The Hit Song of This Life Is Revenge - Chapter 37

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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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On the third day, after filming had concluded.
Arriving at the designated location, Lee Jae-i mumbled awkwardly to herself.
“Half a month isn’t exactly a short time, but still…”
They had told her she only needed a change of clothes.
Yet the trainees gathered in front of the lodgings were carrying two or three suitcases, each larger than their own bodies.
Perhaps because the unaccompanied evaluations had aired just the night before, the atmosphere was charged with even more intensity.
Jae-i turned her head quickly, letting the staff member attach her microphone.
‘Filming hasn’t even started yet.’
Her small luggage made her feel like a total outlier.
It was embarrassing enough that she felt a wave of relief that the cameras weren’t rolling yet.
Fiddling absentmindedly with the securely fastened microphone, Jae-i looked down at her tiny suitcase.
The styling team had offered to pack for her, but she had adamantly refused, terrified of standing out.
‘They never showed this kind of stuff on broadcasts, so how was I supposed to know?’
Choi Sang-hee’s pouty face flashed through her mind.
Just as a faint twinge of guilt began to creep in, a voice cut through the air.
“Jae-i!”
Jae-i turned toward the husky shout.
Yeon Eun-soo was walking over, waving a hand high above her head.
Then, Eun-soo’s crossbody bag caught her eye.
‘So I wasn’t the weird one after all.’
Seeing Eun-soo’s light packing brought a small sigh of relief to Jae-i’s chest.
As they closed the distance, the two exchanged bright smiles.
Eun-soo looked past Jae-i’s shoulder and spoke up.
“Wow. Is she planning a trip across Europe or something?”
Jae-i followed Eun-soo’s gaze and looked behind her.
Standing out from the crowd was Baek Song-ha’s luggage.
It wasn’t just the sheer size; the exterior was plastered with massive luxury logos, drawing everyone’s eyes.
Seeming to sense the attention, Baek Song-ha glanced sideways toward them.
Her pupils flicked up and down as if scanning them, and then, the corners of her mouth hitched upward.
“Wait… what was that? I think she just sneered at us. You saw that, right?”
Jae-i had caught the smirk perfectly clearly.
But knowing Baek Song-ha, the girl would probably claim she was just breathing.
She was the type who simply couldn’t survive without looking down on others.
Seeing Eun-soo’s face twist with irritation, Jae-i quickly changed the subject.
“Everyone’s just nervous, that’s all. Don’t you think you brought a bit too little, though?”
“Bringing something that massive is what’s truly bizarre.”
Eun-soo jutted her chin toward Baek Song-ha’s suitcase, her lips pursing to one side.
Amused by the comical expression, Jae-i finally let out a laugh, letting her guard down as she took in her surroundings.
They were in the suburbs, about an hour away from the city center.
The surrounding trees stretched their cool, refreshing branches toward the sky.
Beyond a courtyard paved with smooth stone slabs stood a three-story building, draped with a massive banner.
[I’m Your Singer Season 3]
From a distance, the venue looked quiet and pristine.
The trainees’ expressions, however, were the exact opposite.
One girl was frantically fixing her hair, while another did nothing but twist the cap of her water bottle.
The silence belonged only to the landscape; the tension on their faces showed the competition had already begun before they even stepped inside.
Just then, Son Hyun-joo PD emerged from among the staff, dressed in comfortable clothes.
“We’re going to shoot just one entrance cut. The staff will take care of your luggage, so you can just walk inside naturally.”
Believing this part would obviously be edited out, Baek Song-ha pushed past the trainees who had been waiting in line and took the very front.
Watching the maneuver closely, Eun-soo sidled up right next to Jae-i.
“Are you a fast walker? Let’s burst in first.”
“Forget it. Let’s just take our time.”
Eun-soo let out a huff through her nose, crossing her arms at Jae-i’s amused reply.
“Alright. Please head inside.”
The buzzing chatter that had filled the air moments ago died down with astonishing speed.
At the PD’s cue, light footsteps began to echo across the stone slabs.
The songs that would be forged inside that building.
It felt as though a step toward her vague dream was finally taking concrete shape.
Jae-i walked forward at a measured pace, watching the sunlight glint off the glass windows.
