[TS] Starting the Broadcast - Chapter 118

A fierce fight broke out in the internet world.

From stories about Hyena being a "kimchi girl" to blaming the production team for trying to make men and women sleep in the same place from the start.

It's quite a commotion.

Well, as someone not directly involved, I just watch the program with interest.

However, I did think Hyena's response method wasn't good.

First, the timing of her words was wrong.

To say such things to teammates covered in dirt and panting while she was sitting comfortably resting alone.

That's a problem before the rightness or wrongness of what she was trying to say.

If Hyena had helped build the house together with other teammates and then said those words, would the reaction of most people have been the same as now?

I don't think so.

'But... well, that's not important. It's not my business anyway.'

Survival Game is just right to watch as a way to relieve stress.

What I need to focus on now is the King of Masked Singer stage.

The main stage tomorrow afternoon!

I prepare a light breakfast and head to the academy.

"Grandma!"

As soon as I left the house, I spotted her at the end of the alley.

It's been a really long time since I've seen her.

The weather is getting colder these days, I wonder if her health is okay.

I greeted her and briefly asked about her recent situation.

Fortunately, she said there were no particular problems in her life.

Her health was relatively good except for some knee pain, she said.

"Then I'll see you next time!"

"Alright, go do your work quickly."

It's regrettable, but every minute and second is urgent now, so I ended the conversation there and parted ways.

"Unnie! It's tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. Can you help me practice?"

Since it was Arin's day off, only Seah was at the academy.

I have Seah take on the role of Beautiful Assistant Alice to practice the round 1 stage.

The director, who had been watching from behind without me noticing when he arrived, gives a thumbs up.

"Won't all the audience members be flipped that day?"

"It's still not enough."

I was satisfied at first.

Songs that fully utilized my abilities.

But as I observed and dug into the singers I was trying to imitate to an extreme degree, something became apparent.

'I'm far off. Like this, I'm just being swayed by ability.'

I gained the ability to throw a 150km/h ball.

And the control to divide the strike zone into 9 parts.

But that's all.

My current state is just throwing recklessly without knowing when and how to throw that ball to make it a decisive pitch.

It's excessive, lacking in neatness.

I can only add, not subtract, so I can make people marvel but not move them emotionally.

'I want to do well. Even better than now!'

Greed arises.

I wanted to steal not just singers' habits, but much more.

That's why I was singing my heart out even now when Seah was looking at me with an exhausted and bored face.

"I'm going."

"Okay, do well tomorrow."

"Unnie, I'll definitely watch the live broadcast!"

"Okay. But you know it's absolutely secret, right?"

Seah made a gesture of zipping her mouth shut instead of answering.

I waved lightly and headed home.

"Phew......"

I drank bellflower root tea, which is good for the throat, and lay down on the bed.

From now on, I planned to reduce talking and focus only on condition management.

[Are you nervous?]

'No. Just regretful. If only a little more time was allowed, I could show a stage beyond my best.'

I chatted with the assistant about various things and turned on my phone.

I briefly replied to Mia and Yerin's texts and looked for the gallery.

Sure enough, topics related to Survival Game have been dominating this place for nearly a week.

Seeing that makes me uncomfortable.

Previously, posts related to me came up occasionally.

'The moment Mysterious Magician H's identity is revealed, I'll dominate this place.'

I guess I had an attention-seeking side.

Seeing how I'm feeling this unsettled.

[Did you just realize that now?]

'......'

The night was growing deep.

---

The fateful day dawned.

Since my gender changed... No, there has never been such a big event in my entire life.

"You look very tired."

"... I'm fine."

I had trouble sleeping.

I thought I was okay, but my body reacted honestly.

"Should we go to the shop?"

"No. I'll just go as is."

"Huh? But......"

Makeup is essential on the day.

Because you have to take off the mask the moment you're eliminated.

I made eye contact with Producer Bae Il-man.

I don't know what he saw in my eyes, but he smiled slightly and just departed.

When we arrived at the broadcasting station, it was a bit different from usual.

The assistant director is running around and the writers are moving busily.

Even the PD's face shouting and giving direct instructions, unlike his usual hands-behind-back posture.

An assistant writer approaches and asks me to refrain from leaving the waiting room as much as possible except during rehearsal today.

