"The final debut lineup will consist of seven members. We will begin by announcing 6th place and move upward to 1st place, then call the 7th member last."
The camera—its red light glowing—swept over the tense trainees and the blue-lit debut seats behind them.
"Trainees whose names are called, please cross the stage and come to where I'm standing."
The MC lowered his eyes to the cue card as silence stretched.
"This trainee possesses overwhelming star quality."
With that hint, the MC opened the ranking ceremony, beginning with 6th place.
"Throughout all of
At those words, many trainees instinctively looked toward a specific few.
Among the twenty, only a handful had consistently been called "full of talent."
"...."
I glanced at Cheon Se-rim beside me. His previous ranking was 6th—within the debut zone, but not comfortably.
He knew it too; his usually relaxed expression was stiff.
But I didn't think Se-rim had any reason to worry.
Today, he had delivered a legendary performance.
So…
"6th place is… trainee Cheon Se-rim from Garam Entertainment!"
"Aah!"
Of course he debuted.
This is the natural result.
Cheon Se-rim had always done well—never once showing anything below expectation, and today he had shined brightly. There was no reason for his rank to drop.
"Waaaaah!!!"
"Se-rim!!"
"Cheon Se-rim!!"
The audience erupted in cheers. The trainees around him—Aiden Lee, Joo Dan-woo, and others—hugged him one by one.
"Congratulations."
"Hyung…"
I quietly congratulated him as well. Se-rim bit his lip, nodded happily, and began walking forward.
His face was flushed red, lips curved in a smile, yet his eyes were shimmering with emotion as he stepped onto the long runway toward the MC.
"Throughout
Receiving a microphone from the staff, Se-rim was speechless at first, overwhelmed.
Then, regaining his voice, he spoke:
"I… don't know where to start. I kept waiting for a chance, but honestly, I didn't think that chance would ever actually come…"
He quietly shared the emotions he had endured—
the fear he felt when he thought it was all over,
the relief of surviving,
the joy of finally debuting.
"And lastly… I want to thank the hyung I dreamed of debuting with—the one I want to meet again someday. I'm sorry… and thankful. I want to stand on stage with you again."
When he mentioned Kim Young-shin, he ended up crying in earnest—then laughing awkwardly as he wiped his face and climbed up onto the debut set.
Thunderous applause filled the venue as Se-rim sat in the 6th-place seat.
And the ranking announcements continued without pause—rewarding the audience for their long wait.
"5th place. The embodiment of endless effort."
The next name called:
"5th place is Yoo Chan-hee from DIO Entertainment!"
"Gasps…"
It was Yoo Chan-hee.
He collapsed to his seat the moment his name was said.
Trainees from his final performance group rushed to help him up and hold him steady.
His previous rank had been 2nd, so this was a considerable drop—but there was no trace of disappointment.
He looked purely relieved and happy.
Already crying before he even stood, Chan-hee staggered toward the MC and received a microphone.
"I—I want to th-thank my mom, dad, and siblings for believing in m-me… And… thank you to the fans, too. I—I know it was so hard to believe in me… but I heard so many kind words… I met so many good hyungs… So many people gave me courage… I was able to hold on…"
His pronunciation was slurred by sobs, yet the message reached everyone.
Fans holding his slogans were openly crying.
After crying more into Se-rim's comforting pat on the back, Chan-hee sat in the chair marked "5."
"4th place is… Aiden Lee from NineHit!"
"Hm."
Aiden grinned as soon as he heard his name.
A hint of disappointment maybe—but overall satisfied.
"I'll go ahead first~."
He gave my shoulder and Joo Dan-woo's shoulder each a tap, as if confident we would be joining him soon.
Aiden gave a cheerful, concise speech—
gratitude to fans,
how much he enjoyed performing,
how much he grew.
And lastly—
"Noona! (Just one thing—I told you I'd make my dream come true!)"
You said I'd debut! he added brightly in English, beaming.
Ending with a little sibling bait, Aiden took his seat happily.
…Very Aiden-like.
I'd heard his opera-singer sister in the UK was older by a few years—
the dynamic between those siblings definitely seemed… intense.
Does that mean she has Aiden's personality too…?
That's terrifying.
Formidable, even.
As I mulled over that unpleasant thought, the MC continued.
"3rd place is DreamActors trainee Kang Hyun-jin!"
Hyun-jin blinked in shock the moment his name was called.
Do Ji-hyuk softly patted his shoulder, and Hyun-jin walked forward in a daze.
Our eyes met as he passed, and I clapped for him.
Only then did Hyun-jin's expression crumple with emotion.
"First… thank you to the fans."
Kang Hyunjin raised the microphone and opened his mouth, his face flushed red.
"Whether the name they called was really mine… it felt like dozens of thoughts passed through my head in just a few seconds. But it was my name… it really was."
