Become A Star

Chapter 85

Woo-Jin’s opponent in the third round was known as the ‘Hand Warmer That Sets Your Heart On Fire’. He wore a mask that was shaped like a hand warmer and a warm, brown outfit. He would be singing first, followed by Hanryang Doryeong.

The judges said that Hand Warmer was under better circumstances as compared to the ‘Invincible Band-Aid’ earlier and that he was lucky. Because both contestants had already competed in two rounds prior to this, based on their previous performances, the judges had already picked a winner in their hearts. ‘Hand Warmer That Sets Your Heart On Fire’ was a good singer, but he was not as talented as Hanryang Doryeong.

Hand Warmer sang a jazz version of Bobby Kim’s ‘When We Are Able to Love’. He didn’t let Hanryang Doryeong’s previous performance get to him and he was able to finish strong. However, when he received a half-hearted reaction from the crowd that was contrary to his expectations, couldn’t help but feel baffled. Strangely enough, the celebrity judges and audience members became less and less enthusiastic with each passing round.

Shortly after, Hanryang Doryeong went up the stage and sang. Only then did Hand Warmer find out the reason behind their lack of enthusiasm. Hanryang Doryeong’s choice of song was ‘Collar’ by Im Tae-Kyung. Woo-Jin’s song selections were made based on the concept of a doryeong who dreamed of becoming a hanryang. He figured that singing songs with a heavy beat while wearing a Hanbok[1] would not match the first impression which he had created. Kim Joong-Sun had also advised him not to take any risks from the beginning unless he had already become The Masked King

Thus, Woo-Jin picked songs that would go well with the Hanbok. As a result, all the songs had one thing in common – the lyrics were about the sorrow of those who had been left behind by their lovers. Even though most of the songs were about love, one would realize that the songs Woo-Jin had picked today had similar moods and lyrics after taking a closer look. While arranging the songs, Woo-Jin had decided to express the emotions differently for each song.

In round two, Woo-Jin sang ‘You to You’ with han; he tried his best to express the stages of resignation while understanding and accepting the unavoidable reality despite feeling disconcerted. The sorrowful song made the listeners’ hearts ache and caused them to weep. But in round three, Woo-Jin sang ‘Collar’ in a grim tone. After getting over his prior emotions, he had reached a stage of enlightenment. Like the tranquil flow of water, Hanryang Doryeong had acknowledged reality. However, the regret that was hard to let go of clung onto him like the last hope. The foolish person only became aware of how precious the relationship was after it was over, and dared not to speak of the word ‘regret’. It was tragic, but after listening to the song, the audience felt strangely relieved, as if they had let go of the bitterness in their heavy hearts.

The audience had been sitting down for a long time today just listening to songs, and they were subconsciously weighed down by weariness. Listening to the song relieved them of their fatigue and they felt refreshed. It was a somewhat comforting and refreshing feeling which traveled throughout their body. The audience looked down at their fingertips; they were subconsciously trembling with excitement. Appreciation and judgment were not important to the people who wanted to bask in the afterglow of the song. However, the curiosity about the person who evoked all these emotions grew bigger.

“I’m curious about your thoughts and feelings about advancing to round three. Frankly, did you expect yourself to make it this far?” It was only natural for Gam Sung-Joo to ask that question. Everyone in the studio knew that Hanryang Doryeong would become the finalist today. It was neither a speculation nor a prediction, but a fact.

“Yes.”

“You’re honest. In that case, do you think you can become the next Mask King?”

“I think I’ll have to listen to The Masked King sing in order to find out. I must become The Masked King today in order to get two mapae[2].” Gam Sung-Joo laughed in response and told the audience about the anecdote pertaining to the mapae.