"This... is this really Minseo''s?"

    The matriarch of the Ihyeoksoo family, Gil Soo-jin, widened her eyes at the report card her daughter had brought. Her daughter had never once ranked in the top three.

    However, today’s report card showed that, aside from one subject, all her grades were within the top two tiers. And this had all happened within just two months.

    "Y-Yes."

    Her daughter, speaking hesitantly, looked utterly exhausted. But that didn’t matter in the slightest to Gil Soo-jin.

    This report card meant everything to her. Up until now, Minseo had been cute but with an uncertain future. But now, this darling child had brought her exactly what she had always hoped for. And look at those grades!

    As expected, Lee Yoo-joo was the real deal. Gil Soo-jin was convinced that while Yoo-joo had her own abilities, it was clear she had benefited from using her brother''s portfolio as a guide.

    ''If she just keeps at it like this, she''ll get into Baekyeon Medical School...''

    Gil Soo-jin had practically given up on Minseo, but now, both of her children had a real chance.

    "Our Minseo, you’ve worked really hard. On the other hand..."

    Gil Soo-jin’s eyes narrowed as she glanced over at Minseo’s twin brother, Minhyuk, who remained silent. Minhyuk’s grades were still overwhelmingly better than Minseo’s.

    Most of his grades were top-tier, with only a few ranking in the second. The third-tier grades were in subjects that didn’t really matter.

    "You''re still the same, my son."

    "......."

    But what was important was that Minseo had dramatically improved, while Minhyuk had stayed the same. For now, Minhyuk was ahead, but in the next mock exam... and even in the college entrance exams, who knew?

    In fact, with Minseo sticking close to Lee Yoo-joo, there was a real chance Minseo could surpass him. Considering her skyrocketing grades over just two months, it seemed entirely possible.

    "Please, don’t disappoint your mother. From now on, whenever Minseo meets with Yoo-joo, you should join them."

    "Mother..."

    "My son, everything I say is for your own good."

    It was something Gil Soo-jin said out of habit: everything was for his sake. Of course, Minhyuk understood that. No doubt, it was for his own good. But there was also a hint of her own selfish desires mixed in.

    Minhyuk’s dream was to become a doctor. However...

    "Understood."

    For now, Minhyuk could only respond like this. After all, no matter what he said, Gil Soo-jin wouldn’t listen.

    And so, Minhyuk had no choice but to accompany Minseo whenever she met with Lee Yoo-joo.

    "Oh, really? Do you want to get closer to me?"

    Yoo-joo smiled brightly as she spoke. For the record, Minhyuk had never said anything like that.

    He merely tagged along whenever Minseo met her. But it seemed Yoo-joo had instantly grasped his intentions.

    Well, it’s no surprise, considering someone who had previously insulted her suddenly started hanging around.

    "If you don''t want to..."

    "No, I don''t mind. I just find it amusing."

    After saying that, Yoo-joo stared at Minhyuk. Her gaze was that same condescending look she always gave others.

    It had only been a few months since starting high school, but in that time, Yoo-joo had already won over the teachers.

    She was, after all, the top student. Among all the high-achievers at Baekyeon High School, she was number one. Her results in the mock exams had been excellent, and her midterm scores were unmatched.

    "Yoo-joo? You really don’t mind being with my brother?"

    "I don''t really care."

    It was actually Minseo who seemed flustered. Yoo-joo simply continued to stare at Minhyuk.

    Feeling her gaze, Minhyuk—or rather, Kim Hyun-seok, who was playing the role of Minhyuk—felt a strange sensation.

    That gaze had changed.

    Previously, it had been purely intimidating, as if looking down on someone. But now, there was a slightly fragile air to it. Like the quills of a hedgehog standing up defensively, only this time, they were hidden.

    Somehow, the atmosphere felt completely different. Why?

    As that thought lingered in his mind—

    "Cut! Hyun-seok, your next line!"

    "Oh, sorry."

    Hyun-seok was so used to making mistakes by now that it barely fazed him anymore. He even sympathized with Minseo’s character to some extent.

    If no one had expectations of you, it was easier to stay calm. Of course, it wasn’t as if he didn’t feel guilty.

    He felt sorry for the other actors whose energy drained with each failed take. But after being criticized online and receiving harsh feedback, he realized something.

    No matter how anxious he felt, it would only negatively affect his performance. It was better to remain calm and objective about himself.

    So, after wrapping up the scene as smoothly as possible, Hyun-seok approached Seoyeon after the shoot.

    "...Your acting feels different."

    Hyun-seok, who rarely spoke to Seoyeon, asked her that question. Seoyeon’s eyes widened in surprise.

    She hadn’t expected anyone to ask her anything, let alone notice a change in her acting.

    It was a somewhat ambiguous reaction.

    "I changed it a little. Can you tell?"

    "You... did?"

