NOVEL NEXT Chapter 168
Honestly, Seo-yeon barely thought she would win on [Masked Singer].
It wasn’t a matter of motivation.
It was a matter of skill.
Seo-yeon wasn’t exactly born with stunning talent for singing; she could sing decently thanks to the help of several characters around her.
Just about that level.
Sure, adding emotion made the reactions a bit more dramatic, but honestly, she didn’t really know how well she was doing while singing.
She secretly felt proud that people said they liked the inserts from [Sky Garden] on the internet.
But still, she didn’t think she could win in a singing competition.
“I guess I’ll just promote [Sky Garden] hard and come back.”
It was a bit of a strange thought while appearing on another variety show, but Seo-yeon kept her cool.
Well, most of the other actors showed up primarily for drama or movie promotions.
So why shouldn’t she do the same!!
Thinking that way, she proudly stepped out with the nickname ‘Man-Lap Rabbit’.
“Who came up with that name anyway?”
Couldn’t think of a name to use for a rabbit, perhaps?
But then again, surprisingly enough, the host and audience seemed to react positively, so that worked out.
Thinking roughly along those lines, Seo-yeon looked over at her opponent.
The opponent was a man wearing a pigeon mask.
You could tell at a glance that he was no ordinary singer.
“Guess that’s it for me.”
Seo-yeon calmly bowed her head in greeting.
Then the opponent nodded back confidently.
“That guy has got to be a skilled singer.”
There was a confidence in his actions.
As if he was certain about the song he would sing from here on out.
And so.
The first battle began.
“By just three votes!!! Man-Lap Rabbit takes the win!”
“Wow, three votes apart!”
“It was really a nail-biter!!”
“??”
Seo-yeon froze, clutching the microphone.
Wait, she actually won?
*
The main MC of [Masked Singer], Song Byeong-soo, is a pro broadcaster.
He’s been the host for nearly five years now.
Having become one of the long-running programs, he had gathered some serious experience.
He could gauge the opponent’s skill just by looking.
[Masked Singer] doesn’t reveal identities to the MCs either.
Totally secretive.
If any information leaks, it could be trouble, and that’s why real action didn’t happen.
So while there were many parts he could only guess, he thought to himself,
“This is clearly Noryangjin Pigeon’s win.”
He could tell immediately.
No matter how much someone tried to hide their identity and act cool, some habits were unmissable.
First of all, the singers had a lot of experience performing in front of numerous audiences, so they exuded confidence.
Even when under the gaze of many, they moved as if they enjoyed it, confident in their song.
A strong image of “I’ll win”.
On the other hand, ‘Man-Lap Rabbit’ was the exact opposite.
“That mask was really well made.”
It felt like something out of a Western movie with a Bopal Rabbit? Was it called Carbanog’s Rabbit?
It seemed to be a monster that resembled a certain name.
A rather fierce impression.
Compared to the Noryangjin Pigeon, the quality difference is definitely on this side.
“But this isn’t the masquerade.”
Naturally, the one who sings well will win.
“At least the Man-Lap Rabbit isn’t a singer.”
There’s a noticeable difference in the way they hold the microphone and their gaze on the stage.
It seems somewhat familiar to stand in front of an audience like this, but still doesn’t give off the vibe of a singer.
Like someone who’s not used to holding such a microphone, the awkwardness is really peculiar.
At this point, Song Byeong-soo was sure who the winner would be.
And it wasn’t just him; the viewers probably felt the same.
“Alright, let’s kick things off with the Noryangjin Pigeon!! Please give us an amazing song!!”
The first to sing was the Noryangjin Pigeon.
Since the appearance of the “Ashen Crow,” it felt oddly like there were many birds in [Masked Singer].
They must be trying to match that theme somehow.
So the rabbit really stood out.
“Not bad.”
The skill of the Noryangjin Pigeon was impressive, just as imagined.
First off, their vocalization and technique hinted that they were a professional singer.
