"Congratulations, Yuha."
Feeling Do Ji-hyuk pat my back from beside me, I stared blankly at the screen.
My own face appeared—wearing a stupid expression. Soon, the screen briefly showed the face of Baek I-Hyeon, seated in the second-floor audience section where the trainees' families were gathered.
Normally, the sight of that face would have ruined my mood instantly, but not today. Not even Baek I-Hyeon could ruin how I felt.
"First, let's hear trainee Do Ji-hyuk's thoughts."
"Thank you for the undeserved rank of 2nd place. Right at this moment… the fact that I can continue standing on stage, and that I can keep meeting our fans—that's what makes me happiest. I will strive to always do my best. Please look after Wondear's Do Ji-hyuk."
"Congratulations. Next, let's hear from trainee Won Yuha."
But the strange emotion ruling my heart, mixed with the overwhelming relief, was far too big.
"…Yes, first..."
I lifted the microphone to my lips.
What should I say first? There were so many things I wanted to say that the words wouldn't come easily. Uncharacteristically, the corners of my eyes stung.
'Get a hold of yourself, Won Yuha.'
I barely held it back.
I must not cry here. If I cry, it'll only solidify that "young family head" image even more.
What I need to do is gently steer away from that image. With that in mind, I took a small breath to settle the emotions rising in my chest and began speaking.
"…I want to thank the fans who believed in me, cherished me, and also loved me. While running this survival with me, I'm sure there were painful and sad moments for you too."
During the evil edits, and when my past was exposed, even then the fans continued giving me their support. No expression of gratitude could ever fully convey what that means to me.
"I've been wondering how I can repay the love you've given me. There's so little I can do. As for how I can give back from now on… I'll take my time figuring that out."
As I spoke, I looked toward the audience, where fans still had tearful expressions.
"But before that, there is one promise I want to make here. I won't give you anything to regret. I won't disappoint you… I'll become that kind of Won Yuha. I want us to be happy together. And..."
I paused. Without realizing it, I lifted my head toward the ceiling before lowering it again.
—Just say it, Yuha.
As Aiden Lee's words—spoken when I had been considering dropping out—flashed through my mind, I didn't hesitate.
"…Mom, Dad."
I no longer needed to hold back the smile tugging at my lips.
"Thank you for creating my happiness. Every good thing that's happened in my life… it's all because of you. When I think back, not once was I unhappy while I was with you. All the luck I have… I received it from both of you."
Taking in a twelve-year-old child from an orphanage, giving him devoted care, and taking responsibility for him until the very end.
Encouraging your young son who wanted to become an idol, pushing me forward, giving me courage, and loving me without reservation until the day you passed away.
I will never forget that.
Those are not empty words. Every bit of luck I have, every bit of happiness I can remember—all of it came from my parents.
Being able to meet fans, being able to dream at all—it's all thanks to them.
Without them, there is no me. So—
"When I hesitated, you believed in me. The reason I could make it this far was because of that belief. I will repay that faith. I will never… become an unworthy son. I'll become the wonderful idol you wanted me to be, so please watch over me. Thank you, and I love you."
This was something I absolutely had to say.
I had to win first place to be able to say it.
'To tell the world that my parents were not a source of misfortune to me.'
Because the love I knew—the love I felt—came entirely from them.
So I was grateful. Grateful that I could say it.
Thinking that, I lowered the microphone. The MC, who had been waiting for my speech to end, told Do Ji-hyuk and me to head up to the set.
Following those words, as we walked up together, the members already waiting there jumped out, surrounded us, and hugged us tight.
"Guh—"
Too tight. Way too tight.
I pounded on their arms and let out a strangled sound.
"I can't… breathe..."
"Hold it!"
"Just endure!"
"..."
I couldn't do a thing and eventually had to withstand a hug that felt like it might crack my ribs.
Fortunately, since the broadcast was still ongoing, I was freed soon after and managed to sit down with my face still flushed red.
Once the atmosphere settled, the MC lifted the microphone again.
"Though the center of 'Wondear' has already been revealed, one chair remains empty."
The camera showed the empty chair. Even though 1st place had been announced, the ranking ceremony wasn't over yet.
