Chapter 1046: I knew it (15)

Standing in front of the microphone, Ri Hyuk swayed lightly and smiled.

No one knows who'll win.

But wasn't the important thing enjoying the stage?

If this was going to be his final performance as King of Singers, then he wanted to leave without regrets.

Halley

A song based on Halley's Comet.

Strictly speaking, it should've been called Halley's Comet.

After all, Halley was the astronomer's name.

That detail bothered him a little.

But Ri Hyuk simply shrugged.

What did it matter?

[♩♪-♬]

The accompaniment flowed through his left in-ear monitor.

A smile spread across Ri Hyuk's face.

An acoustic guitar played an upbeat melody that bordered on country rock.

Lively drums pounded against his ears.

And a violin gently completed the arrangement.

—

"What if we added violin here? Wouldn't it sound beautiful?"

—

It was the violin his eldest brother had personally recorded for him.

Maybe that was why.

Listening to all the sounds blend together, Ri Hyuk felt as though he were standing in an outdoor garden on a summer night.

A Milky Way overflowing with stars.

The chirping of insects.

Music that vaguely resembled an Irish folk tune.

Entrusting himself to the melody, Ri Hyuk gripped the microphone.

Crossing the entire universe

with all my strength,

when I finally met you,

you were breathtakingly beautiful.

The cool, refreshing voice that seemed capable of piercing through the ceiling drew gasps from the audience.

But

our meeting cannot last forever.

Farewell has come once again.

It's time for me to leave.

A voice tinged with regret.

Yet filled with excitement for the adventure ahead.

Goodbye for now—

It'll probably be a very long journey.

Ri Hyuk lightly mixed falsetto into the rising note.

His voice echoed throughout the hall.

The audience finally understood.

It's being sung from the perspective of Halley's Comet.

The narration from the opening suddenly made sense.

Halley's Comet, returning every seventy-six years.

After finally meeting Earth at the end of a long journey, the comet promises, before departing—

That it will return again.

Clap— Clap—

Without realizing it, audience members were already clapping along to the rhythm and swaying happily.

Then Ri Hyuk wrapped both hands around the microphone and raised his voice.

This universe is filled

with wonders beyond imagination.

Every star holds a story

waiting for us to discover.

The unexplored regions of the solar system.

Countless planets.

Nebulae and stars drifting through space.

The story of a friend gathering countless tales for the Earth that patiently waits in the same place.

Sometimes darkness is frightening.

Sometimes the endless journey

feels like it will never end.

Sometimes exhaustion leaves me shaken.

And when that happens—

The rapid lyrics continued.

At the edge of my orbit, I turn around.

Time to go back.

It's time to return to you.

A refreshing high note rang out.

The audience burst into cheers.

Ri Hyuk is absolutely insane today!

His expression was hidden behind the mask.

Yet everyone could feel it.

Every gesture.

Every step.

Every movement beneath those blue lights radiated passion and energy.

Where Cha Woohyun's performance had embodied the dignity of a legend—

Ri Hyuk's stage burned with youthful fire.

"Wow..."

"What is Ri Hyuk on today?"

Even the production staff watching from afar couldn't stop marveling at how different his energy felt.

Perhaps it was because his voice was so flawless and pure.

Every time Ri Hyuk reached toward the air, it felt as though pure energy was pouring from the stage.

Then—

The drums exploded.

The chorus arrived.

Hello— Hello—

Have you waited long?

Now it's finally time for us to be together.

I'm your comet.

The repeated Hello— Hello— echoed throughout the hall.

A wave of refreshing exhilaration exploded across the audience.

Spotlights spun overhead.

It looked as though Ri Hyuk himself were wrapped in starlight.

"WAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The audience erupted in applause.

Ri Hyuk smiled.

He could feel that the emotions he wanted to convey had reached them.

Amid the cheers, someone's advice echoed in his ears.

—

"You need to target differences in taste, Ri Hyuk."

"Show them something different from a veteran singer."

"Show them youth. Energy. Passion."

—

That was why he'd chosen an upbeat rock song.

A song that raced forward like Halley's Comet itself.

A song so fast listeners wondered when he even found time to breathe.

It perfectly suited today's concept.

Even during the instrumental break, the audience continued clapping as though enchanted.

