Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Is the Writer Omnipotent?
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“Oh ho, so Writer Jeong Tae-seong is going to appear on the show?”
Gabriel had come to visit the office.
Having signed with Choi Woo-jong’s CY Entertainment, Gabriel was staying in the dorm provided by the company.
There had been a clause in the contract stipulating no grueling schedules, so his timetable was fairly relaxed.
Gabriel spent most of that free time coming over to see Tae-seong.
“I’ll be wearing a mask, though.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve heard you sing, Writer Jeong. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“It’s been so long since I sang that my old skills have probably rusted away. Don’t get your hopes up too much.”
“No way that’s true. You were once called the Harmony of Heaven, shaking up the entire music scene. How could I not be excited? Whenever you sang, it was like all the angels in heaven gathered for a feast.”
“Tone down the gold-plating a bit.”
“I only speak the truth.”
Tae-seong knew it, but hearing such praise about himself delivered straight-faced right in front of him was downright embarrassing.
“You can’t hear Writer Jeong’s singing through a TV or speakers. When did you say the appearance is?”
“Two weeks from now, starting with the recording. You planning to come to the site?”
“Yes, your singing is best experienced live.”
“Do whatever you want.”
“Yes, I’ll do just that.”
Gabriel, already buzzing with anticipation, began brewing coffee with an excited look on his face.
Watching him, Tae-seong shook his head.
‘Will my old skills come back?’
It hadn’t been bad singing in the booth.
But compared to his peak days, there was a gap.
Because his vocal cords were different now.
In his 88th life, Tae-seong had first thought seriously about pursuing singing professionally.
His parents had been musicians back then.
He naturally developed an interest in music. Whether due to their influence or innate talent, he had great vocal cords and a sharp musical sense.
Thanks to that, he became an exceptional singer.
He could play various instruments and even compose his own songs.
It was a successful life.
Once hooked on singing, he spent three consecutive lives immersed in vocals, composition, and stage production.
He devoured anything music-related.
That’s how, in his 91st life, he earned the title of God of Music.
But that was all in the past.
More importantly, Jeong Tae-seong’s current body was nothing like back then.
‘Physically, I’ve been consistently training, so that’s fine…….’
Singing demanded massive energy.
Styles varied by singer, but Tae-seong was the type to pour everything into a single song.
After one song, he’d be drenched in sweat from head to toe.
To compensate for that weakness, even when making singing his profession, he never neglected his workouts.
The good news was that his current body was robust enough to handle multiple songs a day without issue.
He’d been training relentlessly since returning, after all.
‘The problem is the vocal cords.’
But vocal cords couldn’t be trained like muscles.
With practice and experience, you could control them to a certain degree.
But that was just “to a certain degree,” as the term implied.
Nothing beat singing with innate vocal cords.
During the era when Tae-seong was called the God of Music, his vocal cords had been a gift from the heavens. Through some divine favor, he was born with exceptionally superior ones and a voice to match.
That’s what allowed him to make his mark on the world as a singer.
Jeong Tae-seong’s, however, were not.
‘Not bad, but not outstanding either. Singing like I used to will be tough.’
He had diverse skills, experience, and maturity, but the limits were clear.
Still, Tae-seong wasn’t disappointed.
‘At least I can sing one song for Mom.’
Even if he got eliminated in Round 1, there was a chance to perform a solo song.
Knowing that, he wasn’t overly worried.
However.
“Writer Jeong’s singing! My heart’s already pounding with excitement. I need to share this great news with my colleagues in heaven.”
He just felt sorry for Gabriel, who was getting all worked up.
* * *
Round 1 of Mask Singer featured duet songs.
To perform a duet, you had to meet your partner singer and rehearse together.
For that, Tae-seong visited the broadcasting station.
“Shall we head out right away?”
The moment he met Lee Ji-yeon, the writer, she stood up from her seat.
“Isn’t it done here?”
“Oh, come on—with how many people are at the station? Practicing here would blow any chance of secrecy.”
“Hmm.”
She had a point.
The secret to Mask Singer’s popularity was fair competition without relying on fame or name recognition.
You could guess the King of Mask Singer, but until then, it was pure skill that decided the winner.
Security was crucial for that.
If identities leaked beforehand, fair voting would be impossible.
The production team knew this well and took extra care with security.
Upon reaching the parking lot, a heavily tinted Carnival van was waiting.
They got in, and soon they were leaving the station, heading to the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
“Have you practiced the duet a bit?”
“A little.”
The song chosen for this duet was Vibe’s “Come Back to Me.”
The title track from their fourth album, it featured heartfelt lyrics, emotive vocals, and explosive high notes.
It was a notoriously difficult song, even for main vocalist Yoon Min-su.
‘Selecting a song like this means my opponent is no slouch either.’
