Chapter 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Adults Go Wild for the Orphan's Emotional Sell
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Th-that... Siyeon."
"Yeah?"
In the awkward atmosphere, he swallowed hard, his throat bobbing.
The kid who always paid tribute to me with chocolate milk from his seat diagonally across the classroom... his name was Seonghun, right?
Whatever. Anyway, the boy had come over early to school like me, his face flushed red as he spoke up.
This looks like one of those situations to anyone watching.
What would he feel if he knew a thirty-something-year-old guy was inside the girl he had a crush on?
With those thoughts, I waited for the boy in front of me to slowly get the words out.
Unfortunately, Sihun just couldn't open his mouth easily in front of the girl he liked.
I used to be like that once upon a time...
Memories flooded back fresh and green.
But since I was going to turn him down anyway, wasn't dragging this out just wasting time for both of us?
It might be a bit cruel, but I decided to end Sihun's delusions as quickly as possible.
"...Sihun? If you have something to say, just spit it out quick."
"...My name's Sihun."
"Oh... sorry."
Calling his name wrong suddenly chilled the mood.
A moment later, Sihun slouched his shoulders and shuffled back to his seat.
No more free chocolate milk from now on.
It was a little disappointing, but not a big deal.
Chocolate milk? I could just buy my own.
Still, I felt a tad bad for the guy. Because I was probably his first crush.
For your first love to not even remember your name... that'd leave a big scar at his age.
Hang in there... Sihun!
Teachers would start arriving soon.
This time, since it was a weekday broadcast, I had to get formal permission and submit paperwork.
Last time, I'd skipped without notice for the preliminaries, but my homeroom teacher flipped out when she found out and begged me never to do that again—just submit the form. So I'd put real effort into the field trip request.
What a hassle.
In my past life, I'd properly attended up to middle school, but in high school, I barely went at all.
This time around, I'd wanted to at least finish high school right, but honestly, I was already tempted to just drop out.
But right now, I was a nine-year-old orphan with no guardian. No one to sign a dropout form, no adult to take responsibility if I stopped going.
Just before the bell rang, my homeroom teacher called me to the office.
"Siyeon, I'll approve the form. Go get 'em!"
Admiration and worry mixed in her eyes.
Just a month ago, I was the quiet kid buried in books, and suddenly I'd appeared on TV and turned the nation upside down. No wonder.
"Yeah. Main round filming starts for real this week. They said we might even go into camp later."
"Never saw a star like you coming from our class. But Siyeon, don't push yourself too hard. Call me anytime if it gets tough."
Leaving her warm encouragement behind, I headed back to class, where the kids' stares stabbed like needles.
The whole class was eyeing me like some alien lifeform.
During breaks, kids from other classes plastered themselves to the hallway windows to gawk, so I had to skip lunch and hole up in some school corner, spacing out.
This had been going on lately, and it was getting me... pretty annoyed? Nah, moderately irritated.
Usually, even big news fades after a week, but Singer Star was a long-running show, so the buzz about me wouldn't die down.
Plus, with the Winter Olympics just wrapped, there wasn't even another hot topic to steal its thunder.
Gonna be a tough few months.
Might need to start packing a lunch.
A few days later, the first round of the main competition.
"Ugh..."
I paced in front of the vending machine in the hallway outside the bathroom.
Coffee was 300 won a cup.
Hot chocolate was 400.
Which to pick?
Before, I'd have gone straight for coffee, but since becoming Seo Siyeon, I'd been craving sweets more than bitter stuff.
Still, pride wouldn't let me. Hot chocolate felt too childish, right?
"Hmm... yeah, but still."
My hand trembled as I reached for the milk coffee button.
That's when someone fed a 100-won coin into the machine.
And casually punched the hot chocolate button.
"Little kid. You wanted hot chocolate but only had 300 won? Then ask someone passing by!"
I turned creakily. There stood a young guy whose face I'd seen on screen a few times.
"Oh! You're that kid. The one who makes killer songs."
"J-Joo Jinwoo...?"
"Yeah, that's me. Siyeon, right? Wanted to meet you. Lucky break."
There he was: Joo Jinwoo, my top watchlist target, the college kid from a top university.
Joo Jinwoo.
His name alone screamed national-level vocals, and he was damn close to it in reality.
Studying at a SKY university's K department, he'd actually made a name for himself in Hongdae's band scene before.
But family pressures and intense studies kept him from sticking with music long-term, forcing him to leave the scene.
Finally, after discharge, he had some breathing room.
He'd jumped into this audition to make the most of it.
No matchup with him in this mission.
He was in the male solo group; I was in potentials.
But upper rounds? We'd clash for sure.
Back to the action.
The first group on stage was mine—the potentials.
Because kids can't be stuck in the waiting room too long.
Even split into two days, they couldn't squeeze everyone in quickly.
Wait times ballooned later on.
Too tough for kids, so get 'em on stage fast and send 'em home.
But I drew the last spot in our group.
Obvious favoritism in the lineup, which didn't bother me one bit.
Kicking off the stage was the high school girl band I'd marked from prelim videos: Blooming.
"One, two, three!"
A peppy drum beat unleashed crisp guitar riffs. Famous modern rock cover, infused with that fresh high school vibe and tight ensemble playing.
Not bad. Drums wobble a bit, but the vocal tone covers it.
Cheers erupted from the audience, and Yoo Sanghyeon from the judges nodded approval.
"Whew! That's seriously impressive."
KY's Jina practically drooling over them, and they happily snagged all passes back to the waiting room.
But that was the peak.
Had Blooming set the bar too high? Or was the main stage pressure crushing young hearts? The acts that followed tugged at the heartstrings—for all the wrong reasons.
The elementary "prodigy" boy trembled on high notes from nerves and hung his head.
The middle school dance team tangled their choreography and couldn't hide the panic.
"Must've been too nervous. Barely half their usual skill—makes my heart ache."
"Stage felt foreign, huh? Use today's lesson to toughen up. Good work."
Judges were gentle, but passes were stingy.
The cold verdicts behind encouragement sank the set's mood fast.
Staff faces darkened; later kids stiffened with tension.
No mood flips—just passes trickling up as numbers ticked by.
The head writer checked her watch anxiously when the speaker called next.
"Next contestant, Seo Siyeon, please enter."
The audience buzzed.
Everyone here had big hopes for Seo Siyeon.
She was the hottest prospect in Singer Star 5.
Some even bought scalped tickets just to see her. Her entrance shifting the vibe? Predictable.
Judges perked up too.
All three had pinned their hopes on her in this batch.
"I'm excited. Right, oppa?"
"Wonder what genre she'll hit us with."
KY's Jina and YRK's Kayseop chatted, hype building.
They hadn't seen her live, so a hint of doubt mixed in.
But with industry titan Yoo Sanghyeon's rave reviews, positivity edged ahead.
"Siyeon, you're last. Not too worn out from waiting?"
"Nah. Waited enjoyably enough."
Siyeon had spent the time chatting music with Joo Jinwoo and others.
Small talk ensued briefly.
Siyeon spun hazy childhood memories into misfortune porn; judges played along with sympathetic WWE faces.
Jina even dabbed her eyes—seemed genuine sadness, but whatever.
Business first.
"The song I've prepared is 'Woman in the Photo.' Please listen."
Riding the emotional wave from misfortune porn, I brought the ballad I'd made thinking of my late mom from my past life.
Grip a concept and milk it through verse two, three—no brain farts.
That was my creed.
The acoustic guitar's soft melody began to fill the stage.