Chapter 978: I Am the King of Singers, But...? (13)

Just one line.

One line was enough.

Enough to completely shatter the prejudice people had toward Seo Ri Hyuk.

"It was one summer day

As I wandered through the forest

I heard a voice"

A soft piano accompaniment echoed through the air.

A blue ocean.

Against that backdrop, the Sunflower Mask sang in a soaring high note.

“Wow......”

Goosebumps spread across people’s bodies.

They rubbed their arms, covered their mouths without realizing it, absentmindedly stroked their chins.

Inside bars where customers were watching the TV together, a collective chorus of awe burst out.

Every viewer across the country was making the same expression.

The face of someone witnessing something unbelievable.

‘This is insane.’

A high school student watching Mission Singer on the bus with earphones in stared with his mouth hanging open.

“Oh my god. Oh my god.”

“He was that good?”

Families gathered in living rooms because Ri Hyuk was appearing on the show were all gasping in shock.

“......?”

An office worker lying on his bed watching on his phone suddenly sat upright and furiously mashed the volume button.

‘Ri Hyuk...!’

A Souffle high school student studying in a reading room kicked her feet in the air from pure happiness while watching with earphones in.

Everyone wore similar expressions.

Like they had witnessed something wondrous.

And more than anything, they wanted to share the feeling with someone else.

Was I the only one feeling this way right now?

Or were other people feeling the exact same thing?

Was this song always capable of sounding like this??

Holy shit I still have goosebumps;;;

Mission Singer doesn’t use pitch correction right??? How can a live performance sound like that???

They don’tㅇㅇ

Since when was Ri Hyuk this good at singing??

Girl of the Forest.

A song known nationwide as a karaoke staple.

Because everyone knew the song so well, Ri Hyuk’s skill stood out even more clearly.

[The song choice was fucking perfect thoughㅋㅋㅋ]

Covering a first-gen senior artist’s song keeps the idol charm while still showing respect to the original singer

Perfect for showing off his skills too

Facts

Did Wooju pick the song for him

I like that he sang it exactly like the original

It suits Ri Hyuk so wellㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Though the arrangement had been updated, he wasn’t singing it in his own style.

He was preserving the exact feeling of the original singer.

Clear, refreshing, sparkling.

And just as King Sun Wooju finished the intro—

The Sunflower Mask lowered the mic slightly and raised a hand, snapping his fingers lightly.

[Snap— Snap—]

The audience immediately began clapping along to the finger snaps.

The camera switched to the drummer and guitarist as they finally launched fully into the performance.

[WOOOOOOOOOOO—!]

The blue stage lights flashed brighter and more beautifully than before as audience members turned to each other mouthing, “This is crazy!”

The viewers felt the same.

“Ri Hyuk’s good.”

“Oh wow! He’s really good.”

Even middle-aged viewers who had been nervously cheering him on moments ago were now flushed with excitement.

As the lively melody truly kicked in, his refreshing voice poured out.

"Can you hear it

The sound of the forest

I can see it

Its beauty"

It felt as though the lyrics themselves were becoming visible.

A summer night.

A boy running through the woods beneath the constellations.

This is insaneㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

The digital release drops tonight right????

Comes out at midnight

Already legendary from the start

I was wondering why Ri Hyuk was even appearing but damnㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He completely devoured Round 1

For a moment, the camera cut to Braised Jangjorim Mask sadly clapping.

He looked weirdly pitiful.

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Why does he look like one of those dramatic long-haired guys standing in the wind

Jangjorim drunk already?

Why does he look so flushedㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Still, this is an honorable deathㅋㅋ

Everyone was already convinced this was a 100% victory for Seo Ri Hyuk.

And then the chorus of Girl of the Forest arrived.

The audience burst into cheers.

"Now it’s time for the festival"

The English chorus exploded forth, and it felt like the world suddenly opened wide.

Like your ears had been washed clean.