But...

Ri Hyuk shook his head internally.

It's not over yet.

He hadn't chosen Halley simply because it was his favorite song.

It's the song that best represents me as a singer.

The song was originally about a long-distance relationship.

But songs could mean different things depending on how you interpreted them.

Whenever he listened to it, it felt like his own story.

I'm a comet traveling through the universe.

I'll bring the beauty of the world back to you.

Ri Hyuk loved music.

Why?

Because music was a beauty that didn't exist anywhere else.

Just as someone might stand motionless in an art gallery, unable to tear their eyes away from a beautiful painting—

Ri Hyuk had always been captivated by beauty that felt detached from ordinary life.

And beauty like that could comfort and heal people.

He knew that better than anyone.

Whenever he was lonely.

Whenever he was exhausted.

Music had always supported him.

That was why he wanted to share that beauty with others.

In that sense, this song is perfect.

Ri Hyuk thought the comet in Halley resembled him.

Just as Halley's Comet briefly visited Earth before departing again after seventy-six years—

I practice for over a hundred hours to perform for three minutes.

From the perspective of someone obsessed with efficiency, performing was incredibly inefficient.

Hundreds of hours of effort disappeared into a three-minute stage.

Many singers felt a strange emptiness after stepping off music show stages for precisely that reason.

And yet they all continued doing it.

Because—

That moment outweighs everything else.

The beauty of singing in that moment possessed a value that surpassed everything.

Holding the microphone lightly, Ri Hyuk poured everything into his performance.

Hello— Hello—

Have you waited long?

Now it's finally time for us to be together.

I'm your comet.

A song that seemed to declare—

I am your comet.

Then something subtly changed.

Ri Hyuk's singing style shifted.

The voice decorating the chorus wasn't that of solo artist Ri Hyuk.

It was the voice of NewBlack's main vocalist.

Behind the mask, a mischievous smile appeared.

The company had created strategies.

But Ri Hyuk hadn't agreed with all of them.

—

"Ri Hyuk, this is your chance to prove yourself as a solo artist."

—

That was what the task force had told him.

Ri Hyuk had shaken his head.

Maybe it was simply his rebellious nature.

I'm an idol.

He didn't agree with the idea that he should showcase himself apart from NewBlack.

At the end of the day, that would've brought attention to him alone while leaving the group behind.

More importantly—

He wanted to show people exactly who he was.

I am NewBlack's main vocalist.

Ordinary audience members couldn't identify the subtle changes in technique or performance.

They simply absorbed the stage as a whole.

And what they saw was—

Wow.

He's shining...

That was the only way to describe it.

He seemed to sparkle.

I'm Halley

(I am Halley's Comet)

Your lovely comet—

(Your beloved comet)

The shining main vocalist of NewBlack belted crystal-clear high notes across the stage.

"Ri Hyuk!"

"Ri Hyuk hyung didn't abandon us!"

The NewBlack members nearly burst into tears.

Meanwhile—

Wow...

What is this? Seriously, what is this...?

Ri Hyuk is unbelievable today.

The audience stared blankly at the stage.

"Wooow..."

If someone asked what an idol was, they suddenly felt they could simply point at Ri Hyuk.

The lights that had been scattering across the stage began gathering around him.

Bathed in blue light, the Sunflower Mask gripped the microphone and sang softly.

As I wait for the day I return again,

I—

"Halley—"

The final note echoed softly into the darkness.

The stage blacked out.

For a brief moment—

Silence.

Huh?

Wait—

Only then did the audience realize the performance had ended.

An enormous roar of applause exploded through the hall.

The four members and staff in the waiting room clapped frantically as well.

"Amazing! Amazing! That's our Ri Hyuk!"

"Ri Hyuk hyuuung!"

"As expected of the pride of the NewBlack family!"

Everyone applauded Ri Hyuk, who had somehow surpassed not only one hundred percent, but one hundred and ten percent of his potential.

Meanwhile—

"Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!"

The production staff backstage turned toward the source of the laughter.

Cha Woohyun.

The man who normally stood as expressionless as a statue was laughing with complete satisfaction while applauding enthusiastically.

After both performances ended—

The two singers returned to the stage.

[Now then, please cast your votes.]

