The producer's explanation was very simple.

Relax, play and win prizes.

Well, in other words, it was something like this:

"Let's enjoy a better atmosphere, as if we were in the middle of a school trip. As we play and joke around, we can get some promotions of the products that were announced in the T1 PPL."

Although if we were to guess that these activities would be to advertise more products, the atmosphere was much improved compared to the one felt at the end of the ranking ceremony. The products were good and the rules of the games were simple.

-The prizes of these games are not based on the popularity rankings of their PR videos, we just decided to put them as prizes because they would be very useful to you~

-Oh...

-If you win in the games, you will have to choose a piece of paper at random and there you will know what your prize will be!

-Cool!

The voices of the participants who responded sounded more animated and comfortable because they were activities in which there was nothing to lose.

"I'm sure we feel like we're taking a break because the MC is already gone."

...To be honest, there was a clothes dryer as a prize that was tempting me.

Well, since I lived in a small room, I wouldn't have any space to put it. In fact, most of the prizes were large electronic products that were chosen in a hurry because these games had not been planned very far in advance.

"But it seems like the show is doing really well."

When I looked at the image of one of the prizes, which consisted of an expensive kimchi cooler, and thought that, the prize images disappeared from the screen and were replaced by large letters.

"They haven't even changed the game font or explanation."

The Hamchoromche fountain looked brilliant.

My impressions aside, the screen soon began a five-second countdown.

Some of the boys who had good dancing skills immediately got ready to run.

And the famous choruses of different K-POP songs flowed one after another without interruption.

-Oooh!

-Hey, you were wrong! You can no longer play!

-Oh, no.

At first, the contestants danced mechanically, but competition arose at a certain point and they excelled until there was only one person left dancing. About 12 songs passed before the winner was finally determined.

-Thank you so much~

The winner was... Keun SeJin.

-I know no one has asked me, but let me tell you how I feel. I think I tried really hard and perfected my dance skills in my live PR video for this day! Hahaha!

-Woooo~

SeJin had danced to different songs in his PR video, so he mentioned it while smiling cheekily. He quickly grabbed one of the raffled pieces of paper that could win him as a prize.

-So, the prize I'll get is...

-I'll give it to MoonDae.

The contestants burst out laughing at SeJin's words, who changed his mind when he saw the kind of prize he got. Even the staff covered their mouths to contain their laughter. On the other hand, even if I wanted to frown, I couldn't because the cameras were pointed at me to see if I showed any affection towards him.

"How much longer will I continue with the image of being a chicken feet lover?"

I had a feeling that if they kept reminding me like that, it would follow me until the day I retire.

The good thing was that the atmosphere relaxed very well because SeJin made them burst out laughing.

-The next game, please!

-Really, this is very cool.

After four more games, most of the participants were serious about the talent show, but there were still some expensive appliances left as prizes.

The content of the 6th game was projected on the screen.

-This is a game made for me.

-Wow, I really want to go out, but I already won. What should I do?

I ignored what SeJin told me and hesitated for a moment before going out to participate in the game.

-Oh~~ MoonDae is confident.

In fact, I was not very confident. I didn't want to look like someone too confident that was going to win. Actually, if I didn't play any games after I got my 3rd place in the rankings, I might be considered as 'arrogant', so I set out to play to avoid that.

...If possible, it would be better to win and get the dryer.

Since there were 7 prizes left, I had about a 14% chance of getting the prize if I won, so I could still have some hope.

I waited for the countdown to end with the four participants. The staff had left the microphone on the ground.

As soon as the screen changed, the prelude was heard immediately.

Tuntan tuntan tuntara tuntan~

The addictive melody resounded on the set.

-...?

-Eh?

The faces of the participants, who had thought that some typical K-POP song would play, were blank.

Yes, what actually played was the instrumental of a K-Trot song.

-Oh...

-Wait, that...

The participants listened to the instrumental with a confused look, but could not tell what song it was just by hearing the prelude.

This is because there were several trot songs that started with the same exciting intro beat.

-...

Even though I was in conflict with myself, I went ahead and grabbed the microphone.

-...!!

-Does MoonDae know trot...?

I could hear the murmur of Gold 1.

-Did you guess the song?

-Hyung, do you really know that song?

I didn't answer them because I started singing when the instrumental prelude ended.

-It's raining on Namdaemun Street in Seoul~ But I can't find the person I'm looking for~

-...!!

The boys murmured.

-Wow.

-How did you know it was that song?

How did I know? It's because I've heard it a lot. In my past life, whenever I went to events to photograph idols, some trot singers would always show up first.

They often performed right before idol groups, so I've heard quite a few songs that are popular with older people or adults.

It's funny that I did get to hear the live performance of this song... Hmm, when I attended many events, sometimes I heard it twice a day.

As time passed, the singer already recognized me. She even winked at me when she saw me filming her, I remember that's why I uploaded a fancam of hers on WeTube. Well, having seen and heard so much of it is very useful to me now.

-Oh~ You're the one I've been looking for~ You're the one I want~

Since it's quite a famous song, as soon as I started singing the chorus, the other contestants did too. I wonder if the artist felt that way at the events.

-I left Seoul~

-Oooh.

As I had sung the verse with a good intonation and mood suitable for the song, the others applauded me in admiration.

They didn't applaud me because they were encouraging me to participate... they were as amazed as if they had seen me do a strange trick in a magic show.

I was a bit embarrassed, but since I managed to win the game, I decided to focus on the prize selection.

