Chapter 174: Opening (2)
Chapter 174: Opening (2)
Masked Singer was a variety show with a consistently loyal fanbase.
While the initial hype had cooled down recently, it didn't mean the fans had vanished. Discussions regarding the show's contestants still flowed quite freely.
Lately, two individuals were the talk of the town: Gray Crow and Max Level Rabbit.
If the contestant is a professional singer, their voice or technique usually gives them away quickly.
Yeo-hee was a prime example. No matter how much she tried to disguise her style or sing differently, a true fan could easily identify her.
However, no one could place Max Level Rabbit.
In such cases, there was usually one explanation.
Masked Singer was a favorite destination for celebrities looking to make a comeback after a controversy.
Just as public opinion was leaning toward that theory...
The suggestion popped up out of nowhere. Someone who claimed to have watched her since Dream Future mentioned that the voice sounded like Ju Seo-yeon’s.
Even those who didn't watch dramas had become familiar with Ju Seo-yeon recently.
The reason was the Harara Shorts video that had gone viral on the internet. The view count had already surpassed 5 million and was still climbing.
A strong candidate finally emerged after much debate. It was the mysterious singer behind the insert song for the hit drama Sky Garden. Since people were already arguing over that singer's identity and the emotional resonance of the voices matched, it became the leading theory.
The problem was...
Since the identity of the Sky Garden singer was also a mystery, Max Level Rabbit remained an enigma.
While Max Level Rabbit had put up a good fight until the semifinals, most expected Gray Crow to be the ultimate winner. After all, Yeo-hee was renowned as one of South Korea’s top vocalists.
In fact, she was considered more of an artist than a mere singer. Her range was vast, spanning from mainstream hits to Japanese anime OSTs. This versatility was why she was so well-known in online communities.
Thus, everyone believed that the finals would finally reveal Max Level Rabbit’s identity.
*
"He knows, right? No, he definitely knows!"
"Unnie, please calm down."
"How can I be calm right now?!"
After filming the semifinals, Yeo-hee had taken off her Gray Crow mask and was talking to her manager, Song A-ram, backstage.
"And why are you shaking so much? You should just greet him warmly."
"T-That might be possible, but..."
Maybe it would be better to act cool. After all, it had been a good twenty years, hadn't it? It was a time before Seo-yeon was even born. Since it was such an old story, it could be an opportunity to have a normal conversation.
Even if Young-bin was surprisingly meticulous about such things, surely twenty years was enough time?
Despite that hope...
"What if Tae-jin told him about me?"
"Tae-jin? You mean Director Kang Tae-jin of GH Group?"
"Exactly. I kept asking him... If he told Young-bin, I'm doomed."
"Wow... For twenty years? That’s a little creepy..."
"Hey, I only asked! I didn't do anything weird!!"
What! She could ask, couldn't she? She was just curious!
Yeo-hee felt justified. Though, if it had been going on for twenty years, it did feel a bit excessive.
"Unnie, you have... way too many lingering feelings."
"Ugh."
Yeo-hee clutched her chest and stumbled. What could she do about her personality? Even she hadn't realized she was the type to hold onto things for so long.
"It’s because... it’s harder when you lose something you almost had..."
"I'm not really interested in that."
"Aren't you being a bit too harsh to me lately?"
Yeo-hee grumbled and wiped her face with her palms.
"...I'm going to go wash my face."
Sigh. She decided to splash some cold water on her face before heading back. As she returned toward the set...
"Ah, hold on. I need to call my dad."
She heard a familiar voice. It was a voice she had almost forgotten, but one that had been brought back to the forefront of her mind recently through Golden Duckling.
'Oh my god!'
Yeo-hee instinctively tried to hide, but then she realized Young-bin was heading elsewhere. She peeked out from her hiding spot.
'Why is he still at the filming site? Ah.'
Come to think of it, his daughter was a contestant on Masked Singer. It made sense that he would be leaving a bit late if there was business to attend to. She herself had finished her performance and come out early.
She had let her guard down because the audience had already left, but she hadn't expected him to pop out like this.
'I thought I’d be okay by now.'
