Become A Star

Chapter 83

“Are you nervous? I have some cheongsimhwan[1]. Do you want it?”

“It’s okay. I think you should take it, noona."

On the day of the recording, Hwang Yi-Young stayed with Woo-Jin after the rehearsal. She had prepared the cheongsimhwan for Woo-Jin but instead ended up taking it herself because of her nerves. Kang Ho-Soo didn’t tag along because his strong physique was easily recognizable regardless of how well-disguised he was. Apart from Hwang Yi-Young, the youngest staff of the agency was the only other person to tag along, so she felt extremely overwhelmed.

“I’m sorry.” Hwang Yi-Young awkwardly apologized as she trembled in her seat. She felt awful from being more anxious than the person taking part in the competition.

“It’s okay. Strangely enough, I’m not nervous, so I find that rather surprising.” He only realized where he was after seeing how nervous Hwang Yi-Young looked.

He loved singing so much that he had dreamed of becoming a singer at one point; he was also confident in his dance skills. However, ever since his dream had been thwarted, forcing him down a different path, he started to hate his singing voice for some strange reason. It could have been because of his disappointment in himself for giving up on his dream or the frustration stemming from the thought that his inability to be a singer was greater than he had expected.

Over the past ten days, his practice sessions mainly focused on helping him regain his natural singing voice and to use it to sing his songs. Woo-Jin fiddled with the mask that was covering his face. He felt a strange sense of relief that his face was covered. From this moment on, he was not Actor Chae Woo-Jin.

He was now labeled as an actor first wherever he went. He didn’t hate it, but he wanted to become an actual singer at least once when he sang. Naturally, it was highly likely that he would get opportunities to sing the theme song or even release an album for a drama in the future. But regardless of what he did, he could ultimately never shake off his image as ‘the actor who can sing’ because Chae Woo-Jin was now an actor, not a singer. That was the dilemma he had faced when he quit singing and chose to become an actor. Perhaps, this was his first and last chance in his life to sing on stage as a singer.

“The 'Doryeong Who Dreams of Becoming a Hanryang' is next on stage.” A staff member knocked on the waiting room door and called out to him. Woo-Jin was the sixth entry belonging to the third group in the first round. As the rehearsal was longer than expected, the time for Woo-Jin to be on stage got pushed back. But it was a good opportunity for him to build his resolve.

Woo-Jin was escorted to the stage with bodyguards on both sides. As soon as he got on stage and took off his gown, the crowd went wild, screaming ‘Wow~!’ from all directions. He was wearing a Gat[2] with crystal and jade ornaments, along with a deep violet robe over a white wide-sleeved Dopo[3]. A sejodae[4] was tied around his waist. His getup could only be seen on characters in historical dramas.

He didn’t look like a doryeong who was dreaming of becoming a bon vivant, but rather someone who had already become one. Judging from his fancy and stylish Gat ornaments and clothes, he looked like a young master from a distinguished family. The crowd settled down as soon as the accompaniment started playing, and it became quiet. Woo-Jin sang the first male part of the song.

Woo-Jin calmly sang with clear, deep vocals. As soon as his voice resounded throughout the stage for the first time, the refreshing emotions in his voice captivated the audience, reminding them of the time spent walking down Garosu-gil[5] late in the evening.

On the other hand, the 'Queen of Lilies' had a sweet voice, smooth and relaxing, leaving a sweet aftertaste in the audience’s ears. Her singing contained the emotions of a mature woman, in contrast to Woo-Jin’s singing, which was akin to cool and refreshing night air. Moreover, they didn’t overdo their parts to make themselves more prominent during the chorus. When one person sang a solo piece, the other party would sing a counter-melody softly, and when they sang together, their tones complemented one another, as though it was sung by one person. It was thanks to the Doryeong’s ability to impeccably match up to the 'Queen of Lilies’' high notes and sing at the same key.