Chapter 1047: I knew it (16)

Our kid can really sing.

No, he sings ridiculously well.

How well?

Well enough that whenever Ri Hyuk covers a song, that song suddenly starts climbing the charts.

Of course, part of that was due to our fame, but it was also because Ri Hyuk had a talent for bringing out a song's charm better than anyone else.

And in that regard...

[It's time to show you a brilliantly blazing light]

[Just like the sun]

Ri Hyuk, singing Like The Sun on the waiting room television, was shining more brilliantly than anyone else.

"Wow."

The youngest member muttered.

"I can hear Overcooked going up in flames all the way from here."

"Ri Hyuk..."

Like The Sun was already being talked about as a likely Billboard Hot 100 entrant within the next couple of weeks.

Not only overseas, but even in Korea it was currently charting on the popularity rankings.

Of course, just because Ri Hyuk was singing it here didn't mean foreigners would suddenly go, Wait! Ri Hyuk performed live on Mission Singer in South Korea? Amazing! and start streaming it even more.

But Korea was a different story.

"I can already see the future..."

I could see it.

The image of us desperately holding up signs that said Overcooked while promoting it to the Korean public.

"Everyone! Our new English single—!"

"Waaah!! Did you see Ri Hyuk cover Like The Sun on Mission Singer? It was insane!"

"Our new song—!!"

"Behold your sun! Behold your sun! Behold your sun!"

"..."

Since it was a song targeted at the international market anyway, it wasn't a devastating blow.

Still, it was a little depressing knowing public attention would end up divided.

Biju said,

"I think it'll be okay. Like The Sun will get a lot of attention, and Overcooked will get even more attention than that."

"I hope so."

I said that while watching Ri Hyuk on the television.

Regardless of the circumstances, I genuinely felt happy.

"Oh my, when did he practice all that~"

A huge grin spread across my face.

He had already been busy preparing for the competition song, yet he had still taken the time to prepare this gift for me.

That thought made me incredibly proud.

"Hehehe!"

Other people might only see Ri Hyuk singing well.

But to me, someone who knew his personality better than anyone else, the performance looked completely different.

If I ran this through a translator...

"I love you, Sun Wooju! The sunshine of my life!"

It was basically Ri Hyuk wearing a flower crown, shooting finger hearts everywhere while dancing!

"I raised him well. I really did."

All the hardships we'd gone through seemed to flash before my eyes.

I dabbed at the corners of my eyes with a wet tissue.

If tears wouldn't come out, then the solution was simple.

You just made the area around your eyes moist yourself.

"But seriously..."

Junghyun said while watching the performance.

"Looking at the audience reaction, I think Ri Hyuk's image has definitely changed compared to before."

At his words, we all turned our attention back to the television.

The camera was showing both the celebrity panel and the audience.

The celebrity panelists weren't much different.

Ever since Ri Hyuk first appeared, they'd always reacted as if every stage was earth-shattering.

But the atmosphere in the audience was noticeably different.

"He really is a King of Singers now."

At Biju's comment, I nodded.

"The atmosphere's definitely changed. When I first came here to cheer for him, it wasn't like this."

When King of Singers Sun Wooju had first appeared, people had mostly been surprised or amused.

"Wow! Ri Hyuk's on a competition show!"

People were fascinated that Ri Hyuk was participating, but they still had doubts about his actual ability.

Most wondered whether an idol could really defeat veteran singers and keep advancing.

Ri Hyuk answered that question with a single performance.

In the finals, he completely overwhelmed Jo Yuri, who had previously been considered a level above him on Masterpiece Singers.

"What? Ri Hyuk's the King of Singers?!"

People were shocked by the revelation.

They had never realized he could sing that well.

"Oh, that's pretty interesting~"

Even then, the image of a King of Singers didn't stick to Ri Hyuk right away.

But as increasingly formidable contestants appeared—including me—and Ri Hyuk defeated every single one of them, the title gradually became attached to him.

And from that point onward, audience reactions slowly began to change.

From...

"Wow! We're seeing NewBlack today!"

...to...

"Holy crap. I'm getting to see Seo Ri Hyuk perform today!!"

Those were completely different reactions.

The first was the excitement of seeing a famous celebrity you liked.

