Little Pink Starfish

Viewers of The Masked Singer often said this about honorary graduation.

-There’s only entrance and expulsion at Masked Singer!

-So true lol

-The producers go insane whenever someone challenges for honorary graduation lol

-This week’s lineup looks intense.

There was a saying that whenever someone challenged for honorary graduation, the producers would go all out to build an insane lineup to protect the current champion.

Actually, that was only half true.

At first, there was no such intention.

The stronger lineups when someone challenged for honorary graduation were pure coincidence.

But due to viewers’ expectations, it had now basically become a rule of the program.

-Who do you think MyHeart’sMiro is?

-At first, I thought it was Jung Soo-sung, but he looks too tall. Jung Soo-sung’s profile says 170 cm.

-Maybe he’s wearing insoles.

-Considering singing skill and style, it’s either Jung Soo-sung, Peace, or Lee Hyun-wook.

-Those names alone are insane.

-Doesn’t matter. He’ll reveal his identity after the producers land their true punch today lol

-Or he might graduate honorarily lol

-Nope. Don’t you know Masked Singer’s rule?

-There’s only entrance and expulsion.

-Oh, it’s starting.

Eight masked singers appeared on screen.

In Season 1, the top 8 to finals were aired over two weeks, 60 minutes each. But after ratings dipped, Season 2 switched to a 110-minute one-week format.

Among producers, some were suggesting going back to two weeks since booking guests was getting harder, but for now, this was the format.

Soon, four contestants were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

The eliminated lineup was stunning.

-Whoa?! ColaFlavorSoda was Peace?

-WTF Peace got eliminated in the first round?

-I used to listen to Peace non-stop in high schoolㅠㅠ

-Back then, every boys’ karaoke session was basically singing Peace’s 1st and 2nd albumsㅠㅠ

-Who the hell beat him?

-I don’t know, but you can see how determined the producers are to block honorary graduation lol

-Masked Singer entrance and expulsion!

-Masked Singer entrance and expulsion!

The semifinal eliminations were just as wild.

-Whoa!!! Sujin noona!!!

-WTF, Jang Su-jin?!

-They’ve lost it. Jang Su-jin and Freya eliminated in the semis?!

-They’re both singers who could’ve easily been champion multiple times;

-I’m honestly shocked. I think Jang Su-jin is the best vocalist in Korea.

Then, in the finals, the singer who unmasked after losing was Jung Soo-sung, whom many had suspected to be MyHeart’sMiro.

-Whoa? Jung Soo-sung?

-Damn, I made a bet with my friend that MyHeart’sMiro was Jung Soo-sung.

-Wasn’t MyHeart’sMiro Jung Soo-sung?

-Now both Peace and Jung Soo-sung, who were suspected to be MyHeart’sMiro, are eliminated?

-Then it must be Lee Hyun-wook.

-But doesn’t FlowerFanPlay, who just made the finals, sound like Lee Hyun-wook?

-Yeah, I thought so too.

-Could it be a mirror match?

-Mirror match? You insane bastard lol

Thus began the stage between challenger FlowerFanPlay and four-time champion MyHeart’sMiro.

FlowerFanPlay sang first.

-Whoa…

-He’s insanely good;

-It’s Lee Hyun-wook lol

-Right? The way he handles high notes—100% Lee Hyun-wook.

-Guess honorary graduation just failed.

-This guy’s low notes are OP, his mid-range is OP, and even his high notes are OP.

-So he’s just OP?

-Yep, correct.

-This won’t be easy for Miro this time.

-Truth is: MyHeart’sMiro has been hearing this same thing for four weeks now.

-Lol, but still, this time the opponent’s too strong.

FlowerFanPlay’s near-perfect stage ended.

---

12 days earlier.

Sitting on the champion’s throne with his mask on, On Sae-mi-ro swallowed hard.

The moment he heard the opening long high note, he knew.

It was senior Lee Hyun-wook.

Idol trainees usually have two kinds of role models.

First, senior idol groups.

Second, solo vocalists.

Lee Hyun-wook was On Sae-mi-ro’s role model.

It was fortunate his face was hidden behind a mask.

Otherwise, the creeping feeling of defeat would have overwhelmed him.

‘Can I win this?’

On Sae-mi-ro sincerely thought his progress here was 30% skill, 70% luck.

Week 1 had a favorable matchup and the opponent made mistakes.

Week 2, again, the opponent made mistakes. Week 3 as well.

He was quite flustered to find out his Week 3 opponent was Joo Yeon from Take Scene.

He’d never beaten Joo Yeon even once during Coming Up Next.

Which meant, again, it was due to mistakes.

Joo Yeon had never made mistakes during Coming Up Next.

But On Sae-mi-ro simply couldn’t imagine Lee Hyun-wook making mistakes on stage.

So he thought he would lose this time.

In Masked Singer history, only Do Jae-wook, known as the god of vocals, had succeeded in honorary graduation.

He wanted to honorarily graduate and create positive buzz for the team…

But maybe that was just a dream.

Thinking so, On Sae-mi-ro blankly listened to FlowerFanPlay’s song, 100% sure it was Lee Hyun-wook.

It was good.

The song was so good.

But…

‘Why is he making little mistakes…?’

Something felt odd.

There was slight sibilance in the bending, and the breath temperature was inconsistent.

He learned this from Han Si-on — to be truly world-class, you must control even the parts where you’re not singing.

Han Si-on often called it ‘the temperature of breath.’

More precisely, ‘temperature’ in English — he looked it up once.

But Lee Hyun-wook’s temperature wasn’t stable.

And in the legato, the notes were ever so slightly off.

