Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Why Is This Your Money?
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Why is this your money?
People instinctively become lenient toward children.
They can usually brush off kids' mistakes with a laugh,
and even the slightest accomplishment earns applause and praise.
And to put it another way,
this also meant that people didn't hold high expectations for children's actions from the start.
No expectations meant no disappointments.
The thought that a child was just a child, no matter how well they did, was an utterly natural instinct anyone would have.
And this applied to the viewers watching the 'Child Star' moment right now, as well as Oh Young-ae, who was sitting in her living room staring at the TV.
'Chae Seon-hwa... Actress Chae Soo-jeong's daughter. She's pretty good at acting for a child actress, but what about her singing?'
The daughter of her favorite actress, and someone she personally felt familiar with because of that adorable face.
But regardless, singing ability was something you had to see to believe.
Especially since she was just a 9-year-old kid, Oh Young-ae figured she'd probably sing some children's song or something.
But then.
"Huh?"
Another wave of familiarity from the intro alone.
Of course, Oh Young-ae knew exactly what this song was.
The ending theme from Answer 1989.
It was a song she'd heard countless times during broadcasts,
and one she personally loved so much that she'd downloaded it to listen to often.
'Did she pick this because it's from her mom's drama? But it's not easy...'
It wasn't an overly difficult song, but it still had a level of challenge that kids might struggle with.
She figured it was chosen because it was from her mom's drama, but whether she could pull it off well...
Honestly, more worry than doubt for this kid she felt like a niece toward.
But then.
"I'll soothe the pain of those who suffer~!"
"Huh?"
In the next instant, a single word flashed in Oh Young-ae's mind.
'Broadcast accident?'
What she heard in her ears wasn't a song without lyrics, but the original track itself.
For a moment, she thought the production team had played the wrong song...
But soon, her bewilderment turned to shock.
"Wha... what? What's going on? Is... is Seon-hwa really singing this right now?"
It wasn't a broadcast accident.
This was truly Seon-hwa singing the song herself...
Perfectly matching the original, 100%.
"This is insane... How... how is this even..."
Oh Young-ae flapped her mouth open and shut, gripped by astonishment.
The fact that a mere 9-year-old possessed such skill was shocking enough,
but the realization that soon followed hit her like a sledgehammer to the head.
Anyone else might not know, but Oh Young-ae, who had listened to this song endlessly, could tell.
This wasn't just mimicry.
It was the singer of the original herself.
The unique pronunciation, tone, and even breathing points matched almost perfectly.
This was impossible with mere imitation alone,
and it tied directly into the hot online topic that was already buzzing,
leading her to one inescapable conclusion.
The mysterious singer of Answer 1989's OST.
One was half-confirmed as 'Lisa,' but the other was still unknown.
But in this moment,
Oh Young-ae realized who that singer was.
'No... no way... That mystery singer... was Seon-hwa?'
A fact she was thinking of even as it remained unbelievable.
The idea that a mere 9-year-old kid had such absurd vocal talent was something even she couldn't have accepted until moments ago.
But now, seeing it with her own eyes and hearing it with her own ears, Oh Young-ae could only stare blankly at the TV.
The song ended, and the result that followed immediately was, of course, a pass.
It was a transcendent performance that even the judges, who had been lukewarm so far, had no choice but to give full marks for.
In fact, she felt a slight twinge of doubt that only Chan-su, who had seemed fair up to now, gave it a 9.
"Th-this isn't the time to just sit here..."
The moment she confirmed the result, Oh Young-ae sprang up from the sofa.
There might be more to come after this, but right now, she had no time to care.
With her conviction that the mystery singer was Seon-hwa solidified, she couldn't stay seated any longer.
As a YouTuber, the most important thing was speed.
To gobble up views, she needed to jump in faster than anyone else
and spill the 'information.'
Chae Seon-hwa's song was perfect enough to bring the word "perfection" to mind.
It hit the viewers like a nuke had dropped, delivering massive shock.
Chae Seon-hwa's one move was like pouring oil on the 'Child Star' broadcast, which had only been getting mild attention.
