The matchup that could be called the highlight of the semi-finals was the clash between AAA, a group from a major agency, and Enfants Terribles. Along with KAT-TUN, their opponent in the Top 4, AAA was a top contender for the championship—a six-member co-ed group that pursued high-level musicality, with every member possessing songwriting and composition skills.
Just like the quarter-finals, the semi-finals could practically be called the de facto final.
"Ah, this is going to get messy."
The ASAYAN PD sighed with regret. If things went like this, the actual final, which was supposed to be the climax of the festival, would end up far too bland.
Of course, this season of ASAYAN was already a massive success. It had created an unprecedented rivalry and birthed a rising star who was triggering a legitimate syndrome.
By nature, PDs are creatures who would sell their souls for the sake of viewership ratings. Getting cursed at by the staff? He didn't even care about that anymore. The problem, however, was that the agency officials and the high-ranking executives of the broadcasting station didn't seem to feel the same way.
He was in the middle of leading the teaser editing for the ASAYAN semi-finals with those thoughts in mind. Since the final was ruined anyway, he decided to treat the semi-final as the real main event.
Just then, his phone rang.
'Dammit. Who is it now, while I have the whole crew pulled in for an all-nighter?'
The irritation on the ASAYAN PD's face began to drain away, replaced by something else.
"Why on earth is this person calling...?"
It was an executive from the agency AAA belonged to. An executive who, moreover, had deep-rooted ties with the broadcasting station.
"Listen here, PDs are supposed to be people who would sell their souls for viewership ratings."
"Haha! I was exactly like you back when I was active in the field, so don't you think I'd know that?"
Sitting before the ASAYAN PD were the Bureau Director of the station and an executive from the major agency that produced AAA.
"Isn't it about time for this miracle to end?"
"What do you mean by that...?"
In the broadcasting world, meeting with an agency executive while a survival program is ongoing is a absolute taboo. Although he had only come out because the Bureau Director summoned him, the ASAYAN PD found this seat incredibly uncomfortable.
"I'm saying that AAA must be the winner."
"We don't know that yet."
"Hey, do you have any idea how much money we poured into raising those AAA kids? But our kids aren't even getting any spotlight. If that's the case, they should at least make it to the finals so we can milk the last of the hype, shouldn't they?"
In his personal opinion, if AAA and Enfants Terribles faced off, Enfants Terribles would win without question. Coldly speaking, AAA was a tier below Enfants Terribles.
In fact, they would have lost even if they had faced KAT-TUN. KAT-TUN had already proven their caliber through their performance of 'See You Again.'
"So, what do you want me to do about it?"
"Give us a little help."
Even the Bureau Director was now staring intently at the ASAYAN PD.
'Shameless bastards. Who do they think saved ASAYAN when it was on its deathbed?'
Even though he was a man who had sold his soul to viewership ratings, he had not sold his pride and conscience as a producer. To such a man, ASAYAN was his pride—it was his life itself.
'You sons of bitches...'
The entertainment industry is inherently full of [lies]. Because he hated that, he had overhauled ASAYAN so it could show the public as much [sincerity] as possible. The result of that effort was the 'KAT-TUN vs. Enfants Terribles' rivalry.
It was a rivalry that could only be forged because of their genuine [sincerity] toward music.
"And if I refuse?"
"Well, that wouldn't lead to a very good result, would it? We'll make sure to take good care of you afterwards! Haha!"