Zeno could feel Philip staring at him. He didn’t shy away from the star’s gaze.
He looked straight at him, too, repeating over and over again in his head—’10,000,000 won.’
Philip’s eyebrows raised, and he found himself looking away, unable to take Zeno’s gaze.
He cleared his throat and placed the microphone before his lips. Then, he looked at the three again.
The panelists and audience couldn’t guess who he was going to choose. Philip, on the other hand, had already made his decision the moment he saw everyone act.
“The first eliminated contestant is…”
The lights focused on the three contestants, and the drumroll was heard throughout the studio.
Minji placed her hands together, silently wishing for her friends to stay in the end.
“… Double Life!” Philip exclaimed.
She sighed in relief. However, she wasn’t alone. At that moment, she glanced at the girls next to her and found their gazes focused on Zeno.
A small smile appeared on her lips. It seemed they weren’t interested in only Rex now.
Risa and Ian, too, smiled at each other, relieved that Zeno was still in the running for the very last stage.
“Double Life,” Hyunwoo started off.
It was clear that Double Life was upset about the turn of events. She cursed under her breath as she glanced at Zeno and Doha.
“It’s time for your Truth Stage!” Hyunwoo exclaimed, and she had no choice but to comply.
She went centerstage while Doha and Zeno waited. As the music started and she began to sing, the crowd sighed in relief when it was revealed she was a tone-deaf singer.
“There’s still a chance,” Philip said as soon as her performance ended.
The other panelists nodded, and with that, the two finalists were summoned to the center.
“And then, there were two,” Hyunwoo smirked. “The first episode had gone so quickly, and now, we have our last two contestants of the night.”
Doha and Zeno stood centerstage, the spotlights turning to them once more.
“Before Philip announces his decision, can we ask what he feels about these two contestants?” Hyunwoo asked.
Philip nodded and stood from his seat.
“First of all, it’s truly an honor to be able to guest here as a star. It was definitely not an easy run, but I’m confident with my choice.”
“While the two of them appear very talented, this person had just shown so much emotion… and I’m not talking about the acting portion. It is just him as a person.”
Zeno glanced at Doha for a second, seeing the wide smile on his face. However, Zeno could see how his lips trembled.
“This person emanates the emotions I’m looking for, and I know we will be able to make a stage I could be proud of.”
Zeno sighed. It seemed that coming this far was the best he could do.
Emanating emotions? Doha was practically vibrating with them.
He clicked his tongue. Well, losing to Doha was something he could tolerate more than anything.
At that moment, he was already thinking of alternatives to get 10,000,000 won as quickly as possible.
Should he accept another acting project?
Or go back to the farm?
“That person is…”
But an acting project in the peak of his popularity would just make things worse.
And going back to the farm after his fame had increased would only bring chaos to the farmer’s peaceful lives.
“Just An Ordinary Guy!”
There it was.
He has been eliminated.
Zeno glanced at Doha and found that his smile didn’t waver.
“Congratulations,” he said, making Zeno pause.
“Just An Ordinary Guy, please stand next to Philip. You will be performing the special stage after Speedo Sensei finishes his.”
Zeno froze in his spot. He… actually won?
Risa jumped in shock, and Ian joined her right after, giving her a high-five.
Most of the audience, with the exception of the jealous boyfriends, were also excited.
Philip even smiled widely at him.
Meanwhile, Zeno found it quite strange. No matter what, he had already won the 10,000,000 won, but the reason behind his win was ridiculous!
He… emanated emotions?
Before he could dwell on it, however, Doha had already taken the stage.
Then, the lights turned to neon pink and dark blue before the bass-heavy intro of VIXXEN’s ‘Cherry Club’ thumped through the speakers.
The crowd clapped to the beat as Speedo Sensei strutted onto the stage.
He was still in full 90’s workout gear, but this time, he had a headband that bore the word ‘SINGER’ in bold letters.
The beat dropped, and Doha began dancing.
The crowd gasped as they watched him on the stage. His steps were razor-sharp!
He incorporated squats, lunges, and even a jumping jack sequence, turning the K-pop choreography into the most exhilarating workout routine the audience had ever seen. When he hit the iconic girl group move—the booty pop followed by a sassy finger wave—the crowd lost it.
Zeno couldn’t help but smirk as he watched his friend. This was the first time he saw Doha in his element, and he seemed to enjoy it a lot.
“The night is a bowl of ripe cherries,
We pluck it bare—juice on our lips,
sticky hands, sugar-dusted hair.
No pits, no seeds, just the pulp of it,
The yes, yes, yes of it.”
Risa laughed out loud when it was revealed that Doha was a tone-deaf singer.
However, even then, it didn’t take away the enjoyment of his performance.
The crowd moved along with him, enjoying his energy.
“It’s quite good that he got eliminated because we wouldn’t have seen this stage if he stayed until the end,” Hyunwoo said as soon as his performance was finished.
Doha stood straight as they gave their comments.
“That was the best!” Risa exclaimed. “It was one of the worst singing I have ever heard in my life, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Minji gave him a standing ovation. However, there was an underlying nervousness in her heart.
She knew what was coming next.
Risa’s definition of worst singing might change if she listened to the next contestant.
Because as much as Zeno was average, and now, even proficient with many skills… singing was a different story.
His singing could scare even the most notorious criminals away.
“Thank you, Speedo Sensei,” Hyunwoo said as Doha was exited through the stage.
“And now,” he continued, looking around the room and noting the excited yet anxious expressions of the audience.
“We have the final stage—the performance with ‘Philip Hwang’ and ‘Just An Ordinary Guy!'”