The second was the excitement of witnessing an exceptional singer perform live right in front of you.

At that moment, our manager added,

"I think things changed again when he got matched up against Cha Woohyun. People's expressions are completely different from the last competition."

"They really are."

I could see the audience clapping.

Their expressions were far more serious than before.

They cheered enthusiastically, yet their eyes carried a determined intensity—as if they refused to miss even the smallest movement Ri Hyuk made.

Minki hyung spoke.

"Even after this airs, I don't think people will say Ri Hyuk is on the same level as Cha Woohyun or Baek Siyeon."

"Of course not."

"But I think people will start saying there's no vocalist in Korea in his twenties who sings better than Ri Hyuk."

Most of all, Cha Woohyun had played a huge role.

Today's broadcast contained multiple scenes where he openly acknowledged Ri Hyuk, practically saying, You're the future.

After this episode aired, Ri Hyuk would probably gain an image along the lines of the future of Korean music.

Of course, we'd need to monitor the response to know for sure.

"Hoo..."

Only then did I finally lean back against the sofa.

The backrest felt damp.

Apparently my back had been soaked with cold sweat.

I hadn't even realized it because I hadn't been able to relax long enough to lean back properly.

Junghyun chuckled and lightly tapped my shoulder.

"You worked hard, hyung."

"Not me. Everyone else worked harder."

The TF team had spent two weeks analyzing footage.

The producing team had devoted themselves to the arrangement work.

I may have coordinated the overall process as the producer, but none of this would've been possible without everyone's collaboration.

And above all...

The person standing on that stage and executing everything perfectly had done the hardest job.

It couldn't have been easy carrying that burden.

[We'll be back soon with a new song. Please look forward to it~!]

"Waaaaaaaah!"

Watching Ri Hyuk grin brightly, his face drenched in sweat, I smiled and stood up.

Then I spoke to the younger members who were preparing cakes.

"Let's get ready to welcome Ri Hyuk."

Seo Ri Hyuk was happy.

I really burned everything I had.

There wasn't a single regret left about that performance.

And against Cha Woohyun, someone he deeply respected, he had achieved an unprecedented result:

Fifty-eight to forty-two.

But best of all...

"WAAAAAAAH!"

...were the members bouncing around and celebrating him.

"Ri Hyuk! You were amazing!"

"Hyung, today honestly made me want to brag about you to everyone I know!"

His pale, sharp face twitched slightly.

He always denied it outwardly, but there was no helping it.

Praise felt good.

Especially when the members looked at him with sparkling eyes, full of pride and admiration.

"You did great, Ri Hyuk."

The eldest lightly ruffled his hair and brushed away some of the sweat.

Ri Hyuk lowered his head, then glanced up.

Sun Wooju was smiling with the happiest expression in the world.

"Were you proud of me?"

"Very."

Ri Hyuk nodded.

He wasn't the type to make grand speeches of gratitude.

And he felt he had already expressed everything he wanted to say through his song.

Wooju seemed to understand that perfectly and simply nodded back.

Then—

Knock knock.

The door opened and Mission Singer producer Park Yeonhee entered.

She wasn't alone.

Several staff members came with her.

"Oh my."

Seeing the cakes already inside the waiting room, Producer Park looked disappointed.

"We brought a cake too!"

"The more the merrier~"

Junghyun replied smoothly with a grin.

Meanwhile, Jiho shouted happily,

"This is awesome! Double the cake!"

"Hm? Isn't it more like quadruple? It looks like there are four cakes here..."

"There's a tragic history behind that."

While NewBlack explained, the staff carried in a cake decorated with the words:

Thank You For Appearing On The Show!

Laughter filled the room.

The atmosphere felt like a festival lit up by fireworks.

"Wooju and Ri Hyuk, the two of you are truly saviors of this program."

"Thank you so much for appearing. Seriously."

Under normal circumstances, the staff would've stopped at a simple thank you.

But they had good reason to be excited.

[From this moment onward, the era of Orpheus begins.]

Seo Ri Hyuk and Sun Wooju—the dream team—had brought retired singers back into the spotlight and ushered Mission Singer into a second golden age.

The show was set for at least another three months.

Especially...

"Twenty people?"

