Chapter 59

Perhaps it was because the "Gangnam Style" at the last Song Festival was such a huge success, or perhaps it was because each MC had invited guests today, and the guests had brought their own fans. When Yoon Hyun arrived at the concert venue, he was deeply impressed by the stage.

"PD Kim Tae Ho, are you sure you didn't take over the Music Center's filming site?" Yoon Hyun asked, somewhat uneasy.

"Yes! This is putting a lot of pressure on us!" Park Myung Soo, who was already nervous, joined in the criticism.

Then, Yoo Hong Chul and the others also joined in.

"Because of such a grand scene, our live performance can't be like last year, where each person just sings one song and that's it," Kim Tae Ho completely ignored everyone's protests and arranged things on his own.

"What? Do you want us to sing two songs? We'll go on strike!" Jung Jun Ha almost jumped up.

"I mean, each of you will have to use at least 10 minutes, whether you perform a program on stage or invite a guest to sing an extra song. But you have to ensure that this live performance lasts at least an hour!" Kim Tae Ho said dictatorially.

After realizing that their objections were ineffective, the MCs also understood that six songs together would only last about half an hour. With such a grand scene, it was impossible to hold it together! So they all went to negotiate with their invited guests to add more performances.

Each group would have a guest sing one song, and then the MCs would sing one competition song together.

Even the final ranking of the songs followed the ranking method of the TV music programs, with scores from on-site experts, audience text message participation, and finally, the number of song downloads...

The formality of it all made the MCs somewhat uneasy.

Perhaps it was because of the mid-term check this year, or because of the addition of performance guests, which added a lot of professionalism, or because of the success of "Gangnam Style" from the previous year. In any case, this year's Song Festival maintained a high level of performance and singing quality up until the last performer, Yoon Hyun.

"Yoon Hyun-ssi, where is your guest? You're not going to let us see her until now?" Yoo Jae Suk looked a bit worried at Yoon Hyun's appearance.

"She's already here. I just told her to hide from you," Yoon Hyun said nonchalantly.

"Hey! You brat! This will affect the entire program's filming!" Yoo Jae Suk was a bit angry.

"Brother Jae Suk, don't worry! If I let her show her face, it would really affect the filming progress," Yoon Hyun still looked confident.

"Who is it?" Yoo Jae Suk was even more curious.

Yoon Hyun whispered in Yoo Jae Suk's ear and made a gesture to keep it secret.

"It's her! That makes sense, with their comedic habits... it really could affect the filming..." Yoo Jae Suk suddenly understood, remembering the commotion caused by Kim Tae Hee's appearance on the show last time. "How do you plan to arrange her appearance?"

"I'm ready," Yoon Hyun made a gesture to reassure Yoo Jae Suk.

Finally, after Jessica and Park Myung Soo's lively "Naengmyeon" received enthusiastic and sustained applause from the audience, it was Yoon Hyun's turn to perform.

When Yoon Hyun appeared on stage alone, dressed in a simple casual outfit, the entire venue erupted in the most enthusiastic applause.

"Thank you for the applause," Yoon Hyun smiled and bowed to the audience, starting his hosting. One of the biggest advantages of "Infinite Challenge" compared to many other variety shows was that each MC had the ability to control the stage independently. Although Yoon Hyun had always stayed behind the other MCs, it didn't mean he lacked the ability to be the main MC.

"If I heard correctly, that was the most enthusiastic applause we've had today. I want to thank Jessica for her hard work. This applause should be for her. As for the strange thing standing next to the angel, I hope everyone doesn't mind," Yoon Hyun joked casually.

The audience laughed.

"Two years ago, when I appeared, I apologized to all the audience. This year, there's no need. Brother Yoo Hong Chul didn't sing a girl's song this year, which is our luck," Yoon Hyun threw in another joke.

The audience laughed again.

"Alright, no more nonsense. Now, my competition song, the name is 'Not That Easy.' Please welcome my guest performer," Yoon Hyun politely waved to the group of people gathered in front of the stage, and then a beautiful figure slowly walked up to the stage.

In an instant, the entire venue fell silent.

"Kim Tae Hee-nim!" Yoon Hyun, even on stage, heard a few wolf whistles.

"Hello, I'm Kim Tae Hee," Kim Tae Hee took the microphone from Yoon Hyun and greeted the audience with a smile.

The venue was in an uproar.

Then, the prelude of the song began.

"Not that easy

To find someone to chat with

Especially after seeing so many betrayals

Always uneasy, had to be strong

Who killed my romance?"

