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Chapter 366: Choose (9)

"Yeah, it’s been hectic lately. Balancing my album promotions while taking care of Eden leaves me with almost no time to sleep. How about you, Director? How\'s the show you mentioned before...?"

"Reina, about that... Well, it fell through, even though we were all set to do it together."

"These things happen. Call me again if another good opportunity comes up."

"Of course, we’d be grateful. Just wait here a bit, and we will signal you to join the panel."

"Got it!"

Their conversation ended, but the director lingered and glanced at Reina with a curious look.

"Is something wrong?" Reina asked.

"Oh, no... it\'s just..." The director hesitated before speaking quietly. "Hyun-Woo sings really well, doesn’t he?"

Reina, who had been watching the filming, turned her gaze back to the director and smiled knowingly. "Hyun-Woo is a great singer. One of the best among the idols I know."

"Oh?"

"But why do you ask?"

"Come on, Reina. You know what I mean."

Reina shrugged, her expression turning serious. It seemed the director was just another person trying to confirm if Suh Hyun-Woo was indeed Eden.

"Chronos just finished their concert recently. Given that they haven\'t released an album in a while, they must be busy preparing for a comeback."

"...Is that so?"

"There\'s no way Hyun-Woo has time to be doing two gigs in a mask. So, Director, stop trying to figure things out. Eden is just a rookie I brought along."

"Oh, Reina. When did I ever try to figure stuff out? No, no."

"Reina, it\'s time to go in," a staff member whispered and indicated her cue. Reina smiled brightly and moved toward the stage.

"Everything will be revealed in due time. Everywhere I go, people are clamoring to know Eden\'s identity. Please, Director, don’t join the crowd."

"Haha... Alright."

"Well, I will do my best today."

Reina was determined not to reveal any hints about Eden\'s identity until the day Suh Hyun-Woo removed his mask in front of the cameras. Even if Eden\'s identity was already an open secret, the public\'s curiosity wouldn’t die down. Their interest would shift from "Who is Eden?" to "When will Eden reveal himself?"

‘If Hyun-Woo can hold out on this show long enough, it might be worth revealing his identity here.’

Of course, that was only if Suh Hyun-Woo could continue releasing a few more songs and keep up the momentum. Ideally, he would unveil himself at the peak of public interest.

"Who will be the next singer? It\'s the person everyone\'s talking about."

"What a hot topic he is!"

"Reina’s singer is waiting backstage!"

"Oh my gosh! Why didn\'t you appear last week?! We were waiting for so long!"

The comedian panelists took turns expressing their delight at the return of Reina and Eden.

"Reina, would you do the honors of introducing him?"

"Yes! Let me introduce you to my pick, Eden!"

As Reina\'s introduction finished, the panel lights dimmed, and a grand sound track played. Eden’s introduction video was different from the last episode, and it began to roll. The silhouette revealed amidst the audience\'s cheers was Eden, and Reina clasped her hands together on her knees.

Though she had presented her singer once before, every time she introduced him felt nerve-wracking. She was looking at Eden, whose masked voice echoed through the speakers.

Today\'s song choice was "Hacker," a one-hit wonder from the early 2000s by the five-member idol group All Star. It was a fast-paced dance track, rearranged in a jazz style to be more sophisticated and impactful.

In sync with the rhythm, Eden’s previously still voice transformed.

"Look at Eden feeling the rhythm. His moves aren’t ordinary."

"He is definitely a dance singer."

"Or maybe he just has a lot of spirit."

As soon as Eden\'s performance started, debates about his identity erupted again.

"Shh, Eden is starting to sing. Everyone, quiet down," Reina nudged the panelists beside her. They finally stopped talking and focused on Eden\'s voice.

♪ If we have just one conversation

I can know everything

I don\'t miss a single thing

My magic works only on you Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

The lyrics were filled with early 2000s sentiment, and didn\'t feel cheesy at all thanks to Eden\'s voice and the rearranged rhythm.

"He said he couldn’t practice much due to his schedule! He was just being humble!"

"I really love Eden\'s voice."

Listening to the cast members’ comments, Reina couldn\'t help but smile proudly. Only she knew how much Suh Hyun-Woo had worried and practiced with her all night, singing and perfecting his gestures.

‘His practice definitely paid off.’

