Chapter 807: The FIrst Eliminated Contestants (2)

Minamoto Aoi began singing 'My First Love Story' by Cherry Blossom in a clear voice, like a wind chime ringing beneath a winter sky.

Her hands trembled as she held the mic, capturing the nerves of a first confession. Her flushed cheeks showed the fear of not knowing if her feelings would be returned. With a voice pure as glass and diction more precise than most native Korean speakers, she delivered the lyrics with stunning clarity.

Because of that, viewers watching her performance found themselves recalling moments from their own first love. It was a smart song choice. She showed excellent emotional delivery in a transparent voice. All of it blended seamlessly, and the live chat lit up with praise.

[PROJECT: I.O.A]

[Live Chat]

-Auditions live and die by the song choice. And this? This is perfect.

-'My First Love Story' sounds like it was made for her.

-Wow, I didn't realize Aoi's voice was this clear.

-Took me straight back to that time I got confessed to.

-If Aoi confessed to me, I'd fall instantly. Who wouldn't?

-Is she really Japanese? That tone is totally native Korean.

-I heard she's half-Korean. Honestly, she speaks better than I do. T.T

-(Guy thrown out into the cold) Got smacked by my wife and kicked out for cheering too hard for Aoi. Freezing out here in shorts and slippers. She was cheering too, though!

-(Wife of the commenter above) I kicked him out because he got all misty-eyed like he was thinking of his first love while Aoi was singing. Who were you thinking about, huh? Min-Ji? Min-Jung? I'm still pissed. I'm going out there to ask who it is.

-LOL she showed up!

-Wife's gone mad! LOL

-Minamoto Aoi, homewrecker status: unlocked.

...

For 1 minute and 30 seconds, Minamoto Aoi's voice filled the stage, gently pulling open a page from everyone's memories of first love and leaving a wistful aftertaste behind.

『My First Love Story~』

Finishing with the chorus, Minamoto Aoi closed her eyes, still holding the mic. At that moment, the judges on screen began clapping.

Clap, clap, clap.

Minamoto Aoi opened her eyes wide and gave a deep bow.

Lee Dong-Min smiled warmly and picked up the mic.

-Your performance was so immersive, it felt like I was meeting my first love from twenty years ago. Did you study Korean separately?

-My father is Japanese but my mother is Korean, so I naturally grew up speaking Korean. My nationality is Japanese, but half of my blood is Korean.

The screen split to show the audience, where her mother sat wiping away tears overwhelmed with emotion, and her father beamed with pride.

Lee Dong-Min smiled.

-I see. If, by any chance, you make it into I.O.A, I hope you'll become a bridge between Korea and Japan. And that was a flawless performance, Miss Aoi.

Drenched in sweat, Minamoto Aoi smiled brightly with her crescent-shaped eyes captivating the audience.

-Thank you! I'll do my best to make both my parents' countries happy.

Pledging to become a bridge between two nations—so close, yet so distant—Minamoto Aoi answered with strength. She had made a brilliant song choice, and now she was winning bonus points in the interview as well.

Lee Dong-Min handed the mic to judge Woo Yeon-Hee seated beside him.

-You turned a dance track into a ballad, yet it felt like an original song because your emotional delivery was so strong. But have you dated a lot? How do you convey feelings that well?

Minamoto Aoi hesitated before answering.

-...I learned about love through books.

-Wow~ And yet you're able to express emotions that delicately? Your imagination must be incredible!

When laughter burst out from the audience, Minamoto Aoi's ears turned bright red.

Then Yang Eun-Bi, sitting next to Woo Yeon-Hee, grinned and took the mic.

-Don't get the wrong idea, we're not teasing you. Yeon-Hee unnie also learned about love through books, so she's genuinely impressed.

Now it was Woo Yeon-Hee's turn to flush.

-W-What's wrong with having a good imagination?

