Chapter 62: An Unexpected Talent Show
As the low BGM played, the three of them swallowed nervously.
Among the three, the most likely debut team member, Lee Dokyung, was biting his lower lip without saying a word.
Kang Siwoo, unusually, stared blankly at the billboard with a pale face.
[Wow, who do you think will debut?]
Maybe it's Lee Dokyung, who shot up the ranks last week?
-Lee Dokyung's core fans are strong, and since it changed to one-pick voting and his ranking soared, seems likely!
└Yeah, I hope Dokyung debuts.
└2222
└Han I-do seems likely too—lots of people want the youngest duo to make it.
└Isn’t that just what you want?
└Why are you picking a fight lol
-Maybe it's Kang Siwoo, who crushed the stage today.
└But hasn't he never been in the debut range?
└The text voting is heavily influenced by public pick, so honestly it's unpredictable.
└Just look at how Ha Junseo got 3rd and Do Seohan 1st—yep.
└Oh right, Seohan did kill it on stage today lol
└Plus, center recognition helps too.
└Then Kang Siwoo would be at a disadvantage lol the PD cut his screentime, no presence.
-This is why I hate text voting, haha. You can't tell, too many variables.
└Anyway, Lee Dokyung's debuting.
└I’m telling you, it’s Kang Siwoo.
└Lee Dokyung is obviously a likable pick lol. You’d try to vote for Kang Siwoo, make eye contact, and chicken out.
└Why are you hating on a quiet trainee lol Did you vote for Dokyung?
└You can tell it's the final with how savage it's gotten in here.
└Yeah whatever, it's Lee Dokyung debuting~~
While Kang Siwoo and Lee Dokyung's fans were passionately debating in the community,
The broadcast station dared to air yet another mid-episode commercial.
“…When is it coming.”
“This is killing me, seriously.”
As wails erupted from all around, Seohan nervously waited on the first-place seat.
Kang Siwoo, Lee Dokyung, Choi Han.
Knowing the full backstory of that lineup, Seohan couldn't help but be nervous about this announcement.
It was the last member who would debut with them.
One was a third-generation chaebol, one a Casanova.
One could be described as a baby daddy.
With Kang Siwoo as the unpredictable variable, the outcome was anyone’s guess.
Personally, he’d rule out the baby daddy.
The hidden chaebol and the (undetectable) Casanova were preferable.
But even putting all the background aside...
Honestly speaking.
Seohan just wanted to root for Kang Siwoo.
That desperation of his had been too overwhelming for him.
He truly wanted to witness Kang Siwoo’s debut.
“We’ll now announce the 7th-ranked trainee.”
“……”
“The 7th-ranked trainee is….”
-Just announce it already, stop dragging this out.
-If they run another ad, I’m setting TBN on fire.
-Please, Dokyung, please TT
-Save our Han-i
-I feel like I’m going insane
While everyone held their breath, waiting for the final announcement,
Han Dawon finally opened his mouth.
“With a total of 603,928 votes… it’s trainee Kang Siwoo! Congratulations!”
“Waaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaa!”
Pop—
A cheerful firework exploded.
Seohan looked down from the stage in surprise again.
“Wow, Kang Siwoo. Holy, Siwoo!”
“Siwoo, congrats on your debut!”
“Hyung, congratulations!”
Kang Siwoo, surrounded by the other trainees, looked dazed as he was pushed around.
Frozen for a long time like he was buffering, Kang Siwoo finally lifted his head at someone’s loud voice.
“You… it’s your debut!”
“M-Me?”
Debut, debut.
A bright smile belatedly burst across his face.
Kang Siwoo sat down on the spot, covering his face with both hands.
“Ah… ah… thank you….”
It was the day Stardust’s debut team was finalized.
That night, a previously ignored post suddenly climbed into the real-time best rankings.
[My grandma’s a shaman, so I have some spiritual sense]
The debut team is Ha Junseo, Do Seohan, Jin Sehyun, Seo Haim, Seo Ian, Cha Seongbin, and Kang Siwoo
Everyone, come visit this sacred ground in advance
-Came for the pilgrimage
└Came for the pilgrimage. Please help me get into college.
└Came for the pilgrimage22 Please let me win the lottery.
└You actually got this right? Creepy.
└It’s already hard enough to guess one, this is insane. Anyway, I’m here for the pilgrimage.
-They really had spiritual power, everyone laughed at this back then lol
└Even if the others were guessable… Kang Siwoo?
└How the heck did you guess Kang Siwoo lolol
└At this point, I accept you’re the real deal.
-So where do we go for a fortune reading?
└Lololololol lining up now
└You can legally start a business. Give us the address, quick.
└Please, will I get a job this year?
“This… was real?”
Han Yooyoung, a die-hard viewer who had watched every episode of the Stardust Project from start to finish, covered her mouth in amazement.
This wasn’t fabricated.
She remembered seeing that post before the finale.
“How did they even guess Kang Siwoo….”
Shaking her head in disbelief, Han Yooyoung quickly scrolled down.
Except for Seo Ian, who skyrocketed during the concept evaluation, most of them had stood out from episode one, so it wasn’t that surprising.
But Kang Siwoo hadn’t even made it into most predicted debut lineups until he crushed the final stage.
…And yet they guessed him.
Having seen Kang Siwoo’s final performance in person, Han Yooyoung couldn’t help but give a standing ovation—it had been that impressive.
