Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: This Stage is Wind (3)
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Mid-October, a Saturday afternoon. A mother and daughter stepped into MBS's open hall.
The kind-faced mother glanced around before pointing to a long line snaking along one side.
"Jimin, is that the line over there?"
"Yeah, looks like it."
"When does it start again?"
"Six o'clock."
"Whoa, that's why the line's so long?"
"That's how audience seats always are. Free show, though."
The daughter, who looked just like her mom, answered nonchalantly, as if waiting in line was no big deal. She naturally led her mother over and joined the queue.
While waiting to get in, the mother pointed at a banner hanging in the hall and asked her daughter.
"That's what we're here to see today, right?"
"Yeah. Hit Songs Bonanza."
"Jin Soo-hyun's really performing?"
"Of course. That's why I wanted to come, Mom. You know I love Jin Soo-hyun. You'll like him too once you hear him sing."
The daughter giggled in anticipation and hooked her arm through her mother's.
The mother stared at the banner for a moment before pointing to one corner.
"But who's that in the corner? Heidi and... EverPlanet?"
"Hmm? Oh, some idol group, I think."
"Idols? This show's got idols on it too?"
"Yeah. They do that a lot these days."
"Oh my, first time seeing an idol show for me. I'm excited."
"Better not get your hopes up."
Idols can't sing. The daughter said coolly.
She was a fan of proper ballad singers who could actually sing, and she had a strong bias against idols.
Her mother waved it off with a tsk.
"They're pretty, though. They must be decent at it. And the dancing's probably good, right?"
"We'll find out when they perform."
Soon after, at six o'clock, people started filing in.
The daughter handed her pre-issued ticket to the usher and entered the studio with her mother. Their assigned seats were just five meters from the stage.
'So close!'
Worth coming alone in the morning to snag those tickets.
Her heart was already pounding at the thought of seeing Jin Soo-hyun's performance from this close.
Before the competition began, during the brief wait, staff checked the stage. MC Han Dae-se showed up and greeted the audience.
"Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for coming to Hit Songs Bonanza. Wow, great turnout. Hang tight just a bit longer, and we'll kick things off. How about a lucky draw in the meantime?"
As expected from a top comedian these days, Han Dae-se knew how to hype the crowd. Laughter erupted from the audience at his witty remarks.
After the lucky draw hosted by Han Dae-se, the celebrity judges took their seats one by one—composers, singers, actors, comedians, all familiar faces.
Finally, the stage lights dimmed. The Hit Songs Bonanza signal song blared from the speakers.
"It's starting!"
"Woo!"
The mother and daughter clapped excitedly along with the crowd. When the lights came back up, MCs Han Dae-se and Yoon Chae-hyun stood center stage.
"We welcome all our lovely guests to today's Hit Songs Bonanza. Hello, your host Han Dae-se here."
"Yoon Chae-hyun here. Nice to see you."
The two bowed to the audience, earning thunderous applause.
They introduced the celebrity panel, then revealed the theme and performance order.
"Alright, let's get this Hit Songs Bonanza underway. First up, Neighbor's Honey Bread! Come on out."
The first performers took the stage, and the competition officially began.
The format was straightforward. Performers went in a set order with their prepared acts. Scores came from the live audience plus the celebrity judges.
After all first-round performances, scores were revealed, and the top two teams did a finale round to decide the winner.
'Anyway, Soo-hyun oppa's probably taking it.'
The daughter watched the first rounds calmly.
Each act stuck to their usual style.
The acoustic duo Neighbor's Honey Bread did a ballad full of acoustic vibes, singer-songwriter Bae Seung-yeon—known for her unique tracks—rearranged a famous hit in her style, girl group Heidi covered a first-gen girl group song, and Choi Shin-yeol went with macho rock that 40-50 men would love.
Her mother was having a blast watching.
"Everyone's amazing! What a great show today."
"Mom, Jin Soo-hyun's up next."
After Choi Shin-yeol's set, the man the daughter had been waiting for finally appeared. She clapped harder than anyone.
Jin Soo-hyun's song was Son Bora's "Storm Hill."
A wistful gray hillside backdrop unfurled behind him as he stood center stage.
- Someday that storm will sweep me away
The wind on the hill will carry me off
But I can never give up on you
I'd rather surrender to the breeze and fly away with you
Jin Soo-hyun was a singing god. That's what the daughter thought.
His emotive falsetto filled the stage like a beast's howl, tugging at her heartstrings.
When the performance ended, tears welled in her eyes as she applauded.
Her mother looked deeply moved too.
"Wow, Jin Soo-hyun is incredible."
"Right, Mom..."
The judges raved too: "A singing god is on another level."
Hearing him belt it out from this close was pure bliss.
The daughter wiped her damp eyes, hit 100 on the scoring remote, and watched the next acts.
"Yes, next up is our final act. The idols with killer concepts, EverPlanet!"
With Han Dae-se's intro, the last group took the stage.
