Chapter 439
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 439
Two weeks after the blind vote for the concept evaluation songs of Starlight Season 2—the girl group survival audition scheduled to air on QBS—the owners of each track were finally revealed on the broadcast.
【Three Os】
A song that wove three words starting with the letter 'O' into its lyrics. Despite receiving low scores from the judges, it secured second place overall due to its high number of blind votes. It was a track by The Dawn.
【Overthinking, obsessive, oversensitive】
A sorrowful female voice flowed out alongside the clear sound of a piano.
【Of course, I feel good the moment the sunlight shines
It’s quite fun when I’m blending in with the crowd】
Then, a sticky beat took on a slow tempo, winding around and harmonizing with the singer’s voice.
【If I could keep you here by saying I’m sorry, I would
Was it not cool to say that?
I hope you don’t get tired of me
I will be overly protective sometimes】
The piano, which had been flowing continuously, began to break into sharp, staccato notes, transforming into a powerful performance.
【But if you could somehow understand
Reach for my fingers and tell me
Tell me it’s okay, I’m alright, it’s gonna be optimistic
Reviving old memories when everything was simple
Tell me it’s okay, I’m alright】
Beneath the heightened melody, a rich chorus layered in, creating a perfect harmony.
【Overthinking, obsessive, oversensitive
If only you’d stay by my side even when everything goes wrong
Tell me I’m yours】
As if the melody were repeating infinitely, the final bar connected back to the intro, and the song came to an end.
[Kang Yi-chae is absolutely, incredibly, insanely cracked right now...]
[Honestly, people only felt iffy about it because the genre is a bit niche... but all those complaints about Yi-chae being underwhelming are gonna vanish now.]
[Wow, I seriously thought Luma wrote this after some kind of awakening lol.]
[Turning three negative words starting with 'O' into the three words she wants to hear... fuck, my heart ㅠ
└ The only word that’s okay even if it doesn't start with 'O' is 'Yours'...]
[Wow, 2nd place is such a shame... This is the #1 song in my heart.]
[I don’t know if he seriously wrote this with a girl group in mind, but it fits so perfectly... sigh. When Starlight airs, I’m definitely voting for whoever sings this song, even if I have to cry while doing it.]
Because the judges' scores for 'Three Os' were exceptionally low, the gap between it and the 1st place song, Baek Ji-jun’s 'Moonlight,' was unusually wide. However, the specific reasons for the harsh criticism weren't clearly disclosed, leading to divided opinions among the public.
[Maybe it’s because the genre is unfamiliar overall, but the intro felt a bit lacking. It would’ve been better if that part was handled a bit more skillfully.]
[I think the score dropped because the song follows a repetitive structure... It seems like a real 'love it or hate it' kind of track.]
The newly released songs from the 2nd competition also quickly swept the top spots on the music charts.
[Looking at the 2nd competition, the blind vote is basically a clash of the titans.]
[Yeah, the show is trying to make the others look good too, but the vote gap between Baek Ji-jun/Kang Yi-chae and the rest is just... overwhelming.]
[It’s better now that the kids who ignored Kang Yi-chae, saying he only survives on The Dawn’s fandom power, have shut up. This is why blind voting is great.
└ My sibling insisted this was absolutely not a Kang Yi-chae song and that it was a masterpiece by some rising star.
But they’ve picked Kang Yi-chae’s song all three times in the blind votes so far.
└└ An unexpected litmus test lol.
└└ Hey, let us know what your sibling picks for the 3rd competition lol.]
[Fuck, but there’s a side effect to blind voting.
I can’t even vote. My heart races because I’m terrified I might accidentally give a vote to a rival.]
[Yi-chae is an angel for not putting 'Sunset' or 'Dawn' in the lyrics.
If it were me, I’d be putting 'It-chae, It-chae' in as an ad-lib.]
As the broadcast neared its end, the competition solidified into a rivalry between Kang Yi-chae and Baek Ji-jun.
[So many masterpieces came out of this Song Camp.]
[Song Camp is a total syndrome. Everywhere I go, there’s always at least one person talking about it lol.]
[It’s seriously so fun. My heart flutters every time I see if my guess was right lol. I make bets with my friends over this all the time lol.]
[I’m happy just to see Yeong-bi unnie after so long, but to get a god-tier song like this too...]
[The K-Voka song that spawned so many memes is also really good...
└ His 'one-way path of hip-hop' was funny at first, but now it’s actually cool, damn.
└└ Lol, exactly what I’m saying.]
[Seriously, the quality of the Song Camp cast is insane. My anticipated pick, Kang U-rin, was decent too...
