The Hit Song of This Life Is Revenge - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Hit Song of This Life Is Revenge
Chapter 24
A group shoot for the first time in days.
Meanwhile, filming schedules had varied for everyone due to character profile shoots and individual interviews.
Gathered in one place, this session began in the exact same Waiting Room as last time.
Every Stage performance was already over.
Tallying up the scores shouldn’t have taken long, yet the announcement had been pushed to today.
‘Is it because of Baek Song-ha? Because she was absent?’
Or were the producers deliberately trying to stretch the tension to its absolute limit?
No one knew each other’s scores.
The only thing clutched in each trainee’s hands was their own score and feedback.
Today, Baek Song-ha was also seated in the room.
However, not once did their eyes meet.
Jae-i had intended to at least ask how she was holding up.
It seemed Baek Song-ha was intentionally avoiding looking in her direction.
Click.
The lights flared, reflecting off the eyes of the tightly packed trainees.
“I’m Your Singer Season 3.”
The massive screen flickered to life, displaying the faces of the four Judges one after another.
The announcement hadn’t even begun, but the air in the Waiting Room was already bloated to the bursting point.
The trainee sitting right next to her locked her fingers together and buried her forehead into them.
She tried desperately to steady her breathing, but the frantic heaving of her chest was completely visible.
Everyone was thinking the exact same thing.
“Every Trainee has completed their performance. Now, it is time to confirm who survives.”
Gazes laced with dread and desperation simultaneously tracked the host’s voice.
Following that, Moon Jung-woo brought his microphone close.
“We evaluated fairly. For the most part, our opinions aligned with the other Judges.”
Was it truly fair?
That question flared up first in Jae-i’s mind.
The ultimate judgment belonged to the viewers.
No matter how flawless a magic trick, it couldn’t deceive everyone’s eyes forever.
Objectively, Song-ha’s performance was decent.
But was it truly enough to maintain the top score across every single Mission?
Jae-i was particularly curious about how the viewers would react when this episode finally aired.
Specifically, their reaction to the scores that were about to flash on screen.
The brilliant lights poured over the Stage, and soon, only the screen remained illuminated.
“Based on the combined scores, we will now announce the rankings. Today, a total of thirteen trainees will be leaving I’m Your Singer.”
The thumping of a drum echoed through the Waiting Room.
Hearts synchronized with the tension-building rhythm.
It was a meticulously crafted setup.
“Revealing the ranks!”
At the host’s cue, the rows of flipped bars began to turn over.
[Rank 1: Baek Song-ha]
Every eye converged on a single spot.
Song-ha had her hands clasped together, pretending to pray.
As her face appeared on the screen, her eyes widened into perfect circles as if she had no earthly idea.
“Re… Really?”
Baek Song-ha gently rested both hands on her chin, staring into the camera with an overwhelmed expression.
‘Ha.’
It was a classic Baek Song-ha response.
That wasn’t something anyone could just copy.
Her moist, glistening eyes looked as though tears might spill at any second.
That expression alone was incredibly powerful.
Yet, Jae-i was the only one who recognized the anxiety underlying that performance.
“She’s the daughter of Daekyung Group, after all.”
“If you saw her stage, you have to admit she earned it.”
“I think she’s really going to cry…”
Low whispers drifted into the air.
The cameras in the Waiting Room moved slowly, capturing every single reaction.
The next bar revealed a name.
[Rank 2: Lee Jae-i]
Jae-i let out a slow, measured breath.
Because the tension had been constricting her chest for so long, the moment the breath escaped, she felt instantly lighter.
She stared directly at her name on the screen.
Experiencing the reality of the set made it truly sink in.
Her calculations were correct, and she had survived this round.
Most people remember first place far more than second place.
However, buzz and public interest always twist memory.
After watching a survival show, people often find themselves mistakenly wondering, ‘Wait, wasn’t she the one who won first?’
From this point onward, it wouldn’t be a simple performance.
Starting from the preparation for the next Mission, the broadcast would begin simultaneously.
Skill, attitude, and even a single spoken word would be laid bare.
Jae-i tightened her resolve once more.
[Rank 3: Ban So-mi
Rank 4: Eun-ji
.
.
.
Rank 20: Kim Se-jin]
‘Ha.’
Jae-i released the last bit of air she was holding in a long exhale.
Simultaneously relieved, she began to weigh the gravity of what was to come.
The top four. She was included in that number.
Every single person she had envisioned for her stage had survived.
From Rank 21 downward, the bars turned red as the names flipped over.
One by one, the cameras captured the bloodless faces of the trainees.
Thirty-three names completely filled the screen.
It was a moment where the euphoria of passing and the despair of elimination crossed paths.
“Those who have been eliminated will proceed to individual interviews. Please move this way.”
As if completely accustomed to such heartbreak, the staff member gave directions dryly.
They had likely been preparing since dawn for this single shot, yet clearing them out took a mere few seconds.
But there was no time to wallow in sentimentality.
