Chapter 37: Waiting Room Nerves

Once the participants were more or less ready, the camera rehearsal began.

They sat waiting in the waiting room, which would also be used for the actual recording, organized by team.

A signal came through on the monitor placed in front of them, and soon it began showing the center of the stage where the filming would take place.

It seemed the footage being shot in the studio was being transmitted live.

“Teams 1 and 2!

Come out and get ready!”

A staff member burst through the door, quickly spat out their lines, and left just as swiftly.

Through the open door, the first and second teams filed out.

Not long after, Producer Muk Sahyeon’s face appeared on the monitor.

“Ah, can you hear me in the waiting room too?

We’ll be doing a continuous run-through from the MC introduction, entrance, team introductions, interviews, performances, voting encouragement, and exit.”

Following that, a staff member began lifelessly reading the MC’s script in place of Son Chae-i.

Soon after, the first team appeared on stage, and as Producer Muk had said, the team introductions and interviews followed.

There seemed to be about two questions per team, covering general topics about team formation and practice.

When the members of the first team kept stumbling over their words, flustered, Producer Muk snapped at them to have their answers prepared before the actual contest began, then moved on.

“I’ll handle questions related to team formation, and if questions about practice come up, I’ll take them.”

For individual questions, everyone would handle their own.

At Yoon Ji-heon’s words, everyone nodded.

Then they focused back on the monitor.

The first team’s performance was about to start.

“Holy!”

As the accompaniment began to play and the screen showing the center of the stage switched to a different angle focusing on a specific participant, the waiting room instantly became chaotic.

Apparently, they were showing the same footage that would air on the actual broadcast.

A participant sitting in the very front urgently pulled out their monitoring tablet PC and started filming the screen.

It seemed they wanted to record it for the first team, who probably didn’t know this yet.

When the first team’s performance ended, the camera began taking one-shots of each person.

The so-called ‘ending fairies’.

Come to think of it, the original final formation for the ‘July Snow’ stage was for everyone to circle around facing inward, but at the production team’s request, an additional formation facing the front of the stage had been added.

Was this all for that reason?

Lost in thought, the ending fairy segment finished before he knew it.

“We’re Team 1!

The ‘Shop! We’re Good’ team!

Please give us lots of support votes!”

Facing the camera that slowly panned from left to right, the members of the first team traced the number 1 with their fingers and mouthed the words asking for votes.

“Hyungs, hold on a moment.”

Lee Woo-rim gathered them with a secretive voice.

Wondering what the problem was, they turned around to see Lee Woo-rim with a serious expression, suddenly raising his right hand.

Then, he made a circle with his thumb and index finger and curved his remaining fingers over it, forming a hook-like shape.

“How about this?”

When they looked at him with expressions asking what he was talking about, Lee Woo-rim suddenly thrust his hand in front of their faces.

“Six!

It’s six!”

Come to think of it, the hand shape Lee Woo-rim had made did look like the number 6.

It seemed he meant for them to make the number 6 with their hands, just like the first team had made the number 1 by raising their index fingers.

“That’s not bad, right?

It’s cute!”

Chae Han-ul eagerly moved his hands, adding his agreement.

Jae-seo thought they could just simply make a 1 with one hand and a 5 with the other, but he didn’t bother saying it out loud.

And so, Lee Woo-rim’s idea of making a 6 with one hand was adopted.

***

Not long after, it was the fourth team’s turn for rehearsal, and their team left the waiting room and headed to the studio upon the call.

They had temporarily left the tablet PC with a participant from another team.

Upon arriving at the studio, the fourth team was in the middle of their stage rehearsal.

Following instructions, they lined up single file behind the stairs leading up to the stage.

Staff members promptly approached, helping them put on microphones and in-ear monitors, and even adjusted their outfits.

Once they were all ready, the sound coming through the in-ears had already switched from the fourth team to the fifth.

Soon after, the fifth team finished their rehearsal and came down, and immediately, the introduction ment for their team was heard.

Climbing the low stairs and finally stepping onto the stage, the empty space below came into view.

A space where darkness had settled thickly, contrasting with the stage bathed in bright pouring light—a space that in just a few hours would be filled with spectators who would claim to be their fans.

Suddenly, fear gripped him and he stopped dead in his tracks.

Whether it was the game or the stage, he felt like he was standing somewhere he shouldn’t be.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he reflexively stepped back, misjudging his footing.

