Chapter 86

Reincarnation of the Reckless Genius Composer - Chapter 86 (86/482)

The preliminary round before the top 10 selection... No, that's not right.

Internally, the preliminary round for the top 11, which had been pre-determined, was about to begin.

However,

the atmosphere in the hall was not filled with hot passion but with a cold chill.

"The song you chose this time doesn't seem to suit your voice. It feels like you're singing separately. I'll give you a C grade, contestant Joo."

The judges moved their mouths like ventriloquist dummies, reciting their evaluations according to the script.

"Everything was good, but the pitch was a bit unstable when you hit the high notes. I'll give you a B grade, contestant Lee Hyunji."

They would find and point out flaws, no matter how good the performance, if the contestant was pre-determined to be eliminated.

After a while of such meaningless evaluations,

'Yoon Jai...'

Lee Young-a glanced at Yoon Jai, who was holding sheet music and waiting in a corner of the hall.

'Pre-determined as one of the top 11 internally...'

It seemed Yoon Jai had signed with LS Entertainment. Given his outstanding talent, it was expected, but...

a strange discomfort made her mouth dry.

"Why are you drinking so much water?"

Kim Gwangjin, sitting next to her, asked in a low voice.

"Ah, my throat is a bit dry..."

Lee Young-a absentmindedly stroked her throat and smiled bitterly.

Soon,

"Next, contestant Kang Ha-joon, please come to the center."

Kang Ha-joon, who had been brought back to replace a contestant who had been eliminated, walked confidently to the front of the judges.

"Since all the judges unanimously selected you, how do you feel about coming back as a wildcard to replace the eliminated contestant?"

Won Jin-sub asked according to the script.

"I still can't believe it. I'll do my best to seize this second chance like a miracle."

Kang Ha-joon recited his lines as per the FM standard.

'He's also pre-determined as one of the top 11...'

Lee Young-a looked at Kang Ha-joon's face, shook her head, and shifted her gaze to the documents.

Isn't it enough to just give him an A grade?

She leaned back with a indifferent expression, waiting for his performance to begin.

"Although you had less preparation time than others, I hope you do your best."

Lies.

Lee Young-a frowned at the word 'fair' that came out of Won Jin-sub's mouth.

She had conducted several audition programs and had encountered such situations countless times.

Yet, this time, she felt an intense aversion.

She just wanted the K-SingerStar program to end as soon as possible.

At that moment, she even thought about never accepting another audition program offer.

The accompaniment of a well-known national song began to play.

─ Running towards the sky, where the blue light spreads

Kang Ha-joon's voice, added over it, marked the start of the song.

"Wow."

Although there was no microphone, his solid voice filled the hall.

"What, it's even better?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying."

Some judges whispered to each other, surprised by Kang Ha-joon's performance.

Not only them, but Lee Young-a also lowered her hand from her chin and began to focus on his voice.

'What happened?'

It had only been a little over two weeks since the 1:1 battle round, where he last performed.

Although he was a trainee of LS Entertainment and likely had a top-notch vocal trainer, ...

his growth was truly remarkable, surpassing expectations.

Lee Young-a glanced at HS, but he remained motionless.

'Could it be his ability?'

Yes, Seo Jin-ee's skills had also improved dramatically after meeting him.

Regardless of the reason, Kang Ha-joon's growth was truly astonishing.

They say a person's voice is like a habit and can't be easily changed, ...

but Kang Ha-joon's voice had transformed as if he had been remodeled.

"Kang Ha-joon, you've really sharpened your skills this time!"

"At this level, it can be considered a miracle, right?"

"Judging from this, I think he's a strong contender for the championship."

Won Jin-sub, Kim Gwangjin, and Jay B finished their evaluations in turn.

"Thank you for your hard work."

HS's brief evaluation was also over.

"Ah, contestant Kang Ha-joon..."

Realizing it was her turn, Lee Young-a quickly picked up the microphone.

"I want to applaud your significant improvement. Well done."

Yes, it was sincere.

Although he was pre-determined as a top 11 contestant and was set to receive an A grade,

his performance was flawless, making the pre-determination seem meaningless.

Soon,

a pleasant smile returned to Lee Young-a's face.

"Thank you!"

Kang Ha-joon, who received all A grades, bowed deeply and expressed his gratitude.

For a moment,

Kang Ha-joon looked intently at HS, his eyes sparkling as if to say, "Did I do well?"

"Next, contestant Yoon Jai? Please come forward."

As he turned to return to his seat, Kang Ha-joon met Yoon Jai, who was walking out.

"Do your best."

Kang Ha-joon's eyes gleamed intensely as he passed by Yoon Jai.

He sat down and, with a persistent gaze, whispered to himself,

"Really do your best."

This time, he wouldn't lose.

* * *

"Contestant Yoon Jai, you can't look at the sheet music, so please put it down for a moment."

When Kim Gwangjin pointed out the sheet music in Yoon Jai's hands, she repeatedly apologized and placed it on the floor.

