Little Pink Starfish

Kito’s From a Place That Doesn’t Come is a song people sing a lot.

Not just in the broadcast industry.

Ordinary people sing it at weddings, use it for talent shows, and absolutely belt it out at karaoke.

It’s not the only song like this—but even among such songs, it’s one that’s received a particularly deep level of love.

And there was a clear reason for that.

Because From a Place That Doesn’t Come is a song where feeling is much more important than vocal skill.

Yes, the chorus does explode with high notes, but you didn’t need to hit those highs perfectly to convey the right emotion.

Some songs sound dull when you lower the key.

But some songs still retain that emotional pull even in a lower key.

From a Place That Doesn’t Come clearly belonged to the latter.

Because the musical lead wasn’t the vocal line, but the instrumentals.

Koo Taehwan didn’t think much of it, but hearing Han Sion call a song “perfect—except the chorus” wasn’t something that came lightly.

Yet, because of that very trait, it wasn’t a great pick for survival shows.

A song with a powerful melody meant it was harder to distinguish vocal talent, and it didn’t leave a strong impression.

There was even a meme related to this.

Back when national audition programs were popping up like mushrooms, people joked that the song lived up to its title.

That if you sang this song, you’d truly not come to the shoot again.

That meme isn’t really used anymore—but plenty still remember.

– Bruh that song choice is cursed lol
– Right? Isn’t this like a tombstone for survival contestants?
– Tombstone?
– It’s the last thing that gets stuck in your grave.
– LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
– I think it’s a smart choice tbh. Better than trying to go head-to-head on vocals with Joosung-han and getting wrecked.
– Are we sure that’s Joosung-han though?
– Yup. I’d bet my damn hand on it.
– Still, it’s a good song. A solid stage with applause and a clean exit isn’t a bad deal.
– So much backseat judging over one song lol
– This is the final Round 1 battle. This guy’s gotta be someone famous, right?
– Not always. Sometimes producers give a weak opponent if they want one contestant to advance for sure.
– For someone like Joosung-han, that tracks.

That last comment was the truth.

Originally, Joosung-han’s opponent was meant to be a throwaway pick—someone PD Yang Jungtae was planning to cut.

Which is why, after confirming Koo Taehwan’s casting, he made this call to the head writer:

“Kick the lowest-tier contestant from next week’s shoot. Tell them we’re postponing.”

And that’s how Koo Taehwan took the spot.

The viewers didn’t know who was behind the mask yet.

While the internet buzzed, “Real Original”’s performance began.

Of all the promises
That we made
Only one is missing
You,
From a place that doesn’t come

Like all early-2000s rock ballads, the song started off lyrical.

A slightly distorted guitar hummed low, carrying the melody, and a surprisingly heavy bass filled the silence.

In Korea, “rock ballad” had formed its own concept—a genre with a shared cultural image among the public.

But strictly speaking, there’s no such genre.

Technically, they’re called “power ballads,” and in Korea, they lean more toward mid-tempo R&B.

The hallmark of these songs was their clear structure—rise, fall, climax.

And a strong hook in the highlight section.

Ironically, this made the opening the hardest part to sing, and even pros struggled recording the intro.

Sing it too strongly and you ruin the flow. Sing it too softly and there’s no appeal.

But now—

“Real Original” was offering a solution.

– Wait what the hell, this is good
– This guy’s legit, huh?

It was rhythm.

Honestly, you couldn’t praise Koo Taehwan’s sense of rhythm enough.

Han Sion had worked with tons of teams and seen countless talents.

At a Billboard Top-tier level, too.

Among all those, the only person in Sedalbaekil Han Sion ever called “innately gifted” was Koo Taehwan.

To loosely interpret that…

Unless you’re a Billboard top-tier artist, you can’t compete with Koo Taehwan.

And from the look of things, even that might not be a stretch.

His voice tossed out the gentle lyrics in rhythm—effortlessly pulling people in.

Layer that with Han Sion’s arrangement skills.

Han Sion had said the song didn’t need much rearrangement—it was already good.

But he did tweak some parts to better suit Koo Taehwan’s voice—and that, from the audience’s perspective, was divine.

It was a familiar song that felt unfamiliar—and that unfamiliarity was deeply satisfying.

And yet, it still had the cozy flavor of something you knew.

A flavor you had no reason not to enjoy.

The song flowed on.

At the window washed in sunset
On the windswept shore
In the yellow-painted sky
I drew a melody

Rhythm isn’t about staying on beat—it’s about how you fill the beat.

Even with the same song, subtle timing differences create huge changes.

But Koo Taehwan had grown.

