I Accidentally Became A Superstar - Chapter 393 393: Musical Mission

It was the day of their performance for the musical.

The contestants were already finished with hair and makeup, waiting for the signal.

Zeno sat in front of the mirror, running a fingertip over the cool glass. He opened his system interface in the corner of his vision.

[Compliment Quest Progress: 96/100]

Time left: 3 hours.

He exhaled through his nose. Three hours to finish it.

He could finish it. But the thought of giving those last four to his teammates, after everything, felt like swallowing glass. Yesterday’s “pep talk” hadn’t exactly brought the group together. In fact, it had done the opposite.

Not that he minded.

The problem was, they hadn’t practiced again since yesterday.

Zeno had spent the evening practicing alone in a smaller rehearsal booth. He was hitting the notes better now. It was not perfect, but he was closer to where they needed to be. The trouble was that his part wasn’t the only one that needed work.

And today, they’d have to perform in front of everyone.

On the way toward the stage area, the hallway was lined with production crew members holding clipboards and earpieces. Other contestants shuffled by, their outfits glittering under the fluorescent lights. Somewhere ahead, a burst of laughter broke out from another team—probably Shin’s.

He had complimented nearly everyone in his vicinity, but the moment four individuals walked past him. He knew what to do.

Three hours left.

That would put him right before their performance slot.

Each musical today would run about thirty minutes. And thanks to Oska’s choice back when teams were picking performance order, they were going last. That was enough time for him to finish his mission.

When they arrived at the stage entrance, the contestants were guided by staff toward the wings.

“Please settle,” a crew member instructed, motioning for them to move into position.

The heavy velvet curtains hung in front of them, muffling whatever was beyond.

It was too quiet. That was the first thing Zeno noticed.

And then the curtains lifted.

The sudden flood of stage light hit their eyes first, followed by the sight that made every single brow on stage furrow.

The auditorium wasn’t empty. It was full.

Every seat was taken, the crowd stretching from the first row to the shadowed back wall.

A low murmur rippled through the contestants. No one had been told about this. They had been expecting the judges, the cameras, maybe some staff in the background.

Their eyes found the judges’ table. The familiar faces of Gene PD, Bacon PD, Mr. Kim, and Janie J sat there.

Gene PD stood, microphone in hand.

“Before we begin,” he said, his voice carrying easily through the auditorium, “we have an announcement.”

“For this mission, there will be two different scores. This time, it’s high stakes.”

Gene PD smiled slightly. “The first score will come from our judges, as always. That will account for fifty percent of your total score.”

That wasn’t too different from before.

“The second… will be an expert score, also fifty percent.”

At those words, the stage lights shifted, casting a bright beam on one side of the auditorium.

Every head turned toward it.

That section was packed with people. Zeno recognized a few of them instantly. They were artists with great reputations in musical theater.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Oska muttered beside Zeno.

Gene PD was still talking. “Yes, our experts will be evaluating every single aspect of your performance—vocals, acting, stage presence, emotion, and teamwork.”

Teamwork.

Beside him, Billy gave a short laugh under his breath.

Daniel glanced toward the audience, then back at the floor, muttering something inaudible.

“And finally,” Gene PD said, “we have one more surprise for today.”

Zeno felt the hairs on his arms rise.

“After this mission,” Gene PD announced, “tonight, the first episode will finally air!”

Gasps, whispers, and even a few nervous laughs echoed on stage.

They hadn’t even seen how the show would be edited yet. They didn’t know which moments would make the cut—or which humiliations would be broadcast to the world.

Gene PD let the reactions settle for a moment before smiling again.

“Now,” he said simply, “let us begin.”

***

They were now in the viewing room, screens flickering in front of them as the first team finished their sound check on stage. Zeno’s team sat together, but no one was speaking.

Hero, never one to keep his mouth shut, walked over to them. He stopped just in front of Zeno’s chair and tilted his head, scanning their stiff posture and faces.

“Whoa,” he said, half-grinning, “the aura here is insane.”