Yeo-hee bit her lip. In truth, she really had almost forgotten. She thought she could find someone new, but apparently not. Yeo-hee’s heart was still stuck in her high school days.
Perhaps it was because of a spell cast long ago.
「Creators must live young.」
The words she heard back then suddenly came to mind. He had said that one’s spirit must not age to continue creative work.
Actually, there was a period after she was rejected when she buried herself in work. That lasted for nearly ten years after graduating high school, right up until The Moon That Hides the Sun aired.
'Ju Seo-yeon.'
To Yeo-hee, the girl was a symbol of her lingering regrets. She hadn't expected to recognize her instantly. To see the parents' faces in the child...
Of course, she only confirmed it later through Kang Tae-jin.
But after The Moon That Hides the Sun, the girl had no other projects. Another ten-year gap. And then, the child actor made a dramatic return.
Yeo-hee had watched that entire timeline unfold. With her own eyes, and through news from Tae-jin. When she asked him if she was being a nuisance...
"Whatever. You're not the only one asking."
He would just smirk and reply like that. That smile was so chilling that anyone who didn't know him would feel like they had to offer up an organ to appease him.
But he had softened up lately. He used to be truly terrifying.
"Ah, yes, I'm on the phone."
By the time she snapped out of it, she was hiding and eavesdropping on Young-bin’s conversation. What on earth was she doing?
'I’ve finally lost my mind.'
She chided herself. Just as she was about to turn away in a hurry...
"Ah, the Director... you mean. Is that really being discussed? You're not teasing me, are you?"
Young-bin’s voice held a hint of playfulness, suggesting he was talking to someone he was close with. Since it had been so long since she’d heard his voice properly, Yeo-hee stopped in her tracks.
She turned back slightly and peeked out again.
There he was, standing with a slightly slouchy posture. He looked the same as before, which made her smile, yet his face now showed the passage of time.
'He looks anxious.'
That posture was one Young-bin took whenever he was feeling uneasy or had something on his mind. His childhood friend—the girl he liked—had told her that.
"Ah, of course, I'd love to. I mean, who would turn down a promotion? Of course, of course. No, I just have a few things to think about. Yes."
Director. She assumed they were talking about a Game Director position. It must be a very high-ranking role.
Yeo-hee had been in the game club in the past, but she didn't know the specifics of the corporate hierarchy. However, for someone being offered such a high position, he seemed strangely...
"He seems to have a lot on his mind..."
"Yes, it seems so."
"Right?"
Yeo-hee responded before freezing. She turned her head.
There stood a girl with brownish eyes that had a hint of red.
"...!!!"
Yeo-hee nearly had a heart attack. Why was she here? More importantly, had she seen everything?
"If you're going to the vending machine, please wait a moment."
"Ah, u-uh, okay."
Yeo-hee managed to stammer out. It seemed Seo-yeon assumed Yeo-hee was waiting for her turn at the vending machine.
Yeo-hee breathed a sigh of relief. Thank you, vending machine. You literally saved my life.
'Wait, does she not know who I am?'
Seo-yeon seemed to view Yeo-hee as a complete stranger. Did she not even realize she was a celebrity? Or did she know but just didn't care to ask? It was hard to read her.
Then again, Yeo-hee hadn't been active in the public eye for a while, so it was possible. She never thought her period of quiet activity would come in handy like this.
Yeo-hee exhaled in relief. Suddenly, she wondered if she could use this situation.
"I, I saw Golden Duckling. I-I'm a f-f-fan."
"Oh? Ah, thank you."
Watching Seo-yeon quietly bow her head, Yeo-hee’s eyes darted around. The girl seemed bright on variety shows, but was she usually this quiet? Moreover, it was baffling that such a reserved daughter came from Young-bin and Sua.
"That's your father, right? I, I saw him on TV. On TV."
"Yes. But Unnie... aren't you a celebrity?"
"Huh? Oh, s-something like that."
"Is that so?"
What does 'something like that' even mean? Yeo-hee squeezed her eyes shut at Seo-yeon’s puzzled expression. What was she even blabbering about?
'But she called me Unnie.'
