Episode 31: Smile…?
The final day of singing behind a mask has arrived.
“Good morning, everyone!”
Song Jaeryung’s face is radiant with enthusiasm.
As the saying goes, ‘fortune turns like a horse’.
Blind Singer faced a major setback with Kim Kwangyong’s accident, but ironically, his withdrawal became another advertisement for the show.
Episode 2, spotlighting three consecutive all-passes from Kim In, Yang Seunghee, and No Jiyoon, plus Park Juan’s explosive pass, didn’t just ride Episode 1’s momentum—it set the charts ablaze.
The result? A 9.2% viewership rating.
The ripple effect hit the music charts too.
All six top performers from Round 1 landed in Cocoa’s Top 20:
Me at 3rd, Kim In at 5th, Taeoh at 8th, No Jiyoon at 11th, Eom Dongkyu at 14th, and Yang Seunghee at 19th.
With Sunshine’s girl group UniC, Overwhelm’s boy group TDW, JWY’s girl group Cheshire Kitty, and Polaris battling it out, the rankings are a rollercoaster.
But holding our own against these idols is proof of Blind Singer’s massive buzz.
“Before we start, I have some unfortunate news. As you may know, Judge Kim Kwangyong has withdrawn due to an injury.”
Song Jaeryung’s calm delivery likely stems from Kim Kwangyong’s relatively minor injuries.
And—
“But to ensure the show goes on smoothly, we’ve brought in a new judge. An incredible figure in a different way from Kim Kwangyong, so contestants, focus on delivering your prepared stages without worry.”
It’s probably because they secured a solid replacement.
‘Who could it be?’
Kim Kwangyong, dubbed the godfather of Korean bassists, isn’t easily matched.
Few could rival his stature.
Broadening the scope beyond singers or instrumentalists to pop music as a whole yields more candidates, but guessing who’s in that seat isn’t easy.
“Alright? OK, we’ll get ready here too. Attention, please! The stage is set, so we’re starting the shoot. Through the screen, let’s meet our new judge!”
Song Jaeryung claps to mark an edit point.
Flash!
The screen lights up, and the now-familiar Blind Singer intro plays.
Ji Sehyuk deftly handles the opening, addresses Kim Kwangyong’s withdrawal with well-wishes, and finally introduces the moment we’ve been waiting for.
“Introducing Blind Singer’s new judge—composer Bang Hokyung!”
As Ji Sehyuk’s voice rings out, the screen reveals a gruff-looking, broad-faced old-timer sitting with a dour expression.
“Cough! Cough!”
I choke on dry coughs.
‘Why’s that guy here?’
My reaction is inevitable.
“Whoa, Composer Bang Hokyung? Doesn’t he avoid shows like this?”
“Isn’t this his first variety show ever?”
Bang Hokyung wasn’t on my list.
In my original life, he never appeared on auditions or any variety shows.
His talent is unquestionable.
Despite rarely showing his face in media or articles, everyone in the industry knows him, and even regular folks have heard his name, if not seen him.
Among hitmakers, Bang Hokyung’s name fits best—his influence arguably surpasses Kim Kwangyong’s.
To Blind Singer’s music-loving audience, “Bang Hokyung” is like a legendary Pokémon.
“This is my first time greeting you in a setting like this. I’m Bang Hokyung, a composer by trade.”
True to his blunt nature, he skips pleasantries like “I’m thrilled to be here,” delivering a dry introduction.
I sip an ion drink through a straw under my mask, courtesy of some tasteless PPL.
‘Seo Yoonje… smiling, huh?’
The smug grin on Seo Yoonje’s face, sitting beside Bang Hokyung, is infuriating.
Fair enough—if not for Bang Hokyung, he’d probably be lounging in some hot country on sabbatical right now.
This two-shot of the two people most musically tied to me in this life makes me chug the bland drink in irritation.
“Hyung, you okay?”
Another person here, thanks to Bang Hokyung’s gift of “For a Moment”, is Taeoh—the only contestant aware of my connection to Bang Hokyung.
“Just surprised. I’m fine.”
This should be interesting.
A singer, inspired by a song to take on this challenge, now faces the song’s creator in competition.
It’s a picture too perfect to script.
“Composer Bang Hokyung? You’ve famously declined variety shows. This is your first, right?”
“Yes. I never imagined I’d be here, speaking formally to Sehyuk-ssi.”
While I’m lost in thought, Ji Sehyuk engages Bang Hokyung again, and his response, perfectly fitting his old-timer persona, draws laughter.
“So, what made you change your mind?”
