“Ah, this is so fun~”

I laughed happily as I took off the mask.

What did the eldest brother live for? He lived for the joy of teasing his younger siblings.

Bang bang bang-

The locked door rattled violently.

"Open the door! Right now!"

A sharp voice rang out from outside, making our staff burst into laughter.

I walked over to the door.

"You’re just going to charge at me if I open it, Mr. Seori Hyeok."

"I won’t! I seriously won’t, so just open the door first. I just want to talk."

"Nope. Wooju scared. Not opening iiiit."

"Kyaaa-! Uuuugh...."

The scream Ri Hyeok had been about to unleash suddenly shrank in volume.

As the staff tilted their heads in confusion, I explained.

"Someone’s walking past him right now. He’s pretending to stand there all dignified all of a sudden."

Everyone burst out laughing.

Sure enough, once whoever had been passing by disappeared from view, Ri Hyeok immediately started shrieking again.

"Okay, okay."

I opened the door.

The sunflower-masked Ri Hyeok instantly lunged at me.

"You... you...!"

After tearing off his mask, Ri Hyeok raised a hand and started smacking my back.

Smack!

Smack!

"Oww! Ow-!"

My sweat-soaked back stung sharply.

"Hey, hey! Hyung still has to sing!"

"What does singing have to do with your back?!"

"I mean, that’s true, but... ow! Owwww!"

"So you enjoy teasing people that much?! Seriously, you little...!"

Honestly, I’d done enough wrong that I just let him hit me a bit.

Besides, I already knew exactly how much stamina Ri Hyeok had.

As expected, after about five or six solid whacks to my back, Ri Hyeok started breathing heavily.

"Huff...."

"Feeling a little less angry now, little brother...?"

"A little. Just a little."

His sharp features twisted into a resentful expression.

"If this wasn’t a competition, I would’ve hit you a few more times."

"I think I’ve already been hit enough. Ow, that stings."

"I know it doesn’t hurt at all. Your muscles made my hand hurt more. Seriously, how hard have you been working out?"

"I just worked out together with Junghyeon back then."

"With that kind of schedule, when did you even have time to work out...? Never mind. Forget it. Talking about this just makes my mouth tired."

Shaking his head, Ri Hyeok plopped down onto the waiting room sofa.

Then, as if something suddenly came to mind, he said:

"Congratulations."

"Hm?"

"Getting through Round 1. That was probably the hardest opponent out of everyone competing today."

"It wasn’t easy."

The wolf mask Jo Yuri had worn came to mind.

Unlike four years ago, I was now at a level where I could beat him in raw vocal ability, but that still didn’t make him an easy opponent.

Especially because the reason I’d wanted to face him in Round 1 was that he would’ve been an incredibly troublesome opponent in Round 2 or 3.

Because he specialized in rock music.

"Rock is honestly broken in competitions."

Generally speaking, if skill levels are equal, rock has more of an advantage in competitions than ballads.

Starting with those explosive belted choruses, it was simply easier to make a song impactful.

Jo Yuri had brought relatively light rock for Round 1, which was why things turned out the way they did. But if we’d met in Round 2 or 3 and he’d brought one of his truly explosive songs, I probably wouldn’t have gotten a 93-to-7 vote split.

It probably would’ve been more like 70-to-30.

I was thinking that when—

Bang-!

Somewhere nearby, the sound of a waiting room door slamming violently echoed through the hallway.

Ri Hyeok snickered.

"Guess it’s over there."

"Looks like it."

Judging by where the sound came from, it was probably Jo Yuri’s waiting room.

Listening to it, I quietly smiled.

"Anyway... this worked out well."

"Hm?"

"It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it."

Jo Yuri could always claw his way back through the revival round later, but for now I was satisfied.

Personally, he was someone I didn’t want around.

I couldn’t see his expression because of the mask, but there had been something unsettling about him.

I’d gotten a strong impression that he harbored some kind of grudge toward Ri Hyeok.

Not that he could actually do anything to Ri Hyeok, but even so, it felt uncomfortable having that kind of risk factor nearby.

"By the way...."

Crossing his legs, Ri Hyeok asked:

"You sure you’ll be okay?"

"Hm?"

"You basically poured everything out in Round 1. You already showed all your cards, so won’t Rounds 2 and 3 get harder now...?"

"It’s fine. That was part of the strategy anyway."

"Strategy?"

"Yeah. Strategy."

I explained it to him.

"A lot of the songs I wanted to sing on Mission Singer had that kind of atmosphere. Upbeat songs about youth. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I could end up at a disadvantage depending on the situation."

