NOVEL NEXT Chapter 199
It didn’t take long for the vague doubts to transform into certainty.
“Wow, that was a nice song. I thought you were going to belt out some rough rock ballad, but it was really clean.”
“Thank you.”
“Even if it’s not a song where you just scream and hit those high notes, just singing softly like this is something to admire. It’s easy on the ears, right?”
That was a remarkably generous evaluation compared to the other participants.
Myunghun piled on with another comment regarding Ririkei’s performance.
“You sing kind of like Bill Gates.”
“Bill Gates?”
“You know, like Microsoft. Hahaha! Hah… Was that not funny?”
Laughter echoes
The audience goes ‘Aww…’
Ugh…
Dude, I can’t believe I’m hearing those dad jokes from someone who works in a company
How old is Myunghun again?
Born in 1992.
Yikes.
Yeah, early 30s are classic old-timers…
I’m 32 and I wouldn’t make those jokes;;
What even is this atmosphere?
What a nonsensical joke. Ririkei and Rita went silent, and an awkward silent pause radiated from the stage.
Had Myunghun’s mind gone weird from the long broadcast?
Just when Rita was about to open her mouth to salvage the semblance of a broadcast accident…
“You have a good sense of humor, don’t you?”
“Oh, um… Thank you?”
“You won’t be boring if you work as an idol, I guess.”
When the participants complimented Myunghun’s dad jokes as if he were the boss, Lee Jian’s calm voice held a strange hint of laughter. It was as if the nonsense joke from just a moment ago suited her taste perfectly. It made one think she wasn’t lying after all.
“Right? It’s funny, isn’t it? This is the highlight of the prepared jokes, but no one is biting.”
“Well, prophets are always lonely.”
“Why are we talking about prophets…?”
Prophet nonsense, LOL
This guy isn’t normal either
Girl…
With a voice like that, why is he talking nonsense?
Already starting the awkwardness…
Social skills on
29 years old and in serious mode, wow
Myunghun, who had acknowledged that his jokes were of a level only the unusual could comprehend, was grinning. Meanwhile, Rita felt something was off.
She was working through a particular suspicion that had started to settle in her mind.
The odd sense of humor that only he enjoyed, the woman, the Virtual YouTuber, the soft voice, contrasted with the unhinged personas…
All were characteristics that aligned with ‘her,’ the one Rita knew.
However, it seemed somewhat unreasonable to definitively state that the participant in front of her was ‘her’ based solely on this.
Her voice strangely differs, and the age is wrong…
Participant Lee Jian’s voice was noticeably lower than the ‘her’ that Rita remembered, giving off the impression of being rather deep for a woman, which contrasted intriguingly with the soft song choices.
And the Isekai rock ballader Lee Jian had revealed her age was 29. She claimed she was on the brink of her twenties.
She mentioned mustering up the courage to participate, cherishing her final youthful days.
These were aspects that did not align with the ‘her’ Rita knew.
But that alone could not dispel the doubts.
The voice can be altered through software, and the age could just be a lie.
Voice modulation software is frequently used by male impersonators to hide their identities. In fact, many had been caught in the abyss of deception using such programs during their reveals.
Using software like that is exceptionally easy, and there’s no guarantee that Lee Jian didn’t also use it.
When it comes to age, it’s something that can just be fabricated. Sometimes people choose not to reveal it at all.
They could lie about their age—claiming to be 17 and pretending to be a high school girl or presenting themselves as a 500 or 700-year-old different species of no-life.
That is a weapon and a feature that Virtual YouTubers possess. It’s impossible to carelessly unveil truths behind such alluring veils.
Thus, the current conclusion was that it couldn’t be known for sure. Maybe watching things unfold a bit longer would shed light on the matter.
“So, what are your hobbies?”
“I play games often. I’m actually pretty good at them.”
“Oh, you’re good at games? I’m curious how good.”
“If you see me, you might be surprised.”
As the conversation progressed, Rita started to feel certain that Lee Jian was the ‘her’ she knew.
“Don’t you have any other hobbies?”
“Well, not really… I watch YouTube, and rock climbing looks fun. I’d like to try it one day.”
