From Skid Row to Superstardom: An Idol System Novel-Chapter 338: Performance Day (8)

After the performance, Esther Choi walked out of the venue in a daze.

It had been a while since she came to an event like this, and she was still trying to process everything she had just witnessed.

The music? Great, she was still humming the songs and couldn’t wait for them to be released.

The visuals? Fantastic. They were even better in person, and some contestants completely blew her out of the water.

She had taken so many good shots and clips that if she sent some of the Videos and pictures to Grace, she could still make a killing on what was left if she decided to sell them.

Atmosphere? Out of this world. She melded right into the fandom and even exchanged contact information with some girls and fansite owners.

Everything was more or less good; she just wished she had someone to talk to about this, but all her friends had left fandom spaces to focus on their studies, and, due to the time difference, her younger cousin Grace was asleep.

With no one to talk to, she opened up the Pop Star Academy community and began reading the trending posts while the train took her home.

The very first one was a post with such a funny title that she had to laugh.

[Father, Forgive Me For I have Sinned. Repeatedly. With Many Men.]

[As I type this, I’m leaving the performance venue, and I’m on my way to the confessional to talk to my priest.

Not because I feel regretful of my actions and thoughts, but because I plan on sinning again and need to do so on a blank slate.

At the performance, my ears were blessed, my eyes were blessed, but my heart and thoughts were full of sin, so I must seek help to calm myself down until the real episode is aired, and I can sin again. Ask me anything about the performance.]

└ Lol, what kind of title is this? I thought you just watched wanna be idols perform? What was going on on stage that you’re going to repent??? And you plan on doing it again?

└└ Eye candy to the max

└└ slutty arms slutty waist slutty abs slutty chest. Truly a feast for the eyes

└└└ ??

└└└└Just wait for the performance video, my kid is a performance-producing genius.

└└└└ Well, actually, all the kids are performance geniuses, not just your kid.

└└└└ Go make your own post, Royal family weirdo. I’m praising my kid right now, so both you and your copycat loser of a contestant who is confused about his own identity can buzz off.

As the comments under that post began evolving into a fight, Esther clicked on another funny post.

[I was previously on the sideline, but now I’ve truly found and adopted a new religion.]

[I’m not religious, but when a contestant with a slutty waist tells me to get on my knees and pray to him while looking into my soul seductively, the only thing I can do is bark like a dog, get on my knees, and pray.

Please call me Angel number 1 since I’m now the most devoted follower.]

└ ?????????

└ Why is a contestant telling you to do all that?

└ Boy survival show contestants being misogynistic toward women and being hyped up. Fork found in kitchen

└ Brainless AA fan. Who’s surprised?

└ What kind of performances did you guys watch? Weren’t they supposed to be singing and dancing? Why is religion being brought up? Why are you kneeling and barking?

└└ Because they’re idols😌

└└└ What does this mean?

└└└ What kind of answer is this?

└└└└ You wouldn’t get it (smokes a cigarette)

└ If you’re the first angel, can I be the religion’s saint?

└└ I volunteer as tribute. Take my heart and my soul and my neck. Please bite me.

└└└└ Get in line. I’m the first follower. No, I’m in the choir

└ Did anyone else immediately drop to their knees when [redacted] cursed and ordered me to? Just me? Oh okay.

└└ I screamed, but the s is silent

└└└ I felt something else underneath my skin

Seeing that the post was becoming crazy, Esther clicked on another title that seemed completely unrelated to the performance.

[On my way to the chicken shop right now.]

[After visually eating thighs, legs, arms, and abs, my hunger must be sated physically as well, so I’m going to get chicken despite my diet.

To the boys. Thank you. I enjoyed the visual feast thoroughly. I can’t wait to rewatch it on tv. To Popstar Academy Staff, let’s just let the kids make the music and their own performances from now on.

To the stylist noona, once again, thank you for styling my boys deliciously.]

└ Are you a cannibal?

└ ?????

└└ Yes. What are you confused about?

└└└ you were eating? At the performance?

└└└└ Yes, because the boys were serving a full-course meal

└ Benjamin, if you see this, call me! My number is 044-xxxxxxxx

└ I’m leaking, but not from my eyes

└└ Pause!

└└└ My pants are wet. But not from pee

└└ I said Pause!

