"What, what's going on?"
All the members except for me turned their heads towards where the sound of surprise was coming from.
Perhaps feeling a sense of responsibility as the leader, Kim Seonghyun was the first to jump up and approach the door. He grabbed the doorknob, but it only rattled and didn't open.
"It's not opening."
"Just now, what..."
Wide-eyed, Jung Dajun stuttered as he tried to explain.
"A scream! Isn't it dangerous? The phone, the phone..."
Then,
"Aaaahhh!"
Once again, screams echoed,
"Eeeaaahhh!"
"Aaahhh!"
Something thudded from the ceiling.
The leader and the youngest, along with two scaredy-cats, covered their eyes and shouted like mad.
"Whoa! What's happening?!"
"Go back, guys! Back..."
"Why should we go back..."
"Ahaha."
Kim Seonghyun tried to drag along Kang Ichae, who flinched slightly, the nonchalant me, and even Seong Jiwon, who burst into laughter instead of being scared, to run away to a corner.
However, Seong Ji-won, after shaking his head for a moment, approached the object swaying back and forth.
"...Isn't this a mannequin?"
As Kim Seonghyun tentatively lifted his hand that had been covering his face, the mannequin that had fallen from the ceiling turned out to be a figure painted red.
"...A mannequin?"
While Jung Dajun and Kim Seonghyun comforted each other, Kang ichae found a piece of paper fixed to the mannequin's clothes with a safety pin.
"It's a mission?"
'I knew Kim Heeyoung would do something like this.'
No wonder she seemed unusually cheerful today, as if she had bright and lively laughter that followed a PD who worked overtime and was exhausted like a regular meal.
Impossible.
Ding!
[Wow... They really went all out...]
What can you do about it?
Just before breaking down in tears, Kim Seonghyun, who forced himself to remain calm, calmly asked.
"W-what, what does it say on the mission paper?"
"I'll read it~."
I stand corrected. The leader wasn't calm.
Kang Ichae slowly read aloud the mission written on the paper.
"Starting the first mission of Shining Star Season 2. 'Find the note in the haunted broadcasting station' mission!"
"...What?"
Still reeling from shock, Jung Dajun sat huddled in a corner, trembling with fear, but he raised his head at Kang ichae's words.
"The face-to-face meeting will be divided into dance unit, vocal unit, and rap unit. After performing on stage in front of the audience wearing masks and hats, the one who receives the most votes will be rewarded. The song choice and duration will vary depending on the notes."
"...?"
"The notes are hidden in the 'Aaah! Broadcasting station is too scary' place. Two members should explore the haunted broadcasting station to find the notes."
"Two members!!"
Jung Dajun clenched his fists and stood up.
"Then it should be me with Hoyun hyung and Jiwon hyung!!"
"...."
Less than a year had passed since the person who said, 'I want to help my hyung,' was now pointing me out with bloodshot eyes to push me out.
"Those two didn't even flinch! Even ichae hyung was trembling with fear!"
"Bangbang-ah, even hyung is scared."
"Hoyun hyung, if you're going to lie, at least shut your mouth with spit!"
"I'm scared~."
"...."
After wiping his mouth with spit and speaking, Jung Dajun stared at me as if he wanted to kill me.
"Oh, I don't mind going."
Seong Jiwon said regretfully.
"But judging by what's written here, shouldn't we not go?"
"Wwhat do you mean?"
Seong Jiwon glanced at Jung Dajun and then read the following contents.
"The participants for this exploration are the two who made the loudest noise. They will be designated by the production team in order of the measured decibels."
"...!"
Jung Da-jun's mouth fell open.
By the way, there were only two people who screamed loudly here.
At that moment, a strange mechanical voice came through the conference room speaker.
"[96dB Jung Da-jun, 88dB Kim Seonghyun, come out.]"
"....!!!"
That's how their faces turned pale.
.
.
.
"Aaahhhh!"
"Waaaaah! Jung Dajun! Come here!"
"Hyung, hyung! Don't leave me behind! Seonghyun is, is...!"
"W-what, what? Then what am I holding onto right now... Aaahhh!"
It was complete chaos.
