Save a Failed Idol’s Life

Chapter 68 Nothing ever goes easy

That’s when the contestant number 14, who had been laying down a low bass voice, soared up.

The light came on only at booth 14, and a husky voice that sounded like a self-arranged RnB style filled the air.

[Maybe I’ll snap sometimes]

[Then it rains every day between us]

[Don’t let me be gloomy like that, fill me up-]

“Wow!”

The judges’ seats were all stirred up. 

Who was that? 

The voice was familiar to my ears. 

Of course, he sang well.

He lowered the key from the original, but his unique vibe was so intense that it didn’t matter at all.

This was trouble… My relaxed mind started to tighten up.

The previous two lines were too powerful to cover with just a decent singing.

He needed a distinctive skill that could surpass the soulful RnB, but Seong-won was a textbook-like genuine vocal.

He had a good sense of rhythm, a wide range, a stable voice, and a clean tone, but he didn’t have an irreplaceable strength.

“Hey, he’s good when he sings like that.”

“Yeah, I know. I couldn’t hear him well at the beginning.”

The next part went smoothly without anyone taking the lead, but everyone must have had the same thought in their heads.

They must have been wondering when the candidate number 14 would press the button again.

What do I do about that? I was anxious outside, wondering if I could do anything for him, while the first verse was ending.

Did Seong-won press the button? The light came on at booth 24.

[Tonight, I’ll be someone else]

The lyrics of the intro, with a different melody, stuck in my ears.

Just when I thought it was a bit disappointing, Seong-won raised the key and gradually lifted the pitch.

[I’m so Shiny- that you can’t take your eyes off me!!]

It was a part that led directly to the instrumental, so the microphone didn’t turn off even after the part ended.

The audience swayed again to Seong-won’s clear and cool voice that stretched out to swallow the instrumental.

“It’s so refreshing and nice!”

“It’s a different feeling from number 14, I like this too.”

If number 14’s strength was his soulful voice, Seong-won seemed to compete with his crisp and refreshing high notes.

He also sang a bit higher than the original key, so his voice was the only one that could be heard in the part where everyone sang together.

“Once his voice hits the spot, it’s like I can only hear him.”

Number 14 pressed the preemptive button again, as if he wouldn’t let Seong-won take the lead.

[Tonight, throw away your worries far away]

[If you want to be with me, hurry up now]

[You know I want to make you more restless-]

He really sang well. 

Even with an unsuitable song choice, he was this good. I wondered how high he would have soared if he had chosen a better song. My tongue was twisted.

As soon as the part without preemptive button followed, Seong-won’s voice sounded clear again.

Before the rap part came out, the number 1 contestant came to his senses and pressed the preemptive button.

[What are you looking at, look at me now!]

[I’ve become someone else for you Tonight]

I felt more familiar this time, but it was not enough to erase the strong impression of Seong-won and number 14.

Under Seong-won’s steady lead, the rap part flew by, and now only the high-pitched part remained.

He was going to take it again and make an impression. Everyone was thinking the same thing and looking at the monitor when something unexpected happened.

Seong-won didn’t press the preemptive button. There was only the chorus left in the remaining part. What was he thinking?

It was a rule violation not to use all the preemptive rights.

When everyone was looking at him with curiosity and excitement, wondering when he would use it,

[Look at me, the most dazzling one in this moment-]

The light came on in Seong-won’s booth. 

Thankfully, before I could even sigh, Seong-won showed off his unique clear and refreshing voice as if he had completely seized the momentum.

[This night that you’ll never forget, Shiny-!!]

[This is a song for you, Tonight]

With the three-step high notes that he gradually raised, Jinsung’s light melody carried the song along.

It wasn’t just a saying, the whole chorus sounded like it was made for Seong-won.

How were the other contestants? I couldn’t remember them at all after such an impactful chorus and the accompaniment was completely finished.

The judges’ seats swayed again.

Who is that young man? Is he an idol? If he’s a main vocal who can sing that well among idols, he must be famous.

After they turned off their microphones and whispered among themselves, the official judging time began.

“Wow… First of all, you all did really well.”

“Contestant number one, you must have had a hard time with this song because you’re not used to it. You did a great job until the end.”

“That’s right, it was such a pity.”

They put aside contestant number one, who was confirmed to be eliminated. It seemed to be a choice between contestant number 14, who showed an impressive performance in his part, and contestant number 24, who led the whole song and made a perfect finish.

I would choose 24, but… As long as he was there, I couldn’t relax.

“Contestant number 24 and contestant number 14, you both have very different styles and are both impressive. It was a pleasure to listen to you.”

I felt sick to my stomach as I looked at Yugeon, who smiled with a nice face.

If you had pressed the pass button in the first place, I wouldn’t have to suffer like this until the second round.

