Little Pink Starfish

The moment Sa-oh-ee’s rap ended, all the judges had the same expression.

Surprise. Admiration. And curiosity.

Who was this person?

What kind of face was hiding behind that weird paper bag to be this good?

Of course, from a personal taste standpoint, not every judge was fully into Sa-oh-ee’s rap.

Notably, DD and Dino were in awe of the musical level Sa-oh-ee had shown—but stylistically, it wasn’t their cup of tea.

Both were veteran rappers who valued the fusion of drums and rap.

But Sa-oh-ee’s music had no section where drum and rap coexisted.

If anything, the drums were used like a fake-out, while the rhythm of the rap was driven by the piano.

He inserted rhymes at every dynamic accent in the piano, making the soft beat sound deceptively intense—a trick.

That tight, precarious rhythm created an unsettling tension.

That, in turn, forced people to pay closer attention to the music—and since the rap itself never felt unstable, the result was something solid and compelling.

But sometimes, music punches taste in the face.

There was no reason not to applaud.

On the other hand, producer Kyo, whose musical preferences aligned perfectly with Sa-oh-ee’s style, looked absolutely stunned.

He even understood the reference that led Sa-oh-ee to create this music.

Because it was hinted at in the chorus lyrics.

[This was inspired by It’s On Again, right?]

The unanimous pass had already been confirmed, so the other judges turned to Kyo at his question.

Some judges only now understood the concept of the music after hearing that.

It’s On Again held significant meaning in the hip-hop world.

As the OST for The Amazing Spider-Man, it was a collaboration between Alicia Keys—one of the greatest female vocalists of the time—and Kendrick Lamar—one of the greatest male rappers of the time.

Originally, Alicia Keys was supposed to sing the first verse and chorus, with Kendrick handling the second verse.

But the film’s music director had concerns about that structure.

They had invited top-tier orchestra members to record real instrumentals, and Alicia’s vocals only amplified the grandeur.

Could rap really carry that same level of grandeur and resonance?

Could the genre even handle that?

There were serious doubts.

But Kendrick Lamar’s rap flipped those doubts on their heads.

The moment his verse came in, the beat sounded completely different.

The grandeur disappeared, replaced by desperate, writhing anguish.

It was such a strong emotional shift that, when juxtaposed with the vocals, it felt mismatched—almost like two unrelated songs stitched together.

This wasn’t about the skill level of the artists.

It was about interpretation.

But it was too late to redo the track—the verses were just too good.

In the end, Kendrick’s verse was placed right up front.

His rap kicked off over a piano roll and an orchestral intro, turning desperation into grandeur.

It fit Spider-Man’s character perfectly.

That track inspired countless rappers.

They realized that even without drums or instruments, rap alone could alter a song’s narrative.

Of course, this required flawless rap design and was never fully developed into a subgenre.

It was simply too difficult for amateurs to imitate.

Still, it had significant meaning in the hip-hop scene, and some songs used it as a reference point.

But Kyo had never seen anyone in Korea do it properly.

Except Sa-oh-ee.

Kyo shared all this in his commentary.

Of course, the live commentary was much more detailed, but the broadcast only covered it lightly.

Audition shows didn’t need to delve deeply into music theory.

Just enough spice to get viewers impressed or emotionally moved was enough.

After hearing Kyo’s explanation, Sa-oh-ee let out a quiet laugh from behind the mask.

[Yes. It’s It’s On Again.]

[And it says you made the beat yourself… Was it sampled?]

[No. It was fully sequenced.]

Sampling meant lifting parts from other songs. Sequencing meant composing every element yourself.

That meant Sa-oh-ee had in-depth knowledge of piano and other instruments.

Kyo suspected that many of the parts weren’t even made with virtual instruments.

Which meant this guy was top-tier in rap, top-tier in vocals, and top-tier in production.

Did such a person actually exist?

[Are you maybe… someone like a piano competition winner? A violinist?]

There were musicians abroad who were both professional rappers and pianists.

Some were even so popular, they made music for Apple commercials.

But Sa-oh-ee simply gave another quiet laugh in place of an answer.

[Then just this one question: Have you released a full-length album where you sing yourself, in physical format?]

[Yes. I have.]

[How many?]

[Hmm… I suppose it depends on how you count. But I’ll say three.]

[Three…]

The judges’ faces, puzzled and thoughtful, were frozen on screen as a caption appeared.

Show me what you got!

That was the ending of episode 2.

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Just a week ago, people were abuzz about Masked Singer’s honorary graduate—the real Original—being none other than Sedalbaekil’s Goo Taehwan.

But now, the focus had shifted.

Show Me’s Sa-oh-ee.

Talk of his identity was leaking everywhere.

If it were just a case of a masked contestant doing well, it wouldn’t have blown up like this.

But there were three key reasons it did.

The first was the reaction of Show Me writer Oh Sohee.

-Looking at the writer’s reaction? 100% an actor. A top-tier one, too.

-I agree with this.

-Couldn’t it be an idol?

-I mean, yeah, but a writer with that much experience probably wouldn’t be that shocked by an idol.

