Become a Star

“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.

However, the 'Queen of Lilies' sang about hope while Woo-Jin sang about the cold reality in the chorus, where the audience could feel the sense of desperation of the separated lovers. Woo-Jin’s acknowledgment of the cold reality within this sweet sorrow made the listeners’ hearts sink towards the end. The 'Doryeong Who Dreams Of Becoming A Hanryang’s' sorrow disrupted the 'Queen of Lilies’' song filled with sweet emotions and lingered on. When they finished singing the song, the host, Gam Sung-Joo, went up on stage.

“The duet face-off between the two singers in the third group in the first round has ended. The singers will now greet the audience. We’ll start with 'Queen of Lilies.'”

“Hello. When it comes to flowers, lilies are the best. So I’m the 'Queen of Lilies!'” The audience burst out laughing when she did her trademark Miss Korea greeting she had done when she first met Woo-Jin.

“Hello. I am a 'Doryeong Who Dreams Of Becoming A Hanryang' because I don’t want to work.” Woo-Jin pulled out a hand fan from his waist and opened it, greeting them like a hanryang.

“He looks like Gu Yong-Ha from Sungkyunkwan Scandal[6]!” The audience went wild as they agreed with the celebrity judge’s opinion.

“Alright, firstly, let’s hear from the judges.”

“I’ll go first. First of all, both of them are real singers.” Kim Hyung-Cheol raised his hand first. The other judges nodded in agreement in response. They started by giving their verdict that both the 'Queen of Lilies' and the 'Doryeong Who Dreams of Becoming a Hanryang' were professional singers from the get-go.

“Hanryang Doryeong, you held the microphone in a rather rigid way. You seemed a little nervous, but your vocals…ha~! It’s my first time hearing someone sing so articulately with such a deep voice. It makes me wonder if he sings in places that the general public has no access to. As for the 'Queen of Lilies,' she is very skillful. It’s like she has been here at least once before. And when she was singing earlier, I couldn’t contain my excitement even though it was a ballad.”

Cho Jang-Hyun agreed with Kim Hyung-Cheol; he nodded and continued, “Both are very talented, so it’s hard to determine which singer has an edge.”

“There are a few people I have in mind as to who 'Queen of Lilies' is, but as for Hanryang Doryeong, I really have no idea who he is, even after going through my mental list of seniors and juniors in the field. If I take into consideration that he might have changed his singing style, there are a few people that come to mind, but none of them are as tall as Hanryang Doryeong.”

“Maybe he’s wearing one of those shoes that give you a little extra boost in height. Can you show us your shoes?” As soon as Shim Bong-Seon jumped up from her seat and yelled as she pointed at Hanryang Doryeong, the latter raised his foot and showed the judges his shoe from every angle. Gam Sung-Joo looked at his taesahye[7], which didn’t have a raised platform, then quickly grabbed Hanryang Doryeong’s foot and lowered it.

“You cannot show them your shoes.” Gam Sung-Joo deliberately acted flustered because people could guess the person hiding behind the mask with just his height.

“If you’re curious, you have to make an educated guess logically. You can’t use this to make an accurate guess.” As soon as Gam Sung-Joo stirred up the judges, the light-hearted ambience became more serious. One by one, the judges continued sharing their thoughts and impressions about Hanryang Doryeong.

“You’re not an idol, but a solo artiste, right?”

“But I don’t know any tall singers with such skills.”

The judges were thrown into confusion because the 'Doryeong Who Dreams of Becoming a Hanryang' had a very unfamiliar voice. He was evidently a talented singer based on his skills, but they had never heard his voice before. Several names popped up in their minds, but they didn’t seem right.

“When he sang in the same high key as the 'Queen of Lilies' during the chorus, I was completely blown away by how good he was. He never failed to back her up during her solo parts and match her vocals during the parts where they sang together. More importantly, Hanryang Doryeong has a special talent for playing with people’s emotions.”

“That’s right. It was the first time I felt my heart sinking while listening to that song.”

“Mental images came to mind as I listened to that song. That’s why I was immersed in it and became even more emotional.”

Regardless of how many comments the judges made, no particular person came to their minds. There weren’t any professional singers with such skills that looked like him or shared all the characteristics. Eventually, they had no choice but to give up on guessing the real identity of Hanryang Doryeong. On the other hand, several names were mentioned as they speculated over the Queen of Lilies’ identity. Meanwhile, Kang Goo-Ra proudly raised his hand and expressed his thoughts; he was the one leading the mood among the celebrity judges.