The remaining three of us moved to another conference room under the guidance of the staff, where we were treated to tea and dessert while monitoring Kim Seonghyun and Jung Dajun in real-time.
"The dancers are being very romantic~."
"Look at Dajun holding onto the ghost instead."
"But they're not giving up halfway."
We were just enjoying ourselves.
I chuckled as I picked the Shine Muscat off the slice of cake.
The scene where Kim Seonghyun (half-sobbing) sang a song with aegyo to the ghost in the third stall of the restroom and obtained the note was a masterpiece in itself.
"Hahaha, Seonghyun sings well."
After a year of being slightly influenced by me and Kang ichae, even Seong Jiwon seemed to enjoy himself. Next to him, Kang ichae was laughing satisfactorily, tapping the desk with his hand.
A staff member standing on the opposite side whispered quietly to Kim Hee-oung as they watched.
"They've been mocking the group more than anyone else until now...."
"Great, great~."
In the end, Kim Seonghyun and Jung Dajun arrived at the conference room, chased by ghosts until the very end.
"We, we, we made it!!!"
"We made it!!!!"
They stumbled and fell, both of their faces grimacing.
"Wow~."
"Congratulations~."
Clap clap clap.
The staff and members applauded them, though there wasn't an ounce of enthusiasm in it.
Ding!
"This lackluster congratulatory message...."
"It took roughly 1 hour and 21 minutes. Congratulations on completing it."
"I want to cry...."
"S-someone hug me, please."
The two scaredy-cats approached, sniffling.
It was possible because they were such innocent guys that they didn't realize how excited the rest of the members were in the waiting room.
Naturally, I ignored them and reached out my hand.
"I, I don't want to do this...."
"What did you bring?"
"...."
"...."
"What did you bring?"
"I really messed up...."
As I rummaged through the pockets of the guys who seemed too scared to move, I found three notes: vocal, dance, and rap.
Unfolding the paper labeled "Vocal Unit," I quickly scanned the contents.
"We sing this at the face-to-face meeting, right?"
"As representatives of the duet, yes."
"...Oh."
It was a song I had seen somewhere before.
After folding all the notes back and forth, I looked at Seong Ji-won.
Jung Dajun glanced at Seong Jiwon once, then Kang ichae, before looking at me.
"Huh?"
Seong Ji-
won wore a vague smile on his lips.
"Isn't this a bit risky?"
I thought so too.
Not because the song was familiar, though.
"[Seong Ji-won, influenced slightly by Seo Hoyun, still remains an affectionate, angelic, kind member who wants to be with Seo Hoyun forever.]"
What's that supposed to mean?
Skipping the unnecessary content, I looked away.
Anyway, it does seem risky.
[Vocal: S0 Dance: A+ Entertainment: C- Acting: B- Charisma: A- ???: ???]
Seong Ji-won's singing stats.
***
"Hey, what's that?"
The attention of passersby walking along the Han River was drawn to one place.
Many people were busy setting up cameras and outdoor stages. Some were handing out something to the passersby.
"Is there a performance going on?"
"Yeah? But aren't there any posters or banners?"
"I didn't see any."
Though he spoke with a dull tone, he was actually quite bored and curious, so he became interested.
Approaching someone who seemed to be aimlessly wandering around after having eaten an hour ago and with nothing else to do, the person struck up a conversation.
"We're having a guerrilla concert today. It's a masked king concept, and each duet will sing their own song in order. Just choose the duo you like the most."
"Oh~."
Intrigued, he nodded and entered the outdoor concert venue with his friend. It was just about to start, as the pin lights on the stage were turned on.
"I guess they're not that good at singing."
"Yeah, it's probably best not to expect too much."
Seeing the staff come out without an MC to host, it didn't seem like a very famous broadcast.
However, the moment the melody of the first song started, everyone in the audience let out a gasp.
[My heart keeps getting sadder, I keep hiding it from you and staying up all night]
"Pathetic Confession!"
It was the OST of a drama that had heated up the past year.
Moreover, being a fan of Min Ji-heon, the person who had heatedly sung this song, he was deeply moved.
