Chapter 165. Final (9)
“Now, only the final spot in Kairos remains.”
Seo Taeil, as always, read the script in a voice tinged with slight bitterness.
“First, I will announce the trainee who must leave the stage with a final ranking of 10th.”
“……”
“The trainee who will unfortunately bid us farewell as the 10th place finisher is… Trainee Jaiden.”
Jaiden nodded slightly, as if he had anticipated it, and with a look of regret, he hugged the remaining trainees.
Perhaps because it was difficult to fully convey his complex emotions in Korean, he expressed his final thoughts in his native language, English. He spoke about how much he had enjoyed his time with everyone and how, even though he was returning home, he would continue making the music that they had come to love.
“Please remember me and my music.”
After finishing his final remarks, Jaiden moved to the seat reserved for those eliminated.
“Next, I will reveal the candidates for 7th and 8th place, who will face different fates. The one who is not among the candidates will naturally leave the stage as the 9th place finisher.”
The screen split into three parts, showing Lee Yugeon, Kim Wonho, and Park Jaeyoung.
After a momentary pause, timed with the production team’s signal, Seo Taeil, who seemed to be struggling himself, furrowed his brow slightly and turned his back to the camera with a gesture.
But it was only for a moment.
After taking a few deep breaths, Seo Taeil finally managed to control his emotions and spoke.
He didn’t want to steal the spotlight from the trainees who might be experiencing their final moments.
“The candidates for 7th place in Miro Maze are… Trainee Lee Yugeon and Trainee Kim Wonho.”
So, it came to this.
Hajin thought as he watched Yugeon and Wonho step forward with unreadable expressions.
Jaeyoung, who had been tightly closing his eyes, also relaxed his shoulders with a regretful smile upon hearing the result.
“Therefore, Trainee Park Jaeyoung finishes 9th and concludes his journey in Miro Maze.”
Since the final debutants were the highlight, the production team asked Jaeyoung for his thoughts first. Jaeyoung hugged both Wonho and Yugeon, then walked forward confidently with a determined stride.
“Though I’m really, really sad that I couldn’t debut with my hyungs… I think making it this far has been the greatest fortune of my life! I’m still young and have a long way to go, so please don’t forget me and remember me!”
Hajin looked at Jaeyoung, who had gained quite a bit of spunk through Miro Maze, with admiration.
As Jaeyoung walked towards the eliminated seat, all the remaining trainees stepped down from the platform to greet him, just as they had done for Jaiden earlier.
While exchanging warm and regretful goodbyes with the other trainees, Jaeyoung spotted Hajin and slowed his steps.
“Little J.”
“…Hajin hyung.”
Hajin, who nodded as if he understood everything, opened his arms, and Jaeyoung finally, with a face full of tears, threw himself into Hajin’s embrace. Hajin silently held Jaeyoung and patted his back as he sobbed, letting out all his sadness and frustration.
“You did well, you did well… It’s amazing that you’ve come this far.”
If Hajin hadn’t planned the survival show called Miro Maze, Park Jaeyoung would have already quit being a trainee and moved on to a different life. He recalled what Thirteen had told him—that in all the timelines he had experienced, this had always been the case.
“As you said, you’re still young. This is just the beginning.”
However, the current Park Jaeyoung had not left Miro, and that choice would bring about another butterfly effect in his life.
Hajin, hoping that this butterfly effect would be a gentle and kind breeze, stroked Jaeyoung’s head.
After bidding a farewell that felt unsatisfying no matter how many times he repeated it to the sniffling Jaeyoung, and after Jaeyoung moved to the eliminated seat,
Now, only two people remained on the stage.
“Now, we’re down to the final announcement of the 7th place.”
An intense BGM looped endlessly at the venue.
Hajin watched Yugeon and Wonho standing on the stage with a heavy heart.
Regardless of who was eliminated and who succeeded, Hajin felt that his mind would not be at ease.