But a wild Kang Yi-chae has appeared.
└ Lmao, Kang Yi-chae and Baek Ji-jun... those two are like invasive monsters.
└└ Both of them are possessed right now.
└└ The more they compete, the happier I am. The number of masterpieces just keeps growing.]
*
A typhoon moved northward, bringing the monsoon rains with it.
Even though it was midday, the sky was as dark as night. Strong winds howled with eerie sounds, and rain poured down relentlessly.
I sat side-by-side with Kim Seong-hyeon in the company cafe, sipping a hot drink while looking out the window at a scene that looked like something out of a disaster movie.
“The Song Camp staff aren't coming today?”
“They said they had to give up because all their filming equipment got soaked.”
“They’re having a rough time too...”
The theme for the final 3rd competition, which would be staged like a concert at an outdoor venue and broadcast live, was 'Free Theme.' This time, the final ranking would be determined by a 60% blind vote and 40% judges' score.
As the show’s popularity skyrocketed with each episode, the Song Camp production team had become desperate to capture every single move of the cast.
“Besides, Yi-chae said he’s staying in the studio again.”
Their album promotions were mostly over, and Kang Yi-chae was, as always, immersed in his work.
Seong Ji-won, who had the deepest knowledge of music among the members after Kang Yi-chae, was currently helping him with the composition. Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been staring at their empty seats for a moment, took a cookie from the youngest and spoke cautiously.
“...Ahem. But, you know, about Kang Yi-chae lately... doesn't it seem like he’s gotten healthy again—?”
“—That is correct!”
Jeong Da-jun sucked a cookie crumb off his finger and then flicked his hand up.
“It is all! Thanks to! The Dawn’s cutie! The Dawn’s maknae! Me, Jeong Da-jun!! It’s because I took a picture of the digital billboard and sent him a warm text! It must have hit Yi-chae-hyung right in the heart!!”
“...You’re getting more shameless by the day, our maknae...”
Just as Kim Seong-hyeon gave a lukewarm retort, the sound of a boisterous conversation drifted over.
“Oh, The Dawn!! Hello!”
“Hello.”
It was the members of High Five, who had braved the treacherous downpour to secure bubble tea. Kang Yeon-hu seemed to have been dragged along on this expedition against his will; he was scowling as he shook out his soaking wet hair with empty hands.
Like an automatic reflex, Kim Seong-hyeon kept the maknae’s mouth in check and greeted them with a dimpled smile. I also gave a polite nod and waited for the High Five members to pass. After draining the rest of my drink in one go, I stood up.
“Hey, I’m going to the practice room.”
“Huh? What about food?!”
“I’m fine.”
“Boo, Hyung, go to the studio instead!”
In exchange for an answer, I stuffed a cookie into Jeong Da-jun’s mouth. Kim Seong-hyeon, who repeatedly shoved cookies into the mouth of the maknae who was trying to mumble through his chewing, wiped some saliva off his hand onto his pants and frowned slightly.
“But I heard our practice room door is broken. If it closes, you can’t open it from the inside.”
“Then come get me when you guys head back to the dorm.”
“...Do you really have to go that far...”
Ignoring the grumbling concern in his voice, I put my earphones in and walked away.
As I reached the counter, I saw Kang Yeon-hu standing alone, ordering a drink. I gave him another silent nod—it had been a while since we’d crossed paths—and walked out of the cafe to board the elevator across the hall.
Arriving at the practice room, I opened the door and kicked down the doorstop to ensure it wouldn't lock automatically before stepping inside.
I scanned the mirrors lining the walls and headed toward a corner when a blue window formed in front of my eyes.
[Excuse me.]
I ignored it and walked through, but the system window popped up again.
[It’s not like you’re here to practice alone, so why did you come here?]
“What about it?”
I waved my arm as if trying to brush off a persistent pest.
That day, when I got the system back from Kang Yi-chae...
[And in the first place, Mr. Kang Yi-chae. When he ■■ed this ■■, Mr. Kang Yi-chae also ■■■...]
The system window had tried to tell me something while I was arguing with it, only to glitch out and vanish for several hours.
When it finally returned, all it said was that the time wasn't right yet and that I should wait.
[Are you perhaps avoiding Mr. Kang Yi-chae?]
“Stop talking nonsense.”
I flopped down on the floor and used my arm as a pillow.
“I’m busy.”
[...Busy idling around in the practice room while avoiding Mr. Kang Yi-chae?]
I let out a long yawn before answering.
“What are you on about? I have to take 1st place in Song Camp.”
[Like this?]
“Does the location matter when it comes to using your brain?”
