Chapter 102
[Score: 98.7]
Considering that Jaina had scored 99.2, it was practically a perfect score.
Ayoung jumped up and down on the spot, overjoyed.
Catching a glimpse of her gaze seeming to drift toward Jihyun, Jihyun waved at Ayoung in the moments when the camera wasn’t on them.
“So if this continues, Ayoung will get to choose the members and mentor first, and only then pick the song via rock-paper-scissors.”
During the vocal skill evaluation, each participant had gone separately, using the karaoke machine an extra time.
It had been a bit cumbersome, and there had been opinions that there was no need to repeat it. This time, it seemed they had reflected on that and reduced it by one step.
Following Ayoung, the other participants received their scores one by one via the dance machines. Fortunately, no one scored higher than Ayoung.
In a way, it was only natural. Ayoung had plenty of experience, and with this song, her confidence likely added to that experience.
With that much confidence, it would be difficult for anyone to surpass her skill and score.
Unless it was a participant like Sehee, beating Ayoung wouldn’t be easy.
“Now, since the team rankings have been determined by the leader, we’ll begin forming the teams in earnest.”
The first to pick, of course, was Ayoung.
Jaina smiled at Ayoung as if saying, “I knew it would be you,” lightly placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Now, participant Sung Ayoung! Who will be the lucky participant to be chosen first for Sung Ayoung’s team!?”
“The first participant….”
Her voice trembled slightly, probably because it was her first time choosing someone herself.
But Ayoung soon steadied herself, lifting her head with determined eyes.
“My first team member is…”
“The first team member!?”
“I choose participant Aisaka Rin.”
“Kyaa!”
At the mention of Aisaka Rin, the small child hiding shyly jumped up and ran toward Ayoung.
Peeking over from behind Ayoung as she lined up, it was both cute and, at the same time, gave the impression that they’d make a good match.
‘She probably decided after seeing Rin dance and reacting to it.’
By picking Aisaka Rin as her first pick, Ayoung revealed her intention to push a concept of cuteness for this dance mission. That much was clear just from choosing Rin first.
However, Jihyun’s expectations wavered the moment the second member was chosen.
“I choose participant Kim Seunghye.”
‘Here… that kid?’
It must have been the moment when question marks appeared on everyone’s faces at once.
Even Jihyun, Jaina, and even Sehee, who was observing from a distance, tilted their heads at Ayoung’s choice.
Compared to Ayoung and Rin, who emphasized cuteness as their charm, Seunghye, standing nearly 175 cm tall, gave off more of a cool vibe than a cute one.
‘Is she thinking of a different kind of stage, not a cute one? Ayoung seems to have a plan…’
In this situation, she could have gone safely without taking any risks. So why did Ayoung want to team up with Seunghye?
Even now, Seunghye herself seemed a bit bewildered at why she had been picked for this team.
‘Still, she must have something in mind.’
There was no choice but to trust that for now.
It was the first time she had received an A-rank, giving her the stage where she could have the most influence.
Since Ayoung was experienced on stage, she must have had a reason for picking Seunghye.
Or, perhaps, she picked Seunghye not for her image, but for other qualities—teamwork, for instance.
If you have a clear concept and know what you want to achieve, bringing in a participant like Seunghye, who can support that, could also be a good strategy.
That idea was reinforced when Ayoung continued to select participants similar in cute image to herself and Rin for the remaining members.
With the team already formed, all that was left was to cheer for Ayoung.
“I choose Jihyun.”
During the mentor selection time, Ayoung, having won first priority again via rock-paper-scissors, chose Jihyun without hesitation.
‘Right. She should choose me as her mentor.’
Jihyun smiled warmly, letting out a sigh of relief at the same time.
She had worried that Ayoung might pick someone else as her mentor, so it was truly a relief.
This way, she could closely observe Ayoung’s intentions and provide advice accordingly.
“But why did she form the team that way?”
“Who knows.”
During the break, Jaina slowly approached Jihyun to ask. Jihyun couldn’t give a precise answer yet, as she still hadn’t fully grasped Ayoung’s intentions.
To be honest, even now, watching the group choose songs one by one, the sight of everyone being small except for Seunghye towering over the rest looked kind of funny.
When the other judges, who had arrived to select mentors, looked on, they seemed more interested in Ayoung’s team than their own mentor teams.
Especially Heecheol, who always found reasons to complain.
“Why did she pick that kid for her team? Does she still lack the judgment to be in the A-rank?”
“Who knows. I’m not sure.”
This time, Jihyun couldn’t clearly refute Heecheol’s opinion.
Still, she would do what she could.
“I have to trust her. I’ll support her well.”
After wrapping up the discussion, they returned to the waiting room.
“You want to see me again?”
“Yes. I’m not sure if it’s just you, Jihyun, or if all the judges were called, but they didn’t say why, so I don’t really know.”
“Okay. I’ll go.”
If it wasn’t just her, maybe they would discuss the program’s direction.
It was also a good opportunity to ask if it would be okay to give the surprise gifts she had bought to the participants.
But thinking, “It’s probably nothing,” Jihyun went there with ease, only to hear something unexpected.
“You’re saying we’ll allow on-site participation?”
“That’s right.”
Youngjun clapped his knees, smiling brightly at the judges—especially at Jihyun.
“You may have noticed, but didn’t the first episode’s response go well?”
Jihyun and the others all nodded at Youngjun’s words.
‘Well, it’s inevitable.’
Everyone knew it would succeed.
This was a program directed by PD Han Youngjun, who always crafted narratives that made viewers cry and drew consecutive hits.
Although this was his first idol survival program, countless agencies had sent their best trainees, trusting his name.
Moreover, the broadcasting company invested heavily in Youngjun’s name, making the scale enormous.
The selection process was strict. Several skilled judges spent nights reviewing countless videos.
Even if some participants were comparatively weaker, everyone was fundamentally talented.
As a result, not only K-pop fans but also general viewers found it worth watching, sometimes even looking for replays.
“A few days ago, the first episode recorded a 1% viewership rating.”
A 1% rating might seem low at first glance.
But for programs targeting a specific audience like an audition show, it’s different. Viewers interested in idols and audition shows don’t usually watch on TV.
Short clips and reviews spreading on SNS and communities are much more important indicators.
“And the reactions from those platforms aren’t bad, and more viewers are expected to tune in gradually. The rerun ratings are also quite significant.”
Standing up, Youngjun’s tone was noticeably excited.
“In short, our program is a huge hit!”