‘Not a boy from the forest... but from the sea.’

A beautiful boy diving into the ocean and swimming alongside dolphins.

That was the feeling.

The Sunflower Mask looks handsome

Ri Hyuk seriously came here for real;; I thought he was just here for variety entertainment, now I feel bad

So there was a reason he joined Mission Singer

Wait but seriously... he could actually become King Singer?????

To the people who had wondered why Seo Ri Hyuk was appearing on the show in the first place—

This stage itself became the answer.

“He really could become King Singer.”

“Since when did he sing like this? He sounds like one of those veteran singers.”

With a single performance, Seo Ri Hyuk’s position inside people’s minds completely changed.

People began to think he might actually be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with top-tier competitors.

‘He could even go up against Jo Yuri.’

Even Jo Yuri—who had once seemed impossibly beyond him—was now being perceived as someone in the same league.

And because of that...

[Then now! The final match of Round 1!]

[We will reveal the voting results!]

The outcome itself wasn’t surprising.

[Braised Jangjorim Mask — 11]

[King Sun Wooju — 89]

Nearly a ninety-to-ten split.

People nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Those eleven votes were probably pity votes.”

As the participants stepped offstage after confirming the results, viewers laughed through the mini interview segment between Round 1 and Round 2.

[King Sun Wooju!]

The celebrity panelists teased him with questions.

[You’re currently active as a composer, correct? Mango chart #1, Billboard #1 even!]

[That’s right~]

[Then what’s your secret to composing?]

[Hmm, my secret~?]

The Sunflower Mask delicately placed a hand beneath his chin and answered.

[Nothing special really. I just write songs with love for my younger members in my heart!]

[Ah....]

[Especially Sun Wooju here—I always think of my most beloved Seo Ri Hyuk while composing~]

He stroked the Ri Hyuk doll resting on his shoulder.

Everyone burst into laughter at the completely baseless nonsense.

The members are probably furious right nowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Biju: (trembling)

Ri Hyuk imitates Sun Wooju way too wellㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

You can tell Ri Hyuk genuinely adores Wooju.. Didn’t he parody Wooju in that in-law-destruction drama too??

(Seo Wooju gif) He’s even better at it now than back then

A highly evolved Seo Ri Hyuk is indistinguishable from Sun Wooju

I really wanna see the members’ reactions

And indeed, somewhere in Brazil, a certain shabby five-member group was currently bickering.

“Ri Hyuk...”

“That’s not true though? Wooju hyung likes me the most.”

“The historical accuracy is incorrect. Kim Deoksun is my favorite.”

“Ah? Wait, it’s already this late....”

People who had been happily watching TV swallowed nervously as they checked the time.

‘Ah... there’s not much broadcast time left.’

The laughter faded instantly as anxiety returned.

Think they’ll make it to Round 2 today???

Dunno;;

Maybe maybe not...

People were getting restless.

A huge matchup awaited in Round 2.

Among them, nobody was especially worried about Jo Yuri’s match because her victory felt almost guaranteed.

But the battle between Seo Ri Hyuk and ballad singer Dokgo Young—

People were dying to see it.

[Then! Let us begin the first match of Round 2!]

Jo Yuri immediately crushed her opponent with a powerful rock vocal performance.

Living up to her reputation, the Wolf Mask exited majestically.

‘Fuck...’

The broadcast time kept running down.

And then came the second match.

‘They’ll at least show this one, right?’

‘PD-nim? Let’s act like civilized people here.’

A tension-filled BGM played.

Two men walked down the hallway.

Dokgo Young wearing a cat mask, visibly tense.

And beside him, King Sun Wooju walking forward with relaxed confidence.

The two men stepped onto the stage.

[DU-DUN!]

‘AH!’

‘No, you motherfucker...!’

[Please look forward to next week!]

[Coming Soon!]

Viewers all across the country screamed.

After Mission Singer finished airing—

The excitement didn’t end.

