Chapter 1061: Overcooked (14)

An event match.

A term used in sports for unusual matchups that would normally be impossible to see.

There were many varieties.

What if the K League All-Stars faced a Premier League club?! Curious, aren't you?

What would happen if a fighter went up against a bear?! We weren't curious either...

The uniqueness was precisely what drew attention from people who ordinarily wouldn't care.

And the more famous the participants were, the bigger the buzz became.

By that standard, Korean music was currently witnessing a super-event that had captured the attention of the entire nation.

[Cha Woohyun VS Ri Hyuk]

A living legend of Korean music versus an undefeated genius vocalist.

Among all the recent "VS" battles, this was the one generating the most public interest.

Polls were being posted even on online communities that rarely discussed entertainment.

[Who do you think will win tonight?]

Cha Woohyun: 2,376 votes (72.6%)

Ri Hyuk: 897 votes (27.4%)

Naturally, most people predicted an overwhelming victory for Cha Woohyun.

Wow, Ri Hyuk's percentage is higher than I expected??

Probably luck + Wooju arrangement (most likely?) + venue fans blindly voting for Ri Hyuk...? Something like that.

Ri Hyuk isn't winning this unless he performs for another ten years lol.

NewBlack got 897 votes? Did a bunch of women show up and vote? lol

His actual win probability is probably around 15% lol. Which is still insanely impressive.

Roughly eighty percent of responses boiled down to:

"Cha Woohyun will win."

Another fifteen percent believed:

"If Cha Woohyun isn't at his best and Ri Hyuk performs exceptionally well, maybe."

And only five percent outright predicted Ri Hyuk's victory.

Most reactions remained pessimistic.

But Souffle was moved.

"Wow..."

In a way, this reaction itself meant everyone had accepted Ri Hyuk as a true King of Singers.

What if this had happened two months earlier?

Everyone! Ri Hyuk is facing Cha Woohyun!

If someone had announced that before Ri Hyuk appeared on Mission Singer and earned his King of Singers image?

The internet response would've been obvious.

What kind of nerve does he have? lol

Nah, this is going too far.

Idol vs living legend?? Is this a joke? lol

They hyped NewBlack up for conquering the world and now they think a music legend is a joke? lol

But what about now?

People still expected Cha Woohyun to win.

Yet nobody was asking:

"Does this matchup even make sense?"

Which meant they believed it did.

And that also meant something else.

Ri Hyuk's image transformation had succeeded.

At the beginning, he'd been:

[A skilled idol vocalist.]

Now he was more like:

[A rising star of the music industry.]

Of course, it hadn't happened overnight.

No matter how talented Ri Hyuk was, image changes didn't happen in a week or two.

How long has Ri Hyuk been King of Singers now?

Four consecutive victories.

Eight weeks of appearances.

Add this Cha Woohyun match, and that made ten weeks total.

During that period, Souffle had happily watched public opinion evolve in real time.

[Lv.1 Ri Hyuk has entered.]

["An idol joining a battle between real singers?"]

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Did Ri Hyuk come here to film a variety show? lol

This is hilarious lol

[Lv.1 Ri Hyuk has defeated Lv.37 Jo Yuri.]

["That wasn't much, was it?"]

Jo Yuri got demolished??

Ri Hyuk's vocals are insane lol

Was Jo Yuri not feeling well? Her personality might be awful but she's one of the best indie singers around.

Koiiiitsuwww now even her skills are trashwww

Honestly looked like luck lol

[Lv.38 Ri Hyuk has encountered Lv.??? Sun Wooju.]

[Achievement unlocked: "Victory in the NewBlack Civil War"]

So it's not just Ri Hyuk. That entire group is insane.

That's cool as hell lol. Wooju would've been King of Singers in any other season.

That one was pretty close though.

A king is still a king.

[Lv.67 Ri Hyuk has achieved his third consecutive King of Singers title.]

["Still refusing to worship him?"]

RI HYUK! RI HYUK! RI HYUK! RI HYUK!

Your Majestyㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Ah... I've finally been converted.

Sign here, comrade! "Ri Hyuk is a traditional vocalist."

Like clothes getting soaked by a steady drizzle, NewBlack's main vocalist had gradually transformed his image over two months.

That was why people now accepted the possibility of Cha Woohyun versus Ri Hyuk.

Before, people would've thrown stones at the mere idea of him standing in the same ring.

Now they were grabbing popcorn.

This is so entertaining.

Not just online.

Souffle overheard conversations everywhere.

"Ah, I need to get home early today."

"Why?"

"Gotta watch Ri Hyuk vs Cha Woohyun."

