Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Harmony
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“Sorry to keep you waiting! I’m your RED CUBE MC, Wi Yeo-jun.”
As always, the show began with Wi Yeo-jun’s greeting.
“To have succeeded in getting tickets for the live audience. You all must be pretty incredible. I heard from the production team that it was fiercely competitive this time.”
“Two seconds!”
“Two seconds? It sold out in two seconds?”
“Yeah!”
Wi Yeo-jun clapped his hands in admiration.
“Two seconds. That’s truly amazing. I think I finally understand why South Korea is a gaming powerhouse.”
Laughter erupted at his joke, warming up the atmosphere.
“I’m sure you all know the rules already, but since it’s procedure, I’ll go over them one more time. The button in your hands today. You can only press it twice. Voting for the same performance twice is, of course, not allowed. And you can’t cancel your vote. So please, press it carefully for the performance you liked the most. You can’t vote after it’s over. And please handle it with care—if you keep pressing it, it’ll break. I’m counting on you.”
“Okay!”
“Please enjoy the performances today. And you all know that spoilers are strictly forbidden, right? I don’t want to see any of you standing in a courtroom.”
Wi Yeo-jun wiped away tears with the cuff of his sleeve.
But not a single tear could be seen.
He was only pretending.
“We know you’re not crying!”
At the shout from the audience, Wi Yeo-jun shrugged with an awkward expression.
“You caught me.”
After a bit more banter with the audience, Wi Yeo-jun received a signal from the staff that it was time to move on.
“Alright. It seems it’s finally time to see today’s performances.”
“Woooooaaaaah!”
A sea of colorful light sticks and slogans waved through the air.
“Are you excited?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s meet them now. RED CUBE.”
As Wi Yeo-jun made a square with his fingers, the lights slowly dimmed.
* * *
The female student who had managed to get a ticket for the RED CUBE taping was having trouble with her pounding heart—it just wouldn’t stop.
Even though she didn’t have a clear favorite yet, she felt like she was going crazy with how much she loved every performance.
‘If they’re all this amazing, how am I supposed to choose?’
She had debated countless times whether to press the button, but she still hadn’t voted for a single stage.
At this rate, she felt like she would only press the button for the first time during the final performance.
‘The next one. If it’s really amazing, I’m just going to press it.’
Just as the student made her resolution, the lights came on, revealing the stage.
A large blackboard, desks, and chairs were neatly arranged.
It looked like a classroom.
—*Ding dong dang dong*
The school bell rang, and Seo Yoon-seul and Park Ji-ham appeared, holding bouquets.
Next to the bouquets were handheld microphones.
They were dressed in outfits reminiscent of school uniforms, with white dress shirts, navy knit vests, and black slacks.
But the strange thing was, no matter how much time passed, no one else came onto the stage.
The fans were horrified to see only Seo Yoon-seul and Park Ji-ham.
“Are Yoon-seul and Park Ji-ham a team, just the two of them?”
“Looks like it?”
“Wait. Do they usually form teams with so few members?”
“I’ve watched every previous survival show because of Yoon-seul, and this has literally never happened before. I mean, I don’t mind if it’s just two, but why him of all people? Park Ji-ham’s skills are just…”
“Why tarnish the perfection that is Seo Yoon-seul with a flaw like Park Ji-ham?”
Seo Yoon-seul’s fans reacted with a sense of horror that went beyond mere bewilderment.
“Doesn’t this mean our boy’s screen time is basically dead?”
“I think so. With his personality, he’s not going to get into any fights… This is driving me crazy. Honestly, it would be more satisfying if he fought, at least it would get broadcast. I already don’t want to watch the episode.”
“Same here.”
Park Ji-ham’s fans had a similar reaction.
“What is this?”
“Are they really performing with just the two of them?”
“Sigh…”
They felt a sense of dread.
Since the team Park Ji-ham had been on had copied Seo Yoon-seul’s team’s outfits and concept, they were already afraid of the public opinion that would follow.
“What do we do now?”
“We’ll have to work really hard to get people to vote.”
Park Ji-ham’s fans began to think about what they would post on social media to encourage voting as soon as they got home.
“Congratulations on graduating.”
Seo Yoon-seul said with a bright smile, lightly tapping Park Ji-ham’s shoulder.
At the sight, both fandoms blinked their eyes.
“They look closer than I thought.”
“Why isn’t it awkward?”
They had assumed the quality of the performance would naturally suffer because the two didn’t get along, but the way they looked at each other was not awkward at all.
Both fandoms were puzzled.
But they dismissed it as them having practiced hard not to look awkward on stage.
After all, they couldn’t show an unprofessional side.
“You too.”
“I can’t believe we’re adults now.”
At Seo Yoon-seul’s words, Park Ji-ham nodded and walked to the front of the blackboard.
Then, he started writing something with a piece of chalk.
[Congratulations on graduating.]
“What’s that for?”
“Just felt like it.”
Seo Yoon-seul asked as he pulled over a chair and sat down, facing the audience.
At the same time, the instrumental intro began to play.
—*Congratulations*
*Congratulations on graduating*
*Congratulations*
*We’re adults now*
Seo Yoon-seul kicked things off.
The chorus started right from the beginning, but as expected of a main vocalist, his delivery was incredibly stable.
He tilted his head from side to side, riding the beat.
Meanwhile, Park Ji-ham leaned slightly against the blackboard.
