Chapter 77

Reincarnation of the Reckless Genius Composer - Chapter 77 (77/482)

Manager Kim was driving HS to the training hall where the first battle round was taking place.

"Hey, bringing you to the filming set like this reminds me of my days as a road manager."

HS looked at Manager Kim, who seemed lost in memories, and asked,

"About... 20 years ago?"

"What, man?"

"Then, 30 years ago?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Wow, 40 years ago?"

Manager Kim muttered, "If I weren't driving..." and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

He then glanced at HS and asked casually,

"HS, do you want me to assign you a road manager?"

HS replied firmly,

"No, I have you, Manager Kim."

"Me? I'm your road manager?"

"It's nice to reminisce after so long."

Manager Kim, seeing HS shrug playfully, threatened,

"We'll see when we get there."

"Let's see how it goes."

"Don't copy me!"

"Don't copy me!"

In the end, he knew he was the one being swayed. Manager Kim sighed deeply and changed the topic.

"By the way, did you notice anyone besides Yun Jai during the last main round judging?"

"Why?"

"Well, if you think they're good, I might consider signing them."

HS pondered for a moment.

Then, in a matter-of-fact tone, he said,

"Kang Hajoon."

"Kang Hajoon?"

HS nodded, and Manager Kim, intrigued, exclaimed, "Oh," and asked,

"What did you like about him?"

HS recalled Kang Hajoon's performance in the last main round. He was a standout from the moment he appeared.

His appearance was like a craftsman's meticulous creation, with a well-proportioned figure and a confident, charismatic aura.

Kang Hajoon was someone who could make a good first impression on anyone, regardless of age or gender.

Most importantly,

The reason HS was drawn to him again was because he chose to perform "Dear My Beethoven," a song from HS's solo album.

While it was a great choice for showcasing explosive vocals and a wide range in an audition...

'Somehow, it felt unexpected.'

To HS, Kang Hajoon seemed more focused on performance than vocals.

So, despite pretending otherwise, HS was surprised when he showed a small expression of shock inside his helmet as the accompaniment began.

'Right, it was a preconception.'

Although it was clear early on that his natural voice or skills weren't exceptional,

His sincere eyes and expressions kept drawing attention, and his emotionally rich, albeit unstable, voice captivated the ears.

Yes,

At that moment, it felt like Kang Hajoon's version of the song.

'First time...'

Moreover, it was the first time HS listened to someone else's version of the song without comparing it to Moon Bumjae.

What can I say...

While Moon Bumjae's version felt like singing his life, Kang Hajoon's version seemed like a musical.

'Kang Hajoon, Kang Hajoon, Kang Hajoon...'

No matter how much HS recalled his past life, there was no memory of Kang Hajoon from K-SingerStar. It made sense since "Dear My Beethoven" didn't exist.

"Hmm..."

While he didn't have a naturally good voice, with proper tuning, he could become a visually and aurally pleasing instrument.

For some reason, as the conversation dragged on, it might have sounded like HS was giving a negative review, but...

"Just because."

It was clear that this participant would be a major topic of discussion in the program.

"Doesn't it help to share a bit with me? Do I have to check everything through the broadcast?"

"Of course, as a viewer, I should wait for the next episode, but if you keep trying to know, it's like deceiving other viewers..."

"Ah, forget it, forget it!"

Manager Kim, making a small "Hmph!" sound, couldn't resist his curiosity and asked again,

"Then, what song did you choose for the next round mission? You can tell me that, right?"

"Um... let's walk together."

Manager Kim, puzzled by HS's choice of "Let's Walk Together" for the battle round, asked,

"Let's walk together? Why?"

HS was at a loss for words.

"Why...?"

"Let's Walk Together" by Seo Jin-i, while not a title track, was well-known due to its use in advertisements. However, it wasn't a typical choice for a competition song in such an audition.

But,

If well-arranged, it could create a unique stage, and the song's unique rhythm would be challenging to perform, making it a good test of basic rhythm.

Most importantly,

While HS didn't know who Yun Jai would choose for this battle round, if she chose him, he was confident she would perform "Let's Walk Together" better than anyone else.

However, HS kept his thoughts to himself and simply said,

"It seems to have dropped in the charts recently."

"Really? When did you start caring about that?"

"I care a lot."

"Didn't you say the company should handle the results?"

"That's true, too."

Manager Kim, sighing deeply, "Oh, you're so shameless," played a song to break the silence in the car.

Coincidentally,

The melody of "Dear My Beethoven" played through the speakers, and HS asked playfully,

"Do you always listen to my songs?"

"No, it just happened to be the right timing."

"Really, the timing is perfect."

Manager Kim, feeling embarrassed, quickly skipped to the next song, but...

The next song...

"This is really, truly, honestly just a coincidence."

The next song...

"Of all days, why this streaming order today!"

The next, next song...

It was as if a compilation of HS's songs was playing.

"Wait a minute."

HS requested, "It's a nice day, let's listen to this one."

Manager Kim's hand stopped, "Okay, let's listen to this one."

The warm melody of "A Handful of Cherry Blossoms" filled the car.

Swish.

HS opened the window to enjoy the gentle spring breeze, and Jeong Arin's voice softly tickled his ears.

"Every time I listen to this, I feel like Arin did a great job with this song."

"Yes, I agree."

"Did you hear? Arin got a triple first place on three music shows with this song."

"Oh, that's great."

"It seems she's getting festival bookings from various universities now."

"Wow, she's doing well."

"Look, look! You sound so indifferent, yet you're so attached."

"That's a huge misunderstanding."

Manager Kim laughed at HS's robotic response.

"Anyway, I checked the charts on the way here, and it looks like it's going to hit number one soon."

