Chapter 148

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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With the audience’s applause, a microphone appeared in front of the hologram of the singer character named ‘May Groom’.

It was a standing microphone.

The marble stand microphone, which would never exist in reality, was intricately woven with colorful flower vines and white lace.

‘May Groom’ bowed politely.

Then, he grabbed the stand microphone with both hands clad in white gloves.

[What kind of voice will ‘May Groom’ let us hear!]

The high school student, who had barely recovered from the shock given by the object head of a gorgeous flower bouquet, tapped his feet.

“What’s with the concept-heavy guy?”

He felt a slight sense of repulsion, thinking the guy was just trying to look cool to girls.

However, the somewhat eerie and bizarre feeling that broke through the colorful and pure image of a wedding was interesting.

‘Guys who try too hard usually can’t sing for shit.’

The high school boy tried to deny his interest as he watched the screen.

The accompaniment was starting.

The clear sound of two pianos and the bright, cheerful brass sound rose over the drum beat.

– With the most beautiful heart
My confession I will offer to you

“Huh?”

It was a very famous proposal song.

Originally, in the first preliminary round where a total of 10 people appeared, it was the rule to sing a song faithful to the character’s concept.

So, it was naturally a predictable song choice, but there was one point the viewers had not predicted.

He was really good at singing.

– In the blossoming month of May
Our youth in full bloom
With an infinitely kind heart
My love I will give to you

A neat and pure voice produced low and rich notes.

It wasn’t a crazy, electrifying high pitch or technique. But it was a voice that suited this song perfectly.

As if this song was originally meant to be sung this way.

– When love is heard
Please think of me
Today and tomorrow
I love you

It was a beautiful song that one wanted to keep listening to, without any jarring or regrettable parts.

And since only 1 minute and 30 seconds were allowed in the preliminaries, the song cut off right at the point where it left the audience wanting more.

[The sweet singing voice of a proposal]

Beyond the applause and captions, ‘May Groom’, who had finished the song, bowed politely once again.

“Whoa.”

He’s pretty good?

The high school boy nodded his head. He seemed to be a singer, not an actor or model.

‘Is he a ballad singer?’

It wasn’t explosive singing ability, but he seemed capable of passing the first round easily.

[The resonance is rich, so can I say I feel his skill?]
[It was such a beautiful voice~]
[I’m certain he is a singer.]

No matter what the musicians invited as judges said, there was no special reaction from ‘May Groom’.

He just stood in a neat posture and tilted his head at the questions.

Meaning, the bouquet shook.

“Ah, the concept-heavy guy, seriously.”

Thinking it might be an old singer appearing on a variety show, the high school boy felt a bit fed up.

The fact that the movements and atmosphere were so plausible that he kept getting immersed made him feel a sense of self-loathing.

[I enjoyed listening~]

Before long, ‘May Groom’, who had heard all the comments, vanished from the stage.

And the subsequent first-round stages were mostly average, except for one or two.

It meant the list of finalists announced after the mid-roll commercial was predictable.

[The third singer to advance to the finals is… ‘May Groom’!]

‘I knew it.’

The high school boy was impressed by his own insight, having guessed all but one of the six finalists.

‘I’m really awesome.’

Up until this point, there was no expectation for ‘May Groom’s’ next stage in the high school boy’s mind.

Because he thought what he showed in the first round was his limit.

‘I’ll bet a thousand won that he’s a guy who relies on his vocal tone.’

And a moment later.

His thousand won would disappear miserably.

[Aaaaaargh!!!]

“…?!”

The high school boy gaped.

…There are several backgrounds to how things turned out this way.

In the finals where six people advanced, they had to sing a designated song. So, the contestants had practiced one of the three songs presented by the production team in advance for the finals.

Originally, the fun was in seeing which character chose which song, and comparing the contestants who chose the same song.

However, this time, an anomaly occurred. No fewer than four people had chosen the same song.

It was the 90s ballad masterpiece called ‘Winter Night’.

And ‘May Groom’ did not escape this probability and chose that song.

Since there were as many as four people, the arrangements were bound to overlap.

However, ‘May Groom’ used a bit of a trick.

– Even if I sing
Drunk in this dawn
The winter night remains the same
The snow-wind is fierce

He rearranged the ballad song, where the sadness of parting was poignant, into a high-end orchestral piece in a musical style full of solemn beauty.

What that meant was that the high pitch at the climax was massive.

– When the night of tears passes
When the eye-stinging morning comes
With the sunlight through the window again
The me who will visit you

Even the notes that were originally supposed to end on a low note were pulled all the way up to an ultra-high pitch.