"Now, we will announce the final member of 'Wondear,' trainee ranked 7th."
Because the final ranking announcement—the climax of the survival—was still left.
"The candidates for 7th place are the four trainees listed here. We will reveal them on the screen."
At the MC's words, the remaining trainees all looked toward the screen. A four-split image appeared, showing the faces of four trainees.
"Ah...!"
"..."
I looked at the screen and quietly clasped my hands together.
"The four trainees nominated as candidates are Gyeong Ji-won, Hwang Young-oh, Joo Dan-woo, and Lee Garam."
As expected, Joo Dan-woo was one of the four names.
Joo Dan-woo stood stiffly among the trainees. With a pale face and eyes lowered, he soon stepped forward with the other three candidates.
All four trainees looked more nervous than ever, but among them, Joo Dan-woo looked so unsteady he seemed ready to collapse just from hearing his name called.
"This is crazy..."
"Please, please, please…"
The tension among the fans intensified too—prayers and pleas spilled out from the audience. Slogans with the trainees' names trembled with desperate hope.
"We will announce 10th place first."
In that charged atmosphere, the MC finally began the rollout of ranks. The first name called was—
"10th place, trainee Hwang Young-oh of Yeohoon Entertainment!"
It was Hwang Young-oh.
The moment his name was called, his face darkened. His previous rank had been 11th. Though he rose one spot, he still failed to enter the debut lineup.
'…His position must have played a major role.'
Hwang Young-oh did his best. But he didn't stand out exceptionally.
Since the real-time text voting during the live broadcast determined much of the outcome, and because he hadn't received any particularly strong stage moments, he had been overshadowed by other trainees.
Hwang Young-oh gave a short comment promising to meet fans again with better performances, and as audience members voiced their regret, the MC called the next name.
"9th place, trainee Gyeong Ji-won of FH Entertainment!"
"…Thank you."
Despite performing solidly in this round, he still didn't make the debut lineup. With visible disappointment, Gyeong Ji-won shared his determination for future stages and ended his speech.
"Next, we will announce the 7th-place trainee. The remaining trainee will automatically take 8th place."
Two trainees remained now: the rapper line, Lee Garam and Joo Dan-woo.
'Lee Garam… last time he was 5th, wasn't he?'
In the final performance, he had been pushed aside by Yoo Chanhui and forced to take sub-rapper. In Team 2, there was no trainee with enough presence to surpass Yoo Chanhui or Aiden Lee, so naturally he must have received fewer votes.
But whether it was Joo Dan-woo or Lee Garam, neither outcome would have been surprising. Both had consistently shown strong skills and built solid fandoms over the course of the show.
If I had to say who I personally hoped for…
"Before announcing the rank, let's hear their thoughts. First, trainee Joo Dan-woo."
"…Yes."
…I wanted it to be the person whose face I kept meeting, someone I trusted, someone I wanted to keep working with.
Joo Dan-woo quietly accepted the microphone. His hand was trembling.
"Thank you to the Idol Makers who allowed me to remain until the very end. Just being able to come this far makes me truly happy, but..."
He slowly lifted his head. I took my eyes off the close-up on the screen and instead looked directly at the real Joo Dan-woo standing on the stage.
Joo Dan-woo was looking at the seats of the already-chosen debut members. As if searching each face, wondering what they were thinking, he slowly gazed through them all.
"…But I want to be greedy, just a little more. I want to debut. I want to achieve the dream I've wished for my entire life."
Finally, he said something I never expected to hear from him—his honest desire—and lowered the microphone.
'…If this were the early episodes, he never would've said that.'
Whatever he wanted, he would have hesitated and eventually brushed it off with a few humble words.
Thinking about that made me truly feel how much time had passed—and how much things had changed. And just how hard Joo Dan-woo had worked to get here.
After that, Lee Garam also shared his thoughts before the final announcement. Then the MC glanced down at the cue card and opened his mouth.
"The final 7th-place trainee who will become a member of Wondear is…"
The silence that followed was unusually long.
'Hurry up, already.'
'Just end it....'