‘Her.’ The words that Mollru had recently spoken to Rita overlapped in her mind.
‘Have you tried rock climbing, Rita? It looks fun.’
‘Seems like she’s not hiding anything here.’
There must have been others who noticed that Lee Jian’s true identity was Mollru.
Primarily, there were Mollru’s fans. When she didn’t turn on her stream, these obsessive fans would investigate with a passion, like a scientific task force, regarding why she hadn’t streamed, and where she had gone.
The question that filled Rita’s mind, now that she recognized the participant as Mollru, was narrowed down to just one.
‘Why did she apply?’
So, why had she applied? It seemed like she was living well and independently with her personal streams.
Had she suddenly developed a desire to be an idol? Did she genuinely want to sing?
It wasn’t all that strange. From her appearance alone, it was far from ordinary. Perhaps she just wanted to throw herself into a broader world now.
Still, it was a bit puzzling to start that journey as a Virtual Idol.
Who could fathom the thoughts of a madwoman?
Rita just shook her head, thinking that Mollru was up to her antics again.
It was nothing she hadn’t gotten used to by now.
*
It was only simple entertainment.
She’d decided to participate in this audition after hearing that Virtual Idol auditions were happening; her interest was piqued, leading her to take action.
After all, she was a Virtual YouTuber too. Even if her face wasn’t revealed and her activities weren’t varied, she couldn’t possibly be excluded from this audition just because she wasn’t a typical Virtual YouTuber.
She secured her avatar through Jay from the Flare Crew. After hearing her situation, he rather enthusiastically offered his help.
The concept of an Isekai Rock Ballader was something she’d been toying with for a while. Watching other Virtual YouTubers with their concepts made her think about creating something appealing as well.
In truth, it wasn’t merely a concept, but rather half a fact. She had once been deeply immersed in rock ballads.
The only issue was that she didn’t have a strong desire to become an idol, but hey, if she was eliminated before the end, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Other competition shows usually have a preliminary round that’s entertaining anyhow. It felt like that.
“I’ll just take my exit now.”
During the judging, Rita abruptly dismissed her.
“What’s the reason?”
“I feel like I know you. I might hear rumors of nepotism otherwise.”
“You’re showing a commitment to proactively prevent controversy. Got it.”
It seemed like Rita had caught onto her true identity. She hadn’t thought she’d been too obvious, but the woman had good instincts.
“Isn’t that right, Lee Jian? You’re familiar with Rita?”
“It seems like she might be a fan of mine. Since I’m a famous rock ballader, I have a nationwide fanbase. I guess she’s worried my fan feelings will cloud my judgment.”
“You even include the nonchalance. Well then, Ririkei! Let’s hear your evaluation?”
As Myunghun’s trivial banter passed, Ririkei’s evaluation followed.
“I thought it was really good. The concept, the sense of humor…? I’m not well-versed, so I can’t really comment, but your singing? I’d say it’s a pass.”
“Does that mean you’re saying I’ve been accepted?”
“Yes, I’ll approve you.”
This felt a bit gratifying. Ririkei was an objectively invited judge for the evaluation.
Of course, she’d likely lowered her standards, but to be recognized by someone who had worked with professionals was something else.
Now Rita’s effort to improve her singing for this audition was being acknowledged.
“Oh, now it’s 1 on 1. So, my choice leads to either acceptance or rejection for Lee Jian, correct?”
Now that the decision rested in her hands, there was a certain weight to it. Myunghun murmured to himself before continuing.
“I don’t have specific criteria for judging. I don’t look at singing or concepts separately; I just judge by feel. I’ll think, ‘This person will really be successful,’ or ‘This person fits the bill.’ That’s the kind of feeling I’m going off of.”
I knew he was stretching things out to set the broadcast angle, but I really wished he’d just spit it out already.
“From my instinct-based assessment… Isekai Rock Star Lee Jian is!”
“Rock ballader!”
“You are accepted! Congratulations!”
Accepted, huh?
I thought it would be strange to be eliminated in the first round, but unexpectedly, I had passed.