What if I brought a bright, cheerful song, but my opponent brought a song that made people cry?

"So I launched a preemptive strike."

"With an emotional song?"

"Yeah."

“Flowering Spring” in Round 1 had come from exactly that line of thinking.

-Let me attack the audience’s tear ducts first.

If I made them cry before anyone else could, wouldn’t that solve the problem?

"Once people have one really big cry, they usually don’t cry again that easily afterward. Most of the time, anyway."

There was a reason melodramatic scenes in movies were usually placed near the climax.

If audiences spent the first half crying their eyes out, they wouldn’t react the same way afterward.

People became desensitized to stimulation faster than you’d think.

"So you’re suppressing the competition. Making emotional songs less effective in Rounds 2 and 3."

"More like removing my own handicap. I didn’t want to end up at a disadvantage in song selection just because the other side brought a serious emotional song. Imagine singing better but still losing because of emotional impact. That’d feel awful."

Ri Hyeok clicked his tongue.

"Seriously... you’re ruthless. Absolutely ruthless."

"If you want to survive out there, you have to prepare this much, Ri Hyeok."

"Well... true."

As he said that, Ri Hyeok looked at me with concern.

"But are you really okay?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, that Round 1 song hit so hard that people might find your songs from Round 2 onward kinda plain in comparison. Honestly, doesn’t that strategy cut both ways? If you leave too huge an impact in Round 1, it’s not just your opponents who get hurt by it."

He was worried that the impact of Round 1 had been so overwhelming that audiences wouldn’t respond as strongly to the stages that followed.

"You don’t need to worry about that."

"Why not?"

"You said it yourself earlier, right? That I showed all my cards in Round 1, so what would I even do in Rounds 2 and 3?"

"I did."

"Don’t worry."

I smiled.

"I still haven’t shown everything yet."

Then came Round 2.

[Yes! This is the first semifinal match!]

[It’s Alice in Wonderland versus Premium Supporting Actor Braised Soy Sauce!]

Musical actor Jang Jaerim and Lucky Girl’s main vocalist Ally faced off in the first semifinal match.

After an absolutely brutal back-and-forth battle that could only be described as a bloodbath, the winner was finally announced.

[Premium Supporting Actor Braised Soy Sauce 59]

[Alice in Wonderland 41]

The moment the results were revealed, the Braised Soy Sauce mask dropped to its knees in celebration.

The audience erupted into cheers as well.

[It feels like we can see the tears flowing beneath that Braised Soy Sauce mask!]

[How many long years of perseverance has this been?! Braised Soy Sauce finally advances to the finals!!]

Granted, he was trying very hard not to think about the fact that he would now have to face either ballad singer Dokgo Young or Seon Wooju in the finals....

The Braised Soy Sauce mask could only shed tears of joy.

‘Kghhhhhk!’

As tears streamed down beneath the mask, the panelists mischievously asked:

"Who do you want to face in the finals? National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok? Or Bakery Cat?"

[...]

The audience burst out laughing as the Braised Soy Sauce mask instantly deflated.

Picking up his soy sauce-colored microphone, he answered:

[Honestly... I don’t want to meet either of them. I just want to challenge the King of Singers match as I am.]

From his perspective, neither matchup had an answer.

No matter who he met, he was going to lose anyway....

‘At that point, maybe it’s better to face National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok and at least gain some publicity.’

Braised Soy Sauce hesitated before speaking.

[If I absolutely have to pick... then National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok....]

The panelists pounced like hyenas.

"Oh? So he looks easier?"

"You think you can handle National Hip-Hop Top because he’s hip-hop??"

"NewBlack is easy?? You’re not scared of ten-million Soufflés??"

In response, Braised Soy Sauce quickly dropped to his knees.

The audience clapped and burst into laughter.

[That’s absolutely not what I meant.]

"Please stand up first, Mr. Braised Soy Sauce."

"There’s a reason people survive this long. He dropped to his knees immediately."

[No, really. This position is comfortable for me. Yes... I’ve actually been a fan of National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok for a very long time, so I just meant I wanted to meet him. Seori Hyeok has always been my favorite....]

[Kyaaaruk!]

The audience burst out laughing at the sudden giggle from the King of Singers Seon Wooju, seated upon the throne.

The sunflower mask formed a heart with his hands as he spoke.

[Thank you. Our Ri Hyeok is my favorite too. He’s the little brother I love most in the whole world~♡ Kyarururuk!]

The audience exploded again as Seori Hyeok fully returned to his Seon Wooju persona.

‘He finally recovered!’

‘Ri Hyeok’s mental state is back!’

