Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: This Stage is Wind (5)
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Following the staff's guidance, we took our positions on stage, and MC Yoon Chae-hyun's remarks followed.
"Yes, the stage setup is finally complete! Thank you for waiting, everyone. Now, without further ado! It's time to enjoy the finals performances. The first finalist, EverPlanet, presents a legendary hit. Yoon Jung-hwa's [Where the Wind Touches]!"
We formed our formation and gave the OK sign, and a lively intro began to flow. It was a classic trot-style melody, the kind folks call 'pongjjak.'
As the intro played and we performed simple choreography mimicking the movement of the wind, memories surfaced from a few days ago—picking the song for the crucial first round and then selecting this one for the finals, all discussed with the members.
Among them, Teddy's decisive words stood out.
"I like how it connects to the first song! The first one is about wanting to live happily with the person you love, so the second shows what that happy life really looks like!"
"Yeah, Teddy hyung. That's a good idea."
"Right? It's really good."
That one comment from Teddy was what made us choose this song.
Yoon Jung-hwa's [Where the Wind Touches], a famous first-generation trot hit.
The song was a classic trot number about dreaming of building a beautiful house where the wind blows with the one you love and living happily ever after.
'It fit just perfectly.'
Teddy's words immediately brought this song to mind. I'd heard it a few times because Mom was a fan of Yoon Jung-hwa.
Not hugely famous, but the addictive chorus melody left a strong impression.
Matching the beat with our choreography, I raised the mic right on cue. The intro for this song was mine.
- Come to where the wind touches
I've been waiting for you
Just you and me, here together
We'll feel the cool breeze
Thankfully, less than an hour had passed, so the effects of 'Voice Up! Egg Voice' were still active.
My song, in far better condition than usual, flowed through the mic, and I saw PD Kim's face light up with a bright smile in the front row.
Ah, it made me feel good somehow.
The other members followed in turn, singing with choreography that brought the lyrics to life.
- Come to where the wind touches
I've been waiting for you
Just you and me, here together
We'll build a fine house and live
Han Tae-hee especially nailed the trot vibe subtly. With his sly personality and playful tone, it suited him perfectly.
Even while singing properly, he coaxed the audience like a pro trot singer with his gestures—pretty impressive.
- Love is like a sailboat
It sails far when the wind blows
Love is like a pinwheel
It spins wildly when the wind blows
That's what love is
Truth be told, prep for this song was nowhere near what we'd done for the first-round track.
We hadn't even considered making it to the finals, so we'd only run through the lyrics and basic choreo a few times.
But thanks to the mishap during the first round, the audience was all rooting for us.
Especially the elders—they were loving it. Seeing their bright faces clapping along to the beat got me hyped too.
- Ah, where the cool wind touches
Just you and me, here together
Even after a hundred years, a thousand years
We'll be together forever
The highlight was, as expected, main vocal Go Eun-young belting out a killer high note. Pulling off that thick, solid high note like a rice cake machine... it was mesmerizing sometimes.
- We'll be together forever
With the final line, all the members linked arms to form a big heart.
These little gestures always land well in trot.
Not bad at all.
I smiled brightly amid the applause. With that, we'd successfully wrapped up today's stage.
* * *
Jin Soo-hyun's performance that followed was, simply put, overwhelming.
When the diva Han So-yeon—the gold standard of vocal power in the '70s—met Jin Soo-hyun, the synergy was explosive.
'He really seems born to sing.'
Listening from below the stage, that's what naturally came to mind.
After Jin Soo-hyun's turn, voting commenced from the audience and judges.
This time, it wasn't scores—it was choosing one stage or the other, with the majority winner taking it.
After tallying, announcement time. With the two MCs in the middle, only Jin Soo-hyun and us remained on stage.
I gripped the hands of Lee Jae-oh, who slyly grabbed mine, and Teddy's in turn, staring at the camera.
"The winner of this Legendary Hits Showdown is...!"
With tension-building BGM and a pause, Han Dae-se finally called the name.
"Jin Soo-hyun! Congratulations!"
Confetti cannons popped simultaneously. Knew it. I clapped for Jin Soo-hyun with a smile.
Honestly, his finals stage was leagues above his first round.
We gave it our all, but no way we could've beaten that. That's how massive his performance was.
Still, making it this far blew past our initial goal.
"You guys did great."