He didn't know which singer was performing, but the sweet voice blended well with the lyrics that suited the drama, and it had stayed on the charts for quite a long time.
"Wow~, they sing well."
However, after all, his appreciation for the song was just about that much.
Although it was sung well, it lacked the unique emotion that the Pathetic Confession held.
'But since it's a famous song, maybe people will choose it a lot.'
After the song ended, the pin lights went out.
They sang well, but they lacked the unique emotion that the Pathetic Confession held.
'But since it's a famous song, maybe people will choose it a lot.'
As the song ended, the pin lights went out.
Instead, as the curtain next to it dropped, new lights came on, and the second and third duets came out one by one to sing different songs.
At that moment, they also sang cleanly and well, but it didn't feel particularly captivating.
"They're not bad, though."
"Yeah, I guess..."
Nodding in agreement with his friend's words, the fourth curtain dropped.
[Say you love me, ]
The song performed by the duet this time was "Say you love me," a mega-hit song by Yoo Jia. It had received tremendous love from both men and women for its rock ballad style, seeking to hear the words "I love you" from the other person, making it a characteristic song.
'Huh?'
"Wow~! Amazing."
[I don't know, so I'm asking]
The atmosphere inside the venue became slightly chaotic.
"Wow, her voice is amazing."
There were no gimmicks, but the pitch of her tone was accurate, and the rhythm was perfectly in sync. Furthermore, she cleanly hit the high notes, captivating the eyes of the audience.
Moreover,
"Insane. Didn't even change the key?"
She was singing "Say you love me" in the same key. Even though it was a low range for a female singer, it was high for a male singer, yet she continued the song smoothly.
[Just a little bit more than you loving me]
While everyone was captivated by her mesmerizing voice, he felt a strange sensation.
As someone who had turned the camera around almost a hundred times without faking it to capture every angle of Min Jiheon 's face for "Please Take Care of the Camera," he felt a tingling sensation.
'What's this?'
The man standing next to the singer, covered with a hat and mask, exuded a relaxed attitude and silhouette, without any hint of tension...
He seemed familiar.
[But I don't want to say it easily Because you like me doing this]
"Wow, she's stable until the end."
"They're the best."
Except for themselves, everyone else just nodded along, enjoying the auditory feast on stage.
Then, the man who had been standing quietly all along raised the microphone.
[Since you don't know, I can't help it I will say this only once]
"... !!"
A shiver ran down my spine.
[Again! Say it once more]
The transition from harmony to unison was very smooth.
Amidst the excitement of the audience, the two singers gestured with harmony. It somehow looked like gestures from an idol group.
"Wow, w-what is this...?"
Simply saying they sang well couldn't express it all.
The thrill he felt at a famous singer's concert venue he had experienced for the first time came rushing back.
"This is insane...."
"Hey! Hey, hey!"
Just until moments ago, he hadn't even had a glimmer of expectation, but now, he stood with his mouth agape, gazing only at the stage.
Then his friend nudged him on the arm. Startled, he turned to face his friend, but his friend, caught up in the excitement, seemed oblivious to his surroundings.
"That person, it's them!"
"What?"
"The one who sang 'Pathetic Confession'!"
"...What?"
[If you still don't know, once more]
As he listened closely, it seemed to be true.
"...Whoa!"
As much as he had watched "Please Take Care of the Camera," the OST had become so ingrained in his ears.
It was easy to distinguish the familiar voice.
[It can't be helped until you know, so I'll tell you again]
"Right! Right!"
"It seems right?!"
As the certainty grew, excitement surged.
It seemed like everyone around him was thinking the same thing.
[Say You Love Me-]
"Insane, insane!"
In that moment of madness, he frantically pressed the vote button on the remote control.
As the duet of 'Pathetic Confession' reached its climax, the number displayed on the screen behind the curtain skyrocketed like crazy.
[109]
First place.
Although there was still one more performance left, compared to the previous teams, it was an overwhelmingly high vote count.
Shortly after, the fifth performance also ended, and although the scores were tallied, the rankings remained unchanged.
"Oh, it must be true?!"
"It must be! Can there be anyone else who sings like this??"