It wasn't like there were no ways to find a solution.
[Fine... Let’s say that’s true. What exactly are you planning to do?]
The easiest path was to subtly add elements to the song that would allow people to deduce it was The Dawn’s. Since both domestic and international fans would vote for us.
Of course, that would be followed by unpleasant talk and rumors.
Moreover, I couldn't be sure how it would affect the year-end awards, so it was a method I wanted to avoid if possible.
As for other ways...
“It would be safer to aim for the judges' scores.”
In the 3rd competition, the judges' scores accounted for 40%.
I didn't know for what reason they had considered our songs lacking until now, but regardless, we had been receiving poor marks so far.
[How do you plan to raise the judges' scores? Doesn't that ultimately mean leaving it up to Mr. Kang Yi-chae’s talent?]
I have a way to win without necessarily doing that.
Ding!
[Ah...]
[No way, seriously...?]
[I just got a very bad feeling about this...]
Instead of explaining, I simply curled my lips into a smirk, causing the system window to tremble violently.
[Hey, it’s not that, right? It’s not a word that starts with 'Ma' and ends with 'Su,' is it?]
“Tsk...”
[W-Wait, wait! I don’t think that’s a very good idea?!]
[Have you considered the backlash?! You already experienced it during the last Grand Prize. Underhanded actions have huge consequences! I don’t think it’s wise to keep gambling like this!!]
Ignoring the thing as it spewed text with excessive flashing, I sat up and pressed my palms against my eyelids.
[Mr. Seo Ho-yun, can’t you just... just please trust Mr. Kang Yi-chae for once?]
Why is it whining so much?
“Hey, stop acting like you know everything and get lo—”
Knock, knock.
The moment I spat out my irritation at the system window, the sound of a knock reached me.
I turned my head toward the door. Through the gap, I saw Kang Yeon-hu standing awkwardly, holding two drinks.
“...Uh, you weren't... talking to me, right?”
I subtly pulled out an earphone and asked nonchalantly.
“...This is our practice room. Did you come to the wrong place?”
“Ah, well.”
After glancing outside for a moment, Kang Yeon-hu stepped inside and kicked the doorstop up with his foot.
“Wait, if you close it like that, we can’t open it, so don’t—!”
Click.
A flustered Kang Yeon-hu quickly grabbed the handle, but the door had already shut. No matter how many times he turned the knob, it wouldn't open.
“...What’s wrong with this?”
“It’s broken. It only opens from the outside.”
“Ah...”
I let out a small sigh and stood up. I could feel Kang Yeon-hu stealing glances at me, looking uneasy. I pulled out my phone to call the members for help, but in a stroke of terrible timing, the battery was dead and it wouldn't turn on.
“Kang Yeon-hu-ssi, you have your phone, right?”
“Weren't you just on a call?”
I slowly lowered the phone I had been holding up to show him the black screen.
“It just died. Why don't you call your members or manager to come open the door?”
“.......”
After staring at me for a moment, Kang Yeon-hu swept back his bangs and answered.
“...I didn't bring it. My phone.”
“Don't you have a schedule today?”
“No. Not really.”
“Well, that’s a relief. My members said they’d come get me when they head to the dorm, so let’s just wait until then. You can sleep if you’re bored.”
I gave him a relatively kind explanation, mentioning that there were pillows and blankets the kids had left behind, and went back to lie down in my original spot. Kang Yeon-hu, who sat down a short distance away, kept glancing at me with an uncertain expression.
“Do you have something to say?”
“It’s not that...”
Kang Yeon-hu rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand and spoke hesitantly.
“It’s just that your reaction is a bit unfamiliar, Mr. Seo Ho-yun.”
“In what way?”
“I thought you would have teased me in a situation like this.”
When I arched an eyebrow as if asking what he meant, Kang Yeon-hu avoided my gaze and added.
“I thought you’d say something like... asking if I closed it because I wanted to be alone with you...”
When I just stared at him without responding, Kang Yeon-hu faltered and soon hung his head low.
“...Never mind. Please just forget it.”
“......Ah, okay.”
His ears were flushed bright red.
I shook my head and closed my eyes.
Or rather, I tried to close them.
“.......”
“.......”
“...What is it now?”
It was because Kang Yeon-hu had turned his body toward me and was staring intently.
I broke the silence with a question while rubbing my face roughly. Finally, Kang Yeon-hu spoke his main point.
“Um, Mr. Seo Ho-yun... I hope it’s just my imagination, but are you perhaps going through a hard time?”
His warm, hazel eyes met mine as he asked cautiously.
“...Would you like to talk about it?”