"Yes. That's how many are waiting."

Producer Park nodded.

"Ever since Orpheus appeared, other singers have started requesting to come on too."

Around thirty monster vocalists in their thirties, forties, and fifties—singers ranked above Ri Hyuk—had begun expressing interest in appearing.

One assistant producer joked,

"As a joke, people have started calling our show the ultimate singing tournament."

"Ri Hyuk's really getting out at the perfect time."

Everyone burst out laughing at Wooju's comment.

As the TBC staff showered Ri Hyuk with affection and turned his farewell party into a grand celebration...

Faces began peeking through the partially opened waiting room door.

"Uh... hello!"

The celebrity panelists and today's eliminated contestants.

Visitors kept arriving from every direction, leaving the star of the day far busier than expected.

Their eyes sparkled.

A chance to take a picture with Seo Ri Hyuk's real face!

Gone was the ridiculous Sunflower Mask he'd worn all this time.

Today, Ri Hyuk was displaying his genuinely pure and elegant beauty.

And NewBlack was here too.

Many celebrities were determined to at least make some connections while they had the opportunity.

"I'd totally be willing to go to Antarctica."

"Oh, stop it, opp— I mean, seriously. But I'd go to Antarctica too. It's every entertainer's dream destination!"

"Please invite me to NewNiverse anytime."

Meanwhile, NewBlack's expressions darkened every time they heard the word Antarctica.

Everyone else, however, continued enthusiastically promoting themselves.

Just as Ri Hyuk was being pulled around for photos...

Rumble...

An overwhelming aura emerged from somewhere.

People instinctively stepped back.

A large man wearing a half mask strode directly toward Ri Hyuk with long steps.

"Mmm..."

Cha Woohyun carefully searched for the right words.

A junior walking the same path as him had delivered an incredible performance today.

As a senior singer, he felt immensely proud.

He wanted to say how beautiful Ri Hyuk's thoughts about music were.

The problem was that he didn't know how to express that pride.

The vocal style he and Ri Hyuk pursued wasn't particularly popular among rookie singers.

"Newbie, this is the proper build path. It's difficult and lonely, but someday you'll achieve greatness."

"Really?"

"The leveling is a little slow, but you only need to practice about twelve hours a day."

"Get lost!"

So seeing a junior suddenly appear and shine so brightly...

Words couldn't adequately describe how happy it made him.

After much deliberation, Cha Woohyun finally spoke.

"You like meat, don't you?"

"Yes."

"I'll buy you really good meat."

As Cha Woohyun abruptly grabbed his hand and offered to buy him meat, the manager clutched the back of his neck.

The Kim Junghyun of the music industry...!

Who would understand what he meant if he phrased it like that?

The manager was just about to explain—

That Cha Woohyun had loved the performance and wanted to have a meal together so they could talk more sincerely—

When...

Sparkle sparkle!

"...?"

The NewBlack members stood there with their hands clasped together, deeply moved.

"Oh no... that's so cool."

"He's buying him meat."

That's enough? That's literally enough?

The manager began questioning his own common sense.

Meanwhile, the other Four Heavenly Kings had arrived as well.

"Ri Hyuk! Your performance was incredible! You almost reached Orpheus's level!"

"You really did great. Orpheus only beat you because he's Orpheus. If it had been one of us, I think we would've lost."

Surrounded by veteran ballad singers, Ri Hyuk responded with an embarrassed smile.

At that moment, the woman wearing the Black Rose mask quietly turned away.

I have someone to thank today too.

Baek Siyeon, widely regarded as the pinnacle of female rock vocalists, had experienced a tremendous shock while watching Ri Hyuk's performance.

So that's how you do it!

Ordinary viewers had simply thought:

Ri Hyuk is amazing!

But Baek Siyeon had seen much more.

She had seen the strategy.

The tactics.

Traditional vocalists who focused solely on singing might not have noticed.

But someone like her, who constantly employed every trick possible to manipulate an audience, could immediately recognize it.

What a brilliant and shameless strategy!

The custom-tailored Cha Woohyun countermeasure devised by the brains of Lemon Entertainment.

The sly scent of NewBlack's leader lingering throughout the arrangement.

Baek Siyeon had achieved enlightenment.