The audience and panel’s reactions were quite positive.
“Now, for our next contestant~.”
Man-Lap Rabbit.
From their outfit and the altered voice, one could guess they were female.
In the corner that reveals identities, they were making some odd punching gestures.
What in the world are they doing?
It looked like they were hitting something with their fists.
“Ahem, anyway, Man-Lap Rabbit. Let’s see if their singing skills are truly at the top level~!!”
With the shout of the host, Song Byeong-soo, a lively instrumental started playing.
As soon as they heard the accompaniment, the audience and panel members let out exclamations of admiration.
“An idol song?”
No way they were going to use an idol song in a competition.
Usually, idol songs are upbeat and incorporate dancing.
Naturally, [Masked Singer] prioritizes singing over dancing.
It wasn’t a suitable song for the competition.
And is that a summer girl song?
A girl group that includes Cha Na-hee.
Honestly, Cha Na-hee is famous, but for the girl group… well, who knows.
Didn’t they have at least a few songs that weren’t that great?
The song they’re singing now seems like it’s a lost track that didn’t even make it into the top ten.
Just as those thoughts crossed my mind, the Man-Lap Rabbit brought the microphone to their lips.
And then.
“……!!”
Song Byeong-soo’s eyes widened.
“No way, they can actually sing well?”
Honestly, it didn’t feel like extraordinary technique.
But there’s a saying, isn’t there?
A voice can be a strong candidate.
Their truly clear tone and rich emotional expression made the lyrics come to life.
“This was the song?”
The reinterpretation was also superb.
It felt as if the summer girl had skillfully arranged it themselves.
With an emotional voice adding freshness to the song.
While the technique was lacking, their vocalization was proficient and grabbed the audience’s ears like they were soaring.
“I definitely felt like I heard a similar voice.”
Deep in thought, Song Byeong-soo suddenly remembered something.
“The insert song from [Sky Garden].”
“That’s right, that’s it!”
It was a recent OST from the drama he enjoyed, so it came to him immediately.
While others were watching [Grand Game], Song Byeong-soo was busy watching [Sky Garden].
The emotion of the song he heard back then.
It was very similar to the vibe of the song being sung by Man-Lap Rabbit right now.
As the song ended,
there was a slight murmur among the audience and the panel.
It didn’t feel like an overwhelming show of skill, but it was strangely intense.
Intensity.
No matter how much of a technique one has, or how well one can sing, there’s something that can only be gained from intensity.
That was probably Man-Lap Rabbit’s biggest weapon.
So,
“The winner by just three votes is Man-Lap Rabbit!!”
When the results were announced, no one was particularly shocked.
Even the rival, Noryangjin Pigeon, clapped enthusiastically to congratulate him.
“The identity of Noryangjin Pigeon is Park Ren!! Rapper Park Ren!”
“Wow, it was Park Ren? The winner of the Hip Under Show, right?”
“Yes, I probably won’t get to sing something like this again. I wanted to show a new side of myself.”
Even Seo-yeon winning was impressive, beating Park Ren, the champion of a show filled with popular rappers.
Though they were competing in a singing contest rather than a rap battle, it was clear that Man-Lap Rabbit had emerged victorious.
“Who on earth is Man-Lap Rabbit to beat Park Ren?”
Park Ren wasn’t incapable of singing.
The stage was not one where he could showcase his skills, so the emotion felt somewhat muted.
But his characteristic sense of rhythm and timing hadn’t vanished.
Yet, Man-Lap Rabbit managed to win against that.
“Thus, Man-Lap Rabbit advances to the upper round!”
In that applause-filled and celebratory performance space of [Masked Singer], two individuals were flustered.
“Wait, how did I win?”
Seo-yeon wondered.
“Hold on a second. Is this…dangerous?”
It was the Ashen Crow, trembling anxiously on the throne.
*
“Congratulations!! Do you want to go to karaoke together next time? I know a great place you’ll surely like!!”
