Amid the pouring applause, Sol couldn’t properly hear Ji-ho’s words and leaned in closer, asking again, "What did you say?" But instead of answering, Ji-ho only shook his head lightly. Unlike his freshly swaying hair, his face looked unbearably heavy. Sol grew worried at Ji-ho’s inexplicable expression but couldn’t press further—the judging had officially begun.
Seo Seung-hoon, seated as a special judge, was notoriously strict when it came to vocals. Every time he pointed out flaws in a performance, the contestants bowed deeply in acknowledgment. Probably because everyone—except perhaps Sol—knew exactly who he was: Seo Seung-hoon, a household-name singer whose tracks were all hits. A veteran in the industry and a frequent judge on major audition programs, he also had a deeper history with Ji-ho than most.
Despite his harsh critiques, Seo Seung-hoon was surprisingly generous with his scores. Whether it was the adrenaline of the live stage or not, the overall quality of the performances had noticeably improved compared to the last round. Unlike before, where Sol and most contestants hadn’t even had their scores reflected, this time, he expected the judges to be far stricter. But contrary to his assumptions, the earlier teams all received high marks, leaving the stage with bright smiles.
The point gaps weren’t as drastic as he’d thought—some as small as 2 or 3 points, none wider than 12. With each new team’s evaluation, the rankings shifted. Since the mission’s main focus was vocal performance, some teams had ditched choreography entirely, betting everything on their singing. Others had also scaled back on performance elements, giving them more time to refine their vocals, resulting in a tighter competition overall.
As Sol watched the judges’ feedback and the scores roll in, unease began creeping into his chest. Before he knew it, Team 5—with Myung-ha—took the stage. Myung-ha’s unusually bright smile, as if he wasn’t nervous at all, twisted Sol’s stomach. And Ji-ho’s grim expression, so starkly different, only grated on his nerves further. The contrast between the two left Sol unsettled for reasons he couldn’t explain.
It’s nothing. Just my imagination. Sol absently smoothed the stiff, snow-white collar of his hanbok—now slightly damp with sweat. Don’t panic. He forced the thought down. The sweat was proof he’d given it his all.
Team 5 received generous scores. The judges’ individual marks flashed on-screen before rapidly tallying into a final result. The moment it was announced, Kim Myung-ha bowed so deeply his head nearly touched the stage, beaming. With only Teams 6 and 7 (Sol’s team) left, Team 5 now held first place.
Team 6’s performance didn’t change the rankings. Unfortunately, they landed in last place for now.
"Team 7, YC Entertainment!"
Amid applause, Sol and his members headed for the stage. Unlike last time, when he’d gotten an early hint of the results, the system screen remained blank—no reaction yet. He masked his growing unease and lightly bounded up the steps, only for someone to suddenly grab his hand from behind. Turning, he found Ji-ho, right at his heels.
Sol somehow felt that Ji-ho’s touch wasn’t meant to comfort or calm him. He couldn’t explain why, but that’s how it seemed. Without realizing it, he reflexively pressed closer to Ji-ho and whispered softly:
“It’ll be okay.”
They were the words he himself wanted to hear, but Sol said them to Ji-ho instead. Though the whisper was too quiet to be picked up by the audio, the moment he let the words out, he—more than anyone else—felt the most at ease. Ji-ho didn’t reply, only gripping Sol’s hand even tighter.
With their leader, Tae-oh, positioned at the center, the group lined up and bowed. The judges’ evaluations followed. Though they had practiced hard and improved, Sol’s singing still contained a clear mistake. Along with Sol, Deuk-yong was criticized for his vocal stability and pitch, but overall, the group received praise for their concept, stage presence, and vocal tones.
They were also commended for handling unexpected mishaps calmly—unlike typical trainees or rookies. The moment the judge said this, Deuk-yong glanced sideways at Tae-oh and Sol, locking eyes with them. That fleeting second, less than a blink, left Sol in an inexplicably good mood.
The subtle exchange of glances made his shoulders lift with quiet pride—it felt like they had truly become a team that trusted and relied on each other. As the judges continued their feedback, Seo Seung-hoon, who had been nodding along, exchanged a look with the judge beside him before picking up the mic.
“Do Ji-ho-ssi. It’s been a while.”
“Hello.”
“How long has it been? We met on another network’s audition program. Actually, Ji-ho-ssi and I have a personal connection.”
Special judge Seo Seung-hoon spoke familiarly to Ji-ho. Sol nodded, assuming they were on friendly terms—until Seo Seung-hoon’s next words caught him off guard.
“He was a friend I rooted for a lot back then. But I guess I expected too much from him. It’s been years, yet he hasn’t changed much from how he was before.”
