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Chapter 21
After receiving instructions, I headed straight to the stage.
The judges were seated in the same place as last time.
Of course, the lineup had changed, but the atmosphere was the same.
One thing, however, was different—Lee Jong-in’s gaze.
Last time, he looked at me like he wanted to kill me, but this time, he had a faint smile.
A silent encouragement.
We hadn’t seen each other since that first meeting, but somehow, I felt like I understood his intentions.
That hunch gave me confidence.
I couldn’t be sure, but I felt as though one of the judges was already on my side.
[You never know. Take it seriously.]
‘Yeah, don’t worry.’
Of course, that didn’t mean I intended to approach it carelessly.
Center stage.
Before starting the audition, I stood upright and looked at the judges.
Some looked expectant, while others looked indifferent.
At a glance, it seemed about half and half.
Half approval.
I couldn’t know what they were truly thinking, but it didn’t really bother me.
Even if someone saw me negatively, I’d do my best to overturn their view.
“Then, I’ll begin.”
Yoo Jae-hee – Imagine
An 8-beat hi-hat.
A piano following in half-beats.
A bass trailing after that same half-beat.
With only those three instruments as the background, Yoo Jae-hee’s song began.
–On the stage / Saturday night / Blinding lights and speakers / I can’t get too hyped, I stay calm / Feels like I’ll collapse / Under countless stares–
Lyrics written while imagining what it’d be like to become a superstar.
A song that captured the same emotions he felt during the festival.
He sang the calm intro while standing still, eyes slightly angled.
Then came the part Seol-hee and Tae-hoon had praised endlessly.
A short section without vocals.
The bass and drums drove the rhythm from the front, while the melodic instruments held their ground, clearly showing the song’s theme.
Even though the rhythm was highlighted, his movements were restrained.
“Don’t force anything. Stay natural.”
It was as if he could hear Seol-hee’s voice.
A week was short, but what he learned had already settled into his body.
He moved instinctively, not by calculation.
[Huh, not bad.]
Glancing toward the judges, he saw a few nodding along.
That boosted his confidence even more.
“Focus on what you do best. Stay true to the essence.”
That was what the demon had said before the festival, to ease his nerves.
If he didn’t want to feel burdened by gestures, he needed to focus on the singing.
The two who had helped him most in preparing for this audition—
He couldn’t let their efforts go to waste.
And so, the first verse began.
–Let’s pretend I’m a star / Everything’s shining / All those eyes on me–
The opening line directly conveyed the theme.
His falsetto burst out, catching the judges’ attention.
Their raised eyebrows showed they thought it wasn’t bad at all.
They’d already heard the demo during the first round, so they were anticipating the live performance.
And Yoo Jae-hee’s vocals lived up to that anticipation.
–I’m just ordinary / But that’s when I’m off the stage / Up here, I become someone else / Imagine I’m on stage / It’s burning with my dance and song–
The next four bars shifted into melodic rap.
He lightly gripped the mic head with his left hand and brought it close.
His projection was stronger compared to the earlier bars.
Since the section was filled with hip-hop elements, he moved to match it—slightly crouching his knees, strolling across the left side of the stage.
When the lyrics hit “I’m on stage”, he briefly looked down at his own feet before lifting his gaze to the opposite side.
He didn’t know exactly how these movements would be received, but he gave his all.
After the rap came the pre-chorus, the lead-in to the refrain.
The mood flipped.
The rhythmic instruments pulled back, switching into half-time.
Though gaps appeared in the rhythm, the bass filled them with sustained notes.
Piano, guitar, and strings joined in lightly, never overwhelming.
–Feels like everyone knows my name / Lights reflecting in their eyes / So dazzling–
He tightened his throat, producing a coarse sound.
Since this section had many melody-heavy instruments, he extended the notes and sang slower to match.
There were frequent pauses between lines.
Those silences were filled by snare hits soaked in reverb, delivering impact.
When those parts came, he mimed striking the air with his mic hand.
At the lyric “So dazzling”, the drums inserted a fiery fill, then settled back into steady beats—
Signaling the chorus.
–On the stage / Saturday night / Blinding lights and speakers / I can’t get too hyped, I stay calm / Feels like I’ll collapse / Under countless stares–
The chorus kicked in, rhythm-driven.
The lyrics were the same as the intro, but his vocals carried much more power.
The shift in energy was obvious, and the judges began nodding in rhythm.
In response, he bent forward slightly, singing as he looked right at them.
He swayed subtly side to side.
Eight pairs of eyes were fixed on him, but he didn’t feel pressured.
Somehow, being on stage transformed him.
Normally, people staring at him would feel strange, but now, he didn’t avert his eyes.
Instead, feeling good, he smiled faintly.
