You Promised Me, Mr. Lee San-ha - Chapter 81



Only Noblemtl

Episode 81: When one door closes, another door opens (2)

Several weeks have already passed since I brought the drunk Bae Eun-ji home.

Meanwhile, started season 2.

Currently, up to episode 9 has been aired.

In fact, not many people expected season 2 to be a success.

This is because the public opinion was not good due to numerous issues in Season 1.

But as if to mock such expectations, Season 2 recorded enormous viewership ratings.

So much so that it breaks the previous record with every broadcast.

… … So I have to work hard on writing the article today too.

“There are a lot of related articles in other media outlets as well.”

For entertainment reporters, these competition programs are a lifeline.

In this day and age, all information is exchanged through video.

Nonetheless, there has always been a demand for people who want to quickly see information summarized in a few lines.

For example, just look at the rankings.

[Hello. This is XX from XX Channel. Project 108 is really hot these days, right? Who did something in the previous episode, who will do something in the next episode… … . I will read the rankings one by one in order~.]

If I were to compare it to YouTube, it would be something like this?

But the article is much more concise.

[Round info. Rankings. Reactions. End.]

How quick and concise it is.

This is why newspapers still exist.

‘… … The problem is that I have to write it myself.’

We need to check the current status of all the cast members and their SNS one by one and put it all into an article.

‘But it’s fortunate that the number has now been reduced to 35.’

In the beginning, I had to find information on 108 people to write the article.

Since the first broadcast, there hasn’t been a day that the coin patch hasn’t come off my wrist.

At that time, I noticed something unusual on the portal site.

“Ugh. There’s going to be chaos at the desk.”

The article ‘Analysis of the potential of each cast member of ‘ from another media outlet was ranked high.

And what’s more, it’s an article about something our company has never written about.

In times like these, you can avoid trouble by publishing a similar article as quickly as possible.

‘But when will I ever watch all these videos and write them all down… … Even Urakaido is at his best.’

Articles written by other media outlets were ‘featured articles’.

From the first episode, each contestant was ranked based on their dancing, singing, performance, appearance, teamwork, etc.

You could tell that this was an article that took a long time to write because it included community reactions for each episode.

At that moment, an impulse towards Urakai surged up.

The term “urakai” is a media slang term that refers to the act of copying and rewriting someone else’s article.

Basically, our company doesn’t do urakai very well.

… … Except when there is really nothing worth reporting.

‘But you can’t copy someone else’s planning article.’

You can’t sacrifice your work ethics for the sake of getting off work.

I turned on YouTube and started writing a new article while checking out the videos myself.

Of course, I have already watched all the episodes that have aired so far.

Although he said it was to write an article, his desire to support Bae Eun-ji was greater.

‘They only posted community reactions, so I’ll just write mainly about YouTube comments.’

It seems like a good article topic since it’s a similar topic but doesn’t overlap in scope.

I split the screen into two and checked the comments and videos at the same time.

108 trainees enter the set.

People take their seats one by one, starting from the very back to the very front row.

One of them walks towards the highest position, number one.

Bae Eun-ji.

She sat in the ornate chair with a nervous expression.

A woman sitting in the fourth row spoke cautiously.

“Isn’t first class a bit expensive?”

Bae Eun-ji answered with a smile.

“Don’t worry! But if you don’t sit down now, you’ll never be able to.”

The trainees nearby all burst into laughter.

A talent for making people feel friendly.

As expected, I thought it was typical of Bae Eun-ji.

‘Good start.’

There are 108 participants.

People who make a strong first impression are more likely to be mentioned again and again.

It was a perfect start, built on innate character and wit.

[Satchi TV: Bae Eun-ji is back! You had a hard time because of that b*tch Kim Na-hyung ㅠㅠ Let’s only walk on a flower path… ]

[The Devil Cries in May: It seems like the kid sitting in first place will continue to sit in first place. Is it just my imagination? LOL]

[The Witch of Mars: I hate audition programs, but I watch them because of Bae Eun-ji… She’s really pretty… ]

The person most mentioned in the comments was, as expected, Bae Eun-ji.

But if I were to write the article as is, it might seem like I’m being too pushy.

‘Should I just attach the frequency of mentions to the article for now?’

I, too, am trying my best to help her in my own way.

* * *

The next episode was a vocal evaluation.

The order of progression is random.

Bae Eun-ji was assigned to a relatively late order.

She was briefly shown on camera, chatting with other people with a relaxed expression the whole time.

“What was your position when you were in Once?”

“Um… … Leader?”

“Wow. You’re doing well overall.”

“No way. Maybe it was just consideration for the elderly?”

Once again, Bae Eun-ji is making people around her laugh.

It was not until the latter half of the video that Bae Eun-ji started singing.

It was the signature song of a world-renowned pop star known for his explosive singing ability.

“Listen… … to the heart in my voice.”

A solid vocalization that starts off steadily.

However, Bae Eun-ji’s song video only played the first half and then moved on to the next part.

At the bottom, there was only a notice that said, [You can check the full version on the official website].

[OMG: ?? Why is only the introduction part of Bae Eun-ji’s part included? Did she squeak during the high notes?]

[Kim Achu: @OMG Please go to the official website and watch the full video ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Eunji unnie sang it better than the original, I don’t know why it was edited ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[Billy’s Razor: Han Seung-hyun’s pitch is really shaky, so why do you keep putting subtitles saying Han Seung-hyun is better than Bae Eun-ji? You should compare them. Lol, this is so annoying.]

[ELJ: Who is Han Seung-hyun? What is that thing you’ve heard of?]

