NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 65 - Second Coming
“I’ll just tell the truth. I don’t know who it is, but I just want to see the stage again. Encore!”
“No, what if we give up our mission! We should at least try to guess who it is.”
“… I wonder if the audience is thinking something similar?”
The back-and-forth between the three MCs finally broke the silence.
“Still, let’s try to guess. What could his identity be?”
The three MCs simultaneously looked at the boy on the stage.
The scholar servant’s mask had an open mouth, showing the smiling lips.
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[1]
TLN: Previously, I used “imae” for the mask our MC wear, and I decided to change this since I’ll be using the translated(?) name of the mask according to Wikipedia.
With no beard and good skin, he seemed younger than expected. His build was also quite slender.
“An idol?”
“Should we ask the person with the meddler mask, our idol expert, about this?”
“Why am I an idol expert…”
Cold Brew Wonder, wearing the meddler mask, muttered as no one seemed to believe his expertise. Wonder, now in his 7th year as an idol after debuting in 2024, looked at the man with the scholar servant’s mask on the stage and shook his head.
“From what I can see, he doesn’t seem to be an idol. For an idol…”
Wonder recounted the unbelievable performance he had just witnessed.
Vocals, range, arrangement, delivery – the performer was an all-rounder with no shortcomings.
Of course, there were many all-rounders who were idols or former idols.
Yet, he was adamant that the performer was not an idol.
“For starters, no one in the industry that I know comes to mind.”
“Oh ho, you seem quite certain for someone who claims not to be an idol expert.”
“Haha…”
Wonder is a 7th year idol.
Being well-connected with seniors, peers, and juniors in the industry, he knew the idol scene well.
Of course, if it was someone who had just debuted recently, he might not know, but for an idol to have that kind of ability…
“He seems more suited for a solo career rather than a group. Maybe a singer-songwriter or in a band.”
The tone, the presence – it seemed difficult for him to belong to a group. In other words, he would disrupt the harmony.
To accommodate an artist of that caliber, the other members would need to be of similar ability, but is that even possible?
If such an insane group existed, there’s no way they wouldn’t be famous.
And if it was a one-man team, even as a solo artist, he would have been known somehow.
The fact that he doesn’t know him means he’s not an idol.
But even for a singer-songwriter or band member, he can’t think of anyone with that level of skill.
His head is still spinning from the afterglow of that performance.
If he heard his name, he feels like he would instantly recognize it.
While Wonder was lost in thought, the MCs excitedly spoke to the other artists as well.
The previous guessing game was too easy, without any real mystery, but this time it felt like a true mystery drama.
“Liv-ssi, could you share your thoughts as well?”
The woman wearing the concubine mask, or rather Liv.
Unlike her usual self, applauding and praising other performances, Liv was just sniffling without a word, making her the MCs’ next target.
“It was really… an impressive performance.”
Liv didn’t seem interested in guessing the performer’s identity at all.
She simply stretched out the word “really” to convey her sincerity.
“Wow Liv-ssi, this is an unusual reaction from you. Then here’s a surprise question! You’ve been holding back on answering before, but did this performance make you want to pair up with someone?”
“Yes.”
The MCs were slightly taken aback by her quick response.
“Does that mean you want to pair up with the person with the scholar’s servant-“
“Then, can I propose the pair-up now?”
It wasn’t even time for pair selections yet.
Liv’s half-joking, half-serious remark drew sensitive gazes.
Liv, unfazed by the attention, looked at the boy wearing the scholar’s servant mask. She knew who he was. And he had already decided to pair up with the teacher…
Her pair-up proposal wasn’t a lie.
Even if not on this program, she wanted to collaborate with him.
“Let’s give our scholar’s servant mask friend some time to decide too. Then, for the last interview-“
As the MCs dragged out the ending like a sermon, Sin Joohyeok looked at Hwang Ryongpil.
‘I’m sure he said something.’
