Finale (2)

Kim Seo-jun began by playing the opening piano verse. His playing was as amatuer as his voice, and Kim So-yeon slightly frowned when he began to sing. 

"Dearest, darling, my universe

Would you take me along?

To a place I can't dream

With my poor imagination…"

Kim So-yeon wanted to hear Reggie, or at the very least Baek Du-Ho. Her picks were some of the only that could hold a proper note. Most of the contestants were very dance-oriented, and Kim So-yeon was a fan of vocalists more so than dancers, hence her love for Joon-woo and Mi Yong. 

As if her prayers were answered, Baek Du-Ho picked up the microphone. Though he specialized in rap, his voice was pleasant to the ears in lower tones.

"Far away in the universe from Earth to Mars

Will you please go with me?

Wherever it may be, an old loneliness

In search of its antonym–"

Kim So-yeon nodded. That's how you hold a half-decent note, Kim Seo-jun. 

The next couple verses, including the chorus and the pre- and post- choruses were sung with the weak vocals of the two other contestants who Kim So-yeon hadn't cared enough about to remember. She knew they specialized in various dance styles, and that was all. 

She had her eyes on Reggie and only Reggie.

So when Reggie picked up the mic after a long minute, she jumped up with the squeal of a fan girl. Truly, she was. 

"Give me a lovelier kiss, lover

Love is all, love is all

Love, lovе, love, love"

Kim So-yeon didn't only become a small fan of Reggie because of his friendship to Joon-woo. She thought his vocal and Korean improvement were that of a genius. 

Reggie's vocals in the beginning of the show caught no one's eyes. His dance was praised by other contestants and teachers. He was just like the other contestants who could barely sing. But then he improved wildly. And whether that improvement is because of Joon-woo's help, Reggie still improved tenfold. 

His voice rang in her ears nicely, though it was still a bit undertrained. All it spoke to Kim So-yeon, is that Reggie had much room to get even better. 

She didn't have enough time to savor the sounds of Reggie's voice before a long excerpt of piano cut through. In the original song, it was violin. But due to the nature challenge, it was piano. 

Kim Seo-jun couldn't control his cringing expressions whenever he tripped over a note, which he did a few times. Kim So-yeon rolled her eyes. She wanted her Reggie to sing again, not this amatuer piano player. 

Other than a few slip ups though, a lack of practice was evident in the hesitence along Kim Seo-jun's fingers. 

His fans spammed the chat with praise and all Kim So-yeon could do was roll her eyes. 

seo-jun solos ur fav

Yessssssss 

so talented oppaaaa

omg ya'll wish your favs were this talented. 

Kim So-yeon shook her head. These same viewers were probably part of the crowd that thought Joon-woo to be overrated. She knew they would be silenced whenever Joon-woo played the guitar. 

After an ear bleeding piano segment, Reggie stepped up the mic again, and Kim So-yeon couldn't've been more overjoyed. 

"In the еnd, even though

How is it us?

For us?"

His voice was soft and cracked with youth. Kim So-yeon smiled at the embarrassment that crossed Reggie's face for a moment. The chat exploded.

Awwwwww 💗💗💗💗💗💗

Reggie you're so cuteeee

noona loves you so much

Reggie pls debut 💗💗💗

💗💗💗Reggie lee💗💗💗

"Run away from the world, run on

Go to the end with me, my lover

Will it be a bad ending for us two, gone astray? Mm~"

The voices of the no-names rang. Really, Kim So-yeon cared only about her favs. But she knew the bridge was coming up, and she hoped at least Baek Du-Ho would be the one to sing it. It was a bridge that didn't yet fall into Reggie's vocal capabilities. Baek Du-Ho had the strongest vocals, in terms of this song. She knew Reggie with more training could surpass the rapper, but as of now, Baek Du-Ho was the stronger vocalist. 

But to her surprise, Baek Du-Ho never stepped to his mic, Kim Seo-jun did.

"I slowly film you with my eyes

Please make a serene smile once again

As we hovered slowly

In the night of that day

Will you courageously set with me?

Destroy me slowly and chilly, ruiner

I want to get sad with you, my lover–"

–And Kim Seo-jun got the entire bridge. Not Reggie, not Baek Du-Ho, not the other ones, but Kim Seo-jun. His voice was a bit untrained, but overall had a nice tone. Kim Seo-jun had no excuse like Reggie though. The man was already 22 and he had been a trainee for about nine years as stated in an interview. Reggie was only in his second year as a trainee, and specialized in dance. 

My ears lmaooooooo

💗💗💗Seo-jun oppa💗💗💗💗💗💗Seo-jun oppa💗💗💗

💗💗💗Seo-jun oppa💗💗💗💗💗💗Seo-jun oppa💗💗

noona loves you seo junnie!!!!!!

💗💗💗💗💗

Kim So-yeon sighed heavily, feeling a bit petty when Baek Du-Ho only stepped up for the very last chorus of the song. 

"Run away from necessity, run on

Go to the end with me, my lover

Two of us, side by side, gone astray on purpose

Crush me in your arms

Give me a lovelier kiss, lover

Our love wins all, love wins all

Love, love, love, love~"

The lines were split between Reggie and Baek Du-Ho. Both of them harmonized at certain points. Their voices slightly clashed, but found solace after a second or so of adjustment. 

Kim So-yeon still jumped up as the performance came to an end. 

Briefly, the cameras flashed to the other contestants. They were all clapping with small smiles. She looked for Joon-woo and Mi Yong and found them with seemingly happy expressions. Then, the camera fell on Misa and FYP. 

By now, the group had stepped ahead of their microphones and gathered towards the front of the stage, awaiting their review. 

The first judges reaction was FYP taking a big sigh.