Free Web NovelThe piano rang out softly. It was a song that had swept first place on music shows in the early 2000s, becoming what people called a national go-to.
“You really can’t mess this one up, though.” ƒгeewёbnovel.com
“The audience has heard it so many times, their standards are extremely strict right now.”
Just as the panel analyzed, the people in the audience sat quietly with their arms crossed.
The King of Mask Singer, Cream Yellow Mouse, swayed his body loosely from side to side, riding the rhythm. He thought calmly.
‘That’s a questionable song choice.’
The thin tremble of the violin sounded like a fragile breath. The beginning felt like forsythia in March.
I feel like
I might forget your voice fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
There was a saying. That ballads had declined because of changes in public sentiment.
Unlike now, where even after a breakup you could check how the other person was living through a profile picture, back then a breakup truly meant the end.
On the other side of the receiver
I’m holding
All I hear
Is a machine telling me
The call cannot be completed
Clinging desperately, begging—it was the kind of love from before smartphones became widespread. Lyrics that poured one’s entire life into holding onto the other person made everyone listening recall that old nostalgia.
“This is so good....”
“There’s a reason it’s a masterpiece.”
Forsythia in March used a textbook ballad singing style. That meant a stable, satisfying highlight section could be expected.
Back then, filling the voice with heavy vibrato to emphasize sorrow was the trend.
If there’s anything
You don’t like
Tell me
I’ll change everything
But Aori Apple blocked Forsythia in March with a completely different vocal approach. A voice trembling on the edge, filled with breath.
The camera director didn’t miss the chance to capture the panel’s reactions.
Like a good person
Watching your back
I’ll stay right here
Aori Apple knew how to use breath properly. The voice carried a sense of instability, as if it couldn’t quite finish the ending.
It felt like the words were trailing off, as though tears might spill at any moment.
No, right?
That’s not what I’m thinking, right?
Like always
If I wait
You’ll come back, right?
As expected, Forsythia in March pushed forward with that era’s vocal style. A smooth voice produced clear, refreshing high notes with stability.
But the King, Cream Yellow Mouse, seated closest to the stage, judged it coldly.
‘This is lost.’
Forsythia in March was probably a real singer. Certain habits showed through—scratching at the throat while adding technique, things like that.
‘Objectively, the singing itself is better on that side...’
Cream Yellow Mouse turned his gaze to Aori Apple.
There was something people often called “interpretation.”
Even when singing the same song or playing the same piece, it differed from person to person. Depending on where you added tremor, where you raised the volume, and where you paused for a beat, the listener received a completely different feeling.
That can’t be
An ending like this
For us
It shouldn’t be like this
In that sense, Cream Yellow Mouse predicted Aori Apple’s victory.
Because singing a song “well” and bringing a song “to life properly” were two entirely different things.
Please
Just don’t say that
Anyone could tell the answer just by looking at where the audience’s gaze was directed.
Their heads were subtly tilted to the right.
As if they wanted Aori Apple alone to finish the entire song.
* * *
It was exactly as Cream Yellow Mouse had expected.
“The winner is...!”
The panelists already looked like they knew. They had broadcasting experience.
Forsythia in March, who had perfectly recreated the bereavement-style emotions of the 2000s, wasn’t the kind of performance you wanted to hear another song from. They prepared seasoned reactions.
“Aori Apple!”
At the sound of her name, Aori Apple bounced in place again. It was amazing how she didn’t seem to tire even while wearing that kind of mascot costume.
As if she had been waiting for this very day, Aori Apple kept acting cute nonstop. Since her oversized head made it impossible to form a heart with her arms, she made one with her hands and even spun around in a circle.
“Our Aori Apple! What is this!”
The MC jumped along with her. Forsythia in March let out a sigh, then removed the mask to reveal his identity.
“Forsythia in March is—!”
The panelists acted shocked with all their might, stood up, and held their foreheads as if it were unbelievable—but in truth, everyone had already expected it.
“A romantic ballad singer!”
Cream Yellow Mouse’s prediction had been correct. He was a fairly well-known singer from the 2000s.
He expressed his regret at losing despite perfectly capturing that era’s sentiment.
‘But seriously, who is she?’
Curiosity about Aori Apple only grew stronger.
* * *
“As expected of JC.”
The main PD of <King of Mask Singer> admired the song selection. After showing vocal ability in the first and second rounds, the intention to wrap things up cleanly was obvious.
“They’re finishing with a breather.”
“At this point, it’s basically just promotion.”
For the final stage against Cream Yellow Mouse, who had won three times in a row, Aori Apple chose a calm folk song.
A song that had been popular in the 1980s.
On the breezy
Tree-lined road
I want to walk with you
Since it was an easy song for anyone to sing, the audience who knew the lyrics began to sing along.
Aori Apple raised one hand and waved it from side to side. The natural way she encouraged participation even drew in the panelists.
The love I’ve always dreamed of
I want it with you
The camera director captured people smiling as they sang along with Aori Apple.
