Chapter 20: Prelude (2)

Chapter 20: Prelude (2)

The 30 contestants’ performances passed by quickly. Before the end of each performance, the audience gave the contestants a score using the remote they were given.

The judges’ critiques were added in between like gamcho*, and interviews of unique participants were also conducted.

(TL note: gamcho is an herb very commonly used in herbal medicine)

After the 30 performances were done, MC Hukkae got the audience fired up as he introduced the special performance. Finally, three of the Season 1 candidates came on to the stage.

When the camera captured the three people’s faces one by one, everyone screamed at the top of their lungs. Most of the audience were fans of , so they had a lot of affection for the three people. Last season’s winner’s popularity was especially obvious.

In the previous season’s winner’s situation, he recently debuted with a release of a solo single album. With the full support of people in their teens and 20s, the last season’s winner was having success to the point that his song was playing on every street.

“Yoon Ki hyung! Hey, bro~!”

Kim Won got excited and called to Jung Yoon Ki who came onto the stage. Just before the intro started to play, with unbelievable timing, Kim Won calling to Jung Yoon Ki could be clearly heard resonating throughout the concert hall.

Jung Yoon Ki, who was standing and looking at the stage floor, heard Kim Won’s voice and looked towards where he and Do Wook were. He said he doesn’t know the meaning of nervous, but it was clear that he was trembling now that he’s actually standing on the stage. Jung Yoon Ki's stiff expression at least loosened after seeing Kim Won, and they could see him smile brightly.

Jung Yoon Ki, who laughed at Kim Won, made eye contact with Do Wook who was standing next to him. When Do Wook nodded his head in support, he nodded back in understanding.

Soon, the lights turned on and the joint performance started.

The performance was missing one of the people they originally expected, but Jung Yoon Ki easily filled that empty spot. It was a song they had performed together before, so there was no awkwardness either.

The audience was one that had given a “thumbs up” to the preliminary performances' outstanding participants. However, after the audience saw the performance, they could definitely feel how much better the three of them, who made it to Top 4 in last season’s competition and has been putting effort since then, were.

(TL note: For some clarification, "Thumbs up" meaning they already knew and liked the participant. Also, we used "candidates" for people in the current season and "participants" for this performance because they were in the last season and aren't part of Season 2. Lastly, it's saying that the three people performing currently were significantly better than the candidates who had been performing so far.)

The performance following immediately after was Jung Yoon Ki’s solo performance. While the two people went off stage to prepare for their own performances, they had to have Jung Yoon Ki continue directly to his performance. Jung Yoon Ki was ranked lower than the other two so he had nothing to say about the sequence.

Jung Yoon Ki started his rap, keeping the heat of the previous performance going.

He picked a song that had an emotional melody and lyrics. It was also a song by one of the judges, and a song he decided on after discussing it with Manager Oh because it’s filled with worries of youth that would fit well with .

Of course, they also came to the conclusion together because it has a technique-wise incredibly fast rapping part mixed in the middle. Performing it would also be a good way to show how his skills have dramatically improved since the broadcast.

Jung Yoon Ki adjusted the microphone. It felt like sweat was leaking out of his palm.

He also knew very clearly that this was an opportunity to properly show them what he’s made of just before the debut.

“Awesome! Freaking awesome!”

“Who is that person?!”

“It’s Jung Yoon Ki from last season!”

“Was Jung Yoon Ki that good? It’s crazy!”

“With that kind of talent, he could do well even on Show You The Money.”

When Jung Yoon Ki’s performance was over, the hall was in an uproar. They knew that Jung Yoon Ki was also talented enough to get in the final 4, but he was not at this level at the time.

When the performance started, it was to the point that everyone couldn’t help but focus on him.

Listening to the accompaniment finishing, Jung Yoon Ki closed his eyes and felt the cheers pouring onto him for first time since the last performance on .

‘Yes, this is how it feels! The gaze on me, the cheers for me! To feel this, to stand on a bigger stage, is why I started as a trainee.’

Jung Yoon Ki caught his breath to savor this feeling for as long as possible. After the accompaniment was completely finished, he went off the stage as the audience applauded.

Shouting praises to Jung Yoon Ki, Kim Won and Do Wook were filled with pride as if it were happening to them.

“Wow...!”

Kim Won exclaimed with his mouth open. Jung Yoon Ki was a colleague who practiced with him every day, but he was impressed all over again.

“Yoon Ki hyung, good job~ Totally!”