Ever since National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok had appeared, the real Ri Hyeok had seemed mentally scrambled, but now he finally looked like he’d regained his concept.

After the perfectly timed comedy bit between King of Singers Seon Wooju and Braised Soy Sauce wrapped up—

[Yes! And now it’s the second semifinal match!]

[Today’s strongest title contenders, right? Bakery Cat versus National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok!]

The silhouettes of two contestants appeared on the giant screen.

Ballad singer Dokgo Young wearing a cute cat mask holding a rice cake.

And Seon Wooju wearing a crane mask.

"Who do you think’s gonna win?"

"This one’s Wooju."

"Definitely Wooju."

Originally, today’s strongest title contender had been Jo Yuri.

Honestly, if he hadn’t met Wooju in Round 1, today’s King of Singers match probably would’ve been Jo Yuri versus Seori Hyeok.

"I think Wooju’s gonna win."

"Yeah."

“Flowering Spring” from Round 1 still replayed automatically in people’s heads.

There had clearly been no stage effects at all....

Yet somehow, they felt like they had seen Seon Wooju singing with an acoustic guitar on a snowy Gwanghwamun street.

[Yes! The first performer is Bakery Cat!]

[What kind of song did he bring with him today....]

Dokgo Young’s performance finally began.

The audience watched with supportive hearts.

‘You can do it.’

‘Honestly, Dokgo Young’s really unlucky too. He should’ve just challenged Yoo Jaechan for the King of Singers title at the start....’

The snowball from saying “I won’t challenge the King of Singers” during his first appearance had rolled all the way here.

First he met Seori Hyeok, and now he had to meet Seon Wooju.

Thinking that he would understand if Dokgo Young became an anti-NewBlack fan after this, people laughed quietly to themselves.

Then—

You call out to me

Perhaps without me even knowing

Amid the band’s instrumentals, Dokgo Young’s soft, sweet vocals flowed out.

‘Wow....’

‘My ears are melting.’

As the piano accompaniment played, “Because It’s You,” famous as a confession song, filled the stage through the voice of the ballad singer.

A song notable for its high pitch and long breath control.

After finishing the song with stable technique and rich vocal color, the cat mask lowered the microphone, drawing thunderous applause.

"That’s strong."

"Wow, this isn’t easy."

"I think I just changed my mind."

Round 2 was clearly different from Round 1.

The audience, who had leaned toward Seon Wooju because of the Round 1 performance, now swayed like reeds in the wind.

‘Dokgo Young’s insanely good too.’

‘That was pure youth....’

The lingering aftertaste still remained when—

The crane mask bounced cheerfully onto the stage.

Just looking at him was funny at this point, but now the audience no longer fell for it and simply smiled.

Sure enough.

The moment National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok took his position onstage, the atmosphere around him shifted completely.

‘It’s amazing every time.’

‘You can’t even see his face, but you can still feel the mood changing.’

People swallowed hard.

‘What song is he going to sing?’

Thump thump.

Remembering the overwhelming impact of Round 1, the audience watched with shining eyes.

And then—

"Oh?"

The guitarist began playing a brilliant melody on an electric guitar, making the audience widen their eyes.

Bright drumbeats.

A melody that felt like a festival unfolding beneath the night sky.

"Ah...."

"This...."

Several audience members recognized the familiar melody.

‘Is that “I’ll Sing It for You”?’

‘Wow, haven’t heard this in forever.’

It was a song deeply familiar to people who had attended high school in the early-to-mid 2000s.

A staple song high school bands would perform, about awkwardly preparing music to play for someone you liked.

Its defining feature was the atmosphere of a youthful coming-of-age manga.

This summer vacation,

Should we take a train

And go see the sea for a little while?

Amid the drums and guitar, Seon Wooju’s voice rang out sweetly.

The singers watching made intrigued expressions.

‘His singing style changed again!’

It felt completely different from when he sang folk songs.

Over the bright and lively chord progression, Seon Wooju’s voice carried the freshness of adolescence.

Anywhere is fine

As long as it’s somewhere you want to go

Anywhere—

The final note of “anywhere” scattered softly into the air.

Combined with the incredible arrangement, the original song—which had carried early-2000s sentimentality—had been perfectly reborn into an eighteen-year version.

It felt like listening to a freshly debuted singer performing his own song.

"Wow...."

Yet while the atmosphere felt youthful, the skill and vocals underneath it were anything but ordinary.

No—

Before they could even make a judgment about the vocals, people had already fallen into Seon Wooju’s rendition of “I’ll Sing It for You.”

‘This really feels like youth....’

It felt like scenes from a youth they had never experienced themselves were flashing before their eyes.