Noticing Sin Joohyeok’s gaze, Hwang Ryongpil turned towards him.
Sin Joohyeok had a lot he wanted to say to him.
For instance, whether there was another reason he had proposed the collaboration with Haeil. However, Sin Joohyeok didn’t have time to ask Hwang Ryongpil.
The long-awaited moment everyone was waiting for had arrived.
“Now that you’ve seen the last performance! It’s time to choose your pairs!”
At the MCs’ announcement, the artists’ eyes sparkled.
“So, the method for deciding pairs is-!”
Whether feigned or genuine, the artists leaned their bodies forward.
It seemed like they would rush to the front if a whistle was blown. Then, after receiving a signal from the writer, the MC hesitated before speaking.
“We’ll let you know shortly!”
To be continued!
#
“Why are we suddenly taking a break?”
“Ah, there are some parts that need to be revised.”
“Do we need to reshoot?”
“Not quite. Please wait a little bit.”
When one of the MCs inquired about the unmentioned break, the writer readily explained in summary, though not in detail.
Apparently, the original plan was to proceed by sending love calls in the order of the final performances. If rejected, they would move on to the next in line.
Of course, the PD, Jang, was not an expert in survival programs for no reason.
It was an unfortunate progression for the backstage artists, but it was meant to showcase the ruthless survival of the fittest.
However, PD Jang never expected the final performance to be so explosive. Seeming like it would go against his grand plan, PD Jang declared a break.
It seemed like he needed to reorganize his thoughts.
Just because filming was on hold didn’t mean people had to remain seated in their chairs and wait.
Someone got up like a prairie dog,
while others glanced around furtively.
“Hello?”
An artist who had previously just exchanged greetings and passed by now approached the man with the servant’s scholar mask first. Although their face was unseen, their demeanor suggested they had a lot to say.
The Servant’s Scholar Mask turned their head.
He really did seem quite young at first glance, but who was it?
In fact, if he wasn’t Korean,
if he hadn’t done a Korean cover version,
one might have wondered if they had somehow brought HALO here, albeit a bit exaggerated.
Attempting to arrange HALO’s music, which had never crossed anyone’s mind to rearrange, was no ordinary feat.
The level of skill was simply insane.
Of course, since HALO was British, it was impossible for him to appear on a Korean broadcast that wasn’t in the US or UK.
“Did you have a particular artist in mind?”
And that’s where it started.
Once someone broke the ice, other artists slowly approached as well.
They regretted not speaking to the Servant’s Scholar Mask sooner in the waiting room.
“Did you see my performance?”
Despite potentially not matching in terms of stage image, style, or vocal harmony, they had a desire to collaborate.
Generally, their focus was on the arrangement.
While the Servant’s Scholar Mask had various strengths, those gathered here were all skilled artists in their own right. There were already plenty of artists with great singing, wide ranges, and solid vocal abilities.
But that arrangement was different.
It would have been enough to make any artist who had racked their brains at least once to produce a decent recording go crazy.
“Could you spare me some time?”
That’s when it happened.
The artists who had been subtly hinting at pairing up turned around upon hearing a familiar voice.
They didn’t expect Teacher Hwang Ryongpil to step in himself.
The pupils of the artists, who had been eyeing their prey, wavered.
Regardless, the Servant’s Scholar Mask, who had occasionally nodded and responded but never revealed his identity, stood up from his seat.
The artists’ gaze briefly landed on the two of them.
:
There were many eyes watching at the filming site.
One of them was –wearing a mask, but known to all– Hwang Ryongpil. The other was the artist who had just given an unprecedented performance that no one could have imagined.
“Collaborating with Teacher Hwang Ryongpil? Isn’t that an odd pairing?”
Watching them, some artists thought positively,
while those who had already witnessed or heard about incidents within the group were fully aware of the boy’s existence and gracefully gave up.
In the midst of this, Hwang Ryongpil and the Servant’s Scholar Mask had moved to a place where people’s ears were somewhat distant.
