Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: A Performance in the Rain
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Plop.
The moment I opened my mouth to sing, heavy raindrops began to fall.
I glanced at the production crew.
“Cover that camera with plastic, now!”
“Don’t you have any raincoats? Shouldn’t you be handing out plastic sheets or something? Are you just going to let people stand there getting soaked?!”
The crew was struggling to cover the equipment with plastic and calm the crowd.
“No way. The forecast didn’t say anything about rain today!”
“I’ll run to a nearby convenience store and get some raincoats!”
Through all this, the stopwatch kept ticking away.
RED CUBE wasn’t about to cut me any slack.
They weren’t the kind of crew to give me my time back just because of a little rain.
Luck is a skill.
That’s what they always used to say.
‘So I can’t just stop, being the unlucky one. I have to create my own opportunities.’
At that thought, my shoulders tensed with resolve.
‘There’s no reason to hesitate anymore.’
With Kang Ju-hyeok’s voluntary departure from the show, a spot had opened up in RE-V.
The worry that I might be stealing someone else’s desperate chance had become pointless.
Kang Ju-hyeok was back at his company, gearing up for his debut.
I wanted that one spot so badly it was driving me crazy.
‘First, I need to change the song.’
The song I had originally planned to sing was bright and warm, with lyrics about how tomorrow would be happier, even if yesterday was hard.
‘That doesn’t fit the mood right now. It would just be awkward.’
Singing a song like that in a downpour would be of no help at all.
Then, a suitable song popped into my head.
A breakup song that many people sought out on rainy days.
‘Squall.’
It couldn’t be a more perfect choice for this rainy moment.
—A darkened sky
Where streams of water rage
* * *
The people who had been in a panic due to the sudden rain now stared at the stage as if entranced by Seo Yoon-seul’s song.
His face, soaked by the rain, looked somewhat forlorn, and his voice held a tone of suppressed sorrow.
Despite the lack of accompaniment and a less-than-perfect microphone, his vocal power carried far, making everything about the performance flawless.
—A faded promise
I retrace that day we cried out for love in my heart
Those who had been about to leave because of the rain found themselves rooted to the spot, unable to take a step.
They pulled on the raincoats the crew had managed to procure and focused on the song.
—Hoping that in your heart, too
Our memories are retraced
The MC and the other contestants on stage were also given towels and raincoats.
But one person was not.
Seo Yoon-seul.
No one dared to offer him a raincoat, not while he was so deeply immersed in his song.
—Is it too much to ask
As the rain poured down, Seo Yoon-seul gently closed his eyes.
The raindrops that had gathered on his eyelashes streamed down his cheeks like tears.
Sensing a shot of a lifetime, Seo Yoon-seul’s fansite masters clicked their camera shutters with increased speed.
Even those who had put their phones away because of the rain felt the same.
Thinking they would regret it if they missed this moment, they quickly took out their phones and hit the video record button.
—Just as the falling rain washes everything away
Is that what will happen to us
Before long, Seo Yoon-seul’s tracksuit was soaked, clinging to his body.
His hair, too, was stuck to his cheeks and wouldn't budge.
As if bothered by the hair on his face, Yoon-seul swept it back with his hand.
His carefully styled hair was a mess, but it revealed a different side of him, a departure from the usual cute, puppy-like Seo Yoon-seul.
—I thought we had built something solid
But it was just a winter snowman
Before the seasons could change to spring
It melts away in the raindrops
Seo Yoon-seul’s voice, as if yearning for a lost lover, tugged at the heartstrings of many.
—If it had been a sandcastle, I would have rebuilt it
But I'm not even given that chance
Seo Yoon-seul paused to catch his breath before continuing to the second verse.
Even that felt like a part of the performance.
The longer the silence, the deeper the lingering emotion.
—A sky where neither sun nor moon can be seen
Like my heart, everything is numb
As if it had been just a passing shower, the rain began to lighten.
—The sad news I hear
The passing squall
Will it pass like the rain that makes me cry
Will it vanish like the scattering snow
Seo Yoon-seul smoothly delivered the song’s spoken-word rap part as well.
‘He can rap well, too?’
Thanks to his good vocalization and innate sense of rhythm, it didn’t sound awkward at all.
Seo Yoon-seul’s fans in the crowd couldn’t help but smile with pride.
—I thought we had built something solid
But it was just a winter snowman
Before the seasons could change to spring
It melts away in the raindrops
As the song ended, the applause and cheers from the crowd were endless.
The rain had stopped, and the dark sky was gradually returning to its original color.
“Encore!”
Quite a few people were shouting for an encore.
However, due to the time constraints and the fickle weather, an encore wasn't possible.
Seo Yoon-seul gave a small smile and bowed deeply.
“Let’s have another round of thunderous applause for contestant Seo Yoon-seul, who didn’t stop singing even in the rain.”
With the MC’s smooth transition, the event continued in order.
