Little Pink Starfish

Show Me was a show full of controversy and drama, but it was still considered one of the most successful audition series in Korean television history.

Most audition programs saw a drop in popularity after season two and started considering cancellation, but Show Me held firm at least through season five.

There were some hiccups in season six.

It started off well in terms of ratings, but a string of incidents involving popular contestants caused dropouts, and the season ended with a whimper.

The final had the lowest interest in history, and the winner flopped harder than anyone expected.

That’s why season seven was made with a serious determination to bounce back.

The judge lineup was top-tier, the prize money increased, and the rules were made harsher and more intuitive.

Behind the scenes, they also recruited big-name underground rappers as contestants.

If Show Me season seven flopped despite all this, the channel might’ve seriously considered canceling the show.

Even in this situation, head PD Yoon Jungseop made the deliberate choice to keep “Han Siwon,” a massive name, completely under wraps.

Anyone could tell that if news broke about Han Siwon’s participation, it would bring massive attention.

But Yoon Jungseop genuinely believed that becoming close to Han Siwon was more valuable than Show Me 7 doing well.

Han Siwon, he believed, was unexpectedly loyal (he was wrong).

Just look at him launching another variety show with PD Kang Seokwoo (again, a misconception).

Once Han Siwon grew attached to someone, he didn’t easily let go (not true either).

So, Yoon Jungseop had no intention of revealing Han Siwon’s identity. He’d only consider it if Han Siwon made it into the top ranks.

PD Yoon never told anyone about Han Siwon’s identity.

He knew that once the higher-ups were informed, they’d force him to reveal it for ratings.

It was obvious that ratings would spike, so why would he keep a sack over the guy’s head?

That said, there was one person who did know Han Siwon’s identity.

The main writer who’d been producing Show Me with him since season two—Oh Sohee.

Commonly referred to as the “queen unnie,” Oh Sohee didn’t find out through Yoon Jungseop’s mouth.

She figured it out herself.

Because she was a 1st gen TT and a hardcore Han Siwon fan.

So when reviewing the edit of episode 1, she saw through the mask instantly.

“PD-nim. 452… that’s our Siwon, right?”

“What are you talking about? Siwon? Han Siwon?”

“No need to lie… I know everything…”

Her eyes were so full of certainty that Yoon Jungseop didn’t even think of lying.

Instead, he asked how she figured it out.

It was okay if whispers about 452’s identity started to spread, but it’d be problematic if someone like Oh Sohee recognized him instantly.

But this, too, was a miscalculation on Yoon Jungseop’s part.

She recognized him through the power of love.

“His nails. Those are Siwon’s nails…”

“Wait, are you… seriously saying this?”

“The heart-shaped nails…”

Yoon Jungseop had seen the edit, but he hadn’t noticed anything special about Han Siwon’s hands on camera.

“And the way he’s standing slightly, attractively crooked…”

Still clueless.

To Yoon Jungseop, Han Siwon stood upright and proper.

“And that shoulder line, and the neck…”

“Hey hey hey. Get a grip. Writer Oh, this is a secret.”

At that moment, Oh Sohee glared at him with terrifying intensity.

“Why the hell did you cast Siwon?! He’s busy!”

“…Aren’t celebrities always busy because they appear on TV?”

“He’s not even a rapper! What if he gets eliminated in this brutal competition…!”

“I didn’t cast him…”

“Lies!”

Yoon Jungseop calmly explained the situation to Oh Sohee.

Normally, main writers were supposed to be looped in on contestant identities.

Writers were usually contractors, and they tended to be closer to the PDs than to the broadcasters.

“If he gets eliminated early, we won’t make him take off the mask.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“To protect him. His fame and honor.”

“PD-nim…!”

And so, the two became a soul-bound pair dedicated to watching over Han Siwon—no, 452.

The reason Han Siwon became known as “452” was simple.

Normally, after passing the first audition round, contestants wore a nametag with their name (or rap name) from the second round onward.

But the name Han Siwon came up with—“Masked Guy”—sounded too lame.

It gave off knockoff Masked Singer vibes.

So, at Writer Oh Sohee’s suggestion, they decided to keep his first audition number, <452>.

“Oh Sohee, Sa-oh-ee (452)… they sound similar…”

Yoon Jungseop thought Writer Oh had lost her mind, but the truly insane one was Han Siwon.

As absurd as it sounded, Han Siwon was good at rapping.

Of course, when he first said he wanted to join Show Me, Yoon figured he must have some talent.

He believed Han Siwon would do well.

But he also assumed he wouldn’t beat people who’d staked their lives on rap.

Still, Yoon Jungseop believed in him because, in the end, rap was music.

There were plenty of rappers with great technique, but few could use it to make good music.

He’d heard it straight from pro rappers: the more rap gained mainstream popularity, the lower the technical ceiling dropped.

Meaning, you couldn’t win over the general public with complexity or flashy technique anymore.

That stuff only appealed to hardcore fans.

The general audience still wanted pleasing sound and melodies that got their hearts racing.

Yoon Jungseop believed Han Siwon was more than capable of that.

But he was only half right.

Han Siwon was good at music.

He could create perfect music out of any mission.

But.

He was also good at rap.

To a degree that overwhelmed everyone.

Yoon had no idea how this was even possible.

Naturally, 452’s identity became the biggest topic of discussion among the top-tier judges.

“He’s definitely either a gyopo or American. Koreans don’t use English words like that.”

