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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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After the details of the advertisement were revealed, KTB’s phone lines exploded.
Countless people called, wanting to inquire about the 100 billion won prize money or the absurd advertising campaign. But KTB’s response was uniform.
“The prize money? We’re really giving it away.”
“Eligibility requirements? Secret.”
“How it’s decided? Secret.”
“Why is it a secret? Secret.”
“You son of a…!”
It was unclear whether they were trying to answer questions or simply messing with people.
This only fueled the public’s curiosity. And so, amidst nationwide excitement, anticipation, and suspicion, the live broadcast of [Music Challenge] began.
“Viewers across the nation, hello! I’m your national MC, Choi Jeong-seok.”
“Hello everyone, I’m your national idol, Lira!”
“Many of you have been looking forward to this broadcast. Wow, I can see the viewership ratings skyrocketing!”
“Of course! This is a program with a 100 billion won prize! Honestly, I wanted to be a contestant, not the host.”
“Hahaha, good one. Everyone knows Lira is a tone-deaf idol… Gah!”
“Ahaha, Jeong-seok oppa, you’re so funny.”
Lira casually threw a punch. Choi Jeong-seok coughed up blood.
Kim Seung-jun gulped as he watched the two hosts bicker. His nervousness wasn’t just from the live broadcast. The guests of honor seated to the side of the stage were a formidable group.
Han Ji-sung, a Level 85 actor with millions of fans.
Rabbit, a Level 78 male idol.
Kim Moon, a Level 74 vocal trainer.
And countless other trot singers, rappers, and musicians. All of them were top-tier players in the entertainment industry, watching the proceedings with interest as judges and contestants.
Even the ditzy Lira and the ordinary-looking Choi Jeong-seok were Level 60 and 70 players. This lineup would have made even a legendary PD, let alone a rookie like Kim Seung-jun, lose sleep from anxiety.
‘I never imagined it would get this big…’
Of course, these representatives of the Korean entertainment industry weren’t just blinded by the 100 billion won prize.
The real draw was the publicity. The KTB advertising campaign had been so successful that [Music Challenge] became a national sensation, attracting countless famous players.
This, however, was a double-edged sword.
‘If the program turns out to be a flop…’
Kim Seung-jun shuddered.
This program had a massive budget, generated unprecedented hype, and attracted a star-studded cast. If it failed to deliver… KTB would be ruined, and he would be writing a will instead of a resignation letter.
‘The die is cast!’
There was no turning back now. Kim Seung-jun, his legs trembling, focused all his attention on preventing any mishaps. Despite his anxiety, the atmosphere in the studio was electric.
The audience was buzzing with excitement, finally witnessing the unveiling of the program shrouded in mystery. With a few exceptions.
“This is unexpected. It’s smaller than I expected. Fewer people too.”
Ainsha, the girl with the impassive face, muttered.
Tata replied casually,
“It’s a small country. It’s natural for the audience to be smaller than the hype.”
“Still, it’s too small. I could attract a larger crowd just by showing my face on the street.”
“The honor of seeing the most noble princess’s face cannot be compared to such common entertainment.”
“Tata flatters me too much.”
“Because it’s true!”
As Ainsha and Tata whispered amongst themselves, the hosts, having sufficiently hyped up the audience, finally got to the main point.
“Alright, enough chit-chat! I’m sure many of you are wondering what [Music Challenge] is all about.”
“The premise of Music Challenge is simple. Clear the given mission, and you win!”
“And the winner of this mission will receive 100 billion won.”
“Then, we’ll reveal the first mission of [Music Challenge]. It is…!”
Drumroll-!
“Improvised singing!”
“You just have to improvise a song to the original music that will be played.”
“The prize goes to the first person to succeed.”
“Those who go later will have the advantage of familiarity with the song, but if you wait too long, you’ll go home empty-handed.”
“Of course, the song has to be good enough to pass the judges’ evaluation. Unfortunately, a tone-deaf performance like Lira’s won’t win you the prize…!”
Punch-
“Jeong-seok oppa? My 『Critical Hit★Punch』triples in power with every hit. You don’t want to end up in the hospital during a live broadcast, do you?”
“Cough, cough, cough. A-anyway, we’ll reveal the challenge song shortly.”
That was the moment the expressions of the celebrity contestants and the audience shifted from excitement to confusion and bewilderment.
‘Are they serious?’
‘That’s the challenge?’
‘That’s what they made such a fuss about?’
It was understandable.
All high-level players were superhuman, and entertainers, in particular, were accustomed to performing all sorts of stunts.
Singing in fire or underwater, performing synchronized dances on cliffs… these were common occurrences in modern entertainment.
But improvising a song? The challenge seemed ridiculously simple compared to the prize money. They felt not just bewildered but betrayed.
Then…
Violin~
“…!”
All sound vanished.
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The moment the melody flowed from the speakers, people forgot everything.
Their confusion. The fact that this was a live broadcast. Whether they were watching TV. Even how to breathe. Their emptied minds were filled with a single melody.
