Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 248

248. The Second Mission

Unlike the viewers, the participants were certain that either Team B or Team C would win.

“The winning team is Team E.”

Because of this, when the results were announced, everyone was surprised and murmured.

“Didn’t Team E get completely crushed?”

“They weren’t crushed. They succeeded in the mission. Team D was the one that got crushed.”

“No, but Team E only had five members left, right?”

“And one of those five was carried away, wasn’t he?”

Perhaps because they had seen the situation firsthand, they inwardly favored Team B or Team C, who had won overwhelmingly, rather than the team that had fought so precariously. However, determining the winning team was not their role, so the participants’ opinions weren’t reflected at all.

“Seeing Team E win, it seems like the production team values those who rush in, whether they succeed or not.”

“Still, the winner will be Shin Jo-woon, right? Green Tea Latte [a nickname referring to Shin Jo-woon’s online persona].”

“What about Woo Yeon-woo?”

“Ah, right. Woo Yeon-woo is good too. But if he’s the only non-awakened one, won’t he be at a disadvantage later on?”

Afterward, PD [Production Director] Kim Mu-rok went around the bus, informing the participants about the next schedule.

“We’ve selected one candidate for elimination from each of Team A, Team B, Team C, and Team D, and starting at 6 PM tonight, viewers will be able to vote directly for who should be eliminated. You guys can rest for the week it takes to tally the votes and announce the results.”

Kim Mu-rok pointed with his eyes at the cameraman sitting in the front seat of the participant.

“As mentioned in the prior announcement, the cameraman will be with you during the week off, and the rules are the same as before. You can keep the camera rolling, or you can turn it off. You can set a time for them to come, or you can call them only when you have something to do……”

It was an explanation that the cameraman also needs to rest, so replacement personnel might come in the middle, but this part seemed similar to the previous one. However, the difference was that the cameraman could stay with the participant and film if the participant wanted.

The participants had already been notified of this, so they listened to Kim Mu-rok’s words with a relaxed attitude. They knew that Kim Mu-rok was speaking to the viewers of the broadcast, not exactly to the participants.

However, one more piece of news was added at the last minute, which the participants did not expect.

“As you all know better than anyone, there have been several injuries during the training camp and the first mission. This is a major concern for viewers. Some viewers understand that it’s unavoidable given the seriousness of the situation, but the production team and Nakru [the broadcasting company] have acknowledged that our broadcast could have a negative impact on young viewers, and we have decided to cancel the terrestrial broadcast.”

The participants buzzed even more. There were already many people who personally broadcast themselves catching monsters through YouTube channels. What differentiated this show from those programs was that a renowned entertainment PD participated as part of the production team, it received government support, and it was broadcast on terrestrial television. If it wasn’t broadcast on terrestrial television…….

“Is the program being canceled?”

When one of the participants raised his hand and asked, Kim Mu-rok quickly shook his head.

“That’s not it. The live streaming for each participant will continue as before, and edited versions will be released separately on the internet.”

Some were dissatisfied, but they had seen the serious injuries up close, so they couldn’t openly express their reluctance.

Kim Mu-rok looked around at the participants and clapped his hands to get their attention.

“Alright then. A week of rest.”

* * *

“Did you see Green Tea Latte?”

“What did President Shin do?”

“What’s it like seeing a monster up close?”

“Aren’t you scared?”

As Rembrandt returned to the dorm, the four members popped out at the same time and bombarded him with questions. Then, the members saw the camera that Rembrandt had brought and fled to their respective rooms. They were wearing comfortable sweatpants and t-shirts, and their hair was messy, so they were surprised when the camera came close.

About 30 minutes later, the members came out again, looking neat and tidy. But they seemed to have a lot of questions, and they hesitated but eventually came up and poured out a bunch of questions.

“I saw Green Tea Latte. President Shin must be an Awakened. I don’t feel anything when I see a monster up close. I wasn’t scared.”

Rembrandt, who would normally brush it off with ‘What’s the point of asking?,’ was conscious of the camera today and even paid attention to his tone when answering.

After almost an hour of that, Rembrandt was finally alone in his room and flopped onto the bed.

‘It’s good to be quiet now.’

* * *

After resting for about two days, Rembrandt went to find Shin Jo-woon without bringing the camera. To be exact, Shin Jo-woon, who had received Rembrandt’s call, sent a car to the dorm.

“I’m enjoying the survival show.”

As Rembrandt got out of the car, Shin Jo-woon’s butler recognized him and greeted him.

“You’re a dolphin ability user, right?”

‘Why is everyone talking about my swimming skills…….’

“No. Where is Shin Jo-woon?”

“This way.”

As soon as he asked the question, a voice came from the stairwell inside the house. Rembrandt looked up. Shin Jo-woon was leaning on the railing, and Jang Tae-ri was waving his hand next to him.

“Yeon-woo!”

* * *

“When did Shin Jo-woon get that ability?”

“I’m probably one of the early Awakened.”

“You should have told me in advance.”

“What about you? Do you have any additional abilities besides the ones you originally had? Don’t Saints Awaken separately?”

“I don’t know if Saints don’t Awaken. I don’t have any new abilities.”