Maybe a quarter tone? Or even less?

It might seem trivial, but Lee Eon was someone striving to correct even that.

He had always thought Lee Hyun-wook’s singing was perfect, but this wasn’t perfection.

Perfection is…

“On Sae-mi-ro, you once asked if you could beat me.”

“I did.”

“It’s impossible. That will never happen. Do you know why?”

“Because you’re more talented?”

“That’s not wrong, but not quite the answer.”

“Then?”

“It’s not just you who can’t beat me.”

“Who else?”

“Right now, on this planet, anyone making music.”

Han Si-on.

He had marveled countless times while listening to Han Si-on sing.

At first, that awe turned into jealousy and inferiority, but not anymore.

They were friends.

On Sae-mi-ro no longer wanted to beat Han Si-on.

He simply wanted to express what Han Si-on wanted, as much as Han Si-on wished.

That’s why they spent a week recording Resume and received a score of 70 points from Han Si-on.

Then another thought flashed through On Sae-mi-ro’s mind.

Something Goo Tae-hwan once said.

“We’re like that. It’s only because we’re next to Si-on that we look like squid.”

Goo Tae-hwan said they couldn’t judge themselves properly because of constant comparison to Han Si-on.

They were actually very good, but always felt small because of that comparison.

On Sae-mi-ro half-believed that.

He agreed they felt inferior in comparison, but didn’t think they were absolutely inferior.

But maybe…

The mistakes he’d felt from his opponents weren’t mistakes after all?

Maybe it was skill unrefined by someone like Han Si-on as a director.

Would Han Si-on score Lee Hyun-wook below 70?

If so…

Shouldn’t I be the one to win?

Han Si-on always teased On Sae-mi-ro for being pathetic, but On Sae-mi-ro wasn’t pathetic — just overly cautious.

It was because he never received respect for his sense of self or love from his parents in childhood.

But watching his role model, even his self-defensive caution cracked.

Thus, Lee Hyun-wook’s song ended.

The audience erupted, the panelists stood up applauding.

The PD quietly approached.

“Shall we take a break before proceeding?”

They asked because an overly heated atmosphere could hinder fair judgment.

Normally, On Sae-mi-ro would’ve trembled and nodded.

But today was different.

“Let’s just proceed.”

“Just proceed?”

“I’m not simply attempting graduation, am I?”

“What then?”

“An honorable graduation. Right?”

On Sae-mi-ro stood up.

It was a silent signal telling the PD to back off and proceed with filming.

Watching that…

‘What’s with this cringe middle school line.’

The PD thought to himself.

Still, the contestant wanted it, so there was no choice.

Filming resumed.

Both the panel and audience thought honorary graduation was impossible again.

The song On Sae-mi-ro chose was Toothbrush, composed by Lee Hyun-seok from LB Studio.

He had sung this before during Coming Up Next.

After hearing Han Si-on sing Under the Streetlamp, he was so shocked he challenged himself with this song.

Back then, directly compared to Han Si-on, he ruined the stage.

But this time…

On Sae-mi-ro opened his mouth.

---

[The Masked Singer: The second honorary graduate revealed as Sedalbaekil’s On Sae-mi-ro!]

[MyHeart’sMiro, who defeated Oh Jae-hyung, Kito, Joo Yeon, and Lee Hyun-wook in four consecutive wins, was On Sae-mi-ro.]

MBN loved The Masked Singer because its audience range was so wide.

From teenagers to people in their seventies.

A rare program with minimal difference in age group preference.

Thus, the news that MyHeart’sMiro was On Sae-mi-ro spread widely.

Even the Sedalbaekil fandom, Titi, was surprised.

-Holy crap, who saw this!

-I literally flipped over watching it during dinner!

-It was my first time having family ask about my bias…

-Was it thrilling?

-No, I just wish they’d stop being nosy.

-lolololol

-I’m so happy. On Sae-mi-ro’s truly the best main vocal in idol historyㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-I was so frustrated seeing him lose all the good parts to Han Si-on, but now I’m so pleased.

-That’s a bit…

-It’s Han Si-on though…

Still, Titi was less surprised.

They already knew how well On Sae-mi-ro could sing thanks to their deep dive into Sedalbaekil content.

But the general public was stunned.

Even though Joo Yeon had lower fame, Oh Jae-hyung, Kito, and Lee Hyun-wook were top names you’d hear if you asked who sings best in Korea.

Lee Hyun-wook was beyond that, and the final week lineup also included Jung Soo-sung, Peace, and Jang Su-jin.

-What is Sedalbaekil lol. I thought it was just Hip-Si-on???

-Honestly, I only knew Hip-Si-on and Lee Eon lol

-I know that thug-looking guy too. Know his face at least.

-Same. But wow, On Sae-mi-ro blew me away. I thought he was a veteran singer with many years under his belt.

-MyHeart’sMiro wasn’t “My Heart’s Meaning” after all;

That’s how powerful this issue was — the fancam views for On Sae-mi-ro’s State Of Mind stage on MBN’s Gayo Tasteskyrocketed.

Until now, it was Han Si-on > Lee Eon > Goo Tae-hwan > Choi Jae-sung > On Sae-mi-ro, but On Sae-mi-ro overtook Lee Eon.

While Han Si-on stayed still, articles about Sedalbaekil poured out.

Journalists write what people are curious about, and right now, everyone was curious about On Sae-mi-ro and his group.

But Sedalbaekil’s issues didn’t end here.

[Stage Number Zero! The grand beginning!]

SBN’s Stage Number Zero, destined to record the highest ratings in public audition program history, had begun.