He shifted his gaze to the right, strolling casually.
A trumpet joined in every two bars during the chorus.
When it played, he tilted his head and smiled coolly.
And from the judge’s table, Lee Jong-in watched Yoo Jae-hee.
He had now seen Jae-hee perform three times—
The festival audition, the launch festival, and today.
And each time, Yoo Jae-hee revealed something new.
At the first audition, his musicality was strong, but his movements clumsy.
At the festival, he was wild, almost frenzied.
Today, he was in-between.
Not excessive, not sloppy—just relaxed.
His vocals and musicality were consistently excellent across all three.
But his stage know-how was rapidly building.
If his hunch was right, Yoo Jae-hee’s future was bright.
It was the first time he found himself anticipating someone else’s growth.
Sure, he’d wanted his favorite singers or composers to succeed before, but cheering for a fellow amateur? That was new.
He didn’t want to see someone musically talented stuck in a socially weak position.
Most amateurs he’d seen had been fairly popular in their circles.
But he had never seen one carrying scars like Yoo Jae-hee.
Turning his head, he glanced at the other judges.
Most of their expressions were bright.
One or two sat expressionless, simply observing.
The rest seemed to be enjoying the upbeat medium-tempo track.
Though they couldn’t talk during the performance, he could roughly guess their thoughts.
They were enjoying a high-level show.
And Jae-hee, sensing that, pushed harder.
Entering the second verse, he grew more relaxed.
Maybe because of that, both his singing and movements flowed easier.
It wasn’t perfect yet, but the ease seeping through drew even deeper smiles from the judges.
Not as a composer, but as a singer bringing joy to an audience.
That newfound thrill almost drove him crazy, but he fought to stay calm.
After the second chorus and the bridge, he hit the final chorus.
The pre-recorded AR backing track kicked in.
Over it, he delivered ad-libs with a strong jazz feel, including scat singing.
Normally scat was improvised, but here it was pre-recorded, so it came out smooth.
His first self-composed song—
Imagine.
Not a song designed to showcase soaring vocals, but one driven by rhythm and arrangement.
A song born of imagining life as a famous singer.
It didn’t offer a cathartic release, but it brimmed with trendiness.
As the last chorus ended, the backing faded out.
Panting, he bowed to the judges.
“Thank you.”
They responded with soft applause.
And so, his audition ended.
The results would be announced the next day, just like last time.
The moment he stepped out of the auditorium, Seol-hee and Tae-hoon rushed over.
“Wow! Hyung!”
“You did great!”
“Oh? You guys didn’t leave?”
“Seol-hee said it’d be over soon, so we waited.”
“Right, of course Seol-hee would know.”
“You really did well.”
“Eh, I just did what I always do.”
“Whoa… then you’re in for sure!”
“Nah, not yet. They’ll text tomorrow.”
“If you don’t pass, then who would?!”
“Ha! Don’t get my hopes too high. Anyway, since you two helped me so much, let’s eat—I’ll treat today.”
“Yes! Let’s go eat!”
“Ha ha, this guy never refuses free food.”
“Hyung’s buying. My mom always said you can’t refuse kindness like that.”
“Who even says stuff like that?”
“My mom.”
“O-oh… what a wise woman.”
“Alright, enough talk. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
And with his two loyal friends, he headed to Hongdae.
Back in the auditorium, the judges immediately began their review.
The main criteria were singing ability and composition skills.
But visual presence and stage manners also factored in.
Since entertainment agencies sometimes scouted from this club, they couldn’t ignore those.
The first to speak was Lee Jong-in.
“What did you all think?”
“The arrangement was excellent. The bass was killer.”
“Agreed. The overall use of rhythm instruments was outstanding. Same with the drum placement and layering.”
“I heard he mixes at home, but the sound was clean considering that.”
“And the vocals were good, too. Even though the song wasn’t meant to highlight them, they still shone through…”
Listening to the others, Lee Jong-in nodded.
It seemed they were all on the same page.
“But… the timing was a bit…”
“Yeah, the timing.”
“The melodic rap part felt slightly syncopated overall.”
“Well… that’s not necessarily bad.”
The comment came from a student who mainly did hip-hop. Naturally, he was more sensitive to rhythm.
“Yeah, not bad, but… in this kind of song, pushing the beat back would’ve sounded better.”
“Hmm, yeah, that makes sense.”
“But it’s not a fatal flaw or mistake.”
“Right. Just a minor regret. Everything else was excellent.”
Various opinions were exchanged.
Yoo Jae-hee had received perfect pitch and vocal ability from the demon, but he wasn’t complete yet.
It was an ability that would take ten years to fully master—not a talent that instantly put him leagues above everyone else.
“Well then, shall we start wrapping up our thoughts?”
