Save a Failed Idol’s Life - Chapter 67
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Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: NicoleTempest
Chapter 67 Just Say You’re Jealous
After Seong-won came back from the bathroom, a moment of silence passed and the first round of the preliminaries was over.
I was so thirsty from sitting and waiting for my turn for two hours. And this was supposed to be faster than before. I couldn’t imagine how long they made the contestants wait in the first round.
“Alright, we will now begin the second round of the preliminaries!”
The three contestants who got unanimous votes in the first round were automatically qualified for the finals.
There were eight spots for the finalists.
Out of the 30 contestants in the preliminaries, 15 were eliminated and 3 advanced to the finals, so the remaining 12 had to compete for five spots.
And to make things worse, one of those five spots was reserved for the winner of the revival round.
“In the second round, unlike the first round, three contestants will compete by singing different parts of one song! You can check the monitor installed in your booth and you can only sing when the light of your color is on!”
This wasn’t some karaoke night where we could share popular songs. What the hell were they doing?
I didn’t remember this being the case last year. They must have changed the rules this year.
Both the losers waiting for the revival round and the winners waiting for the second round looked unhappy.
“Then how do we divide the parts?”
One contestant asked in a complaining tone from a corner of the waiting room. As if he was waiting for that, the MC continued his explanation.
“Well, well, you must be curious about how to divide the parts! Each of you will have the right to claim two parts. Two lines each.”
The right to claim? What does that mean? Everyone’s face showed confusion.
Maybe this would make sense for a program with a younger audience or contestants.
But some of the contestants were older, and they all looked baffled.
“The first two lines are sung by all the participants together, and from the second part onwards, you can claim the parts in the order of arrival.”
So, for example…
It was like they wanted us to compete for the high-pitched parts of the same song in a karaoke room, but on a stage.
Now, with some mind games added.
“You must use up all your claims before the song ends, and the climax part is expected to be highly contested, so please use it strategically!”
As soon as the rule explanation was over, sighs erupted from everywhere.
“Why is it so complicated?”
That was exactly what I wanted to say. We were relatively young, so we had an advantage in terms of understanding the rules and strategies.
At least from the perspective of the elders.
“Well, then, let’s start the song lottery!”
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One of the judges came out and picked a ball with a song number on it.
It was a ballad song released in 2010, with a very high pitch among female songs.
‘That’s definitely… it depends on whether you can handle the high pitch or not.’
The participants who were confident in their low-pitched range all prayed that they wouldn’t get it.
“Okay, now let’s draw the participants!”
A different judge from before stood in front of the participant lottery machine and picked three balls.
“Please enter the booths, number 29, 11, and 21!”
Thank goodness. Seong-won was on the neat side of handling the high pitch, but he wasn’t confident enough for an octave battle.
His vocal was showing a stable high pitch based on the solidity of his low-pitched range.
Even if he went to the death high-pitch battle, he would be better off than the participants who only had raw low-pitch as their weapon…
When I faced a contestant whose best weapon was a high-pitched scream, there was a possibility of a disaster.
“Phew…”
As I swept my chest with relief, Seong-won frowned as if he was offended.
“Why? Do you think I can’t do it?”
I answered as if he was talking nonsense.
“That song is hard to sing even for women. If you sing it in the original key and your opponent is a woman, you’ll be at a disadvantage.”
Then Seong-won pursed his lips and retorted.
“Have you ever heard me sing high notes?”
No. But all the songs I had heard so far were based on the male key and were high-pitched. Therefore, I couldn’t easily imagine him making a dolphin sound.
“No, but…”
“I’ll do much better than you think, hyung.”
I was about to ask him what he thought I was thinking, but I stopped when the first stage of the second round started.
[The days we spent together]
[I never forgot a single day]
Two men and one woman. One of the men had a low voice that stood out from the others, and the other had a high one.
As the relatively low-pitched part was coming to an end, the light came on in the booth of contestant number 21.
He was the first one to use the preemptive right.
[As another day passes by]
[What should I think to live?]
One of the three had the lowest tone. He seemed to want to finish the low-pitched part with the preemptive right, knowing that the high-pitched part would come later.
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When contestant number 21’s part was over, the light came on in booth number 11.
[In the rainy street among countless people]
[Only you make me breathe]
He was the one with the highest tone among the three. This way… It seemed that both men had a fight for the lower range.
If the woman contestant was assumed to handle the high notes, she would fly very high.
The next part was not preempted by anyone, and the light came on in all the booths.
[Even if I walk the street where we share memories]
[All I have left are memories, I can’t see you]
The climax of the first verse began. As the high-pitched part came out, contestant number 29 raised her voice confidently.
