Chapter 161

Episode 161

While all staff members of TwoBear, except for Seon Taeyang and Yoo Gaeul, were seated and politely receiving champagne and orange juice poured by Cheon Aram, the broadcast started after the advertisement ended.

“It begins!”

Cheon Aram, beaming with joy, put down the champagne she was pouring for Seo Soo-yeon and took her seat.

The broadcast began with footage of streets from all over the world and many unknown singers performing in between, accompanied by a professional voiceover narration.

“There are hundreds of languages in the world. The differences in these languages can create walls and misunderstandings. They create a common ground that resides across from us; that foundation is language. Because of this, language differences are also cultural differences. We struggle to understand each other because of these language barriers. Yet, there is a language that is universally understood by everyone.”

The camera then showed people of various races listening to unknown singers’ songs, cheering and clapping.

“That is music.”

The dark screen faded in, transitioning from the street performance of unknown singers to the enormous audience of a festival stage.

“We can convey, from different cultures and languages, through the power of music, the sorrows, the love, the peace, and the joys.”

The camera captured the ecstatic smile of a singer looking at such an audience as the title of the show, ‘Music Road,’ appeared on the screen.

“Music Road, love and song. It starts now.”

Ignoring the popcorn and pretzels prepared by Cheon Aram, all the staff of TwoBear were focused as ‘Music Road’ officially kicked off.

In the studio, where the singers were gathered, an awkward silence lingered, until the announcing MC skillfully took charge and began explaining the rules of the competition.

“You must forget all the reputation you have built so far and perform as an unknown singer busking.”

The premise was that the first survival challenge involved receiving more than 70% “Love” votes through buttons distributed to random audience members in a foreign plaza. If busking viewers did not give 70% Love, they would be eliminated.

R&B singer Lena Shin asked with a slightly arrogant posture, “Why do we have to go abroad? Can’t we do it safely here at home?”
“Do I have to go out? Isn’t it okay to do it domestically?”

“That’s because we hope you all can purely prove the power of music. Everyone here is a top-tier singer. If you perform on stage in Korea, your established fame and time served will earn you more than 70% love just by your image.”

“Then can’t we just cover our faces?”

The MC replied with a solemn expression.

“Because we believe that in our program, a singer is not just a machine that plays back sounds.”

“….”

“Expression, gestures, performance, beads of sweat, immersion, sadness, joy, anger, madness; all the visible and audible elements make up your music. We deemed that covering your face and hiding your physique is incomplete. That’s why it’s overseas. There, no one will feel the fame of a singer performing on the streets from the East. Of course, there will be some individual differences, but we thought that the difference wouldn’t matter much.”

Then the rocker Shin Joo-rim asked.

“What about the judges?”

“The first round is solely for the audience.”

The MC walked to the center of the stage and continued.

“Starting from the second round, when we dive into the real competition, the judges will be hidden among the audience to evaluate as well, but their score will not carry much weight. It’s all about providing commentary to help the viewers understand, nothing more, nothing less. The key is the audience. Don’t forget that.”

The scene in the studio quickly faded out, and soon they began to showcase a male singer walking out with only an electric guitar in a famous square in Europe.

It was the earlier mentioned rocker, Shin Joo-rim.

“Honestly, even if the language is different, rock can be conveyed. And I’m confident. Making the audience go wild—that’s what I’ve been doing for over ten years. I can even get them excited singing ‘Three Bears.'”

As the confident Shin Joo-rim showed his bravado, the PD asked a question, and he plugged his guitar into a pre-installed amp, responding with indifference.

“Expected love rating? Hmm… 100% might be tough, maybe 95%? If I don’t exceed 90%, my pride takes a serious hit.”

With the gathered audience’s attention, he unleashed a powerful guitar sound and began to sing.

After the busking concluded, the audience’s evaluations were processed, and the MC read the results.
“I read it.”

“Love judgment is 67%! Unfortunately, Shin Joo-rim has been eliminated.”

“…Damn.”

It was an unexpectedly quick elimination.

Gyeoul asked in confusion.

“Isn’t Shin Joo-rim super famous? How can he be eliminated so fast? I thought he did well….”

Vocal trainer Song Johan, who was watching alongside, replied.

“I don’t think Shin Joo-rim lacks skill. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had this level of standing in the music industry. However, the result suggests that the psychology behind judging and the use of the word ‘Love’ plays a role here.”

“Just ‘Love’?”

“Words like ‘like,’ ‘good,’ or ‘cool’ might be acceptable, but ‘Love’ isn’t something you throw around lightly. The question ‘Did he do well enough to be called Love?’ can be interpreted negatively. That psychological barrier seems to have influenced this result.”

“Ugh, and I have to score over 70%? Isn’t that a bit too hard?”

While the two were having that conversation, singers continued to take the stage, each barely making it past the first round with scores of 76% and 71%. The next singer, however, struggled with their condition, making noticeable mistakes like pitch issues and ended up with a dismal score of 45%.

“Is Older Sister Gaeul okay?”

“….”

As the TwoBear staff watched anxiously, the screen transitioned to show a familiar acoustic guitar.

“Hello, I’m Yoo Gaeul from the girl group called Girl Revolution.”

It was Gaeul.

“Wow, it’s Older Sister Gaeul!”

The PD asked her if she felt any pressure while tuning her guitar.

“Honestly, it’s daunting. Everyone here is either a professional singer or an idol who has successfully established themselves as a seasoned pro. They are basically the dream figures I might reach someday if I succeed.”

After finishing her tuning, Gaeul stood up and began walking toward the stage in the plaza.

“Even now, walking onto this stage and competing among these people feels surreal. It’s true that I’m not up to par to stand alongside them. Plus, I’m the only active idol here, right? The only reason they called me might be because the PD saw my busking videos positively.”
“The reason you called me here must be because you had a positive impression of my busking videos, right?”

The PD paused her for a moment to ask one last question. What her goal was for this broadcast.

Gaeul looked somewhere where people were gathered, smiled faintly, and said,

“Still, it’s about winning.”

And without hesitation, she walked out to finish her thought.

“To not be ashamed of the love and trust I’ve received.”

The song she chose was Albatross, arranged to be played entirely with an acoustic guitar.

As the familiar melody that had recently gained fame on social media began to play, the attention of the people on the street started to converge.

Their reactions were light, like “Interesting, I know this song?” However, those reactions flipped the moment she started singing the first line.

SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1WDFOdmN5UFBKZUp4Tzk5cE1OT1NZTnJ6SmYrM0lGOWxwUDhERExnWCtsYg

[Pond, river, sea, and I'm looking at you]

The sounds of the plaza began to fade away.

Everything was silent except for the soft guitar and Gaeul’s voice.

The old man sitting at a café table reading a newspaper, the police arguing with a driver over a parking violation, the pickpocket scouting for a target that looked loaded, the traveler capturing the plaza’s scenery on camera—all of them stopped making noise.

And they all directed their attention to the stage where Gaeul stood.

[I'll remember you, kid who'll fly the furthest.]

[Until the wind blows that will make you fly one day.]

She was a witch.

This strange atmosphere was undoubtedly deemed magical because it held a captivating power.

[The scene where you cross the clouds and cut through the sky.]

As the song ended and the plaza fell silent, it was the MC’s voice that shattered the stillness.

“…Love rating is 87%! Yoo Gaeul passes the first round.”

Thus, the genius named Yoo Gaeul began to reveal herself, hidden behind the form of a group.

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