"That's today? The one with Ri Hyuk? What channel is it on? HBS?"

It's TBC! Please tune in to Mission Singer featuring our adorable, soft, genius vocalist Ri Hyuk! Although I'm only saying that in my head. Hehehe!

Souffle answered silently.

The buzz was so enormous that even people who had never watched a single episode of Mission Singer were turning on the TV simply because "Ri Hyuk is on."

The cast lineup contributed heavily as well.

[Lv.89 Ri Hyuk uses the skill "I Am The King Of Singers"...]

Ding!

[Lv.??? Baek Siyeon has entered.]

[Lv.105 The Moon has entered.]

[Lv.112 Yeon has entered.]

["I heard an interesting update dropped, so I logged in for the first time in a while."]

A room everyone thought had a level cap of ninety-nine suddenly filled with monsters over level one hundred.

One of them was even Rank No. 1.

[Lv.223 Cha Woohyun has joined the battle.]

The industry's ancient veteran had logged back in.

The long-absent No. 1 ranked player had declared his participation, and everyone lost their minds.

That alone would've been huge.

Then came the shocking declaration that pushed the hype even higher.

Newbie, come back in two weeks with full gear equipped.

...!

And so Mission Singer's ratings exploded.

Viewers stared eagerly at their televisions.

Today's the day we finally get the answer!

The age-rating warning ended.

The program opening began.

[WAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!]

The audience erupted.

Celebrity panelists and commentators buzzed with excitement.

[We now begin the final round of Mission Singer!]

The greatest highlight everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived.

The opening matchup that week was Cha Woohyun versus Baek Siyeon.

The goddess in a dark rose mask faced the God of Song in a half-mask.

Legend vs legend

Which one does Ri Hyuk have a better chance against?

Honestly he's doomed either way lol

It's Alien vs Predator lol. Then a human has to fight the winner.

But if Cha Woohyun wins, it'll be more entertaining. Important.

Everyone bit into their late-night chicken.

"Cha Woohyun's going to win, right?"

"Feels like he will."

Normally people would've called it too close to predict.

This time, everyone somehow felt certain.

The reason was simple.

Cha Woohyun promised he'd do it.

Cha Woohyun.

A serious King of Singers type.

The industry's greatest vocalist.

A man whose every word carried weight because he spoke so little.

And sure enough—

[Victory goes to the God of Song, Orpheus!]

"I figured."

"He picked his song intelligently. Looks like he came determined to reach the finals at any cost."

"Wow, look at Baek Siyeon's vote count. Even with that song choice, Cha Woohyun barely made it look easy."

Viewers smiled contentedly.

My ears are happy.

The competitors themselves might have been suffering.

The audience was having the time of their lives.

Korea's greatest vocalists battling each other.

Baek Siyeon striking unexpectedly with a fast, refreshing song whose lingering resonance remained long after it ended.

Cha Woohyun defeating it head-on.

And watching from the throne above...

The nervous Sunflower Mask.

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Those anxious eyes.

The Grim Reaper is coming and he can't stop it lol.

We're laughing but imagine how terrifying this must be for him lol.

This is so funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He can't even quit because he's King of Singers.

The Demon King had broken through every defensive wall.

Now only the final boss remained.

[...]

Ri Hyuk rose from the throne.

With a lonely-looking back, he left to prepare for the championship round.

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Why does that pathetic little back look so cute?

I've been converted.

Cutie lol.

The eliminated challengers spent the next segment performing farewell stages while smiling with expressions of enlightenment.

"Man."

"Those people would've had such a better chance in any other season."

"Not really. If they weren't staying long-term, this is way better. Millions of people are seeing them."

That was true.

As each eliminated contestant revealed their identity, their names immediately shot up the real-time search rankings.

Eventually, their segment ended.

[And finally...]

The commentators spoke with visible emotion.

[The moment has arrived.]

[Yes.]

[This is truly the greatest highlight in Mission Singer history. An absolutely massive match.]

One of Mission Singer's trademarks was its sports-style commentary.

The screen showed two masked singers facing one another like fighters entering a championship bout.

Statistics appeared beneath them.

While instructions were given to the live audience, the commentators addressed viewers.

[Neither needs an introduction. Both have one hundred percent win rates. Neither has ever lost.]

[What do you think, caster?]

The television showed the massive figure in the half-mask stretching atop the stage.

Like a boxer preparing for a title fight.

[Realistically, Orpheus has an overwhelmingly higher chance of winning. That's simply the truth. This is David versus Goliath. The difference in physical capability and experience is enormous.]

[A very difficult battle.]

[Absolutely.]

[It's funny. Orpheus is technically the challenger, but it feels reversed.]