[I’ll wait for you here anytime]
[Even if the seasons change and time passes by]
And then something unexpected happened.
[The moment I’m with you I’ll miss you forever-!]
She managed to recover with a high note as if nothing had happened, but it was a clear pitch break.
“Wow… That’s too bad. It was a winning stage, honestly.”
The other contestants also felt a glimmer of hope.
While the short interlude passed, everyone was waiting with tension to see how the match would turn out.
Would contestant number 29 take the high notes again in the second verse? As soon as I thought that, the light came on in the booth of contestant number 29 in the low-pitched part of the second verse.
“What?”
Everyone started to buzz as the contestant who was confident in the high notes took the low-pitched part. They all realized that it was her best strategy by the time the part was over.
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The next booth to light up was number 11. That meant the only part left was the high-pitched one.
The chorus repeated the high notes after the second verse. Number 29 seemed panicked and missed every chance to press the button until the last chorus.
He lowered the key by using his falsetto, but it sounded off and did not match the accompaniment.
[I’ll wait for you here]
[I’ll wait for you here]
[I’ll wait for you here]
And that was how the first round of the second preliminaries ended.
“Uh… I guess the song itself is too high for everyone. You all had some difficulties.”
“That’s right, you all did your best until the end. It was really impressive.”
They were not trying to boost anyone’s morale. They just wasted time with unnecessary chatter instead of announcing the results.
I guess they had to fill the airtime somehow.
“Now, let’s reveal the fate of the results!”
And then, right on cue, the commercial break came.
“Number 29, 11, and 21, the results of the first stage of the second preliminaries are! They will be revealed in 60 seconds.”
Of course, it was a recorded video, so the show continued without waiting for 60 seconds. The viewers must have cursed a lot. I looked at the monitor with a soulless gaze.
“The winner of the first stage of the second preliminaries is… number 29! Congratulations!”
The lights of the other booths went out, and number 21 and 11 walked onto the stage.
Even though he had a pitch problem, the other two contestants were too passive, so it was the expected outcome.
Maybe if the 29th participant hadn’t used the strategy card, the 21st participant would have had a chance…
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‘He played smart. He’ll get some hate for it, though.’
But it was all according to the broadcaster’s plan anyway. They must be clapping their hands at the satisfying outcome by now.
“I’m not going to use any strategy cards.”
Seong-won crossed his arms and lifted his chin.
“Just use it if you get the chance. Everyone else does the same.”
“I don’t need to use it to win. Just watch me.”
He was so full of pride. Just then, the announcer on the monitor called Seong-won’s number.
“Next, the second stage participants are 14, 24, and 1!”
Seong-won and I were so busy bickering that we missed what the mission song was.
“Oh, look at that.”
“Isn’t that an idol song?”
Huh? I checked the monitor with anticipation.
[Second mission song: Boy I Luv]
It was an idol song, alright. But not a boy group one.
“Can you sing that?”
I asked Seong-won with a worried expression as he left the waiting room.
“Just sit there and watch.”
He always said that. It would work out or it wouldn’t. Where did he get that attitude from?
Soon, Seong-won took his place in booth 24. The other participants also settled in their booths and the countdown began.
♪~♬♩-♪
It was a bright and cheerful song with a catchy sound and a thumping beat, typical of a girl group.
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Among the female singers, the vocal range was not very high, so it wouldn’t be too hard to sing… Number 1 was definitely a male, and number 14 was vaguely familiar.
Then the lights came on in all the booths and the first verse began.
[Tonight, I’ll be someone else]
[So shiny that you can’t take your eyes off me-]
Number 14 was a female singer that I didn’t remember well. Her voice was very low and husky, lower than Seong-won’s vocal range.
‘This would give Seong-won an advantage.’
I waited to see who would use their priority right for the next part, but no one did and the lights stayed on in all three booths.
[Tonight, throw away your worries far away]
[If you want to follow me, hurry up now]
[Don’t you want to make me wait more-]
Should I use it this time? I wondered who it would be, but no one used their priority right again.
I could feel the other contestants struggling with this bouncy singing rap, while Seong-won led with his stable melody.
[What are you looking at, look at me now!]
[I’ve become someone else for you, tonight]
Now the next part was rap. Number 1, who had barely followed the lyrics of this song he had never heard before, pressed the priority button as if he had misunderstood the rules.
‘Wow… he really messed up.’
It was a tricky part with a lot of off-beats, and he not only messed up the lyrics, but also lost the rhythm completely in the last three words.
[Today, you and, my, colla-bo, relation? Before this night ends, hurry up and come, uh, waist?]
It was too pitiful to watch with my eyes open.
This would make it easy for Seong-won to advance to the finals.
I thought so carelessly and let go of my burden too soon.
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