The audience was instructed to vote for whichever performance they preferred.

Immediately, people began clutching their heads.

Who am I supposed to choose?!

It was an impossibly difficult decision.

If the question were simply—

"Who possesses superior vocal ability?"

Then Cha Woohyun would've won unanimously.

But competitions involved more than skill alone.

If skill were the only factor, Cha Woohyun would've defeated Jungwoon 100–0 rather than 89–11.

Yet Jungwoon had still received eleven votes.

Because people experienced music differently.

Someone else's legendary stage could be merely good to someone else.

"Ah. Seriously, who do I choose?"

"This is way too hard."

The celebrity panelists sighed dramatically.

It felt as though someone were forcing them to choose.

—

The rank-one champion displaying the poise of a legend.

The challenger who revealed everything he possessed in response.

—

Someone in the audience muttered,

"Damn... I can't believe I'm actually struggling with this."

Everyone laughed knowingly.

They'd expected to vote for Cha Woohyun without hesitation.

Instead they'd encountered an unexpected obstacle.

Ri Hyuk was too good.

His performance really had felt like a comet.

A streak of light slamming directly into the fortress that was Cha Woohyun.

For the first time, it felt as though the God of Song had received a wound.

And Cha Woohyun himself appeared pleased.

Excellent.

Everyone could see it in the way he looked at Ri Hyuk.

What's going on? Why does Cha Woohyun look so proud?

But there wasn't much time to think.

The voting choices spun before their eyes.

—

Vote now for a living legend of the music industry!

Or perhaps cast a vote for the future of Korean music?

—

After a long struggle, people finally pressed their buttons.

[1]

[2]

Hundreds of fingers made their choices.

Hoo...

Thoughts tangled together.

It's still Cha Woohyun.

Objectively speaking, he's on another level. Ri Hyuk is still young.

Some believed the legendary performance deserved recognition.

The gap isn't big enough to justify a landslide.

Especially considering their age difference.

Others felt Ri Hyuk had exceeded his limits.

Ri Hyuk really delivered a legendary stage.

Some wrestled between preference and skill.

Ballad singers should sing ballads.

No way. Rock is better.

And after all those conflicting opinions—

[We'll now announce the results!]

At last—

A result everyone could accept appeared.

King of Singers Waiting Room.

"Underlings. Hands."

"Yes."

The members joined hands.

Swallowing nervously, they stared at the television.

[Who will be today's King of Singers?]

The hosts dragged out the suspense.

[Will it be King of Singers Sun Wooju, who has defended the throne four consecutive times?]

The Sunflower Mask stood silently.

[Or Orpheus, God of Song?!]

The Half Mask stood with his arms folded.

[Are you curious about the results?]

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Everyone screamed at the hosts' infuriating teasing.

Meanwhile, we prayed desperately.

"Please. Six to four... six to four..."

Our goal wasn't victory.

We simply wanted Cha Woohyun's first digit to be a six instead of a seven.

Even 69–31 would be fine.

As we squeezed our eyes shut—

[We will now announce the winner!]

The spotlight over Ri Hyuk went dark.

A bright beam descended onto Cha Woohyun.

[The winner is Orpheus, God of Song!]

"Ah..."

"Ahhh..."

We'd expected it.

Even so, we flinched.

Then the vote totals appeared.

■ Orpheus, God of Song: 58 Votes

□ King of Singers Sun Wooju: 42 Votes

The instant we saw it—

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

All of us leaped to our feet and embraced each other.

"He did it! Ri Hyuk did it!"

"That's our hyung!"

While audience members and celebrity panelists nodded in agreement with the result—

We felt nothing but pride.

Ri Hyuk had narrowed the gap with Cha Woohyun to just sixteen votes.

However, the person involved seemed to feel differently.

"Ri Hyuk looks confused."

At Mingi hyung's comment, we looked at the screen.

Ri Hyuk stood there looking completely stunned.

Everyone else thought the result made perfect sense.

Yet he appeared genuinely surprised.

Then—

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The audience erupted as Cha Woohyun shook Ri Hyuk's hand and patted his shoulder.

Even through the mask, his satisfaction was obvious.

[What a heartwarming scene.]