“At this moment, the trainee who will take the final spot in Kairos is…”
Now that I think about it, Kang Hajin really had a good sense.
Even though he couldn’t easily believe his ranking, thinking it might be just a fluke, the fact that he guessed Yugeon might be in 2nd place instead of him at first glance was proof of his Sixth Sense.
What does that mean…
“The last trainee to debut in 7th place is… Trainee Lee Yugeon.”
…It meant that perhaps, from the beginning, he had known this would happen.
Facing a long-avoided goodbye, Hajin finally closed his eyes.
* * *
“…Ah.”
When his name wasn’t called in the end, Wonho felt something snap inside him.
‘Finally.’
Most people would call it “reason,” but it was different for Wonho.
To put it in words, it felt like…
Liberation? Relief? Freedom?
‘I knew this would happen.’
Ah, yes.
It felt like hearing the final bell of a long-prepared exam.
He didn’t think he would get a top grade anyway.
He could already remember a few answers he had missed.
He regretted not preparing better in the past.
But still, the exam was over, and he had poured everything he had into it, so there was nothing more he could do now.
Yet, the scores from his self-assessment sheet turned out better than expected, making him feel both bewildered and a bit regretful, thinking, “I should’ve tried a little harder.”
“…Uh, well, I really didn’t expect this to happen… Ah, what should I say.”
In the distance, Yugeon could be seen stammering through his speech.
On the screen, Yugeon’s twin brothers and grandfather were shown, wiping away tears.
Beyond that, the six trainees who had secured their debut appeared like a photograph in Wonho’s view.
‘Honestly… I’m not confident.’
Even though he had held onto the faint hope of “maybe?” until the very end, Wonho couldn’t imagine himself standing in that group, as a member of the same team. Even if he had been lucky enough to debut, he would have constantly felt inadequate among them, suffering from endless inferiority.
Thinking that, Wonho concluded once again that this was the right outcome.
‘Who can I blame? It’s my fault for not being prepared.’
Even if he blamed himself for not practicing enough in the past, it wouldn’t change the result.
Only after reaching the final and being eliminated in 8th place did Wonho feel completely liberated and able to regain his usual cheerfulness.
‘But still… It’s a shame. Just when things were starting to come together.’
At 19, his age was a vague and uncertain boundary in the idol world.
It was an age where he could debut immediately but was also a bit late to start new training.
Thinking that he, too, must leave this maze like the others made him feel a bit scared and uncertain. The most regretful thing was that he might not get another chance to take on such a challenge.
‘Seok-hyung said he’s going back to school.’
I… Only have one semester of school left, and I haven’t prepared for college entrance exams at all. What should I do now?
As realistic worries and thoughts flooded his mind, Yugeon finished his speech, and it was Wonho’s turn to take the microphone.
Wonho took the microphone and stood in front of the camera.
And the moment he faced the numerous spectators watching him, he felt something inside him crumble.
“…I.”
The dam holding back his emotions broke, and a tidal wave swept through Wonho’s heart.
And in the aftermath of that wave, what remained was the truth he had long avoided facing.
“I wanted to go higher.”
I wanted to do more.
I wanted to rise further.
I wanted to stand on a stage that made others cheer passionately, just like them.
Even though I knew I was far from being worthy of that place.
“I knew I was lacking…”
…Despite that, Wonho just wanted to shine.
“I know how fortunate and honored I am to have come this far. …But still.”
He wanted to prove that the limit of a person like him was higher.
“But still, I really wanted to debut with them.”
Wonho didn’t cry until the end.
Crying here would feel like admitting that this was the limit of his capabilities, which he didn’t want to do.
Forcing his eyes wide open to hold back any tears, Wonho stubbornly maintained his smile and delivered what might be his final message to his fans.
“…Thank you for loving a me who couldn’t even love myself. Thank you for letting me dream. Thank you for supporting and loving someone like me until the end… I’m truly grateful.”
