Episode 13: My Luck’s Insane Today!
The preliminary round of Blind Singer Season 3 begins.
Riding the success of Season 2, Hong Hyunwook, once again at the helm, couldn’t suppress the smile spreading across his face.
“Aigoo, Junghyun-ah, our PD’s in a great mood,” teased head writer Song Jaeryung.
But Hong Hyunwook’s grin didn’t falter.
And why would it?
The same smile was mirrored on Song Jaeryung’s face and that of sub-writer Kwon Junghyun.
Not long ago, the trio had been stressed over re-signing the previous judges.
Out of six, only lyricist Yoon Ichae had confirmed.
With no clue how to fill the remaining five spots, Seo Yoonje, who’d once declined, suddenly reversed his decision, committing fiercely—and bringing a massive gift.
‘AZ on our show!’
The name AZ was the bell ringing joy into their faces.
A superstar who rarely does variety shows after mastering both singing and acting, AZ’s casting—nearly finalized—had their minds buzzing with visions of soaring ratings.
And her first-ever judging role?
No embellishment needed; that fact alone was a stronger hook than any press release.
Proof? The moment rumors of Seo Yoonje and AZ’s involvement leaked, inquiries about open judge slots poured in.
The skyrocketing ratings graph in their minds made filling the remaining three judge spots far less daunting.
“Hehe.”
“Hihi.”
“Hehet.”
Different laughs spilled from Hong Hyunwook, Song Jaeryung, and Kwon Junghyun.
“But why did CEO Seo change his mind? He was adamant about taking a sabbatical,”
Kwon Junghyun suddenly wondered aloud.
Hong Hyunwook smirked.
“Junghyun, ever see a sparrow pass a mill? Seo Yoonje’s the type whose eyes light up at a singer who fits his taste. Him passing up this chance? I never bought the sabbatical excuse. Old habits die hard.”
“Watch your words, PD Hong,”
Song Jaeryung snorted, having seen Hong Hyunwook fret over Seo Yoonje’s initial refusal.
But she wasn’t keen on ruining the mood and only chided him lightly.
“Aish, my words got heated. Anyway, he brought AZ along—whether out of guilt or whatever—so we just bow and take it.”
“Fair enough.”
“So, Song, Kwon, let’s pick our contestants well. With this judge lineup, if the contestants flop, we’re screwed.”
“No worries there. I’m more concerned about cutting down from 80,” Song Jaeryung said.
“Exactly! The demos were insane—like, where did these people come from? Season 2 really blew up. Especially…”
Kwon Junghyun trailed off, glancing at Song Jaeryung.
Their eyes met, and they spoke in unison:
“Han Yujin.”
“Han Yujin.”
Hong Hyunwook nodded at the name.
“Man, that guy was unreal. I was dying to know what he looks like.”
True to Blind Singer’s concept, applications were minimal: name, a short motivation, and one song file.
They could guess gender from the voice, but knew nothing of appearance or age as they sat here today.
“I can picture him. Total heartthrob,” Kwon Junghyun said.
“Nah, not with that voice. It’s too good to belong to a pretty face. The world’s not that unfair,”
Hong Hyunwook countered.
“Wow, jealous much, PD Hong? That voice sounded under 30. You’re too old to envy a kid,” Song Jaeryung teased.
“Really? I’d peg him over 30. That… depth? It feels like something you’d need to be my age for,”
Kwon Junghyun mused, staring dreamily into space.
Hong Hyunwook and Song Jaeryung chuckled.
They’d seen plenty of monstrous talents on Blind Singer—singers with emotions beyond their years were a dime a dozen.
“Pfft, Junghyun’s lived a whole life already? Time for me and PD Hong to retire,” Song Jaeryung teased.
“Why’s it going there?!”
Kwon Junghyun protested.
“Go retire alone, Song. Don’t drag me in. Anyway, if we’re all this hyped, Han Yujin’s a lock. We’ll see his face when he gets here. Let’s start,”
Hong Hyunwook said.
Song Jaeryung’s joking signaled the end of their banter, and Hong Hyunwook kicked off the prelims.
“Contestant number one, please enter.”
The junior PD’s voice rang out, and Blind Singer’s preliminaries began.
The trio wiped the smiles from their faces, anticipation blooming beneath.
It’s no secret from past seasons that Blind Singer’s prelim order is first-come, first-served.
Everyone knows early slots are disadvantageous.
Sure, overwhelming talent could make later contestants look like backups, but if you can choose your slot, why not go later for a stronger impression?
Who’s the diligent singer stepping up first despite the odds?
With growing curiosity, the trio watched as the junior PD ushered in a shaggy-haired man.
“No introductions. Interviews happen after the performance,” the junior PD reminded.
Nodding at Blind Singer’s voice-hiding protocol, the man stepped forward.
The trio began sizing up the first contestant.
‘Tch, what a waste of a face.’
Hong Hyunwook’s first thought was pity.
The man’s unkempt hair draped over his forehead, nearly covering his eyes.
It was a styling disaster, but the nose, jawline, and chin peeking through screamed handsome.
And his outfit?
A loose white tee, faded black jeans, and an acoustic guitar slung diagonally across his shoulder.
‘Going for a nerd concept?’
Song Jaeryung tried to be generous, but concluded this wasn’t nerdy—it was a fashion crime.
Yet, his appearance only heightened their tension.
If this were an actor or model audition, he’d be out the door.
But this is a singing competition.
They’d seen plenty of contestants who looked like this, only to deliver a knockout punch with their voice.
