When I Opened My Eyes I Was A Superstar

Chapter 20

20: Prelude (2)Translated by EatApplePies

The 30 contestants' performances passed by quickly. Before the end of each performance, the audience gave the contestants a score using the remote they were given.

The judges' critiques were added in between like gamcho*, and interviews of unique participants were also conducted.
(TL note: gamcho is an herb very commonly used in herbal medicine)

After the 30 performances were done, MC Hukkae got the audience fired up as he introduced the special performance. Finally, three of the Season 1 candidates came on to the stage.

When the camera captured the three people's faces one by one, everyone screamed at the top of their lungs. Most of the audience were fans of < Student Rapper >, so they had a lot of affection for the three people. Last season's winner's popularity was especially obvious.

In the previous season's winner's situation, he recently debuted with a release of a solo single album. With the full support of people in their teens and 20s, the last season's winner was having success to the point that his song was playing on every street.

"Yoon Ki hyung! Hey, bro~!"

Kim Won got excited and called to Jung Yoon Ki who came onto the stage. Just before the intro started to play, with unbelievable timing, Kim Won calling to Jung Yoon Ki could be clearly heard resonating throughout the concert hall.

Jung Yoon Ki, who was standing and looking at the stage floor, heard Kim Won's voice and looked towards where he and Do Wook were. He had said he didn't know the meaning of nervous, but it was clear that he was trembling now that he's actually standing on the stage. Jung Yoon Ki's stiff expression at least loosened after seeing Kim Won, and they could see him smile brightly.

Jung Yoon Ki, who laughed at Kim Won, made eye contact with Do Wook who was standing next to him. When Do Wook nodded his head in support, he nodded back in understanding.

Soon, the lights turned on and the joint performance started.

The performance was missing one of the people they originally expected, but Jung Yoon Ki easily filled that empty spot. It was a song they had performed together before, so there was no awkwardness either.

The audience was one that had given a "thumbs up" to the preliminary performances' outstanding participants. However, after the audience saw the performance, they could definitely feel how much better the three of them, who made it to the Top 4 in last season's competition and had been putting in effort since then, were.
(TL note: For some clarification, "Thumbs up" meaning they already knew and liked the participant. Also, we used "candidates" for people in the current season and "participants" for this performance because they were in the last season and aren't part of Season 2. Lastly, it's saying that the three people performing currently were significantly better than the candidates who had been performing so far.)

The performance following immediately after was Jung Yoon Ki's solo performance. While the two people went offstage to prepare for their own performances, they had to have Jung Yoon Ki continue directly with his performance. Jung Yoon Ki was ranked lower than the other two so he had nothing to say about the sequence.

Jung Yoon Ki started his rap, keeping the heat of the previous performance going.

He had picked a song that had an emotional melody and lyrics. It was also a song by one of the judges, and a song he had decided on after discussing it with Manager Oh because it's filled with worries of youth that would fit well with < Student Rapper >.

Of course, they had also come to the conclusion together because it had a technique-wise incredibly fast rapping part mixed in the middle. Performing it would also be a good way to show how his skills had dramatically improved since the broadcast.