Chapter 169: A Young Dream (2)
Chapter 169: A Young Dream (2)
To be honest, Seo-yeon hardly ever thought she would actually win on Masked Singer.
It wasn't a matter of motivation. It was a matter of skill.
Seo-yeon wasn't born with some incredible talent for singing; she had simply reached a level where she could sing reasonably well thanks to the help of various people. That was how she viewed herself.
While the reactions had become dramatically better once she started pouring emotion into her songs, she couldn't really tell from her own perspective while singing. She felt a quiet sense of pride knowing that there was a lot of buzz online about how good the insert songs for Sky Garden were, but that was it.
Even so, she didn't think she could win a competition that was purely about singing.
I should just focus on promoting Sky Garden and then head home.
It was a slightly awkward mindset for someone appearing on a variety show, but Seo-yeon thickened her skin. After all, most other actors appeared on these shows to promote their dramas or movies anyway. So why couldn't she?!
With that thought, she had stepped out boldly under the nickname 'Max Level Rabbit.'
But who came up with the name?
Had they really been unable to think of any other name for a rabbit? Still, the host and the audience seemed to like it, so she figured it was fine.
Thinking along those lines, Seo-yeon looked at her opponent. He was a man wearing a pigeon mask. Even at a glance, he seemed like a formidable expert.
This is as far as I go.
Seo-yeon bowed her head calmly and greeted her opponent. The man nodded back with an air of confidence.
He’s definitely the real deal.
There was confidence in his movements—as if he were certain of the song he was about to sing.
And then.
The result of the first match.
"By a margin of only three votes!!! Max Level Rabbit takes the victory!"
"Wow, by only three votes!"
"It was a neck-and-neck battle!!"
"??"
Seo-yeon froze, still holding the microphone.
Wait, she won?
*
The main MC of Masked Singer, Song Byung-soo, was a professional broadcaster.
He had been hosting Masked Singer for nearly five years now. As the host of a long-running program, he had built up a significant amount of intuition. He could gauge an opponent's skill just by looking at them.
Masked Singer didn't reveal the identities of the contestants even to the MC. It was strictly confidential. This was to prevent information leaks and to ensure the reactions remained authentic.
Because of this, Song Byung-soo often had to rely on guesswork.
Noryangjin Pigeon has this in the bag.
That was his immediate impression. No matter how much they hid their identities or put on an act, there were habits they couldn't conceal.
First, professional singers were confident because they had extensive experience singing in front of large audiences. Even when all eyes were on them, they moved as if they were enjoying it, radiating confidence in their performance. It was a strong "I'm going to win" vibe.
On the other hand, 'Max Level Rabbit' was the exact opposite.
The mask is incredibly well-made, though.
It seemed to be a recreation of the monster from a Western movie—the Vorpal Rabbit? Or was it the Rabbit of Caerbannog? It was a monster with a name like that. It had a quite bloodthirsty appearance. Compared to Noryangjin Pigeon, the quality of the Rabbit's costume was definitely superior.
But this show isn't a masquerade ball.
Naturally, the one who sang better would win.
At the very least, Max Level Rabbit isn't a professional singer.
The difference showed in the way she held the microphone and how she looked at the stage. While she seemed accustomed to standing before an audience, she didn't give off the vibe of a singer. There was a subtle awkwardness, as if she wasn't used to holding that specific type of microphone.
At that point, Song Byung-soo was certain who the winner would be. And he expected the viewers would feel the same.
"Now, first up is Noryangjin Pigeon!! Please show us a wonderful performance!!"
Noryangjin Pigeon sang first.
Ever since 'Gray Crow' appeared, it felt like there were an unusual number of birds on Masked Singer, but he figured they were just trying to match the theme. Perhaps that was why the rabbit stood out so much.
He's good.
As expected, Noryangjin Pigeon's skills were outstanding. His vocalization and technique immediately suggested that his main profession was singing. The reactions from the audience and the panel were positive.
"Now then, the next turn is..."
Max Level Rabbit.
Based on the outfit and the modulated voice, it was clear the contestant was female. During the segment where they gave hints about their identity, she had just been doing some strange punching motions. What on earth was she doing? It looked like she was hitting something with her fists.
"Ahem, anyway, Max Level Rabbit. Let's see if your singing skills are also 'Max Level'!!"
Along with MC Song Byung-soo's shout, a cheerful accompaniment began to play. As soon as they heard the intro, the audience and the panel let out the usual exclamations of surprise.
An idol song?
To think she would use an idol song in a competition. Usually, idol songs are upbeat and meant to be performed with a dance. Naturally, Masked Singer was a show that focused on singing rather than dancing. It wasn't a song choice typically suited for a competition.
And it was a song by Summer Girl? The girl group Cha Na-hee belonged to. Honestly, Cha Na-hee was famous, but as a girl group, they were... questionable. Did they even have any good songs? The song being performed now was one that had disappeared without even cracking the Top 10.
The moment those thoughts crossed his mind, Max Level Rabbit brought the microphone to her lips.
And then.
"......!!"
Song Byung-soo's eyes widened.
Wait, she's actually good?
To be honest, it didn't feel like her technique was extraordinary. But isn't there a saying? That a great voice is a cheat code. Her tone was truly pure, and a wealth of emotion seemed to flow through the lyrics.
Was this song always like this?
The arrangement was also excellent. It was a skillful composition, as if Summer Girl themselves had rearranged it. Her emotive voice added a refreshing quality to the song. While she lacked technical flourishes, her vocalization was proficient, and her voice flew straight into the ears of the audience.
I'm sure I've heard a similar voice before.
