translation by mourningmoor
Yeah, he’s going to do something.
If it’s Jung Yoobin, he’d definitely do it.
“He probably bribed the judges.”
Kim Wooyoung shared his thoughts.
“He’s the kind of guy who thinks the easiest way to get things done is by using money.”
“That would actually be a relief.”
If he was just trying to buy the judges and manipulate the scores, that could be overlooked as a minor trick. It wouldn’t work, but if that was the extent of his attempt, I could at least entertain the challenge.
But if it didn’t stop there, then it was a different story.
“What if he tries something like last time?”
Kim Wooyoung’s expression hardened as he realized what I was referring to—the ‘lighting accident.’ With a serious look, he carefully opened his mouth.
“No way, would he really go that far?”
Even after everything that happened, he still seemed to be holding onto some hope for Jung Yoobin.
Like he didn’t believe Yoobin was that evil.
“Then was last time a situation where he had to go that far?”
“Well, back then he was desperate. He was aiming for the Rookie Award, but you guys took it from him, so with Jung Yoobin’s personality…”
“If that’s the case, then isn’t he even more desperate now?”
In my words, Kim Wooyoung pressed his lips together tightly.
Because even he couldn’t deny I was right.
“That time, it was just a rookie award. He had already debuted, he had a decent-sized fandom growing.”
Even as a member of MuteSeven, he could have just accepted it and continued his activities.
“Missing out on the rookie award was a hit to his pride, sure, but it didn’t affect his career as an idol. He still had plenty of paths open to him.”
Even though he had other options, he still chose to take extreme measures.
Even though he wasn’t completely cornered, he still pulled out a knife.
“But this time? It’s different.”
This time, the situation was far worse than before.
“That was ages ago, and he still hasn’t debuted.”
Jung Yoobin’s position within HS probably wasn’t very good.
There must have been consequences for what happened last time. And on top of that, his skills hadn’t improved much either.
This was his limit.
And yet, he still had the audacity to try and compete with us. HS must be beyond frustrated.
Failing to score well in the monthly evaluations, the quarterly evaluations, and the annual evaluations must have only pushed his debut further and further away. Meanwhile, watching us—who took the rookie award right out of his hands—soar to even greater heights must have made him even more desperate.
In the end, in a bid to prove himself, he pushed for SS Group’s investment.
“This is probably his last chance.”
No matter how much SS Group invested, an untalented idol was just a bottomless pit swallowing money.
That’s why Jang Myungwoo came up with a plan.
If they could take control of the public’s attention through this show, they would debut him.
The money from SS Group’s investment probably went straight into bribing TVH. Not just the judges—there’s a chance even someone at the executive level took the money.
They’ve poured a fortune into getting him to this point, but if he loses again, it’s over.
There’s no way he’s just going to sit back and watch that happen.
So, of course, his mind would start working in a darker direction.
As Kim Wooyoung carefully listened to my words, a realization seemed to dawn on him. His brows furrowed.
“To Jung Yoobin, this is his last opportunity. And if he’s not careful, that opportunity could disappear today, right?”
“That’s right.”
I nodded and continued, my face growing more serious.
“Today is probably a life-or-death moment for Jung Yoobin.”
I can’t read Jung Yoobin’s thoughts, but I can read the thoughts of his teammates. Even the thoughts of Register’s leader.
Just a while ago, as soon as I arrived at the broadcast station, I ran into Register’s leader in the elevator, and the atmosphere was unusual.
“Then... isn't something like that possible?”
“Maybe...?”
Now that he finally realized the gravity of the situation, Kim Wooyoung seemed even more hopeless because he had no countermeasures.
He couldn’t just give up on the stage out of fear of an accident, but the thought of standing on stage and potentially getting into one was terrifying.
At this moment, the only one who remained composed was Seo Hanul.
“Why? What is it? What are you guys talking about?”
Seo Hanul blinked his big eyes as he asked.
Kim Wooyoung, who didn’t answer him, just stared at me intently.
“Do you have a plan?”
From the very beginning of this program, and even in the middle of producing, I had already said that this was an opportunity to trample HS.
That must be why he asked such a question.
I smirked coldly at Kim Wooyoung’s question and nodded.
“I do.”
Hearing that, Kim Wooyoung swallowed dryly and leaned in, resting his arms on the table.
“Then what should I do? I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”
His resolve was laughable.
He was even prepared to throw himself toward falling stage lights—just like I did that day.
But that wouldn’t be helping me.
“There’s only one thing you have to do. Carry out the performance from start to finish.”
From now on, all Kim Wooyoung had to do was fulfill his role as a performer.
In the end, what leads a team to victory is skill.
“Don’t leave your position. No matter what happens, perfect the stage.”
I’ll handle the rest.
“That’s all.”
We already have the skills to win today.
We worked ourselves to the bone, and effort won’t betray Kim Wooyoung.
No, I’ll make sure it doesn’t.