[In fact, aside from Black Rose, no one has ever narrowed the gap this much against Orpheus, God of Song. But our King of Singers has done it!]

Amid thunderous applause, Orpheus temporarily left the stage.

Now it was time to reveal the identity of the Sunflower Mask.

While Souffle members cried tears of joy across the country—

[Before I do that...]

The Sunflower Mask paused.

[I have something I'd like to say before removing the mask.]

[Of course.]

Everyone focused on the screen.

[I am King of Singers Sun Wooju.]

...?

[I have realized through this experience that I am not worthy of the title King of Singers.]

The younger members immediately burst out laughing.

Just like the audience and panelists.

Even the crying Souffle fans started laughing.

Ri Hyuk continued shamelessly.

[Ahhh~ Sun Wooju is truly inadequate and lacking in many ways~]

"That little..."

"Hyung. Hold back."

Biju laughed.

"You teased him a lot."

"...That's true."

Thinking back on all the times we'd mocked him as Korea Hip-Hop's Number One, I decided to remain silent.

After tormenting me for several minutes, Ri Hyuk finally removed the mask.

[And now! The true identity of King of Singers Sun Wooju is...!]

The Sunflower Mask came off in a dramatic flourish.

Sweat scattered through the air.

He shook his head lightly.

Dark blue-black hair swayed silkily, damp with perspiration.

For a moment he looked like a mermaid emerging from the sea.

"Seriously..."

The youngest member stared.

"Ri Hyuk hyung should be acting too."

"His face isn't the problem."

I nodded in agreement.

As Ri Hyuk's face appeared, a wave of murmurs swept through the audience.

The managers chuckled.

"They're all shocked."

"Looks like it."

Moments ago, Souffle fans had been crying and laughing.

Now they simply stared in a daze while waving banners.

Then they snapped back to reality and began spinning their signs.

"Korea Hip-Hop's Number One Ri Hyuk."

[Hello.]

Enhanced by full stage makeup, Ri Hyuk looked almost fairy-like as he smiled shyly.

[It's a little embarrassing introducing myself without a mask. I'm Ri Hyuk of NewBlack.]

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

His face was still flushed with excitement.

Fanning himself, he said,

[I still can't believe it. I got forty-two votes against Orpheus, God of Song. According to my calculations, I should've received around twenty-seven. Give or take four votes.]

He drew imaginary equations in the air with his finger.

Everyone laughed.

Then Ri Hyuk clenched his fist dramatically.

[This result was completely unexpected. When I get home, I'll revise my formula.]

After thanking the production team and reflecting on his time as King of Singers—

He smiled.

[Now it's time for a new King of Singers to appear. But I feel like it'd be a shame to leave just like this.]

"WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

[Would it be alright if I sang one farewell song?]

[Of course!]

Someone in the audience yelled, "Obviously!"

Everyone laughed.

[There are so many people I want to thank. Our company staff. The producing team. The composers. My vocal trainers. And the person who helped me most with today's stage—Wooju hyung.]

Ri Hyuk grinned.

[For the hyung who's probably watching right now, I'd like to sing a song. Do you all know Like The Sun?]

An explosive roar erupted from the audience.

A surprise stage.

And an unexpected promotion for Sound of the Sun during what would almost certainly become one of the highest-rated variety show episodes in history.

It felt like Ri Hyuk was winking directly at me.

You're welcome??

But all I could do was reach toward the screen and scream.

"Ri Hyuk, no...!"

"Why?"

"This episode airs in two weeks!"

"...Right?"

I turned to the others.

"Two weeks from now is when we'll be promoting Overcook."

"...!"

"If Like The Sun starts trending again on the exact variety show everyone's watching, what do you think happens?"

"...!"

Everyone's faces turned pale.

Ri Hyuk was about to pour gasoline onto the already-raging fire that was Like The Sun.

Our main vocalist was about to strengthen Overcook's most dangerous competitor.

We all reached toward the television.

"No!"

"Stop!"

[Then shall I begin?]

And then came the magical performance.

Ri Hyuk cheerfully poured gasoline all over Like The Sun.

Kyahaha! Fwoooosh!

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Ri Hyuk...!"

For everyone preparing for the release of Overcook—

It wasn't a dream stage.

It was a nightmare.