“Begin.”
At Hong Hyunwook’s cue, the man gave a slight bow, pulled his guitar forward, and—
Dagadagadang, dagadagadang.
Without a pick, he launched into a fast-tempo strum.
The sound of nails meeting strings sharpened the trio’s gazes.
“The empty seat I spot as soon as I board the bus.
My luck’s insane today!”
His powerful tone left their mouths agape.
All three realized at once.
The man before them was the very Han Yujin they’d just been buzzing about.
And—
‘We’re screwed…’
A gut feeling hit Hong Hyunwook, Song Jaeryung, and Kwon Junghyun: no voice in today’s audition would outshine this one.
***
“Phew, this spot should be fine.”
The YTV building, where the prelims were held, is out of sight now.
I came here in this getup just in case, but I couldn’t stand the discomfort anymore.
Sweeping back the hair covering my eyes, I pinned it up with a clip Zia gave me.
I know I must look ridiculous, but—
‘For concept impact, this is the way to go.’
For Blind Singer Season 3, this is the vibe I’m aiming for.
The core of any competition is managing expectations.
In a stage packed with the nation’s best singers, talent is a given.
If you can’t spark that fundamental curiosity—“What’ll this singer do next?”—no matter how good you are, you won’t last long in a show like this.
That’s why I went with this beggar look.
‘Come on, with 16 years as an idol, how could I not nail a simple coordi?’
Even if I’m clueless about fashion, rolling in the idol world for that long teaches you basic styling.
This near-terrorist mismatch was deliberate, for the audience’s small joys.
Not only will they anticipate my next performance, but watching this scruffy look transform will cement my character.
The judges’ faces—Hong Hyunwook, Song Jaeryung, and Kwon Junghyun—told me my gamble paid off.
‘People don’t change, do they? Totally worth waiting since dawn.’
Despite knowing the clear disadvantage of an early slot, I showed up at the crack of dawn to snag the first spot.
Why?
Hong Hyunwook, Song Jaeryung, and Kwon Junghyun—unlike Yoon Chanwoo, I know these three well.
I worked with Hong PD and Song on their busking show post-Blind Singer.
Kwon was the main writer for an audition show where I judged.
Knowing their work styles, hitting their tastes was easy.
‘First, diligence.’
All three, coming from regional universities and climbing through sheer effort, value diligence above all.
Given Blind Singer’s prelim setup, they likely give subtle bonus points to early-slot contestants.
‘This might be a bias, but…’
As variety show folks, they don’t vibe with mellow songs.
‘That’s all I needed to know.’
My solo repertoire from Polaris concerts could dominate Blind Singer three times over.
The only thing I had to consider was whether a song from that repertoire hasn’t been released yet in this timeline.
And then, the perfect song came to mind.
“Lotto” by indie duo ‘IceTea TwoShot’, or ‘TwoShot’ for short.
TwoShot’s raw vibe matches this outfit perfectly.
A song about clinging to dreams through the small joys of everyday life, like winning the lotto—it’s bound to resonate with these three, who’ve surely felt those little thrills.
‘Sorry to the other contestants, but today, I’m the only one sticking in their heads.’
Blind Singer Season 3 is hailed as the greatest across all five seasons.
Maybe due to Season 2 winner Bae Mooyul’s rise as a music chart powerhouse, it attracts all sorts of hidden gems.
‘Eom Dongkyu, Noh Jiyoon, Kim In, Yang Seunghee, and Park Juan.’
Eom Dongkyu, a chart-dominating beast surpassing Bae Mooyul.
Noh Jiyoon, the Queen of Waterbomb.
Kim In, vocalist of ‘Yell’, the pride of Korean rock bands in the 2020s.
Yang Seunghee, the breadwinner who revived her struggling girl group.
Park Juan, heir to the ballad prince legacy post-2000s.
The top five in Season 3’s final round were singers the public swore would’ve won any other season.
Even with Seo Yoonje’s help, breaking through that party of legends and showcasing my character to the masses hinges on Hong Hyunwook’s decisions.
‘Of course, Hong’s not clueless, and he wouldn’t overlook me.’
Building rapport with folks I’ll keep crossing paths with in this industry can’t hurt.
Seeing Song Jaeryung snap to attention, already scheming how to polish me, confirms my strategy hit the mark.
“Hey, you hear? AZ’s gonna be on Blind Singer this time!”
A voice from the approaching bus stop jolted me.
“Did AZ get hit in the head or something? Why would someone at her level do that?”
“How would I know? But it’s official from MyWay.”
“No way, really? AZ as a judge?”
The conversation between two high school-aged boys snapped me to attention.
‘AZ?’
In my original life, AZ on Blind Singer was unthinkable.
Her star power’s worth a fortune—why would she be a fixed judge?
But thinking of the music freak behind it, it makes sense.
“Man, Season 1 was boring, so I skipped Season 2, but Season 3’s threatening me with AZ.”
“So you’re not watching?”
“What choice do I have? AZ’s in it. Gotta watch. Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
Blind Singer Season 3 was already a massive hit.
And Seo Yoonje didn’t just add fuel—he dropped napalm.
‘My luck’s really insane today, huh?’
Right on cue, the bus arrived.
Leaving the bickering boys behind, I climbed aboard and spotted an empty seat right by the door—a prime spot.
Settling in, I pulled out my phone and texted Zia.
[Got on the bus, and there’s an empty seat right in front of me. My luck’s insane today! So, spicy chicken feet tonight?]
A cute bear nodding emoji came back, and I grinned.