—*Casually*
*I walk up to you*
*And say*
*Hello*
Park Ji-ham took over the next part.
He sang with a gentle smile.
Contrary to the expectation that Park Ji-ham would ruin Seo Yoon-seul’s stage, his voice was pleasant to listen to.
It wasn’t the same voice from the ranking evaluation that had not only lagged behind the beat but also quavered like a goat.
A manly, low voice with a solid delivery.
It was a complete transformation.
Not just Seo Yoon-seul’s fans, but Park Ji-ham’s fans were moved as well.
—*Congratulations*
*I think of you*
*Congratulations*
*I offer a smile*
It was Seo Yoon-seul’s part again.
Seo Yoon-seul got off the chair and perched lightly on a desk.
Despite the fairly high notes, he didn’t show a hint of strain.
He looked completely at ease.
—*Just like always*
*We talk back and forth*
Park Ji-ham naturally shifted between his full voice and falsetto.
His full voice was pleasant, but his falsetto was where his charm truly peaked.
His tone was somewhat languid.
—*I practiced and tried so many times*
*But the way you look at me just stops me in my tracks*
A natural harmony began to build.
—*I can’t even part my lips*
*And just freeze on the spot*
Park Ji-ham slowly approached Seo Yoon-seul’s side.
Then he sat down in the chair Seo Yoon-seul had been sitting in.
—*Let’s be brave*
The two faced each other and matched their breathing.
—*The words in my heart*
*Let’s just say them*
What was unusual here was that Seo Yoon-seul took the low notes, and Park Ji-ham took the high notes.
But as if to prove that truly good singers can handle low notes just as well, Seo Yoon-seul perfectly showcased his skills even in the lower register.
The combination of a somewhat languid, falsetto-laced high note and Seo Yoon-seul’s solid low tone was an unexpected harmony.
—*Congratulations*
*Congratulations on graduating*
*Congratulations*
*We’re adults now*
Seo Yoon-seul let out his voice with a slight rasp.
It reminded fans of his early debut days, and they couldn’t stop cheering.
—*Casually*
*I walk up to you*
*And say*
*Hello*
It was Seo Yoon-seul’s part again.
Just as Park Ji-ham’s fans were about to get angry, thinking Seo Yoon-seul had taken the entire chorus, Park Ji-ham picked up his mic.
—*Congratulations*
*I think of you*
*Congratulations*
*I offer a smile*
As Park Ji-ham’s part ended, the instrumental slowly faded.
“You couldn’t say it again this time, could you?”
Seo Yoon-seul gave a small nod at Park Ji-ham’s question.
“Then just don’t say it. Besides, why won’t you tell me who it is? Is this person even real?”
“Hey. What, you think I’m in love with a game character or something?”
The two conversed naturally.
They really seemed like high school friends.
“You never know.”
Park Ji-ham shrugged playfully.
Seo Yoon-seul swung a fist at him.
Of course, it was just a swing in the air, so it didn’t connect.
It was merely a threat.
“What do you take me for? I’m really going to say it today! I’ll say it even if I get rejected, so don’t push me.”
“I’m just worried you won’t say it even if a new year passes if I leave you alone. Alright, alright. I’ll stop teasing.”
Park Ji-ham, looking like it was none of his business, was busy teasing Seo Yoon-seul with a wide grin.
As Seo Yoon-seul stood up, the instrumental began to flow again.
—*Fingertips and ears, bright red from the cold*
*It feels like they’re speaking for my heart*
*My heart is racing like this*
*But you seem unfazed*
Park Ji-ham delivered a short rap in time with the instrumental.
During this, Seo Yoon-seul launched into a high-note ad-lib.
—*YEAH*
“Waaaaaah!”
At the incredible high note, people around could be seen quickly pressing their buttons.
—*Congratulations*
*Congratulations on graduating*
*Congratulations*
*We’re adults now*
While Seo Yoon-seul was still holding the high note, Park Ji-ham’s part followed.
It was an incredibly long breath.
—*Casually*
*I walk up to you*
*And say*
*Hello*
Seo Yoon-seul harmonized with Park Ji-ham’s singing.
Though there were only two people on stage, it didn’t feel empty at all.
—*Congratulations*
*I think of you*
*Congratulations*
*I offer a smile*
Unlike the previous part, this one had a lot more falsetto mixed in.
It signaled that the song was slowly coming to an end.
Seo Yoon-seul looked at Park Ji-ham with a wistful gaze.
Unaware, Park Ji-ham sat at a desk and reached into a drawer.
Then he took something out.
“Huh? Is this a letter?”
Park Ji-ham opened the letter.
Then he ruffled his hair, looking embarrassed.
“It’s a confession letter. She says she likes me. Did you know?”
Seo Yoon-seul gave a small nod.
—*Your gaze is fixed on that friend*
With that, the lights slowly dimmed, and the performance came to an end.
“Waaaaaah!”
Cheers erupted from all over.
Thanks to their acting, the ending felt even more poignant than the original song.
“So, the person Yoon-seul has a crush on likes Park Ji-ham, right? That’s why Yoon-seul couldn’t say anything again!”
“I think that’s right.”
“Wow. The stage composition is insane.”
“I’m so jealous of that girl, though. Having Yoon-seul have a crush on her…”
“I know, right?”
The fans continued to talk, sharing their overwhelming emotions.
They waited for the lights to come back on for the interview.