Yeo-hee wiped her face and grinned foolishly. Heh, I’ve still got it. Had her face masks been working well lately? Exactly, Sua wasn't the only one staying young. She wasn't just young; she lived young!
"A-Ahem! Is... is something wrong?"
Yeo-hee tried to sound as natural as possible, as if they were just making small talk while waiting for the vending machine.
"I saw on TV... that he works at a game company..."
It was, of course, a very personal question. Yeo-hee was truly grateful for Golden Duckling. Thanks to that show, she could excuse most of her knowledge by saying she saw it on TV.
However, Seo-yeon’s gaze was fixed on Young-bin, and she didn't seem to pay much attention to the details.
"It just seems like there's something else he wants to do..."
Seo-yeon trailed off.
"I think he has a lot of worries."
It wasn't something she would normally confess to a stranger. But for Yeo-hee, that was enough. She felt she understood the situation now.
"Ah, I think his call is over. You can use the vending machine now..."
"Huh? Oh, n-n-no! I just remembered I have something urgent! Sorry!!"
She saw Young-bin hang up. She could hear his footsteps approaching.
'I'm insane, seriously!!'
There was no time to think. Yeo-hee turned tail and bolted. She moved so fast that Seo-yeon’s eyes widened as she watched her go.
Didn't she want to use the vending machine?
'Wait, she looks familiar. Is she... someone related to Masked Singer?'
There was no reason for anyone other than a celebrity to be at the filming site at this hour. While it could have been a lost audience member, she had a beautiful appearance and that distinct celebrity aura. And it wasn't just any aura; it felt like someone with considerable experience.
Even if she had been shaking strangely in front of Seo-yeon.
'I'm sure I've seen her somewhere.'
As Seo-yeon stood there with her arms crossed, deep in thought...
"Hmm? What's this? Were you waiting for your Magic Dinosaur?"
"...Magic Dinosaur?"
The nicknames seemed to be multiplying. As Seo-yeon looked at him with a dissatisfied expression, Young-bin chuckled.
"Mom’s waiting. Let’s go."
He simply started walking. She wanted to ask about the phone call, but Seo-yeon didn't pry. She already had a general idea.
That was why Seo-yeon... had prepared that specific song for the finals. As a small way of cheering him on.
*
"Seo-yeon, don't be too nervous! Just relax and do your best!!"
Manager Park Eun-ha spoke as she patted the back of Seo-yeon, who was disguised as Vorpal Rabbit—no, Max Level Rabbit.
Park Eun-ha knew that Seo-yeon had been deep in thought lately. It seemed she had a lot to process regarding her drama role. It was even showing in her acting, to the point where Director Kim Il-soo of Sky Garden had pulled Eun-ha aside to ask.
"Is something going on with Seo-yeon lately?"
"Pardon? No. Is there a problem?"
"Ah, it's not that. It just feels like she's a bit... tense, or perhaps anxious."
Anxiety? But Seo-yeon didn't usually give off that vibe. Was she hiding it? Seo-yeon was often so good at masking her emotions that people didn't realize what she was feeling.
"Summer Girl came to cheer you on today too. Oh, and your family is here, right?"
"Yes, they've been coming since the semifinals."
"That's good."
Honestly, Eun-ha thought it would be difficult to beat 'Gray Crow.' Still, she hoped this would be a good change of pace for Seo-yeon.
"Well then, fighting!"
With that encouragement, Seo-yeon left the waiting room. She let out a low sigh beneath her mask and shook her head.
'I can't seem to stop thinking about it.'
Was it because of her recent meeting with Yu-na? She felt a strange sense of urgency. She wasn't sure what she was rushing toward, but she even found herself questioning if it was okay to be doing variety shows like this.
Watching Young-bin lately only intensified that feeling.
Just before stepping onto the stage, she reached the door and saw Gray Crow waiting there. For some reason, the Crow flinched upon seeing Seo-yeon, but then she slowly gave a thumbs-up.
'Is that a sign to do our best?'
Seo-yeon nodded and returned the thumbs-up.
Then, the doors to the stage opened.
The stage where the Masked Singer King of Singers final would take place.