T/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for your thoughts on having a change in the name convention of the tigers. I’ve weighed everyone’s opinions and the relevance of their names in future chapters, so I’ve decided to use the romanized names from here on out. Thanks everyone, and enjoy the chapter!

***

Today is the day that will determine whether Dokgo Miro’s childhood dream would come true.

It’s a few hours before the final filming of the show Playlist.

The final winner will be decided with the final live broadcast, and that winner is sure to make their debut through the nation’s leading entertainment company.

Dokgo Miro strengthened her resolve while she practiced in one of the waiting rooms.

‘I need to think of this as my last chance…!’

For regular audition programs, contestants who reach the final stages of the competition are still given a chance to debut since they’ve already gained a lot of popularity from the masses.

However, it’s completely different for Playlist, a show for players.

Although the show received much attention from the public and had many positive reviews, there are still a considerable amount of people who thought negatively of it.

Their opinion was that it doesn’t make sense to hold such an audition program when the number of otherworlds spawning increases and there’s still a gross lack of players to respond to them.

Such comments were often plastered on comment sections on videos related to Playlist.

Therefore, entertainment agencies who would take in and debut these players would be taking a big risk.

And there’s only one entertainment agency who committed to debuting only one player.

But there were three players left.

It was Dokgo Miro who topped the viewers’ popularity vote, but Yeo Raehun…

‘I know how much Raehun oppa enjoys singing and performing on stage. Still, I can’t give in.’

To be an idol on stage.

Dokgo Miro had to sacrifice a lot to get close to that dream.

Her family supported her and gave her a lot of consideration, but she suffered and endured bullying from her previous school to keep holding on to that dream.

More than anything, she had to push away her only friend to protect her.

‘Just a little more.’

There’s still a lot that she can’t tell Hani yet.

She’s never had the chance to explain to Hani why she pushed her away without any warning.

Recalling those days made Dokgo Miro want to say everything and apologize.

‘…Should I tell her once I finally achieve my dream?’

Once I enter Playlist, once I pass the preliminaries, once I become one of the final three.

Dokgo Miro has said those words to herself before, and now it’s changed to “once I win and make my debut”

Debuting is only the beginning, but if she can’t achieve that much, she doesn’t have the confidence to tell her friend everything.

‘If I win here, can I tell Hani what happened then?’

While Dokgo Miro was doubting herself, a knock suddenly came on her door.

Knock knock.

She only heard a knock, but DOkgo Miro recognized that there was a camera outside.

The faint mechanical sound of the filming camera and the staff’s footsteps was her basis.

She looked at the mirror and quickly combed back her hair and cleared her voice.

“…Yes! Please come in.”

When the door opened, Yeom Junyeol dressed in sponsored clothes, and Yeo Raehun wearing a seungbok appeared.

Yeom Junyeol looked like an award-winning MC, while Yeo Raehun was wearing his usual clothes.

It’s uncertain whether he’s just sticking to his image, or if it’s a part of his performance’s concept.

Behind them were the filming staff wanting to capture the genuine interaction between the contestants before the final show.

Dokgo Miro was still a little stiff in front of the cameras.

“Alright, let me speak to Miro for a while.”

When Yeom Junyeol said so to the staff, he quietly shut the door to the waiting room.

Inside, only Dokgo Miro, Yeom Junyeol, and Yeo Raehun remained.

“Have you checked the script for today, Miro?”

“Oh… Oh yes! You mean the part where I interact with the audience, right?”

“About that part, it might be tweaked a little bit.”

Yeom Junyeol spoke with a rather awkward expression.

“All the finalists personally invited their friends and families to cheer on them. I think the writer wants to film a scene where the cast interacts with them.”

Friends and families were personally invited.

For a moment, the Class Zero classmates that Dokgo Miro invited came to mind.

‘I didn’t invite them for an interview though…’

It would be a hot topic for Eungwang High’s freshmen Class Zero, the ones behind Dokgo Miro’s hit busking video, to be interviewed in the studio.

There were a lot of celebrities in their class who would come too, so interviews would surely happen.

However, Dokgo Miro didn’t invite the other kids for that purpose.

Dokgo Miro had a complicated expression.

“We want to hear what you think first, Miro.”

As if he read her mind, Yeom Junyeol kindly said so.

Yeo Raehun also added another word.

“I have some people from Naejang Mountain who came here. I asked them, and they said they don’t mind giving an interview. Still, it wouldn’t be good if only Miro wouldn’t do it, right?”

Dokgo Miro felt relieved at the considerate action of Yeom Junyeol and Yeo Raehun.

The atmosphere would be quite strange if Dokgo Miro would be the only one who wouldn’t participate, but if Yeo Raehun refuses too, it would be easier to refuse.

“I’ll ask the other kids first.”

“Alright. Tell me and Raehun hyung what they think.”