    Park Se-jin, the actor playing Minseo, seemed completely unaware. Well, maybe not completely. She had felt something was different, but had attributed it to Seoyeon’s condition that day.

    "She looked more vulnerable, right?"

    How should he describe it? The tone had changed.

    From what Hyun-seok had observed, Seoyeon’s acting had always been emotional. She conveyed feelings clearly, making them easy to understand.

    That’s why it hit hard—because the emotion behind her acting had changed.

    "I just thought a bit more from Yoo-joo’s perspective."

    Seoyeon had never really empathized with Yoo-joo. As a result, it had been difficult for her to deliver deeply emotional performances.

    After all, while Yoo-joo was an honor student, her reasons for looking down on others weren’t clear to Seoyeon. But now, she understood a little better.

    "No, I prefer working on these things alone."

    Na-hee said and immediately dove into her work, staying up late.

    The equipment at Nova Entertainment wasn’t as good as what Hoyun had, though. They had poured excessive money into trying to raise an idol group, leaving behind expensive equipment that now just gathered dust.

    "...I’m a little tired."

    Glancing at the clock, Na-hee noticed it was already past midnight. Though she felt like sleeping, time was short.

    She was essentially doing the work of an entire team by herself.

    ‘I think it needs to feel a bit more upbeat.’

    The original song had a somewhat emotional tone, a style Seoyeon excelled in.

    The song she was going to sing for the semifinals was another emotional piece. But if the finals had the same tone...

    It’s a competition, after all. Repeating the same vibe would only make the audience and judges feel too familiar with it.

    Creators need to present something that resonates with their audience.

    Seoyeon’s strongest weapon.

    However, there are times when novelty is just as crucial as familiarity. You can’t rely on empathy alone.

    Cha Na-hee was searching for a way to blend those elements together. Staying in the agency late at night.

    "...She’s still here?"

    Lavine glanced at the lights on in the studio, clicking her tongue.

    "You didn’t leave either."

    Her right-hand woman, So-eun, pointed out sharply.

    "Well, I live here. And besides—"

    Lavine hadn’t stayed to work. She was just hanging out with So-eun because it was boring to drink alone, so she had dragged her along to the studio.

    It was a perfect place to sing for free since Lavine had even brought a karaoke machine to the studio.

    But seeing Cha Na-hee still working made her sober up fast.

    "That stubborn girl..."

    "That’s why she’s successful."

    "Hey, want to get slapped?"

    Lavine grumbled, turning away from the studio.

    "Let’s head out."

    She called to So-eun, but So-eun didn’t follow.

    "Why~?"

    "Unnie."

    "What? Isn’t it normal for Na-hee to work late? Just leave her."

    "That’s not it. I heard she’s working on something Seoyeon asked for."

    That gorilla-like woman?

    Lavine thought about leaving her behind but found it hard to walk away. As much as she disliked her, seeing Na-hee working like that made her reluctant to just leave her alone.

    "Ugh, maybe I’m just drunk."

    Lavine scratched her head.

    "Let’s send her home and keep hanging out. It’s weird to have her here working while we play."

    "But can we even help with anything?"

    "How should I know?"

    With that, Lavine headed toward Cha Na-hee.

    Blaming it on the alcohol.

    ‘Ah, I shouldn’t have joined Masked Singer.’

    Yeon-hee, sitting on the throne reserved only for the champion, felt her stomach churn. She was posed like a king, a position that suited her!

    Even the mask she wore, resembling a gray crow, added to the cool factor. She looked like a villain straight out of a superhero movie.

    But inside, she didn’t feel like that at all.

    ‘Please, please let me lose.’

    Yeon-hee was silently praying as she watched the two contestants.

    One of them, the red-eyed rabbit, had introduced themselves as Manlap Rabbit.

    Their voice had been modulated during the interview, but there was no way Yeon-hee wouldn’t recognize it.

    She had been following this actor since Tae-soomdal and had even listened to her sing the OST for Sky Garden. She knew this voice well.

    No one else seemed to have caught on, but Yeon-hee knew instantly.

    That’s Ju Seoyeon!!

    Yeon-hee often cheered for her from afar, but she had never expected to face her like this.

    ‘She probably doesn’t know it’s me.’

    Yeon-hee had changed her singing style just enough, and the song she chose wasn’t one she typically performed.

    While she was deep in thought—

    "And now, it’s time for Manlap Rabbit’s performance! The song is... Wings of the Wind and Bird!"

    As soon as Yeon-hee heard the title, she almost jumped out of her seat. It was her song!

    ‘Does she know?’

    Was this some kind of warning?

    She hadn’t done anything wrong yet!

    Yeon-hee, trembling like a child, remained frozen throughout Seoyeon’s entire performance, silently praying that Seoyeon would lose.

    But as it turned out, Seoyeon won the semifinal with a landslide victory.