Chapter 78

Reckless Genius Composer Returns - Chapter 78 (78/482)

"Has everyone confirmed their battle opponent?"

Some participants glared at Kim Sung-joon's question, feeling as if he was taunting them.

'Is this a joke...!'

Given that the match-ups could feel like a 'rejection notice' to some participants, it was understandable why they were upset.

At that moment,

"Wow! This is almost a match of death, isn't it?"

Kim Sung-joon stopped in front of the HS Line monitor, speaking in an exaggerated tone.

"Oh! To think that the two most talked-about participants in this K-SingerStar would be matched against each other!"

He then feigned surprise, despite already knowing the match-up.

"It's the battle of Yoon Jai, who received the Super Pass from HS, against Kang Ha-joon, who received the fastest pass from HS!"

The other participants also responded with a small "Oh!" to Kim Sung-joon's words.

Kang Ha-joon, who had received the fastest pass from HS, remained calm.

"Mr. Kang Ha-joon, now that you're matched against Yoon Jai in this round, could you share your thoughts or determination?"

Kim Sung-joon approached Kang Ha-joon and held out a microphone.

"Hmm, thoughts or determination..."

"Is it difficult to share, perhaps?"

"I'll do my best, regardless of the outcome."

Kang Ha-joon answered calmly, bowed his head, and turned to walk towards a corner.

The match-up against Yoon Jai must have been a mischievous strategy by the producers, considering only the ratings.

Well, since the game has already started, he just needed to do his best to achieve the result he wanted.

Time continued to flow, and only three hours remained.

He had to perfect the arrangement and practice within that time, so he couldn't afford to waste any time on personal matters.

It didn't matter who his opponent was or what the producers' intentions were. He just needed to survive and earn recognition from HS.

'Absolutely...'

As a surge of determination filled Kang Ha-joon's eyes, his phone in his back pocket began to ring.

It was a message from the road manager assigned by the company.

"Ah..."

Less than ten minutes after the competition songs were announced, the arranged audio file was already sent.

How did they know? Did they plant someone among the staff?

He quickly glanced around and checked the message, shielding it with his hand.

'Is this allowed?'

Kang Ha-joon's thumb hovered over the screen, unable to click on the audio file.

Although he had started with more favorable conditions than others due to his background, he had never finished anything without his own effort.

Even when LS Entertainment offered him a debut, he refused and chose to become a trainee.

Of course, compared to other trainees, his training period was very short, but he had vowed to be recognized for his overwhelming skills and debut within that short time.

However, this felt like breaking the rules in an already ongoing competition.

'Cheating...'

All participants were given the same three hours.

But unlike them, he had the advantage of not wasting time on arranging and could focus entirely on practice because of his company's support.

In fact, trainees from entertainment companies weren't even supposed to participate...

At least, he had vowed to rise through his own efforts without using any shortcuts in the audition process. It was a matter of minimal conscience and pride.

"Huh..."

Kang Ha-joon, standing at a crossroads, ran his hand through his hair, reflecting on his complex thoughts.

"Everyone, I'll see you again in about three hours! I wish you all the best!"

Kim Sung-joon, who had been conducting brief interviews, loudly bid farewell and left the venue.

Well, the real intense time had begun. The outcome—no, the survival—would depend on how each participant used the three hours they were given.

Thud.

Kang Ha-joon, sitting in a corner of the hall, unlocked his phone again.

The last message appeared, and he bit his lower lip, rolling his eyes.

He saw Yoon Jai sitting cross-legged in a corner not far from him, her face full of smiles, which surprised him.

Had he ever seen her smile?

Even on the bus, after getting off, and in the hall, she had never smiled, only frowned.

Seeing her smile so brightly, did she feel confident?

Kang Ha-joon tightened his grip on his phone. Why had he been so soft-hearted up to this point?

Well, hesitation means losing.

He needed to focus.

This was a battlefield without weapons.

Kang Ha-joon repeated these words to himself, as if brainwashing himself.

