Chapter 182 : Another Black Mask
Chapter 182: Another Black Mask?
Pulling my mask up over my face,
I slowly began climbing the stairs behind the stage.
Maybe the mention of DJing had drained the excitement.
There wasn’t much of a reaction.
Only faint bits of conversation from the audience could be heard.
When I stepped onto the stage, the host shouted,
“Please welcome our brave first participant with a big round of applause!”
A somewhat old-fashioned call for applause.
Scattered clapping followed.
But the audience’s complaints were still there.
“Ah, they’re really doing this talent show thing?”
“Just sing a song!”
“I came to see Hero Park, what is this…”
On the dim stage where only a few auxiliary lights were on.
As I stood before the DJing equipment and began adjusting it, the host approached me.
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes looked like they were crying.
Those were the eyes of someone clearly stuck in an awkward situation.
Understandable.
A talent show is usually something where people perform well-known songs to raise the mood and everyone claps together.
Even so, I was confident.
Maybe not like a famous trot singer.
But confident I could lift this sunken atmosphere.
“Haha… hello there, our first participant!”
The host greeted me and held out the microphone.
Without hesitation, I spoke my first words.
“Hello.”
The moment my voice echoed through the venue, everything went quiet.
The audience stopped murmuring and looked at me all at once.
“…?”
It didn’t feel like they were simply paying attention so the first participant wouldn’t feel awkward.
It felt more like they were blinking and thinking “Huh?” while trying to recall something.
The host, looking hesitant, quietly asked,
“Um… what song will you be performing…?”
Looking into the host’s eyes, I answered calmly.
“There’s an edition that recently caused a huge selling frenzy at Almond Young. I believe many of you have heard it.”
Before my sentence even finished—
The murmuring among the audience began growing louder.
“Uh…”
“That voice… I think I’ve heard it somewhere?”
“Wait, is that… the Orbit… that model?”
Voices filled with question marks.
This atmosphere… good. Very good.
And familiar.
Whether at Sierra or here.
Audiences who enjoy music always feel similar anywhere.
At some point, countless spectators were looking up at me with eyes filled with goodwill.
I greeted them with a nod, then slowly spoke.
“I’ll perform a song that the protagonist of that edition cherishes. Ah, someone performed it earlier too, right?”
I briefly glanced behind me, then looked forward again.
Then I grinned and continued.
“Blackhole’s Lunatic Beat.”
The moment my words ended—
The cold silence exploded into deafening cheers.
“Eeeeeeeeeek!”
“Woooooooah!”
Did they recognize that I was Blackhole?
Or perhaps the summer night breeze, the shy moonlight, and the cool sound of waves—
Perhaps the magic created by the slowly rising intoxication in their glasses.
I couldn’t answer that question.
Instead, I simply placed my hands on the DJ table on stage.
My heart, heated by the audience’s cheers, began beating in rhythm with them.
Then I slowly pushed up the deep fader and shouted.
“Hold the Beat!”
This stage. This heat.
Once again today, I felt it.
Ah, choosing to do DJing really was the right decision…!
---
When the man wearing the black mask stepped onto the stage,
Cha Ihyun, watching from the backstage tent, clicked his tongue.
“What now, another black mask? I’m sick of it.”
As if responding to his muttered words, a staff member carrying equipment added while passing by,
“Right? Just because someone wears a black mask doesn’t mean they’re all Blackhole.”
It was tiresome.
More than half of the participating DJs had already come up wearing black masks.
“Blackhole has ruined quite a few people.”
“Whoa, another mask guy?”
“That guy’s pretty unusual too.”
Who would’ve thought that even an audience member joining the talent show would come prepared with a black mask?
And it wasn’t just the DJ scene.
Ever since the Blackhole commercial became a hit, people everywhere had begun walking around wearing black masks.
The pandemic ended ages ago.
Wasn’t it hot?
Thinking that, Cha Ihyun stepped out from the tent.
“Excuse me, staff coming through.”
On the sandy beach.
He pushed through the tightly packed crowd and made his way to the front row.
Still, he was curious about the DJing.
Finally securing a spot, he looked up at the stage.
“…Huh?”
The silhouette looked strangely familiar.
His ears were sharp, but his eyes were just as discerning.
Seeing someone directly from a distance that was neither too far nor too close, only one thought came to his mind.
That’s definitely Blackhole…!
His mind said that, but soon he rubbed his eyes repeatedly.
“…Am I seeing things?”
It was so familiar that it almost felt unbelievable.
Cha Ihyun had watched the Orbit commercial video more than a hundred times.
Because he loved that beat and those confident gestures so much.
Because it was exactly the image of the perfect DJ he longed for.
So…
If he could stand on stage just once more, he wanted to deliver a performance like Blackhole’s.
Yes. He hated to admit it.
But to him, Blackhole was a Muse.
That scene he had replayed dozens of times.
That silhouette.
The video was now playing vividly before his eyes.
No way… no way.
With a tense heart, he watched the stage.
Then the man spoke.
“I’ll perform a song that the protagonist cherishes. Ah, someone performed it earlier too, right?”
Only then did he become certain.