No.

If anything, it burned even hotter.

Mission Singer’s “King Sun Wooju”... Panelists say “A legendary contestant has arrived”

TBC’s Mission Singer explodes with viewer anticipation over historic contestants, “King Sun Wooju?!”

Real-time search #1: Who exactly is “King Sun Wooju”??

Entertainment portals were exploding with bold headlines featuring the name “King Sun Wooju.”

Of course—

“King Sun Wooju...?”

People who hadn’t watched the live broadcast of Mission Singer were completely bewildered.

Which led to the same chaos repeating endlessly across communities online.

HOLY SHIT Wooju was on Mission Singer???

Nope Ri Hyuk was

But it says King Sun Wooju

Exactly. Ri Hyuk appeared as King Sun Wooju

Ohhhh Wooju became King Singer??

NO RI HYUK APPEARED AS KING SUN WOOJU!!!

And after explaining it once—

Holy shitㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Wooju appeared?

Ri Hyuk came out as “King Sun Wooju”ㅇㅇ

Then where was Wooju??

He didn’t appear

Why?

Ah for fuck’s sake somebody pin an announcement already

Which eventually led to a public notice reaching the trending posts.

[IMPORTANT! Seo Ri Hyuk = King Sun Wooju]

Seo Ri Hyuk appeared on Mission Singer as King Sun Wooju (O)

So does that mean Ri Hyuk is King Singer? -> No, his character name is simply King Sun Wooju

Did Sun Wooju appear? -> No he did not

Excellent summary

So Wooju appeared too then??

NO RI HYUK IS THE KING SINGER FFS

Wooju at this point you should just appear disguised as Ri Hyuk too

The same thing was happening across messenger chats.

[Dude holy shitㅋㅋㅋㅋ Sun Wooju appeared on Mission Singer]

[Apparently he became King Singer]

Because of the nickname “King Sun Wooju,” absolute chaos had broken out everywhere.

And perhaps because of that—

As word spread that NewBlack had appeared, the broadcast clips were racking up insane view counts.

Comments flooded the trending MyTube videos and portal TV clips.

How did Ri Hyuk survive this whole time unfairly underratedㅋㅋㅋㅋ He sings THIS well

Legit world class

“Beautiful voice” fits him perfectlyㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Ri Hyuk

He really captured the original song’s sparkling, luminous feeling perfectly.. I hope Choi Seorin sees this

Even without fancy technique he sounds heavenly

With only a first-round performance, Seo Ri Hyuk had proven himself worthy of King Singer level.

“Wow......”

Ordinary viewers who had been watching the Mission Singer performance clip uploaded to TBC’s channel began clicking through other videos.

Songs Ri Hyuk had performed in the past appeared one after another.

‘This existed?’

‘Ri Hyuk seriously worked hard... what was I even doing at his age?’

‘Wow. This is insane too.’

This was the power of variety entertainment exposure.

Many people had always liked NewBlack.

But liking them didn’t necessarily mean seeking out every stage performance, drama, or movie.

Likewise, even people fond of Ri Hyuk had never paid particular attention to his performances before.

But this time was different.

[2017 Korean Series — Ri Hyuk National Anthem]

The national anthem performance from the professional baseball finals suddenly became crowded again.

Came here after Mission Singer Round 1.. Ri Hyuk I’m sorry this old man didn’t know

Anyone else come from Mission Singer??

So pure... this makes me smile

Damn these days international superstars sing at the Korean Series too

Wow so many people never saw thisㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It blew up all over communities back then tooㅋㅋㅋ

Starting with the acapella national anthem performance, more and more videos followed.

Footage from Masterpiece Group.

A solo full-version performance of Hibernation.

The university festival stage where he powered through an audio malfunction and stunned students with his vocals.

Compilation clips of individual parts.

