Volume 2 / Chapter 90

TL: LightNovelCafe

Jun Hyuk’s rehearsal was the subject of everyone’s urgent attention. What would his singing be like? If he was even good at singing, there would be a reversal as intense as that of ‘Sixth Sense’ and he would surely be the winner.

As soon as Jun Hyuk sang the first verse, the 7 participants gave a sigh of relief. They were also certain. There were no longer any reversals.

Jun Hyuk would be eliminated.

While everyone else was in agreement, the music director had a strange expression. He thought of Kim Jong Suk in Jun Hyuk’s song.

‘He’s really an impressive man.’

He is a producer with the ability to bring out hidden potential in unknown bands. While he had been with Jun Hyuk for the past 3 weeks, he had taught him something very important. He had shown Jun Hyuk the importance of the spoken word, which expressed emotions that the chime of instruments and beautiful melodies could not.

Jun Hyuk’s singing of murmuring was the perfect song to relay his message.

***

Jun Hyuk’s stage was simple like the atmosphere of the song.

A dark stage. A ray of pin light. Under that, Jun Hyuk sat in a chair with his guitar and sang.

His arpeggio chord and calm singing expressed a bittersweet emotion well.

Kim Ki Sik was slightly surprised while watching this on the monitor. The lighting director had found the perfect point. The pin lighting was showing Jun Hyuk’s song.

‘This… picture is pretty good.’

Kim Ki Sik was caught up in these thoughts for a moment when he bolted up from his seat. The screen was still and he could not hear anything.

“What is it? What’s happening?”

“That kid. He stopped the song.”

Jun Hyuk had stopped the song and there was only the sound of irregular breathing in the mic. Producer Kim knew what was happening right away. Jun Hyuk was holding back his tears.

“Hang on! Stay still. Don’t go out on the stage and don’t say anything. Hey! Connect me to the judges.”

Kim Ki Sik yelled into the mic.

“Judges, don’t make any sound and stay still. I’ll send a separate signal. Please wait.”

Assistant Producer Pil Jae held out a cellphone.

“Senior, the director called.”

“This bastard! Just hang up!”

Kim Ki Sik held the mic and without blinking, began to direct the cameras like a seasoned director,

“Number 1! Close in on Jun Hyuk’s face. No… don’t go too close. That’s right. Stop. Just like that.”

Jun Hyuk’s face filled the monitor precisely.

“Hey! Pil Jae. Time it. Tell me when 10 seconds passes… Number 3, get Yoon Jung Su’s face. That man is holding back tears too. Hurry.”

Kim Ki Sik counted to three and yelled again,

“Go back to Number 1. Jun Hyuk’s face.”

‘Tears… please just one tear…..”

It was Kim Ki Sik’s earnest plea. A true tear would touch the viewers’ hearts more than a song of Lee So Ra’s standard.

“Senior, 10 seconds!”

The assistant producer shouted.

“Okay. Kyung Min, go out and comfort Jun Hyuk.”

“Shit, what am I supposed to do?”

MC Moon Kyung Min’s swearing came through the earphone.

“I don’t know, asshole. You’re an MC. Just talk to him… and bring him backstage.”

Kim Ki Sik yelled into the mic again,

“Writer Kim! Quickly write something for Kyung Min to say and send it over to him. Give it to him when he brings Jun Hyuk backstage. Hurry!”

“Producer, I’m already writing it. Give me a second…”

When Jun Hyuk heard the youngest writer cry, he bolted up from his seat. He quickly bowed to the judges and audience and rushed off of the stage.

Producer Kim had prayed and prayed, but it had not worked. The camera did not catch Jun Hyuk’s tears.

“Oh damn. Kyung Min, come out! There’s no script. Ad lib it.”

“I’m going to go crazy.”

Moon Kyung Min changed his expression from annoyance to regret in an instant and went out on the stage.

“Yes… our Jang Jun Hyuk could not hold back his emotions and… he was unable to finish his song. I guess that means… he was completely immersed in the song. It also means that he sang with that much sincerity.”

“Someone help Kyung Min.”

As Kim Ki Sik’s request came through, Lee Sung Chul took the mic.

“Number 3! Film Sung Chul.”

“There are times like that. Like the MC said, there are times when the singer falls to the emotion before it is delivered to the audience. It is a pity. It is evidence that he is not yet a professional. A singer cannot forget that he is a messenger of emotions in any circumstance.”

“CM is going out.”

He had to turn on the CM to Lee Sung Chul’s comments. Everyone needed a short break.”

Yes. I see. Then we will continue with the next stage in 1 minute.”

Everyone sighed in relief as soon as the commercial went out. The production team, judges, and MC.

“Pil Jae, take the mic. Let me take a break until the next stage.”

“Okay.”

Kim Ki Sik handed his headset over to Pil Jae and went out to the hallway with a cigarette. Before he could light it however, his cellphone rang loudly.