Episode 45: The Day of the Decisive Battle (1)
“…!”
My eyes snap open instinctively.
I immediately check my phone.
Beep!
The screen lights up, showing a clock icon as a loud alarm starts, but I quickly silence it and glance beside me.
Zia, breathing softly in deep sleep, shows no sign of stirring.
“Phew…”
Letting out a small sigh of relief, I carefully slip out from under the covers.
Just then, Zia’s phone near her head blares an unnecessarily loud alarm.
“Ugh… you’re up…?”
“Why’d you set an alarm too? I slept here so I wouldn’t wake you.”
Zia, barely opening her eyes, turns off the alarm and greets me groggily.
I brush her hair back with a hint of pity.
It’s 4:30 AM.
For me, who’s headed to work at 2 AM before, this isn’t early, but Zia’s different.
“Go back to sleep.”
Tucking the blanket back over her, I say softly.
She grins sleepily.
“Okay… I’ll sleep once you’re gone… but first, can you check the fridge…?”
“The fridge?”
I stride over and open it, finding a neatly packed lunchbox in the center—rice balls, inari sushi, sandwiches, and fruit.
“When did you make this?”
It wasn’t there before I fell asleep, so she must’ve prepared it while I was out cold.
“Eat it with Suhyuk on the way…”
“Looks delicious. Thanks.”
“If you’re grateful…”
Instead of words, she taps her lips.
Unable to hold back a smile, I return to the bedside and plant a light kiss.
“This is the last one, huh…”
Zia murmurs, brushing my fallen hair as I pull back.
“What, you gonna miss it?”
I tease, and she stretches her words playfully.
“Nope… feels so good…”
Her adorable antics spark an urge to tease her more, but—
“Yujin… you don’t… regret it, do you…?”
Her eyes close, avoiding mine, and my heart cools.
‘Still…’
Six months since regressing, and that day’s memory remains a lingering trauma.
But it’s okay.
“Come watch today. You’ll see if I regret it or not.”
Today’s stage should be enough to blow that trauma away.
“Suhyuk’s waiting… go wash up… I’m sleeping…”
“Alright.”
How much time passed?
Zia turns toward me, reminding me time’s short.
I nod and get up.
“See you later…”
Even as I finish washing up, Zia stays awake to see me off, despite not sleeping.
Leaving her behind, I walk down the hill, still lit by streetlights.
At the bottom, a car’s headlights glow, waiting for me.
“Morning, hyung! Sleep well?”
“Good morning, Suhyuk. You rest up?”
“When I’m at my parents’ place, this is my usual wake-up time, so I’m good!”
I hop in, exchange quick greetings, and check the time.
“Still got time? Let’s eat one of these before we go.”
“Wow, a lunchbox! Zia-noona made it?”
“Yup. Bet it’s tasty.”
“Man, this is insane! So good!”
“Yeah, it’s especially delicious today. One more?”
“At this rate, we’ll eat it all here, hyung.”
“…One more each, then we save the rest for later.”
“Yessir.”
Squeezing out a brief moment, we dig into Zia’s lunchbox before starting the day.
“Destination: Grace Salon in Cheongdam-dong. I’ll get you there comfortably and safely! Buckle up, we’re off!”
Seventeen hours until the Blind Singer final stage.
***
““Hello!””
Amid Grace Salon’s signature greeting, Lee Ahjeong’s steps halt.
“Huh?”
“Hello, sir!”
“Hi~”
“Don’t move, please.”
“Oh, sorry.”
She spots Kang Taeoh and Park Juan.
‘Right, those two signed with us.’
By agreement with the Blind Singer team, their contracts start tomorrow, but giving them this kind of care for a big stage like today isn’t a big deal.
“You both look sharp today.”
“Thanks.”
“First time getting this treatment,” Park Juan says, his voice trembling despite his calm façade, while Taeoh can’t hide his excitement.
Lee Ahjeong smiles, shaking her head as she scans the room.
‘Why just these two?’
MyWay snagged three Blind Singer contestants, but the third is missing.
“Yujin wasn’t here when we arrived,” Park Juan adds, reading her expression.
“Really? What time did you get here?”
“We ate lunch together, so… around noon?”
Feeling her question was too obvious, Lee Ahjeong smiles awkwardly and asks again.
Taeoh’s answer makes her tilt her head.
‘Didn’t he say he’d cut his hair?’
It’s 1 PM.
Eight hours remain until the shoot, but with rehearsals, styling should already be underway.
Especially with his semi-final haircut pledge, it’s odd.
“Ahjeong-ssi, over here.”
The salon owner’s gesture interrupts her thoughts.
“You two, nail the stage today. Fighting!”
“Thanks!”
“See you soon!”
Lee Ahjeong offers encouragement, still puzzled, and moves on.
The owner, chuckling at her, seats her in the VIP chair before speaking.
“Oh, our Ahjeong-ssi’s dying of curiosity.”
“About what?”
Despite the teasing tone, Lee Ahjeong responds casually, pretending she’s unfazed.
“You’re looking for Han Yujin, right?”
The owner’s words, as if reading her mind, remind Lee Ahjeong she’s no match for her.