“Good question. I don’t usually watch audition shows. But this time, Kim Kwangyong strongly recommended it, so I checked out a few YouTube clips. It was… different from what I expected.”
Only a few here would get what he means.
Bang Hokyung’s meritocracy found more talent than he anticipated.
“Then, visiting Kim Kwangyong in the hospital, he asked if I’d consider doing it. I got curious and said yes. In short, a whim.”
“Kim Kwangyong left us a great gift. Any final words of ambition before we start?”
“As someone who produces for a living, this isn’t unfamiliar. I’ll make sure Kim Kwangyong’s absence isn’t felt.”
To those who know Bang Hokyung, his words send chills.
‘He wouldn’t treat this like a recording session, right?’
He’s not shy about dishing out broadcast-unfriendly critiques if you’re subpar.
‘He’s not a kid—he agreed to this, so he’ll tone it down… right?’
The worry lingers because, even compared to other unexpected events from my original life, Bang Hokyung’s presence feels different.
Frankly, if he just sticks to polite speech, that’s a win.
But I’m already in his orbit, so it doesn’t matter much to me.
***
As attention shifts from the judges to the contestants’ preparations—
“Man, the contestants better brace themselves. Even I’m scared of Producer Bang.”
Lee Ahjeong mutters, half-joking, half-serious.
Yoon Ichae stifles a laugh, and Bang Hokyung bristles.
“Ahjeong, don’t do me like that. I was an angel when we worked together. Sally, maybe not.”
The jab turns to Sally, who tilts her head.
“Huh? Me? Why? I was fine.”
“Of course you were. Sally was like that back then too. ‘You talk, I’ll do what I want.’”
His grumpy retort sparks laughter among the judges.
Sally, feigning innocence, gives an embarrassed bow.
“I was a bit rebellious then, nitpicking silly things… But by the end, I got it. They weren’t silly. Yoonkyung changed after working with you. Fans loved how Yoonkyung’s vocals soared post-Bang. That’s your style—pushing those who can do better.”
Sally’s nostalgic mention of Applelime’s lead vocalist prompts Lee Ahjeong to chime in.
“Not quite. Strictly speaking… he pushes those with potential. If you’re already great, he leaves you alone.”
“Wait, really? So we never knew because we weren’t good enough?”
Sally’s quip triggers another round of laughter, and Seo Yoonje can’t help but agree.
That day—the reason he’s here—proves it.
Without it, Ko Yo-han wouldn’t have meddled, calling him out.
“We’re rolling!”
A staff member’s call halts their banter.
At Ji Sehyuk’s cue, two numbers appear on the screen as two contestants flank him on stage.
“Number 19’s that one, right? Pink Blossom?”
“Yes, you spotted them right away.”
“Yeah, they stick out. Talented, but bad luck. They could soar with the right chance.”
The first matchup: Number 19, Yang Seunghee, versus Number 62.
“Number 62, too caught up in the original. High notes define the song, but sticking to notes above your range made you shaky. You’d have done better leaning into your own style.”
“Number 19’s song choice and arrangement—did they mesh well? I’m skeptical. If I had to praise, it’s the bold attempt at a different interpretation.”
No carrot after the stick—just relentless whipping, spicy enough to be mala tang.
Bang Hokyung’s harsh critiques are rare for Blind Singer, but he’s not all spice.
“They say a master doesn’t care about tools. Not true. Masters are most affected by their tools. A cannon off by one degree misses by miles—that precision defines mastery. Number 80 is a master singer. Turning any song into heavy metal is one thing, but give a true metal singer a metal song, and this is the result.”
Kim In, tying 3:3 with Eom Dongkyu and narrowly winning after deliberation, gets this praise.
“Number 36 shines with performance. Commanding the stage, leaping around, yet delivering studio-level stability—that’s a realm beyond raw talent. What more can I say?”
Noh Jiyoon, securing Round 3’s first all-pass, earns praise steeped in Bang Hokyung’s meritocracy.
As his critiques swing from harsh to glowing, Round 3 races toward its end.
“Now, only the main event of Round 3 remains. These two contestants face off. Let me clarify: Round 3’s matchups were drawn by the contestants themselves, with no interference from Blind Singer’s team. The final stage—Number 1 versus Number 2!”
After a light fist bump in the shadows, the two step onto the stage.
Watching them, a faint smile curls on Bang Hokyung’s lips—the first of today’s shoot.
That smile is the real reason he’s here.
Seo Yoonje, the only one who knows, chuckles again, no longer missing his far-off sabbatical.