“You’re quite impatient.”
Hwang Ryongpil spoke first.
“I told you to wait until I got the answer. But you couldn’t even wait that long.”
He was grumbling, but not really saying anything.
“I never gave you an answer.”
“No, after a performance like that.”
In response to Halo’s question, Hwang Ryongpil gave the highest praise he could offer.
“So. Should I also skip the order and wait?”
Halo chuckled.
Hwang Ryongpil seemed to speak sincerely.
Just as the performance had appealed to him, it would have been the same for the other artists.
“In the end, it turned out like this.”
PD Jung captured the process of the twelve artists forming six pairs on camera.
The pair selection and all sorts of reactions that followed.
Artists who seemed slightly disappointed and singers who appeared unsatisfied. And the combinations desired by viewers, as well as unexpected pairings.
Ah, and the shock of the identity reveal on top of that.
Everything was included in the broadcast as it happened.
It was a first filming filled with many things to see.
PD Jang witnessed the strange situation where established artists flocked to the youngest boy, vying for his number.
While it was shocking that the boy turned out to be the real joker card, on the other hand, it seemed to be unfolding according to the program’s purpose, which was satisfying.
‘Our music is not dead’ was not only meant to be shown to the viewers but also a declaration directed at the artists currently dominating the music charts.
Perhaps their program could become the adversary to that artist. That’s the ideal scenario.
And PD Jang vaguely wondered,
if the adversary leading the charge would be the peculiar combination of an old man wearing the nobleman mask and a boy holding the servant’s scholar mask.
From now on, for a while, they won’t be appearing at the filming site. The process of all the artists working in a specific space will be captured by the reality cameras.
And so, the first filming ended, and the train bound for the ‘2030 Song Festival – Rendezvous’ departed. The journey towards that single day in May had begun.
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[2]
TLN: Before the Author used “Sing Festival” instead of “Song Festival”. I will use the one that would be used in the next chapter.
The first station the train would stop at was,
a teaser trailer that was unexpectedly released.
#
After the first filming and the production of the teaser trailer, there was great interest in the program featuring ‘Hwang Ryongpil’ and other representative singers of South Korea.
While not like the initial buzz, inquiries steadily came in,
and it was mentioned time and again on community forums whenever it was forgotten.
[So the lineup is Hwang Ryongpil, Sin Joohyeok, Lee Seongrim, Liv…?]
[Just what kind of crazy thing is going on?]
[The masked devil or something?]
└The actual lineup has already been revealed.
Around that time, a video was unexpectedly uploaded to the KDS entertainment channel on NuTube. The thumbnail was just a black screen, so people initially thought KDS had accidentally uploaded it by mistake.
However, those who clicked on it realized that the lack of a thumbnail was just a NuTube glitch, and the content itself was valuable.
Fireworks were launched.
A scene from a concert flashed by,
and cheers filled the screen.
<2030 Song Festival – Rendezvous>
And then, time started rewinding.
Various singers wearing hahoe masks gathered in a waiting room.
The camera then flipped, guiding them to the stage.
“Hello.”
A man wearing a nobleman mask.
From the voice singing an old female singer’s music, everyone would recognize who he was.
However, instead of introducing him, footage of another stage was shown for around 7 to 10 seconds.
The sentimental performance of a petite woman wearing a concubine mask.
A man in a scholar mask, unable to restrain his rock vibe. It didn’t seem like he had any intention of hiding his identity at all.
In fact, even though their faces were covered, their body shapes were visible, and they were so famous that it wasn’t difficult to deduce who they were. There were even comments listing their identities at the top.
Numerous performances flashed by.
For those trying to figure out the lineup, with the endless stream of performances, it was inevitable that their attention would wane as it progressed.
Since they had a rough idea of the lineup, what really mattered was understanding the nature of this program and the meaning behind its title, “Song Festival” – whether it was truly going to be a music festival.
