"So, this was why you needed me for lessons, huh?" a familiar woman asked from behind June, causing him to turn around and chuckle once he saw her.
"And this was why you couldn't see me for two weeks?" June retorted.
"Probably for more weeks now. I think I'll be able to beat you today."
"I hope you do," June sighed.
"And I will," she confidently said.
She walked over to where June was and patted his back. "I knew it was you the moment I heard you sing during the third round last week. At first, I couldn't believe it since you had improved so fast. However, I just knew you were one of my students."
"You must be proud, Magic Mama," June chuckled.
Magic Mama also chuckled in amusement. "Well, of course, I'm happy. That just means that I've been an effective teacher. However, I feel that you're taking vocal lessons with somebody else. How can you improve so fast?"
"It's just you and me," June said.
[...and me.]
"Do you think you'll be able to beat me?" she asked.
June didn't hesitate to shake his head. He had already beaten one of his mentors last week. He doesn't think he could beat Magic Mama with his current skills. For June, she might just be the best singer in the entire world.
"And I'm happy because of it," June said. "I'm going to take a good rest after all of this is over."
"The voting finally finishes!"
The two of them heard Kim San announce from the stage.
"May I now call our last standing contestants up to the stage?" he asked.
Magic Mama and June went up to the stage, the lights immediately shining down upon them. In the dark stage, the two of them shone brightly, the spotlight going back and forth to intensify the moment.
- I voted for Mommyriffic!
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})- I love Tongman so much, but I'm dying of curiosity. Sorry, Tongman. I'll support you even if you aren't Tongman anymore.
- We have the same thought. I like him a lot, but I also have to give it up to Mommyriffic. I genuinely think she did a better job.
"Who did you vote for?" Jisung asked.
"Mommyriffic," all of the members said.
Jisung gasped as if he had been betrayed, even standing from his seat as he pointed at all of his members.
"You're not going to support our ever-loving brother, June?" he exclaimed.
They didn't respond to Jisung's question, making him feel even more betrayed.
"Even you, Casper?" Jisung asked in disbelief.
Casper chuckled. "June asked me not to vote for him."
"Me too."
"Me three."
"Yeah, he said he didn't want to be on the show anymore."
The others started agreeing.
Jisung frowned in confusion.
"How come he didn't tell me?" Jisung asked.
"Because you would have voted for him anyway," Zeth deadpanned.
Jisung was about to argue, but he quickly shut his mouth.
They definitely weren't lying. He was June's biggest fan, and he would have supported him until the end.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})However, the people watching the show in the stadium and in the comfort of their own homes and seemed to have a collective agreement. As much as they loved Tongman as a character, their curiosity for his real identity overpowered such fondness, causing them to vote for Mommyriffic.
"And the 'Disguised' for our very first live show is…"
"Mommyriffic!" Kim San exclaimed, making the stadium erupt into cheers.
They were cheering for two reasons—one, because they thought Mommyriffic genuinely deserved it, and two, because it meant they were finally going to see the face behind the Tongman mask.
Meanwhile, June internally celebrated since he didn't have to prepare for another stage next week on top of their other schedules.
Mommyriffic took her position on the throne while Tongman stayed on the stage. The people murmured excitedly among themselves, preparing for Tongman's identity reveal.
- Goodness. I've been thinking about this for the entire week.
- I can't believe I'm finally going to see him.
- I have a feeling that the person behind Tongman is going to be the next big thing.
- Until now, his identity has been a mystery to me. I can't even tell how old he is!
"Ah, we've come to the most awaited moment of the night," Kim San said.
The cheers became even louder, arguably the loudest cheers of the night. It was bizarre since they didn't even react this way in the other performances. However, just with the thought of Tongman's identity, the venue turned into a frenzy.
"Tongman, please reveal yourself to the audience!"
June smirked and turned around, where his face wasn't seen by any of the audience members. Then, he started removing his mask as the excitement escalated in the stadium.
He felt sweat forming on his temples, and he was sure that his hair would come out as a mess. He ran his fingers through his hair, the mere action sending the people into delusions.
- He's blonde. Goodness.
- His back is handsome now. How come I haven't noticed before?
- Guys, that doesn't look like a middle-aged man's back.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})- I'm going crazy. My mom is thinking of sending me to an asylum.
Mimi felt her heart race inside her chest since she knew her assumptions were right. She glanced at Jihyun and saw her with a perplexed expression, probably still wondering who he truly was.
Then, it happened.
Tongman finally turned around.
And at that moment, all hell broke loose.
Standing on the stage was June in all of his glory. His blonde, almost white hair glistened under the stage lights. It was messy yet attractive at the same time. His eyes, almost watery, appeared innocent yet strong. Moreover, his lips were bitten red because he hadn't gotten to putting any lip balm all throughout the show.
The cameraman did a great job focusing on his face and flashing it on the big screen, making the audience exclaim in amazement.
- Wow. Just wow.
- June? Is this really my baby June?
- I think I saw this guy on a TV show before. He looked good back then, but he looks amazing now.
- June? I haven't seen him since Rising Stars.
- Who is this fine young man?
- I don't need a tong anymore. I need him.
- I'm going feral. I might actually go to an asylum at this point.
Cindy turned back and looked at Jia with wide eyes. However, Jia already knew. She had a smirk on her face as the people around her started raving about June.
Jihyun, on the other hand, couldn't believe what she was seeing. The fluttery feelings she had during Rising Stars came back to her like a landslide.
She was starting to forget about June because they hadn't seen each other in a long time; however, it felt like her progress went back to zero once she saw him on the big screen.
Then, she turned to Mimi, her face ghastly pale.
"My husband's in trouble."