In the past, his rhythm relied solely on timing.

Now, he used pitch too.

Of course, higher pitch means longer notes, lower pitch means shorter ones.

He’d never totally ignored pitch dynamics before.

But he hadn’t been intentionally guiding them by feel—until now.

And now that he could?

He could deliver drama through song.

Make you feel a story.

Like how a master actor can deliver a line and completely change its meaning.

When Koo Taehwan sings a song—it transforms.

Not because of sheer vocal power.

But because of expression.

And if someone like that can also sing well?

Game over.

There’s nothing left to critique.

From a place that doesn’t come—
Where you and I
Longed to meet—
I…

As the chorus hit, countless viewers at home probably got ready to hum along.

Everyone knew this song.

It wasn’t like Han Sion’s Under the Streetlamp, which only guys liked, or Lee Hyunseok’s Toothbrush, which only older folks knew.

But they didn’t hum along.

Huh?

The lyrics hit, the melody arrived—but the expected explosion didn’t come.

Was this the chorus? Or just a transition from verse one?

It was so subdued, it was confusing.

But even so—it sounded great.

– Huh?
– Maybe he’s not great with high notes lol
– Kinda sounds like a pop song? Like The Beatles or something.
– Bruh what kind of comparison is that lol

The original chorus had two explosive peaks with ebb-and-flow transitions.

Blow up, ease back, blow up, ease again.

These days, songs would dive straight into verse two—but older songs took their time, let it breathe before switching.

But “Real Original” didn’t explode in that first chorus section.

Instead of dropping it—he unfolded it.

So naturally, people expected the same from the second chorus.

But nope.

FROM a place that doesn’t come—!
I— with you!
From a past where we once touched—!
I——!

Suddenly, a wave of high notes crashed in.

That was what casual viewers heard.

But those with deeper musical knowledge heard something else entirely.

To them, it didn’t come out of nowhere at all.

The lead-up was perfect.

The sound, which had hovered just under the surface, had escalated upward, gently riding a wave.

It didn’t stab—it spread.

And in Korea, there was one composer who did this better than anyone.

He’d only debuted a year ago, so maybe “best” wasn’t the right word yet, but…

Han Sion?

Han Sion was phenomenal at this.

Many pro composers didn’t understand his weird skill at pacing.

That he made sophisticated melodies? Sure, makes sense. He’s a genius.

That he could compose perfect leitmotifs? Sure. Genius again.

But this kind of push-pull pacing?

That wasn’t talent—it was experience.

So how could a 21-year-old kid have it down pat?

Yet right now, they could smell it.

– Yo yo yo, is this Han Sion?
– Right?? Smells like Han Sion all over.
– Yeah yeah yeah
– But the voice kinda sounds like Koo Taehwan too?
– Did Koo Taehwan always sing high notes this well?
– Didn’t you listen to the Masked Robber unit album?
– Oh, maybe? I think so?

A few sharp-eared netizens caught on—but not everyone agreed.

– Look, I know those young Sedalbaekil guys are good, but this doesn’t feel like the kind of thing you pull off with youth alone.
– Why the hell do you talk like that lol but I agree.
– Yeah, definitely not Han Sion’s voice, and no way Koo Taehwan’s that good.
– Bro this song is delicious lol

People were impressed by the first verse and chorus—but the second verse and chorus?

Even more so.

The ending of verse two and beginning of the chorus had been tied together in a blurred melodic transition.

A risky choice that could’ve sounded like a mess.

But “Real Original” nailed it.

When the performance ended, everyone had the same thought: “This song is delicious.”

Literally.

Because it was.

[Masked Judges’ Vote! Start now!]

The results of “Real Original” vs. “Professor, Please Give Me an A” were now in the judges’ hands.

– Didn’t Original do better though?
– The professor was good, but the song hit harder with Original.
– lol where did all those people go who were roasting the song choice earlier?

And the result…

[53 to 47!]

[Victory goes to Real Original!]

“Real Original” won.

And with that, viewers tilted their heads in disbelief.

Joosung-han, one of the legendary “Do-Joo-Park” vocal trio, losing in Round 1?

Could “Professor” just be a Joosung-han fanboy?

An idol who loved him so much he mimicked his technique?

But no.

[It was Joosung-han!]

The professor was really Joosung-han.

– Yo wtf.
– That was really Sung-han hyung? And he lost in Round 1?

Unmasked, Joosung-han looked pretty embarrassed.

He probably hadn’t expected it either.

To lose in the very first round.

Shocking headlines exploded online. Joosung-han’s elimination was all over the internet news.

And now—people were dying of curiosity.

Then who the hell is Real Original?