That low voice that drew people’s attention.
“Ah…!”
This was definitely Blackhole.
Sweat ran down his brow, but he didn’t even have time to wipe it.
He could only stare in silence.
Thump—
The moment the first beat exploded, Cha Ihyun instinctively shouted.
“Blackhole!”
But his cry was buried beneath the cheers of thousands.
On stage.
Blackhole’s hands restored the completely ruined setup to perfection in just a few seconds.
“…A remix version?”
Just hearing Lunatic Beat live was enough to be intoxicating.
But the beats pouring out across the summer night in that fleeting moment felt like—
The sound of the moon falling.
Cold and clear moonlight gently settled over the stage.
Cheers erupted everywhere as the audience murmured.
“…What is this?”
“Is that really Blackhole?”
“Damn. Turn on the Orbit commercial video. Let’s compare.”
“No way Blackhole would come here. It’s probably someone copying him.”
“But if it’s copying… it’s totally different from before. Was DJing supposed to be like this?”
As if the audience’s reactions didn’t matter at all,
The remix version of Lunatic Beat smoothly covered the rough sand.
Cha Ihyun snapped back to his senses and looked around.
Good lord.
The atmosphere had completely changed.
The trot performance didn’t even seem to matter anymore.
Everyone was united, enjoying the ecstatic beat that had arrived at the night sea with their whole bodies.
“…Am I psychic or something?”
Just minutes earlier,
He had jokingly said someone might appear like a superhero and destroy the stage.
And now that joke had become reality.
---
Meanwhile, at the same time.
A van was heading toward the beach where the Ulsan Festival was being held.
Inside the van sat a self-proclaimed and widely recognized SSS-class trot singer—
Hero Park.
Even though more than thirty minutes had passed since the scheduled time,
He leisurely checked his appearance in the mirror.
While fixing his bangs, he said,
“Damn, it’s hot. If my makeup melts, I’m screwed. Dayeon, spray some more fixer.”
The manager nervously glanced between the clock and the rearview mirror.
The only thing he could say was this.
“We’re really late. I’ll drive faster, don’t unbuckle your seatbelt.”
The manager and stylist both looked desperate.
But Hero Park simply grinned leisurely.
“Don’t worry. They can’t even start without me. What do you want me to do if there’s traffic? If they wanted to see me sooner, they should’ve sent a helicopter.”
The words *You insisted on stopping for udon at the rest stop* rose to the manager’s throat—
But he only let out a quiet sigh.
And that wasn’t all.
At times like this, it would be nice if he at least kept quiet.
But he kept rambling nonstop.
“A festival? What kind of festival is it without me? And the star is supposed to arrive late anyway. The mayor’s such a fan that I even gave him a discount on the appearance fee.”
Hero Park leaned back into the plush seat, pulled out his smartphone, and began scrolling through social media.
Real-time streams from the Ulsan Festival site were constantly being uploaded.
The reactions were exactly as he expected.
↳ When is Hero Park coming out?
↳↳ Seriously ㅜㅜ I’ve been waiting forever.
↳ What’s with the talent show though ㄷㄷ
↳ Well, they have to do audience events.
↳↳ Audience event my ass lol the singer must be late.
↳↳↳ For real lol Park’s at it again…
↳ Traffic’s really bad today.
↳↳ Yeah.
↳ Hero Park hurry up!!!
The corners of his mouth lifted even more.
The more the audience yearned for him, the higher their expectations would rise.
Right.
They couldn’t do anything without him.
He knew that the moment he stepped onto the stage, all those complaints would turn into cheers.
The explosive roar from the audience who had waited for hours.
That was the true value of a star, in Hero Park’s mind.
And all they came up with in the meantime was a talent show?
Ridiculous, but pitiful too.
Actually, it worked out well for him.
It was obvious some clumsy amateur would fumble around on stage.
“800 meters ahead, you have arrived at your destination.”
Even after hearing the navigation, Hero Park leaned back and said to the manager,
“Don’t book beach events like this again. I hate it. Fix my bangs again.”
“But the mayor personally…”
“So what? He’s not the president!”
“…Ah.”
The manager thought,
If only he could flick that mouth of his just once.
Just once.
Then, as the van slowly approached the beach,
The stylist looking at a tablet suddenly said,
“Huh?”
The manager quickly scolded her.
“Dayeon, didn’t we ban saying ‘huh?’”
“No, that’s not it… the festival is going crazy right now.”
At the word “crazy,” Hero Park replied with satisfaction.
“Of course it is. A talent show would obviously be terrible.”
“No… that’s not it. Just look.”
The stylist squeezed her eyes shut and handed him the tablet.
This time, Hero Park himself uttered the forbidden word.
“Huh?”
Was this atmosphere right?
In the streaming video of the festival—
An unexpectedly explosive scene was unfolding.
“…Have they all lost their minds?”
The audience was jumping, shouting.
Countless LED lights surged like waves.
And at the center—
A man wearing a mask had completely taken over the stage.
“They’re saying that’s Blackhole.”
“What? That Blackhole from the Orbit commercial?”
At Hero Park’s question, the stylist nodded vigorously.
