Trot, which has a long history in the Korean popular music industry, is actually a genre where it’s difficult to find a precise origin or genre classification.
Because it’s a genre where Korean folk songs, Western blues, and Japanese enka are mixed together here and there.
Similarly, Korean R&B, which led the Korean music scene in the early to mid-2000s, was actually closer to a medium-tempo ballad.
It was just that people misunderstood it as R&B because it added the soulful singing style unique to R&B.
Then what happens if a sophisticated electronic guitar riff forms the main melody on top of a medium-tempo ballad?
It becomes close to contemporary rock that makes you move your hips.
On top of that, Choi Jaesung’s singing shot out.
Even if I lived one day
It was you, still again
The lyrics and beat may not seem to match, but that’s not important.
Often, the meaning of lyrics isn’t that important.
Choi Jaesung sang noisily over the cheerful rhythm.
Unlike the calm and deliberate feeling of the original song.
At some point
Silently coming in
Those who knew Sedalbaekil well would have felt the scent of Goo Taehwan in Choi Jaesung’s singing.
After the first line ended, a two-second gap was filled with a fiery guitar solo.
Choi Jaesung bobbed his legs to the beat like a rock star.
The waves drenching
My body-!
He burst into the high note right away.
Like Onsaemiro.
The participants of Stage Number Zero blinked their eyes at this sight.
It was completely different from the image they had imagined when they heard that Choi Jaesung would sing <Even If I’m Drowned by the Waves>.
This is…….
‘This is cheating!’
When they heard Han Sion had arranged it, they thought it was enviable, but now they felt unfair.
That song, meaning, no matter who sings it, it’s perfect, isn’t it?
It doesn’t necessarily have to be Choi Jaesung.
Cracked, parched
Both my hands and feet
The waves sweeping me
Though Choi Jaesung’s voice, comparing love to waves, was cheerful, there was a certain bitterness somewhere.
This was what Choi Jaesung had learned from Han Sion.
Han Sion could do a lot of things as a vocalist, but what always surprised Choi Jaesung was his expression.
Perhaps Han Sion could even deliver the emotion of love singing lyrics full of cursing.
Though Choi Jaesung hadn’t reached that point, he had developed excellent expressive ability.
As if covering the face
I feel suffocated
Breathe, Slowly
The judges listening to Choi Jaesung’s singing felt conflicting emotions.
The singer-turned judges thought they wanted to sing that song.
At the same time, they thought about whether they could sing it better than Choi Jaesung.
Honestly, they weren’t sure.
They might be better than Choi Jaesung in certain parts, but how could they beat that balance?
On the other hand, the composer-turned judges were flustered.
If they had been asked to arrange <Even If I’m Drowned by the Waves>?
Even if the client requested a hundred arrangement versions…….
‘Would I have thought of changing the song like this?’
They don’t think they could.
Not a hundred, even if they made a thousand arrangement versions, they wouldn’t have done it like this.
While barely touching the original melody, how did they play that crazy guitar riff that forms the main melody?
Depressing, unfair.
The world is so unreasonable.
How on earth did Han Sion develop such composing skills?
Even while thinking that, Choi Jaesung’s singing continued.
He pierced into the strong guitar riff like Eion, and handled the high notes like Onsaemiro.
Based on Goo Taehwan’s rhythm, Choi Jaesung showed his own balance.
Even if I’m drowned by the waves–
Even if I can’t breathe
It’s okay, because it’s you–
The slightly childish sentiment typical of the early 2000s sounded like a playful yet sincere love confession.
‘I don’t think I can beat this.’
‘Choi Jaesung is dropping out, right?’
‘Shit. His albums sell well, and yet why did he come out on this audition program.’
That’s what the participants thought.
‘What should I say for the evaluation?’
‘The PD asked us to point out any shortcomings if possible.’
‘If I criticize this, I’ll just sound like someone with no ears for music, right?’
That’s what the judges thought.
But the main PD of Stage Number Zero thought differently.
‘Why is his expression like that?’