The violin’s sound, so beautiful it was almost violent, exploded in their minds, erasing everything else.
Violin~
At the same time, emotions surged. Deep, nostalgic, majestic.
The flood of vivid emotions embedded in the melody pounded their hearts, drawing out long-forgotten feelings like pus from old wounds.
‘What… is this?’
Tata shivered.
Having accompanied Ainsha, she had seen countless performances, rivaling even seasoned entertainment professionals. But even she was captivated.
The melody was that clear, the timbre that intense. And because she was so engrossed in the performance, she felt another shiver run down her spine.
Don’t look at me―
The violin’s melody resonated through the air. Tata froze at the sound of a voice woven within the music. It wasn’t just Tata. The audience, the contestants, even the viewers watching on TV… everyone stared in disbelief.
They hadn’t heard the song with their ears. It simply appeared in their minds, imprinted on their souls, the moment they heard the music.
Inaudible, yet felt.
Listening to the music, yet hearing a song. Like an invisible ghost whispering in their ears. Eerie, yet enchanting, the song intertwined with the melody, captivating their souls.
“Tata, I hear it.”
“…Tata also hears the song.”
“Wrong. It’s not a song. It’s a person.”
“What?”
Tata, puzzled by the cryptic words, turned to Ainsha. And her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“P-Princess?”
Tears were streaming down Ainsha’s usually impassive face. The shock of the music was completely forgotten. But Ainsha didn’t seem to notice.
She stared blankly into space, her voice flat.
“The song contains a person. That’s why we hear their voice.”
Ainsha understood.
This wasn’t just music. It was the expression of memories, emotions, experiences shared with someone, woven into sound.
The expression was so vivid that listeners could instinctively imagine the voice of the ‘someone’ who would have sung alongside this melody. And Ainsha knew what to call such a song.
“This is a Requiem.”
Sing along to this music? Impossible.
This was a song that encompassed a person’s entire life. The moment someone else tried to add their voice, the expression would be ruined, the performance shattered.
There was only one exception. The original owner of this song. But the dead couldn’t sing. This music would forever resonate alone. In that sense, it wasn’t just a Requiem.
It was a Ghost Song.
A song that didn’t just mourn the dead, but channeled their voice, a lonely ghost’s performance that refused to be shared.
Perhaps that was why, even after the music ended, everyone in the studio remained silent, unable to even breathe.
“Uh… t-that was an amazing performance. Right, Lira?”
“Huh? Oh, y-yes! It was amazing!”
“Now, the contestants will draw lots to decide the order, and then you just have to sing along to this music with the given lyrics… that’s all…”
“Uh, to this song? Sing?”
The hosts, driven by their professional duty, tried to break the silence and continue the broadcast. But their voices lacked conviction.
The contestants, too, looked like they had seen a ghost. Even if their minds couldn’t comprehend it, their hearts understood what Ainsha had felt.
“I… I’d like to withdraw from the challenge.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Unfortunately, I also…”
“What? Wait a minute! Han Ji-sung? Rabbit? This is a live broadcast!”
The hosts panicked at the contestants’ withdrawals. They tried to persuade them to stay, but the contestants were adamant.
They instinctively knew that attempting to sing to that music would lead to lifelong regret. As the commotion on stage spread to the audience, Ainsha remained oblivious.
She was lost in thought, replaying the music in her mind.
‘I don’t understand.’
How could such music be possible? How could such emotions be captured in sound?
No matter how much she pondered, she couldn’t understand. But that only intrigued her more. The fact that she didn’t understand, combined with the emotions evoked by the music, filled her with a strange excitement.
That was why, in that moment of inspiration, a premonition surfaced. Despite already knowing the outcome, Ainsha spoke with anticipation rather than disappointment.
“Tata.”
“Yes, Princess?”
“I think I’m about to fall in love.”
“…What?”
As Tata froze, shocked like a teenager learning about their mother’s remarriage, an accident occurred on stage.
Han Ji-sung, trying to shake off Choi Jeong-seok, who was clinging to his sleeve, swung his arm. His arm struck a camera.
The camera, hit by a Level 85 player’s punch, flew like a cannonball towards the audience.
“Gasp?!”
“Kyaaa!”
The staff gasped. The audience screamed. Tata remained frozen. But Ainsha wasn’t surprised or scared.
She simply stared at the incoming camera with her usual impassive face.
Flutter~
Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed her cheek. Her vision blurred. And she was no longer in the audience. She was airborne, cradled in the arms of a black-haired young man.
His furrowed brows and sharp features were intimidating. But his arms were strong, and the lingering emotions from the music resonated in her heart.
She couldn’t speak, not until he gently set her down, and Tata, finally snapping out of her shock, rushed over, fussing over her well-being.
Ainsha placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart pound, and muttered in her usual flat tone,
―I’ve finally found him.
Ainsha, the White Dragon Princess, one of the seven princesses of the Seven Dragons Association.
She, who had lived a life devoid of strong emotions, had finally found her destined partner.
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[Your Text Here]
Maybe in the future technology would allow us to listen to the songs the authors write about