The Hit Song of This Life Is Revenge - Chapter 9

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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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This life’s hit song is revenge.
Episode 9
‘Technically, it’s a business meeting.’
Ki-baek reasoned with himself as he buttoned his dress shirt.
He had spent longer looking in the mirror today than on other days.
A clean impression was always important, after all.
Moving his long legs quickly, he headed toward the meeting place.
From a distance, he caught sight of her raising a slender arm high and waving.
“Ki-baek! Over here!”
‘Ki-baek?’
The moment he hesitated at the unfamiliar address, he noticed the silhouette of a strange man in front of her.
The smile plastered across Lee Jae-i’s face as she ran toward him was entirely forced.
In that brief locking of eyes, he saw her strained expression, the awkward curl of her lips.
And the desperation pooling in her eyes.
It didn’t take long to grasp the situation.
Maintaining a blank expression, Ki-baek quietly scanned the man standing behind her.
Even from a distance, it was unmistakable.
The sheer lingering attachment dripping from the man’s gaze.
A wave of displeasure crept up on him, causing the muscles between his eyebrows to tighten.
“Sorry, traffic was bad.”
He could have ended it with that single phrase.
Yet, the man’s eyes were still dogging her relentlessly.
Ultimately, Ki-baek reached out.
“Darling.”
Her eyes grew perfectly round, completely transparent in her shock.
The woman’s small, red lips parted slightly.
As she approached the span of his chest, she faltered.
‘Can’t stop now.’
Ki-baek wrapped a broad arm around her shoulders, pulling her flush against him.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No—yes. No.”
At her slight, trembling voice, he swallowed down a laugh that threatened to burst out.
However, he couldn’t entirely stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upward.
Jae-i froze as stiffly as a broken robot at his affectionate tone.
Her entire focus shifted to Ki-baek.
‘Is this how he acts with a girlfriend?’
Perhaps because she was used to his rigid, businesslike manner, she couldn’t adapt to this at all.
‘And… how long do I have to stay wrapped in this massive chest?’
Cautiously lifting her head to look up, she found his face radiant.
Whether it was because of the sunlight, she felt the fleeting illusion of a halo shining around him.
“Shall we go?”
Jae-i gave a tiny nod.
He slowly unraveled his arm from around her, only to suddenly grasp her hand.
“What?”
The question popped out of her reflectively.
But he didn’t answer Jae-i’s question; he simply led her forward.
Pulling her hand closer, he naturally guided her to interlock her arm with his this time.
‘I wasn’t asking for it to be this perfect.’
For now, the operation to shake off Yoo Young-jae seemed to be a success.
To anyone looking on without knowing the inner workings, they would surely look like the most affectionate couple in the world.
After a few steps, he spoke up.
“Is that type not to your liking, Jae-i?”
“Yes, completely. I wouldn’t date him if I died and came back to life.”
He let out a low chuckle at Jae-i’s vehement rejection.
They were now quite far from the spot where they had run into Yoo Young-jae.
‘This should be far enough.’
She subtly tried to slide her hand out from the crook of Ki-baek’s firm arm.
Right then, he pressed his arm tighter against his torso, trapping Jae-i’s hand.
“Since it’s flat ground, the line of sight stretches quite far. Let’s just keep going like this.”
Persuaded by his logical words, she meekly complied.
He stepped into a building that looked luxurious at a single glance, heading toward a specific spot with practiced familiarity.
* * *
The place they entered together was a Recording Room.
“Wow!”
Jae-i marveled in front of the gleaming equipment.
The first thing to catch her eye was the condenser microphone inside the thick glass pane.
Then there was the digital mixer with its countless buttons, and even the massive speakers.
‘It looks like a night view.’
Much like the lights she had looked down upon from Namsan, this equipment seemed to harbor a sense of thrilling anticipation.
“Have a seat here.”
Ki-baek pointed to a sofa set against the wall.
At his voice, which had turned rigid again, Jae-i straightened her posture.
There was a reason she had needed to meet him.
She reminded herself once more of why she had come to this place.
As Jae-i sat down, he rolled over a wheeled chair to face her.
“I’ll give it to you straight. There is a major festival next week. A team suddenly dropped out, and I want you to take that spot, Jae-i.”
“A festival?”
It was an unexpected proposal.
She had assumed she would be auditioning.
Jae-i’s mind whirled like a fan.
“I saw the video of your street performance yesterday through a local news article. That’s why I decided to cast you. Are you willing to perform?”
“By any chance, is that performance the audition?”
Ki-baek answered succinctly to Jae-i’s inquiry.