The commentators laughed.

Expert predictions aligned perfectly with public opinion.

[Unfortunately, I think we'll see a decisive victory for Orpheus.]

[I agree.]

[Unless the King of Singers has some extraordinary strategy...]

Of course, sharper viewers detected a strange undertone.

"Isn't the production team deliberately setting things up that way?"

"Right?"

"Ri Hyuk must have something planned."

The producers were intentionally lowering expectations to maximize the impact of whatever came next.

Just as those viewers smiled knowingly—

[And now! The first performance of the King of Singers Championship Match! The God of Song, Orpheus!]

[WAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!]

The audience exploded.

Cha Woohyun stepped onto the stage.

Brilliant spotlights poured down.

『Poem for Yesterday | NewBlack』

Lyrics: NewBlack | Composer: Wooju | Arrangement: Kim Seungsu

▷ Want to hear the Mission Singer version? Find it on Mango!

The man in the half-mask quietly raised his microphone.

Could I leave

A little more slowly?

Before today fades away

Like the sunset

A NewBlack OST had been reborn as a solo performance.

"Wow..."

Goosebumps spread across arms.

Everyone was stunned.

This is Cha Woohyun singing seriously.

The song hit differently.

The lyrics feel four-dimensional.

The words seemed to take physical form.

As if an actual sunset were dissolving before their eyes.

His voice faded gently into dusk.

Wow.

So this is what it means for a song to move people.

He's not old enough to be called a master, yet everyone treats him like one for a reason.

This song breaks your heart. He really is the King of Singers.

Look at everyone becoming serious after all the jokes lol.

As Cha Woohyun's voice echoed powerfully through television speakers, viewers wiped tears from their eyes.

The song spoke of relentless time.

Of humanity gradually becoming more fragile beneath its weight.

Yet it also offered comfort.

Promising better days ahead.

Insisting that difficult days could be overcome.

A hymn to humanity.

NewBlack has songs like this??

It was from the Sleep OST.

Ah...

The song was already incredible, but Cha Woohyun brought the emotion to life.

Through a gentle yet resonant voice, Cha Woohyun displayed the dignity of a legend.

Watching him, viewers found themselves thinking something unexpected.

"He seems like... a genuinely good person."

"Yeah."

He was only singing.

Yet somehow, that feeling came through.

Ri Hyuk. Are you watching?

It felt as though he had deliberately chosen a junior's song to show that junior what the road ahead looked like.

This wasn't the bloody battle everyone had imagined.

It felt more like a veteran laying his heart bare.

And it moved people deeply.

Cha Woohyun himself is cool as hell.

Pure light.

Einstein: I must revise my equation. In E=MC², MC stands for Mister Cha.

That howl was incredible.

Why am I crying? He's literally just singing.

The amazing thing about Cha Woohyun isn't just his vocals. Plenty of people can sing at that level. He's the only one who makes every lyric feel real.

This isn't a battle. It's a lesson.

Having shown his junior exactly what kind of wall he would need to overcome, Cha Woohyun lowered his microphone and finished.

[WAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!]

The audience remained deeply moved.

Some dabbed tears away with handkerchiefs.

Others applauded endlessly.

Then—

Step.

Step.

Cha Woohyun descended.

The King of Singers ascended.

[And now, today's defending champion.]

[King of Singers. King of Singers. King of Singers. And the Number One King of Singers in Korean Hip-Hop, Sun Wooju.]

Viewers chuckled at the introduction.

Then immediately stopped.

"Wow..."

"Looks like Ri Hyuk came prepared."

Gone was the mentally battered figure sitting on the throne throughout the broadcast.

What stepped onto the stage now was someone utterly serious.

Even abandoning the usual King of Singers Sun Wooju persona.

That walk is unbelievably cool...

As Ri Hyuk climbed the stage, Souffle felt their hearts race.

Everything about him radiated confidence.

The way he moved.

The way he stood.

Gulp.

Fans swallowed hard.

Blue lighting began surrounding him like an ocean of stars.

Then came a voice.

Like a quiet monologue.

[I am a comet orbiting the solar system.]

[I visit Earth once every seventy-six years.]

Dreamlike streams of stars swept across the screen.

The Sunflower Mask stared directly into the camera.

[I am—]

Then his speaking voice transformed into singing.

Halley—

The audience erupted.

Acoustic guitar rang out.

A heartbeat-like drum joined in.

Then a violin slipped gracefully into the arrangement.

People smiled instinctively.

"Wowww..."

The same expression people made while watching fireworks bloom across the night sky.

A refreshing melody shot through everything like a comet.