And this attention...
"8%."
naturally led to a surge in ratings.
"...Haha, who would've thought it'd blow up like this..."
"Ahem... We knew it'd rise some, but..."
A figure that far exceeded the production team's expectations.
They knew the formula that buzz equaled ratings, but they hadn't anticipated this level of impact.
On the surface, it was great news for program makers.
However, Ma Ju-seok PD and the others here couldn't welcome the ratings with open arms.
"This isn't good... Too much attention is..."
"Honestly, she's riding the Chae Seon-hwa hype, but people are still whispering about it sometimes. Claims of biased judging."
"The elimination of that Im Young-hon kid in the middle was a big factor. Excluding Seon-hwa, she sang pretty well too..."
"Tch. We should've edited it more aggressively..."
With so many rotten elements at the core, the more attention they got, the more the manipulations could be exposed, putting them all at risk.
But they couldn't artificially tank good ratings either, leaving them in a deep dilemma.
"Haa... For now, we just have to be extra careful. Everyone, keep your mouths shut tight. If any weird rumors leak, we're all dead."
"Y... yes."
"We'll... keep it in mind."
With that, he reined in the mood and the group cautiously dispersed.
At that moment, someone approached Ma Ju-seok PD, who was left alone.
"What?"
"Uh, PD? About that thing I asked before..."
Assistant Director Yeom Jun-taek asked cautiously.
But Ma Ju-seok PD immediately scowled.
"I told you, I'll send it when the money comes in. Stop bothering me and get back to work."
"Ha... But PD! There's really no time left now. If this drags on, the repayment date..."
Yeom pleaded earnestly.
But Ma Ju-seok PD snapped back in a voice full of irritation.
"That's your problem. What do you expect me to do when the money hasn't come in yet?"
"When the hell is that gonna be? It's already a month past the promised date... At least check again..."
"Hey, Yeom Jun-taek! Why are you always bitching at me?"
Already on edge, Ma Ju-seok PD's anger finally exploded.
Looking at Yeom's stiff, frozen face, he raised his voice.
"Let's be real—I didn't tell you to do crypto, did I? You idiot blew every penny you earned and tanked it! You're the crazy bastard who went to loan sharks. I already pulled strings to get your worthless ass multiple spots despite your whining. You should be grateful for that alone!"
"...S-sorry... I'm sorry."
Yeom bowed his head and barely squeezed out an apology.
Suppressing his emotions with effort, Ma Ju-seok PD continued.
"Just wait patiently... It'll come through on its own. This is just one gig, right? Keep yapping, and you won't last long. Got it?"
"I... I'll keep it in mind."
"Good. Now scram."
"Yes..."
Yeom slunk out weakly.
Watching his back, Ma Ju-seok PD lit a cigarette, still fuming.
"Damn it. Worthless trash always yapping. Why is this your money? It's my money, earned through my hard work."
Normally, he'd look out for others to some extent for future favors.
But this was his final big score before vanishing abroad, so no need.
He'd already prepared everything after one massive payout.
After selling out viewer trust countless times, sacrificing this guy's credit meant nothing.
A dark back alley shrouded in shadows.
Yeom stood there, feeling deeply anxious.
Fear that someone might be tailing him.
Of course, no one at the station cared about an insignificant guy like him,
but the current situation naturally made him shrink back.
Then.
-Screeech.
"Eek!"
A car pulled up in front of him.
Toward the window that silently rolled down,
he handed over a USB with trembling hands.
The recipient immediately checked the contents on a laptop.
Yeom stood there, guts burning, staring at the man whose identity and face he didn't know.
About two minutes passed,
then a small bag emerged from the car.
Yeom snatched it and hurriedly checked inside.
And then.
"Th-thank you. Thank you so much!"
It was stuffed with crisp 50,000-won bills.
Having received the promised 20 million won, Yeom bowed repeatedly as
the car sped off into the distance.
Right after.
Inside the car, a man still staring at his laptop spoke in a calm voice.
"We've acquired it, Chairman."