“Why would he show up here? Nobody mentioned that.”
Hero Park roughly brushed his bangs upward.
Narrowing his eyes, he focused on Blackhole’s performance in the video.
Lunatic Beat, remix version.
It’s good… but what exactly is going on?
He didn’t show it outwardly.
But even Hero Park had to admit it was an incredible track.
And it was being performed live?
On this shabby beach festival stage?
“…Who the hell is that guy?”
For the first time, Hero Park couldn’t take his eyes off the tablet instead of the mirror.
“Hey, check the comments quickly.”
He needed to see the reactions with his own eyes.
[ Live Stream: Ulsan EDM Festival — Blackhole Appears! ]
↳ Holy shit!!! Blackhole!!!
↳ Why is Blackhole hereㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
↳ Came for trot but now I’m hooked on DJing ㄷㄷ
↳ Is this real??? Surprise guest?
↳↳ No no no he just showed up during the audience talent show. Damn. Watching the performance now.
↳ That’s it. Game over. A hundred times better than Hero Park who can’t keep his schedule.
↳ Wow… the atmosphere is amazing. This is what a festival should be!!!
↳ Someone take off his mask lol
Gulp.
Hero Park’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
The carefully styled hair he had set up was now completely messed up by his rough hands.
“…This is turning weird.”
That guy had turned the gap he created into an opportunity.
The smile disappeared from Hero Park’s face.
Soon the van arrived at the beach.
“Hurry. Tell them to stop that damn talent show immediately.”
“Um… your hair…”
“Forget it! Is this the time to worry about my hair?”
Hero Park stormed across the sand.
But contrary to what he wanted, the talent show continued until the end—
And he had to wait on the sand until it was over.
---
After the talent show ended.
“You’re that happy?”
“Of course. Here, take this.”
“You didn’t have to. Go eat it upstairs with your brother.”
“I don’t like fish. You like fish, Dad. And you live alone—you should eat well.”
I ended up scoring the red sea bream set I wanted.
For reference, I gave up first place.
To a group of soldier friends who had taken leave and come together.
I even told them to buy lots of meat with the gift certificate.
At that age, you’re hungry again the moment you finish eating.
Looking at me grinning from ear to ear, my older brother asked,
“Isn’t the mask hot?”
“I feel like I’m dying. I want to take it off immediately…”
“…Still, you probably shouldn’t.”
Yeah. I agreed.
Even after coming down from the stage, I could still feel countless gazes.
Just as sweat and cold sweat mixed together because of the heat,
My older brother chuckled and asked,
“Still going to watch the trot performance?”
“We should, right? Dad likes it.”
“Maknae.”
Dad suddenly called me while holding the red sea bream set.
When I turned my head—
“Dad doesn’t really need to watch Hero Park’s performance anymore.”
Dad somehow said that while grinning from ear to ear.
…Well, that was very touching.
But still.
Wouldn’t it be a shame not to watch?
Since we were already here, we ended up staying to watch until the end.
“He really sings well.”
“Yeah. I hate to admit it.”
It was a flashy stage worthy of the main act.
Dry ice spread across the stage and fireworks exploded—it was quite a spectacle.
“Woooo!”
Soon the event came to an end.
Dad went to the restroom.
My older brother returned to the car first with the red sea bream set.
While I was left behind—
A few audience members hesitantly approached me.
Maybe they found some courage.
I spoke to them first.
“I don’t have autographs, but I can take photos with you!”
“Really?”
When you wear a mask, you somehow gain courage you didn’t have before.
After taking a few photos together, I was about to head home.
Then someone called out to me.
“Excuse me, Mr. Blackhole. Just a moment.”
“Yes?”
“Could we talk for a moment? Ah, this is who I am.”
I accepted the business card he handed me.
[ Trovic Entertainment ]
[ Manager Team 2 ]
Trovic Entertainment? I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere.
As I tilted my head, he continued.
“Ah, I’m the manager of Hero Park who just performed.”
“I’m already signed to an agency.”
“No, that’s not it… the singer just wanted to meet Blackhole briefly.”
Me? Why?
I was tired and not particularly curious about him, so I accepted the card and replied politely.
“I came here with my family today. I’ll contact you when I return to Seoul.”
“But it’ll only take a moment…”
“I’m really sorry. My family is waiting, so I should go.”
Just as I bowed my head and turned around—
A low voice came from behind.
“Wow. You’re acting pretty pricey.”
…Strange, isn’t it?
The tone sounded rude, yet the voice itself sounded oddly cool.
Curious, I turned around.
“If someone saw this, they’d think you were the star, Mr. Blackhole.”
The slick-looking trot singer, Hero Park, was smiling at me.
Oh ho.
If you’re going to come at me like that, I can’t just stay quiet.
Star or not—
I needed to get home quickly and drink beer with my older brother and Dad while watching soccer.
I didn’t have time, and honestly it was annoying.
So I just answered casually.
“Ah! Unlike someone, I’m a person who keeps promises well! Sorry!”
Then I immediately turned toward the parking lot.
The manager standing behind Hero Park seemed to be snickering like he deserved it…
…But maybe that was just my imagination.