“Busy rabbit emoji.”
“Ah, that means you’re going?”
Seo-yeon squinted at her smartphone, staring at the screen.
This is suspicious.
“Isn’t it definitely her?”
As soon as [Masked Singer] aired, the one who reached out was Jo Seo-hee.
How on earth did she manage to figure out it was her?
Well, since she’s hiding her identity, knowing this means someone told her.
Besides, Jo Seo-hee wasn’t the type to keep up with variety shows anyway.
“Lee Ji-yeon.”
Yeah, it must be Lee Ji-yeon.
There weren’t many people who knew Seo-yeon was participating in [Masked Singer].
So if anyone heard about it, it’d be Lee Ji-yeon; she could easily guess when and where.
“Those two are acting very suspicious lately.”
It’s not that they had developed some strange relationship.
It was just that Ji-yeon often learned acting from Seo-yeon more than anyone else.
Lee Ji-yeon often learned acting from Jo Seo-hee rather than Seo-yeon.
And it seems Jo Seo-hee, in her own way, also gets various ‘help’ from Lee Ji-yeon.
“That villainess noble lady, right?”
Isn’t it Jo Seo-hee?
At first, I didn’t know, but if you keep up with the broadcasts, you eventually pick up on it.
A golden spoon noble lady through and through.
How many people like that would Lee Ji-yeon even know?
As far as Seo-yeon knows, it’s just Jo Seo-hee.
It’s only a suspicion, and she’s just gurgling about it, but that’s the state of her thoughts.
“Thanks to beating Park Ren, the community’s interest is pretty huge, huh? When you take off that mask, it’s gonna be quite a promotion.”
Her friend Jo Seo-hee was chattering away.
At first, Seo-yeon was just humming along, but by now, she had to accept it.
“I’ll go after karaoke.”
Seo-yeon finally replied and let out a sigh.
Honestly, “Masked Singer” tends to be a bit tiring from Seo-yeon’s perspective.
The amount of singing practice was quite substantial for something light.
With so much else going on, it made sense for Seo-yeon to get eliminated in the first round.
“Seo-yeon, we’re about to start filming. Are you okay?”
“Oh, yes.”
When she looked up, the director of “Sky Garden,” Kim Il-soo, gave her a thumbs up.
“Yesterday, the Man-Lap Rabbit, that was you, right? Wow, you’re much better than before.”
“Oh, how did you know?”
Who did he hear that from?
That thought crossed her mind.
“Ahem, it’s not that I heard it from someone. I just recognized it. After all, I’m someone who saw Seo-yeon’s singing skills improve.”
Still, it was surprising that he guessed just based on her voice.
“I hope it doesn’t interfere with the filming. After all… you know, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Great! Then let’s power through today’s shoot.”
Kim Il-soo’s concerns were somewhat understandable.
After all, Seo-yeon had a lot on her plate.
If she weren’t invincible with her TS body, she might have gotten overwhelmed long ago.
“So that’s why…”
She felt the gazes on set.
A few young actors.
Among the cast for this “Sky Garden,” there were noticeable stares.
Kim Hyun-seok, who had been snappy with her before.
Of course, there wasn’t really that vibe now, but the atmosphere felt tense.
She knew why.
Currently, all the focus in “Sky Garden” was on Lee Yoo-joo.
Of course, that’s expected since she’s the protagonist.
In fact, it would be a problem if she didn’t take the lead.
However.
– It’s definitely hard to immerse myself with all these young kids around.
– Honestly, isn’t there too much of a difference in acting skills?
– Seems like we need to do something about those who sometimes seem a bit out of place?
Given such harsh reviews, it was understandable to feel dizzy.
“…This isn’t good.”
With that going on, it surely affects the other actors too.
Especially since tomorrow’s shooting of episode 10 was potentially risky.
It was exactly in the middle of the 20-episode “Sky Garden.”
And it was a crucial turning point for the drama’s mood.