It wasn’t the expression Choi Jaesung usually showed when immersed in singing.
There was some kind of dissatisfied, regretful feeling.
It wasn’t the kind of expression you’d make while doing a performance like that.
At the moment when the song finished the chorus and reached the second verse.
“……?”
“……!”
Suddenly, Choi Jaesung stopped singing.
He stood still and didn’t sing.
When producing audition programs, participants making mistakes appears often, but even that depends on the mood.
Participants who seem somewhat unstable, as if they haven’t fully memorized the song, always make mistakes.
But Choi Jaesung was absolutely not like that.
That’s why the 3 to 4 seconds of silence felt completely intentional.
And then, Choi Jaesung smiled brightly.
So brightly that you couldn’t believe it was the face of someone who made a mistake.
Choi Jaesung grabbed the mic and sang.
Even if I only lived to the end
It was still you
Already completely
Drenching and filling me
The second verse mirroring the first verse was a feature of Korean R&B in the early to mid-2000s.
Choi Jaesung sang with a suddenly refreshed face.
But it felt quite different from the first verse.
The traces of Goo Taehwan, Onsaemiro, and Eion that were felt during the first verse had all disappeared.
Every part was just Choi Jaesung.
Was that better? Hard to say.
Was that worse? That wasn’t the case either.
It just suddenly felt like a different person was singing.
Regardless of whether the participants and judges felt confused, Choi Jaesung finished singing.
When Choi Jaesung stood in front of the judges with a relieved face, someone asked a question.
“Participant Choi Jaesung.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you stop singing? It didn’t seem like a mistake.”
“I just……. The best way to sing this song suddenly came to mind, so I stopped without realizing it.”
“Did you show that method in the second verse?”
“No, I realized I couldn’t do it, so I tried to sing it in my own color.”
The judges didn’t fully understand Choi Jaesung’s words, and Choi Jaesung didn’t intend to persuade them.
After that, the evaluations continued, and Choi Jaesung quietly nodded.
Once all the participants’ performances were over, it was time for interviews before determining who passed or failed.
At this moment, the main PD of Stage Number Zero called out to Choi Jaesung.
The two met without any cameras, and the conversation started with a question.
“What are you going to do?”
There was no way Choi Jaesung wouldn’t understand the meaning of the PD’s question.
If he wasn’t going to accept NT’s offer, it meant it would end here.
Until yesterday, he had wavered.
But now, he wasn’t.
“I’ll voluntarily drop out.”
“Is that a definite decision?”
“Yes.”
“I say this because it’s regrettable, but the viewers won’t be very happy. There will be people who criticize you.”
“I’m aware.”
The reason Choi Jaesung appeared on Stage Number Zero was due to the deal between SBN and Sedalbaekil.
SBN used Sedalbaekil to create buzz for the program.
Sedalbaekil used SBN to shake Choi Taehos’s influence.
The interests of both groups aligned, and the results were good.
Thanks to that, they even appeared on music shows.
But to the viewers, Choi Jaesung would look like an opportunist.
Because it would seem like he appeared before Sedalbaekil succeeded, then quit right after they became successful.
Especially, dropping out right before the top 10 would look like he wasn’t desperate.
And not being desperate could be seen as disrespecting the desperation of other participants.
Or it could look like ignoring the very purpose of the program itself.
All because Sedalbaekil had become too successful.
Choi Jaesung was no longer an underdog but a top dog, and top dogs in Korea are expected to have manners and humility.
“If you want, we can stage it like you got eliminated on the final performance.”
“Won’t the production team get criticized for that?”
“Is there any audition program production team that’s never been criticized?”
If Choi Jaesung was eliminated despite delivering a great performance, the viewers’ anger would be directed at the production team.
Then Choi Jaesung would be innocent.
Of course, the PD wasn’t offering this out of kindness.
Considering Sedalbaekil’s content power these days, it was worth building some debt.
If Sedalbaekil appeared in the next program they launch, that would be the best.
But Choi Jaesung shook his head.