Suh Hyun-Woo’s ability to deliver another stunning performance today was all due to his relentless effort.

♪ You can\'t escape from me

It won\'t be easy to run away

In the blink of an eye

There won\'t be anyone who knows you as well as I do

Eden’s song was now heading toward the end of the second verse.

Reina glanced at Oh Yoo-Wol, who was sitting in the front row. He was doing his best to react and express admiration, yet he couldn’t let go of the water bottle in his hand.

Oh Yoo-Wol had gained fame thanks to his consecutive wins on the show. If Eden took first place this time, Yoo-Wol would lose the buzz generated by his winning streak. Eden would then be known as the new winner who broke Yoo-Wol’s streak. Though Yoo-Wol kept a composed appearance in front of the camera, he was undoubtedly anxious.

Reina turned her attention back to Eden. As the song reached its highlight, Eden’s powerful high note burst forth, free from the burden of insufficient practice. Reina jumped to her feet and clapped enthusiastically, clearly satisfied.

"If you can\'t confidently sing the whole song, at least practice the highlights intensely. If you miss the highlight, you will lose your chance to perform again, and the interest in Eden will fade."

She had told this to a nervous Suh Hyun-Woo the previous night. Now, watching him hit the high notes effortlessly, she felt proud. It was almost as if hitting such a high and prolonged note was easy for him. What a remarkable junior.

The cast and audience, moved by Reina’s standing ovation, also rose and clapped. Eden had demonstrated stability from start to finish by hitting the highlight perfectly. On top of that, Reina’s partially genuine, partially staged praise created an atmosphere of high acclaim. Eden wrapped up his performance as a solid contender for the win.

"Yes! Eden, that was an amazing performance!" The host appeared on one side of the set amidst the audience\'s cheers. Eden bowed to him and took the microphone. "Eden, the singer chosen by Reina, showed us a truly remarkable performance fitting of a strong contender."

Reina gave Eden a thumbs-up, signaling a job well done. With the most important part over, all that was left was the talk session...

"Don’t worry, Senior." Reina recalled Suh Hyun-Woo saying just before heading to the venue. Despite the situation being quite obvious, he still aimed to keep some ambiguity because he didn’t want the public to be completely certain that "Eden = Suh Hyun-Woo." Suh Hyun-Woo had always come up with clever ideas since his time on Pick We Up, so she had high hopes for his plan.

"Thank you... very much." Eden said in a dialect, startling Reina. Her eyes widened in shock.

\'What did he just do?\' She stood frozen while staring at Eden with a stunned expression.

"He’s still doing it?" Snickers and giggles filled the room.

\'Has he been doing this the whole time?\' Reina’s face turned pale with disbelief. \'Oh no!\'

Sure, using a dialect could be funny and sometimes a good strategy, but Suh Hyun-Woo should have known that imitating a dialect poorly was like acting. He wasn\'t great at acting, and mimicking a dialect was a form of acting too.

"Eden’s performance brought everyone to their feet for a standing ovation. Such a rare sight! How do you feel?" Seo Han asked.

"I am... very honored. I was really worried before going on stage, but I am so happy... and moved that I was able to give a good performance," Eden responded using dialect.

‘Please stop!!!’

Reina glanced nervously at the cameras and audience, then desperately sent signals to Eden. This wasn’t just about the awkwardness. How many of Suh Hyun-Woo’s fans were aware of his poor acting skills? Using such a ridiculous dialect was practically announcing that Eden was Suh Hyun-Woo!

\'Please, just look over here...\'

As Reina struggled to hide her rare display of anxiety by sending frantic signals to Eden, a comedian on the panel shouted as if reading her mind. "Hyun-Woo, you can stop now! I feel too sad watching this!"

The comedian exaggerated for effect and made the panel and audience burst into laughter. Reina quickly turned her head to check on Eden. Suh Hyun-Woo was taken aback by the comedian’s comment, and stood there holding the microphone. He was clearly flustered.

Seeing no response from Eden, the host naturally turned to Reina. "Reina, this is perfect timing. Everyone\'s been curious but too afraid to ask. Allow me. Is Eden really Suh Hyun-Woo?"

Well, this might actually work out. Reina was relieved that Suh Hyun-Woo’s terrible dialect was interrupted, and confidently replied. "No, he’s not."