“Thank you!”

“It’s no big deal.”

They wished each other a good competition before Yeom Junyeol and Yeo Raehun left the waiting room.

“The friends that came to the stadium when we sang the national anthem are coming, right?”

“…Yes, that’s what I heard.”

Yeo Raehun, who asked an unexpected question, smiled at the answer.

“Can I go greet them too?”

* * *

When I left the mansion, the classes and the other activities were already over.

Because the days are shorter now, the artificial lights all around the school were already turned on after sunset.

If it weren’t for Hwang Jiho, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my promise.

“Hahaha! Even if you give me those eyes, I will keep a close watch on you. Don’t overdo it today.”

What kind of eyes was I looking at him with?

We headed to the meeting place as Hwang Jiho continued to laugh.

When he finally stopped laughing, I saw our classmates huddling behind the wall of a building.

“What are you guys doing?”

“Oh hey, Euishin! Is your body okay now? But first, lower your voice for now!”

“We missed the timing… What should we do?”

“Shush!”

Saeum of April and everyone else spoke in a hushed voice.

All the kids looked quite flustered, but rather than whispering on purpose, they seem to be unintentionally trying to stifle any noise.

I had no idea what was going on, but since my classmates want to be quiet, I decided to shut my mouth and watch what happens.

Kwon Lena had one hand over her mouth and the other pointing somewhere.

I saw someone standing in the distance.

‘Oh, that’s…!’

I recognized the figure quickly because it was my playable character.

He had his eyes open wide, and his long hair tied.

It was our assistant homeroom teacher, Yong Jegun.

“Professor Jegun, there was something we wanted to say from a long time ago. But since you were so busy, we didn’t have the chance to talk to you so…”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Standing in front of him was Yeon Garam, a student of Year Two Class Zero

She had an envelope in her hand.

At sunset, in the quiet grounds of Eungwang High.

The handsome young son of the Dragon Clan and the ace of Korea’s most prestigious high school’s theater department were facing each other.

It was like a scene from a manhwa.

“Oh my…! Are we supposed to see this?”

“I don’t think this is right.”

I don’t know what my classmates were thinking, but half of them had red faces while the other half had blue.

Then, Yeon Garam held out an envelope o Yong Jegun.

“Heol.”

“Can’t we just go without watching what happens next?”

“Yong ssaem is coming with us to watch the broadcast today. We can’t leave him behind…”

Yong Jegun’s eyes opened wide as he looked down at the envelope.

Before accepting, he asked her first.

“…What is this?”

“What do you think?”

Yeon Garam said with a light smile.

“It’s an application for permission to change my name.”

My classmates turned completely speechless.

Everyone seemed to be imagining all sorts of things, but I bet what Yeon Garam said didn’t cross their mind.

Even Yong Jegun looked flustered.

“Don’t you think the pronunciation of Professor Jegal’s “Jegal” and Professor Yong’s “Jegun” sound too similar? If you say them quickly, you wouldn’t notice the difference at all. There are people of royal lineage who change their name often, so why don’t you try it, professor?”

“Haha… Hahaha!”

Eventually, the old man burst into a laughing fit.

Even when she heard Hwang Jiho’s laugh, Yeon Garam continued explaining the benefits of changing his name.

At that moment, Jegal appeared with the GeumChanWangChan duo on both sides.

The duo had a frown deeper than Yong Jegun’s.

“Ahp, it’s not done yet!”

“We bought a lot of time already though!”

I guess the two tried to prevent Jegal from seeing this scene.

Jegal took notice of the two’s attitude before looking at Yeon Garam.

“Professor Yong Jegun? Do you have something to discuss with Garam?”

“Hahahaha!”

“Oh, won’t someone tell that bastard to stop laughing?”

“Hahahahaha!”

Soon after learning the whole story, Jegal scolded Yeon Garam and the duo before apologizing to Yong Jegun.

Yong Jegun only laughed, saying he wasn’t angry rather he found it absurd.

“As expected, living long lets you see a lot of things. There’s a lot of fun going on in the world.”

“…I’m really sorry, Professor Yong Jegun.”

“It’s alright. It’s just something to laugh about. Oh, I’ll tell you in advance. I like this name so I have no plans on changing it. What about you Professor Jegal?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Your students don’t like that our names sound similar. Any thoughts on changing yours?”

Yong Jegun handed Jegal the envelope given by Yeon Garam.

The Class Zero seniors, who had their heads down after being scolded by Jegal, immediately snapped and refuted.

“What did you say about our Jegal ssaem’s name?!”

“We don’t like all the names that sound similar to our Jegal ssaem’s!”

“Stop it already! Have you guys not reflected yet?!”

“Hahaha!”

The atmosphere was a huge mess before we departed for the broadcasting station.

After arriving, the incidents just continued.