* * *
The lodgings were far more pleasant than she had anticipated.
The walls were a crisp white, and the floors were made of a laminate wood that gave off a warm, subtle grain.
The layout featured two rooms facing each other across a central living room.
“This place is like a hotel!”
Jae-i nodded in agreement at Eun-soo’s bright exclamation.
Eun-soo began checking every nook and cranny of the quarters, keeping an eye out for the cameras installed throughout the space.
Of course, roommates hadn’t been decided in advance.
The moment they entered, they were told rooms were first-come, first-served, prompting Eun-soo to immediately break into a sprint.
And though it lasted only a fraction of a second, Jae-i definitely saw it.
The triumphant grin spreading across Eun-soo’s face as she bolted past Baek Song-ha.
‘Unbelievable.’
Recalling the scene, Jae-i shook her head with a smile.
Just then, Eun-soo raised her voice as she popped her head out from inspecting the room.
“Everything’s great, but seriously, there are cameras everywhere except the restroom. What if I snore?”
“Haha.”
The stifled amusement slipped out into a proper laugh.
Despite Jae-i’s giggles, Eun-soo maintained a dead-serious expression as she pleaded.
“If I start snoring, you absolutely have to wake me up.”
“Alright, I will. Which room do you want?”
Only then did Eun-soo’s face cloud over with deliberation.
Pointing toward one of the doors, she added rather bashfully, “I actually like that one better, but if you want it, I’ll let you have it.”
“Thanks, but I thought the opposite one looked better anyway. Let’s unpack and meet up.”
“You haven’t even looked inside yet.”
Eun-soo mumbled as she stepped closer, but Jae-i dismissed her with a gentle wave of her hand, sending her on her way.
Carrying her suitcase into the room, she found the sunlight streaming through the parted curtains, brightening the space.
A bed neatly made with crisp white sheets, and a compact desk.
At the far end, a restroom partitioned off by frosted glass.
Though it was technically a double room, the layout made it feel almost like a single.
‘I guess I have some luck when it comes to lodgings.’
For the past few days, no matter where she went, she had been trapped between cameras and crowds, but closing a single door made the world instantly dead silent.
The sensation of the mattress springs supporting her weight felt incredibly grounding.
It was tempting enough to make her want to just lie there for a moment.
She let her body lean back.
Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath.
Not a trace of the heavy, suffocating air that used to clog her throat remained.
Instead, the cozy scent of sunlight mixing with clean linen enveloped her entirely.
‘This is no time to be lounging around.’
Shaking off the sudden sentimentality, Jae-i snapped herself awake and sat up.
Orientation was scheduled to begin shortly.
Unzipping her suitcase, Jae-i began neatly arranging her few belongings.
Clack.
It was the sound of the deflated mesh pocket hitting the frame of the suitcase as the clothes were removed.
“Oh, right.”
Jae-i unzipped the compartment and pulled out a pen.
It was the very pen she had used throughout her lessons with Kang Ki-baek.
The initial ‘K’ was engraved into the end of it.
Her fingertips traced the smooth, shallow contours of the letter.
‘Having something familiar with you will help. Take it.’
Considering the personalized engraving, it must have been an item of some importance to him.
Yet he had handed it over without a second thought, even apologizing that it was a used one.
Naturally, the name inscribed on the ukulele drifted into Jae-i’s mind.
‘There must be countless people in Korea with the initial K…’
Perhaps because her mind was tangling with idle thoughts, staring at that tiny letter made something deep within her chest stir with clarity.
They weren’t grand words, nor was it a massive object.
Yet having this single item in her hand felt like it had established a small anchor in this unfamiliar place.
Just as she was setting the pen down neatly on the desk, a upbeat melody suddenly chimed from above.
“Orientation will begin in ten minutes. Will all trainees please gather in Lecture Room 1.”
Son Hyun-joo’s voice echoed out from the round speaker mounted on the ceiling.
She hadn’t even noticed it was there.
In that instant, her body reacted before her mind could.
Now that it was truly beginning, even the air in the room felt entirely different.
Jae-i took one last look at the small mirror beside the desk, locking eyes with her reflection.
With a firm, quiet nod, she threw open the door and stepped out.

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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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