Unlike the Round 2 solo, duets were selected by the production team.
They tested both singers’ abilities before choosing.
In other words, picking “Come Back to Me” meant they judged both Tae-seong and his partner capable of handling it.
‘Not an easy opponent, then.’
Tae-seong knew how these programs worked.
Especially competition shows, which had established systems.
One key principle: pair similar skill levels for maximum synergy.
Even for painstakingly scouted guests, they matched them against equals.
That way, in the real competition, they could showcase their true potential.
If they padded with weaker opponents to push someone to Round 2 or King of Mask Singer just because they’d invested heavily in scouting them...
It could backfire—the singer might not perform at full capacity, failing to impress the audience.
Then, disappointed viewers might not vote in later rounds, leading to elimination.
Even if they advanced, backlash from viewers was likely.
There were real cases like that.
So, producers paired comparable talents from Round 1 to draw out peak performances.
“And for today’s practice, please wear this mask.”
Lee Ji-yeon pulled a box from the back seat.
She opened the lid, revealing a mask inside.
White hanji paper covered the face, with a fountain pen perched atop the head.
Seeing it, Tae-seong let out a hollow chuckle.
“Isn’t this a bit too on-the-nose?”
“A little, yeah? But mask designer Song Seung-jun said it perfectly captured your image after seeing you.”
“Haha…….”
The blatant imagery just made him laugh.
* * *
The car pulled into a parking lot.
Donning the mask prepared by the production team, Tae-seong got out and headed up to the studio.
“Today, we’ll just do the duet and wrap up. We’ll discuss arrangements or edits over the phone later.”
“Got it.”
Lee Ji-yeon escorted him, explaining in detail along the way.
Wearing the mask, Tae-seong glanced around.
‘Feels just like a helmet.’
The weight was different, but the field of vision was similar.
‘A competition stage is like a battlefield, no big difference.’
He didn’t feel nervous.
After countless battles, his mind was an impregnable fortress.
‘Not sure if my voice will carry well, but it’s good to practice before the real thing.’
Debuting in the actual competition with a new mask could have thrown him off.
Transmitting your voice directly versus through a mask barrier was bound to differ.
“We’re here. I’ll open the door.”
“Okay.”
Click-!
The door opened, revealing Shin PD already inside.
He gave a light bow and checked the band.
Standard lineup.
Nothing fancy.
Finally, someone in a flashy gold mask shaped like an eagle stood at the mic.
“Nice to meet you.”
He approached with a deep, resonant voice, extending a hand in greeting.
‘Heavy voice. Steady breathing too. Singing “Come Back to Me” with that…….’
It’d suit the song well, Tae-seong thought.
He shook the hand.
“Please take care of me.”
“Haha! The pleasure’s mine.”
“Alright, now that both contestants are here, shall we get started?”
“Shouldn’t we warm up our throats first?”
His casual tone with Shin PD suggested seniority.
“Oh, right. ‘Pen on White Paper’-nim.”
What a mouthful.
Tae-seong glanced at Shin PD, who asked,
“Warm up a bit?”
“No, I’m good. We can start right away.”
“Ah~ Then let’s dive in.”
No reason to push when the man himself was fine.
They took their positions, and the band readied themselves.
“Ready?”
At Shin PD’s cue, both nodded.
“I’ve divided the parts arbitrarily for now. We’ll adjust after singing it through.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s go.”
Shin PD signaled the band.
The backing track began.
* * *
An hour flew by.
The once-full studio now held only Shin PD and the Golden Eagle.
“Shin PD, who the hell is that guy?”
“Whoa, sir. Security is the most important thing on our show. I can’t tell you.”
“I get that, but I’m dying to know.”
The Golden Eagle kept pressing Shin PD.
He hadn’t shown this side before today.
He’d seemed indifferent to opponents.
It made sense.
The Golden Eagle was a veteran among veterans, acknowledged as the best of his generation.
He rarely appeared on TV, but every album release swept the charts dominated by idols.
With his high profile and matching skills, the effort to secure him went without saying.
He was the top contender for King of Mask Singer this round.
Then came the dark horse.
‘Did Writer Jeong really sing that well?’
Lee Ji-yeon had teared up during his test, so expectations were high.
But hearing it live was a shock.
And Shin PD wasn’t the only one stunned, it seemed.
“Any hints?”
Even the Golden Eagle, who’d ignored his opponent before, was clinging like this—clearly shocked too.
“No can do.”
“Fair enough. Guess I’d better prepare properly. One slip, and I could drop in Round 1.”
A stunning statement.
The Golden Eagle was pride personified in the music industry.
Admitting possible defeat?
It spoke volumes about how highly he rated Tae-seong’s skills.
‘Who’ll win, I wonder?’
Shin PD was curious now too.