[TLT Company: There’s someone the production team is openly pushing. But it’s a bit much to push this to the point of cutting out Bae Eun-ji’s part… ;;;]

The comments are getting more intense.

Among them, the comments that stood out the most were those mentioning a person named ‘Han Seung-hyun’.

Even in the broadcast subtitles, it is evident that there is an intention to put Han Seung-hyun and Bae Eun-ji in a rivalry position.

It seems that they decided that the reaction would be more heated if they paired up people with high topicality.

That kind of situation continued.

* * *

I watch the next episode, and then the next.

The second evaluation order is the ‘Team Evaluation’.

Before Bae Eun-ji’s team went on stage, a team member was caught on camera panicking backstage.

Bae Eun-ji stood next to her and asked how she was doing.

“Are you okay? Our Eun-ah is really scared.”

“That, that. That dance was so weak… … I got scolded a lot during the first evaluation… … .”

Okay.

Bae Eun-ji’s palms stick to the cheeks of member Eun-ah.

“Who is the prettiest at this moment?”

“… … .”

“Who shines the brightest?!”

“Uh. Yes.”

“Right?! Then there’s no reason why you can’t do it?!”

“Ooh… … . Okay. I’ll try.”

She was still shaking.

Bae Eun-ji hugged her colleague tightly.

“It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to fall. Just don’t break down.”

And then he continued.

“So that I can stand on stage again.”

It’s almost like a promise to oneself.

The teammate being hugged nods vigorously.

After a while, the stage started.

The songs of senior idols are released in a newly arranged form.

Bae Eun-ji’s team finished the performance without any mistakes.

Finally, the ending pose follows.

The member who had been cheering for Bae Eun-ji from backstage was looking at her with eyes that seemed to have fallen in love.

At that time, I felt puzzled.

‘Looking back now, it’s strange. Why did I keep taking pictures with the camera in the distance?’

Basically, it is common sense to divide the parts by capturing each performer in an angle.

If the camera is shot from a distance like this, it will be difficult for viewers to identify each team member individually.

After a while, the evaluation continued.

As the sharp evaluations and advice continued, one mentor pointed out Bae Eun-ji.

“… … I still don’t understand. How did someone like Bae Eun-ji end up here?”

Heavy music plays and the background tone becomes darker.

But Bae Eun-ji wasn’t intimidated at all.

Instead, he spoke in a confident voice.

“I don’t know what I’m lacking in yet. If you teach me, I’ll improve and show you a more perfect version of myself next time.”

Humility and confidence.

She did not miss even the two attitudes that were difficult to reconcile.

But the mentor’s voice was more resolute.

“That can’t be possible.”

Multiple cameras capture the members’ expressions.

While nervous and worried expressions pass by, heavy music continues to play in the background.

The mentor spoke again.

“Because he is already a complete person, there is nothing he can do to become more perfect.”

The screen tone becomes brighter and the background music changes to light music.

The other mentors nodded in agreement.

“Honestly, don’t you think someone like Eunji could do solo activities right away?”

“No, mentor! What if you deny the program’s existence? I’m against it. Eun-ji is the type of person who maximizes synergy in any team, so team activities are a good fit.”

The other members nod in agreement.

Some members even started crying even though they weren’t even praised.

Bae Eun-ji’s stage ended with rave reviews and a warm atmosphere.

The next team’s stage followed immediately.

A team considered a strong contender for the championship.

But for some reason, I feel like the whole thing is a bit sloppy.

Even Seunghyun Han, who was caught on camera so frequently, had his part edited out in the middle.

‘Huh? Shouldn’t it be full of at least one verse? You were pushing it so openly until recently. What is it?’

* * *

I watched the next video, and the next, over and over again.

The ‘2nd Ranking Announcement’ episode, which has the most views to date, will be played.

The rankings of the 35 survivors were drawn in reverse order.

.

.

.

3rd place, Yoo Ah-jung.

2nd place, Bae Eun-ji.

1st place, Seunghyun Han.

The difference between 1st and 2nd place is 200 votes.

It was a very small difference, enough to make one sigh.

As the number of views was high, the number of YouTube comments was also enormous.

[FlowerDance: Everyone around me says I’ve taken Bae Eun Ji’s picture, but why is this being pushed out?]

[Gyeon Yacha: No, let’s see the edited parts of Han Seung-hyun. They don’t show it on the original broadcast and you can’t see it in the clips. What the f*ck, how good were you to keep getting first place? No, you don’t show it in the video and you keep getting first place, how can you make sense?]

[Gongguri-mat Popcorn: It’s so weird every season, lol. The fake broadcast class never changes.]

[Blanche: I feel so bad for Eunji ㅠㅠ Let’s get first place next time!]

The reaction in the comments section is unusually intense.

This is because the system immediately eliminates contestants who do not make it into the rankings.

Lastly, while checking out the most recent episode, episode 9.

Jiiiiiiiiing!

The cell phone rings.

I got a call from Bae Eun-ji.

“Hello? What, aren’t you still filming Project 108?”

[… … I feel like I’m going to fall.]

This is an ungrateful remark.

Why is she, who was always so cheerful, speaking in a weak voice?

And that too while recording a good result of 2nd place?

I encouraged her.

“Don’t worry too much. You came in second. You’ll definitely make it into the final eight for the team.”

[It’s no use. It’s certain that I’ll be in 9th place in the next broadcast.]

Confirmation? Where is that possible? In an audition program where the competition hasn’t even started yet?

But Bae Eun-ji is never a person who lies.

I could instinctively realize that the situation was serious.

‘Are these kids… … trying to manipulate the audition rankings?’