"Good work, hyung."
"We did awesome too! Good!"
Encouraging each other, we applauded Jin Soo-hyun.
The recording wrapped amid the cheers.
I bowed to the members, other contestants, and staff as I left the stage.
Manager hyung greeted me with a "Good job," followed by sudden confetti pops and the quest-complete melody in my ear.
[SUB QUEST [Today, I'm a Legendary Hit Singer!] completed.]
[Hidden condition achieved: Additional reward granted.]
[Click the button to claim your reward. Click!]
I'd known we'd finished this quest ages ago. It was locked in the moment we advanced to finals.
But... hidden condition? Never seen that before. What's this, system? As I wondered, the system explained.
[Some quests from the system include 'hidden conditions' beyond the stated ones. They're not revealed upfront like regular conditions, but achieving them grants extra rewards.]
In short, quests within quests—hidden quests. So what was the one I cleared this time?
I asked internally, and the system replied promptly.
[The hidden condition 'Ha Jae' additionally achieved in this quest: 'EverPlanet advances to Legendary Hits Showdown finals.']
Seeing that, I paused to think. The main condition was scoring 90+ in the Legendary Hits Showdown. The hidden one: advancing to finals.
So, exceeding the given goal raises chances of hitting hidden ones. Right, system?
[Correct.]
Good. From now on, aim higher than quests demand. Not easy, but why not grab more rewards while at it?
With that thought, I clicked the reward button. Notifications poured in like a tidal wave.
[Acquired a large amount of experience.]
[LEVEL UP! 'Ha Jae' level increased to 9.]
[Eighth LEVEL UP reward: +10 additional stat points.]
[LEVEL UP! 'Ha Jae' level increased to 10.]
[Ninth LEVEL UP reward: Skill Random Draw 1-Use Ticket.]
Experience was right at the end of level 8, so boom—two levels up instantly. The level I'd wondered about jumped to double digits. Kinda emotional.
[EverPlanet's fame increases. More people are starting to recognize EverPlanet.]
[SPECIAL ITEM acquired: 'Inspiration-Infusing Hoburi Elder's Hat.']
Next, checking the quest reward item, I furrowed my brow. Inspiration-Infusing Hoburi Elder's Hat? What even?
Clicking it quick brought up the description.
[Inspiration-Infusing Hoburi Elder's Hat
: Like the Hoburi Elder with his song bundle, inspiration graces your music. Producing skill effect +50% for 1 hour. After 1 hour, status ailment 'Headache' occurs.]
...What's Hoburi Elder got to do with producing? If anything, shouldn't it boost vocals since he became a great singer?
Weird naming, but not urgent, so I tabled it.
[New! Title acquired!
『Today's Legendary Hit Singer』
You reinterpreted a legendary hit brilliantly and earned high praise.
Title reward: Fame +500]
With the yellow crown icon, the notification flood finally stopped.
I sighed and opened my status window for the first time in a while.
Two levels up—worth a check.
[Name: Ha Jae (Seo Il-hyun)
Level: 10 (Leaf Bud) EXP: 12.30%
Titles: Rookie Negotiator +5 others
Trait: Second Life
Fame: C
Stamina: 25/100
Passion: 33/100
Strength: C+
Agility: C
Intelligence: C
Luck: D+
Looks: B+
Charm: C
Art: C
Distributable Stat Points: 12]
Compared to before, stats had noticeably grown. Strength's progress was especially striking.
'Was D at first.'
Thanks to Lee Jae-oh's special training? Definitely up.
I allocated the points to Looks and Strength, then used the level-up bonus Skill Random Draw 1-Use Ticket from inventory.
A golden roulette popped into the air with a poof! and spun on its own. Familiar sight now. It slowed to a stop on...
[Congratulations! Acquired active skill 'Dance God Dance King Descent!']
[Dance God Dance King Descent!
: The god of dance lives within me! Dance skill effect +50% for 30 seconds.]
...Another bizarrely named skill, as expected.
Dance God Dance King Descent—what even is that? Whoever names these has wild taste.
Anyway, active skill like the others—boosts dance instead of spotlight or vocals temporarily.
'More skills like this, the better.'
I smiled, satisfied.
Then, a man rushed toward us at full speed.
"EverPlanet, everyone!"
It was Kim Hong-woon PD, main PD for Legendary Hits Showdown.