In contrast to the gentle and quiet first song, the overflowing, swirling high notes and the solid vocalization came as a shock.

And on a live stage, this kind of vocal acrobatic parade always worked well.

[Whoo-hoo!!]

The applause and cheers afterward were not comparable to the first stage.

Even the high notes, which originally would have been excessive enough to ruin the lingering feelings, only gave chills thanks to the grand arrangement.

It was like winning a 1-versus-3 bare-handed duel in the Colosseum.

“Damn, that’s crazy.”

The high school boy marveled out loud.

What he had speculated was a washed-up singer appearing on a variety show had suddenly transformed into a ‘real singer who failed to see the light of day because he was pushed back by the times’.

‘Even considering the correction, isn’t he rubbing shoulders with the top tier?’

If he’s at that level, I’ll acknowledge him even if he’s concept-heavy. The high school boy nodded.

As he was solidifying his guess as an indie singer with an artistic streak or an old guy trying to look cool through something like that, he suddenly saw something.

It was his biological female elder.

“……What are you doing?”

The high school boy’s older sister, the fan of Kim Raebin, was watching the TV with her mouth open.

It seemed she had heard ‘May Groom’ singing while passing by. Or she had run out because it was so amazing while listening.

The high school boy spoke, feeling unnecessarily proud.

“Hah, did you see that? This is a real singer!”

Thinking that even his sister finally recognized this true value instead of those skinny male idols who only danced, the high school boy felt proud of the first point of sympathy that had appeared in a long time.

Kim Raebin’s fan shouted.

“That’s Moondae…!”

“……?!”

The high school boy doubted his ears for a moment.

If it’s Park Moondae… he was one of those male idols his sister liked!

“Stop talking nonsense, he didn’t have a voice like that~ He sings like that?”

“He’s obviously Moondae even if you just listen, you idiot!”

“Ah, why are you being so embarrassing, damn it!”

The siblings began to point fingers and shout at each other.

And this conversation was also taking place on the internet as it was.

* * *

“Have a safe trip home, Mr. Moondae~”

“Thank you.”

On my way back after finishing this week’s counseling.

Seon Ahyun had already left for the filming site after saying goodbye via text because of a solo cosmetic commercial shoot.

[Moondae-ya, it was a shame I couldn’t monitor which you appeared on yesterday because of my schedule, but I’m even more disappointed because I have a tight schedule today too so I’ll probably only see it later. I’ll definitely take the time somehow to watch…… (View more)]

‘…It’s a long message this time too.’

It was almost a letter.

I replied moderately, saying, ‘It’s really okay, so rest when you’re resting.’

‘Come to think of it, is it a good timing to check?’

My stage… I mean, the stage of ‘May Groom’ that I made.

Since the clips would have been uploaded on the internet as soon as the broadcast finished last night, the reactions would have piled up sufficiently by now.

‘Let’s check it now.’

I accessed WeTube.

[Looking for a Bride. | ‘May Groom’ – | Preliminary Stage | 202X0611]

Fortunately, the view counts for both stages were quite good.

‘I thought the first stage might have fewer views.’

Since I’d sung a song with no particular climax, after all.

However, it seemed there were quite many people who were more interested in the character’s design.

– Damn, the bouquet head is crazy, I love it ㅠㅠ
– Honestly, the flower head is a bit scary, but the moment he sings, it all blows away and he’s synthesized into a handsome man.
– Thank you for the proposal. Where is the wedding hall?
– Look at how he’s immersed in the character. How can flowers be cute and handsome at the same time? lol ㅠㅠㅠ
– White suit and veil? Stand mic with flowers? It’s a combination that can’t be tolerated unless he’s a handsome man. Therefore, he must be handsome.

“Oh…….”

Perhaps because the song suited the character I’d set up, I occasionally saw people who were more immersed than expected.

‘If it’s interesting, then it’s fine.’

I shrugged and checked the next video. The comments on the video for ‘Winter Night’ performed in the finals were in this vein:

– He’s seriously damn good. It’s so refreshing.
– I’ve been playing this all day. Please release a digital track ㅠㅠ
– I see the winner’s aura for next week~
– I’m so~ curious who it is ^^ Just by looking at the movement, he’s handsomely fluttering my heart… I’m really looking forward to it…
– The head is bizarre but the singing is first-rate.
– Even if the bride dies young, he’s a famous singer groom who will truly go to the afterlife to find her.

…It seemed he suited the tastes of the elders well.