Looking around, most people seemed engrossed in verifying whether the fourth duet's suspicion was correct.
[Alright! The voting is closed. Now, please take off your masks in order!]
Then, starting from the far left, the first to the third duets, they took off their masks one by one, revealing their faces in accordance with the songs they sang.
"Aaah!"
The surrounding screams made it seem like they were idols.
However, there was a separate anticipation for the introduction between the friend and himself.
[...? ♩♬♩♪]
Just then, the first part of the song sung by the fourth duet started playing.
As the pin spotlights lit up again, two slickly dressed men stood on the stage with hats and masks firmly on.
"D Team! Please remove your masks!"
In accordance with the staff's voice transmitted through the microphone, one person first removed their mask and hat.
Then, a brown-haired man with a slightly lifted lip appeared. At the same time, his friend muttered in disbelief.
"Damn, holy shit...."
The man with the sunlit backlight shining behind him looked like an angel to anyone, not just someone who didn't know anything.
"Hey, what the hell. He's so damn handsome?"
"Wow, damn! I'm looking it up now!"
As his friend took out his phone and started searching for 'Pathetic Confession' on a portal site, he compared the singer's picture he found with the face of the man standing in front of him.
"Seong Jiwon? Hey, this guy looks like him!"
"Yeah, he does!!"
But their chatter didn't continue.
Screams echoed from the surroundings.
"Aaah!!"
When they turned their gaze forward, the person next to them was removing their black hat.
It was already a familiar face to him.
"...Damn."
The PD of 'Please Take Care of the Camera.'
Lee Jeonghoon.
A supporting actor, that extra!!
"You damn bastard PD!!"
He couldn't help but shout, forgetting his dignity. But since everyone around him was in a similar situation, he didn't feel embarrassed.
The PD of 'Please Take Care of the Camera' and the angel exchanged glances and then smiled lightly, waving their hands towards the audience.
"Wow, this is giving me goosebumps."
"What's going on, is this a drama??"
As he excitedly bantered with his friend,
"Aaaah!!"
An unprecedented, tremendous roar and cheer resounded.
When he turned his head, two men sitting at the far right were removing their masks.
"...Huh?"
They were idols as familiar as the back of his hand.
.
.
.
'Fuck.....'
I shivered as I thought about the calculations behind the offline event.
In truth, if we were to sing "Pathetic Confession," it was a given that the current leader would take the top spot. To appeal to the general public while hiding our faces, it was crucial to have a "familiar voice for a familiar song," and it was only natural to take advantage of this in the competition.
However.
"It would be boring to win first place with 'Pathetic Confession.'"
Winning too easily or selfishly wouldn't paint a good picture.
So, to create a suitable balance and make the competition interesting, I had to use a little bit of wit.
I was confident that by participating and bringing in an issue that could stir up controversy later, I could secure at least one topic of discussion.
As long as we had Seong Jiwon with an S-rated singing stat, I was confident we could take first place regardless of the song we chose.
"Darn it...."
Yes, winning first place at the offline event was possible.
"Hello, everyone."
That was unexpected.
"High-five!"
High-five.
The next-generation representative idol group, Super Rookie, Monster Rookie.
A group that made perfect sense no matter what you said, they were the direct junior group of Black Call.
They weren't in the original lineup, and in reality, they didn't even need to be there....
It was the appearance of a group that didn't quite fit the bill.
"Joo Woosung, that guy, for some reason he didn't tell us...."
This time, no matter how much I begged, Joo Woo-sung didn't respond.
"Shining Star contestant? I really don't know~."
"Well then, goodbye."
"...Consistently shameless jerk."
The guy who had been prattling on about Shining Star Season 2 consistently refused to open his mouth about the cast, no matter how much I pressed him.
He just shrugged his shoulders arrogantly, pretending not to know.
"I knew it would be like this."
A member of High-five glanced at us and waved his hand slightly.
I also smiled back at High-five.
Of course, my head was growing cold.
At the same time, I remembered what Kim Hee-young had said.
"Go for first place."
Hey, Kim Heeyoung.
You want me to compete for first place against these guys?
---