-Exactly! It's a good thing. That was a compliment~

Yang Eun-Bi offered a playful apology to the flustered Woo Yeon-Hee, then smoothly continued her evaluation.

-Having a clear voice is a huge asset for an idol, so make sure you take care of it.

-I will!

Watching the evaluations on screen, Sasuke leaned in with an excited expression. "Aoi bringing up that she's half-Korean is definitely going to win her some points."

During the pre-recording, Sasuke had been too busy to watch any footage, so this was his first time seeing it.

I nodded. "Yeah. Stage quality is important, but knowing how to appeal to fans in any situation is even more crucial. Especially being open about her background."

Just then, the screen shifted and Kim Jung-Joo appeared with a mic in hand.

-Next, let's hear from Kudo Minatsu. She's prepared a reinterpreted version of 'Soulfire,' paired with traditional Japanese dance. Please welcome her~

As Minamoto Aoi exited to one side of the stage, Kudo Minatsu stepped up draped in a long red dress with her arms hanging at her sides. At 159 cm, her petite frame caused the hem of the gown to drag across the stage.

At that moment, she stepped out wearing a noh mask that covered most of her cute, well-known face. Noh was a form of classical masked theater that originated in 14th-century Japan. The noh mask, or

nōmen

, was used in these traditional performances.

And the one Kudo Minatsu wore was no less than a goblin mask.

The judges exchanged puzzled glances, but Kudo Minatsu stood poised, ready for her performance.

Kim Jung-Joo hesitated briefly, then gave the cue.

-Let's begin.

Kudo Minatsu nodded and assumed her stance.

Doom, doom, do-doom.

Traditional Japanese drums began to echo through the hall, setting a solemn and ceremonial mood. It didn't feel like an idol showing off her talent, but it felt more like a traditional performance from a cultural arts successor.

As the rearranged version of 'Soulfire' began, Kudo Minatsu raised her arms slowly and started to sing. Trained in classical vocal techniques, her strong mid-range vocals rivaled Kang Ha-Na's original version.

However, Sasuke watching the screen looked uneasy.

"Hyung... don't you think Minatsu's going too far into 'art' and forgetting the audience?"

"Well, that was her choice. Let's wait and see how the final results turn out."

During the pre-recording, the judges had praised her performance as exceptional even if it didn't quite fit the image of an idol stage. But as expected, the live chat was telling a different story.

[PROJECT: I.O.A]

[Live Chat]

-I thought Minatsu would go for a cute song... This is definitely unexpected.

-This is hands down the best 'Soulfire' cover I've seen. But it would've worked better as pure dance. Why the mask?

-Her falsetto is unreal. Must be the classical training, but the mask is really distracting.

-Not gonna lie, but I couldn't focus. The goblin mask made the emotional part feel eerie. I'm not a fan.

-I agree. She was the cutest contestant during 'Hurry Up!' And now this... kind of disappointing.

-You too?

-Yeah, me too.

...

Kudo Minatsu sang 'Soulfire' with exceptional control, seamlessly moving between chest and falsetto registers. Her classical vocal training gave her a solid mid-range tone, making it one of the strongest 'Soulfire' covers.

But still, Kudo Minatsu's stage direction puzzled many. It just wasn't the performance anyone had expected. Once her 1 minute and 30 second performance came to an end, the lights came back on. Kudo Minatsu removed the goblin mask. Her youthful, adorable face was drenched in sweat.

Lee Dong-Min picked up the mic.

-Honestly, I didn't expect a performance like this. But in terms of pure skill, it was flawless. Why did you choose to wear the goblin mask?

-I interpreted the message of 'Soulfire' in my own way. By becoming a goblin who can control soul flames, I wanted to make it clear that I was taking on the role of one who resolves grief.

The moment Kudo Minatsu delivered her confident statement, the screen split and showed her father, Kudo Akira. As a music producer, Kudo Akira was known for always emphasizing artistry. Naturally, he was satisfied with his daughter's stage, rich in artistic direction.

