- Stop with the babbling! When are they going to show that June guy?
- Damn, I've never watched this show before, but it's pretty damn interesting. The editing is so dramatic that I can't look away!
- Welcome to the world of Rising Stars! This is the start of your insanity.
- Who here is watching to see that June guy get trashed?
Minjun clicked his tongue as he read through the comments. Grandma, too, sighed in disappointment.
"It's saddening to see people being so harsh on June," she said in a sad tone. "I wish more people would believe in him. The young man had gone through a lot to get to where he is today."
Jisung glanced at his friends, who were all guiltily looking away.
He clicked his tongue. Serves them right! Jisung believed in June from the very start.
"It's your turn," C-Jay said, nudging Jangmoon. The screen showed the number 24.
"This trainee had surprised the starlights and the mentors last week, piercing through the hearts of many with his hard work and professionalism. Congratulations, trainee Jangmoon. You have jumped 26 places and are now ranked 24th!" Jihyun exclaimed.
There was a moment of silence like nobody could believe that Jangmoon had actually made it.
Then, a piano score that sounded like a mixture of victory and sadness filled the room.
Jangmoon stood up, the camera focusing on his expression of disbelief. Then, he started walking to the stage, the piano sound only getting louder as he looked into the camera.
"Didn't you get an interview, too?" Akira asked. "How did that go?"
Jangmoon shrugged. "I honestly just answered a bunch of questions. I wondered how they edited it."
They didn't have to wait long since the video clip played just as Jangmoon sat down on the 24th seat.
Jangmoon sat in front of a white wall, his shoulders slumped and his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Did you cry inside the interview room?" C-Jay asked in disbelief.
"No!" Jangmoon exclaimed. "I was nervous. I didn't even think about crying."
The editing team knew exactly how to tug at the heartstrings of the viewers. The footage was slowed down, capturing every quiver of his lip and every bead of sweat on his forehead.
The music continued to play as a caption was shown on the screen— "Jangmoon, how do you feel right now?"
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "I can't believe I made it this far," he admitted. "I was 50th just last week, and now I'm 24th. It's been a dream come true."
The editing team skillfully made the background music louder, enhancing the already inspiring mood. With a final zoom-in on Jangmoon's eyes, the camera faded to another scene, leaving viewers with a deep sense of empathy for the previously last-ranked contestant.
"Damn," Jaeyong said as the scene finished. "They did a great job at editing this."
"For real," C-Jay agreed. "I almost cried."
- Let's continue voting for this kid! He had improved so much.
- Kinda wanted to cry there. Who the hell placed the background music?
The other announcements took a more neutral and joyous route. It was filled with the happy moments of the trainees making it into the top 25.
A lot of the viewers seemed very happy to see Sehun and Akira rise in the ranks.
- I voted for Sehun! I want to thank June for introducing me to such a talented trainee!
- June didn't do shit.
- Akira, you have gone so far! I voted for you from the very beginning!
- These are the trainees who deserve to be in the higher ranks. Not those who only relied on their parents' wealth.
However, as soon as the top 11 was announced, the editing took a more intense route.
- Yo, is it finally June's turn?
- My fingers are ready to shit on this guy.
- Did he maintain his rank even after the rumors got out? What a joke.
- People are fucking disgusting. Those rumors were never proven true.
The show's editing team went into overdrive to maximize the emotional impact of Yuri's unexpected drop in rank from the competition. The camera panned over the anxious faces of the remaining contestants, their expressions reflecting the shock of seeing someone who had consistently been in the top ranks now fall to 11th place.
Intense music played in the background, a powerful orchestral score that added to the heat of the moment. Cindy employed a dramatic split-screen effect, with one side showing Yuri's solemn face and the other with the trainees looking at him with disbelief.
The trainees gasped audibly, and the camera immediately cut to Yuri, who was standing there with a stiff smile plastered on his face. His eyes betrayed the disappointment he felt as he clutched his microphone tightly.
"Thank you," he said in a soft, almost robotic tone. It was clear that this wasn't how he had expected the eliminations to turn out, and his forced gratitude only served to intensify the shock in the room.
The scene then transitioned to an interview with Yuri backstage. He sat alone in a well-lit room, and his eyes cast downward. He barely spoke, his disappointment hanging in the heavy silence.
"I don't know what happened," Yuri finally murmured, his voice barely audible.
"I can't breathe," Wei whispered. "This is so fucking intense."
"But damn, I really didn't expect it. How could Yuri drop to 11th place?" Soo-min asked.
"Then, does that mean…" Na-ri trailed off, her gaze panning to Jia.
Jia bit her lip as she focused on the screen. However, her eyes weren't watching Yuri's interview. Instead, it was in the comment section—which was filled with hate comments for June.
Sure, there were still plenty of fans defending him. However, since plenty of people who haven't watched the show before also tuned in, the hate he was receiving was through the roof!
Jia found herself getting angrier by the second.
- Ya'll didn't expect this? Of course, that bastard went up. His parents are rig-masters.
- Shut the fuck up! I voted for June.
- I voted for June, too.
- HAHAHA June fans are still so delusional. Wake up! Your fave is a nepotism baby.
- Untalented, too.
- June is boring as fuck.
- June paid his way to the top.
- I hate to say this, but I'm not voting for June anymore.
The hate comments only intensified after Ren was revealed to be in 9th place. Having a loyal fanbase along with Zeth, many people didn't like how Ren dropped in the ranks while June supposedly rose.
"I almost fell out of my seat when they announced Ren's rank," Jisung admitted. "He always competed with Zeth and Casper for the ranks."
"I know, right?" Akira agreed. "I wonder what happened?"
Minjun sighed in frustration. "You guys have such slow brains. You would know the answer if you watched the show intently. That guy is clearly losing confidence since his rank has been going down ever since the second mission. He didn't even trend during the Concept Mission."
The others looked at each other and realized that the little kid was right. Ren did lay low after he fell down in ranks after the last elimination episode.
Jaeyong was about to say something when Minjun held out his hand and let out a loud "shh."
"Don't speak," Minjun said, his gaze focused on the screen.
"Now, we have the trainee who had been rising from the very start. He could even be called the 'Rising Star' of 'Rising Stars.' In 8th place….we have trainee June!"