However, the teaser didn’t clarify the viewers’ curiosity. It merely showcased twelve performances in quick succession.
Fortunately, they noticed that the performances initially shown for 7 seconds were gradually reduced to around 3 seconds towards the end.
[So when is this happening?]
As someone voiced their discontent while awaiting the date, a familiar organ melody played.
“Oh Lord”
The familiar accompaniment
the voice etched upon it.
The teaser ended with that.
The black screen didn’t display the date or the program’s intent.
On the faces of those who had momentarily spaced out, an expression of “Wow!” was etched.
[Wait a minute]
[What was that last performance?]
[Why were the earlier ones shown for a few seconds each, but that one was so short?]
[Could it be?]
[???]
No one asked about the program’s date.
Something more significant had captured their attention.
As speculative comments like “Could it be” and “Maybe” piled up,
[Isn’t that Halo?]
someone directly mentioned the name.
[No way]
Someone rationally refuted it.
[If they want to bring him, they’d have to spend KDS’s entire capital lol]
└If he appears, sponsors will have to offer all their money, what capital lol
└Even before sponsors, fanatics would offer money
[Halo really came?]
[Halo revealed his identity? Is he really a military service high school student?]
└What are you saying? Halo is special not just military service student.
[No]
The viewers who initially went wild speculating that it was Halo gradually regained their senses.
[Rather than Halo singing, isn’t it more likely that someone just covered him?]
Right, the Billboard artist living abroad would have no reason to appear on a Korean broadcast.
Moreover,
[The voice sounds similar though?]
└Are there only one or two people with similar voices in the world?
└He was singing in Korean anyway, why would the Sun speak Korean and say “Oh Lord”?
“Oh Lord” was clearly in Korean.
There’s no way the broadcaster would have forced Halo to sing in Korean.
Right, it must have been a cover.
Once they acknowledged that, the heated reactions instantly cooled down.
[It’s a cover, but still]
[No, isn’t this insane? The covers on NuTube are all mediocre at best, and he covered it for a broadcast?]
└Maybe someone like ShinNaParkLee could pull it off
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[3]
TLN: I believe the author referencing to the KimNaParkLee (김나박이) in 2010. See this for more information.
└Doubt it… Don’t have high expectations. Halo’s style is too strong, so covers all sound weird
└Please don’t let it be my artist, please ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└Deifying a mere Billboard artist, really lol (Dislike 999+)
[We’ll just have to see and judge]
But no matter how I think about it, a Halo cover seems overambitious lol
[Still, I’m curious lol. Who would even think of covering Halo, and on a broadcast no less?]
The noise and interest surrounding the cover performance.
Riding that wave, the buzz around the new program also grew.
[Who am I? A gathering of South Korea’s representative singers!]
[Will they really hold a music festival in 2031?]
[The Second Coming. The one we’ve all been waiting for arrives!]
Not just those in their 40s and 50s, but even those in their 20s and 30s who were distant from traditional broadcasting were drawn in. Everyone speculated about the new program, and even journalists let their imaginations run wild.
PD Jang, who had been monitoring the public’s reactions, gleefully awaited the premiere of the successful teaser.
In the meantime, the artists one by one found their workspaces with their partners.
“So this is your workspace?”
Translator Note:Ah, by the way, I forgot to say this on the last chapter. Sorry for the sudden change of our MC. There have been many instances when the author hinting the name of our MC, but I’d been oblivious throughout, thinking like “our MC’s name in KR and in English is probably different”. So yeah, from now on, instead of No Haeil, I’ll use Roh Haeil.
I’ve already changed our MC’s name in the previous chapters. Ah and also his father too.
And for those who read this later down the line, you probably already know by now.
I am really sorry for this, and for breaking the flow of the story by changing the name of our MC.
Hi everyone, I've fully translated this series. If you love the series and wanted to binge read until the end, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. Instead of buying the advanced chapters one by one, you can buy them in one bulk (with discounted price too)!