Because I'm a Bishoujo!
In the Korean music charts over the past few years, there were always two massive mountain ranges that dominated the top spots every season.
One was hip-hop audition shows, and the other was none other than Singer Star. (The Produce series leaned more on fandoms, so it was relatively minor in terms of broad public impact.)
Singer Star usually crammed its songs into the top ranks around July and August, when the TOP 10 competitions kicked off. But this season was completely different.
A monstrous little kid had appeared out of nowhere and started devouring the chart ecosystem whole.
She'd been sneaking peeks into the upper ranks since May, and by July, she'd fortified the very top like a castle, showing no signs of budging.
Mid-tier agency CEOs who'd scheduled their idols' comebacks right around then were grumbling about the brutally tough chart climb... but whatever.
"Not my problem."
Lee Hajun, head of Bluesky Entertainment, muttered as he sank deep into his office sofa, watching the Singer Star live broadcast.
He'd devoured every stage Seo Siyeon had put on so far, but this one hit especially hard.
Like it or not, Bluesky was an idol-making company at its core, and its future blueprint was built on that.
Even in talks with Yoo Sanghun, the de facto head of Bluesky, he'd nailed the importance of idol training. Having a daughter in music probably helped him grasp the market's pulse pretty well.
Truth be told, Siyeon's stages up to now had felt more like a classic solo pop star than an idol. But this Jelly Pop performance was the most idol-like yet.
Of course, the dance and staging weren't exactly polished.
With such a rushed prep time, that was inevitable.
Even with more time, a huge quality jump would've been unlikely.
A non-trainee civilian like Siyeon paired with production staff clueless about idol choreography? This was probably their limit.
But the music itself? That was a whole different story.
Stage polish and chart success were separate beasts.
Even songs with killer live energy—like that Wave's Child tune Blooming sang—often flopped on charts. They didn't match the public's broad tastes or hold up to repeated streams without ear fatigue.
In that sense, Jelly Pop wasn't a stage performance track; it was a pure chart assassin.
Balanced synths that weren't overdone, a slick blend of house and pluggnb that felt fresh to the Korean market.
It kept a fluffy, dreamy texture overall, but those bouncy bass pops from behind hooked you deep.
"Just as a listening track, it's too damn good. Perfect balance all around."
This stage might not grab instant reactions like her explosive highs or flashy arrangements before. But the moment it hit the charts...
"Might even outlast glassy sky."
Yoo Sanghun's question flashed through Lee Hajun's mind.
'How far can you take it?'
Blooming and Seo Siyeon. Could he really control these two kid geniuses and deliver what Chairman Yoo wanted?
Coldly put, no. His track record running the company proved his vessel wasn't that big.
"If we hit the level of success he wants, it won't be thanks to me."
It'd be a miracle from Seo Siyeon herself.
But whose credit was it? Who cared. If the company hit its peak on her songs, the wealth and fame coming his way wouldn't change.
The TV host bellowed with a voice that rattled eardrums.
Truthfully, with the on-site vibe, the dropout was a foregone conclusion—no real tension there.
Still, Lee Hajun's eyes flicked back to the screen, curious just how close Seo Siyeon and Joo Jinwoo's scores would be this round.
Early TOP 10, their gap was razor-thin.
But once real-time voting kicked in, Siyeon crushed him with massive leads every time.
Her mass appeal pulled in viewers Joo Jinwoo couldn't—non-fans, the muggle crowd. And their votes naturally flooded to her.
Who wouldn't back a 9-year-old genius beauty writing and nailing her own songs perfectly?
"This round might shake things up a bit."
General rounds combined viewer votes and judge scores, so exact vote gaps stayed hidden. But up till now, their converted score diffs were always over 100 points.
"...Only this much?"
The revealed results on screen were shocking. Joo Jinwoo and Seo Siyeon? Just 13 points apart.
As expected... I figured as much, but still.
I tried to play it cool, but I couldn't hide the slight twitch in my expression.
Cameras were probably zoomed on my face right now, broadcasting this weird vibe nationwide in real time.
Joo Jinwoo closing the gap this much? Honestly, it stung my pride.
Jelly Pop was a killer track, no doubt.
One of the top-charting songs I'd produced in my past life—tons of attachment, rock-solid quality.
That's why I'd saved it for this semi-final powerhouse stage with 30%+ ratings.
Too ambitious for a competition format?
It echoed that time Lee Hye-na sang Half of Me Back at me—total incident redux.
Difference? I was still locked for finals, still holding first place.
I turned and saw Baek Yuyeon bawling her eyes out, face a mix of relief and regret.
She'd ended up dropping out, but she'd picked a song from her favorite idol band and gave a fun stage in her own way.
Far from her usual pansori vibes—a fresh surprise for me too.
But "beautiful challenge" and survival? Different stories.
Ditching her genre strengths like han and deep emotion for something safe? Coldly, it was average.
In a race where even record-breakers barely climbed, average meant curtains here.
But I knew better.
Her potential, and the market's hunger for that genre exploding soon.
This dropout would taste bitter for Baek Yuyeon, but Singer Star had carved her niche and launchpad.
"Waaah... sniff..."
She wiped tears with her sleeve and shuffled over.
Then, out of nowhere, hoisted me up.
My featherweight body floated easy as she grabbed my side—20kg tops, nothing for an adult woman.
"You did great."
"Sniff... You too, Siyeon... Thank you so much."
"What'd I even do for you..."
If anything, I'd handed Blooming—my rivals—a song that stole points from her.
No direct help from me. She'd earned this on pure skill.
Blooming did ride my coattails hard, though.
Without the cheat key glassy sky, their TOP 10 spot wasn't guaranteed.
Thinking that, I quietly hugged her neck tight.
Embraced by an ultra-beauty, her sobby sniffles started easing up.
And just like that, only two weeks left till Singer Star wrapped.