Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 99: Ace of the High Skies

In the lyrics, I replaced the word for rockets with "flashes lighting up the night sky" and bombs bursting in the air with "tremors pushing back the years."

Using English nouns directly felt a bit flat since those specific terms don't exist in Classical Latin.

When I opened my eyes, everyone looked genuinely moved, which made me feel pretty good.

As expected, my singing is kind of legendary.

This "biological aircraft carrier" I’m piloting is good at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠everything involving the body.

Not just gaming, sports, and martial arts, but also things like doing the splits, acrobatics, and, of course, singing.

I can transition from the low-mid range to the highest notes with ease and comfort. That’s why I’ve never really understood people who have to strain their entire bodies just to hit a high note.

Breathing comes just as naturally. As for my sense of rhythm, well, the praise I received as "Teacher Timpani" says it all.

Anyway, singing isn't just easy for me—easier than taking first place in a League of Legends solo queue—it’s as natural as breathing.

Even after a long break, my voice comes out clear without any stuttering.

"Elf, that was a truly moving performance..."

Satisfied, I noted that Commander Theodore’s voice was the most prominent. It seemed I had successfully tugged at his heartstrings.

Is this why Writer Jung Yoon-ah and PD Jang Hyun-soo work so hard to mess with the viewers' emotions?

I almost peered into that abyss for a second, but I shook my head to snap out of it.

I saluted Commander Theodore, and he returned the gesture with a disciplined motion.

After the salute, Commander Theodore spoke with a bright smile.

"Thank you for your service."

What did I even do...? Ah, the Navy promotion?

Anyway, my life aboard the aircraft carrier came to an end like that.

And so did the movie filming.

*

...Or so I thought.

"The OST? Me?"

-Please, you must participate. Don't you want to see how much that 70-billion-won appearance fee you invested as production equity grows?

"I'll do it immediately."

I’m a capitalist actress who will do anything for a box office hit, so of course, I had to agree.

"Really? Then can I put in an additional order for a Navy dress skirt from Hermès?"

"I'll wear it if it's for work, but wouldn't that clash with my character's tough personality in the movie?"

"Keke, I'm not ordering it. I just wanted to see that look on your face."

"What look?"

"Contempt, regret, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and pessimism."

"..."

"Refrain from making that blank face in the future. It’s too lethal for the fans' hearts."

"I can't smile, and I can't not smile. What exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Just do your best, moderately. Your fans need to live long, healthy lives so you can mine plenty of Envidium from them."

My younger brother chimed in, looking quite excited himself.

"Noona, don't worry. I got some great behind-the-scenes footage. Your true value really shines when you're singing live without any equipment."

"Yu-jin, Yu-jin! I had no idea you were that good at singing live. How did your voice carry so clearly to my ears without a microphone? It wasn't like you were screaming, either. What did you do to your throat?"

"I told you, my singing is legendary."

"It's not just your singing that's legendary. Honestly, you're overflowing with pride in everything except your face and body."

Jang Ji-hye and my brother spent the entire helicopter ride back listening to the recording of my impromptu live performance through their headphones.

I didn't particularly want to see myself on screen, so I just closed my eyes and dozed off.

*

When we landed at the Yongsan base, Curator Han Ji-woo was there to meet me. The way her eyes were sparkling more than usual was an ominous sign.

I have a feeling a terrifying barrage of compliments is coming.

"Lee Yu-jin, I saw the live video."

"Ah, yes. I see."

"How can you sing so well? No, 'well' doesn't even cover it. It was pure enchantment. The moment I heard the first verse, I understood exactly why Ji-hye called you a Siren."

"Ahaha... thank you."

"Why have you been hiding such talent? Were you afraid I’d pester you to sing for me? You know I’m not that kind of person."

"I just... forgot about it usually."

Jang Ji-hye quickly jumped in to chatter away.

"Curator, Curator! Yu-jin never practices singing or anything. She said she never has. It’s just pure natural talent."

"I knew it. Oh, by the way, does the callsign 'Self' stand for 'Siren Elf'?"

"Oh my, that’s one way to interpret it! I actually took it from Yu-jin’s habit of saying 'Water is self-service, mining is self-service, and carrying the game is self-service.'"

The unstoppable attack had begun.