As Song Byung-soo pondered, something suddenly came to mind. The insert song from Sky Garden.
That's it! That's the one!
He could recall it instantly because it was the OST of a drama he had been enjoying lately. While others were watching Grand Game, Song Byung-soo had been diligently watching Sky Garden. The emotion in the song he heard then was incredibly similar to the emotion in the song Max Level Rabbit was singing now.
When the song ended, there was a bit of a stir among the audience and the panel. It wasn't that she felt like a legendary powerhouse, but it had been a strangely intense performance.
Intensity. That was something that couldn't be achieved through innate technique or just singing well. Perhaps that was Max Level Rabbit's greatest weapon.
And so.
"The winner, by a margin of only three votes, is Max Level Rabbit!!"
No one was particularly shocked when the results were announced. Even her opponent, Noryangjin Pigeon, clapped heartily to congratulate her.
"The identity of Noryangjin Pigeon is Park Ren!! It was the rapper Park Ren!!"
"Wow, it was Park Ren? The winner of Hip Under Show, right?"
"Yes. Since I don't usually get to sing songs like this, I wanted to show a new side of myself."
Seo-yeon had actually beaten Park Ren, the winner of Hip Under Show, a program where all the popular rappers competed. Although he had competed with a song rather than his main genre, it was clear that Max Level Rabbit had won.
Who on earth is Max Level Rabbit to beat Park Ren?
It wasn't that Park Ren had performed poorly. While the emotional depth was somewhat muted since it wasn't a stage where he could show his true skills, his unique sense of beat and rhythm hadn't gone anywhere. Yet, Max Level Rabbit had overcome that.
"And so, Max Level Rabbit advances to the next round!"
On a stage where everyone was clapping and celebrating, two people were bewildered by this turn of events on Masked Singer.
Wait, how did I win?
That was Seo-yeon. And...
Wait a minute. This... isn't this dangerous?
That was Gray Crow, trembling anxiously on her throne.
*
「Congratulations!! Do you want to go to karaoke together next time? I know a good place, I'm sure you'll love it!!」
「Emoticon of a rabbit running busily」
「Ah, so you're going?」
Seo-yeon narrowed her eyes as she stared at her smartphone. This was very, very suspicious.
It's her, isn't it?
The person who contacted her as soon as Masked Singer aired was Jo Seo-hee. How on earth did she recognize her appearance so uncannily? No, since she was hiding her identity, knowing this meant someone had told her. Jo Seo-hee wasn't the type to keep up with every variety show, anyway.
Lee Ji-yeon.
Yes, it had to be Lee Ji-yeon. There weren't many people who knew Seo-yeon was going on Masked Singer in the first place. So if she heard it from someone, it had to be Ji-yeon, and she could guess roughly when and where she heard it.
Those two have been acting very suspicious lately.
It wasn't that they had developed some strange relationship. It was just that Ji-yeon often learned acting from Jo Seo-hee more than from Seo-yeon. And Jo Seo-hee, in turn, seemed to be receiving various kinds of 'help' from Lee Ji-yeon.
That 'Villainess' thing.
It was Jo Seo-hee, wasn't it? She hadn't known at first, but watching every broadcast made it somewhat obvious. A silver-spoon lady to the bone. How many people like that could Lee Ji-yeon possibly know? As far as Seo-yeon knew, only Jo Seo-hee.
She only had circumstantial evidence, so she was just grumbling internally, but that was her guess.
「The community interest is huge because you beat Park Ren. This will be great promotion once you take off the mask.」
The self-proclaimed friend, Ms. Jo Seo-hee, was chattering away quite enthusiastically. Even Seo-yeon, who had been huffing at first, tended to just accept it at this point.
「I'll go to karaoke next time.」
Seo-yeon finally replied and let out a sigh. To be honest, Masked Singer was a bit exhausting from her perspective. Even for a casual appearance, the amount of singing practice required was considerable. For Seo-yeon, who had so many things on her plate, it would have been better to be eliminated in the first round.
"Seo-yeon, we're about to start filming. Are you ready?"
"Ah, yes."
When she looked up, Kim Il-soo, the director of Sky Garden, gave her a thumbs up.
"That was you yesterday, Max Level Rabbit, right? Wow, you're much better than before."
"Ah, how did you know?"
Did someone tell him? She looked at him with that question in her eyes.
"Ahem, nobody told me. I just recognized you. I'm the one who watched your singing skills improve from right beside you, after all."
Still, it was surprising that he recognized her just by her voice.
"But I hope it doesn't interfere with filming. After all... you know, right?"
"Yes, of course."
"Great! Then, let's give it our all for today's shoot."
She could guess why Director Kim Il-soo was expressing concern. It was because Seo-yeon was juggling so many different things. If it weren't for her invincible TS body, she probably would have collapsed long ago.
Is that why...
She felt eyes on her at the filming site. Some of the younger actors. Among the actors participating in Sky Garden, there was one particularly noticeable gaze.
Kim Hyun-seok, who had been prickly toward her before. Of course, he wasn't acting like that now, but the atmosphere itself felt heavy.
She knew the reason. Currently, all the focus in Sky Garden was on Lee Yu-ju. Of course, that was natural since she was the protagonist. In fact, it would be a problem if she didn't take the focus. However...
Receiving such harsh criticism made it understandable that they were feeling dizzy.
...This isn't good.
If things continued like that, it would surely affect the other actors as well. Furthermore, the scene they were filming tomorrow for Episode 10 was a potentially risky one. It was exactly the midpoint of the 20-episode Sky Garden. And it was a crucial turning point that would shift the entire atmosphere of the drama.