The Loser Idol's Rebirth

DISESTEEMED

[Name: Go Yoojun]

Vocal: B- (A)

Dance: A (Ex)

Visual: A+ (S+)

Charm: B (A+)

Attribute: Determined (Not Activated)

Status effect: Disesteemed

Staring at the ridiculous potential of the boy, Soo-Ha is both jealous and awed.

He has all the makings of an all-round idol, a so-called Golden egg.

How did a guy like this not make it?

Well, the answer seemed to be staring Soo-Ha right in the face.

[Status effect: Disesteemed]

With that face?

It would make more sense if he was suffering from prince syndrome.

As Soo-Ha continues to look at the status curiously, he hears the MC's voice through the speakers.

"Okay, please introduce yourself."

Go Yoojun proceeds to grab hold of the microphone.

The hand that was holding it, is shaking tremendously.

"Ah...He-Hello..."

Go Yoojun didn't stutter because he was nervous, rather his awkward speed was due to him feeling uncomfortable in public speaking.

Ever since Go Yoojun was young, he'd be praised for his looks and talents. What came with all the praise was also envy and jealousy from others.

As a result, Go Yoojun began shying away from taking the spotlight, from standing out.

Soo-Ha could notice the overwhelming sense of anxiety and shame, coming from the young man.

With that face and those talents, his shyness could be presented as his signature characteristic.

How could he not debut?

Clicking on the problematic status effect, Soo-Ha learns more.

[Disesteemed – Lack of self-confidence and belief]

All Abilities are decreased by two levels.

'How very useful.'

The content of the status effect was more severe than Soo-Ha had expected.

In games, when one got this kind of long-term debuffs, we would just give up and restart.

But unfortunately, this was the game of life, and everyone only had 1 play through.

"Yoojun, no need to be nervous." The MC attempts to calm the young man.

"Ah..."

The usual spiel then began and Yoojun began answering the questions he was given.

Overall, his performance was not bad. It was a stage everyone would see favourably, although to Soo-Ha it still felt as if there was something left in the tank.

His performance seems to further confirm that the status window was correct, as Yoojun performed worse than his actual abilities.

"Go Yoojun, 15th place!"

To think that someone with those stats would get a lower rank than Soo-Ha seemed surreal.

Anyway, the judges clearly felt the same and thought his upside was high, so his overall evaluation was on the higher end.

"You did well--"

"I'll be looking forward to seeing more of you in the future"

The banal words of encouragement lacked any sense of sincerity.

Go Yoojun's face was somewhat gloomy as he bowed deeply.

He attempted to brighten up his expression, and walked out of the stage, following the MC's announcement.

His seat was right below Soo-Ha's, making his way towards him.

This should be where they would exchange greetings...

But Go Yoojun, who kept his head low and only took a glance at his seat but didn't say a word.

"...."

Soo-Ha thought that if this scene was caught by the cameras, it would appear as if he were the one ignoring the young boy.

Therefore since it was a hassle to start talking, once Yoojun faced him, Soo-Ha just nodded his head to the side with a smile.

Go Yoojun surprised by his action, quickly and nervously bowed his head in greeting back continuously.

The MC's voice then reverberates through the speakers;

"The next participants are a 5-man group from YU – High Tension!"

Counting the remaining participants in his head, Soo-Ha reclines into the leather headrest, as he sighs weakly.

There was still a long way to go....

***

"Ryu Jae-Wook! You are … 9th Place!"

And with that announcement, the last contestant squeezed into the top rankings which had been filled to the brim.

During the last 3 hours Soo-Ha's ranking had dropped as expected and as of now he was in …. 16th place.

He had done a pretty good job all things considered.

In fact, based on his estimation, only seven others seemed able to make the grade of worth debuting.

He was confident that he could make the final cut, come the end of the competition.

"Thank you!"

The former leader of the national fencing team said with a gentle expression, before leaving the stage with a grin.

From what Soo-ha recalled, he was a gold medallist at the Asian games, but was forced to retire due to back problems.

Soo-Ha knew he was one of the people that debuted, and given that he was exempted from military service, he was a highly sought after male talent, given that he would not have to take a 2-year hiatus.

A sudden realisation hits.

'Come to think of it, what about me?... Did this mean I have to go to the army again!? Nooo'