I quietly escaped into the Cullinan.

*

Jang Ji-hye gave up her seat next to me to Curator Han Ji-woo and traveled in Han Ji-woo’s Baekhyun limousine sedan instead.

Inside the car, Han Ji-woo talked about the OST.

"I’ll try to move up the recording schedule for your participation in the Ace Down to Sea OST as much as possible."

"Yes, I’m counting on you."

"We should release the tracks, too. A two-track release with today’s live version and a formal studio version. Could you also record a humming version separately?"

"Like this?"

When I hummed the tune right then and there, Han Ji-woo suddenly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

I felt incredibly embarrassed.

"Oh dear... I’m so moved right now. How can a human make such a sound?"

"Well, as I said, I’m naturally good at anything involving the body..."

"It must be because you’re the Siren, the Fallen Elf of the Sea, that you can produce such a pure sound."

"..."

Han Ji-woo, who had been quiet for a while, unleashed a relentless bombardment as if she had been holding it in.

I desperately endured the pain of my face burning with heat and my hands and feet curling up, forcing a smile.

"I think a wordless humming version would be perfect for the background music during the movie. Let’s release that as a track too. We’ll put out a total of three tracks."

Wait, do people actually make money from the US National Anthem?

I was skeptical, but if it could contribute even a tiny bit to the movie’s promotion and success, I was more than willing to sing a few more times in a recording booth.

"You must be tired from filming all this time, so you should rest. When should we start the recording?"

"I’m not tired at all. I can record right now!"

"Still, take a little break. We need to negotiate the contract terms, look into recording production, and the company has various things to handle. The OST was a sudden decision made today, after all."

A few days later, I finally began the recording.

While we decided to use the impromptu performance on the carrier deck for the live version, I had to work on the humming and the studio lyric versions separately.

It ended much sooner than expected. After I sang each version only three times, the producer declared the session over.

"Every take was so good that if I keep listening to more, I’ll get decision paralysis and won't be able to finish the work. I think it’s best to stop here."

"...Thank you. Good work."

"Um, Actress Lee. If it’s possible, could I ask for an autograph...?"

"Yes, of course."

*

As the day of the official promotional event at Lute Tower approached, Jang Ji-hye grew more and more excited.

Meanwhile, the star of the event, Lee Yu-jin, spent all her time in front of her PC trying to recover her dropped LoL rank.

"Ta-da! Yu-jin, you’re wearing this to the event today. What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do you think?"

Lee Yu-jin glanced at the Hermès Navy uniform (pants) that had been meticulously ironed to remove even the smallest wrinkle.

"What? I thought for sure you’d make me wear an evening dress."

"This will have a much bigger impact. Trust me."

"I always do."

"Then shall we start getting ready?"

"Deal."

Turning off her PC, Lee Yu-jin stood up and naturally spread her arms and legs.

Jang Ji-hye struggled as if she were changing a mannequin, stripping off her clothes and putting the Navy uniform on her.

Standing before a large full-length mirror, Lee Yu-jin patted the uniform pants that reached down to her ankles and turned her body this way and that.

"Yu-jin, you have to wear the wing badge here, too."

"Ah, I'll put that on myself."

As she watched Lee Yu-jin pin the Navy wing badge, Jang Ji-hye felt a strange sense of dissonance and tilted her head.

Is that the right spot? Something feels slightly...

Jang Ji-hye let it slide.

She didn't realize that Lee Yu-jin had intentionally pinned the wing badge exactly according to Air Force regulations.

The Navy, which isn't obsessed with the exact placement, would overlook it, while the Air Force would recognize the hidden message and share a private laugh.

*

Lute Tower, Gangnam.

Today, for the official promotional event of Ace Down to Sea, a massive crowd had gathered, filling the nearby blocks.

The Seoul ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Metropolitan Police had even dispatched a large force to manage safety and crowd control.

The cast members, including Tommy Cross, entered one by one, passing through the security lines while slowly sharing autographs, photos, and smiles with the fans.

Finally, the Cullinan—a car now known to everyone in the country—appeared on the red carpet laid out at the tower's main entrance.

"It's the Blonde Elf!"

"Waaaaah! Noona, you're so pretty!"

