Chapter 140
“That song, by any chance—”
“Yes, it’s a Korean art song. Have you heard it before, Dahin? You might know it since it was used as a drama OST.”
This song was supposed to be my secret weapon.
I can’t believe I have to bring it out already.
Although I felt a slight tension in the back of my neck, well, winning was all that mattered.
“Oh, yes…! I really like this song personally. However…”
Dahin’s face darkened considerably.
“If I hadn’t chosen <La Vita>, you wouldn’t have needed to change your song in such a hurry, Sunbae-nim….”
“It’s okay. I like <Nakhwa> too. Even though both are art songs… I arranged a modern Korean art song, and Dahin, you’re singing an Italian art song. It’ll be fine.”
“I feel like I made the wrong choice. I’m just sorry for causing this overlap from the beginning….”
…But wasn’t there already some overlap in the titles?
I almost said it, but stopped myself.
What power would a rookie have?
It was probably the agency’s decision….
It’s not even a complete overlap; it’s just a single keyword.
“Dahin.”
“Yes?”
I looked at the rookie before me.
In some ways, she resembled Yoon Cheong.
Even with talent that ensures success, she would eventually disappear from the entertainment industry.
Due to external forces.
Yoon Cheong because of a fellow member, and Dahin because of her agency.
Feeling an odd sense of déjà vu, I sighed.
“I don’t think you need to worry. Dahin, you must have worked just as hard as I did.”
I paused briefly before continuing.
“And Dahin, you and I are ‘different’ people. We will create ‘different’ stages.”
“…Yes! That’s right…”
Finally, Dahin’s face brightened.
“I will do my best too. I feel like I can learn a lot from watching your stage, Dahin. Please teach me a lot.”
“…! Sunbae-nim….”
“We’re only a few months apart, so just call me by my name. You’re twenty, right?”
“Oh, yes. I’m twenty.”
“I’m twenty-one. There’s not much age difference… so just feel free to treat me casually.”
I smiled and looked behind Dahin.
“Can I see your costume?”
If even our costumes overlapped, I would seriously want to change mine.
Dahin smiled brightly at my words and brought out her costume from the hanger.
“Oh, yes! This is my costume.”
Hmm.
Her agency seemed really ruthless and malicious.
Even the costumes were exactly the same as mine.
I deliberately chose a glamorous dress.
Dahin’s costume was almost identical to mine.
A blue mermaid dress.
…Isn’t copying the color exactly a bit too much?
It seemed her agency had a notorious villain.
They were so fixated on noise marketing.
“…D-does this overlap too…?!”
Yeah. Damn it….
This was giving me a real headache.
I called my manager, who had gone out to buy coffee.
“Manager-nim.”
-Oh, Cheong-ah?
“I think I’ll need to borrow something from the broadcasting station’s costume and props room.”
-What?! What do you need?!
What else?
The costume.
Complete change of strategy.
***
Today, Prism Homma was attending <Dear My Diva> as an audience member.
She had reaped the benefits of a friend working at the broadcasting station.
However, she was not in a good mood.
The first stage was <Inleven>’s Dahin.
Why did seeing Dahin’s stage put her in a bad mood?
It was because of a spoiler that was released this morning.
★
The Colors side rented a blue mermaid dress from La Maison Dress Shop today. Ho ho ho, could it be Yoonbl’s legendary outfit today..?
Today’s <Dear My Diva> cue sheet spoiler
(Photo)
Looks like Yoonbl is singing O Sole Mio today??
But what’s weird is that the rookie is also singing La Vita… Isn’t their song choice too similar?
This is ridiculous.
????? Both of them singing Italian art songs……..?????
Huh?? They’re even scheduled one after the other since they’re both newly debuted, Dahin first, Yoonr second…
This is absurd;;; Is the rookie crazy? A copycat?
This is an epic concept with an epic song selection.
It could all be ruined by a weird kid.
It’s seriously frustrating.
Exactly.
The PD definitely knew and kept them overlapping on purpose to stir things up. I really hate it.
└Just think about who would have leaked it in the first place… hehe
This was the situation now.
It was impossible not to be angry.
And what about Dahin’s stage costume she just saw?
‘It was a blue mermaid dress.’
The costume looked exactly like the one from Yoon Cheong’s stage spoiler.
It was as if they were copying the stage entirely.
Even though there had already been rumors about that group copying ours, it didn’t feel good.
There was no need to come this far and imitate the stage exactly.
‘Huh?’
But something felt off.
