Chapter 173

– So, who exactly is this “Man-Lap Rabbit”??

〈Masked Singer〉is a variety show with a steady fan base.

Of course, the excitement has cooled down a bit recently, but that doesn’t mean all the fans have disappeared.

Still, casual discussions about the contestants of 〈Masked Singer〉were ongoing.

The two most talked-about figures recently were:

The Ashen Crow and the Man-Lap Rabbit.

– I’m pretty sure the Ashen Crow is Yeo-hee.

– No, I meant who the Man-Lap Rabbit is, not the Ashen Crow.

– I don’t know that either.

– Really, I genuinely have no idea.

It’s easy to guess who a singer is because their voice or singing style tends to be familiar, making it simpler to identify them. That was the case with Yeo-hee.

No matter how hard she tried to disguise her singing style, true fans could easily recognize her.

But no one seemed to know who the Man-Lap Rabbit was.

There’s only one possibility in this case.

– Did someone pick up another weird person somewhere?

– Is there a female entertainer who has been in trouble recently?

It was common knowledge that 〈Masked Singer〉is often a platform for celebrities making comebacks after controversies.

Just as most people leaned toward this theory…

– Isn’t it Sooyeon Joo?

Suddenly, someone blurted out this suggestion.

The person mentioned having watched 〈Dream Future〉from the beginning and suggested that the voice sounded a lot like Sooyeon Joo’s.

– HAHAHA, Sooyeon Joo? That’s absolutely not her.

– I’ve been watching since 〈Dream Future〉too, and she absolutely can’t sing like that. Yes, yes.

– The voice does sound somewhat similar, but the skill level is completely different.

– Recently, though, she did seem kind of cute in the Harara Shorts. Hahahaha.

Even those who didn’t follow dramas knew who Sooyeon Joo was, thanks to the viral Harara Shorts video.

In fact, the video had already surpassed 5 million views, and it was still climbing.

– I think I know who it might be.

– Who?

– Isn’t it the person who sang the ost for Sky Garden?

– WHAT?!

The strongest contender emerged after a long pause.

The person who sang the insert song for the trending drama 〈Sky Garden〉; it seemed plausible since the sentiment in both songs felt similar.

But…

– So, who is that person?

– I don’t know either.

– Aren’t we back to square one?

The identity of the person who sang for 〈Sky Garden〉was unknown, so the identity of the Man-Lap Rabbit remained a mystery too.

– We’ll find out eventually this week anyway, right?

– True.

– The Ashen Crow is an overwhelming favorite.

– Yeo-hee is indeed already in the top tier.

Most were leaning toward Ashen Crow winning in the finals, considering Yeo-hee was one of the most acclaimed female singers in South Korea right now.

In fact, she wasn’t simply a singer but an artist, known for her vast range of activities, including singing Japanese anime theme songs.

This is why Yeo-hee was so well-known in online communities.

Everyone believed they’d discover the identity of Man-Lap Rabbit in the finals.

***

“Are you serious? No way, I’m telling you, it’s definitely not.”

“Sister, please calm down.”

“No way, how am I supposed to be calm about this!”

After the quarterfinals filming was done, Yeo-hee had taken her Ashen Crow mask off and was talking with her manager, Song A-ram, behind the set.

“And why are you so nervous? It’s better to just greet them calmly.”

“Hmm, well, I guess you have a point.”

Cooling down might be the better approach.

After all, it’s been around 20 years, right? The era before Seoyeon was even born.

This might instead be a good chance to catch up on some old memories.

Even the usually composed Young-bin might have softened over 20 years, right?

But still, despite that…

“What if Taehyun told him about me?”

“You mean, Mr. Kang Taehyun, the executive from GH Group?”

“Yes! I’ve been asking him constantly… What if he told Young-bin and it’s dangerous?”

“Wow… For 20 years? That’s kind of creepy…”

“No! I just asked! I didn’t do anything weird!”

What!? Asking isn’t weird…

Maybe it’s understandable to be curious!!

Yeo-hee felt justified.

Even so, when this curiosity stretched over 20 years, it did feel a little unsettling.

“Sister, you have too many regrets…”

“UUgh.”

Yeo-hee clutched at her chest and staggered.

What could she do about her personality?

Even she didn’t know she possessed such deep sentimental tendencies.