“His interpretation of sound is different from Korean rappers. Has that Queens vibe…”

“Feels more Cali than New York, no?”

“But the rap style isn’t West Coast, right? It’s more East or Midwest.”

“Come on, no one judges rap by technique anymore. It’s about the sound.”

“True, then yeah, he does feel LA. Seems to love synthesizers.”

“When I heard 452’s beat, I thought it was Dr. Dre.”

“Come on… Wait, really?”

“I’m telling you.”

It got to the point where some judges even asked the writers directly about 452’s identity.

Or at least wanted to know if he had a label.

In that atmosphere, Show Me filming continued, and the top 20 finalists were confirmed.

And…

Episode 1 aired.

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Episode 1 of Show Me Season 7 started off steadily.

As always, the first episode introduced the judges’ personalities and showcased the national audition scenes.

It also had the usual bait: attention-seeking contestants, familiar faces, and idol appearances to grab the viewers.

But in the end, what decides the show’s success is the skilled contestants.

The audience needs to believe that the show will offer excitement.

What kind of performance will that contestant bring to the next round?

That curiosity drives viewership, and it all comes down to skill.

Some contestants might survive on character alone, but without talent, they don’t last.

In that regard, Season 7 seemed to be off to a strong start.

-Whoa, look at this contestant lineup ㄷㄷ

-My DJ friend said they really scouted hard this time.

-Well yeah, last season was trash.

-For real, why are these guys so high on something?

-They tried to copy foreign hip-hop and fried their brains too lol

-Whoa, Savior’s in this too.

-No way Savior is at contestant level.

-He turned down judge offers multiple times lol

-Real talk, I don’t think any of the judges are definitely better than him.

-Whoa no way, Breathe’s in this too?

-lol Breathe’s an underground guy who’s even hit #1 on streaming charts.

The contestant quality was high and buzz-worthy, so news articles poured out as the show progressed.

The new faces that popped up throughout weren’t bad either.

Around two-thirds into the episode, it happened.

Someone appeared on screen without any prior footage or judge reaction.

Contestant number 452, wearing a toy-like robot mask that little kids might play with.

-lol looks like a total attention seeker.

-That mask? Didn’t all the masked contestants get eliminated last season?

-Nope, one survived—but no one recognized him even after he took the mask off lol

-Oh yeah lol that internet reaction was comedy gold.

-Lucky timing, though. Might get some attention thanks to the Real Original craze.

-Nah, the masked gimmick’s played out on Show Me.

Then judge DD approached the masked contestant 452 on screen.

[Contestant 452.]

[Yes.]

[What should we call you?]

[Hmm… Masked Guy?]

-lololol did you see DD’s face? Pure disgust lol

-Go ahead, bait us for attention now.

-Masked Guy lol

-I think “Hmm…” was even dumber lol pretending he just came up with it on the spot

-Not even a cool guy, just a cool-idiot

Naturally, the reactions weren’t great. DD didn’t look impressed either.

[Alright, Masked Guy. Let’s hear what you’ve prepared.]

And just like that, 452’s rap began.

Round 1 was done a cappella, so it was perfect to see the rapper’s fundamentals.

And this guy had clear fundamentals.

[This is lucid dream.

All of us are aware,

Crossroads repeating,

Once again, I’m drawing.]

Close-ups showed judges and others reacting with wide eyes—Show Me’s signature.

[Time repeating,

Still nineteen,

Time that’s closed off,

Not a twenty four hour.]

Rap can be abstract—telling your story from your own perspective.

But if others feel something from it, it becomes art. If not, it’s trash.

452 was the former.

You could tell he constructed a tight rhythm to compensate for the lack of a beat.

But it didn’t feel old-school or boring.

And the lyrics felt like they came from a real place.

It pulled you in.

Of course, not everyone responded positively.

-It’s fine but feels too textbook?

-Sounds good without a beat, but might feel generic when you put it over one?

But those were in the minority.

-What are you talking about? He’s amazing lol

-Yep. Throw on a drum loop and you’ve got some real East Coast fire.

-It’s got a vibe. Sounds straightforward, but there’s a subtle laid-back swing.

-Vocal tone is solid as hell.

-This guy smells like a pro lol

Passing was a given.

[I could tell you’ve been active as soon as I heard you. Just curious if you’re currently active.]

-Isn’t “active” and “currently active” the same thing?

-No dumbass, he’s asking if he’s still actively releasing stuff now. Use your brain.

-lol DD worded it weird.

-He’s a gyopo.

[If that’s what you mean, then yes. I’m currently active.]

[So why the mask? Want to be judged purely on skill?]

[No.]

[Then why?]

[I just thought… it’d be fun to take it off if I made it to the finals.]

[What if you don’t make it?]

[Then I guess I’ll be eliminated with the mask still on.]

-lololol is this guy threatening them?

-He’s active? Who is he?

-Breathe… already showed up. So who?

-That vocal tone’s tight. Sounds like someone with years of experience.

-Yep. Definitely not some no-name sing-rapper.

-Thought he was just a try-hard attention seeker lol

Later, there was an insert cut with the judges speculating on who “452” might be.

But it wasn’t a long segment.

At this point, interest in Masked Guy—or 452—wasn’t huge.

People could tell he was good, but other well-known contestants were just as good.

Plus, a cappella rounds don’t really showcase massive skill gaps.

452 didn’t start becoming a real topic until episode 2 aired the following week.