With each line, Tongman's popularity soared.
It seemed like Akira was right.
The fact that the audience wasn't expecting a lot from him because of his ridiculous costume contributed to the audience's shock factor. They weren't expecting a lot from a man with a tong on his head, so their expectations were quickly exceeded as June sang.
Pearl Boy didn't fail to notice the gap in their popularity, and as the bridge approached, he thought of doing something that would set him apart from Tongman.
A high note.
Originally, the last part of the bridge was characterized by the low and mid-tone harmonization of the vocalist and the lead guitarist of THORNS.
However, Pearl Boy was confident that he could take it half-an-octave higher, which would not only make his voice more noticeable but would also show his proficiency in singing high notes.
"He's the life of the party, they cheer,
But what of the life he craves?
In the midst of the crowd's veneer,
Lies the truth he braves."
Tongman started the first verse of the bridge, portraying it perfectly once again.
"He's definitely a veteran singer," Cindy said. "However, despite the maturity in his voice, he still sounds pretty young. He might be a new veteran singer then," she concluded.
Jia kept silent since she already knew the person behind the mask. She wanted to tell somebody else, but she also wanted to keep the fact to herself to keep the element of surprise when Tongman was finally revealed.
She bit her lip and pinched her thigh, trying to keep herself from fangirling too much.
As the second verse of the bridge approached, Pearl Boy finally joined Tongman, taking the higher harmony.
June frowned in confusion from behind his mask. Pearl Boy's harmony wasn't half an octave higher like the original song, but it was actually an octave higher!
This kid was actually a decent belter!
The panel turned to each other in surprise, finding Pearl Boy's high-toned voice to be more supported compared to the first parts of the song.
"In the flashing lights, he finds his song,
A melody of hope and despair.
For, in the end, he belongs,
To the life he chose to bear."
However, as Tongman joined in with the bass, his voice echoing through the venue with a chilling power, it was clear who held the upper hand.
Despite Pearl Boy's impressive high notes, Tongman's low notes were deemed more splendid.
It was almost ridiculous to think that his low notes would reign above Pearl Boy's high note since it was a known fact that sopranos took the limelight while altos were stuck in the shadows.
This revelation definitely spoke highly of June's vocal skills.
And as the final notes echoed into silence, the crowd erupted into applause, their admiration for the two challengers, especially Tongman, evident in their thunderous cheers.
"Wow! What an impressive stage to start us off for the night," Kim San exclaimed, making his way back to the stage.
"I think we finally have challengers who are worthy of battling with Guitarman!" he said, genuinely feeling impressed with the rock spectacle they had presented. "How do the two of you feel about this performance?"
Pearl Boy spoke into the microphone before June could even think of an answer.
"It was an honor singing THORNS' song," Pearl Boy said, his voice distorted in the same tone as Guitarman, only a bit higher. "I was nervous singing such a legendary song, but I believe I did—we did a good job," he corrected himself.
June rolled his eyes under the mask. The cocky boy suddenly sounded very respectful now that he was in front of an audience.
"And you? Tongman?" Kim San asked. "I still find it hard to believe that you're a literal tong. Honestly, that's the question I want to ask—why did you pick to be Tongman?"
June internally complained since he already had an answer in mind for the last question. Jay told him to answer the questions with poise this time, so he even rehearsed it in his head.
However, being faced with another question, June had no choice but to answer spontaneously.
"Because I can pick up a lot of things," he simply said, his voice sounding like a chipmunk.
He sighed in frustration as he brought the microphone away from his lips. Why did they make him sound so cute?
Tongman's simple answer triggered the audience's laughter. Kim San, too, burst into chuckles. He even slapped June on the shoulder!
"Ah, you're a funny one, aren't you? It just really makes me more curious about your identity. You're a comedian, aren't you?" he teased, nudging June's shoulder.
June stayed still and didn't respond, earning another chuckle from the host.
"Well, before we get to the votes, let's hear from the panel," Kim San said.
"That was very refreshing," a woman said.
June, with his blurry vision, narrowed his eyes when he heard the woman's familiar voice.
Then, it clicked to him that it was none other than Ji-hyun—
his vocal mentor during Rising Stars!
"I like how their voices are very contrasting," she continued. "Pearl Boy's voice is as fresh as his costume, while Tongman is just amazing. Honestly, I wasn't expecting a lot because of his costume—which I shouldn't be doing from now on. I should have learned my mistake from the past shows I've attended. I also judged a trainee for his ridiculous costume once," she muttered, her mind straying to the young man who made her heart flutter in those few months.
Then, she shook her head, trying to shake the thought away.
She was finally getting over June and was satisfied with watching his content from afar! She couldn't relapse now!
The next person to speak was Mimi, who appeared the most excited in the bunch.
"Well, you look very excited, Mimi," Kim San pointed out.
"This is one of my favorite songs," she smiled. "I'm just glad to hear it today. I don't have much to say about their vocals since I think they both did well. There were some shaky parts with Pearl Boy, especially in the beginning, but he redeemed himself in the end."
Pearl Boy looked down to the ground in disappointment.
"What I'm honestly more curious about is their identities. I think that Pearl Boy is an idol while Tongman is an…actor?" she asked, her tone unsure.
June chuckled. Well, she wasn't wrong. June had his fair share in acting.
"I agree with Pearl Boy being an idol!" another panel member said. "However, I think Tongman is a comedian—a very talented comedian."
"No!" Jihyun chimed. "He must be a rock singer. He devoured the genre, so he must be used to it."
"Honestly, he could be any of those," a veteran singer remarked. "However, I strongly believe that he's one of my friends. His foundation in singing is similar to a fellow veteran singer."
June could testify that he was definitely not friends with the old man.
"Well, let's not dwell much on their identities. We're going to reveal one of them after this round of voting ends anyway!" Kim San said, cutting the panel's conversation short.
"Now," he said, his voice ringing in the venue. "Bring out your clickers and vote for the singer whom you think sang better!"
"Press 1 for Pearl Boy…"
…and press 2 for Tongman!"