“The performance is an offer. However, I would also like to extend a formal offer from the agency’s side.”
At the word ‘offer’, a layer of vitality rushed back into her eyes.
While it was true that a Korean-American contestant on I’m Your Singer Season 3 had been cast at a festival, some netizens had grumbled that it felt like a forced narrative.
If she gained the title of an ‘agency singer’ through a contract with Star Entertainment, she could avoid such gossip.
Even so, the festival stage remained deeply meaningful.
The production team would highly likely grant her solo exposure to emphasize the story of how she was cast.
Quickly sizing up the situation, Jae-i spoke.
“Yes! I’ll do it! In exchange, may I ask for one favor?”
“Go ahead.”
“Once the festival performance is over, I’d like you to give me an opportunity to appear on an audition program in Korea.”
Ki-baek’s gaze drifted to the side for a brief moment.
“Is there a particular reason to go that far?”
“There’s a kind of growth you can only get from competition. I’m not trying to be stubborn. That is, if my stage is convincing enough to you, Representative Kang.”
Jae-i intentionally put weight behind her final words.
A stillness settled over the Recording Room.
Ki-baek slowly unclasped his hands from his knees and stared at her.
Jae-i felt a prickle of nervousness under that heavy gaze, but she squared her shoulders and met his eyes.
“You seem quite confident.”
“I won’t disappoint you.”
He let out a low breath.
A moment later, Ki-baek’s sharp eyes softened, and he slowly nodded.
“Very well. If your stage is convincing, Jae-i, the next steps will follow naturally.”
“Thank you!”
His acceptance rang out like a bell, completely washing away her remaining anxiety.
“And this is a personal request.”
When he trailed off uncharacteristically, it only made her focus more intently.
After creating a brief silence, he spoke again.
“I’d like to request the song I heard on the plane.”
“Yes, of course!”
Jae-i replied readily.
Since it served as an audition, a requested song wasn’t bizarre.
Every company could have a specific voice they pursued.
* * *
A short while later.
Click. The door to the Recording Room closed.
Holding a sheet of paper with the lyrics written on it, she stood before the condenser microphone.
‘It’s incredibly quiet.’
Not a single speck of noise could be heard, making the air inside the Recording Room feel entirely frozen.
Just as a wave of tension began to rise, Ki-baek turned on his microphone.
“Can you hear my voice?”
“Yes!”
“Please put on the headset, and let me know when you’re ready.”
The resonance traveling through the walls quietly knocked against her heart.
“I’ll begin.”
The moment the ear pads fully enclosed her ears, the accompaniment flowed out.
The melody drifted in softly.
“Whew.”
Exhaling a small breath, Jae-i inhaled deeply, expanding her lungs.
After an intro of about two bars, Jae-i parted her lips.
“I was broken.”
At the end of that slightly raspy note.
Ki-baek’s gaze sharpened instantly.
The woman who had been smiling playfully just moments ago now wore an entirely different face.
An unfamiliar, profound gravity had settled into her eyes.
It was a low, whispering voice. Yet, within it lay a weight that vibrated against the chest.
The music gradually swelled. Matching the rhythm, her lyrics also gathered depth.
“I remember the words that tore me to pieces. But that’s all in the past.”
The climax of the first verse.
Unwavering vocalization, her own unique interpretation of the song.
These were the exact elements Ki-baek fastidiously emphasized on a regular basis.
And above all,
“I won’t be swayed anymore. Watch closely. This is just the beginning.”
The lyrics pierced straight through the heart.
This was a caliber that could absolutely never be labeled amateur.
Before he knew it, Ki-baek was holding his breath, watching her.
When her fingertips brushed against the microphone, his eyes were arrested by even that simple movement.
A singer immersed in their song is always bound to shine brighter.
However, right now, she was dazzling to the point of blinding.
He knew she could captivate an audience with her voice, but her visual charm was also far beyond his expectations.
Ki-baek unconsciously tapped his fingertips against the table.
‘Get a grip. Don’t let admiration cloud your judgment.’
He strained his ears once more.
Utilizing a technique that controlled the rhythm, she naturally transitioned into the climax of the second verse.
Like the lyrics, the song mounted steadily toward its peak.
At that exact moment,
“This path will shine too. Because I am climbing up.”
The high note.
The instant that final high note exploded—hitting clean and powerful—
Goosebumps broke out over Ki-baek’s forearms.
It was a thrilling sensation, as if the nerves beneath his skin were snapping awake.
And finally.
Clap!
As if a spotlight meant solely for her had switched on, the perfect final bar concluded.
“It will be blinding.”

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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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