Sol felt Ji-ho’s hand tighten around his. Though everyone had performed well today, if he had to pick the best performer among them, he would’ve chosen Ji-ho. He had delivered an incredible performance. This kind of criticism was the last thing he’d expected Ji-ho to hear. Stunned, Sol failed to control his expression, gaping at Ji-ho like an idiot, eyes wide.
“The disappointment is as big as the hope I once had.”
At Seo Seung-hoon’s words, Ji-ho lowered his head. He knew that no matter how many times he took the stage, no matter how flawlessly he sang in perfect condition, nothing good would ever come from Seo Seung-hoon’s mouth. Their relationship hadn’t started as hostile—but it had certainly ended up that way.
With dreams of becoming a singer, Ji-ho auditioned for a competition show, confident in his decent singing skills. That was where he first met Seo Seung-hoon—a famous ballad singer with multiple hit songs under a major agency. Thanks to Seo Seung-hoon’s choice, Ji-ho passed the preliminary rounds. Throughout the show, Seo Seung-hoon was friendly toward him, even helping him through a few close calls.
Though their age gap wasn’t huge, their relationship went beyond mere acquaintances or casual hyung-dongsaeng dynamics. For a while, Seo Seung-hoon was like a mentor to Ji-ho. Grateful, Ji-ho always treated him with deep respect. Seo Seung-hoon could be difficult, but he remained a benefactor who’d helped Ji-ho immensely—so much so that he was the reason Ji-ho later signed with his first agency. Even now, though Ji-ho had left, that hadn’t changed.
After the show ended, Seo Seung-hoon recommended Ji-ho to his own major agency. That meant the people here on set today—Seo Seung-hoon, Ji-ho, Myung-ha, and his friend—had once been labelmates who crossed paths regularly.
But things didn’t go smoothly. During their time together, Seo Seung-hoon interfered heavily in Ji-ho’s career, wanting to maintain the dynamic they’d built during the show. To Ji-ho, who was already struggling to survive the agency’s competitive environment, Seo Seung-hoon’s demands felt like relentless pressure. Isolated and overwhelmed, Ji-ho couldn’t meet his expectations.
In the end, all that remained between them was disappointment and bitterness. There’d been arguments, and Ji-ho ended up leaving the agency abruptly, without even a proper goodbye. He didn’t know what happened after his departure, but judging by Seo Seung-hoon’s demeanor, it seemed resentment and disappointment still lingered. Strangely, though, Seo Seung-hoon appeared to be on good terms with Myung-ha.
Ji-ho hadn’t expected Seo Seung-hoon to favor Myung-ha, but he’d already guessed the man would have nothing kind to say about him.
"Less is more. Your excessive high notes and vocal tricks just distracted from the emotion—this song’s strength lies in its feeling."
Ji-ho kept his head bowed, silently taking in the criticism. It was no different from Seo Seung-hoon’s critiques in the past. They weren’t outright baseless, but it was hard to ignore the complete lack of warmth in his words.
Objectively, Ji-ho’s performance wasn’t perfect, but among those present, he’d been the strongest. Yet the harsh feedback kept coming. Occasionally, the criticism shifted toward Sol or the other members, but the longer Seo Seung-hoon spoke, the lower Ji-ho’s head sank. For a moment, it felt like he was back under his old mentor’s tutelage.
Listening to Seo Seung-hoon’s evaluation, Ji-ho couldn’t shake the feeling that their team was the weakest here. Sol and Deuk-yong, as if blaming themselves, bowed their heads too. By now, Sol was starting to feel uneasy. If Seo Seung-hoon’s scathing critique was anything to go by, they were headed for last place.
Even though the Stability Potion was still active, Sol’s hands began to tremble violently as those thoughts arose. Sensing his shaking, Ji-ho intertwined their fingers and held on even tighter.
As Seo Seung-hoon’s harsh criticism continued, the atmosphere grew heavy. Noticing this, a judge seated nearby stepped in to mediate, offering a few words of defense, stating they slightly disagreed with Seung-hoon’s opinion. Seung-hoon, as if managing his image, smiled and nodded at the judge’s measured words. But Sol’s anxiety had already spiraled out of control, and the moods of the members, including Ji-ho, had long since hit rock bottom.
Just as the dread of everything ending began to spread from Sol’s hands to his entire body—a mint-colored notification window appeared before his downcast eyes, as if to reassure him.
[Quest <Time to Finally Speak Up!> Completed]
[You have successfully secured 3rd place in ROUND 2. Congratulations.]
[As a completion reward, you have obtained the ROUND 2 Reward Box.]
[<Bonus Mission> completed.]
[Bonus Mission reward: Concept Random Gold Ticket x1 obtained.]
