The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut Chapter 30

Fortunately, I quickly regained my senses.

 

Having filmed EX-class K-POP Idol, there had been countless moments where my cringe tolerance was tested, so I was used to this level of it.

 

[The concept is seriously intense] 

 

[I like it, though? If you don’t like it, don’t watch lol]

 

 [It’s just the right amount of otaku-ish for me, perfect]

 

The camera zoomed out to show the hundred trainees. 

 

The stage for the EX-class K-POP Idol theme song, HUNT THE STAGE, which had been filmed separately in a studio, began.

 

I stared with wide eyes, checking how much it differed from the Music Day performance. 

 

Because by looking at the performance, I could roughly figure out who the PD’s picks were. 

 

Han Theo and Yoo Sung got a lot of screen time due to their outstanding looks. 

 

Seo Yijae, a former member of a failed idol group, was also caught in a passing two-second shot for early buzz. 

 

And as for me….

 

‘Three seconds…?’

 

My screen time was almost identical to the Music Day performance. 

 

I could roughly guess what Jang Hyuksoo was thinking about me.

 

‘He thinks I look useful enough to give some screen time to, but if the buzz is lower than expected, he’ll cut me entirely… is that it?’

 

I had been expecting a bit more since the reaction to the production presentation was good. 

 

It seemed I was still lacking when it came to moving Jang Hyuksoo’s heart.

 

‘It’s still early… let’s watch a bit longer.’

 

I thought, unconsciously picking at a hangnail.

 

[“Greetings to all non-Awakener civilians across the nation!”] 

 

The theme song stage ended, and the familiar face of the MC filled the screen.

 

[Non-Awakener civilians lololol] 

 

[I’m no longer a fangirl, I’m a civilian] 

 

Half of the chat window reacted with embarrassment, while the other half found it hilarious.

 

[“Haven’t you all experienced at least once the inconvenience of a Gate bursting open right before your eyes? People are dying and getting injured while you can do nothing, frantically running away from the pouring stream of monsters!”] 

 

The MC on screen rattled off the absurd situation and setting without a hint of shame.

 

[As if lol] 

 

[MC is so immersed in the role lolol]

 

[It was cringey at first, but at this point, all I can do is laugh]

 

If the concept had been half-baked, it would have been awkward for the person doing it and uncomfortable for those watching, but EX-class K-POP Idol didn’t just adopt a concept; it was swallowed whole by it. 

 

By the time the final episode aired, everyone would go from merely adapting to this unique and embarrassing concept to becoming fully immersed and fanatical.

 

[“A hundred Awakeners, prospective Hunters gathered here to solve the troubles of you civilian non-Awakeners! Now then, let’s meet them right away!”]

 

The screen changed, and the teaser for the stat evaluation stage began.

 

[“Beep— This trainee lacks the basics.” 

 

“I’m speechless. Because it’s so perfect.” 

 

“Beep— Why is an agency trainee even appearing here?” 

 

“It was a very charming stage.” 

 

“Wait. The evaluation isn’t over yet.”]

 

The faces of the trainees and judges, all with serious expressions, flashed by rapidly. Snippets of me and Yoo Sung’s stage evaluation were tucked in there as well.

 

[Ah, I’m excited] 

 

[The taste of that familiar kimchi stew… I missed it]

 

The viewer reactions weren’t bad either. While the concept was unique, the program’s structure and production followed the classic formula of an idol survival show.

 

[“First trainee, please come up!”]

 

The intro ended, and the stages began. 

 

Han Theo’s stage, which was actually around the tenth during filming, was likely to be aired in Episode 2.

 

“I hope I don’t get edited out….”

 

I heard someone muttering from behind. 

 

I didn’t know who it was, but they seemed so nervous they’d forgotten the cameras were rolling. 

 

Since there were a hundred trainees, it was impossible to show every single person’s stage. 

 

Only the trainees who passed Jang Hyuksoo’s initial criteria would make it to the broadcast.

 

‘But even if you pass the initial criteria… it’s useless if you don’t meet the viewers’ standards.’

 

With a serious expression, I scanned the scrolling chat.

