Chapter 150
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150
“Wh-what was that?”
Every member except for me whipped their heads toward the sound, startled.
Perhaps driven by his sense of duty as the leader, Kim Seong-hyeon was the first to shoot up and approach the door. He pulled on the handle, but it only rattled without opening.
“It won’t open.”
“Just now, what…” Jeong Da-jun stammered, his eyes wide. “A-a scream! Is someone in danger? A phone, we need to call…”
Just then,
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Another scream echoed, followed by,
“Uwaaaaaaaah!”
“Aaaaaah!”
Something dropped from the ceiling with a thud.
The leader and the maknae, our two resident scaredy-cats, shrieked their heads off with their eyes covered.
“Waaaaah! Wh-what is that?!”
“Get back, guys! Get back…!”
“Back from what…”
“Ahaha.”
Kim Seong-hyeon tried to drag everyone to a corner—Kang Yi-chae, who had only flinched slightly; me, who remained unfazed; and even Seong Ji-won, who, far from being scared, had burst out laughing.
But Seong Ji-won simply tilted his head for a moment before striding toward the object dangling from the ceiling.
“…This is a dummy.”
Kim Seong-hyeon cautiously peeked through the fingers covering his face.
What had fallen from the ceiling was a mannequin shaped like a person, covered in red paint.
“…A d-dummy?”
While Jeong Da-jun and Kim Seong-hyeon huddled together, clutching their pounding chests to calm down, Kang Yi-chae found a mission card pinned to the dummy’s clothes.
“It’s a mission.”
Kim Hee-yeong, I knew she was up to something.
She had been unusually cheerful and excited all day. For a PD whose daily diet consisted of all-nighters and constant pressure, a bright, lively smile was as rare as a unicorn.
It simply couldn’t exist.
Tiring!
[Wow… Birds of a feather, really…]
What do you want from me?
Kim Seong-hyeon, who looked like he was on the verge of tears but was trying his best to stay composed, asked calmly.
“Wh-wh-what does the m-mission card say?”
“I’ll read it~.”
Correction. The leader was not calm.
Kang Yi-chae slowly read the mission written on the paper.
“Shining Star Season 2, the first mission begins. The mission: ‘Find the notes in the haunted broadcasting station’!”
“…Excuse me?”
Jeong Da-jun, still reeling from the shock, had been squatting in a corner, trembling in fear. At Kang Yi-chae’s words, his head shot up.
“The face-to-face ceremony will be divided into dance, vocal, and rap units. You will perform in front of the public while wearing masks and hats. The team that receives the most votes will be given a benefit. The song you perform and your performance time will vary depending on the note you find.”
“…?”
“The notes are hidden in the ‘Ugh! This broadcasting station is so, so scary’ area. Two members must team up to explore the station, which is filled with the ghosts of those who bear a grudge from working endless overtime, and find the notes.”
“Two members!!”
Jeong Da-jun shot to his feet, his fists clenched.
“Then Ho-yun-hyung and Ji-won-hyung should go!!”
“…”
Not even a year had passed since he’d said he wanted to be helpful to his hyungs, yet here he was, pointing a bloodshot-eyed finger at me, trying to kick me out.
“Those two didn’t even blink! Even Yi-chae-hyung was startled and trembling!”
“Bangbang-i, your hyung is scared too.”
“Ho-yun-hyung, if you’re going to lie, at least wet your lips first!”
“I’m scaaared~.”
“…”
When I said it again after licking my lips, Jeong Da-jun glared daggers at me.
“Ah~, I wouldn’t mind going,” Seong Ji-won said, sounding disappointed. “But based on what’s written here, I don’t think I can.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
Seong Ji-won glanced at Jeong Da-jun’s eyes as he read the next part.
“The participants for this exploration will be the two people who screamed the loudest. The production team will designate them in order of the measured decibel levels.”
“…!”
Jeong Da-jun’s jaw dropped.
For the record, only two people here had screamed loudly.
Just then, a bizarre mechanical voice flowed from the conference room’s speakers.
“[96dB Jeong Da-jun, 88dB Kim Seong-hyeon, please come out.]”
“…!!!”
And just like that, the color drained from their faces.
.
.
.
[Kkyaaaaaaah!]
[Uwaaaaaaaah! Jeong Da-jun! Come here!]
[Hyung, hyung! Don’t leave me behind! Seong-hyeon-hyuuuung!]
