NOVEL WEB Chapter 18
“Why is she smiling at me?”
I couldn’t help but wonder about Yoo Seol’s sudden behavior.
And what’s even more puzzling…
Wooong-.
The camera was capturing a two-shot of me and Yoo Seol as if it had been waiting for this moment.
Swish-.
But before I could solve my doubts, Yoo Seol turned around again. And… she took the stage.
“Yes, please introduce yourself.”
“Ah… I’m Yoo Seol, 21 years old from JJ Entertainment. Nice to meet you…!”
Yoo Seol greeted the judges with a short self-introduction, looking a bit shy as if the stage was weighing on her.
Her small figure floundering around was quite…
“Haha, so cute.”
…yeah, it was cute.
That adorable face and charming looks reminded me of little animals like chicks, hamsters, and hedgehogs.
Even though she was two years older than me, she felt like a younger sister, sparking a protective instinct within me.
It seemed like I wasn’t the only one thinking this; the expressions of the participants and judges watching her on stage were noticeably softened.
“Tch, everyone was too busy with their restraints when I was up there…”
Still, our Han Si-woo started his usual cold questions, seemingly charmed by Yoo Seol’s cute appearance.
“You’re a bit older than the average trainee… was your debut delayed at JJ?”
“……!”
…How could he bring up such a sensitive subject right off the bat?
Not only the participants but even the judges around were taken aback. But Yoo Seol answered without hesitation.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“……!!”
…And she did so quite calmly.
“Ah…”
“Oh dear…”
Could there be anything more dreadful for trainees than a delayed debut?
Maybe it was that shared pain that lead to sighs from the surrounding participants.
“I had an opportunity two years ago, but due to circumstances, I couldn’t debut at JJ.”
“…That’s unfortunate.”
“I’m fine. Thanks to that, I got the chance to come to Idol Academia.”
There are moments like that. Moments when someone says they’re okay, yet they don’t look okay at all. It almost makes them look sadder.
“Can I ask what those circumstances were?”
“My parents were unwell.”
“……!”
That was Yoo Seol’s response. Even though her words were calm, she didn’t seem okay at all.
In fact, her brave smile while saying she was fine only made it more heartbreaking.
“Of course, they’re still not fully recovered, but… they said their dream is for me to debut as an idol.”
“…….”
“So, I really want to make my debut this time.”
Wooong-.
As soon as she said that, the surrounding gazes and the camera outside the stage turned towards me.
Since our stories were intertwined… it seemed they wanted to do some kind of comparison editing with me.
When the camera caught me, I just awkwardly made a regretful expression.
“Well then, that will be all for the questions. Please begin whenever you’re ready.”
“…Yes!”
After that simple question, Yoo Seol’s performance began…
♪♬♩♬-!
“……Oh!”
“What is this…!”
As the song Yoo Seol picked started to play, the surroundings began to stir.
I couldn’t help but be surprised by the appearance of a song I actually knew.
“This is Senior Cindy’s [Letter to the Moon and Lake]…!”
Cindy, the number one female singer-songwriter in the country, was renowned for this song with its lyrical atmosphere, making it famous for being extremely high and difficult to sing.
“The problem doesn’t end there.”
The bigger issue is that the song belongs to Cindy.
Cindy holds one of the largest fandoms in our country.
The reason she has so many fans is due to her unique vocal color and exceptional skill as a singer.
If someone tried to imitate her vocal color poorly, it would only stand out more by comparison to the original and would likely appear inferior.
Conversely, if it’s sung entirely differently, one might face the wrath of Cindy’s die-hard fans.
Truly, there was no good choice in sight.
Generally, it’s a rule to avoid songs by overly famous singers in auditions; why did Yoo Seol choose such a difficult piece?
Everyone was watching Yoo Seol’s stage with bated breath.
And…
-On this moonlit night, and the lake.
“……!”
As Yoo Seol began the first verse, all my worries vanished like dust.
-Can you see me?
-Do you remember me?
The original’s lyrical vibe was seamlessly woven into her performance. On a hot summer night… it evoked the bright moon and the surface of the reflective lake.
