Novel Full Chapter 994: Karaoke King
Chapter 994: Karaoke King
– Get June out of there, please!
– He lost two consecutive games.
– Please let this third game work in his favor <3.
– My kitty hasn’t eaten anything except for the gummies that Jumi had bought!
“Welcome to the third game,” the producer said. They were inside one of the rooms in the castle now-one that looked like a theater.
A dramatic background track of trumpets played, and the cast members, already in their respective costumes, exchanged looks. June glanced at his “servant” partners, Bangsoo and Shinchan, both dressed in oversized rags with frayed edges, like something from an old- fashioned peasant drama.
They’d all been hoping to escape their role as servants, but the last game -a glamourized rock, paper, scissors that involved money- had not gone in their favor.
Now, here they were, stuck as servants for yet another round.
Eunho, standing with his group, the so-called ‘Children of the Kingdom,’ looked over at them with amusement.
“Look at you three,” he teased. “Bangsoo and Shinchan look like they’re the comic relief in some medieval sitcom, but June… You look like the lost prince forced to serve them.”
The others laughed, and Bangsoo sighed. “Third time! I’m just doing my job!”
Shinchan glanced at the two of them and made a loud noise.
“What now?” Bangsoo asked.
“I looked at June for a second, then at you. I got scared,” he admitted.
Bangsoo clicked his tongue and acted like he was going to hit Shinchan.
“It’s not like you’re any better!” he exclaimed. “I get scared whenever we meet.”
June shook his head at his teammates.
“The third game is entitled ‘Karaoke King,”” the producer introduced, making the cast even more confused.
Jisung turned to June with wide eyes. “Is this the part where you’re going to turn everything around?” he asked.
Ren crossed his arms in front of his chest. “How is this a game based on luck?”
The cast members were thinking the same thing.
“This is a skill game!” Jumi exclaimed. “It’s not about luck at all.”
“It kind of is,” Eunho said, chuckling. “Sometimes, even bad singers get more scores. It’s kind of a roulette.”
The producer cleared his throat and didn’t heed their complaints. Instead, he relayed the instructions.
“You’ll all be singing up until the chorus of your chosen song. Each of you will get an individual score, but we’ll also average each team’s scores. The team with the highest average score will win a little extra spending money for lunch!”
Shinchan’s face lit up. “Does that mean we can buy meat if we win?”
“You could buy anything you want if you have enough. But don’t forget – this is also an individual game. So, while you’ll be working with your teammates, your solo performances will determine your final rankings. Got it?”
“This works in June’s favor!” Rowoon exclaimed. “He’s a great singer.”
“Ah, you’re right,” Jaeduck said. “I haven’t heard him sing live before, though.”
“Wait,” Jumi said, tilting her head to the side. “June is a singer?”
The cast members and guests laughed. “Goodness, you really only care about what you like. June is originally an idol. He just acted on the side,” Eunho said.
Jumi scratched the back of her neck. “Well, I didn’t know that.”
The teams were set: the servants team with June, Shinchan, and Bangsoo; the pig pen boys with Jeewoo and Rowoon; the royal guards with Niki and Jaeduck; and the children of the kingdom led by Eunho and Jumi.
“I’ll go first,” Bangsoo said. “I need to sing when I’m not yet nervous.”
The rest of the cast burst into applause as Bangsoo stepped forward. He grabbed the microphone, cleared his throat dramatically, and struck a pose that could only be described as exaggerated confidence.
The instrumental began, and Bangsoo sang-if you could call it that. From the very first note, it was clear that singing was not among Bangsoo’s talents. He was off-key, his voice cracking every few words, and he missed the rhythm entirely. The cast members were clutching their sides, struggling to contain their laughter.
“Is he serious?” Jumi whispered, wide-eyed, as she stifled a laugh.
“Oh, he’s serious,” Shinchan confirmed.
As Bangsoo hit the chorus-or rather, stumbled into it-the entire room was in fits of laughter. Even June couldn’t contain it.
Jaeduck and Jeewoo were covering their ears, Eunho was doubled over, tears of laughter streaming down his face, and Jumi was hiding behind a cushion, peeking out in horror.
Finally, the music stopped, and Bangsoo struck a triumphant pose.
“Thank you, thank you,” he said, bowing as if he’d just completed a sold-out concert. The cast gave him an enthusiastic round of sarcastic applause.
Bangsoo watched with a hopeful expression as the numbers popped up on the screen. His score was 70 points.
“Seventy!” Shinchan exclaimed, clutching his chest like he’d been struck. “That’s… so much worse than I thought!”
Bangsoo looked slightly defeated but shrugged it off. “Hey, seventy’s not bad! It’s still a passing grade!”
“No, it’s really not,” Eunho deadpanned, earning another round of laughter.
Next up was Eunho, representing the higher rankings. The room quieted as he took the microphone, his easy confidence showing. With a voice as smooth as butter,
Eunho sang his song with ease. He was a singer, after all.
As he hit the chorus, everyone was nodding in admiration. June, too, was impressed. When Eunho finished, there was a moment of silence, followed by loud applause and cheers.
“Now that’s how you sing,” Jumi said, giving Eunho a thumbs-up.
The score flashed on the screen: 95 points.
“Oh, come on!” Bangsoo groaned. “How am I supposed to compete with that?”
“You don’t,” Jaeduck teased. “Just leave it to the professionals.”
The game continued, with each cast member bringing their own uniqueness to their songs. Shinchan’s performance, though earnest, was nearly as rough as Bangsoo’s, earning him only 77 points. The others weren’t much better, with Jaeduck getting 85 and Jeewoo surprising everyone with a solid 88. Each new score flashed on the screen, sparking cheers, groans, and
laughter.
Finally, it was June’s turn. As he stepped forward, his teammates cheered him on with a new wave of enthusiasm.
“Come on, June! Show them what a real idol sounds like!” Bangsoo hollered, his hands cupped around his mouth. “You’re our only chance!”
June had really shitty luck.
However, singing? That was one of his strongest feats.
“Let’s show them,” he muttered just as the song began.