 

[Oh, that center just now is decent] 

 

[There were a lot of ugly kids in the profiles, but they look better than expected] 

 

[Wait, if they lack looks, shouldn’t their skills at least be good?] 

 

[Everything feels a bit mediocre]

 

The early part of Episode 1 focused on trainees who were watchable but mediocre in some way. 

 

The trainees who appeared on screen cheered inwardly without showing it, only to fall into despair upon seeing the viewers’ cold reactions. 

 

They were likely trying to hide their emotions, but being young and inexperienced, it was all written on their faces.

 

‘Yijae Hyung will probably appear in the next episode if nothing changes…. Oh? It’s Hiro.’

 

On the screen, I saw a nervous Okada Hiro stepping onto the stage. 

 

Okada Hiro’s stat evaluation stage had been completely edited out in most of my previous regressions. 

 

Jang Hyuksoo preferred stages that were blatantly bad over those that were just moderately good. 

 

A trainee who ruined their stage could be used as a sacrifice to gather buzz, and if their skills Because he could use a trainee who ruined their stage as a sacrifice to gather buzz, and if the trainee’s skills vastly improved later, it was great for building a growth narrative. 

 

‘But Hiro ruined his stage so severely it was almost too hard to use….’

 

Although the video of his stat evaluation stage had been uploaded separately to YouTube, no one was interested in the failed stage of a foreign trainee who had no screen time. 

 

Anyway, the fact that Okada Hiro’s stage wasn’t cut meant there was something different from my previous lives.

 

[A Japanese guy?] 

 

[He’s kind of cute, my style hehehe] 

 

[But isn’t his Korean way too bad?]

 

A nervous Okada struggled even with introducing himself in Korean.

 

[“H-hel, hello…. My name is O-Okada Hiro, from Japan.”

 

“Japan?”

 

“A Japanese friend has joined us.”]

 

Up until the self-introduction, the atmosphere wasn’t bad. 

 

However, as if determined to make full use of Okada, Jang Hyuksoo used production and editing to make the atmosphere feel far more serious than it actually was.

 

[Ah, this is… he’s so bad it’s hard to listen to] 

 

[Didn’t he train in Korea? How can he think of being an idol here when he can’t speak the language?] 

 

[Go back and learn Korean first]

 

The reactions of viewers who saw Okada Hiro’s subsequent stage appeared in the chat window.

 

‘He was bad enough to be criticized, but….’

 

Still, weren’t they being too harsh? It’s fine to be a bit bad at Korean. Just wait until the theme song evaluation and the first evaluation stages are aired.

 

‘Is Hiro’s mental state okay?’

 

I had been unconsciously rebutting each chat comment that put Okada down, but I suddenly grew worried about him having to see this outpouring of malicious comments.

 

‘Is he crying…?’

 

If he cried in this situation, Jang Hyuksoo would probably cheer with both hands raised. 

 

Giving Jang Hyuksoo bait that was easy to edit was a double-edged sword. 

 

If he intended to keep a trainee until debut, he’d edit them favorably, but if not….

 

‘…Hm?’

 

Glancing back at Okada, I was a bit surprised. 

 

I expected to see a dark cloud over his head, but contrary to my expectations, he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood. 

 

Of course, he didn’t look happy either. 

 

With a neutral expression, Okada was resting his chin on his knees, his eyes rolling around as if he were a bit bored. 

 

Then, his eyes met mine as I was peeking back.

 

‘What? Why are you smiling?’

 

Okada beamed at me. 

 

Caught off guard, I couldn’t hide my sour expression as I whipped my head back around. 

 

You’re being cursed at by tens of thousands of people across the country right now, and you’re smiling? Ah, could it be….

 

‘Does he not understand because the chat is mostly in Korean?’

 

His speaking and listening had improved, but reading and writing still had a long way to go. For the first time, I thought it was a relief that Okada Hiro was bad at Korean.

 

‘Hiro seems to have passed Jang Hyuksoo’s first criteria, so that’s that. I wonder when my stage will come out….’

 

Based on my experience so far, there was a high chance it would appear toward the mid-to-late part of Episode 1. 