Sitting in the bleachers of a school athletic field while sharing drinks with someone they liked as the breeze gently blew.

Laughing with friends while splashing water at the beach during summer.

Even the scent of cold drinks and ice cream pulled from an icebox beneath a parasol seemed vivid.

‘This is nice.’

Even the middle-aged audience members smiled warmly.

Watching what felt like a single scene from youth itself, they clapped along happily.

If you have a little time,

If you don’t mind,

There’s something

I want to let you hear—

Then came the chorus.

The crane mask tilted his head slightly.

Like bursting carbonation, a refreshing yet powerful vocal exploded outward.

Without sounding strained at all, his resonant voice swept over the audience like cool ocean waves.

I’ll sing it for you

This is a song for you

As Seon Wooju sang the chorus, the audience naturally began clapping along.

Forget judging the performance—it was simply fun.

Rather than a competition stage, it felt more like attending a concert by the singer National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok.

Maybe it was the melody that made hearts race.

Maybe it was the singer’s vocal ability.

People couldn’t say exactly why, but all of a sudden, they found themselves wanting to go to a concert.

‘Ah, seriously, if he ever holds a concert, I want to go.’

National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok performed the song as if it had been his own from the very beginning.

It felt like seeing all the different possibilities of what singer-songwriter Seon Wooju could become after debuting.

He could sing folk songs that stirred the heart.

And he could sing exciting songs that naturally made audiences sing along to the chorus.

If you have a little time,

If you’re okay with it—

At that moment—

The lively band suddenly stopped playing.

In the silence without accompaniment, the singer’s voice rang out alone.

There’s something

I want to let you hear—

With only the soft sound of an acoustic guitar quietly entering beneath it, the singer’s voice echoed out clear and refreshing.

No one could see the expression beneath the mask, but somehow, everyone felt like they could see Seon Wooju smiling.

I’ll sing it for you

This is a song for you

Even if I’m still lacking,

This is how I feel about you—

The chorus exploded upward into a smooth high note.

As someone covered their mouth in awe and the camera captured the moment—

Seon Wooju stood there proving himself through overwhelming vocals and arranging ability, making several audience members blink.

‘...What the hell was TJ thinking?’

They couldn’t understand how TJ Entertainment had let a genius like that go.

While the rest of the audience—including Soufflés crying their eyes out—silently shared the same thought—

The voting to decide who would advance to the finals came to an end.

[We will now announce the results. The results are...!]

As expected—

[Bakery Cat 32]

[National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok 68]

As Bakery Cat once again failed to advance to the finals and walked offstage in gloom—

National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok sent hearts toward King of Singers Seon Wooju sitting upon the throne and acted cute.

[My favorite Wooju hyung in the whole world...! I’m coming now!]

The sunflower mask refused to lose this time.

[Yes. Hurry and come. My favorite Ri Hyeok in the whole world...!]

[!]

The crane mask radiated proud satisfaction while looking at the sunflower mask, who had finally accepted his bit.

After exchanging looks that practically said, ‘You little brat!’ and ‘Hehehe’—

[Kyaruruk!]

[Kyaruk!]

The audience burst into delighted laughter at the laughter of the nation’s idols.

After finishing the comedy routine, National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok stepped offstage, and the production team’s announcement rang out.

Before beginning Round 3 and the final King of Singers match, there would be a short dinner break.

As audience members gradually stood and stretched their stiff bodies, several people watched the back of National Hip-Hop Top Seori Hyeok as he walked offstage.

"Wow...."

"What?"

"No, it’s just... the aftertaste is still there."

"Same."

The lingering impression remained even after the stage ended.

‘Wooju really is a genius.’

No—

It wasn’t just Wooju.

‘Ri Hyeok too....’

Two singers with unbelievable talent belonged to the same group.

The feeling was different from the familiar image of the nation’s idols they’d always known....

It felt more like watching artists.

Suddenly—

‘I’m curious.’

People found themselves curious about the two geniuses who were probably talking together backstage right now.

"What the hell?! Why does your lunchbox have a ketchup heart on it?!"

"If you’re jealous, then maybe you should try getting Biju to adore you too~"

"This is unacceptable. I’m calling Biju hyung and filing a complaint. Seriously, why doesn’t mine have a heart?!"

"Ebehehehe-! Jealous?? Aren’t you jealous??"

"Ah, seriously!"

Watching the two singers bicker like elementary school kids, manager Do Wonseok smiled with the serenity of Buddha himself.

‘Thank god there aren’t people around today....’

Seriously, this was not a side of them he wanted the public to see.