“Is Zeno Han really coming today?” some excitedly asked.
“That’s what Dahee PD said.”
“How is his stage, though?” one asked.
“It hasn’t been revealed. But, his company said he was a bad singer.”
Somehow, that disappointed some of them. From Dahee’s statement, it seemed he wanted to come out on the show. Most of the time, artists, especially actors who wanted to become more popular, came to the show to flaunt their good singing skills.
So, why would Zeno Han come to the show when he didn’t have any talent for singing?
Still, they were excited to see him in real life. It was true that this was his first time on a variety show, so everybody was curious about him.
One by one, the contestants started arriving. They went to the shared makeup room to get dolled up.
“I’m supposedly going to do Zeno Han’s makeup,” Nikki, a young makeup artist with a popular YouWatch channel, said, chatting with the makeup artist next to her.
“Lucky,” she sighed. “I’m going to be doing the makeup of Captain Korea over there,” she said, pointing at the buff man getting dressed in a 90s-style workout gear.
“Damn,” Nikki muttered. “He’s jacked.”
“Tell me about it,” the other said. “But seriously, Zeno Han? I’ve never worked with him. Don’t you think he’ll be more handsome in real life?”
“I doubt it,” Nikki said. “Most actors look better on screen than they do in real life. We don’t really see their blemishes through the screen.”
Just then, a commotion was heard right outside of the makeup room. The contestants, who had all arrived, turned toward the entrance to see what it was all about.
They heard some of the statements from the staff.
“It’s really him!”
“He’s taller than I had imagined.”
“He’s shining! His eyes are sparkling.”
“What the heck? The camera doesn’t do him any justice!”
Zeno arrived at the makeup room, capturing everybody’s attention. The moment he stepped inside, it seemed like everything had become brighter.
Zeno arrived with Moby, who was orienting him about the place.
“This is where artists usually get their makeup done. If you want to get something retouched during breaks, then just come here.”
Zeno nodded, not minding the stares he was getting from the staff and contestants alike.
Just then, Doha had just finished getting dressed when he noticed who had joined them.
“Zeno?” he exclaimed.
Zeno turned to him with a nod. “Doha,” he answered.
Some of the contestants, whom Doha had gotten close with after all the rehearsals they had done, stuck close to him.
“You’re close with Zeno Han?”
Doha couldn’t respond to them because he was still surprised.
“You’re in this show as a replacement for Rex?” Doha exclaimed.
Zeno nodded once more. “Yeah, I’m glad a familiar face is here.”
Doha blinked his eyes awake in case he was dreaming. Then, he went closer to Zeno and gently pinched his side.
“You know you can’t sing… at all, right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Zeno said.
Doha pursed his lips. “It’s to the point that you scared off Maxie once, and she went missing for three days. Since that day, you haven’t sung at all.”
Zeno’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Was he that bad?
“I know,” he just said.
“So, what are you doing here?” Doha asked. “You should be on another set now!”
“Don’t worry about me,” Zeno said, patting his shoulder. “I’ve got it all figured out. Good luck with your performance instead.”
With that, he walked to the makeup chair, where Nikki was waiting with an agape mouth.
“Thank you for your service,” Zeno bowed before closing his eyes. He was used to getting his makeup done because of his past modeling career, and he knew how hard these artists worked.
Nikki pursed her lips and grabbed a brush. “Can I remove your makeup?” she asked.
Zeno opened his eyes and raised both eyebrows. “I’m not wearing any.”
Nikki was perplexed. “So, your skin is naturally like that?”
Zeno, without blinking, nodded.
At that moment, Nikki had swallowed her past statement. Zeno Han didn’t have any blemishes at all!
***
Rows upon rows of seats were quickly filling up, and excited murmurs filled the air.
It was the seventh season of Sing or Sync, and the show had never been grander. The massive LED screen at the front flashed the show’s logo, and cameras were already rolling, capturing the excitement of the crowd.
At the front of the studio, Dahee stood with a clipboard in hand, her headset slightly askew as she rattled off last-minute cues to the staff. Her nerves were at an all-time high. It was her first time as head producer, and everything needed to go smoothly.
She scanned the set one last time, nodding at the camera operators and floor managers.
Meanwhile, Minji adjusted her coat as she settled into her seat in the audience. She had taken a leave from work just to be here, excited to support Doha, who had only told her about his gig two nights ago.
As she glanced around, she realized she was surrounded by a sea of fans holding Rex banners.
Minji frowned. ‘Was the cast leaked already?’ she thought. However, she also couldn’t help but think that casting Rex was a bizarre idea, especially since his name was still under fire.
She leaned in slightly, eavesdropping on the excited conversation of the girls next to her.
“I swear, he gave us a hint,” one girl said, clutching her banner tightly. “He posted, ‘See you on a big stage, my lovelies,’ and then deleted it.”
“It has to be this show,” another chimed in. “He’s never done a singing variety before, and he wouldn’t just say something like that for nothing.”
Wanting to be friendly, she turned to them with a polite smile. “Are you guys really sure Rex is here?” she asked, making small talk.
She was someone who got excited quickly, and she wanted someone to talk to throughout the filming.
However, the girls didn’t acknowledge her, only exchanging glances before turning back to their conversation. Minji blinked, her attempt at small talk completely ignored.
Okay then.
Before she could dwell on it, the lights dimmed, and a booming voice announced, “Welcome to Sing or Sync: Season 7!”
Cheers erupted as the spotlight illuminated the grand stage. The panelists, the show’s special guest judges, began to walk out one by one. Each name was met with a wave of applause, and the excitement in the room only grew.
First was Risa Park, the model-turned-actress who was proclaimed to be one of the goddesses of the generation. She waved at the audience with a dazzling smile. Right behind her was Ian Seo, the dazzling A-list actor who shocked everyone with his presence.
The two were there to promote their upcoming movie ‘Code Black.’
“Ian Seo is here?”
“This is a star-studded panelist!”
Then, the third panelist stepped onto the stage.
“Give it up for the one and only… Hyunwoo Kim!”
The room erupted into even louder cheers. Hyunwoo was a legend in the industry, known for producing some of the biggest hits in Korean music history.
After that, six other panelists came out of the stage, but their names were not nearly as big as the ones introduced first.
As the panelists took their seats, the camera zoomed in on them, capturing their reactions.
Risa nudged Ian playfully. “Any clue who’s going to be here today?”
Ian shook his head. “No idea.”