"I have to win, I have to win..."

What did it matter if it wasn't fair? He just needed to put his conscience aside for a moment.

Most importantly, other trainees from entertainment companies were also participating, and they must be receiving help from their companies, too.

"I just need to sing well and earn recognition."

Finally, Kang Ha-joon's fingers played the arranged audio file without hesitation.

* * *

"Ah, it's already been two hours."

"What? Really?"

"Why does time go so fast?"

Faced with the relentless passage of time, the participants began to repeatedly groan. There was only one hour left before the battle round started.

'One hour...'

Kang Ha-joon, amidst the crowd, maintained his focus and practiced with all his might.

"Huh..."

The arrangement was done without significantly altering the original style, with only minor key adjustments and added ad-libs to highlight the highlights.

But he went further, watching various live performances by Seo Jin and repeatedly listening to his own recorded files to develop his own ad-lib lines.

Well, even if the arrangement was done by the company, the performance was his domain.

"Ah, damn..."

For someone who usually cared a lot about others' opinions and was always cautious, even a slightly frustrated mutter was quite bold.

Kang Ha-joon, so engrossed that he didn't notice the camera, frowned and pounded his chest when he didn't get the sound he wanted.

"Huh..."

As his T-shirt became soaked with sweat, he wondered,

'Is Yoon Jai doing well?'

Driven by sudden curiosity, he pretended to dry his T-shirt while looking for her.

"What?"

Kang Ha-joon, finding Yoon Jai in the crowd, blurted out without realizing it.

'What is she doing, still?'

He couldn't hide his surprise, as she seemed to be still deeply engaged in arranging.

Her lips were tightly closed, and she repeatedly strummed her guitar and scribbled on the sheet music on the floor. With only an hour left...

What is she planning to do?

Seeing Yoon Jai use her time inefficiently, Kang Ha-joon felt his blood boil.

'If she spends so much time on arranging, when will she practice?'

Was her earlier smile because she was so confident about the song "Let's Walk Together"?

What kind of amazing arrangement is she planning to show that she's spending so much time on it?

Could she be struggling because she doesn't know how to arrange?

He had heard that she hadn't received proper education or training...

No, this wasn't the time for that.

With only an hour left, he couldn't afford to waste time worrying about others.

Well, he had resolved to earn recognition from 'HS' as an instrument today.

'I need to show that I'm a better instrument than Yoon Jai...'

Finally, Kang Ha-joon turned his gaze away from her and poured all his energy into the final practice.

* * *

The intense battle round began. The number of eliminations increased with each match.

"J-Block, the last tenth elimination is Lee Woo-jung. Although it's very regrettable, Lee Woo-jung must now pack her bags and return home."

They were now called 'eliminated' instead of by their names and had to leave the venue immediately.

Moreover, the camera followed them until the end, leaving no room for them to grieve in peace.

"I'll take a short break and then go-!"

A single phrase echoed through the loudspeaker, and Lee Young-ah collapsed onto the desk.

"Phew, listening to the same song 20 times in a row is exhausting. Maybe because of the lack of time, everyone's arrangements are just key adjustments, and they all sound similar..."

Lee Young-ah, speaking in a tired tone, was gently patted on the shoulder by Kim Gwang-jin.

"Plus, you've already judged about 80 people, right? It's natural to be tired, even if the songs are different."

"Most difficult is the one-on-one battle where we have to eliminate one person. There are a few who keep catching my eye among the eliminated..."

Listening to their conversation, Won Jin-sub, who had been reviewing the previous files, spoke up.

"Is that so? I often wanted to eliminate both..."

"Right, it's more difficult to choose one to pass when both are good."

J-Block nodded vigorously in agreement. Lee Young-ah, hearing this, let out a small sigh and turned to look at HS.

"Then, how about you, HS?"

"Same here."

HS then turned to face her and began to probe.

"Did you want to eliminate both?"

"Yes, it's a toss-up..."

"Were there no participants you felt sorry for?"