"Hey, look at your age. Calling someone young enough to be your niece 'Noona'... how can you be so cruel?"

"If she's rich and pretty, she's a Noona!"

Lee Yu-jin, dressed in a dignified Navy service uniform, stepped out of the Cullinan and stood at the photo line.

As the last to arrive, she moved slowly, interacting with the fans just as the other actors had.

The massive number of viewers on the live stream also went into a frenzy of adoration.

└ Waaaaah, Blonde Yu-do is freaking gorgeous;; This is insane;;
└ Her skin is so white, she looks good in literally anything.
└ (Northern Overweight Public Service Worker) You look so cool today. But I'm curious if the placement of the wing badge was intentional, as it looks more like the Air Force style than the Navy style. I suddenly lament my situation of not being able to be there in person.
└└ This guy is really committed to his persona today lol.
└└ But seriously, are you really the Chairman's son? Your concept is so hardcore.
└└ Wait, doesn't the Chairman not have a son? I thought he only had daughters.
└└ Why did 'Anti-Aircraft' change to 'Overweight Public Service Worker'?
└ How can she be pure Korean? It makes no sense at all;;
└ We really need to trace her genealogy. There’s definitely a Nordic princess among her distant ancestors.

Fans, both on-site and online, were briefly disappointed not to see Lee Yu-jin in an evening dress, but it only lasted a moment.

The refined Navy uniform and her radiant blonde hair tickled the fans' hearts with a different kind of charm they hadn't felt before.

Lee Yu-jin walked very slowly, fully engaging with the fans, before reaching the promotional stage where the other actors had already gathered.

Fans snapped countless photos on their phones of Lee Yu-jin sitting modestly in the center of the actors, right next to Tommy Cross.

"Wow, seeing her tucked in among Hollywood stars makes it even more insane. She’s a total elf."

"I don't know who first gave her the nickname 'Elf,' but it fits her perfectly."

"I think Jung Yoon-ah gave it to her. The writer of Hwan's Torch."

"She’s got good taste."

The sight of her visual brilliance outshining even the Hollywood top stars while sitting among them gave the fans a huge sense of pride.

"Kim Ho-jin, you idiot."

"Why are you taking that bastard's side? Isn't 'idiot' too generous a word for him?"

"I'm not taking his side, but seeing Yu-jin in person, I can understand why that idiot did what he did."

"The more we see her, the more Kim Ho-jin's eye for talent gets re-evaluated... but I don't miss him, so I hope he stays in hiding and doesn't show his face."

The promotional event, which even caught the attention of regular visitors who didn't know it was happening, finally came to an end.

Tommy Cross took the microphone for the closing remarks.

"Please stay with us until the very end."

*

The opening day of ACE DOWN TO SEA.

Daniel Choe, who visited the theater with his younger brother, realized Lee Yu-jin's popularity all over again upon seeing the massive crowd.

"Wow, they said theaters were dying, but is that really true? This is insane."

"They were dead. But they come back to life every time a new Yu-jin movie comes out."

"At this rate, shouldn't the Ministry of Culture at least exempt Lee Yu-jin's works from the movie development fund fee? Her acting career itself is saving the film industry."

The IMAX theater was so packed that even the worst seats were filled.

Finally, the movie began.

With the exhilarating roar of jet engines, the perspective of a Navy fighter pilot landing on a runway unfolded.

-Damn it! Thinking about how those Air Force guys will mock me, I’d rather just eject.

The carrier-based aircraft, whose arresting hook had malfunctioned, was forced to land at the nearest Air Force base.

The pilot, callsign "Pipe," slowly taxied the aircraft for parking according to the mocking instructions of the runway crew.

At that moment, a sleek and uniquely designed Air Force fighter jet caught the audience's attention.

The moment the Navy jet stopped, the cockpit of the Air Force jet opened. A female pilot with a slender silhouette that couldn't be hidden even by her thick flight suit stood up and removed her helmet.

Radiant blonde hair cascaded down, revealing a pale, beautiful face with a faint smile.

The audience, their attention completely stolen, stared blankly as if enchanted.

-Did you lose your mother somewhere?

In that moment, Daniel Choe’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it might explode.

"I just found her..."

He barely snapped back to his senses at his brother's nonsense from beside him and smacked him on the back.