“It’s like, when you almost get everything but lose it…”

“I’m not really curious about that.”

“Are you being too harsh on me lately?”

After muttering this, Yeo-hee wiped her face with her palms.

“…I’ll wash my face quickly and come back…”

Sighing, she turned back to wash her face before returning to set.

“Oh, wait, I’ll take a quick call from Dad.”

A familiar voice reached her ears.

It almost sounded forgotten, but recently she’d rediscovered it through 〈Golden Duckling〉.

“Mom!”

Startled, Yeo-hee tried to hide herself, but upon realizing Young-bin was heading elsewhere, she peeked out carefully.

“Why is she still at the filming set? Oh…”

Of course, Seoyeon was also a 〈Masked Singer〉contestant.

There were occasional reasons for her to stay late.

Besides, Yeo-hee herself left early because she didn’t perform, so she’d let her guard down, not expecting this sudden appearance.

“I thought I was fine with everything now.”

Yeo-hee bit her tongue.

She had almost forgotten everything.

She even thought that starting anew wouldn’t be bad.

Seems it wasn’t meant to be.

Yeo-hee’s mind was still stuck in high school.

Perhaps it was because of the spell cast long ago.

“The creator must stay young,” echoed the distant voice.

To maintain creative activity, the spirit mustn’t grow old.

That was what he had said.

Indeed, there were times when she lost herself totally in work after high school—until the 〈Moon That Hid the Sun〉aired.

“Joo Sooyeon.”

To Yeo-hee, she symbolized lost regrets.

Back then, she never imagined Han Yoo-na would recognize her so easily.

To recall the parent’s face from the child’s… Of course, it wasn’t until she heard from Taehyun later.

However, after 〈Moon That Hid the Sun〉, Joo Sooyeon didn’t appear in many projects.

Another decade passed.

Then came the dramatic return of the child actress.

Yeo-hee had witnessed all of it—through her own eyes and updates from Taehyun.

Whenever she felt intrusive asking,

“Well, if you ask, it’s not just you.”

That sly smile was enough to chill her to the bone, though it hinted at a milder personality lately.

“Ah, yes, Director… Is that right? You’re not joking, are you?”

By the time Yeo-hee realized, she was eavesdropping on Young-bin’s phone conversation.

The casual teasing tone suggested it was someone familiar.

Unconsciously, Yeo-hee stopped in her tracks.

She peeked again and saw a figure standing casually.

The same old posture but with an oddly youthful face that hinted at age.

‘Seems like he’s worried.’

This stance was characteristic of Young-bin when he was feeling uneasy.

Or when something was troubling him.

She learned this from their childhood together.

“Ah, of course, I’m fine with it. No, promotion is never unwelcome, is it? Sure, sure. Eh, just had a lot on my mind. Yes.”

Director, probably a Game Director.

Surely a very high-ranking position.

Though Yeo-hee once participated in the game club, she wasn’t familiar with exact job titles.

Still, for someone to be offered such a high position…

“Gee, he seems to be in a dilemma…”

“Yeah, that seems right.”

“Isn’t it?”

Yeo-hee stopped answering mid-sentence and turned her eyes.

There, she saw a brunette with a faint blush.

“!!!”

Yeo-hee nearly fainted.

Why is she here? Did she see what I was doing?

“Would you mind waiting a bit at the vending machine?”

“Ah, uh, sure.”

Yeo-hee answered timidly.

It seemed Seoyeon had assumed she was waiting for the vending machine.

Yeo-hee sighed in relief.

Thank you, vending machine. You saved me.

‘But, does she not recognize me?’

Apparently, Seoyeon thought Yeo-hee was an ordinary stranger.

Does she not associate her with a celebrity?

Or maybe she thought of it but didn’t ask out of politeness?

It was hard to tell.

Of course, Yeo-hee hadn’t shown her face in public for a while, so not recognizing her was plausible.

Thankfully, her quiet period had its benefits.

Yeo-hee sighed in relief.

Suddenly, an idea to use this situation came to her mind.

“Uh… have you… seen the Golden Duckling? I’m kind of, uh, a fan.”

“Uh, thank you.”

Seoyeon nodded respectfully, quieter than expected.

The Yeo-hee remembered from the variety show seemed brighter than this. Was it because of her quieter disposition?

Strangely, this shy side felt odd for someone between Young-bin and Sua.