[Wh-what? Then what am I holding onto right now… Aaaaaaaah!]
It was absolute chaos.
The remaining three of us were guided by the staff to another conference room, where we were served tea and dessert while monitoring Kim Seong-hyeon and Jeong Da-jun in real time.
“The dancer line is being so romantic~.”
“Look at him grabbing a ghost’s arm instead of Da-jun’s.”
“Still, they haven’t given up halfway.”
We were having the time of our lives.
I giggled as I plucked a Shine Muscat grape from the whipped cream on my slice of cake and popped it into my mouth.
The scene where Kim Seong-hyeon (half-sobbing) sang a song for a ghost in the third bathroom stall, complete with aegyo, to get a note was a masterpiece.
“Ahaha, Seong-hyeon’s a good singer.”
Having been slightly corrupted by me and Kang Yi-chae over the past year, even Seong Ji-won was enjoying himself. Beside him, Kang Yi-chae was cackling with satisfaction, slapping his hand on the desk.
A staff member standing opposite them saw this and whispered to Kim Hee-yeong.
“Out of all the groups so far, they’re laughing the most obnoxiously…”
“Good, good~.”
In the end, chased by ghosts until the very last second, Kim Seong-hyeon and Jeong Da-jun scrambled and stumbled their way back to the conference room.
“We’re… we’re here!!!”
“We’re here!!!!!”
Having rolled and fallen all over the place, both of their faces were grimy.
“Wow~.”
“Congratulations~.”
Clap, clap, clap.
The staff and members gave them a round of applause that lacked even an ounce of sincerity.
Tiring!
[This lukewarm congratulation…]
“It took you about 1 hour and 21 minutes. Congratulations on completing the course.”
“I want to cry…”
“S-someone, please give me a hug.”
The two scaredy-cats approached us, sniffling.
It was a move only possible for such innocent souls, who had no idea that the rest of us had been having a blast in the waiting room.
Naturally, I ignored them both and held out my hand.
“I-I don’t want to do this…”
“What did you bring back?”
“…”
“…”
“I said, what did you bring back?”
“You’re so mean…”
Seeing as the pouting brats had no intention of moving, I rummaged through their pockets and pulled out three notes: vocal, dance, and rap.
Inside the notes, of course, were the titles of the songs.
I unfolded the paper that said ‘Vocal Unit’ and scanned the contents.
“So we’re supposed to sing this at the face-to-face ceremony?”
“As the duet representatives, yes.”
“…Oh.”
It was a song I’d seen somewhere before.
After reading it all, I folded the note and looked at Seong Ji-won.
Jeong Da-jun also glanced at Seong Ji-won, then past Kang Yi-chae to me.
“Huh?”
Seong Ji-won wore a faint, ambiguous smile.
“Isn’t this a bit too cheap?”
I thought so too.
Not because it was a familiar song.
[Seong Ji-won
Though slightly tainted by Seo Ho-yun's influence, he is still a kind, angelic, and good-natured member whom Seo Ho-yun wants to be with forever.]
What’s this nonsense?
I skipped the useless text and looked away.
In any case, it was indeed cheap.
[Singing: S0
Dancing: A+
Variety: C-
Acting: B-
Charm: A-
???: ???]
Seong Ji-won’s singing stat.
* * *
“Hey, hey, what’s that over there?”
The gazes of pedestrians walking along the Han River all turned to one spot.
A crowd of people was bustling about, setting up cameras and decorating an outdoor stage. A few of them were handing something out to passersby.
“Looks like some kind of performance.”
“Really? But there aren’t any posters or banners.”
“Must be some nobodies.”
The man, who happened to be passing by with a friend, sounded indifferent, but he was actually a little bored with nothing to do, so his interest was piqued.
Having eaten an hour ago, he was full and had nothing better to do. As he loitered nearby, someone approached him.
“We’re holding a guerrilla concert today. It’s a masked singer concept. Duets will perform one by one, and all you have to do is vote for the pair you like the most.”
“Oh~.”
Intrigued, he nodded and entered the outdoor performance area with his friend. It seemed to be just about time to start, as a pin spotlight on the stage lit up.
“If they’re nobodies, they probably can’t sing that well.”
“Yeah, probably best not to get our hopes up.”
Seeing a staff member hosting instead of an MC, it didn’t seem like a very famous show.
But the moment the melody of the first song began, everyone in the audience let out a collective gasp.