But did it sound similar to Cindy’s rendition? Not at all.
Her vocal color was entirely different.
Yoo Seol integrated her unique style into the piece.
It maintained the same lyrical essence as the original but provided a different feeling due to her vocal color.
She respected the original while establishing her own distinction.
It was undoubtedly hitting two birds with one stone.
“…Huh.”
Not just the participants, but even the judges sighed in admiration during Yoo Seol’s stage.
Han Si-woo, too.
‘Did he look at me like that?’
He seemed utterly surprised by Yoo Seol’s talent, eyes wide open as he watched her perform.
Before I knew it, people were swaying their heads, caught up in the lyrical atmosphere… and as the song continued, the place transformed into a personal concert for Yoo Seol.
The peak came before the chorus: the bridge.
The part that made this song so hard to sing.
-Let’s go there together-.
“……Wow.”
“Crazy……”
Yoo Seol shot up the bridge, hitting a key higher than the original with brilliant confidence.
Yet, it wasn’t uncomfortable to listen to or jarring to the ears.
Everyone could only marvel at her breathtaking showcase.
-Read our letters there-.
And thus, by smoothly finishing the chorus with her beautiful tone, Yoo Seol’s performance came to an end.
“…That’s it. Thank you for watching.”
“…….”
After finishing her set, Yoo Seol bowed her head with a bashful smile towards the judges, but no one could reply.
They were left speechless in the deep afterglow.
Clap, clap, clap.
It wasn’t a judge’s commentary that broke the lengthy silence, but applause.
The applauder was none other than the vocal trainer.
She applauded energetically, wearing a look of sheer delight as she picked up the microphone.
“That was such a perfect stage.”
The vocal trainer had always been one to bombard harsh words right after Han Si-woo.
Yet, now she spoke with awe in her eyes.
“There were no flaws on stage. Vocally, there’s nothing to criticize.”
It sounded a bit exaggerated, but truly, there was no one who could challenge her words.
Because Yoo Seol’s vocals were indeed unparalleled.
‘The main vocalist of certainty. No… just looking at her vocal skills, she’s over the idol level.’
I suddenly wanted to check Yoo Seol’s stats.
As soon as I thought this, her status window appeared before my eyes.
[Yoo Seol.]
[Age: 21]
[Trait: Protagonist, ?? (Locked)]
[Physical Detailed Stats]
[Intelligence Detailed Stats]
[Artistic Detailed Stats]
I was about to dive straight into her Artistic Detailed Stats when I paused upon seeing her trait.
‘…Protagonist?’
That sounds pretty impressive. With trembling hands, I entered her trait first. The explanation about her trait popped up.
[Trait: Protagonist – You are the protagonist of this story. Of course, your life isn’t smooth sailing. But no matter what hardships you face, keep moving toward your dreams. If you don’t stop…, you will surely be the final victor.]
[Trait Effect: Protagonist won’t fall – Activates only in times of adversity and hardship (currently active). Stamina, perseverance, mental strength, and health stats significantly increase! Overall stats slightly increase!]
[Trait: ?? – Currently locked.]
[Trait Effect: ?? – Currently undisclosed.]
She possessed a total of 2 traits.
One was locked… and the other…
‘…That’s broken.’
To significantly enhance stamina, perseverance, mental strength, and health stats, along with boosting the others slightly.
It looked far better than my Sky Demon trait.
But what I was most dissatisfied with was the naming sense of the traits.
My trait is Sky Demon, but why is Yoo Seol’s trait called Protagonist?
This feels distinctly like… a clear demarcation between good and evil.
‘In the end, the Sky Demon loses to the Protagonist.’
I had lived just as hard as she had. Adversity and hardship? That was my daily life.
What on earth is different between Yoo Seol and me…?
“…….”
I felt a surge of determination arising from my chest.
After calming myself down, I checked Yoo Seol’s Artistic Detailed Stats.
[Artistic Detailed Stats]
(Appearance: 96)
(Vocal Ability: 99)
(Acting Skill: 99)
(Dance: 88)
“……Insane.”
Her artistic stats were nothing short of astonishing.