Seven young men in sharp black suits lined up neatly beside him.
The daughter couldn't help widening her eyes at their faces.
'They're seriously hot.'
They were stunning, the kind that made you gasp.
Even the flashy blue eyeshadow suited them perfectly—could've looked weird otherwise.
Her mother muttered in awe, thinking the same.
"Oh my goodness. Those boys are handsome. Whose sons are they?"
"Yeah. They are good-looking."
The daughter nodded in agreement.
No denying it—the seven had striking features.
Humans naturally feel some fondness for beauty, regardless of gender. As the seven greeted the crowd, the daughter's lips curved into a smile.
'If you're idols, you gotta look like that.'
Good-looking guys in crisp suits? Even if you started with low expectations, you couldn't help getting hyped.
"So, EverPlanet, what classic hit have you prepared today?"
"We're performing the masterpiece by Sunbae Lee Pyong-yoon."
"Ooh, Lee Pyong-yoon's ! Total classic. I used to dance to it a ton back in my Z-Man days. What made you pick this one?"
When Han Dae-se asked, the puppy-like guy in the center grabbed the mic.
"The theme for this Hit Songs Bonanza is 'Wind,' right? We brainstormed songs that fit the wind theme and show off our style. Then we realized 'baram' also means 'wish'—like when you hope for something. That led us naturally to Sunbae Lee Pyong-yoon's ."
"Ooh, deep meaning there. Awesome! Alright, let's see EverPlanet's take on Lee Pyong-yoon's !"
After the quick interview, EverPlanet snapped into formation seamlessly.
They lined up in a row and gave the okay sign. The stage began.
Thud-thud. A pounding drum bass kicked in with upbeat R&B intro. The front three and back three shifted left and right in sequence.
The center guy stepped forward and started singing.
He was the hottest of the hot ones—total actor vibes.
- Since I was young, I've been different from others
I've had one wish oh oh oh
He winked our way, high-fived another member, and slid back.
Sly like a fox. He knew exactly how to look cool.
Next up: a super tall, buff guy.
- Someone who looks only at me
My love, my one and only
Meeting someone like that oh oh oh
His low voice echoed like a cave, smooth and sweet.
His killer physique made every suited move look effortlessly stylish.
"Oh wow. What a body."
"Mom, seriously."
Her mother giggled watching him.
He spun around gracefully and swapped spots with the next member.
- The wish I hoped for so long My small wish
The will I ran toward to make it real
You might think it's no big deal
I don't need anything else—just know this one thing
It's okay if my face isn't pretty
'Cause I'm the handsome guy
It's okay if I'm not rich
'Cause I'm young and rich
After a rap not in the original, the original lyrics resumed.
The hamster-cute guy bobbed his head, rested his elbow on the waist of the member in front like he was flexing his face, then struck a pose like tossing cash from his pocket.
'Cute...'
The daughter caught herself thinking it.
- Instead, a girl with a beautiful heart
A girl who loves only me
I want her, I wish for her, I shout for her
My wish is only one—just that one
Next: a bright blond guy.
He danced everywhere like a man wandering in search of true love, roaming the members and stage.
Every move was clean, no wasted motion—perfect lines.
- That's when I met you oh
From that day, my wind blew toward you
You have everything I wished for oh
The one and only—straight to you
They reformed into a fan shape.
The center singer was the one who'd introduced the group earlier.
With him back in the middle, it felt perfectly balanced, like everyone was in place.
His smooth voice guided into the chorus naturally.
Matching the jaunty trumpet melody, their signature peak dance exploded—super energetic, impossible not to smile.
- Oh baby you
My wish is just you
Now my one and only wind
Is you alone
Next singer was a face the daughter recognized.
Go Eun-young, who'd shone in auditions before.
Her skills hadn't rusted a bit.
'She's good.'
A smile spread across the face of this fan of solid singers.
- Oh baby you
My wish is only you
"I love you" isn't enough
I want to be with you
Following him: a cat-like guy.
He had a shockingly sweet timbre.
"Oh my, what a voice."
"Yeah..."
Her mother clapped in pure admiration.
The daughter, already surprised by the solid performance, was blown away again by his tone.
- That's my wish
His final line wrapped the first verse, leading into the interlude.
In the interlude, all seven synced perfectly for sharp group choreography.
She'd started watching without much expectation. Now she was hooked.
The second verse flowed much like the first.
Especially the verses—no need for tricky notes—so they nailed live vocals while dancing.
'Singing that steady while dancing?'
Mind-blowing.
After the second chorus, the highlight part.
In the original, a featured vocalist brought soulful vibes.
The sweet-voiced guy stepped to the center of the other six.
He looked like a man steeling himself to share his one wish with his love—like right before a proposal.
He slowly brought the mic to his lips. Just as he was about to sing...
That's when it happened. The grand backing track swelling through the speakers
"Huh? What?"
"What the—?"
cut off abruptly.