Chapter 149
Chapter 149
The week before the semi-finals and finals of The Singer I Made was set to air.
Thanks to the impressive hologram character that had appeared for the first time in a while, the internet was buzzing with casual conversation.
Since the quality was high across the board with no weak points, the general consensus was overwhelmingly positive.
And, of course, most of Park Moon-dae’s fans had already guessed.
They knew "May Groom" was Park Moon-dae.
However, they didn't let these discussions surface publicly.
Having endured so many malicious attempts to sabotage him, the fans had adopted a policy of not asserting their claims too aggressively if they differed from the general public's opinion.
Since his identity would be revealed eventually anyway, the fans kept quiet among themselves, looking forward to the reaction afterward. It was also to avoid the crazies who would take screenshots just to mock them.
Finally, the day of the latter half of The Singer I Made arrived.
Those anticipating "May Groom" tuned in to watch the broadcast live for the first time in ages.
Among them were these siblings.
"Look. That’s Park Moon-dae."
"Yeah, keep dreaming~"
It was the university student who was a fan of Kim Rae-bin and her younger brother.
The brother braced himself for a string of curses the moment he started acting smug, but it didn't happen.
"……Phew."
The university student held back once and simply brushed it off with a smirk.
It was the confidence of someone who already knew the outcome.
"What’s with you?"
"Whatever. Just watch the show."
The high schooler, feeling annoyed for no reason, huffed and turned his face back to the TV.
Yet, the moment the broadcast started, the siblings forgot their squabble.
This was because "May Groom" appeared in the very first match of the semi-finals, which featured the three remaining contestants and the winner from the previous episode.
[The audience murmuring]
[Whoa~ I’m excited!]
[I have no idea what kind of stage he’ll show us!]
The audience and judges, having learned from the previous two performances, reacted with high expectations.
Amidst the overlapping subtitles and commentary, "May Groom" finally appeared on stage.
"Whoa."
"He’s out."
The university student noticed that the flying butterflies and the patterns on the veil and gloves had become more sophisticated and natural.
It seemed they had reinforced the hologram a bit.
‘I guess they spent some money since the reaction was good?’
The university student snorted, thinking it was only natural since a main vocal from a top-tier idol group was performing.
"Hey, he’s starting, he’s starting!"
"Be quiet!"
On the dark stage, only the hologram shone alone.
Then, the accompaniment began.
The sweet, clear sounds of a violin and oboe filled the space.
The stage was flooded with bright, radiant light. As flowers swayed, the Groom raised his right hand and gently placed it on the microphone.
"Huh? That song is…."
"Shh!"
Following the sweet opening line, a lower, more desperate verse followed.
"Wow…."
This time, the siblings forgot to shush each other out of annoyance and simply watched the screen with their mouths agape.
"May Groom" was singing a duet song, originally meant for a man and a woman, all by himself.
It was a famous song known for its fairy-tale lyrics and lyrical melody—an incredibly romantic piece.
And if there was one more characteristic, it was that it was frequently used as a wedding song.
In the original version, the two singers exchanged melodies, building the lyrics into something solid.
However, this wedding song sung alone by "May Groom" had transformed into a nuance of complete courtship.
Unlike the elegant proposal song from the preliminary stage, the arrangement—which flamboyantly traversed between male and female keys like a courting peacock’s tail feathers—captivated the ears.
‘It sounds really good.’
‘It’s such a cheesy song, so why do I like it?’
The siblings were completely immersed, listening to the rest of the song in dead silence.
The subtitles were also going wild.
[The love delivered by May Groom]
[Falling into that sweet voice……]
The screen cut between a judge with their eyes closed and another staring intensely at the stage with wide eyes.
"He’s going to the finals, right?"
"Definitely."
Watching "May Groom" bow again after finishing the song before flickering away, the siblings shared the same opinion for once.
And just as they expected, "May Groom" advanced to the finals.
[The second finalist is… May Groom!]
"Yes!"
"Man, if he didn't make it, it would’ve been rigged."
The siblings cheered and waved the remote at the TV as if they were watching a sports match.
Then, the profiles of the semi-finalists were introduced in some detail.
It was filler content, but well-made character profiles could be quite entertaining on their own.
"May Groom" was no exception.
As soon as the profile appeared, the university student scrolled through social media, feeling a sense of pride.
‘Park Moon-dae is really good at this kind of stuff!’
And she was certain once again. This couldn't be anyone but Park Moon-dae!
"What are you gonna do if it really is Park Moon-dae?"
"Don't come crying to me when you end up looking like a fool."
"Hey, 100,000 won bet on the loser?"
"Wow, thanks for the allowance."
Right before the final stage, the siblings even entered into a high-stakes bet.
Now that there was no turning back, the two stared at the TV with solemn faces.
"He’ll probably win even if he messes up a bit here, right?"
"From my perspective, yeah."