A flawless performance that instantly engraved his once-weak presence in everyone’s minds.
However, Lee Dokyung’s fans were still latching onto Kang Siwoo, refusing to let go.
Even a quick glance at the first page of posts revealed titles like these in droves.
[Everything’s fine, but ㅋㅅㅇ ruins it]
[One guy seriously doesn’t fit~ not naming names]
[Kang Siwoo in the debut team? lol]
Do you seriously think Do Seohan, Seo Haim, and Kang Siwoo standing together looks natural? lol
-Gotcha, you’re a Lee Dokyung fan, right?
└Lololol your hate for Kang Siwoo is so transparent~
└Go support your pick’s future ^^ Stop dragging down the ones who already debuted.
└Someone’s been posting Kang Siwoo hate all day with the same tone. Seriously, are you that bitter?
“Tsk.”
There are always people like that.
They clearly thought Lee Dokyung would debut and couldn’t stand that he lost to Kang Siwoo.
Clicking her tongue, Han Yooyoung shook her head.
Rather than wasting time on those meaningless emotional fights, it was better to run my imagination circuit on the debut album.
In that sense, a question mark popped up in Han Yooyoung’s head.
‘What kind of concept will they debut with?’
Since it's a debut album, maybe a refreshing concept?
Or maybe a tough one like before?
“Both would be nice….”
No, before that.
“What are our kids doing right about now?”
“Seohan~. Great job!”
“Gosh, you finished so late! Come here!”
After the finale, there was just one unofficial schedule left.
It was the gathering of family members from here and there to celebrate my debut.
Still, at this late hour.
I didn’t expect Grandpa, Grandma, aunts, and cousins to all gather.
Don’t you all sleep?
I wanted to ask, but I missed the timing thanks to Grandma’s booming voice.
“It’s a great day, a great day!”
“Seohan, doesn’t it feel good?”
After a six-hour-long shoot, I was getting drained in real time.
I nodded with a blank look on my face.
“Ah, yes… yes….”
Thanks to Grandma, my soul, which had wandered off, returned to its place.
She enthusiastically slapped my back.
Pat pat—
“Oh dear, my baby.”
“…!”
“So Seohan, you became a celebrity?”
It was quite late, so I thought everyone would be tired, but apparently, I was the only one.
The noisy living room never ran out of audio.
“He was handsome from birth.”
“He had the face of a future celebrity!”
Haha….
With compliments pouring in from all sides, Dad joined in proudly.
“It’s all thanks to my genes.”
Please, Dad.
My father’s baseless confidence was quickly shut down by everyone’s cold reality check.
“No way. If he took after his parents, he wouldn’t be dancing like that.”
“…That’s true.”
“Is Seohan good at singing too?”
“What did he grab during his first birthday?”
“Maybe… a mic?”
“Gasp! That’s right! Seohan, you grabbed the mic?”
“He showed promise from the start, huh.”
It got to the point where they started talking about my first birthday, and my head began to spin a little.
“Haha… thank you….”
Thankfully, the topic shifted naturally the moment snacks and beer were brought out.
Just when I thought the shower of compliments from the adults had ended….
Now came autograph requests from the cousins.
My six-year-old cousin came running and shook my shoulder.
“Oppa, give me your autograph!”
“Why? To keep it?”
“I’m gonna sell it to my friends!”
Huh?
So you’ve tasted capitalism.
Already hardened by life at age twelve.
Of course, he got scolded right away by his mom.
“You… you can’t sell your oppa’s autograph!”
“Nayoung said she’d buy me food if I get one!”
“No way!”
Oh boy.
While I clicked my tongue quietly, my older cousin sheepishly approached.
“So… my girlfriend said she watches Stardust. Can I get an autograph…”
“Sure.”
“Let’s take a picture too.”
Snap—
My cousin quickly got what he needed and sat back on the sofa satisfied.
So this is why everyone gathered at this hour?
Of course, in exchange, I was treated to unlimited hot galbitang.
“Seohan, you must be hungry. At least have some rice.”
“Yeep—.”
They didn’t give us food while we were working on stage till now.
Of course, I wouldn’t say no.
With sparkling eyes, I rushed over to the table.
Slurp—
“Wow, this is seriously delicious.”
Maybe it was because I’d been secretly obsessed with dieting during the Stardust days, but the meat broth tasted tear-jerkingly good today.
But I didn’t expect that the price of enjoying that broth would be this.
.
.
.
.
“Seohan, show us a dance.”
“Pardon?”
One random comment led to applause bursting out from all directions.
It felt like the audience at the finale stage.
“Waaaaah!”
“What, is oppa gonna dance?”
“Do Seohan! Do Seohan! Do Seohan!”
“Show us! Show us!”
Huh?
Well, to be fair, when I was around fourteen or fifteen, I used to dance in front of the family from time to time.
Not sure why I did that back then….
I guess I felt some pride in what I’d learned from the company.
But now.
“Haha….”
I’m twenty-six.
Seriously, I’m twenty-six, you know?
Isn’t it kind of sad to do a talent show for your family at this age?
I rubbed my aching head and let out a sigh.
“Haa….”
“Wow, is he really gonna do it?”
As if.
“There’s no way I’m dancing on the living room floor….”
“Oh dear, our Seohan’s good at dancing?”
Ah, Grandma.
“…I’m decent, I suppose.”
In the end, I showed them a little bit.
Even that was from Stardust.