-But it was sudden, in the hallway. Reactions depend on personality.

-Yeah, if she’s the expressive type, she could react that way even if she’s not a huge fan.

-That makes sense. Fair point.

-No way it’s an idol lol. What idol can rap and sing at that level?

-You think an actor could? Idol’s still more likely than actor.

-You guys trust the Show Me producers too much. Could’ve been staged. Might be a total nobody when the mask comes off.

-Nah, that reaction was way too real.

-Maybe they’re just personally close? I reacted just like that when I ran into an old friend unexpectedly in Japan.

-Huh?

-Yeah, if it’s Show Me, totally possible lol. Even if unintentional, the moment the camera catches it, the hype machine switches on.

The second point: the word “active.”

-Didn’t it feel like he was active, but not as a rapper?

-Yup yup. I still think he’s a vocalist. A top-level one who just happens to be talented at rap too.

-I agree with Kyo—it feels like he’s something unexpected. Like a pianist or something.

-Also, doesn’t he seem a bit older? He gave off serious middle-aged vibes lol

-lol the robot mask, calling himself “Masked Guy,” it’s all a bit dated.

-But his music was too modern for that.

-He said he had three full-length albums. But that was also phrased kinda weird.

-Yeah, it sounded like he has a lot of releases but only counts three as “albums.”

-He probably uses a tight definition of “full-length.” Maybe some are from project groups, or solo, or whatever.

-Indie artists often don’t release full albums. Some have ten mini-albums and just one full-length.

-Yup. Some hate full albums. Too much pressure to make it a “work of art.”

-If he’s got three albums, he must’ve been in the game at least five years.

-Damn, who is he? I’m dying to know.

-I’m scared because of what he said in episode 1.

-What’d he say?

-He said if he doesn’t make it to finals, he’ll get eliminated without taking the mask off.

-Damn, that would be infuriating.

But above all, the most important thing was his skill.

-Dude’s a god at rap, songwriting, and vocals?

-Could it be Han Siwon?

-No way. Han Siwon’s rap isn’t anywhere near this level.

-Did Han Siwon even rap before?

-Yeah. During Coming Up Next, when he covered a senior’s track.

-Oh, right?

-Yeah, but it was just average idol-level rap. Not this insane.

-Could it be Si-do?

-Drop Out? She raps well, but not like this. She just has great expression.

-Yeah, honestly people like Si-do because of her vibe. Her technical rap skill isn’t above average.

-Who even decides what “average” is?

-You can just tell.

-Also, Si-do’s got way more than three full albums, whether solo or in a group.

-That’s true.

-Bro, I laughed in disbelief watching. It was that good.

There was so much to talk about.

Someone even joked that if Sa-oh-ee removed the mask and nobody recognized him, there’d be protests.

People in online communities even started compiling lists of “artists who’ve released 3 full albums.”

But Han Siwon wasn’t on any of those lists.

When Han Siwon said he had 3 full albums, it was based on the “devil’s accounting.”

Among the albums the “devil” counted as legit releases featuring his voice:

Sedalbaekil’s 1st full album, The First Day.

Sedalbaekil’s 2nd full album, STAGE.

And the unit album with On&On, STAGE SIDE C.

But to the public, Han Siwon had only released 2 full albums.

Regardless, “Show Me Sa-oh-ee” had started being used like a proper noun, and his stage clip hit 5 million views.

There were Show Me clips that hit 10 million.

But those had taken years to reach that number—no clip had ever hit 5 million in a week.

It reached the point where even upper management at Channel Motion asked, “Who is Sa-oh-ee?”

Technically, it wasn’t an official agenda item—just casual conversation after a meeting.

Still, Show Me‘s head PD Yoon Jungseop kept his mouth shut despite the curiosity.

He only said two sentences.

“I can’t tell you.”

“But when the mask comes off, there won’t be many people in Korea who don’t freak out.”

And in hindsight, it was the right call for Yoon Jungseop to keep quiet.

Because, absurdly, his comments leaked.

-My uncle works with Show Me, and I overheard the PD said Sa-oh-ee is super famous. That when the mask comes off, Korea’s gonna lose its mind.

-Where’s the proof?

-I heard the same thing. That PD Yoon guy apparently said it too.

Which just proved how curious people were about Sa-oh-ee.

Meanwhile, the pre-filmed variety show featuring Lee Ieon aired and did solidly, and Goo Taehwan appeared on several shows as the real Original.

Most were joint appearances with Onsaemiro, who’d gone viral with her solo album after graduating Masked Singer.

Onsaemiro didn’t shine on variety, but her chemistry with Goo Taehwan kept the shows from flopping.

-lol Saemiro looks totally lost on variety. She’s just trailing after Taehwan like a baby duck.

-Such an adorable dork lolol

In this context, Lee Ieon felt a bit less pressure.

He had won Masked Singer once under the name “Harmless Electrolyte,” but it didn’t stir up massive buzz.

But that was an illusion.

Harmless Electrolyte had only won once so far.

When he started gunning for honorary graduation, the attention would come.

Another week passed, and finally, the much-anticipated episode 3 of Show Me aired.