Speaking like that, Kang Hyunjin slowly continued talking about what
"There are so many people I'm grateful to, but I think I have to bring up one person's name. Thank you. Yuha. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now… I'm glad I met you. Let's debut together."
The camera swung toward me. I was briefly flustered, but soon I gave a small nod. Kang Hyunjin showed a faint smile and sat down in the chair labeled '3'.
'Is this also a butterfly effect?'
In my previous life, when Kang Hyunjin ranked first, he didn't mention anyone's name in his acceptance speech. Not even his parents. He simply left a concise message of gratitude to the fans, cold and businesslike, before starting his activities.
I had no idea why, among all the people he felt grateful to, he thought he should say my name this time. But either way, there was nothing bad about it. The guy looked genuinely happy right now.
"Then now, we will begin announcing the final 1st and 2nd place."
I had been staring at the debut seats, now nearly all filled except for the last three spots. At the MC's words, I turned my gaze back to him. Even the audience gradually quieted down.
"..."
I watched the MC pick up a new cue card and steadied my breath. I was trying my best to empty my mind, but despite that effort, I couldn't stop my heart from pounding.
'…If my name isn't called here.'
I die.
The system's quest requirement was to enter the top three. Now that Kang Hyunjin had taken 3rd place, if I wasn't 1st or 2nd, I would lose my life.
I tried to think as rationally as possible. Whether I wanted it or not, the recent incidents had worked in my favor in terms of recognition. So the situation should have been advantageous to me.
'Calm down, Won Yuha.'
There was no reason I wouldn't make the debut lineup. If my name hadn't been called yet, then the only ranks left were 1st or 2nd.
'…But isn't there always a "what if"?'
Even so, my mind—accustomed to the worst—kept producing scenarios of what if.
Never once had anything I wished for come true. I had never received a single reward for hopes or dreams.
So I couldn't help thinking of the worst outcomes that were familiar to me.
'What if… I ended up 7th? Or even lower?'
I clenched my fist tightly as that thought crossed my mind. My heart was pounding even harder, my vision narrowing, my hands trembling.
"..."
But when something came to mind, I felt the tension slowly melt away. Because in that moment, I recalled what the present me was able to do.
'…Right. There's no need to be nervous.'
I had done my best. There was nothing more I could've done.
All that was left was to wait.
And to believe—in my effort and in my "luck."
With that thought, strangely, my racing heart began to calm.
And then—
"The honorable 1st place chosen by our Idol Makers. Let's meet the nominees on the screen now."
"Ah...!"
"Ah!"
With the MC's announcement, the screens on both sides of the set, where the debut seats were arranged, lit up with two trainees' faces.
The ones shown were—
"The two trainees on the screen are the contenders for 1st and 2nd place. Please come to the front where I am standing."
"Let's go, Yuha."
"…Yes."
It was me and Do Ji-hyuk.
Relief almost made my knees buckle, but I barely managed to support myself and walked forward.
The moment I released my clenched fist, my hand trembled violently. Seeing that, Do Ji-hyuk asked,
"Were you nervous?"
"…Honestly, yes."
"Haha."
Do Ji-hyuk laughed pleasantly and patted my shoulder. A microphone was handed to us as we crossed the stage side by side.
"You two were amazing teammates who showed overwhelming performances in the final round. I imagine it must be both rewarding and nerve-wracking to stand here as 1st and 2nd. Let's hear your final thoughts. Trainee Do Ji-hyuk first."
"Yes. First of all, I think I'm just happy that I'll be able to continue working with Yuha. He's a great friend, and debuting together has always been our dream. Whoever gets 1st place, I hope we can sincerely congratulate each other."
"Thank you. Next, trainee Won Yuha."
"Yes."
I lifted the microphone at the MC's cue, and he asked me,
"Trainee Won Yuha, you consistently stayed in the top ranks, but at the third ranking announcement, you dropped to 10th place, shocking many Idol Makers. Yet in the final performance, you delivered another thrilling comeback. What do you think about today's ranking?"
"…I think it's nothing short of a miracle. Mm..."
I glanced at the audience before continuing quietly,
"…There's a lot I want to say, but I'll share it once I can fully let myself relax. I want to deliver it with a heart that's completely joyful."
"Haha, I see. Then for trainee Won Yuha's sake, we should hurry and announce the results."
Laughing heartily, the MC lowered his gaze to the cue card containing the name of the 1st place trainee, then looked back up at the camera.
Standing side by side with Do Ji-hyuk, I stared at the two screens and took another deep breath.
'Please.'
For the first time, I prayed that the name called would be mine.
"Thank you for waiting. After a long journey, the trainee who has surpassed the other 100 contestants to claim 1st place is…"
And so, finally—
"…KRM Entertainment trainee Won Yuha!"
"...!"
May I be able to say everything I've been wanting to say.
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