As extreme tension wrapped around the venue, countless desperate eyes fixed on the MC, waiting for the result.
"…Congratulations, trainee Joo Dan-woo of Sheez Label!"
At last, the name I had been hoping for was called, and the entire venue exploded into cheers.
"Danwoo!"
"Danwoo! Danwoo!"
"Huuuuuu…!"
"Hyung, congratulations!"
"Congratulations on debuting!"
The moment his name was called, the hall turned into a complete sea of tears.
Fans holding slogans with Joo Dan-woo's name sobbed as they chanted for him, and even among the trainees who hadn't been called, most seemed to offer heartfelt congratulations for his debut.
Standing among the trainees with a stunned expression as he received the congratulations, Joo Dan-woo finally began walking forward at the MC's call.
"Ah!"
"Danwoo!"
He even stumbled once as though he might fall, but somehow, he made it across the stage and brought his microphone to his lips.
Then, after pausing as though choosing what to say—
"Ah..."
He finally burst into tears.
"Don't cry! Danwoo, don't cry!"
"Hyung!"
Both the audience and the debut members called out to him. Hearing them only made him cry harder, covering his face for a long moment as he couldn't bring himself to speak.
Then at last, he lowered his hand and began speaking through his tear-stained face.
"Th-thank you… I don't have any words besides thank you, ah..."
"You may speak slowly, trainee Joo Dan-woo."
Following the MC's gentle encouragement, Joo Dan-woo wiped his face over and over. Only then did he manage to continue.
"…While participating in
Even with his voice trembling, every word from Joo Dan-woo was clear. Amid cheers and sympathetic sighs, he slowly continued.
"…But as I went through each round… I discovered parts of myself I never knew, I met amazing friends, and experienced so many changes. So I'm just thankful, thankful for everything. There are too many people to name… but I will make sure to properly thank each one when I can. And I want to repay the fans as well… with hard work that never falters. Thank you."
Finishing his speech, Joo Dan-woo bowed deeply. The hall erupted into congratulations once again.
"Danwoo, congratulations!"
"Joo Dan-woo!"
"Congratulations, trainee Joo Dan-woo. Please take your seat."
Joo Dan-woo nodded at the MC's words and climbed back to his seat, covering his face once more. The trainees who had been sitting immediately stood and rushed toward him.
"Hyung, don't cry!"
"It's a good day—why are you sobbing like this?"
"Let's do well together from now on."
"Hyung—don't cry, let's fight together, okay?"
I also stepped down the stairs and greeted the newly chosen debut member.
"Let's do well—from here on."
"…Yeah."
With a tear-streaked smile, Joo Dan-woo nodded. The trainees patted his shoulder one by one and returned to their seats.
I went back up the stairs and sat in the 1st-place chair.
Ding!
"...!"
At the familiar notification sound, I looked up.
A window I'd been waiting for had appeared before my eyes before I even noticed.
『Quest Complete!』
Congratulations. You have seized your destiny, achieved 1st place in the final ranking ceremony, and successfully debuted as a member of the group "Wondear."
Reward: Luck Roulette Guaranteed Ticket +1
All quests complete.
All quests complete!
At the reward I had been waiting for all this time, I clenched my fist. Just as I expected, the final performance had been the end of the system's quests.
'…It was long.'
Realizing that the system was finally letting me go, I let out a hollow laugh. It seemed all the destiny it wanted from me had been fulfilled.
'So it's releasing me because it no longer needs me.'
I had been used to the fullest, but I didn't mind. The relief of no longer living under threat made everything feel lighter.
I no longer needed to be pushed around by the system. Overwhelmed with joy, I raised my hand to press "Receive Reward."
Jzzzt—
"…Huh?"
The system window in front of me suddenly flickered, static spreading across it.
'What…?'
A bizarre phenomenon I had never once seen. A question rose in my mind, but before I could process it—
Jzzzt—
"...!"
Time stopped.
The cheering audience, the celebrating debut members, the disappointed yet understanding trainees, even the MC preparing his next line—
Everything froze.
Jzzzt—
『An error has occurred. Reward distribution has been suspended.』
A system message I could not comprehend appeared before my eyes.
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