【Hiding this heart that keeps feeling so shabby
I stay up all night again and again】
“‘Shabby Confession’!”
It was the OST from a drama that had been a massive hit last year.
As a fan of Min Ji-heon, he had listened to this song an insane number of times, so it held a special place in his heart.
He didn’t know which singer had performed it, but he remembered that the sweet voice paired well with the lyrics that fit the drama, and it had stayed on the charts for quite a while.
“Ooh~, they’re good.”
But his impression of the song was just that.
They sang well, but it lacked the unique emotion that “Shabby Confession” was known for.
Still, it’s a famous song, so maybe a lot of people will vote for them.
The song ended, and the pin spotlight went out.
Instead, the curtain that had been concealing the area next to it dropped, a new light came on, and the second and third duets came out in succession to sing different songs.
He thought they sang cleanly and well, but he didn’t feel their performances were particularly compelling.
“They’re all not bad.”
“Yeah…”
He nodded in agreement with his friend, just as the fourth curtain fell.
【Say you love me,】
The song this duet was singing was Yoo Ji-ah’s mega-hit, “Say you love me.” She had released the rock ballad in an attempt to change her image, and it had been immensely loved by men and women alike.
The song was characterized by lyrics about feigning ignorance to hear the other person say “I love you.”
Huh?
“Oh~! Wow.”
【I’m asking because I really don’t know】
The venue grew a little restless.
“Wow, this guy’s vocal tone is insane.”
There were no fancy techniques, but the pitch was perfect, the rhythm was precise, and the high notes were hit cleanly, making the audience’s eyes go wide.
Moreover,
“Crazy. They didn’t change the key?”
They were singing “Say you love me” in its original key.
Even if it was on the lower side for a female song, it was still high for a man, yet the song continued with perfect stability.
【More than you love me
Just a little, yes only a little bit
I love you that much more】
While everyone was captivated by the sweet, ticklish vocal tone, he alone felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
As someone who had rewatched ‘Please Take Care of the Camera’ practically 100 times just to drool over Min Ji-heon’s face, his instincts were tingling.
What is this??
The man standing next to the singer, his face hidden by a hat and mask, had a relaxed demeanor that showed no hint of nervousness, and his silhouette…
It looked very familiar.
【But I don’t want to say it so easily
You like it when I’m like this, don’t you】
“Wow, stable until the very end.”
“They’re the best ones.”
Everyone else, except for him, was just nodding along, their ears blessed by the performance.
Just then, the man who had been standing still the entire time raised his microphone.
【Since you say you don’t know, I guess I have no choice
I will say this only once】
“……!!”
A shiver ran straight down his spine.
【Tell me! Again】
The transition from falsetto to a full voice was incredibly smooth.
Amidst the murmurs of the audience, the two singers harmonized and made a hand gesture. It somehow looked like an idol’s gesture.
【Say you love me again!
If you’re for me, then one more time】
“Wow, holy shit, what is this…?”
Just saying they sang well couldn’t fully describe it.
The same thrill he had felt at the first famous singer’s concert he ever went to was coursing through him right now.
“That’s insane…”
“Hey! Hey, hey!”
When he’d entered, he hadn’t had a single shred of expectation, but now he could only stare at the stage, his jaw agape.
Then, his friend started smacking his arm. He winced from the unexpected blows and shot his friend an annoyed look, but his friend, lost in excitement, seemed oblivious to his surroundings.
“That person, it’s him!”
“What?”
“‘Shabby Confession,’ that guy!”
“…What?”
【If you really don’t know, then one more time】
Listening closely, it really did seem to be him.
“…Whoa, whoa, whoa!”
He had watched ‘Please Take Care of the Camera’ so many times that the OST was practically engraved in his ears.
Distinguishing a familiar voice was easy.
【I guess I have no choice
I’ll tell you until you know】
“It’s him! It’s him!”
“I think you’re right?!”
He grew more and more excited as he became certain it was really him.
From the looks on their faces, it seemed like everyone around him was thinking the same thing.
【Say You Love Me─】
“Crazy, crazy!”
At that moment, he screamed and frantically pressed the voting remote.
As the duet with “‘Shabby Confession,’ that guy” hit the climax, the number displayed on the screen above the partition also shot up like crazy.
[109]
First place.
Although the fifth team was still left, it was an overwhelming score compared to the previous teams.