The three of them ate together for the first time in a while, but even during the meal, the topic was only about Shin Jo-woon’s ability, Rembrandt’s Awakening, and the contents related to the show. In particular, Jang Tae-ri, who didn’t participate in the survival show, seemed to have a lot of questions, throwing questions here and there. When the meal was over, he sighed and grumbled in a disappointed tone.

“You two are entering the same program again. That’s unfair.”

“Do you want to go in there after watching the broadcast?”

“It’s not that I want to do that broadcast. It’s just that the three of us were filming together, and now only the two of you are going into the same place.”

“What’s the point of going to the same place? I can’t even see the pig’s face [a Korean expression meaning ‘I can’t even see you’].”

Jang Tae-ri crossed his arms and nodded at Shin Jo-woon’s words as he pointed at Rembrandt.

“That’s true. I keep both your and Yeon-woo’s videos on and loop them, but there are hardly any scenes where you two clash. Is it always like this?”

“If the number of participants decreases, won’t we meet even if we don’t try to?”

They were in the middle of a conversation. Jang Tae-ri, who had been talking well all along, suddenly put a fruit he had picked up with a fork into his mouth and looked at Rembrandt. He had something he wanted to say, but he was hesitant to say it.

“Why?”

When Rembrandt noticed that, Jang Tae-ri finally asked the question.

“But how did Yeon-woo become a Saint?”

“Why?”

“No, just. Maybe before becoming a Saint…… were there any symptoms or anything like that?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been like this since I was born.”

“Awakening or—”

“There wasn’t any.”

“I see…….”

Jang Tae-ri’s expression was gloomy for someone who had just asked a question. Rembrandt was about to ask ‘Why?’ again, but he closed his mouth. It seemed like Jang Tae-ri didn’t want to answer.

‘Does Jang Tae-ri show signs of Awakening? Are there signs when Awakening?’

* * *

The week-long break passed quickly, and Rembrandt was only able to confirm who the eliminated participant from the first mission was after watching the broadcast.

“He came out from where Hyung [older brother/male friend] is?”

The eliminated participant was one of the people belonging to Team A, someone who had never come out from the back row while Rembrandt was breaking the egg. He had failed the mission, and his appearance of only being in the back was perceived as cowardly by the viewers, so he received almost all the votes.

“Nakru must hate it.”

Rembrandt watched the scene with the members and clicked his tongue.

“Why? Is that person strong?”

“I don’t know if he’s strong. But I know he’s an Awakened.”

“Oh, really?”

Isn’t this program created to take Awakened people? Rembrandt clicked his tongue, thinking about how much Nakru must be stomping their feet right now.

Anyway, after only going through the training camp and one mission, the number of participants had already dropped sharply to 34.

“But if the participants drop out at this rate, it might end sooner than expected.”

* * *

Although there were many controversies, the production team was surprised when filming started again for the second mission. It wasn’t just the production team that was surprised. The viewers who turned on the streaming video to watch the broadcast were also very surprised. Whether it was because word had spread during the week, the number of streaming viewers had soared.

—Wow, why has the number of viewers increased so much?

—It seems like it’s about three times as much ㄷㄷ [Korean abbreviation for ‘ㄷㄷㄷㄷ’, an onomatopoeia for trembling, indicating surprise or shock]

—Isn’t this Woo Yeon-woo’s video? Is it like this in other rooms too?

—Wait a minute…… I went to check. I went to Shin Jo-woon’s room and Green Tea Twice’s room, and it’s like that there too.

—Wow, that’s crazy. Has it become popular?

—Isn’t it because this is the only thing worth watching right now, even if it’s stimulating or whatever?

—I went to the room of a participant who had as little screen time as a sparrow’s food, and the number of viewers was almost the same there?

—Then, did the number of viewers only increase for the participants who stood out during the first mission?

—Kim Mu-rok is here! It’s starting!

* * *

A couple was sitting on a bench, leaning their heads together and looking at a cell phone screen. Behind them, someone was walking with heavy footsteps.

The footsteps were quite loud, but the couple was so focused on the broadcast that they didn’t look back. This was a fairly famous walking trail, and although the number of visitors had decreased a lot since the appearance of the monster eggs, it was still popular. The couple thought that the person passing by was also one of the visitors here.

“The second mission is said to be an individual competition?”

“Wouldn’t that be too advantageous for only a few people?”

“But how can individuals catch monsters when they couldn’t even catch them in groups of ten?”

“Those who can’t do it should give up early and get popularity votes! Isn’t that right?”

The footsteps came right behind them, but the couple was laughing together, so they didn’t look back. There were monster eggs around, but if an egg broke, other people would scream first. But no one was screaming now. The couple subconsciously thought that the person behind them was someone else.

About 15 minutes passed.

The couple, who had been immersed in the screen, realized something strange. The footsteps. The footsteps had been continuing to be heard. The footsteps that had been coming this way 15 minutes ago were still coming this way. It was already a distance where the footsteps were heard nearby.

Is there a distance to come here for that long? The couple laughed while watching Woo Yeon-woo say nonsense again, then looked at each other with a serious expression. Suddenly, they felt a chill down their spines. They slowly turned their heads back.