[Explanation for all these crazy thirst posts.]

[For those confused about the crazy posts, let me explain. Hopefully, this post doesn’t get taken down. Attached below are my proof of attendance so you know I’m not lying (img and video attached).

Now to the show. Since the performances were created solely by the contestants, with minimal help from the judges, I think everyone’s expectations weren’t that high.

The boys look good, so we would be satisfied anyway.

But unexpectedly, there were no weak links today.

They all did well, but, as always, even if the playing field is the same, there really is a difference in vision and talent, as shown in the three performances crafted by three different contestant producers that we got today.

Let me explain.

While I have my favorite group and contestant, I will do my best to give an unbiased overview of the three groups without giving away any spoilers.

Group 1 transported us back to the era of Rome.

Gladiators, Gods, hot, scantily clad men with tall, muscular bodies with lightly oiled skin that gleamed under the lights, exposed legs, exposed thighs, manicured feet in sandals, toned abs, six packs that were absolutely lickable (ahem. I got distracted, but a big thank you to the stylists) either way, group one was good.

They looked good. The performance was good. Vocals and rap were on point. The song was a nice, energetic pop that isn’t too tiring on the ears and is listenable. No notes, honestly. They did very well. If you see people thirsting, it’s most likely because of this group.

Group 2 - this one was interesting. The concept is a gods and idols which is hmmm (more on that later).

The song was good (it sounded familiar, but I’m not a music buff, so I’m not sure). The performance had a lot of cool stage elements, but was...a bit lopsided?

One person really excelled, and everyone else blended into the background like extras, which made me feel bad for some of them. The outfits didn’t make sense with the song’s theme, and I don’t think the song really fit the group members.

Overall, it wasn’t bad, it just felt like a mismatch to me, and I couldn’t really see the color of the contestants in the performance. I also felt like there was a bit of enmity on stage as they seemed quite tense.

Also, a popular member had a big shift in his image, which I thought was quite interesting. Keeping my notes to myself until the episode drops so I’m not accused of hating or starting rumors.

Group 3 - fallen angel vampire god concept. I don’t want to say anything else, but this performance ticked all my boxes and then some.

There was drama, visuals, more drama, more visuals. It was intense, bold, kind of crude, and very different from the other two, even though some details looked similar (I’m not sure who copied who; the full episode will tell).

It might rub some people the wrong way, but it’s a very striking performance that used a lot of budget, and I think it will do well in the future when posted online.

When the contestants were speaking after performing, we heard what everyone worked on, and as I reviewed the performance in my head, I could see everyone’s color included throughout, which I liked.

For me, I liked this performance the most, but the other two were good as well.

As a side note, I also don’t think the contestants meant any disrespect to religion or to women. Lyrics are not that serious, it’s just a concept :)]

└ An Ari profile defending rudeness and misogyny as ’not a big deal’, I said oh I’m sure.

└ What’s misogynistic about the lyrics?

└└ He’s telling women to get down on their knees, and you’re telling me that’s not misogyny? AA’s never beating the dumb allegations.

└└└ Where did he say women?? Quickly answer me?

└└└└ So he’s gay?

└└└└└ So you hate waffles ahh answer

└ I don’t understand why god had to be brought into it. It’s so narcissistic and disrespectful.

└└ Another group was talking about the gods as well, but you didn’t comment on that, now did you?

└└└ Everyone knows that Greek gods are fake

└└└└ Aren’t they all fake?

Seeing as the post quickly turned to a fight with people bashing Ari, Esther, who now felt quite conflicted towards him, quickly left the post and clicked another one.

[For those of you who voted with hate in your heart or strategically, all I have to say is -

╭∩╮( •̀_•́ )╭∩╮]

[I need all of you biased *** ************* to come to the front right now! What kind of eyes did you use to watch the performance?

What kind of sense does this kind of result make? Huh? My kid worked hard, included everyone, and made a beautiful, different yet cohesive performance that let them all shine, and that’s how you vote?

I’m smacking all of you haters when I see you. Right in the mouth.

Look at him. You’re telling me this photo right here deserves the rank you voted for? (img attached)]

└ Take that Photoshop nonsense out of here.

└└ Photoshop where? Go get glasses since you clearly can’t see

└└└ AAs think they always deserve first place just cause their fave got a little bullied by production. Grow up! His group didn’t do better than the others!