So he only needs to do one thing—complete the performance flawlessly.
“Hanul-hyung, same goes for you. Stay in your spot. No matter what happens, just stay put.”
Seo Hanul, wearing a slightly puzzled expression, nodded.
He must have sensed that something was going on, but he didn’t ask any further.
That’s Seo Hanul’s strength.
If he’s anxious, he just focuses on his goal instead.
“In return, I’ll give you both a talisman.”
“A talisman?”
“A charm to get through this round safely.”
Then, I took off the rings on my fingers and handed one to each of them.
It was a precaution against any potential accident.
Of course, preventing the accident altogether would be enough.
But that wouldn’t be enough to take down Jung Yoobin.
The accident must happen.
This is just the minimum safeguard.
I entrusted their safety to the magic infused within the rings.
* * *
Controlling the judges was easy.
The three hundred judges present today were employees of a gaming company.
Before coming here, they had received instructions from my company.
They were told to distribute their scores carefully when scoring the participating teams.
HS Entertainment was to receive nearly perfect scores, while Melody Entertainment was to be given significantly low scores.
If HS, which currently had eight members left, ranked last, four of them would be eliminated, resulting in their final elimination from this round. That had to be prevented at all costs, so they were ordered to block it no matter what.
But that was no longer possible.
Because I held the minds of all three hundred judges in my hands.
The first performance was from Melody Entertainment.
Perhaps sensing the urgency of the situation, they had put in a considerable amount of effort.
The stage was excellent, and the judges seemed uncomfortable at the thought of giving it an unfairly low score. They all hesitated in scoring.
So, I kindly helped them out.
I suggested setting the score at exactly 276.
As expected, the result was 276.
Next up was the team that included Jung Yoobin.
Jung Yoobin's expression was not good.
According to the original plan, Melody Entertainment’s score should have been below 250. But 276? He couldn’t believe it.
Performing with that kind of mindset—there’s no way it would go well.
Watching Jung Yoobin’s stage, I shook my head.
“Still as boring as ever.”
This guy is really only capable of this much.
If he has no talent, he should at least have a decent personality.
A nobody acting as if he’s someone important—how ridiculous.
The judges seemed to share my sentiment.
They were reluctant about this team, yet they had to give them over 290 points. Inside, some were even thinking they’d rather give a score of zero.
If that’s what they wished for, I was more than happy to assist.
The judges pressed their buttons, and Jung Yoobin ended up with 241 points.
Honestly, even that score was wasted on him.
Even his own master, Register, seemed to think the same.
But Jung Yoobin didn’t.
He refused to acknowledge his mistakes and overestimated his abilities.
Because of that, his face turned so stiff that if this were a live broadcast, it would have been considered a broadcast accident.
His clenched jaw and tightly gritted teeth were captured on screen.
Since HS has backing, this likely won’t make it onto the broadcast.
But that doesn’t mean it won’t spread outside.
The judges had already been secretly taking pictures for a while.
And finally, it was our turn.
Seated at the master’s table, I laced my fingers together and watched the kids take the stage.
That was when Roa suddenly spoke up.
“Hyungnim, what about the rings?”
He must have been curious about the disappearance of the rings from my fingers.
Roa’s gaze, fixed on my fingers where the Grand Mage’s emblem was clearly marked, felt piercing.
Come to think of it, this guy never asked about the markings.
It would have been strange for something like this to appear overnight, yet not even a shred of curiosity surfaced in his mind.
As I rubbed my fingers, I answered.
"I gave one to Wooyoung and Hanul hyung."
"As a talisman?"
"Yeah."
"You did well. The effect is really, really good."
"Mm?"
Roa beamed and pointed at the piercing in his ear. Then, he gave me a thumbs-up.
Hah, what’s with this guy? It doesn’t seem like he figured it out, though.
Just then, the stage preparations were complete, and the lighting changed.
I turned my gaze away from Roa and looked at Kim Wooyoung on stage.
At that moment, he met my eyes.
That guy will be fine. The ring will protect him.
I gave him a subtle smile, and Kim Wooyoung smirked in response.
And then, the music began.
The stage that <Big Eyes> team was about to perform was a song from our first full album—our sub-title track.
Seo Hanul had arranged it to sound heavier, and Roa had adjusted the performance to better suit <Big Eyes> team.
Since their team had bigger builds than ours, they seemed to have changed the mood accordingly.
A pretty decent stage was born.
"You put in a lot of effort. Good job."
When I patted Roa’s back, he chuckled and scratched his head.
The hard work paid off—the scores were high.
The panel of judges gave them the highest score, and the atmosphere reached its peak.
This should be enough. The judges’ scores were already set, so the results couldn’t be overturned. Now, everyone would have to make their own judgments.
And then, I released the power I had been holding back.
With a loud crash, one side of the stage collapsed downward.
In an instant, Kim Wooyoung vanished from the stage.
He had fallen.