 

I checked the clock on the auditorium wall anxiously.

 

[“Now, next trainee, please come out!”]

 

Is it finally my stage? I was glaring at the screen with a tense expression when the screen suddenly changed, and black text appeared on a white background.

 

[LMH Entertainment]

 

Seeing those black letters, a groan escaped me involuntarily. 

 

After showing the expressions of the startled, murmuring trainees and the judges in turn, a caption appeared at the bottom of the screen.

 

[To be continued in Episode 2 after the break]

 

Seeing the subtitle I had dreaded, my heart began to thump wildly. 

 

Episode 1 ended without showing my stage. 

 

Considering my rank, skill, and the character and performance I’d shown so far, I thought I would at least appear in the mid-to-late part of Episode 1, if not Episode 2….

 

‘Could it be a complete edit-out…?’ 

 

While thinking there was no way that could happen, my mind worked quickly to prepare for the worst-case scenario. 

 

If I really was completely edited out, what could have been the problem? 

 

Was it a mistake to raise my Charm stat instead of Vocals or Dance during the stat evaluation stage? 

 

Should I have focused on targeting the Main Vocal or Main Dancer positions? 

 

But at the time, there was no other choice besides the Charm stat. 

 

Even the judges’ reactions weren’t bad…. Perhaps not ruining the stage in the first place was the problem. 

 

Should I have just messed it up completely and then shown growth from the next stage?

 

‘Damn it, what use is thinking about it now?’

 

The teaser for Episode 2, designed to pique the viewers’ anticipation, began.

 

[“LMH? LMH is appearing?” 

 

“Why would an agency from the Big 3 be here… aren’t there plenty of places calling for them besides this?” 

 

“I heard a lot of trainees left after the debut lineup was confirmed recently… must be them.” 

 

“Wow, they’re all handsome. Can we expect great skills too?”]

 

Amidst the wariness of the trainees and the expectations of the judges, five trainees, including Yoo Sung, stepped onto the stage.

 

[? What, it’s really LMH?] 

 

[Incredible, why is LMH here?] 

 

[Whoa, but the atmosphere is definitely different lol] 

 

[The rumors about Yoo Sung being from LMH were true] 

 

[I’m looking forward to this lol Trainees from a big house must be different, right?]

 

The viewers began to grow expectant at an atmosphere that was distinctly different from the trainees so far. 

 

However, soon, clips of the LMH trainees making mistakes on stage and the grim expressions of the judges were edited together and flashed by.

 

[“The public doesn’t know how hard you’ve practiced. They don’t even care.” 

 

“I will award the five of you a Beep.”]

 

Following the judges’ harsh criticism, comments anticipating the next episode began to flood in.

 

[Wait, what happened?] 

 

[Isn’t this ‘devil’s editing’? There’s no way LMH trainees would make such basic mistakes] 

 

[Jang Hyuksoo is starting his engine again to bury innocent trainees lol] 

 

[Ah, Episode 1 was so boring I wasn’t going to watch Episode 2, but now I have to]

 

I stared blankly at the Episode 2 teaser, having half-given up.

 

‘Right, complete edit-outs are a common thing. Let’s look forward to the theme song evaluation.’ 

 

Just as I thought the teaser was over, the screen changed again. The screen was no longer showing a bright, flashy stage but a dark backstage.

 

[No ads? Why is the teaser so long] 

 

[Hurry up and show me what happened with LMH!] 

 

[Ah, I’m not going anywhere, I’ll watch Episode 2 so just hurry up] 

 

[But why the backstage all of a sudden?] 

 

[Oh, someone is standing there, who is it?]

 

A single trainee was standing still backstage, staring blankly into space as if lost in thought.

 

‘Eh…?’

 

The trainee caught hold of a staff member and started saying something.

 

[“I’m sorry. I….”]

 

It seemed they weren’t letting us hear what was being said on purpose to stir up anticipation. 

 

The staff member who was listening looked startled and asked the trainee something back. 

 

I swallowed hard. 

 

I knew exactly what that staff member was going to say.

 

[“You want to change your song?”]

 

My heart began to pound once again.