* * *
[Did you guys see the King Maker Campaign Rally video today? It was insane. Seo Yoon-seul was the star of this episode… It was like a movie. The temperature, the humidity, the lighting, everything was perfect. And why is he so good at singing?]
↳ Seriously. From the moment it started raining, everything felt like a scene from a movie.
↳ Come to think of it, his backstory plays a part too, right? He debuted in a group but was left alone, struggled, and then came on RED CUBE to get a new chance. To be honest, everyone on the show has a sob story, but with Seo Yoon-seul… maybe because he's been witch-hunted for no reason, I feel for him.
[Everyone's campaign rally was amazing today, but no one could beat Seo Yoon-seul. They say heaven helps those who help themselves. I think I get what that means now.]
↳ Whoa. Me too! How did it start raining right when he started singing?
↳ But I think this is also a credit to how well Seo Yoon-seul handled it. He could have stopped singing and waited, but he sang right away. And he sang the number one song that comes to mind when it rains? Plus, the rain stopping right as the song ended was epic.
↳ This is what you call real sense.
↳ Seo Yoon-seul's fansite accounts are going crazy right now. They got some amazing photos.
Social media was buzzing with talk about Seo Yoon-seul.
The surprise campaign rally system was bound to get a lot of attention as soon as it was announced on social media.
But now, thanks to the unexpected rain that wasn't in the forecast, it was going completely viral.
[Looks like Yoon-seul really gets along with everyone. As soon as he came back after his song, seeing everyone ask if he's okay and wiping him down was so heartwarming. And did you see Park Ji-ham? He was so anxious the whole time Yoon-seul was singing. He kept flinching with a towel in his hand, like he was debating whether to go out or not. You know this one, right? (Screenshot of a golden retriever owner looking anxious after their dog randomly jumped into the sea)]
↳ LMAO. Whoa. That's perfect.
↳ It's nice to see their relationship has improved so much.
↳ LOL. A pet owner and their dog. LOL. Why does it fit so well?
↳ Ah LOL. I've found their dynamic.
↳ Seriously, where do you all find these perfect memes? Do you have a lot of these in your photo album?
[5-Minute Summary of the Campaign Rally Debut Range
Haru—Showed his ambition with some cute antics and an isolation dance move.
Jung Eun-woo—Performed a rap from his favorite song.
Lee Ho-jun—Sang a girl group song in a male key (surprisingly good. Hope he does this more often).
Lee Hyung-jun—Special talent (impressions).
Park Ji-ham—Sang a song from his old group. Explained that his vocalization is changing, so it sounds different from before (wasn't originally in the safe zone for debut, but entered it after Kang Ju-hyeok voluntarily left).
Seo Yoon-seul—Sang in the rain (not in the safe zone for debut, but including him because his performance was so legendary).]
↳ LOL you honestly can't leave out Seo Yoon-seul. He's too good at singing. This is what a real singer is.
[RED CUBE's ratings are gonna go up again tomorrow. At first, people were making a fuss saying Seo Yoon-seul was getting a lot of benefits. But looking at it now, it just seems like his luck is finally turning. For someone with his talent and personality to have been persecuted all this time was just unbelievably bad luck to begin with. Maybe after enduring such a hard time, his good days are finally here? Plus, he's amazing at turning a crisis into an opportunity.]
↳ I agree.
↳ There's a video on YouTube of some fortune teller explaining Seo Yoon-seul's fortune. They said his fate was to experience all of life's hardships at once in his late teens. Said it's rare to see someone like that.
↳ I'm curious, what do I search to find it? Does it come up if I search 'Seo Yoon-seul fortune'?
↳ Yep. That channel has the fortunes of all 51 RED CUBE contestants.
↳ …? All of them? That's crazy. But it sounds like they're mostly accurate. Suddenly I want to get my fortune told by that person.
↳ I saw that fortune video too. It said in his 20s, a life-changing event will happen, and he has to choose wisely.
↳ ? But isn't that something you could say just from watching the show?
↳ I don't think so. It was filmed at the very beginning of the show, but looking at it now, it's pretty much on the mark.
↳ LOL that fortune teller must be making a bank.
[But is Seo Yoon-seul 7th right now? Even with Kang Ju-hyeok gone, he's 6th. Why is his rank like that when he just delivered an all-time legendary performance? I don't get it.]
↳ That's why his fans are working hard right now. It would be such a shame if he can't debut like this. And he's the only one without an agency right now.
↳ That makes sense.
↳ Correct. We've staked our lives on Yoon-seul's debut. If we look pitiful, please show your sympathy with votes.
Seo Yoon-seul’s fans were more active than ever, working hard for his debut.
[Praying for Yoon-seul's debut! Let's strike while the iron is hot. Let's make sure our Yoon-seul debuts.]
↳ Let's do it.
↳ For real. Let's try everything we can.
↳ It's not over till it's over! Let's get Yoon-seul on the debut path. He's the one who brought in the tide. It's our turn to row properly now!
Their determination not to waste this final chance was clear.