"No, not really?"

"Maybe just in this round?"

"Well, yeah."

Although he couldn't see HS's expression under the helmet, the short, sharp responses made Lee Young-ah feel frustrated.

"Hmm..."

HS's contemplative voice echoed briefly from under the helmet.

"Because of the lack of practice time, a mistake, too much tension, not usually like this..."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

HS turned to Lee Young-ah and answered firmly.

"Those are all excuses once you're here."

Lee Young-ah, suddenly making eye contact with HS through the goggles, shuddered.

Oh...

Had they ever made direct eye contact like this before?

Ah...

Right, they had met three times, from the preliminary to the final, but he had never even turned his head to look at her during the entire day of filming.

'He's so handsome...'

Lee Young-ah blushed, thinking to herself.

Certainly.

Their first meeting wasn't a particularly good one.

During the final preliminary in Seoul, when HS used the Super Pass on a participant she deemed not ready for the next round, she had doubted both his judgment and his reputation.

'He must be overhyped by the media.'

Moreover, his carefree attitude, ignoring others' gazes, made her feel like a young upstart was being arrogant.

However, in the next round, when HS's chosen participant delivered an outstanding performance, she began to see him differently.

Taking off her colored glasses, she saw that although he wasn't a talkative person, he gave participants valuable feedback during the judging process.

Of course, he was sharp and decisive with those who had no potential.

"By coming to this public audition, they've walked into the jungle on their own. If they're not prepared, that's an excuse. If there's prey in front of them, they should fight to the death to catch it."

HS added quietly, only for her to hear.

"To survive in this jungle."

If it weren't for the cameras, Lee Young-ah might have stuck out her tongue at the female singer's dignity.

According to the information she had gathered from the PD after becoming interested in HS, he was only in his early 20s.

However, looking at the eyes and hearing the words of the person in front of her,

'He seems like someone who has been in the industry for a long time...'

To Lee Young-ah, 'HS' was merely a person who piqued her curiosity.

.

.

.

The 1-on-1 battle round was now down to the final match.

"Yoon Jai vs. Kang Ha-joon..."

Won Jin-sub, quite interested, added a middle-aged man's interjection.

"Is it because it's the last match? It's a big match I'm looking forward to. It feels like a battle between a musician and an artist."

"Ah, now that you mention it, it does. I was also looking forward to these two."

"Apparently, they've been the most talked-about since the first broadcast?"

Kim Gwang-jin, continuing the conversation, patted HS on the back.

"Ultimately, weren't the two people you picked in the preliminary and main rounds? You must have a good ear."

"Thank you. But Kang Ha-joon was outstanding in 'star quality' to anyone, not just me."

"That's true. But thinking about it, one of them will be eliminated today..."

Kim Gwang-jin trailed off, disappointed.

At that moment,

"In the 'HS Group,' the biggest match, Kang Ha-joon vs. Yoon Jai, is about to begin!"

Kim Sung-joon, holding the microphone under the bright lights, spoke with more force than usual.

"Yoon Jai, please wait on the side of the stage, and Kang Ha-joon, please prepare on stage."

Following his instructions, Yoon Jai moved to a chair on the side, leaving Kang Ha-joon on stage.

'Wow, the set looks even bigger from up here...'

Sitting in the chair, Yoon Jai slowly looked around. The judges' seats were placed quite close to the stage where Kang Ha-joon would perform...

Behind them, about twenty chairs were neatly arranged, but with nine eliminations from previous battles, some seats were empty.

The nine surviving participants waited for Kang Ha-joon's performance with relaxed faces, as if watching a movie.

"Did you prepare well despite the short time?"

When J-Block asked to ease the tension, Kang Ha-joon replied succinctly, "Yes, I did my best."

However, as a topic of interest, he exchanged a few more words before adjusting the microphone and closing his eyes.

Soon,

The prepared audio began to play softly.

"Wow..."

As Kang Ha-joon started singing, the remaining survivors spontaneously responded with cheers.