I thanked the guys, handed the microphone back, and went over to choose one of the award papers. When I opened it, I noticed that the photo printed on the paper was just a machine silver color.

"My dryer...!"'

-...

It can't be.

-Hey! You won the kimchi cooler!!

-Why is MoonDae so lucky~?

-You were the refrigerator that MoonDae was looking for.

The participants came up to me and talked excitedly around me. I looked at the note in a daze and suddenly realized something.

"...Are you 'giving me away' only the value of the product, but not your tax?"

I had no money to pay his tax.

As soon as I receive it, I will sell it as if it were a second-hand (used) product, then I will pay the tax and the rest I will deposit in my savings account.

Thinking about it this way, it feels great to have won something expensive. SeJin, who was celebrating next to me, whispered in my ear.

-MoonDae-yah, how about we change our prizes...

-I won't.

-How cold are you?

Go eat chicken feet.

* * *

After so many lively competitions in the talent show, filming for the third round of team battles finally began in a more relaxed atmosphere.

The MC had trouble with the mess in the filming schedule, so he couldn't attend the filming... Surprisingly, YoungRin became our new host and announced the new tag team battle.

-Dear contestants, welcome to the third stage of "Idol Corporation - Reincorporated!" I must congratulate you for making it to this new round, you started with 77 contestants, but now there are only 30 of you left.

Although YoungRin didn't have the same lively voice as the MC, she spoke to us calmly and seriously. That, and the very fact that they are words spoken by a successful idol, made the contestants take it in a more meaningful way.

An example of this was the attitude of Gold 2, who after hearing her smiled and patted his head a little moved.

This third round of team battles is going to play out in a rather unusual way.

Let's see, until now the teams have been formed by choice of the participants, so the time has come for other factors to intervene.

But the new factor was a bit peculiar.

-This time Big Data algorithms have been used.

-What?

-Big Data?

The moment YoungRin uttered those terms, the contestants looked at her puzzled, so she smiled at them and continued her explanation.

-The production team of "Idol Corporation" analyzed the patterns in which shareholders buy their shares. Therefore, teams have been formed around the common shares that several shareholders bought at the same time.

In short, it is very likely that a shareholder will buy shares of two or more participants to support them. So, the production team has united those participants into one team.

-All detailed analysis data can be found on the "Idol Corporation - Reincorporated!" website. Guys, are you ready to meet your team members selected by big shareholder data?

-Ahh.

-That is incredible.

The participants began to murmur still bewildered and looked around to see who they would be with. I also looked at them, but in a calmer way.

"I think... I'll be with Seon AhHyun and Keun SeJin."

It was enough to review the posts on social networks to understand the reason why he would be with them. And just as I expected, when I met AhHyun's eyes, I felt his eyes shine and he waved his hand to me to greet me excitedly.

SeJin walked up to me and patted me on the back.

-Hey, I hope to be with you.

-Hmm, yes.

SeJin smiled upon hearing my calm reply. What I said could be understood as making fun of him.

-Now that you are all ready, you can go out in order and collect the boxes that we are going to give you.

A table with black boxes was placed behind YoungRin.

After receiving the box, when you open it, you will see that there is a badge. Go through the corridor and enter the room whose door is marked with the shape of the insignia

Then, the judge called the participants in alphabetical order and began to distribute their respective boxes. Due to the hangul term of my surname, I was one of the first to be called.

-Contestant Park MoonDae. Please receive your box.

I received a box with a note with my name on it and walked out the door. There was a cameraman in the hallway, so I stopped in front of him to open my box, which had a rabbit-head badge inside.

-...Rabbit?

I mumbled a bit dazedly, but quickly shut up as I remembered that I was on camera.

Then I checked the rooms lined up in the hallway, each one had an identifying logo.

And I saw the logo I was looking for in the last room.

-...

What stood out was... the intention to name the rooms as if they were classrooms in a kindergarten.

"Well, they will only be used to divide the teams."

I figured it was done that way to make it look funny, so I immediately opened the door. I wasn't too nervous because my team members would surely be called after me.

"I will be the first."

But as soon as I opened the door and walked in, the person sitting on the ground suddenly raised his head and looked at me.

-...?

It was Kim Rae Bin.

Why is he here...?

-Moon Dae hyung.

RaeBin jumped to his feet with a happy face to welcome me, then slowly moved aside and gave me the place where he had sat. He was very considerate of me to give me the center space, even if it's on the ground.

It's just the two of us, but... why?

-I didn't know we could be on the same team again. How great that we're together.

-I know. I look forward to your kind cooperation.

-Yes.

We talked quietly, but there was still one question that did not leave my mind.

"Why am I on the same team with RaeBin?"

The only scene where I was shown to have a close conversation with Kim RaeBin was in the seventh episode. So does that mean the percentage of votes after that episode was big enough to affect the "Big Data algorithm"?

"Of course, it would have been possible if only the actions of the ranking ceremony had been considered..."

As I looked at the possibilities, I realized a simple fact.

"Ah."

It was because few participants got to interact with RaeBin.

I don't know how they figured it out, but it was pretty convincing that he joined my team because Cha YooJin and I were the only contestants who related to him.

"Still, it's always good to have another team member who has a high ranking."

I carefully organized my thoughts and settled on the floor of the room. Kim RaeBin spoke to me again right away.

-Oh, hyung. The song you sang at the talent show is also my favorite song.

-Really?

I was wondering if it was necessary for me to know that RaeBin was into trot music, but anyway, we spent our time chatting until the next team member arrived.

And after quite some time, our next companion opened the door and entered.