Just as he stumbled, a large hand pressed against his back, steadying his swaying body.

Turning his head, he saw Yeo Hyun-tae standing there with an expression no different from usual.

Yeo Hyun-tae held his gaze for a brief moment, then took a step forward, leading the way.

He soon paused and turned back to look at Jae-seo.

That calm face seemed to say he would wait for him.

Strangely, his heart began to settle.

“Phew.”

As if exhaling the thoughts that had been cluttering his mind, he let out a light breath and quickened his pace to stand beside Yeo Hyun-tae.

Turning his head, their eyes met again.

And on that still, serene face, a small smile seemed to flicker for an instant.

***

After all the rehearsals were finished and they were in the middle of having their outfits, hair, and makeup touched up, one participant suddenly screamed “Aack!” and ran out into the waiting room hallway.

Soon after, the shouted words that spectator entry had begun sent the participants rushing en masse into the waiting room that participant had burst out of.

It seemed to be the waiting room equipped with a monitor showing the studio.

After finishing his makeup touch-up, Jae-seo entered that waiting room to find the participants staring at the monitor in silence, as if mesmerized.

Among them were Lee Woo-rim and Jang Young-bin, their faces blank.

Judging by the pin still stuck in Lee Woo-rim’s bangs, he must have been in the middle of a hair touch-up when he heard the news about the spectators and rushed out.

Jae-seo squeezed through the participants and tapped Lee Woo-rim’s shoulder.

Startled, Lee Woo-rim flinched and turned around, finally snapping out of it.

“Filming is starting soon.”

Pointing at his bangs, Lee Woo-rim unconsciously raised his hand, then made an “Oops” face and quickly exited the waiting room.

There seemed to be many cases like Lee Woo-rim’s; several other participants in the waiting room were also practically dragged out by their late-arriving teammates.

“C-can I, uh, not be nervous?”

Jang Young-bin’s lips trembled as he asked, unable to tear his eyes from the TV screen.

Recalling the feeling he’d had when going up on stage for rehearsal, Jae-seo nodded and said he was nervous too.

But,

“But I feel better now.”

He added that he was okay now.

To Jang Young-bin, who turned to him with a face asking ‘How?’, Jae-seo answered, heavily embellishing what had happened during the rehearsal.

“We’re on a team with members like Ji-heon hyung, Jun-jae, Hyun-tae, Chan-seo, right?

That’s reassuring, isn’t it?”

Even if we mess up a bit, they’ll cover for us well, he added, almost as an excuse.

Jang Young-bin said, “You think so?” then nodded, murmuring that it was probably true.

Of course, if he was the only one messing up among them, he’d actually stand out even more, but for Jang Young-bin’s mental state, Jae-seo kept his mouth shut.

As they watched the spectators filing in for a while, staff members in the distance began shouting loudly that recording would start soon and to finish preparations quickly.

Soon, all the participants who had finished their preparations gathered one by one in the waiting room, and not long after, preparations for the actual recording began.

The filming signal was given.

The screen, which had been showing the spectators now filling the studio, switched to focus on the center of the stage.

Soon, Son Chae-i appeared on stage with a bright smile.

Waving her hand as if accustomed to the loud cheers that erupted, she positioned herself at the center of the stage and raised her microphone.

“Show must go on!”

At Son Chae-i’s sudden proclamation—the signature phrase symbolizing Please Take Care of My Idol—the cheers that had momentarily subsided exploded even louder.

As the screen returned to the spectators following the cheers, the cheering tools waving wildly in their hands caught his eye.

They seemed to be paper, cloth, or fans with participants’ photos or names printed on them.

“Wow… I wish I were out there too.”

Someone muttered with a longing voice, and words of agreement burst out here and there.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t surprising—even Jae-seo had similar thoughts.

During the brief commotion in the waiting room, the screen on the monitor was showing Son Chae-i again.

As she opened her mouth on screen, the momentarily unsettled atmosphere instantly calmed down.

“Hello, everyone who has come to the massive survival show to become the nation’s idol!

Please Take Care of My Idol Season 2, 1st Contest!

Welcome!

I am Son Chae-i, your MC!”

As Son Chae-i finished her introduction and bowed in greeting, someone presumed to be a spectator shouted loudly, “Pretty!”

Seemingly accustomed to even that reaction, Son Chae-i smiled adeptly, said thank you, and once again fixed her gaze on the camera as she continued.