Chapter 200
At a GVN partner screening theater, simultaneously broadcasting Targeting Star’s live broadcast finale.
“Thank you for the wonderful performances! With that, we’ve witnessed all the performances from the final debut evaluation stage teams! The very end of the live broadcast is truly approaching!”
Even though the trainees’ debut evaluation performances had just concluded, sighs of relief and exclamations about the group name were still spilling out.
“Holy crap… no freaking way, it actually worked! Can you see this? It actually happened!”
“You know that’s the same thing you’ve been saying for a solid hour since the name was announced, right…”
AG C&T Corporation, who had missed out on the live audience lottery and grudgingly signed up for a group theater screening, was vigorously shaking the shoulders of her roommate seated beside her, muttering nonstop.
She had dragged her roommate here under the reason of ‘I accidentally booked two seats and don’t want to give one to someone who doesn’t like Jae Ha,’ and was completely oblivious to how her roommate’s face was souring by the minute.
“I mean, I know! I’m aware! But I seriously didn’t think it’d actually work. Man, they really say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. When there’s an outside fandom to fight against, everyone actually bands together!”
It was truly so.
Back when the name “Arrows” entered the rankings and its vote count kept climbing, AG C&T Corporation had felt genuine, all-consuming alarm.
“Wait, this isn’t going to work, is it? Arrows as the group name? Our Jae Ha’s team being called Arrows? Other idol fans must have come in to cause trouble!”
“Why? I think it’s fine. Kind of like a super sentai team name. There’s a game I play with something similar.”
“That’s exactly why it won’t work! God, we need to do something… redirect people’s attention to something else.”
Fortunately, she wasn’t the only one who’d thought that.
The named core fans of each trainee, and beyond that, people who simply believed a better name existed.
They joined forces and launched a full-scale campaign.
[AG C&T Corporation @HARDWARE_store
I’d like to recommend ‘ToZ’ as the team name for the #Targeting_Star trainees’ debut! (applause)(applause)]
[SiWooHaDa @singsingull_ll11
#ToZ seems like such a great name…
ToZ is short for Target of Zenon!
You can call them either Zenon or ToZ~
Zenon’s paradox features an arrow, so it’s a direct hit on that reference!?
It matches perfectly with the show name Targeting Star too!
Isn’t it so cool? If our trainees can debut under such a great name, I’m sure they’ll be even more motivated!
(*⌒∇⌒*)]
[DippingExpert @jjjjjjjjikmug
#Targeting_Star group name #ToZ voting proof
Looks like you can vote up to 300 times per hour?
When lectures get boring just call it finger exercise and tap away on your phone, let’s go ㄱㄱ]
No matter how much they liked different individual trainees, in the end, it wasn’t one person debuting, it was six.
Plus, due to Targeting Star’s unique scoring system, aside from the top three whose debuts were virtually guaranteed, nobody could be sure who else would make it.
[NBML @NBML__0000
Whoever ends up debuting, I want to give them the best possible name ( ˃̵⌓˂̵) I think #ToZ is really wonderful 👍]
In that situation, the argument of ‘your favorite might debut, and they need a decent group name when they do’ proved persuasive to quite a number of people.
“I don’t know who submitted that group name, but they’re going to be blessed for life. If Jae Ha just debuts? I’ll bow twice a day[1] in their direction, I swear.”
“Hey, bowing twice is what you do for the dead!”
“Oh gosh, no. What I mean is… I want to express my gratitude until the day they pass?”
“Your excuses are really… ugh. You were so high on that group name you didn’t even watch the stages properly…”
“You think I’m like you? I watched everything. I remember every single one.”
Bristling at her roommate’s accusation, she launched into a rapid-fire recitation of every stage she remembered.
“The very first team was the one Jang Si Woo was on, right? The song was ‘Just My Type.’ Their outfits were cute. Si Woo really does suit that kind of sporty look. Basketball jerseys, gym clothes, that sort of thing. Maybe because he’s thin and young-looking.”
“Okay, I get it. I believe you remember everything. I’m truly, truly sorry.”
“And then, our Jae Ha’s team. Come on, how could I not remember Jae Ha’s team? I had no idea he and Logan had such good chemistry. He’s even good at acoustic? If Logan makes the debut lineup and the two of them debut together…”
“I said I get it, okay? Hey, it looks like they’re about to announce the rankings. Shouldn’t we focus?”
“Oh please, they’re still tallying the text votes. And, right, the last team with Bang Yu Chan and Kim Chunyong! That team suddenly lost Liu Wei, so I had absolutely no idea what concept to expect—”
“…Excuse me.”
The mouth of AG C&T Corporation who had been chattering away at her own pace suddenly snapped shut at the somewhat sharp voice of the woman seated beside her.
“This is a cheer screening, yes, but could you please keep it down? You two aren’t the only ones here.”
“Oh goodness, I’m so sorry. She just gets carried away once she’s excited. I’m sorry. Hey, apologize.”
“Oh no, I-I’m sorry! I got way too worked up…”
“…It’s fine now that you know. Please be mindful.”
‘Hmph.’
The woman who turned away from the flustered AG C&T Corporation and her roommate looked as if she expected to happen all along.
Fireworksday could barely contain her pouting lips as she mentally cursed the pair.
‘The team with Bang Yu Chan and Kim Chunyong? That team had Hwa Sung in it. MY Hwa Sung! Shouldn’t his name come first, obviously?’
Granted, Bang Yu Chan and Kim Chunyong were impressive.
If the first two teams had gone for an innocent, clean-cut vibe and a sporty, bubbly vibe respectively, then…
– My friend said
She saw you walking last night
Carefully, but quickly
Like A Road Runner
Like A Prisoner
Like Me
Their team had an air of danger about it.
Ji Hwa Sung, Lee Chae Hyuk, Bang Yu Chan, Kim Joo An, and Kim Chunyong.
Except for Kim Joo An, everyone on the team was physically impressive, so baseball caps and oversized jackets plus form-fitting innerwear suited them like custom-tailored outfits.
Translation Notes
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