolding under pressure.

And the final tempering for this one stage today.

When the expectations of the national managers gathered at the scene were condensing, the VCR cut off abruptly.

Snap, snap snap.

All the lights went out again.

There was a feeling like everyone was holding their breath.

At the moment when the tension that could explode at any time seemed to peak.

「We are on the Royal Road」

With a single verse, hexagonal light fell like a waterfall in the center of the stage.

Song Ji-won looked at the center of that cluster of light with blank eyes.

“Huh.”

A quiet exclamation came out naturally.

Wearing perfect white uniforms that couldn’t be more perfect, 10 trainees walked forward through the brilliant curtain of light.