Soon, the fifth performance also ended and the vote tally was finalized, but the ranking didn’t change.
“Ah, it has to be him, right?!”
“I told you! Who else can sing like that??”
Looking around, it seemed most people were as engrossed as they were, wondering if the fourth duet was who they thought it was.
[Alright! Voting is now closed. Now, please take off your masks in order!]
Afterward, from the far left where the first performance took place to the third, they took off their hats and masks in turn to the instrumental of the song they sang and bowed.
“Aaaaaah!”
Judging by the cheers erupting from the crowd, they seemed to be idols.
But he and his friend were waiting for a different introduction.
【…♫♩♬♩♪】
Just then, the opening of the song the fourth duet had sung began to play.
The pin spotlight turned on again, revealing two tall men in hats and masks standing on stage.
[Team D! Please take them off!]
At the staff’s voice over the microphone, one of them whipped off his mask and hat.
A brown-haired man with a gentle expression and a slight smile appeared. At the same time, his friend muttered, practically in a trance.
“Holy, holy shit…”
The man, bathed in the white light from behind like a halo, looked like an angel even to someone who knew nothing about him.
“Hey, what the hell. He’s so handsome.”
“Whoa, damn! I’m looking him up right now!”
His friend took out his phone and started searching for ‘Shabby Confession’ on a portal site, comparing the singer’s photo he found with the face of the person on stage.
“Seong Ji-won? Hey, I think it’s him!”
“It is, it is!!”
But their chatter didn’t continue.
Screams were erupting from all around them.
“Uwaaaaaaah!!”
He turned his gaze forward to see the person next to him taking off a black hat.
It was a face that was already all too familiar to him.
“…C-crazy.”
The PD from ‘Please Take Care of the Camera.’
Lee Jeong-hun.
The second male lead material, that supporting actor!!
“That asshole PD!!”
Without realizing it, he forgot all his decorum and shouted. But since everyone around him was in a similar state, it wasn’t embarrassing.
The PD and the angel from ‘Please Take Care of the Camera’ exchanged a look, then grinned and gave a light wave to the audience.
“Wow, this is giving me goosebumps.”
“What is this, what is this, is this a drama??”
He and his friend were freaking out excitedly when,
“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!!”
An immense cheer and roar, incomparable to anything before, erupted.
He turned his head to see the two men at the far right end taking off their masks.
“…Huh?”
They were idols so famous that even a non-fan would recognize them.
.
.
.
Fuck…
My eyelashes trembled.
There were a lot of calculations behind this face-to-face ceremony.
Honestly, if we had sung “Shabby Confession,” first place would have been in the bag. To appeal to the general public while our faces were covered, it was crucial to use a ‘familiar voice with a familiar song,’ and taking advantage of that in a competition was only natural.
However.
Winning first place with ‘Shabby Confession’ wouldn’t be fun.
If it was too easy, or if it seemed selfish, it wouldn’t make for a good story.
So, to create a decent narrative within reasonable bounds, I used my head a little.
With Seong Ji-won, whose voice was fairly well-known, as the centerpiece, and me, who could generate buzz upon reveal, I was confident we could secure plenty of publicity later.
I was sure that with Seong Ji-won and his S-rank singing stat, we could win first place no matter what song we performed.
Damn it!
Right, winning first place at the face-to-face ceremony was possible.
“Haha, hello.”
But that was unexpected.
“We are High Five!”
High Five.
The next-generation representative idol group, super rookies, monster rookies.
They were Black Call’s direct junior group, a team to whom any of those grand titles could be plausibly attached.
They definitely weren’t in the original lineup, and in truth, there was no need for them to be…
It was the appearance of a group that was out of our league.
Ju Woo-seong, that bastard, I knew there was a reason he wouldn’t tell me…
This time, no matter how much I pestered Ju Woo-seong, no answer came back.
“The cast of Shining Star? I really don’t know~.”
“Then have a nice day.”
“…You consistently rude bastard.”
The guy who had been rattling on and on about Shining Star Season 2 wouldn’t open his mouth about the cast, no matter how much I pressed him.
He just shamelessly shrugged and played dumb.
I knew it.
A member of High Five looked our way and gave a slight wave.
I smiled back at High Five.
Of course, my mind was turning ice-cold.
At the same time, Kim Hee-yeong’s words came back to me.
“We have to aim for first place.”
Hey, Kim Hee-yeong.
You want me to compete against guys like that and get first place?