Yoon Hyun sang the opening of the song in a deep, resonant low voice. There was a sense of detachment in the lyrics, a lightness that was not heavy.

"Not that easy

To love someone without looking at anything else

Being practical might be good or bad, half and half

Not loving solitude, got used to it

No need to worry, no need to be controlled by anyone"

Kim Tae Hee's voice entered the song, a smooth mid-range, very pleasant to the ear, a lazy feeling, but also a hint of unwillingness?

"Feeling happy, busy with this and that

Feeling tired, empty yourself

Listen to what others say casually

Make your own decisions..."

Yoon Hyun sang these lines very plainly, like clocking in for work every day, very formulaic, numb, and flat, as if just living.

"Don't want to have too many emotions

A glass of red wine with a movie

On a weekend night, turn off the phone

Comfortably nestled in the sofa"

Kim Tae Hee's voice began to rise, a sense of unease seemed to spread.

"Love is not that easy

Everyone has their temper

Past the age of dreaming

A grand passion is not as good as peace

Happiness is not that easy

That's why it's so captivating

In the age of innocence

Once the most sincere, so the happiest..."

Yoon Hyun sang the high-pitched chorus, giving his voice a smoky quality, using techniques from his pop-rock performances to sing the chorus in a very high pitch.

Then the song entered the repeat stage, the melody gradually opened up, and Yoon Hyun and Kim Tae Hee entered a duet state. In the second chorus, they sang together, and Yoon Hyun successfully hit the two-octave high note, harmonizing well with Kim Tae Hee's voice.

"Missing the most heartbreaking

But the most touching memories..."

When Kim Tae Hee sang the last two lines with a confessional tone, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.

"Do you like this song?" Yoon Hyun asked the audience.

"Yes!" the audience answered in unison.

"This song is dedicated to every friend who cherishes themselves and those around them. Because it's not easy, we should cherish every person who brings us happiness and joy! Thank you all!" Yoon Hyun said loudly.

The audience naturally burst into applause again.

"Actually, I and Sister Tae Hee only prepared this one song. But the ruthless PD of 'Infinite Challenge' forced us to perform two songs. I thought and thought, and only..." he turned to Kim Tae Hee, who had been standing quietly and smiling at him: "Sister Tae Hee, can you do the horse dance?"

The entire venue immediately erupted in excitement.

"Are you asking if anyone in the audience can't do it?" Kim Tae Hee also cooperated, then asked the audience: "Can everyone do it?"

"Yes!" the audience answered in unison.

"Then let's all do it together..." Yoon Hyun extended the microphone to the audience.

"OPPA GANGNAM STYLE!" the audience shouted in unison.

With Yoon Hyun's "Gangnam Style," this year's "Infinite Challenge" Song Festival came to a successful conclusion.

Although Yoon Hyun was severely criticized by the other MCs and guests after coming off the stage, the smooth recording of the entire program, especially the grand scene, made everyone feel incredibly proud.

The next day, all the songs performed in the concert were uploaded to the music download site, and the six songs swept all the music charts...

Then, the PD Kim Tae Ho, excited by this result and a bit overwhelmed, contacted the PD of Music Center to arrange a special stage...

It's worth noting that the duet of "Not That Easy" by Yoon Hyun and Kim Tae Hee was not initially in the first place. Compared to the other five MCs, who chose more upbeat songs to cover up their lack of singing skills, Yoon Hyun's song was initially ranked sixth.

This made the other singers a bit excited.

However, as time passed, while the download numbers of the other songs began to rapidly decline, Yoon Hyun's song's downloads slowly increased.

On the fourth day, "Not That Easy" finally topped all the music download charts.

"Even as 'Infinite Challenge' once again humiliated the entire Korean music industry with its狂欢的音乐, we are still comforted to find that in this sea of overly entertaining songs, there is still someone who quietly sings heartfelt songs with a gentle tone. I must admit, the first time I heard this song was in a friend's car, a middle-aged single man around my age. I almost shed tears instantly. Although I am a happy husband with a pair of well-behaved children, the lyrics of this song still struck me. I am very curious how Yoon Hyun-ssi wrote this song. According to his experiences, it is impossible for him to write such profound lyrics, but he did it again, just like 'Spring and Wandering' and the Chinese version of 'Beijing, Beijing.' He seems to have eyes that see through the world, which makes me envious. So, although his 'Gangnam Style' initiated this era of musical狂欢, he is undoubtedly a soul singer." A comment from an online netizen was reprinted by major newspapers and magazines, seemingly the best interpretation of this song.

---

**End of Chapter**