It was supposed to be Yoon Cheong’s turn now,
but another contestant was singing instead.
‘The cue sheet said Dahin and Cheong were rivals. Was that not the case?’
It couldn’t be a mistake in the cue sheet spoiler because everything matched except the order.
Maybe they had just slightly changed the order.
In any case, it was fortunate that they weren’t competing directly.
‘So when will Cheong’s turn be…?’
Prism Homma anxiously watched the second contestant’s stage.
Dahin’s stage had been so stable and impressive that it seemed difficult for this contestant to beat her.
And the result was as she expected.
Dahin won.
Prism Homma watched the following stages with a troubled mind.
It wasn’t important whether Dahin won or lost; her baby hadn’t come out!
She waited for a long time.
Finally, it was the last turn.
“Yes, the next stage is Steel Blue’s Yoon Cheong. She has prepared a very special stage today.”
At last, Yoon Cheong’s name was called.
‘Still terrible with words, I see….’
All Colors fans knew it was a disaster to have him as the MC.
Who on earth put him there as the MC?
“Yes~! Today’s stage was specially prepared by our agency junior, Yoon Cheong! I was really surprised when I heard the song selection! It’s a song I personally love. It’s actually a song that’s not easy to perform! I think the audience here will be surprised too by this song choice.”
Fortunately, Han Jae-i, who was co-hosting, was moderating a bit.
If not for Han Jae-i, the MC time would have been a parade of awkwardness.
Wait a minute.
A surprising song choice?
“This song was also used as the OST for the drama, <Sangsa-hwa>.”
Hmm?
Suddenly, <Sangsa-hwa>?
It wasn’t like I didn’t know <Sangsa-hwa>.
In fact, it would be harder to find someone in this country who didn’t know that drama.
It had recorded a viewer rating of 40%.
However, the OST that came to mind for that drama wasn’t this one.
“<Sangsa-hwa> was a drama symbolizing the turbulent 1930s. It portrayed a woman, ‘Ji-hwa,’ who went to America alone and survived with just her voice. The representative song of <Sangsa-hwa> is,”
Han Jae-i turned toward the stage.
“<Nakhwa>!”
Following her gaze, Prism Homma saw Yoon Cheong standing on the stage and felt all her anger and doubts melt away.
Please send the fallen heart
To the waterside
A single line started without any accompaniment.
But somehow that one voice sounded like the resonance of a grand instrument.
The noisy audience quickly fell silent.
I wrote your name
On the stream passing through the snowfield
A look symbolizing the ‘modern girl’ of the 1930s.
With a white feather decoration in her hair, her hair slightly raised and tied in a round shape.
Even a teardrop mole that she usually didn’t emphasize was highlighted, and she wore dark eye makeup she had never shown before.
Holding a classic gold standing microphone tightly with both hands.
Wearing a dazzlingly white beaded dress that reached her knees.
The blooming flower-like heart
Floats away on a distant wind
She truly looked like a singer from that era.
Prism Homma realized.
Yoon Cheong was wearing the exact dress the protagonist wore in the drama.
It seemed they could arrange it since it was an SWC drama.
Prism Homma was almost in tears of emotion.
The time I had with my beloved
Though it’s called a trampled spring
Isn’t it still spring?
<Nakhwa> was not a love song.
It was a song sung by the protagonist, who had to leave for America due to unavoidable circumstances, missing her homeland alone.
The scene of her singing in her native language, which no one could understand, on stage in a foreign land, was still considered a classic.
The time I had with my beloved
Though it’s called a harsh winter
Isn’t it still a flower?
The hands clutching the microphone as if it were the entire world, the trembling fingertips.
The gently closed eyes, the slightly furrowed brows.
Unlike the original song, which was sung flamboyantly.
Without embellishment, simply.
The arrangement also highlighted Yoon Cheong’s voice, keeping it simple.
All these elements made Yoon Cheong the master of the song.
Truly like a singer living in that era, Yoon Cheong.
Gathering the stream flowing under the snowfield
To give to the flowers
Building a dam with my heart
So it wouldn’t freeze and shatter
Prism Homma found this stage impressive not just because Yoon Cheong sang well.
There was something different from her usual performances.
It felt as though someone else was singing, not Yoon Cheong.
Seeing Yoon Cheong’s expression completely immersed in the stage made it even more so.
Waiting for the flood
Called spring
Which I can’t even fix
It felt like she was peeking into someone else’s cherished past, and it brought a gentle joy.