“Haha. I agree.”

“I want to be on the stage soon too. You too, right?!”

“.....Of course.”

Do Wook observed what kind of resolve Kim Won, who watched Jung Yoon Ki’s performance, would make. Jung Yoon Ki’s performance seemed to be a good motivator for Kim Won, who completed trainee life without much difficulty and was about to debut.

‘Good. Jung Yoon Ki is definitely a trustworthy person. He’ll probably continue to advance to become the top rapper. It’d be good if we could only solve the immediate lyrics problem...’

While Do Wook was pondering those thoughts, all the scheduled performances ended. The two of them got up from their seats as they listened to MC Hukkae’s ending comments and left the concert hall.

“First, what is your name?”

Actually, they didn’t have to ask his name, but it was a question that had the VJ’s selfishness mixed in. She wanted to at least know his name.

“I’m Kang Do Wook.”

“Even your name is cool.”

The VJ spoke honestly like she was talking to herself, then asked the next question.

“Among today’s candidates, is there someone who was memorable?”

“Hmmm...Number 20 and Number 26 were memorable.”

Do Wook purposely didn’t mention Candidate 1, whom everyone mentioned. Everyone who saw the performance today could already tell anyways that Candidate 1 was the favorite to win.

The VJ couldn’t hide her surprise when he said Candidate 26.

Even though she had researched the candidates ahead of time to prepare for the interview, it was a candidate she couldn’t clearly remember. He wasn’t bad at rapping, but he was so ordinary that he wasn’t very memorable.

“Candidate 26 seemed to have very strong fundamentals. He seemed like a talented rapper and I expect him to have good results on the stage in the future.”

When Do Wook added that, the students who were observing the interview nodded their heads as they recalled their memories. It was such a confident tone that when Do Wook said it’s so, everyone was thinking it feels like it might be true.

Among the people who were spectating, there was a female student filming Do Wook with her phone. Some of them took pictures.

“He looks like a celebrity. He’s so handsome.”

“Who is it? It’s even weirder that he’s not a contestant.”

Even Do Wook heard the whispers.

“Then among today’s performances, who do you think will get the highest score?”

Do Wook paused on purpose. Do Wook knew the content for Season 2 for the most part. It was such a popular program at the time that once the broadcast was over, articles about it would pour out almost daily.

“Candidate 20.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Even if he doesn’t necessarily get the highest score, to me, he’s already the best. It was a fantastic performance, like seeing a completed art piece. Candidate 20, I saw you for the first time today, but I want to keep cheering you on.”

Once Do Wook was done talking, the female VJ put down the camera she was holding on her shoulder. He wasn’t just good looking; he was also good at talking. It was also very useful for the broadcast because it was a slightly different answer than the other interviews.

“Thank you for doing the interview.”

“Not at all. I’m the one who’s grateful.”

The VJ who received a thank you instead laughed happily. Kim Won was also happy like a child saying he was also captured on camera since he was standing next to Do Wook.

There were quite a few trainees coming as audience members so the VJ was about to ask if he was a trainee. Right at that time, Oh Baek Ho and Jung Yoon Ki came to the parking lot. Oh Baek Ho made a surprised expression as he looked at the VJ.

“Oh? How?”

“Ah, ah~! By any chance, is this the person you’ve been talking about, Manager Oh?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“We already finished the interview. He’s a face you couldn't just ignore.”

“Ah, is that so? Haha.”

Oh Baek Ho laughed at the compliment of Do Wook.

The nearby people who recognized Jung Yoon Ki grabbed their camera and started getting restless.

Jung Yoon Ki, it’s Jung Yoon Ki,

The voices looking for Jung Yoon Ki were unbelievable. He was already well known among teenagers, but Oh Baek Ho and Do Wook could already tell.

‘Once the broadcast goes out, getting his name out to more people is only a matter of time!’

Even people who were on their way to the subway station turned around when they saw the crowd gathered around Jung Yoon Ki and Do Wook, drawn in by curiosity.

Oh Baek Ho quickly wrapped things up with the VJ and got the members into the car.

Like that, after the broadcast, not only Jung Yoon Ki but also Do Wook’s interview caused a big sensation on the internet. Do Wook quickly became well known on the internet.

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Translator's Comments: Hello, it's been a while since I put a comment! Thank you all for reading the series, I sincerely appreciate the support! I hope I didn't go overboard with the clarifications in this chapter. Thank you for bearing with it!