HS nodded nonchalantly and leaned his head against the window. Manager Kim muttered, "What a pain."

"Hmm, hmm-."

Then, he hummed "A Handful of Cherry Blossoms" in a nasal tone.

Suddenly,

The 'Team 1 Plagiarism Incident' that occurred when HS lost his USB a while ago came to mind.

The thought of almost losing such a song made him feel dizzy.

Of course,

It was absolutely unacceptable for HS's songs to be stolen, but...

"Haha."

HS could create similar hit songs multiple times, which made him laugh.

"Why are you laughing?"

Yes, he was already looking forward to what kind of music and topics HS would create in this K-SingerStar.

"No, no."

"Too boring..."

"By the way, Arin said she wants to treat you to a meal."

"Then I'll have to treat her every year."

HS muttered and turned his head.

'So beautiful.'

For a moment, the blooming cherry blossoms filled his view.

─ The cherry blossom leaves carried by the gentle spring breeze...

The melody of "A Handful of Cherry Blossoms" playing through the car speakers.

The breathtaking spring scenery before his eyes.

The two elements combined to create a thrilling sensation.

Yes,

This "A Handful of Cherry Blossoms" marked the perfect beginning of his seasonal album project.

Summer, autumn, winter...

For someone who had never felt the passage of time, the coming seasons were now something to look forward to.

However,

Right now, he was eager to play the two instruments he had encountered in K-SingerStar.

"Manager, let's go-."

"Why is he suddenly like this?"

"Bro, let's go-."

"Creepy! Stop it!"

After a brief giggle,

"We're almost there."

The time to meet the precious instruments was approaching.

* * *

Meanwhile,

The auditorium was in shock after the mission was revealed.

"Isn't this too much, even for an audition?"

"Do you know this song? I've never heard it before."

"How can they expect us to perform it in just three hours?"

"If I had known, I would have joined the J-Blu line."

The murmurs spread like wildfire, and soon,

"Everyone, listen up!"

Kim Sung-joon's booming voice gradually quieted the room.

"I know you're surprised by this sudden battle mission, but as I said, this is a battlefield where you must give it your all."

He scanned the now silent room and added,

"Those who aren't prepared won't survive."

The participants saw Kim Sung-joon's smirking face as that of a demon.

Or perhaps, he really was a demon.

Kang Hajoon, shaking his head, fell into thought.

'So cruel.'

The 100 participants who made it through the fierce competition must have come here with hope.

The hope of becoming number one, the hope of becoming a famous star through the broadcast.

But,

Upon arriving, they found it was a battlefield without weapons, and their hopes were extinguished.

Moreover, they had to witness in real-time the elimination of the person sleeping next to them during the stay.

It was likely designed to create an environment where the remaining participants felt immense pressure and struggled desperately.

For the production team, it was about creating a battlefield to extract the most dramatic footage.

Especially,

For the mostly young participants in their teens and early twenties, this battlefield must feel overwhelming.

'I just need to survive.'

Even so, he couldn't worry about others or make concessions for anyone.

'I'll survive and be recognized.'

Kang Hajoon lightly tapped his cheeks and shifted his gaze to the monitor at the front.

"Seo Jin-i - Let's Walk Together"

The designated competition song was displayed on the monitor.

"Ah..."

Kang Hajoon sighed. A song that had once given him warm comfort was now a mission song that would mercilessly evaluate him.

Moreover, "Let's Walk Together" by Seo Jin-i, while charming in its calmness, lacked sections to showcase explosive vocals, making it a somewhat disappointing choice for a competition song.

'If the arrangement is done brilliantly, it could be different...'

However,

The participants had only three hours, which was far too little time to prepare and showcase their full potential.

Not just for him, but for all 20 participants who chose the 'HS' line, this was a common thought.

Especially,

The fact that only 10 out of 20 would advance to the next round, and that in a few hours, half of the 100 participants in the auditorium would be packing their bags and going home, was a chilling thought.

'When will the match-ups be announced...'

Kang Hajoon, raising his head like a meerkat, saw the production team huddled in a corner, heads together.

"Too bad it's not a duet mission, but we have to pair these two."

"Huh? But we have to eliminate one of them here..."

"We'll think about that later. Right now, they're a guaranteed ratings boost!"

While he couldn't hear their exact words, the heated debate over the paper clump suggested they hadn't decided on the match-ups yet.

Yes,

How they arranged the match-ups would affect the ratings for that episode, so it wasn't an easy decision.

Of course, it was also a crucial issue for him.

Depending on who he faced among the other 19, he could either be eliminated or survive.

'No matter who it is, I need to think about the arrangement first.'

At that moment,

Kim Sung-joon's voice drew everyone's attention again.

"Please look at the monitors in your respective lines!"

Everyone turned their gaze to the monitors.

"HS Team 1-on-1 Match-ups"

The one-on-one battle match-ups appeared on the monitor.

"Go Jua vs. Im Yeon"

"Kim Ji-soo vs. Jo Doo-jin"

"Yoo Hae-in vs. Kim Sae-byeol"

The participants' faces showed a mix of joy and sorrow as they saw their opponents.

"That person passed all the rounds, didn't they?"

"Ah, I'm doomed!"

"Why me...?"

Murmurs spread throughout the room.

"Hey, hey, look at that."

"Wow, wow..."

"How did those two end up together?"

The participants were drawn to the match-ups on the 'HS' team monitor.

"Isn't it a cruel twist of fate that those two are paired?"

"It's good for us, though."

Whether to call it fate or a bad connection, it was unclear.

"Right? One of them will be eliminated."

"Actually, it's better."

At the bottom of the 'HS' team monitor...

"Yun Jai vs. Kang Hajoon"

The names of the two hottest participants were displayed side by side.