The Destinies gave Wonho a round of applause, united in this moment for his final words.
They all knew that he was one of the trainees who had suffered the most throughout Miro Maze.
After Wonho finished his speech, he and Yugeon stood together to move to the center of the stage.
As soon as Yugeon saw Wonho, his expression turned indescribable, while Wonho offered
him a pure, unselfish smile.
“What’s with that face? Anyone would think you got eliminated and I got through.”
“……”
“…Congratulations on debuting, Lee Yugeon. I guess I’ll have to buy your album?”
-…Are you sure you really don’t want to debut?
-I told you, no. When you debut, I’ll buy one of your albums.
Wonho repeated the words he had said to Yugeon in the practice room, to which Yugeon responded with a baffled laugh. Yet he still looked at Wonho with a face that seemed like he was about to cry. Wonho playfully teased him with an even bigger smile.
“When you hold a concert, make sure to save a ticket for me. If you need choreography ideas, call me. You know I’m good at choreographing, right? You even admitted it. Your younger sibling likes me, too.”
“…Yeah. So when I get home, I’ll probably get beaten to death by Rangi for debuting instead of you.”
“Well, that’s annoying, so just take five hits and be done with it.”
At those words, Yugeon finally chuckled and nodded.
The two hugged briefly before walking toward the center stage where the trainees stood.
Now, it was time for one to head to the platform and the other to the seat for those eliminated.
“Kim Wonho.”
And when they reached the stage where the trainees stood, after what had felt like both a long and short walk,
The person who came forward to greet Wonho was none other than Hajin.
“…Kangha hyung.”
The truth was, Wonho was envious of Hajin.
Despite starting from the same, if not even a much more disadvantaged, position, Hajin had caught up.
They had been paired as Wolpyeongjo, part of the GyangiKimz team, and had received a lot of love together.
But as the gap between himself and Hajin became more apparent, he found it harder to look at Hajin the same way. It was entirely because of his own inferiority complex.
“…In the end, we couldn’t debut together as roommates. That’s a shame. If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have just spent the last week hanging out with you.”
There were times when Wonho wanted to avoid Hajin, who kept telling him that he could do more, even when it seemed impossible. Listening to Hajin made him feel like he was capable of more, filling him with hope that he found overwhelming.
Yet now, as everything was behind him, Wonho realized how meaningless those thoughts had been.
Because now, in front of him, Hajin was approaching with a face full of sorrow.
“Congratulations on your debut, hyung. I always thought you’d do well.”
“…Me too.”
It was hard to tell whether Hajin was angry or sad as he spoke to Wonho.
Then, biting down to hold back his tears, he looked at Wonho with reddened eyes.
“…I wanted to debut with you too.”
Just because. No stats or anything like that, none of that mattered.
Just because I wanted to debut with the dongsaeng I liked.
With the one I had been with since the monthly evaluations.
Wonho would never know the words Hajin swallowed.
But even so, in this moment, Wonho could understand that Hajin’s feelings were sincere.
Wonho responded with a bright smile, pouring his heart into his words.
“…Yeah. Me too.”
[System Alert: ‘Kim Wonho’ responds to you. (Response rate: 92.3%)
Recruitment of ‘Kim Wonho’ is possible.]
[Would you like to recruit him? (Y/N)]
With a face that looked like he might cry at any moment, Hajin held back his tears and embraced Wonho.
Wonho also hugged Hajin back, smiling as brightly as he could.
* * *
And so, the final came to an end.
Night fell, and the stars shone in the sky.
However, our time had not yet ended.
[System Alert: Sudden Quest!]
Content: The foundation of an idol group is teamwork!
Let’s take some time to clear up any uncomfortable feelings between team members and share our true thoughts.
It might even be a chance to reflect on our own hearts?
Success reward:
– An unexpected fortune (Butterfly Effect)
A very kind wind was blowing toward everyone.