"Wooju."

"Yes, sunbaenim?"

She smiled with satisfaction at Wooju's puzzled expression.

"Thank you."

"...Pardon?"

"Hehehe... thanks to you, I feel like I've finally found the answer to how I should deal with Woohyun."

"...What?"

"Hehehehehe!"

"Sunbaenim?"

Baek Siyeon walked away from the ballad singers.

Just wait, ballad singers.

In her mind, a future unfolded.

A future where, armed with the knowledge Wooju had unknowingly given her, she cackled while crushing Cha Woohyun.

Our era is coming!

As Wooju stared blankly at her retreating figure, laughing like an evil spirit, Kim Junghyun asked,

"What was that about, hyung?"

"I think I may have accidentally taught her something I shouldn't have..."

"...?"

"For now, I'm just going to pretend I didn't notice."

And while the pure-hearted ballad vocalists laughed together in perfect harmony...

Sun Wooju silently decided to act as though nothing had happened.

While mysterious storm clouds gathered over the future of Mission Singer's traditional ballad vocalists...

"Aaaagh..."

Audience members leaving TBC's Sangam headquarters rolled their shoulders as they walked.

It was already late at night.

Under the moonlit sky, people stretched and groaned.

"How are we getting home now?"

"The same way we got here."

"I'm exhausted. Are there any taxis?"

"Oh, one's coming— ah, those people got it first."

Everyone sounded drained.

They had spent over twelve hours attending the recording.

But still...

"That was insane."

"Seriously."

The competition had absolutely been worth it.

Just witnessing Seo Ri Hyuk versus Cha Woohyun in person made the entire day worthwhile.

"Man... how am I supposed to keep my mouth shut for two weeks?"

"You just have to."

"AAAAAAAH!"

It had truly been unbelievable.

Cha Woohyun's performance had given them chills.

And Ri Hyuk had matched him blow for blow.

They wanted nothing more than to spend the next hour talking about it.

If not for the producers' warnings...

"There are MyTubers camped outside right now. Please avoid discussing the competition while using public transportation."

Just as the staff had said, MyTubers stood outside TBC holding handheld cameras.

They shouted at audience members.

"Who won today's match?!"

"Hey! You lovely ladies over there! Just one comment about who won! Hahaha!"

God, they're the worst.

The show had become so hot that even clickbait streamers had swarmed the area.

Security guards blocked them as viewers headed home.

Messages flooded phones.

[LOL please spoil it]

[I swear I won't tell anyone]

"Driver, Balsan-dong please."

"Looks like you watched a show today."

"Yes."

"So who won~?"

"Huh? Ah... well... yeah."

Even taxi drivers were throwing out bait questions.

Meanwhile, the internet was boiling over with curiosity.

Who won??

Cha Woohyun won

Nope, I was there. Seo Ri Hyuk won lol

I was there too. Seo Ri Hyuk cheated and summoned 4Black to beat up Cha Woohyun

Lmao this place is full of trolls

Fortunately, the disaster the production team feared never happened.

Partly because they had carefully screened the audience.

"I don't think we'll need to do anything."

One assistant producer monitoring online communities said,

"There's so much fake information that even if someone posted the truth, nobody would believe it."

"Good."

Even as he spoke, new posts continued appearing.

At first, netizens had scoured anonymous communities looking for leaks.

Eventually, they started shaking their heads.

There's nothing useful here.

Most of the posts were nonsense.

How many votes apart were they??

619 votesㅠㅠㅠ Amazing, right? 619 is actually NewBlack's debut date

No, it was a ten-thousand vote difference

No, it was Gu Jun Pyo

There are literally zero spoilers lol

I swear there are like five thousand people claiming they watched it when only a hundred people were actually there lol

But amid all those posts, one anonymous comment appeared.

I heard a rumor it was Wooju vs Wooju... don't know the details

└ What the hell does that even mean lol

└ Did Sun Wooju show up again??

└ Sounds like bait

└ Why are you believing someone who can't even verify it lol

Not long afterward, the comment changed to:

[This comment has been deleted.]

But nobody knew.

While ordinary users dismissed it as trolling...

The production staff monitoring the internet had gone completely pale the moment they saw it.