“Seriously, you should set up a fortune-telling stall…”
“You can’t fool me. Last time you came here with no schedule, Han Yujin was here too, right? Singing like crazy. I was floored watching him on TV.”
“You remember that?”
“Of course. In this business, you’ve got to remember every face that walks in.”
Lee Ahjeong surrenders, and the owner spills the truth she’s dying to know.
“He’s already gone.”
“What?”
“His requests looked time-consuming, so we scheduled him early. Around… 5 AM?”
‘Is he an idol?’ Lee Ahjeong thinks briefly.
“But it finished faster than expected. He left about two hours ago.”
Her words make Lee Ahjeong realize something.
‘5 AM to 11 AM… six hours?’
Too long for just a haircut.
There had to be more to it.
But—
“Don’t ask. I’m not telling.”
Scissors in hand, the owner cuts off Lee Ahjeong’s question before it forms.
“Why not?”
“You’ll see him soon enough.”
“If I’m gonna see it anyway, just tell me!”
Lee Ahjeong, usually calm, shows rare excitement, but the owner doesn’t budge.
“Nope. Han Yujin’s hair today isn’t my life’s masterpiece, but it’s my best work this year. No spoilers.”
“Wait, you did it yourself? For a complete rookie?”
Grace Salon is among Cheongdam-dong’s top shops, where Korea’s elite gather.
The owner personally styling a newbie just starting out? That’s gossip-worthy in the industry, even if it doesn’t spread far.
“Seo Yoonje asked me directly, but also, the moment I saw him, I got fired up. With Seongkyung and Yeonho as backups, I poured my soul into it.”
The vice-owner who styled Woo Zia and the male stylist Sally would adore—Grace Salon’s Avengers worked on Han Yujin’s hair.
Lee Ahjeong’s jaw drops.
“Just see for yourself. Han Yujin’s gonna make waves today.”
The owner chuckles, then raises her voice to call another staff member.
“Ahjeong-ssi, let’s shampoo and go!”
Eight hours until the Blind Singer final stage.
***
“What’s with the vibe?”
Today’s live broadcast, held not at YTV’s studio but a rented outdoor venue with a custom stage, has Hong Hyunwook running ragged.
Finally catching a break in the staff waiting room, he can’t help but blurt out the question.
Song Jaeryung and Kwon Junghyun are staring at the ceiling, dazed.
‘Was it that rough? It’s not that bad.’
It’s busy, sure, but these aren’t rookie writers—they’ve done Blind Singer three times at YTV.
They shouldn’t be this out of it.
Yet, they don’t even notice him enter.
A chill runs down Hong Hyunwook’s spine.
‘Did something blow up?’
It’s happened before.
When he was an assistant director, a school bullying scandal hit a contestant right before a hyped audition’s final stage.
It turned out to be a rumor, but the production team’s mood was funereal.
Bang! Bang!
“What’s going on?!”
Heart racing, Hong Hyunwook slams the table, pressing them.
“Oh.”
“When’d you get here, PD-nim?”
Song Jaeryung and Kwon Junghyun snap out of it, then—
“Hee. Heehee. Hihihihi.”
“Hehe. Hehehe. Hehe!”
They lock eyes and start laughing eerily.
“What the—? Have you two lost it? How busy is it?!”
Relieved it’s not a crisis but still uneasy, Hong Hyunwook snaps.
Then, he feels a strange familiarity in their laughter.
‘Where have I seen this before…?’
“PD-nim, we hit the jackpot. Heehee!”
“Unnie, we’re getting a bonus, right? I need a new bag! Hehe!”
The déjà vu and their bizarre exchange push Hong Hyunwook toward confusion.
“Go see for yourself. He’s probably still rehearsing.”
Song Jaeryung points outside.
“Rehearsal? Whose turn is it…? …!!!”
The puzzle clicks.
The déjà vu—it’s the same joy they felt when AZ joined the prelims this season.
“You better hurry. There’s a lot to check, and it’s wrapping up soon.”
At Kwon Junghyun’s words, Hong Hyunwook bolts.
His aching feet feel light.
As he nears the stage, the sound grows louder.
First, the rich resonance of an acoustic guitar.
‘Of course, Yujin’s identity is the guitar.’
He hasn’t brought it out since the finals, but fans have been begging for it.
“Sorry, the stage is big, so could you come out a bit faster? Let’s run through this part one more time, and we’re done.”
Han Yujin’s voice through the amp quickens Hong Hyunwook’s steps.
Moments later, seeing the “part” Yujin mentioned, Hong Hyunwook—
“Huh. Huhu. Huhuhuhuhuhu!!!”
“Heehee! Hihihi!”
“Hehehehehe!”
Beside Song Jaeryung and Kwon Junghyun, he reenacts that prelims day scene.
Four hours until the Blind Singer final stage.
***
And then—
[I’m here. So many people. Don’t stress too much. Yujin, fighting!]
Some with love.
“He’s gonna make waves…? How big could it be…?”
Some with curiosity.
“Ugh, any way to get more judge points?”
“Pre-votes are 10%? They didn’t even see it!”
“Shut it, both of you. Start thinking about where to go for our special vacation. Standby!”
Some with anticipation.
A whirlwind of emotions erupts into cheers on the custom stage.
“Cue!”
The finale begins.
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