But from my perspective, this was a critical mistake by Kudo Minatsu. Rather than pleasing the

I.O.A

audience, she had focused on impressing her father, who valued artistic merit above all.

At that moment, Ji Yung-Sik gave a command from one side of the monitoring room.

"Alright. Cut the pre-recording and switch to live. Here we go! Five, four, three... one. Cue!"

At that moment, the screen changed. As Kudo Minatsu's evaluation concluded, Kim Jung-Joo stood at one side of the stage and raised the mic.

-Viewers, please complete your vote within one minute. Before that, we'll first display the judges' preliminary scores.

Kim Jung-Joo turned and pointed toward the back screen. With a flash, the judges' scores appeared.

[Judges' Scores]

Minamoto Aoi: 41 / 50

vs

Kudo Minatsu: 43 / 50

In terms of stage performance alone, Kudo Minatsu's was more impressive. So the judges gave her about two more points. On the other hand, the live chat was flooded with comments from fans saying they didn't understand the judges' evaluations.

At that moment, Jang Dae-Joon, the engineer in the monitoring room, shouted excitedly, "Current viewership ratings is at 7.8%!"

Because of the buzz around this matchup, the viewership ratings were climbing.

"Nice. Tell me again in one minute!"

"Got it."

Now with just 30 seconds left until the results were in, Ji Yung-Sik suddenly looked at me. "Mr. Jung, who do you think will win?"

"Well..."

"Wait, let's make it interesting. How about a bet?"

"Alright. Loser treats the entire production crew and management staff to dinner. Sounds fair?"

"Sure, let's do it. You know I was on an audition show myself, right?"

Ji Yung-Sik was widely considered a top expert when it came to audition programs, even though he himself was eliminated in the first round.

"Make your choice. We've got 15 seconds."

Then, Ji Yung-Sik made his pick confidently. "I'll go with Minatsu. She completed her stage without a single mistake."

I knew this bet was mine.

"Then I'll naturally go with Aoi."

"Wait... why are you smiling?"

"

Haha,

no reason."

Ten seconds flew by in an instant.

Then, Jang Dae-Joon announced, "The results... are in."

"

Oh

? Really? So? Who won?"

Jang Dae-Joon hesitated, glancing around nervously.

"Well? Spit it out," Ji Yung-Sik urged.

"Mr. Ji.. Between our 150 staff members and the teams from Hoop Entertainment, Shanghai New Media Inc., and Japan's AMOSE, we've got over 200 people working tonight."

"Why are you saying that? Don't tell me..."

"Mr. Ji, you lost."

"What? By how much?"

"Viewer scores for Minamoto Aoi was 45 and Kudo Minatsu was 39. Adding the judges' scores, the final tally is Aoi 86 and Minatsu 82."

Ji Yung-Sik stood stunned. On the monitor, Kim Jung-Joo appeared fidgety with a mic in hand.

-It seems there's a slight delay in tabulating the results. Please wait a moment.

Because this part of the show was live, I decided to help move things along. I looked at Ji Yung-Sik.

"Mr. Ji, you should relay the final scores. Otherwise, we're about to have a broadcast incident."

Ji Yung-Sik finally spoke into the intercom. "Mr. Jung-Joo, here are the results. For viewer votes, Minamoto Aoi got 45 and Kudo Minatsu got 39. Combined with the preliminary scores, total is Aoi 86, Minatsu 82. Announce Minamoto Aoi as the winner. Also, include the +10 bonus points in your announcement."

Hearing the result through his in-ear, Kim Jung-Joo began the live announcement.

-The final result is in. And the winner is...

As Kim Jung-Joo announced the results, the back screen lit up with the final scores.

[Judges + Viewer Vote Score]

Minamoto Aoi: 86 /100

Vs

Kudo Minatsu: 82 /100

WIN: Minamoto Aoi (+10 bonus points: Final Score – 96)

Minamoto Aoi's face filled the massive back screen in celebration of her victory.