“I don’t want to be eliminated. Then it would look like a Sedalbaekil member got eliminated.”
“Hmm…….”
The PD looked regretful, but Choi Jaesung wasn’t.
Today, he realized.
That he cannot be the protagonist.
And that it’s not necessarily a sad thing.
“Thank you for everything.”
After finishing filming, Choi Jaesung returned to Sedalbaekil’s dorm.
When he opened the door and entered, he saw the cameras set up and the members sitting on the sofa.
Judging by the camera angle, it seemed to be shooting the sofa directly.
“What’s with the camera? Are we filming something?”
“You’re here?”
Han Sion got up from his seat and pulled Choi Jaesung to the sofa.
Then he operated his smartphone and played music.
The intro of <Even If I’m Drowned by the Waves> started playing.
There was no explanation, no discussion.
Goo Taehwan suddenly started singing.
Even if I lived one day
It was you, still again
Goo Taehwan’s opening was exactly how Choi Jaesung had imagined.
No, it was better than he imagined.
Naturally, Choi Jaesung took over Goo Taehwan’s singing.
At some point
Silently coming in
Then Onsaemiro created an abrupt register change.
The waves drenching
My body-!
Eion hit the exact pitch and slipped between the electric guitar performance.
Cracked, parched
Both my hands and feet
The waves sweeping me
Everything was exactly how Choi Jaesung had imagined.
Han Sion had once told Choi Jaesung that he couldn’t be the protagonist.
“I also want to be the protagonist.”
“The protagonist? That’s tough. Or maybe impossible?”
“Because of the hyungs? Or because of you, Sion hyung?”
“That’s not it.”
But he never gave the reason.
He realized the reason today, on stage.
All singers go on stage with a clear plan on how to sing.
Choi Jaesung had that too.
But while singing, he realized.
This song has a correct answer.
The intro must be sung like Goo Taehwan, the high notes handled like Onsaemiro.
When creating chords with composite sounds, Eion’s ability is necessary, and Han Sion’s expression is necessary.
But Choi Jaesung is Choi Jaesung.
He’s not Goo Taehwan, not Eion, not Onsaemiro.
Let alone Han Sion.
No matter how much he imitates the members, he can never be them.
That’s why Choi Jaesung couldn’t be the protagonist.
Because the protagonist of this song was set as Sedalbaekil.
Not just this song.
The protagonist of every song they make and sing is Sedalbaekil.
At some point, they had become people more familiar with ‘us’ than ‘me.’
But without Choi Jaesung, there wouldn’t be a protagonist either.
Within Sedalbaekil, Choi Jaesung’s role clearly existed.
Han Sion was trying to let him know that, and Choi Jaesung realized it and smiled brightly.
And now.
The song they were casually singing in the living room of the dorm was the ‘correct answer’ Choi Jaesung had imagined on stage.
It was the song sung by the protagonists.
When the song ended, Han Sion asked.
“Seems like you figured it out.”
“Sedalbaekil’s Choi Jaesung sings better than just Choi Jaesung.”
Han Sion tilted his head.
“No? I meant that I’m the protagonist.”
“……”
“Just kidding.”
“I know it’s a joke, but I still felt betrayed for a second.”
Han Sion smiled and tapped Choi Jaesung’s shoulder.
“That feeling’s good enough. Now go win.”
“Huh?”
“Go to Stage Number Zero and win. Tomorrow, come with me to meet the PD and reverse your withdrawal.”
“What do you mean?”
“I really don’t get it. Why do people think only agencies can sponsor production?”
“……!”
Surprised, Choi Jaesung opened his mouth hesitantly.
“But you said it’d be hard for you to make top 10……”
“That was just to keep you from getting nervous. You might overdo it if you aim for the win from the start.”
The members added with light smiles.
“If you don’t win, you’re dead.”
“Saemiro. Don’t pressure him.”
“Still, if you don’t win……”
Choi Jaesung answered firmly.
“I’d probably die of embarrassment before that.”
Little Pink Starfish 
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