And then—

[How a Rookie Idol Handles an Audio Accident]

Eventually people found themselves watching footage from NewBlack’s 2014 debut showcase.

High schooler Seo Ri Hyuk stood there singing the chorus of Fireworks without accompaniment.

‘Wait, but....’

Viewers watching the clip found something strange.

‘The 2014 footage is actually pretty normal though?’

He was simply good.

People were impressed by the fact that he sang acapella during a debut showcase, but it didn’t hit with nearly the same emotional impact as tonight’s performance.

‘What is this?’

As though answering the question, the algorithm recommended another video.

[Seo Ri Hyuk Vocal Evolution (Debut ~ Present)]

A forty-minute analysis video uploaded by NewBlack fan channel GodTierFangirl.

It began with Fireworks in 2014.

‘Hmm....’

Then Masterpiece Group in 2015.

‘Oh.’

Then videos from 2016 and 2017.

Year after year, the editor lovingly pointed out every change.

The vocal range that had once been only clear and bright gradually expanded downward into lower tones.

His high-note technique improved further.

At first, Ri Hyuk had seemed to sing like a machine locked precisely onto fixed notes.

But slowly warmth began appearing in his expressions.

He learned how to carry emotion inside his singing.

The Ri Hyuk who sounded slightly awkward singing Night Sea eventually became someone professionally recording emotional drama OSTs.

‘Wow.......’

‘Ri Hyuk seriously worked hard.’

Comments from Souffles filled the screen below.

Ri Hyuk seriously never stopped running for four years

Every single time I think he reached his peak he comes back even better.. Looking back he’s literally always improving

I wish more people understood thisㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

The improvement gets crazier every year and I’m so proud.. How good is he gonna be in years 6 and 7

Ordinary viewers nodded in understanding.

‘Yeah, I’d probably feel proud too.’

‘Is this why people become fans?’

Then near the end of the video, footage appeared of the members talking about Seo Ri Hyuk.

[Ri Hyuk is someone who’s always improving.]

[He studies incredibly seriously. Even on his days off he studies vocal theory, records by himself...]

[I’m proud of him.]

Then came a clip of Ri Hyuk speaking to fans on Y app.

[Every time I review my performances, I always think, “Couldn’t I do this even better?”]

[I really want to become better.]

Watching Ri Hyuk’s vocals—now dozens of times more developed than during debut—ordinary viewers unexpectedly found themselves emotional too.

And if ordinary viewers felt this way, then for Souffles, it went without saying.

@Pirate_ruku

(Video clip of Ri Hyuk singing the chorus of Girl of the Forest)

Seo Ri Hyuk is genuinely fucking insane;

Ri Hyuk’s name shot into real-time SNS trends.

Ri Hyukㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Ri Hyuk really proved himself

I’m never sleeping tonight

Wow the afterglow still hasn’t fadedㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Everyone shouted Seo Ri Hyuk’s name with teary eyes.

‘Wow. He really did it. Ri Hyuk actually did it....’

As Souffles watched the Round 1 performance clip, their hearts pounded.

How insane would his Round 2 stage be?

Did Seo Ri Hyuk really make it all the way to King Singer?

‘How are we supposed to wait a whole week?’

Thinking that, Souffles checked the idol fan communities.

The atmosphere there was just as shocked.

People were first stunned that a top-tier boy group singer had appeared on a competition show.

Then stunned a second time that his skills were genuinely King Singer level.

Does Ri Hyuk literally do nothing except eat and sing??

At first I thought “King Sun Wooju” was the most ridiculous bait everㅋㅋㅋㅋ but he really was King Singer levelㅋㅋㅋ

Ri Hyuk King Singer 인정

What time is next week’s episode airing???

Of course, not every reaction was positive.

As always, antis remained antis.

Shame his singing style always sounds the same..

