Fortunately, the production crew allowed June to make a last-minute change to his song.
They were a bit hesitant at first since it had already been coordinated with the rest of the team. However, June pleaded with them with the googly eyes pasted on his head and was able to convince them in the end.
Right now, Guitarman was being interviewed by Kim San, who was praising him nonstop. The panel also appeared to love his performance, wondering how he was able to keep producing iconic stages for the past ten weeks.
June looked at his reflection through a window, nodding to himself.
Guitarman was going to be tough to beat.
However, June reassured himself that he was able to topple great giants in his past, and he wasn't afraid to do the same thing to Guitarman.
As San continued interviewing Guitarman, June practiced the song, muttering the lyrics under his breath. He didn't get to practice the song that much; however, he believed this could also be his strength.
"It's okay…"
With that short utterance, Fu once again appeared before him.
[Congratulations! Your vocal hard work points have reached a hundred.]
[You are now eligible for an upgrade.]
[Vocals: +1]
[Current grade: SSS]
June's eyebrows raised in surprise. Finally, after months of practicing by himself, he was able to upgrade his vocal skills to the highest tier. Not only that, but he did it right before the most important performance of the night, too.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Maybe his luck was improving after all.
However, his smile quickly dropped when he realized that he also had an impending upgrade for his vocal skills once he took the throne from Guitarman.
Does that mean that Fu didn't believe he could beat Guitarman?
Or…does it mean anything else?
"Tongman? You have been called on stage," a crew member said.
June snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, following after him to go to the stage.
He was surprised when he saw that Kim San and Guitarman were still there.
"There he is!" San exclaimed. "You have been summoned by Guitarman. This is the first time he's done this for the past ten weeks."
Tongman stood beside Guitarman and bowed deeply in respect.
"I'm a fan," June sincerely said through the distorted microphone.
Guitarman, too, bowed to him. "I am, too. The last two performances have been mind-blowing."
The people watched in awe as the two talented singers conversed right before their eyes.
"The aura right now is amazing," San said, also feeling it.
"I'm curious, though. Why did you call Tongman up the stage?" San asked.
Guitarman chuckled into the microphone. "I guess I just want to wish him good luck. Honestly, I felt like it's been a while since I've faced a worthy opponent, so I called him here."
"That is such a great compliment for Tongman," San said, patting Tongman's back.
"And aside from that," Guitarman continued. "I had been on this show for a long time now, ten weeks to be specific."
"Are you saying that you're ready to pass the baton to Tongman?" Kim San asked.
Guitarman confidently chuckled.
"Of course not," he responded. "What I'm trying to say is that he might be great, but I'm going to protect this title for a long time. I believe he needs more time and practice before he could beat me."
"Oooh," the audience exclaimed, loving the heated, competitive atmosphere that Guitarman had created.
"What do you have to say about that, Tongman?" San asked, instigating the competition even more.
Tongman hovered his lips above the microphone.
"Thank you for patiently holding onto the title for ten weeks," June started off. "Now, it's time for it to go to its rightful owner."
"Ooooh," the audience once again exclaimed.
"Oh," Guitarman said, turning to Tongman. "So, you believe you can beat me with your current skills?"
"I do," Tongman said, knowing that his vocal stats were now at par with the person behind the guitar-shaped mask.
"And aside from that," June continued. "I'll be using what you've taught me, sir. You shouldn't have imparted such knowledge to me."
Guitarman tilted his head to the side. Meanwhile, the panel, audience, and even the host were all confused as well. They started murmuring to themselves, wondering what Tongman was talking about.
"Tongman," San started off. "Are you saying that you know who Guitarman is?"
Tongman nodded without hesitation.
Gasps were heard in the venue as they started speculating about the relationship between the two. Guitarman placed his hand over his chest, taken aback and becoming even more curious about who Tongman was.
San chuckled when he noticed Guitarman's reaction. "Well, it seems like Guitarman didn't expect it, too."
"You know me?" Guitarman asked. "Are you sure?"
"Why don't you tell him something right now, Tongman?" San asked.
June smirked and walked over to Guitarman, placing his microphone down so it would not pick up his words.
"Prepare to pack your bags…master," June whispered.
At that moment, Guitarman froze, finally realizing who the person behind the Tong mask was.
He pointed at Tongman, still in disbelief.
"It's you, huh?" Guitarman said into the mic.
The people were amazed by the situation. The production crew, too, already imagined their ratings going through the roof.
"Omo, they actually know each other."
"What the heck? Why did he put his microphone down? I wanted to hear what he said."
"I can't believe this is happening right before my eyes."
"Ah, I'm so curious about who Tongman is!"
"This is crazy," Kim San said with wide eyes. "Who would have thought that you two knew each other? What can you say about this now, Guitarman?"
Guitarman shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips right underneath the mask.
"It's been a while," he said. "You've gotten more confident since the last time I saw you. You've also improved on singing too. I guess I expected nothing less after what I've shared with you."
Tongman bowed in gratitude.
"Goodness," San said. "This just makes me more curious now. Anyway, I know that you can't wait—I know I can't."
"So, without further ado, let's head to Tongman's last performance of the night!"
