hotmtlnovel Chapter 116: 0116
Chapter 116: 0116
Chapter 116
Title: Melon-Eating Discussion / However, Those Few Girls Are Getting Too Much Screen Time...
"Random Entertainment's intention to promote those few girls is too obvious. The plot basically revolves around them, while others are just like props... I really feel sorry for my bias."
Comments section:
"...?"
"You people are so hard to please now. You complain when popular members get too much screen time, and you also complain when they get too little."
"While I understand the show needs popular members to carry the camera time, it's really too much."
"Is this how you're supposed to beg for attention?"
"So you're saying that since the popular members are already popular, the screen time should be given to other trainees who aren't as popular?"
"Everything else aside, I really don't understand why Fish Ball's popularity is so high. Who actually wants to watch her?"
"Yes, yes, Yu Dan has an internet-famous face, we're all internet users, just let us have this one."
"Perhaps... this is what they call vote manipulation?"
"There are some strange people in this thread... Ridiculous, accusing Random Entertainment of vote manipulation?"
"It's true though, those few girls' makeup artists were all brought in from Korea..."
Like a drop of ink in water, the accusations of Random Entertainment manipulating the show spread from a small black dot outward.
But with the third public performance approaching, everyone's attention was more focused on the upcoming show. Even those who saw these comments didn't pay much attention, because it was Random Entertainment - how could vote manipulation possibly happen?
The third public performance was the day after tomorrow, with rehearsal scheduled for tomorrow. Today, all the trainees were packed into the practice room. In Beijing's dry climate, they managed to raise the humidity in the practice room by several degrees through their efforts alone. Water droplets had condensed at the bottom of the mirrors, and their clothes had long since changed color from sweat.
After dancing through the routine more than ten times, Yu Dan finally allowed everyone to rest. Si Yanyu, completely exhausted, collapsed onto the floor. The others were startled for a moment, but she quickly raised her hand and said, "I'm fine, just out of energy."
The trainees in the practice room looked like they had just climbed Mount Tai. Their legs trembled as they walked toward the benches, not only drained of energy but their brains seemed to have stopped working too. Only one thought kept cycling through their minds: So tired, so tired, so tired...
From the moment they opened their eyes, except for meal times and short breaks, they had been practicing continuously. Solo practice followed by group practice, then focusing on details - repeating single movements dozens of times, going through formations hundreds of times.
This was how they practiced for basically every stage performance, to the point where they felt they could perform it perfectly even with their eyes closed.
But the more they practiced, the more anxious Si Yanyu became. She lay on the practice room floor staring at the ceiling for a while until suddenly, overwhelming emotions enveloped her. Si Yanyu quickly got up, grabbed her clothes and phone, and headed for the door. "I'm heading back first, not feeling well."
The others in the practice room, their faces contorted with exhaustion, immediately looked over when they heard this and showed concern, "What's wrong, are you okay?"
Si Yanyu just shook her head and walked toward the door. "I'm going back first."
Yu Dan, sitting in front of the large mirror, watched Si Yanyu leave and couldn't help but purse her lips. Because of the cameras present, she couldn't express her dissatisfaction.
Si Yanyu, whose mood had just improved, immediately became gloomy again at these words.
"I'm just too anxious..." she lowered her head, avoiding their gaze. "And while being anxious, I keep slacking off."
She fidgeted with her hands as she spoke: "I know at this point I should be focusing on practice, but I just can't control myself... When choosing between vocal practice and playing games, I chose games. I play while being anxious, knowing I'm making the wrong choice, but I just can't control myself, and I keep putting things off."
In the show, she was always glued to her phone. At first, everyone thought she was chatting with someone, but later they discovered she was just playing games. Initially, people could joke about her good attitude, but later viewers couldn't help but criticize her, especially compared to her hardworking teammates.
Si Yanyu wasn't even using games to relieve stress - she was simply avoiding, running away from the right choice.
It was like those people who know they have assignments due in a few hours but lie in bed mindlessly scrolling through their phones - pure procrastination and avoidance, playing while anxious.
"This is totally me... Six hours until the deadline, but here I am lying in bed watching your stories."
"I get it, but do they have to show this in the final cut?"
"This is literally me with my severe procrastination. I even have to coax myself into taking a shower."
"I understand, playing while being anxious, heart beating so fast, can't even feel any joy from gaming."
"This is so annoying, there are five people in their group, and everything revolves around those two? Fine if they want to join, but why must they include Pei Zhiping and Han Lemi?"
"I don't want to go to school! Don't want to go to classes! Don't want to do homework!!!"
"What's your problem with the four of them being close? If you don't like it, just leave!"
Each group's stage performance was preceded by a VCR segment showcasing the difficulties they encountered during preparation. Jiang Juyou, sitting at the judges' panel, watched along with a furrowed brow.
She turned to ask Yang Siyu, "Isn't this editing a bit too focused?" Jiang Juyou meant that basically every group's story centered around the popular members, while other trainees got unfairly little screen time.
Yang Siyu, who was asked, didn't furrow her brow but explained, "But this is what actually happened, and since there wasn't much other content to edit, they decided to include it."
Jiang Juyou nodded after hearing this but remained silent. She sat up straight and continued watching, though her expression was no longer pleasant.
The livestream occasionally showed glimpses of the judges' panel, where everyone's expressions weren't as enjoyable as during the first public performance. The last time Jiang Juyou frowned like this was during the first season, when the male trainees' skills truly warranted her concern.
Perhaps influenced by the expressions of these five judges, people who initially thought the stage performance was decent began to reassess their opinions.
"The stage presence felt better when Pei Zhiping and the other three were together."
"Both Xia Simiao and Pei Zhiping are quite eye-catching individually, but why does it look so chaotic when they're together? Whose fault is it?"
"I can understand Si Yanyu and Yu Dan's frustration - they have to bend their knees more to stay in sync with the others."
"Ahhhhh I want the group of four!"
"The four of them plus Xia Simiao and Ji Wensu would probably work really well. Remember to vote for six spots when the debut member voting opens tomorrow."
"Why not vote for nine? More positions mean more opportunities!"