Moreover, she repeatedly asked me to be careful.

It's a day with not only participants but also celebrity judges and audience members present.

I looked around carefully and entered the waiting room.

The mask sitting on the table.

It was perfectly modified as I ordered.

"Here. I went and picked it up early this morning."

"Thank you."

Producer Bae Il-man hands me the clothes he picked up from the shop and goes outside to give me time to change.

"This is amazing."

From the size to the concealment of my chest(?) that I requested, it was perfect.

Of course, there was some pressure and slight discomfort in the chest area, but not to an unbearable degree.

"Phew......"

After changing clothes, I'm suddenly reminded of the production team's busy yet solemn appearance unlike usual.

Along with that, some tension crept in.

'Stay calm. You can do well.'

I took a deep breath and composed myself.

I recalled the images of the stages I prepared for today in my mind.

And immerse myself.

Memories containing all my efforts so far.

As I instinctively swayed my body and hummed the melody,

I was naturally able to forget the tension.

Knock knock-!

"It's your turn."

"Okay."

Producer Bae Il-man's knock wakes me up just in time.

The hallway with many waiting rooms was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

It means the production team is working hard to hide the participants' identities.

"This way."

They say there's still about 5 minutes left in the previous person's turn.

I waited following the security guard's guidance in the passage behind the stage.

The pounding in my chest grows louder.

Even though it's just a rehearsal, not the main stage, everything feels new despite having been here before, just because of the fact that today is the 23rd.

"You can move now."

The previous person's rehearsal must have ended, as I climb onto the stage escorted by security guards.

Unlike two days ago, everything from the lighting to the various effects on the screen at the back amplified the stage's charm.

I put on the in-ear monitor and grasp the microphone handed by the staff.

I can't feel the sensation because I'm wearing snow-white ceremonial gloves, but I grip it firmly.

Standing in the designated position and waiting for a moment, music naturally flows out.

After singing all the songs for rounds 2 and 3, a staff member approaches and asks if I want to end like this or sing one more song.

After pondering briefly, I decided to sing the round 3 song once more.

This is a song that needs to be perfect.

After finishing the song once more, this time they don't ask about practicing.

There must be people waiting behind me and the morning schedule must be tight, so it would be good manners to quickly make way.

I passed through the passage again following the security guard's guidance and moved to the waiting room.

"How was it? Did you do well?"

Producer Bae Il-man, lying on the sofa in the most comfortable position, asks in an indifferent voice.

This person's problem is that he has too much faith in me.

Of course, I did well, but...

"What do you want to eat for lunch? There's an amazing sundae gukbap place that delivers to MBS. Or ox head soup is good too."

"Sundae gukbap, call!"

"Okay. I'll order right away."

We ate a hearty lunch.

Ignoring him grumbling about going to the entrance to receive it with his producer experience, I turned on the TV in the waiting room.

They said it's a TV connected to the stage from the moment broadcast recording begins.

I can see the stage sparkling with brilliant lights.

It first showed the audience seats, quickly passing by, then turned to the judges' seats.

Kang Gura in the very center waved her hand slowly and greeted towards the screen.

Behind her, comedian junior Shim Bong-sun took his seat, and rock maniac and national weakling image holder Jang Yun-seok also guarded the most remote seat.

Then experts who were called in but show a lot of messed up appearances befitting an entertainment program, like Lee Young-seok and Oh Hyun-chul, were seen, and lastly a member each from a currently popular boy group and girl group as guests took their seats.

The next place shown was the highest place in the set.

A chair full of splendid decorations and ornaments that a medieval king would sit on catches the eye.

And security guards maintaining a solemn attitude positioned to the left and right of that chair.

Sitting on the chair commanding them was "The Clown Who Came Back Without Dying" who sat in the king's seat last week.

White clothes patched all over befitting a clown.

But over that, the king's golden mask and red cape create a very unbalanced feeling.

'So I'll take it away since I suit it.'

[Such resolution is quite cringeworthy though.]

'Shut up!'

The screen that passed by even the king turns back to the center of the stage.

MC Han Sung-joo reveals himself with bright lighting, receiving applause from the audience.

It was finally the start of the full-scale broadcast.