50. You're Our Village Hero! [Singer Star Finals Results and Vote Counts]
Personally, I was surprised that the gap between Joo Jinwoo and Blooming wasn't as big as I expected.
Either way, I want to tell all the participants: great job, everyone.
I'm also looking forward to seeing what kind of activities the artists from Singer Star Season 5 will get up to next.
"They say internet rumors are more likely true the crazier they sound..."
That securities wig tip about Yoo Seolha? Totally real.
Honestly, I still can't wrap my head around her real identity. The heiress of a company worth tens of trillions...?
A normal orphan like me and her—the status gap is just way too huge.
But like always, friendship doesn't care about status highs or lows.
"Siyeon! One last photo before we go!"
"Sure."
"Everyone, come on!"
It was right before checkout from the dorm we'd grown so attached to.
At Yoo Seolha's call, I took one final shot with Blooming and Joo Jinwoo, the dorm building as our backdrop.
"Time to head back..."
At long last, the long, grueling Singer Star was over.
It had been a four-month journey packed with events, hardships, and undeniable gains.
The biggest win? Cash: 200 million won, all mine after taxes.
Endless possibilities, and I already knew exactly where it'd go.
Time to escape. From that damn place.
I couldn't stomach another night in that tiny room crammed with four kids.
First priority: strike a deal with the director for permission to live alone.
Hand over the car that came with the prize money, ask for independence in return... she'd probably say yes?
Maybe not.
Then I'd have to seriously scout a legal guardian.
Obviously, a nationwide star like me would have endless adoption offers.
But sifting out someone trustworthy? Near impossible.
So, like Park Hansu suggested before, maybe tap his network for a decent candidate.
Won the whole thing and I've still got all this crap to worry about?
Something felt off no matter how I sliced it. Blooming was off to Hawaii for fun, Joo Jinwoo planned a week in Japan then back to music...
Why was I already stressing about heading back to Nulnul Nursery?
This was all because I was born an orphan.
No parents meddling could be a plus sometimes, but legally, being an orphan left you so damn vulnerable.
"What a filthy world."
On the bus back to Nulnul Nursery.
Unlike the other contestants with parents waiting, I was riding the Singer Star shuttle solo.
Yoo Seolha's family driver offered a ride, but I awkwardly turned it down.
Now I kinda regretted it.
"Might as well watch some YouTube."
I opened it on a whim, and the algorithm hooked me with one: [The Undisputed Genius Seo Siyeon: Predicting Her Next Moves].
Uploaded less than a day ago, already over 500k views—must be from someone big.
"500k-sub music analysis channel."
Spot on. Probably the top one in Korea.
I hit play like I was mesmerized, and a smooth baritone male voice filled the air.
The 30-minute vid boiled down to this: lavish praise for my musical range and depth.
Talk of my rapid vocal growth, killer song choices tailored to me.
Lyrics with word choices and depth beyond a kid's years.
"Because she's no ordinary kid..."
Getting props like that? Even after toughening up and adapting to elementary life, it made me wanna die of embarrassment.
Then came predictions for my future...
"Hmm... Everyone thinks I'll join one of the Big 3, huh."
Made sense. They were the judges, and the support there was on another level.
Hell, my nursery dilemma would vanish overnight with a Big 3 contract.
But at the cost of my autonomy.
Big agencies were a mess inside—divided artist divisions clashing, rookies caught in the crossfire.
Ego-driven producers and managers meddling in my songs? Guaranteed.
Could I keep my originality intact? My answer: hell no.
No full creative control, no deal. And they wouldn't offer it—especially not to an elementary kid.
I could go solo for now anyway; the buzz was there.
Would need Instagram or YouTube for fan chats, though.
Eh, that could wait.
"Siyeon, we're here."
"Ah, thanks for the ride!"
I hopped off, grabbed my suitcase from the trunk.
Wait. Why'd they make me lug this on the way out?
Question popped up, then vanished.
What hit me was a place that felt warmly familiar yet nauseatingly oppressive to Seo Siyeon.
The 'Nulnul Nursery' sign, looking ready to collapse...
"What? It's gone. They replaced it?"
Nope. What I saw was a shiny new one, freshly installed.
Oh yeah, I'd forgotten—saw in the pre-finals cheer vid that the auditorium got remodeled, old annex turned into a shiny three-story building.
Sure, my fame brought donations...
But this scale of work in such short time? Even with big donations, it didn't add up.
As I zoned out staring at the new annex, cheers erupted from the main building.
"Waaaaaaah!"
"Our hero's back!"
"Seo Siyeon's here?"
"Siyeon! You're Nulnul Village's hero!"
The kids shouting it looked brighter, healthier than ever. We always ate decently, cheeks rosy...
But this vibe was next-level pumped, unexplained.
"Siyeon, you're our nursery's hero...!"
The director, beaming amid the kids, got pointed at the annex.
"Director, what the heck is that?"
"What else? The building you built, of course!"
I couldn't hide the baffled look on my face.
How the hell was I footing a bill like that?
The mystery cleared up the next day with a visitor to Nulnul Nursery.
A mid-40s man who vaguely resembled Yoo Seolha.
The moment Korea's top 0.0001% rich guy descended on our hillside orphanage.