└ So now we can’t vote strategically? When all you AA’s are doing is promoting him based on stupid emotion? Sybau

└ Why are you complaining? Your contestant is more than safe, while my poor baby deserves every additional vote he can get!

└ If he wanted my vote, he should have picked my contestant for his team! Nobody told him to try to make a super team!

└└└Wait, OP, is this photo real?

└└ Straight from the performance!

└└└ What kind of witchcraft is this? Is he levitating?

└└└ Wings of fire?

└ Post the video!!

[This post has been deleted.]

As more and more posts began cropping up, with blurry clips and photos leaking from the performance, and the usual fandom fights began, and misinformation began spreading, Esther wanted to jump in and post as well.

However, seeing all the posts being deleted in real time, she held back and calmly entered her room to begin uploading everything to storage.

As she was working why browsing the community chats, she got a message.

It was from Grace.

As Esther briefly wondered why her cousin was even awake, multiple messages came in.

Grace: Are you home?

Grace: There’s so much discourse? How was the performance? 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

How was the performance?

Esther thought for a moment before replying simply.

Esther: Good.

She could write a paragraph, but it was better to play it cool.

Grace: Was it? The community is freaking out, and the mods are deleting any spoilers. I saw a crazy photo of Ari. Do you have a better quality version of this photo?

Grace sent the blurry photo of Ari, balanced on the horizontal mic stand, just as flames flared up behind him and his robe caught fire.

Esther: You need to pay me for the photo. Separately. It’s that good.

Grace: ....aren’t we family?

Esther: Aren’t you the one who says business is business and family is family? This is business.

Grace: Just show me first. Please.

Feeling the urge to brag a little, Esther sent it over.

There was a minute of silence before Grace finally responded.

Grace: Unedited?

Esther: Unedited. Look.

Esther quickly sent the short 5-second clip to Grace, and after several seconds of waiting-

DING!

She got a notification that she had received some money on Kakaopay.

Grace: Cousin.

Esther: So I’m your cousin now?

Grace: Please.

Grace: Send them to me first.

Esther: Should I? I made some fansite friends, and they expressed interest in buying some of what I took. Your pick is pretty popular, you know.

Ding!

Ding!

More money came in from Kakao Pay.

Grace: Cousin! Please!

Grace: You know I know Ari, right? Why don’t I ask him to let you meet your favorite?

Grace: Without me, you wouldn’t have even gone to take pictures of him. Don’t do this!

Grace: Family over everything!

While Esther was negotiating with her cousin while laughing, someone else was at the edge of her rope.

*******************

"I am so tired." PD Emily complained as she slammed her head onto the desk beside her laptop.

"You are? I thought you, of all people, would be excited at everything we captured today?" the staff member who was editing next to her asked in surprise.

The show went well, the kids did a good job performing, the staff captured a lot of footage and amazing photos, and they even got to witness some unscripted drama.

And although they would have to squeeze themselves to edit this time, the content was so good that nobody really cared.

PD Emily, of all people, should be extra excited about the amount of content created today.

But here she was staring out in a daze and repeatedly sighing.

"How can I not be tired? Do you know what kind of position I’m in right now?" PD Emily asked with a voice that was more than half gone.

At this point, it might as well disappear since there were no more vitamin supplements she could take to strengthen her body from lack of sleep.

Maybe if she fully lost her voice, then people would stop bothering her?

It was a hopeful, if useless, thought from a PD who was barely lucid from exhaustion.

With dazed eyes, she stared at the staff member whose mouth was moving.

"Womp wompwomp womp." Strange words entered her ears, and it took a second for her to realize that she was mishearing what was being said.

"Huh?"

"I said what kind of position are you in?" The staff member repeated.

"I am simultaneously between having my steak too buttery, lobster too juicy, and starving for 40 days and 40 nights." PD Emily sighed, causing the staff member to laugh.

"Isn’t it the opposite?"

"Huh?"

"Steak too juicy, lobster too buttery." The staff member explained, but when the PD’s eyes went blank once more, the staff member sighed.

"I’ll go get you more espresso. You look like you need it."

"Please."

As her staff member left, PD Emily went back to staring at her laptop.

More specifically, at the long email chain she was forcibly a part of.