‘Is it because I rearranged it in a bit of an old-fashioned way?’

Anyway, overall, the comments were overflowing with praise and expectations.

I straightened my back.

‘Was the strategy okay?’

I had considered the fact that the first and second stages would be aired in the same episode.

‘If they both come out in one episode anyway, they both become the first impression. Then a build-up configuration is correct.’

Because even if the first stage is weak, people will see the second stage all at once.

So, I made the first stage a bit weak but focused on bringing out the character, and I pushed the strong arrangement to the back.

‘I’m glad it seems to have worked well.’

I smirked.

However, when the stage reactions were sorted by the latest, a bit of conflict was revealed.

If I summarized it, it was like this:

– I think it’s Park Moondae…
– Park also sings well, but I don’t think it’s him. The vocal tone is different~
– You idiots, if idols come out here, they purposely make funny characters to hide their identity. Seeing that he made an openly cool character, he’s not an idol, okay?
└ Maybe he’s an idol because he struck that idea in reverse?
└ There are many idols who sing well but… hmm, Park Moondae seen in Idol Inc. wasn’t at this level.
└ Take a look at what he sang on the US program. He’s really good. I think it’s Park Moondae. (Link)
└ Oh, he’s good, but the voice is different. I don’t think it’s the Groom.

In this way, the people who expressed suspicion that it was Park Moondae were pushed to the minority.

Fortunately, because it was quite well-known that ‘Park Moondae’ sang well, it wasn’t a particularly ridiculing atmosphere.

“Hmm.”

It wasn’t a planned situation.

Actually, I didn’t know the speculation that ‘May Groom’ was Park Moondae would fail to gain momentum to this extent.

Of course, thinking it would be better if the fun of deduction and the tension were maintained, I did try to make my voice sound a bit different on purpose.

I tried to make the vocalization a bit different from how I usually sang in the group.

‘…Still, I thought I’d set it at a level where it was ambiguous and confusing.’

I thought people who had heard Park Moondae singing a lot would notice.

But maybe because the character was too strong, public opinion was more stubborn than expected.

‘Should I have just been a bipedal cat?’

I slightly regretted it, recalling the Phantom Thief Cat that was a candidate until the end, but I soon organized my thoughts.

‘I liked this one better.’

Actually, I had been somewhat conscious of the advice I received during counseling.

– Instead of the objectively best choice, why don’t you try practicing picking what you, Mr. Moondae, like? Even if it’s just once or twice a week.
– Making a list of ‘what I like’ is the homework I’m giving you this time.

Well, since the expert said so, I tried it on a large scale.

‘It shouldn’t be a problem since it’s not closely related to this status abnormality.’

Anyway, it was more comfortable to see human limbs following my movements than a cat’s paws.

‘It seems people like it too.’

I shrugged, got off in front of the dorm we arrived at, and moved my feet.

‘The character profile will be revealed next week.’

I scanned the profile I’d created in advance, checking if there were any parts I wanted to modify.

At the same time, I opened the dorm door and went in. Just then, the person sitting in the living room acknowledged me.

It was Ryu Chungwoo.

“You’re here?”

“Yes. Hyung.”

“I bought ice cream there. Eat some.”

Ryu Chungwoo said, lightly pointing at the refrigerator, then naturally stood up from the sofa where he was sitting and turned his body.

I knew at that moment.

‘Are you giving me the space right now?’

He was getting up because he thought I would be uncomfortable if he was in the living room. So that I could stay in the living room at ease.

‘…Gosh.’

Somehow, the tension in my shoulders faded. The remaining discomfort subsided as if a knot had been untied.

I opened the refrigerator and called Ryu Chungwoo.

“You should have some ice cream too, Hyung. What flavor would you like?”

“…Ah, shall I?”

“Yes.”

Ryu Chungwoo, sitting back on the edge of the sofa, grinned.

“Then give me the orange flavor.”

Then, someone came running excitedly from behind.

“Give me ice cream too!”

‘Where did you pop out from?’

After throwing an ice cream to Cha Eugene, whose grammar had instinctively become natural, I went and sat on the sofa.

And we watched the rebroadcast of together.

“His head is a flower! Cool!”

“Thanks.”

“You really sing well, Moondae-ya.”

“Not at all.”

It wasn’t that uncomfortable.

The moment my stage was all finished, Ryu Chungwoo asked.

“The next episode, you just finished filming it, right?”

“Yes.”

“How was it?”

“…It was fun.”

I smirked.

Because I was quite looking forward to next week’s broadcast.