“I know someone who has a voice as sweet as the 'Queen of Lilies’' – Han Ji-Yeon!” Kang Goo-Ra brought up Han Ji-Yeon’s name as she had a sweet voice, but he didn’t get a positive response because she was known as a serious person who hardly joked around. So she wouldn’t have cavorted like that.

“Frankly, I knew who she was from the moment I heard her voice. Regardless of how hard a person tries to change their voice, they can’t change their unique habits. Choi Eun-Ryeong, are you here again?” Choi Eun-Ryeong was a contestant who had appeared on the show before and was a runner-up. When Kim Hyung-Chul mentioned her name, several people looked surprised.

The 'Queen of Lilies' denied that she was Choi Eun-Ryeong because both had distinctly different singing styles – Choi Eun-Ryeong had a powerful and energetic voice, not because the latter didn’t have the skills. The 'Queen of Lilies’' sweet and captivating song gave off a very different vibe from Choi Eun-Ryeong. However, her actions made it seem rather convincing that she was indeed Choi Eun-Ryeong. Everyone started arguing whether she was Choi Eun-Ryeong.

When the judges could not come to a conclusion and only gave their feedback, Gam Sung-Joo stepped in and told the contestants to showcase an individual skill. For starters, the 'Queen of Lilies' impersonated a comedian while she did the grasshopper dance. After that, the elegant and refined 'Queen of Lilies' couldn’t contain her excitement and broke character.

“I’m telling you it’s Choi Eun-Ryeong!” When everybody cried ‘Choi Eun-Ryeong’ in unison, the 'Queen of Lilies' made a gesture as if to say that she had been wrongly accused and used both hands to make an ‘X.’

“Next, we have Hanryang Doryeong. You mentioned that the individual skill you’ll be showcasing is traditional Korean dance?”

“Yes! Because I’m a hanryang. Isn’t it only natural for me to do that?” Hanryang Doryeong asked as he opened up his hand fan. Using that as a signal, the sound of haegeum[8] and danso[9] resounded throughout the studio. The Hanryang Doryeong began to dance to the sad but heavy song.

With the fan in his hand, Hanryang Doryeong fluttered his wide sleeves and danced with soft steps. As he tiptoed, every movement he made was like a butterfly dancing. His soft and light butterfly-like dance moves were so beautiful that they captivated all the viewers. His white, wide-sleeved dopo and the deep violet robe looked like the wings of a butterfly. It was a moment where ‘navillera’[10] felt more realistic than ever. When Hanryang Doryeong finished his dance performance, everyone sighed regretfully as it felt too short.

“Can I vote again? We can only watch Hanryang Doryeong dance again if he wins, right?” This time, nobody laughed after hearing what Shim Bong-Seon said because they all wanted it to be true for a moment.

“Fortunately, the voting has already ended. Would it be the 'Queen of Lilies' with sweet and beautiful vocal cords, or would it be Hanyrang Doryeong, the master manipulator of emotions? I will be announcing the results of this neck-and-neck showdown now! The winner who will be going to the second round is….”

1. 청심환 is a pill formulated with thirty-odd herbs. It is known for its calming effects. ☜

2. Korean traditional headgear mainly worn by nobles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gat_(hat) ☜

3. A hanbok (traditional Korean attire) overcoat. The Dopo was mostly worn by male Confucian scholars during the Joseon period, as well as nobles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopo_(clothing) ☜

4. A cord belt with tassels. https://m.blog.naver.com/nadakik/221010870696 ☜

5. It’s an area in Gangnam, Seoul, known for its upscale boutiques, galleries, restaurants, cafes, etc. Its name means ‘tree-lined street,’ referring to the ginkgo trees planted along the streets there. ☜

6. A Korean historical drama. The actor Song Joong-Ki portrayed Gu Yong-Ha in the drama. ☜

7. Shoes decorated with taesamun (scroll design) on the toe and heel area. They were worn by the nobles in the Joseon Dynasty. https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/en/topic/detail/7222 ☜

8. A traditional Korean string instrument that resembles a vertical fiddle with two strings. It’s derived from the ancient Chinese xiqin. ☜

9. A Korean notched, end-blown vertical bamboo flute used in Korean folk music. ☜

10. Navillera means ‘fluttering like a butterfly.’ ☜