The two half-heartedly watched the first performance of the finals. An old-fashioned rotisserie chicken adorned with silver foil ribbons sang an exciting samba, but it didn't leave much of an impression.
And finally… his turn came.
"May Groom" stepped onto the stage once more.
[Waaaaah!!]
Red butterflies fluttered, and a bouquet was visible through the white veil.
"May Groom" gripped his stand microphone with both hands, clad in white gloves.
Then, the stage went dark.
Clang.
Several thin beams of light were projected down onto the hologram from all directions.
It was a dark red light.
"……!"
The lights flickered as if distorted.
And then, an ominous sound began to play.
Shhhhh— Shhhhh—
The sound of a sogeum leaking like the wind mixed with the sound of a flute frantically jumping between notes, creating a strange atmosphere.
A slow drumbeat echoed.
Thump… Thump… Thump…
It was chilling.
Amidst that eerie energy, "May Groom" began to sing.
His white suit was stained with mottled red light.
A slightly raspy, scratching sound slowly echoed across the stage.
Perhaps because the lights were trembling, "May Groom" looked as if he were shaking the flowers.
As if they would wither at any moment.
The song raced forward over an anxious minor key without a moment to breathe. The notes climbed steeply, as if about to leap off a cliff.
And then, they fell.
To match that low note, the accompaniment exploded.
"……!!"
Amidst the traditional Korean instruments playing a rampaging minor key, "May Groom" lowered his head and buried the flowers into the stand microphone.
The melancholy melody started at an extreme low and rode the notes to an insane height.
Within the repeating lyrics, the end of every countless metaphor led to a single word.
'Waiting.'
The screen didn't even show the audience's reaction. It focused solely on "May Groom" atop the red, murky stage.
It felt as if his gaze, which shouldn't be visible behind the veil and bouquet, could be seen.
A sense of desperation that felt overwhelming even through the screen was palpable.
And then came the end.
A high note that sounded like a scream carried the final chorus.
The final note held as if he weren't breathing.
The gloomy accompaniment raced frantically after it… and then, abruptly stopped.
"……."
A single, frail line from the sogeum concluded the song.
In the place where horror and madness had departed, a stinging, sorrowful lingering feeling remained.
"May Groom," standing still with the bouquet pressed against the stand microphone, did not move.
And the moment the accompaniment cut out completely.
He vanished from the stage as if being extinguished.
[Haaaah!]
[Wow……!]
Only then did the audience fill the hall with applause and exclamations.
The cameras finally moved to the front, capturing the exaggerated expressions of the judges covering their mouths and the audience members.
[An overwhelmed audience]
[People unable to take their hands away from their mouths]
The siblings, who had been frozen in front of the TV, also snapped out of it.
"……That was insane, seriously."
"F*cking goosebumps."
"Moon-dae’s winning."
"You’re crossing the line again."
The stage of "May Groom," who looked as if he had gone mad waiting for a bride who would never return, left a massive impact.
This was because he had carried a performance that could have easily felt like 'too much' with a vocal delivery that was chillingly perfect.
‘I’m definitely watching the live broadcast the week after next, too.’
The high schooler, now certain of "May Groom’s" victory, made a silent vow.
He had to see this.
He even felt like buying the album and listening to it once the identity was revealed.
‘Judging by this, he’s a band vocalist. He probably writes super indie songs.’
That was why, when "May Groom" revealed his identity immediately after, he froze in complete shock.
["May Groom," the identity of the person who created this hologram character…… will be revealed now!]
Right before announcing the winner, the identities were pre-revealed to create a visual where the contestants waited for the announcement alongside their holograms on stage.
The hologram of "May Groom," with the motion link deactivated, stood quietly on stage. It was a demure appearance that made it hard to believe he had just sung such a devastating song.
The MC’s thunderous voice rang out.
[Now, please appear!]
At that moment, the floor of the stage opened, and a person began to emerge.
And people started letting out strange exclamations.
"……!?"
Because the person coming up… was "May Groom."
"What the?"
The real-life "May Groom," who had come all the way up, tilted his bouquet-head.
It was so identical to the hologram that it gave people the creeps.
"Ugh."
While there had been cases of people playfully recreating animals or food with mascot suits, this was the first time someone looked exactly the same.
Usually, people made characters out of things they couldn't do!
‘Who the hell is this guy?’
Amidst the murmuring audience and judges, only the MC shouted cheerfully.
[This person is… none other than!]
The newly emerged "May Groom" tore the bouquet off his head with his right hand.
"……!"
As the thick mesh mask covered in flowers slid down to his neck, a face and hair drenched in sweat were revealed.
[It’s Park Moon-dae from the trending idol group, TeSTAR!]
[!!!!]
The screen repeatedly replayed the sight of the screaming audience and the judges pretending to be even more shocked.
And the high schooler also lost his mind.
"……."
"Hey, hey."
The university student nudged her brother with her foot.
"Hand over the 100,000 won."
For the record, a similar situation was unfolding in real-time across the internet.