***

Next up, the pre-recorded battle between Sung Na-Ra and Go Eun-Seo began to air. Though their match was also neck and neck, Ji Yung-Sik looked more puzzled than focused, clearly stuck on the earlier result.

"How did I lose? Minatsu's stage direction was far more daring and elaborate. And covering 'Soulfire' like that? Even most professionals would've struggled to pull off a stage like hers."

"She did well, no doubt. But Minatsu didn't consider the audience. Here, take a look at this."

I pulled up the live chat from our app, which told the story.

[PROJECT: I.O.A]

[Live Chat]

-I voted for Aoi. Both were good, but she was just cuter.

-Yeah... Minatsu did well, but that wasn't the kind of performance I expected. It was flashy, but hard to connect with.

-I don't even watch Korean traditional dance, and now I'm watching Japanese traditional dance? Lol

-I agree. It felt more like a stage at an art theater than an idol performance.

-Skill-wise, she was amazing. Maybe a better song choice next time?

-Honestly, Kudo Minatsu was my top pick because she was cute... but tonight, she wasn't it. Minamoto Aoi was cuter.

...

Kudo Minatsu's fans had originally fallen for her charming, adorable presence. Instead of delivering that on stage, she had aimed to impress her producer father and ended up putting on an overly artistic performance. On top of that, she covered her signature cute face with a goblin mask, effectively throwing away her biggest strength. So while her stage was technically impressive, she lost the emotional connection with the general audience.

As Ji Yung-Sik reviewed the comments, realization began to dawn on his face and his cheeks turned red.

"

Sigh

~ I guess that's why I got eliminated back in the day."

Back then, Ji Yung–Sik had been cut from an audition for insisting everyone call him "Angel Ji" with a cringe-worthy concept of his own.

I gently offered Ji Yung-Sik a sympathetic smile. "Still, the viewership ratings were great. That makes you the real winner tonight, doesn't it?"

Ji Yung-Sik let out a sigh. "It still stings, but I guess that makes me feel a little better."

Trying to brush it off, Ji Yung-Sik turned to Jang Dae-Joon. "Dae-Joon, the viewership ratings?"

Jang Dae-Joon shouted, "Current viewership ratings... 8.1%!"

Just fifteen minutes into Episode 3 of

Project I.O.A

, they had already surpassed last week's peak of 7.9%. The show was writing a new chapter in real time.

At that moment, we got a report through the walkie talkie.

Fzzzt.

-Mr. Ji, this is from the audience section.

"Yes?"

-Kudo Akira wants to see you. Right now.

"What? Why?"

-He says the voting was rigged.

"Of course. I was wondering when he'd pop off."

It was clear things were about to escalate. That meant it was time for me to step forward.

"Mr. Ji, have him brought here."

Ji Yung-Sik blinked at me in surprise. "What are you going to do?"

"I told you I'd take full responsibility for Kudo Akira, didn't I?"

After a moment's hesitation, Ji Yung-Sik spoke into the intercom. "Hyung-Moon, bring him in but bring security with you just in case he causes a scene."

-Yes, sir.

Taking the opportunity, I pulled Sasuke aside and headed straight for the exit.

***

"Don't touch me! Who do you think you are? I'll walk by myself, so back off!"

At the end of the hallway, Kudo Akira was fuming, surrounded by security. His face flushed red, his posture bristled with fury, ready to explode. Then his eyes locked with mine.

"There you are! Jung Yoon-Ho! Why the hell is my daughter the loser here, huh? Explain! As a producer, I can't make any sense of this!"

The renowned producer was storming toward me with his voice raised, clearly ready to shout his indignation across the entire industry.

However, I had a way to silence him. After all, I knew exactly what future lay ahead for Kudo Akira.

'

You may be a famous producer now... but I'm a returnee!

'