Why do the songs change but the feeling stays identical

Yeah okay he’s refreshing and clear but it’s getting repetitive

He improved a lot but his tone and singing style still feel limited

He sings well but somehow it gets boring

Compared to the past, his range had widened enormously and he could now comfortably handle lower registers too, making the criticism outdated.

But Souffles didn’t care.

‘He’ll show them.’

Just like NewBlack once answered criticism about their dancing by unveiling the Masquerade performance after winning Rookie of the Year—

Fans believed they would prove something again this time too.

As Souffles smirked at the antis, a certain post suddenly caught their eye.

[Undisputed Biggest Winner Right Now]

Curious, people clicked the post.

(Photo of Sun Wooju smiling brightly.jpg)

Sun Wooju

Everyone burst out laughing.

‘True. Wooju’s the real winner here.’

People genuinely wondered what kind of reaction Sun Wooju himself must be having right now.

“5... 4... 3...”

“2... Ah! It’s up!”

Together with the younger members, I refreshed the homepage.

Midnight.

[King Sun Wooju - Girl of the Forest]

The thumbnail showed the Mission Singer logo.

Seeing Ri Hyuk’s song released under my name made me smile proudly.

“Behold! This is the power of King Sun Wooju!”

“King Singer! King Singer!”

Even Ri Hyuk snorted in amusement and shook his head.

Happy things were exploding everywhere.

“Come here, Ri Hyuk hyung! This little brother will hug you~~!!! Special one-day-only service!”

“Hey, get away from me!”

“There there. Ri Hyuk, come here.”

Junghyun and Jiho grabbed Ri Hyuk into a tight hug and spun him around like an amusement park ride.

Meanwhile, Biju smiled warmly while screenshotting the music release under the name King Sun Wooju.

“Huuh.......”

And then even the five-minute chart started showing King Sun Wooju’s track skyrocketing upward like madness.

Unlike the other contestants’ songs, Girl of the Forest was climbing like a possessed rocket.

“This is nice.”

It was definitely a happy moment.

Even though I hadn’t actually done anything, seeing the name King Sun Wooju somehow made me feel proud.

So naturally this was—

“My victory... huhuhu......”

“Why are you laughing so sadly, hyung?”

“Huhuhu......”

I should have been overwhelmingly happy.

“Victory...... uuuugh....”

So why did I feel so weirdly unsatisfied?

After thinking for a moment, I finally found the answer.

[Our Grandson♥]

It bothers me...!

I couldn’t stop staring at the Sunflower Mask profile picture uploaded by Mrs. Kim Deoksun.

Me [Change your profile picture right now Kim Deoksun]

Me [( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)]

In response—

She left me on read.

Then the profile picture changed.

“!”

It changed into an HD high-resolution version.

And at the same time, the status message updated too.

[♥Our Grandson♥]

“What’s wrong, hyung?”

“This.......”

“Hm?”

“Look.......”

“PWAHAHAHAHA!”

The moment the younger members saw my phone, they burst into laughter.

Ri Hyuk especially was laughing harder than I’d seen in a long time.

Honestly, that softened me a little.

But every time I looked at the profile picture again, indignation surged right back up.

Right then—

Ding.

A mail notification appeared.

I tapped the screen after seeing it was from the Mission Singer production team and subtly angled my phone so only I could see it.

[RE: Regarding the Mask]

Here is the mask draft. Please review it and let us know your feedback!

It was asking for feedback on the mask design for “Nation’s Top Hip-Hop Seo Ri Hyuk.”

I stared at the crane-faced smiling mask design for Nation’s Top Hip-Hop Seo Ri Hyuk, then slowly turned my gaze toward the smirking Ri Hyuk beside me.

Ri Hyuk bowed politely.

“Hello. Starting today, I’m King Sun Wooju, the second grandson of Grandmother.”

“PWAHAHAHAHA!”

“.......”

Tap tap tap.

[Please make him look as petty as possible..]

[Maybe give him a slightly more shameless vibe!!]

Just wait.

The time for revenge has come...!