Ian, seated nearby with his own team, glanced over. His eyes went to Hero, then to Zeno’s team, and he shook his head slowly.

“Don’t bother them,” Ian said, a little beat fearful. Hero sheepishly scratched the back of his neck and moved away from the tense atmosphere.

Across the room, Misha and Risa exchanged a look. They didn’t say anything, but their worry was clear.

The sound of singing drifted through the room from somewhere nearby. Some contestants were still quietly rehearsing their parts, running lines and humming melodies, but those voices tapered off when Shin’s team stepped onto the stage.

Everyone’s attention shifted to the monitor.

The lights came up. The curtain rose. Shin’s team began their performance.

It was clean—solid vocals, clear acting beats, and enough chemistry to carry them through. The narrative was easy to follow, and they delivered it with confident timing.

When it ended, a short ripple of applause filled the auditorium before the feedback began.

“It’s decent,” one of the musical experts said into their mic. “Polished enough for a small production—community theater, maybe an off-off-Broadway show.”

There was a faint murmur of agreement from the others in the expert section.

The next performances came quickly after.

Risa and Ian’s team was up next with Love, a lighter, warmer musical piece that leaned heavily on chemistry between the leads. Risa and Ian slipped into their roles easily, moving around each other. Their smiles, the easy touches, the way they moved in sync—it could have been mistaken for genuine romance if not for the small but telling absence of tension.

Instead of romantic jitters, they had the comfortable dynamic of siblings. It was charming, but it lacked the emotional punch that might have turned the performance from pleasant to unforgettable.

Then came the Betrayal piece from another team.

It was an ambitious attempt. The trouble was, action is notoriously difficult to pull off in musical form, and here it felt strained. The emotional beats didn’t quite land, and the choreography was more reminiscent of screen acting than musical theater.

Still, it wasn’t bad.

In fact, Zeno had to admit it was better than what he’d expected from their rehearsals. They’d clearly pulled themselves together just enough to make it passable.

Zeno glanced at his own teammates.

They weren’t sitting slumped anymore. Daniel’s arms were crossed, but his eyes were sharp, locked on the stage. Phoenix leaned forward slightly, his jaw set. Even Billy had an edge to his expression.

It was the look of people ready for a fight.

Zeno smirked. Good.

It was time.

The previous performances had been slower-paced than he’d anticipated, each one dragging slightly past its runtime. The delays ate into the schedule, and before Zeno knew it, the countdown in his peripheral vision ticked sharply down.

[Time remaining: 12 minutes until quest deadline.]

His window was closing fast.

They were next.

The crew waved them forward toward the edge of the stage.

Zeno’s eyes went to the four judges seated in front of the stage.

And to the right of them, the rows of musical experts, their pens poised over scoring sheets.

It wasn’t in the script for him to address them now, but he had a mission to finish.

He stepped slightly ahead of his team and gave a polite half-bow. “Before we begin,” he said casually, “I just want to say…”

Gene PD’s brows rose.

“… thank you for gracing us with your presence today, Janie J. It’s always an honor to perform in front of someone with your ear for tone.”

Janie’s eyes softened with faint surprise.

“And of course, Gene PD,” Zeno continued smoothly, “for the opportunity you’ve given all of us here. We wouldn’t be here without your interesting sense of mission design.”

A chuckle went through the audience.

“Bacon PD,” he said, turning slightly, “The story you wrote for us is really well-made.”

Bacon PD gave him a small nod, looking amused.

Finally, his gaze went to Mr. Kim.

Every part of him resisted, but the quest timer in his mind was unforgiving.

“And Mr. Kim,” Zeno said, “I imagine your schedule is tight, so I appreciate you taking the time to be here with us.”

Jonas Kim paused and wondered why Zeno was complimenting him.

The system chimed in Zeno’s vision.

[Complimented 100 individuals.]

[Mission complete.]

[Reward unlocked: Range Enhancer acquired. Vocal range diversified.]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com