Would he sabotage me until the second round?

I clenched my fist as I changed Yugeon’s evaluation from ‘annoying ally’ to ‘enemy who can be helpful sometimes’.

“That’s right, honestly, I felt like I only heard contestant number 24’s voice from the beginning to the end.”

“His voice is so clear and refreshing, and it reaches out.”

“Right. It feels like the lid on your head is lifted off.”

The hall was filled with laughter as the male producer gestured with his hand on his head and tilted his glass.

“Let’s say it was a fizzy voice, fizz.”

“Fizz is not only for drinks, right?”

“Ahaha, let’s stop there. I also found contestant number 14 very impressive.”

Ugh, is it too early to relax? I glared at the monitor with a nervous face.

“Contestant number 14 was amazing too. His vocal range was so low that he didn’t make much of an impression in the joint part.”

“Yes, that’s right. But then he was so soulful in his solo part that I wanted to hear more.”

“It was a song that made me look forward to how awesome he would be when he got a song that suited him perfectly.”

The MC spun his hand in a circle, urging the conclusion as the judging dragged on.

“Well, then, let’s reveal the results of the judging. Please press from left to right!”

A middle-aged male producer, number 14.

A middle-aged female planning agency president, number 24.

A famous female singer in her thirties, number 1.

Number 1? Everyone’s eyes widened as the judge who had pressed number 1 earlier waved his hand and explained.

“I was really impressed by the first round audition of contestant number 1. I wanted to give her another chance.”

This meant that the winner would be decided by the last remaining vote. The camera zoomed in on Kang Yugeon in a full shot.

Aware of the camera, Yugeon made a V sign with his hand and smiled cheekily.

“My judging result is…”

***

“It feels like my life is wearing out.”

I lay down on the back seat of the minivan, reclining the seat all the way back, and washed my face. 

The manager answered from the driver’s seat.

“Why were you so nervous when you didn’t even go out?”

Why indeed. It was because I had set it up. The manager had no idea that Seong-won had a sponsorship from Cheonsu Hotel in his casting history.

“There is, a good reason for that.”

I turned my head to the side and closed my eyes, feeling tired. Seong-won looked down at my face sharply.

Damn, he’s going to bore a hole in my face. I quickly avoided Seong-won’s gaze and turned over.

“You won, didn’t you? Isn’t that enough?”

Seong-won pouted and crossed his arms like a child. I sat up and looked at his face.

“Don’t twist my words. I’m not tired because of you.”

“Then what is it?”

Seong-won blinked, curling his thin cat-like eyes as he opened and closed them.

“Is it because of the judging results, the luck of the song selection… or something like that?”

It sounded like a weak excuse, but I really didn’t like it when the outcome was determined by things I couldn’t control.

Seong-won was lucky with his song selection.

How unfair would it be for someone like number 1, who had passed the first round audition with a good result, to fail in the second round?

I felt it was somewhat unfair, but that was the rule and I had to follow it as a contestant.

I was glad that I could choose and arrange my own songs in the final round.

“Don’t you feel unfair?”

I looked at Seong-won with a dissatisfied expression. He opened his eyes wide and answered.

“Well. Right now, I just… can’t believe I’m on the show.”

I slowly scrutinized Seong-won’s face and remembered something I had forgotten.

By the way, I wanted to ask him how he became an idol.

“It’s the same for any show. Luck is the most important thing.”

Hmm… I couldn’t deny that, but it wasn’t always true. It was true in the field I had experienced, but I couldn’t guarantee that it would apply to the entertainment industry.

There were people with this level of skill who were not from very small agencies, but they were so unknown.

Now there were people who recognized him here and there, but that was only because I had run around in all directions.

Luck is not everything, effort does not betray, these words were only valid in situations where you could actually experience them.

“I don’t know.”

I leaned my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes. 

I felt Seong-won’s piercing gaze through my eyelids.

“What… do you have anything else to say?”

Finally, I couldn’t stand his gaze and opened my eyes wide. Seong-won flinched and shrugged his shoulders as he answered.

“No.”

Then why are you looking at me like that? Go do that somewhere else. You’ll look like you’re picking a fight. I swallowed the words that came up to my throat and asked him cautiously.

“How did you become an idol?”

I could find out using the system, but I didn’t want to do that unless I had to. I wanted to hear the reason from his own mouth.

Sunwoo had a family member who was an idol, and Yejun was just… talented and obviously liked getting attention.

But I had no clear idea why Kyunghwa or Seong-won would choose to be idols.

I didn’t know about Kyunghwa, but Seong-won could have been a solo singer if he wanted to.

“…”

Seong-won looked at me with an unreadable expression for a moment, then replied with a question to my question.

“Do you want to hear it?”