"Ah..."

Lee Young-a shifted her gaze from Yoon Jai's face to the sheet music.

'What is this...?'

Just by looking, one could see how worn out the sheet music was and the pen marks on her fingers, indicating how tightly she had held it.

'How much did she practice...?'

For a moment, she alternated her gaze between Yoon Jai's hands and the sheet music on the floor.

"I expect a great performance, as always."

With Kim Gwangjin's kind words, Yoon Jai closed her eyes.

The accompaniment began, and...

Yoon Jai's voice started to weave through it.

"Wow..."

Kim Gwangjin, sitting next to Lee Young-a, let out a small sigh, as if he had seen a beautiful work of art.

Won Jin-sub, with a wide smile, exclaimed, "Her voice is truly an art."

Jay B and HS remained silent, seemingly focused on the melody Yoon Jai's voice created.

'Yoon Jai...'

Watching Yoon Jai's performance, Lee Young-a felt the discomfort in her heart dissipate.

Regardless of the pre-selection, she was a contestant who deserved to advance to the next round more than anyone.

Suddenly,

she recalled the first time she met Yoon Jai during the final preliminary round.

'She was really bad...'

At that time, she didn't like the gloomy and eerie atmosphere Yoon Jai exuded. Her timid demeanor was frustrating, and her songs left a lingering discomfort.

Indeed, she was shocked when HS used a super pass on her. Was his reputation just a bubble? She had doubted his listening skills and judgment.

In the end,

Yoon Jai proved that it was others' judgment, not HS's, that was wrong.

In each competition, she showcased a unique and solid vocal performance, arranging the songs to fit her voice.

Although

she had never directly mentioned it, ...

'She's definitely talented.'

Lee Young-a was the only one among all the contestants who recognized Yoon Jai as an equal 'vocalist'.

The song gradually reached its highlight.

'Yes, express it more, more, more!'

Before long,

she was fervently cheering for her performance to end well.

Finally,

Yoon Jai sang the last line.

─ I'll sing for you.

"Wow, she's really amazing..."

"Bravo-!"

"Is this the mid-evaluation round?"

The hall quickly heated up with a mix of large and small murmurs.

Clap, clap, clap-!

Lee Young-a gave the warmest applause of anyone.

After Kang Ha-joon, Yoon Jai...

Her applause was for the awe-inspiring performances.

What did it matter if they were pre-determined or invited?

This was the first time Lee Young-a felt such excitement while conducting an audition program.

As someone who loved music more than anyone, hearing beautiful melodies was exhilarating.

"I'll give you an A grade without hesitation."

Yes,

it was the most pleasant evaluation she had given today.

* * *

After the mid-evaluation round ended,

Manager Kim, with Hyun-seung in the car, gripped the steering wheel to return to the office.

"How was today's filming?"

"Same as always."

"I noticed everyone did well."

"Who?"

"Kang Ha-joon and Yoon Jai."

"Really?"

"You were the judge, right?"

"Ah, that's right."

Hyun-seung, who answered indifferently, took off his helmet and shook his sweat-drenched hair.

"Hey, I might look a bit sexy right now."

"Ah, just put on your seatbelt."

"Okay, okay."

"At least you answer well."

With that, the car smoothly left the parking lot.

"Hyun-seung."

After driving for a while,

"I was actually a bit worried."

Manager Kim, keeping his eyes on the road, began to speak softly.

"Technically, I'm not in the A&R team but in charge of management, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Because of that, while talent is important, I tend to focus more on the star quality a person has."

Hyun-seung nodded in agreement and replied, "That makes sense."

"But I couldn't feel any star quality in Yoon Jai."

The past tense in his statement piqued Hyun-seung's curiosity, and he turned to look at him.

"Given the sudden situation today, I felt a bit uneasy about signing her. So, I deliberately went to the back during filming to watch Yoon Jai perform live."

Manager Kim briefly recalled Yoon Jai's performance earlier.

"Then I noticed something."

"What did you notice?"

"Yoon Jai's star quality, I guess?"

Soon,

he continued with a pleasant smile on his lips.

"The more I watched, the more my perspective changed. I realized that star quality isn't just about a person's inherent shine, but their voice itself can be a star quality."

Indeed,

Kang Ha-joon, who was later revealed to be a 1st team trainee, appeared almost 'perfect' to Manager Kim, with no flaws, like an established singer.

But Yoon Jai's voice had a solid, unmatchable power.

A power that captivated people completely and made them unable to look away.

Indeed, even while driving, ...

─ I'll sing for you.

Yoon Jai's voice, which lingered in his ears, had a strong addictive quality.

Perhaps, star quality isn't just about stage presence, wit, and charm, but the voice itself can be a star quality.

"Of course, since you have a good eye, I might be influenced by your judgment..."

Manager Kim paused and then added with determination.

"I'll do my best to nurture her."

Not only because he had discovered her star quality,