“We will now reveal the Mission that the twenty surviving trainees will undertake.”

Immediately afterward, the host’s explanation followed.
“The trainees who form a team will get to select one of the Judges to receive advice on their stage preparation! Isn’t that an incredible opportunity?”
Moon Jung-woo’s face filled the screen first.
“I’m Moon Jung-woo. I was a vocal trainer for six years, and I’m the winner of I’m Your Singer Season 1.”
Choreographer Hae-su, who was responsible for the routines of popular groups.
Composer Casey, and even Judge Choi Du-o, the stage director.
Having finished their introductions, the Judges stared solemnly from the screen.
Though the Waiting Room had emptied out in patches after the eliminated contestants left, the air grew even tighter.
After a brief silence, the screen cut back to the host.
“Trainees, please step onto the Stage.”
As the opposite door swung open, the staff hurried them along.
While the remaining names glowed brightly on the screen, the twenty girls streamed out onto the Stage.
“Trainees Baek Song-ha, Lee Jae-i, Ban So-mi, and Eun-ji, please take one step forward.”
The four called names stepped into the center of the Stage.
Even without receiving specific instructions, they lined up side-by-side according to their ranks.
At the camera director’s gesture, a staff member quickly approached and told them to close the gaps between them.
As Jae-i shifted a step sideways, her shoulder drew close to Song-ha’s.
She could feel the sudden, subtle flinch right next to her.
Caught slightly in her peripheral vision, Baek Song-ha was desperately staring straight ahead.
‘This is exactly why you shouldn’t live a life of sin.’
Jae-i also kept her eyes forward, offering a brief internal thought.
“From this moment on, please turn around and select your team members as leaders.”
The murmuring from behind gradually died down.
The choice to refuse becoming a team member could only be used once.
Even if she knew what kind of mission would take place, she couldn’t possibly know what was brewing in people’s minds.
If she acted too hastily, she could be rejected; if she hesitated, she would miss out on the best people.
Jae-i ran through the names she had set her mind on in a fleeting mental scan.
Her gaze halted at one spot.
A trainee who had flashed a sharp, piercing look during the last shoot.
Yeon Eun-soo.
Jae-i didn’t just want a ‘good’ performance; she wanted to create a multifaceted stage.
So that whether one thought of the dance, the vocals, or the staging, it would be entirely satisfying.
‘I need a performance specialist.’
If it was Eun-soo, she could fulfill that vision.
The version of her that Jae-i remembered was etched into the public’s mind for her extraordinary dance lines.
Eun-soo was the only one who had actually voiced an opinion to Baek Song-ha.
Because of that, she had become a thorn in Song-ha’s side and ended up relegated to the absolute edge of the group choreography, yet her eye-catching presence could never be obscured.
‘Yeon Eun-soo has to join me.’
In that instant, a brief psychological war flashed between them.
At the subtle smile Eun-soo offered, Jae-i narrowed her eyes slightly.
“We will begin selecting team members with Leader Eun-ji. Please extend your hand.”
The leader sitting in fourth place moved first.
Glancing sideways, Jae-i saw that Baek Song-ha’s head was already turned toward Eun-soo.
‘Of course she’d covet her.’
Baek Song-ha, whose specialty was dance, had previously built a flawless dance crew to deliver a spectacular stage.
In the past, Yeon Eun-soo would have been just another team member highlighting Baek Song-ha’s performance.
‘Ha. What should I do?’
There was no way to intervene.
They weren’t granted time for conversation, nor did she possess some ability to change minds.
‘If not Yeon Eun-soo…’
There was a trainee she had kept in mind as a second choice.
But that person’s previous stage had fallen below expectations.
With Baek Song-ha holding the Rank Manipulation Right, a weak card offered zero chance of victory.
Just as the puzzle pieces of her thoughts were scattering, the host called Jae-i’s name.
“Leader Lee Jae-i. Please extend your hand toward a team member.”
Jae-i’s head snapped up.
Step by step, she approached the front of the fourteen girls.
‘Should I pick Kim Se-jin first?’
Se-jin had been trying desperately to lock eyes with her for a while now.
It would be the safe choice, but if she didn’t extend her hand right now, the card that was Eun-soo would inevitably be snatched away by Baek Song-ha.
Every single eye converged on Jae-i.
Her exhaled breath trembled, and the sheer weight of the choice settled into her fingertips.
‘It’s better to be rejected than to stand blankly and watch her get stolen.’
Jae-i lifted her head high and locked eyes directly with Yeon Eun-soo.
“Would you join our team?”
Eun-soo’s gaze traveled slowly from Jae-i’s hand up to her eyes.
One of her eyebrows arched slightly, and the corner of her mouth twisted askew.
The cameras captured this tense moment from every conceivable angle.
Eun-soo lowered her head.
It was a somewhat haughty movement.
Just as Jae-i’s heart was tightening with suspense, Eun-soo opened her mouth.
“I-”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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