At this point, it almost made me think JJ was a moron for not debuting her sooner.
Yeah, with those stats, she should obviously be the protagonist.
Her artistic stats are indeed born for a career in entertainment.
After looking at her stats, I finally understood why her trait name was Protagonist.
Yet, even as I understood…
Grrr-.
An inexplicable discomfort rose from my core.
What is this feeling?
Before I participated in Na Ah Ah, I had made a resolution.
Not to be greedy.
Being picked for the debut team would be great, but if I didn’t make it, I could just accept it and aim for the next opportunity.
Winning? I never even dreamed of that.
But…
“…….”
Yoo Seol.
Seeing her now awakened some strange desires within me.
I wanted to pin her down… to make her kneel before me…
As if I wanted to keep her beneath my foot…
Such bizarre desires.
Even as I had those thoughts, Yoo Seol was getting evaluated by the judges.
Now, it was Han Si-woo’s turn.
“First of all, I was deeply impressed. Among the trainees I’ve seen lately… no, even among the singers I’ve seen in a while, that was the most impressive vocal performance.”
Overly exaggerated praise that didn’t match his usual self.
It seemed Yoo Seol’s stage had struck him differently.
But…
“That being said…”
His tone shifted unexpectedly, as if he had something unsettling in mind.
He seemed to mull it over for a moment before finally saying,
“The vocals were indeed impressive during that performance, but… there were no dance moves. Do you acknowledge that?”
“I acknowledge it.”
“Do you have a separate dance song prepared?”
“……!!”
As soon as Han Si-woo said that, the attention subtly shifted towards me.
The question Yoo Seol was receiving from Han Si-woo was eerily similar to the one I had just heard earlier.
Yoo Seol hesitated for a moment, adopting a slightly flustered expression before saying,
“Yes…! I have one prepared. However, the thing is…”
She seemed to be struggling to get the words out, nodding awkwardly.
Seeing her react like that made Han Si-woo tilt his head in confusion.
“Is there any problem with presenting a dance song?”
“No, that’s not it… it’s just…”
“If there’s no problem, then please show us. I’m quite looking forward to seeing Yoo Seol’s dancing skills.”
“…Yes, yes! Then I’ll give it a try.”
Urged on by Han Si-woo, Yoo Seol set down the microphone and returned after changing into dance clothes.
And just as she stepped back onto the stage…
“Camera-! Hurry up-!”
“Zoom in over there!”
The production team outside the stage started bustling around.
Normally, I would have thought, “Wow, they really have high hopes for her dance song.”
But something felt odd…
Swish-.
“……?”
Some of the cameras were pointed at me.
As if they wanted to capture my reaction.
‘…Why?’
Why would an average participant’s reaction be worthy of filming?
At first, I couldn’t understand.
But then…
“Then I’ll start now.”
As those words rang out, Yoo Seol’s dance song began to play…
Tick-tock tick-tock.
“……!”
“……Huh?”
“……Huh?!”
As the familiar intro began to play, I realized the production team’s intentions.
“Wait, sister…! This is what you did earlier…!”
That’s right.
The dance song Yoo Seol prepared was <24 Hours is Not Enough>.
The same song I had prepared.
“Ha.”
At that moment, I understood why Yoo Seol smiled at me earlier.
Simultaneously, feeling somewhat absurd, I looked at Yoo Seol with a smirk.
Before the first move had even begun, Yoo Seol was also looking at me.
She was looking at me… and smiling.
Pich!
Her smile made me feel a strange surge of irritation.
Why was she smiling? So confident, huh? Does she think I’m easy to deal with?
Or maybe… is she challenging me right now?
I didn’t shy away from her gaze.
Thus, as if fate had brought us together… like meeting a lifelong counterpart, we locked eyes.
It felt as if time had slowed down, almost as if it were standing still.
Not wanting to miss that moment, I silently mouthed to her,
“Go ahead, show me.”
As if she understood my unspoken words, Yoo Seol smiled wider and winked at me.
“Yeah, just watch closely.”
That seemed to be the somewhat implied meaning of her wink.
So, I crossed my arms and, with a cold gaze, watched her performance unfold.