The shock and emotional impact of the performance had already been fully drawn out earlier.
For her final stage, Aori Apple pulled out something that could only be felt in a live performance.
Joy.
A bouquet of freesias
You placed in my arms
I hope they never wither
Everyone waved their hands together and sang. The PD of <King of Mask Singer> clicked his tongue at this clever setup.
“You can’t beat people who work in broadcasting. Seriously.”
It was obvious they had trusted Han Yeoreum from the start to build this sequence.
90s rock, 2000s ballad, and finally an 80s folk song.
Each one used music as the most efficient tool to make everyone recall their own youth.
Just like the dazzling teaser of 〈Youth Disqualified!〉.
* * *
I stood next to the King, Cream Yellow Mouse, pretending to be nervous.
“Wow, is the King changing today?”
As if. Cream Yellow Mouse had truly gritted his teeth to defend his position. He had even gone as far as performing a hit song originally sung by a three-member co-ed group entirely on his own.
I listened attentively to his performance and covered my mouth with both hands in admiration. This would definitely come across as cute too.
‘And I absolutely cannot become the King!’
If that happened, all my drama filming would get delayed. So I deliberately chose a final song that would leave only a faint impression.
‘I already packed all the impact into the first round.’
Still, I placed both hands over my chest as if I were truly full of anticipation.
‘Everyone, please find me cute....’
Through the mask, I could see the audience smiling. Good. Success.
“Will it be Cream Yellow Mouse, or Aori Apple—”
The MC’s final shout, raising the tension, echoed through the set.
“Today’s winner is...!”
Both the panel and the audience stared at the screen behind me.
“Congratulations! Cream Yellow Mouse!”
Pop—!
Golden confetti exploded. Shimmering pieces of paper fluttered down through the air. I applauded Cream Yellow Mouse, who had secured his fourth victory.
After his acceptance speech ended—
“Now, Aori Apple!”
The moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
“The mask!”
I hesitated, bringing my hand to the edge of the mask.
“Please take it off!”
And then I lifted the heavy, suffocating mask away.
I shook out my sweat-damp hair and looked forward.
At that moment, I felt like I finally understood why people were so obsessed with this show.
“Nation’s First Love! Actress Han Yeoreum!”
A delightful shock, warm recognition, and pleasant astonishment—all of it surged toward me at once.
Cheers erupted, loud enough to make my ears ring.
* * *
“Why is she on there...?”
This was the set of 〈Youth Disqualified!〉. While eating dinner, Choo Gaeul stared in shock at Han Yeoreum, who had just revealed herself.
“Wow! Seo Eden didn’t go alone!”
Across from her, So Dami hadn’t noticed either. The staff also turned their attention to Han Yeoreum, who was enthusiastically introducing 〈Youth Disqualified!〉.
“Ah—ah—ah! It’s spilling!”
Seo Eden sat there blankly, orange juice dribbling from his mouth. Someone quickly shoved tissues toward him.
The area around his lips turned sticky-sweet.
“You didn’t know either, Eden?”
“I didn’t—! Cough...! I got eliminated and left!”
Even Seo Eden reacted as if he truly had no idea. He coughed in his fluster, ending up smelling faintly of orange like a human diffuser.
“Director, you knew, right?”
“If I didn’t know, that would be a problem... heh.”
So Yesol let out a quiet laugh in her usual low-energy voice.
“The <King of Mask Singer> production team kept insisting only one person could go, so I grabbed the center director and reported it to JC myself....”
There was a faint trace of resentment in her smile.
The tug-of-war between the drama department and the variety department had ended in victory for the drama side, backed by capital.
“These days the variety department has been... well. Gam Dajeong too, they keep complaining, asking if ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ we’re just a drama promotion platform....”
So Yesol removed her glasses and wiped them clean. Her gentle eyes looked unusually cold today.
“They’re all eating from the same pot, yet they act like that—seriously annoying... So I dropped Jegal Rok’s name a bit, and said if the first broadcast ratings suffer because of this, I’ll kill them....”
She put her clean glasses back on and smiled as if it were nothing.
“So... it became pretty easy to send two people instead... hehehe....”
The boldness of the youngest debut director at MBS was felt once again.
On screen, Han Yeoreum bowed at a perfect ninety degrees, saying she would return with an even better performance in 〈Youth Disqualified!〉.
“Well, the promotion worked out nicely in the end....”
So Yesol smiled in satisfaction. The staff, who had been frozen for a moment, began to laugh along. Han Yeoreum, now without the apple mask, was finishing her final song with a bright, sparkling smile.
But Choo Gaeul couldn’t smile.
‘Me too....’
The emotion she always carried deep inside her began to burn hot.
‘I want attention too...!’
She wanted to become the main character of a project like Han Yeoreum. She wanted to stand confidently in front of the staff and do her part. She wanted to create that shift in atmosphere the moment she stepped onto set.
And that moment came sooner than she expected.