『Halley | Minji Discordance』

Lyrics & Composition: Park Minji | Arrangement: Spaceship

▷ Want to hear the Mission Singer version? Find it on Mango!

A youthful, cinematic intro filled the venue.

Audience members leaned forward eagerly.

The Sunflower Mask gripped the standing microphone.

Across the entire universe

I raced toward you

And when I finally saw you

You were breathtaking

If Cha Woohyun embodied mastery,

Ri Hyuk embodied youth itself.

He swayed joyfully as he sang.

Like a rising rock star.

Pure confidence.

Do I really look that easy to beat?

The arrogance of youth.

This is it!

This was exactly what everyone had hoped to see.

YESㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

That's the Ri Hyuk we wanted.

This is so goodㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Ri Hyuk, I believed in you.

"Arrangement: Spaceship"ㅋㅋㅋ He's desperately trying everything.

An idol grabbing Cha Woohyun's pant leg with industrial-strength clampsㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The audience laughed.

But they loved it.

Playful.

Serious.

And most importantly—

He looked happier on stage than anyone else.

"How does that sound come out of that body?"

"His body is literally an instrument."

"You can't teach that. He was born with it."

The atmosphere felt like the climax of a music festival.

For an entirely different reason, viewers' eyes grew moist.

The feeling was similar to singing along to a stadium anthem.

Or standing in the middle of a festival crowd.

A warm, emotional swell.

This is good.

And nobody was more emotional than the fans.

This is what an idol looks like!

There was only one word for Ri Hyuk on stage.

Idol.

The acoustic guitar gradually transformed into electric guitar.

Everyone clapped along.

Now holding the microphone in his hand rather than on the stand, the Sunflower Mask roamed the stage, soaking in the cheers.

Feels like the song at the end of a movie after the hero succeedsㅠㅠ

This is so good...

I love watching him interact with the bandㅠㅠㅠㅠ

That overwhelming vocal power... that band sound... bury me here.

He's punching through the entire band with just his voiceㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Does everyone realize he's singing the chorus in the NewBlack main-vocal style?

Ri Hyukㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Then viewers noticed something strange.

"Uh..."

The nameplate still read:

[King of Singers Sun Wooju]

During the chorus of Halley, Ri Hyuk subtly altered his singing style.

He began singing in the exact style NewBlack's main vocalist used.

Combined with the arrangement credit—

Spaceship.

"Wait..."

People felt something strange.

What is this?

Nearly everyone watching had seen NewBlack perform at least once.

The Ri Hyuk singing Halley now was no better or worse than the Ri Hyuk they'd always known.

His skill level was identical.

Yet somehow...

Nobody had ever felt the other NewBlack members lagged behind him.

"Huh?"

Confusion spread.

Long-held assumptions about NewBlack began to crack.

Watching this realization unfold, Souffle smiled.

Finally...!

The public was finally going to understand just how talented their group really was.

And just as Souffle grinned from ear to ear—

A fellow fan came running over frantically.

Guys!!!! This is not the time!! The enemy has invaded!!

Souffle froze.

Foreigners?!

Thinking Moonlight fans had launched some kind of counterattack, they hurried to check international charts.

Then blinked.

Nothing's happening.

Not there! Domestic charts!

Domestic?

Moments later, Souffle began screaming.

[Curious about the next chart update? Five-Minute Chart!]

King of Singers Sun Wooju — Halley

God of Song Orpheus — Poem for Yesterday

NewBlack — Overcooked

Silence filled the lounge while Mission Singer continued airing on television.

Jiho asked in shock,

"Have we ever been pushed down in real time on release day during the last three years?"

"Uh... no."

I muttered blankly.

"S-So... this can actually happen..."

"..."

"..."

The others narrowed their eyes.

That was a wildly inappropriate thing to say right now.

Biju swallowed.

"At least Overcooked will keep the weekly No. 1, right?"

"Probably..."

I wanted to say yes.

But after years of watching charts, you learned how to read trends.

Ri Hyuk glanced at the numbers.

"Based on entry figures alone, they're outperforming Overcooked."

"..."

"..."

We all stared into space.

This is complicated!

On one hand, losing was still losing.

That sounded like a warning sign.

On the other hand, considering the amount of buzz being generated, the synergy was enormous.

If anything, it felt closer to a green light than a red one.

"It's a green light, but not completely a green light..."

Junghyun suddenly spoke.

"Maybe it's a black light."

"Why?"

"Because regardless of anything else, people are going to make fun of us nonstop."

"..."

That sounded suspiciously correct.

And so, instead of a red light or a green light, some mysterious black signal had begun flashing over Overcooked's domestic promotions.