58: First day

The host said, "Please welcome the nominee for first place, either a group or a solo singer," and started reading names.

"EXO!"

"Red Velvet!"

"NCT!"

The live stream chat exploded with discussions.

"Do you think BLACKPINK will be nominated for first place?"

"No way!"

"Why not? To vote for them, I mobilized everyone I could, almost got hit with a broom by my mom, so it has to be possible!"

"Me too, I mobilized everyone around me, and their digital music scores were overwhelmingly number one on the weekly charts, so there's a very high chance."

"Exactly, exactly. As long as the stage voting is strong, being nominated for first place later won't be an issue. We'll strive to get nominated first."

...

"Cosmic Girls!" The host continued reading names.

While Xu Zhiyou was idle, she suddenly heard, "BLACKPINK!"

The artists present, including the host himself, found it incredible, and the audience erupted in excited screams.

The five of them stared at each other in disbelief, feeling it was absurd. They were nominated for first place on their debut stage.

The live stream's bullet comments were filled with celebratory fireworks.

"I told you, no problem, hahaha!"

"BLACKPINK debuted at their peak. It's my first time witnessing a debut, and I didn't expect to encounter such a monstrous group. Heaven help us."

"This is only fitting for our dual-visual group with Zoe and Kim Ji-soo. If they couldn't even get nominated for first place with this strength, I'd suspect the production team of foul play!!!"

"Look at the five of them, looking at each other, aren't they also confused? So cute!"

...

After realizing what happened, the five ran onto the stage, like struggling students looking for a spot, immediately finding a corner to stay in.

They were originally standing properly at the back, but Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi pulled them to the front. Their intention was good, to get them more screen time.

But Xu Zhiyou and the others didn't really need it. With this first-place nomination, they were very confident they could win first place once they entered the music show promotion cycle.

However, they couldn't refuse the two of them in the end and were dragged to the front row. It was truly hard to decline such warm hospitality.

Kang Seul-gi hooked her arm around Kim Ji-soo's and said:

"You guys are amazing. If I remember correctly, you haven't even entered the music show promotion cycle yet, right? And you're already nominated for first place. Do you have to be so strong?"

"Maybe because of Zoe!" Kim Ji-soo thought it over and felt this was the only answer that could convince herself.

"She is a bit amazing, but can't you be less humble? Your captivating opening is still etched in my mind."

Kang Seul-gi and Kim Ji-soo chatted quietly. With EXO present, Kang Seul-gi didn't expect them to win first place.

Kim Ji-soo, even more so, had no expectation of winning first place. It was completely unrealistic.

Getting first place within a month was already impressive. Winning first place on debut? That had never happened.

So she also started chatting with Kang Seul-gi, talking about everything under the sun.

...

BLACKPINK's stage video had only recently finished, but it was already spreading like wildfire on platforms like YouTube, and the views were truly astonishing.

YG Entertainment had done extensive promotion, attracting a lot of attention, and coupled with the strength of their debut stage, they instantly gained a large number of fans.

To be a top-tier girl group just one week after debut, one could only say they were incredibly fierce. However, the five of them didn't know any of this yet.

The host received a cue and continued the show's flow: "The data has been tallied. Please look at the big screen to reveal the final first-place winner."

On the big screen, group names jumped around. This data considered many factors, including weekly charts, sales, and play counts.

Xu Zhiyou was quite curious where they would rank. At first, it was fine, at the bottom, within her estimated range.

But the more she watched, the more something felt off. Why were they shooting up so fast? She rubbed her eyes, suspecting she had seen wrong.

When it finally settled, 'Whistle' was first, and 'Boombayah' was second. She raised her hand and slapped herself.

"Ouch, damn, that really hurt."

Bae Joo-hyun, who was beside her, saw Xu Zhiyou's bizarre action and was utterly bewildered. She had never seen anyone slap themselves.

"Zoe, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, I just fell asleep. Maybe I'm too tired lately. I didn't expect to fall asleep standing up."

She still felt it was fake.

Cheng Xiao was standing behind her and was also confused by her self-slap, but hearing her answer, she almost couldn't hold back her laughter.

Bae Joo-hyun also didn't know what to say. Although she was also shocked by the result, there was no need to slap herself.

"Zoe! Although getting first place on your debut stage is absurd, there's no need to slap yourself. Congratulations, you're not dreaming."

Just as Bae Joo-hyun finished speaking, the host announced: "The first-place winner, BLACKPINK's 'Whistle,' congratulations!"

The bullet comments instantly fell silent by more than half. Many were fans of groups like EXO, Red Velvet, or NCT.

But after seeing BLACKPINK's stage, they felt this result was within the realm of acceptance, that's how absurd it was.

"Ah, sh*t! Did I see that right? BLACKPINK defeated popular groups like EXO and Red Velvet on their debut stage?"

"Although I also feel it's unreal, it seems we can accept them defeating our Chanyeol oppa."

"Hahaha, I was just thinking about how to celebrate their nomination for first place, but I didn't expect them to go straight to first place. They're too amazing."

"The first group in K-pop history to win first place on their debut stage. I've witnessed history."

"Don't say we're confused, look at Zoe even slapping herself. That slap looked painful to me. Why is she so fierce?"

"I can laugh at Irene's expression for a whole year. Someone amazing has appeared, let's make it a meme, haha!"

"You're right, Jisoo and the other four had normal reactions, but Zoe's was a bit absurd."

This time, Xu Zhiyou really heard clearly. They seemed to have truly won first place. Even she herself was in such a state, and Kim Ji-soo and the other four were even worse.

It was like checking answers after a college entrance exam, thinking there was no hope, having already found a cram school and preparing to pay. Then suddenly, receiving a call saying you got the top score in the province. Who wouldn't be stunned by that?

Hearing the enthusiastic applause and some fans whistling and shouting 'BLACKPINK' in waves, she was startled awake by the sudden applause and cheers.

Xu Zhiyou's ability to accept was quite good, and she went to receive the trophy.

Turning around, she saw the four of them still in a daze. Her first thought was that it was embarrassing, but then considering her own actions just now, it seemed she was the most embarrassing one.

Kim Ji-soo and the other four were, at most, stunned, but what about her? She slapped herself, and her face still hurt. She threw the trophy directly into Kim Ji-soo's hand, too ashamed to hold it, and covered her face. It was truly over; this idiotic image was becoming more and more ingrained in people's minds. She wanted to die!

Kim Ji-soo heard Kang Seul-gi's congratulations, then looked at the trophy in her hand and the first-place information on the big screen, and also came back to her senses.

She originally wanted to call out to them, but seeing Xu Zhiyou covering her face, she felt confused, "Zoe, why are you covering your face?"

Bae Joo-hyun saw her in that state and immediately burst out laughing. The idols around her who had seen her slap herself also started laughing hysterically.

Cheng Xiao walked directly towards her, suppressing her laughter while comforting her: "Youyou, it's not embarrassing. One slap for first place? If it were me, ten slaps wouldn't matter!"

Finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing loudly. Xu Zhiyou truly kept refreshing her understanding again and again.