“By the way, isn’t that Dad? I… I saw him on TV. On TV.”

“Is she… a celebrity?”

“Uh? Ah, something similar.”

“Is that so?”

What exactly is ‘similar’? From the puzzled expression, Yeo-hee clenched her eyes shut tightly.

What nonsense was she spewing?

“But calling me ‘sister’…”

Yeo-hee rubbed her face and giggled.

Wow, still alive.

Was it because of recent beauty treatments? Yep, Sua wasn’t the only one staying young.

She’s not just young—she’s getting younger.

“Uh, uh, is there any… issue?”

Yeo-hee tried to keep it casual, as if they were passing the time while waiting for the vending machine.

“From what I saw on TV… it looked like you work at a game company…”

Of course, it was a bit personal.

〈Golden Duckling〉truly came in handy. It let her cover her tracks by mentioning TV appearances.

Seoyeon, focused on Young-bin, didn’t seem too concerned.

“Just that… it seems like you might have other dreams…”

Seoyeon stopped her sentence mid-way.

“You seem like you have a lot on your mind.”

She wasn’t the kind to share personal feelings with strangers, but it was enough for Yeo-hee.

She understood now.

“Ah, looks like the call ended. You can go to the vending machine now…”

“Wait! I just remembered something urgent! Sorry!!”

Seeing Young-bin end the call and heading their way, panic took over Yeo-hee.

Before she knew it, she spun around and fled.

Her speed left Seoyeon wide-eyed.

Wasn’t she going to the vending machine?

‘Where have I seen her? Is she someone from Masked Singer?’

No ordinary person would be at the studio this late unless they were lost. While there were audience members, her appearance and aura were distinctively celebrity-like.

And not just ordinary celebrity material—someone with significant experience.

Despite showing nervousness in front of Seoyeon, her presence was undeniable.

‘She feels familiar…’

Though the memory didn’t come immediately.

Crossing her arms, Seoyeon tried recalling where they’d met before.

“Hey, are we waiting for the magical dinosaur?”

“…Magical dinosaur?”

Increasingly, her nickname list expanded.

Annoyed, Seoyeon glared, prompting Young-bin’s grin.

“I’ll wait for Mom. Let’s go.”

And with that, he walked off.

Seoyeon wanted to ask about the call.

But she had an idea already, so she didn’t.

Thus, Seoyeon prepared another song for the finals, partly as encouragement.

***

“Seoyeon, don’t overthink it, just do your best!”

Manager Eun-ha, supporting the Man-Lap Rabbit—no, the now-famous Full-Lap Rabbit who was Seoyeon in disguise.

Manager Eun-ha had noticed Seoyeon’s recent thoughtful demeanor.

Perhaps the drama role was getting to her.

Even Director Kim Il-soo of 〈Sky Garden〉had quietly mentioned it to Eun-ha.

“Does Miss Seoyeon have anything on her mind?”

“Hmm? No, does she?”

“No, nothing in particular. But lately, her acting feels a bit strained, maybe even anxious.”

Anxious?

Usually, that wasn’t Seoyeon’s vibe.

Could she be hiding something?

Seoyeon tended to hide her emotions, making it hard to tell.

“Anyway, good thing the summer girls are cheering, and her family’s here too, right?”

“Yes, they’ve been attending since the quarterfinals.”

“That’s great.”

Honestly, the chances of beating “Ashen Crow” seemed slim.

Still, it’d be great if this could give her a mood boost somehow.

“Alright, fighting!”

With words of encouragement, Seoyeon stepped out of the waiting room.

Underneath her mask, she sighed and shook her head.

‘This keeps bugging me somehow.’

Could it be because of that recent meeting with Yoo-na?

A strange sense of urgency was creeping up unexpectedly.

Not sure exactly what she felt urgent about.

It even made her question if it was okay to be participating in variety shows at all.

Watching Young-bin’s recent behavior only intensified these feelings.

Right before stepping onto the stage,

At the door, Ashen Crow was already there.

For some reason, Ashen Crow seemed startled upon seeing Seoyeon but then subtly raised a thumb.

‘Supportive gesture?’

Seoyeon nodded in acknowledgment and reciprocated with a thumb.

Then, the door to the stage opened.

The stage where the final of 〈Masked Singer〉would take place.

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