When it was finally Jihoon's turn to dive, he stepped onto the platform and Jaeseok, never one to let a moment pass without turning it into television gold, jumped in with his usual grin.
"Our Jihoon-ah has written so many songs! Why don't you sing one for us before you jump?"
Jihoon wrinkled his nose and half-heartedly curled his lip. "
Sing? Me? Hyung… I'm tone-deaf. Born that way. My voice is banned in at least three provinces," he mumbled, clearly trying to wiggle out of the moment.
"YA! Are you kidding me right now?!" Lee Hyori shouted from below, hands on her hips and a skeptical smirk on her face.
"You compose music for a living and you're telling us you're tone-deaf? Don't be ridiculous!"
"You're lying!" Taeyeon chimed in innocently, a bright smile on her face. "You've sung an OST before!"
The air shifted.
Everyone blinked.
"Wait… what?" Jaeseok asked, tilting his head like a confused bird.
"Jihoon sang an OST?!" someone from the boat echoed. Even the crew behind the cameras perked up, whispering excitedly among themselves. This was unexpected. Spontaneous. Ratings gold.
Jihoon closed his eyes and slowly lifted a hand to slap his forehead in despair. Of course Taeyeon would say that. Not out of malice—but because she forgot that some secrets are buried for a reason.
The OST she mentioned wasn't exactly a state secret, but it had been released under anonymity.
A year ago, during the production of Princess Hours, Jihoon had quietly recorded one of the drama's theme songs.
At the time, his vocal ability was… generous, at best. Self-conscious and worried about public backlash, he'd insisted the OST be released with a blank artist credit.
That's right. You could find the song. You could hum the melody. You could even cry to it. But if you looked under "Artist"? Nothing. Just a line. Empty space. As if the singer never existed.
Now, that carefully buried history was clawing its way back to the surface.
Jihoon looked at Taeyeon, who was already panicking. She covered her mouth, her eyes wide with horror, realizing she'd accidentally exposed something he never meant to go public.
"I—I didn't mean it…" she stammered, eyes beginning to glisten.
The set went silent for a beat.
Jaeseok, ever the veteran host, leaned in and whispered under his breath just loud enough for Jihoon to hear, "We'll cut that part out. Don't worry. We'll take care of it in post. Just dive and move on."
Jihoon glanced at him, then at the camera crew, and then down at Taeyeon—who looked ready to start apologizing in three different languages.
Then, with an exaggerated sigh that belonged more on a theater stage than a diving platform, Jihoon dramatically straightened his back, flung one arm toward the sky like he was summoning the gods of musical greatness, and proclaimed.
"Hah! A man as radiant as I am will shine even in the darkest corners of the night—like a firefly with a spotlight! OST or not—my brilliance is destiny!"
The crowd below erupted into laughter at the sheer absurdity of his performance. He wasn't just milking the moment—he was milking the entire cow.
He then turned toward Jaeseok and waved a hand at him with the lofty indifference of a feudal lord dismissing his royal jester.
"Listen, mere human… You don't need to worry about me. Even when I sing off-key, the world still listens. That's the curse of being this iconic."
"You're seriously unbelievable," Hyori muttered, rolling her eyes but clearly fighting back a smile.
"Is he quoting Shakespeare now or auditioning for a K-drama villain?" Daesung asked, squinting at Jihoon like he needed subtitles to keep up.
"JUST JUMP ALREADY!" someone shouted from the boat.
Even Taeyeon, who had been panicking moments earlier about accidentally outing Jihoon's secret OST performance, burst into laughter.
Her hands clutched her face as she laughed in relief—any guilt she had was wiped away by Jihoon's complete lack of shame.
With a mock bow, Jihoon placed one hand over his chest and said, "very well, since you all insist—here's a little something from the vault."
He cleared his throat like a diva preparing for Carnegie Hall.
"I shall now gift you a few humble lines from 'I'm a Fool'—yes, the hidden OST from the drama Princess Hour…."
Jihoon gave a couple of dry coughs to clear his throat, then began to sing his song with a touch of theatrical seriousness:
"I was a fool, I was a fool."
"My regrets were too late too, I know that it can't be turned back."
"I know that I can't see you too."
"I was so wrong, I'm really sorry."
"I didn't get to say then, instead I was just being rotten."
"So I'm here now pleading for forgiveness with worry."
"I'm a fool."
Over the past year, Jihoon's singing had improved by leaps and bounds. No longer the hesitant, off-pitch vocalist he once was, his voice now carried the warmth and emotion of a seasoned performer—easily rivaling many professional singers known for their vocal skills.
The moment he sang just a few lines of the OST, everyone on the boats below went quiet—mesmerized.
Except for Jaeseok and a few close friends who already knew the truth, no one had expected this level of talent from Jihoon.
"It's him! It's really him! It sounds exactly the same!" Park Yejin cried out excitedly. "Every time I watch Princess Hours, I bawl the moment this song plays!"
"Why didn't you put your name on it?" Lee Hyori asked, clearly puzzled. "The song's beautiful."
Jihoon let out an awkward chuckle. "Originally, I just recorded a demo and gave it to Director Hwang Inroe, thinking he'd find a proper singer for it."
"But he refused—he said my version had the exact emotion he was looking for and insisted I sing the OST myself."
He scratched his head, smiling wryly. "Honestly, I couldn't say no. But I was nervous about how the public would react."
"I mean, I write songs, but I don't sing them. So I told them to leave the artist name blank, just in case people didn't like it."
He sighed and added, "Of course, after the song got popular, I realized I'd made the right call. Because the moment people find out I can sing, guess what happens next?"
"Your manager Jaehyun?" Jaeseok guessed.
"Exactly! That man's already foaming at the mouth, waiting to drag me into the studio and force me to drop an album," Jihoon said, shaking his head like a man awaiting execution.
"YA!!" Lee Hyori shouted. "Do you know how many people dream of releasing an album and never get the chance? And you're scared of it?!"
Jihoon shrugged. "Nonna, you promoted an album not long ago, remember? You looked like a dead dog every day from exhaustion. You think I didn't notice it? I may be lazy, but I'm not dumb."
"YA!! How dare you call your nonna a dead dog?!" Hyori shouted again, half laughing and half fuming.
Jihoon puffed up his chest and pointed dramatically from the top of the diving platform. "YA! LEE HYORI! I am currently standing above you on a literal cliff. At this height, I am exempt from honorifics!"
Jaeseok nearly doubled over with laughter, clutching his stomach. The cast below howled in amusement, and even Taeyeon laughed so hard her sheep-horned towel hat collapsed sideways.
"YA! If you have the guts, stay up there!" Hyori hollered, pointing up at him. "But if you come down… you're so dead, Jihoon!"
Jihoon pouted and looked like he wanted to argue again, but common sense kicked in. He realized that the more he talked, the worse the beating later.
"Alright, Jihoon, get ready!" Jaeseok announced, stepping into his MC role.
Jihoon began swinging his arms and legs like an Olympic athlete warming up—except it was obviously just stalling.
"Three! Two! One!" Jaeseok counted down.
Jihoon didn't budge. Still swinging. Still breathing dramatically.
"Three! Two! One! Jump!" Jaeseok shouted again.
Still nothing.
Finally, Jaeseok reached over and gently touched Jihoon's arm—and Jihoon flinched like he'd been electrocuted, nearly collapsing from fright.
Startled, Jaeseok pulled back, and the two stared at each other, both wearing expressions of mutual panic… and ridiculous amusement.
"LEE JIHOON! Can you jump already?!" Jaeseok barked.
"Hyung… I'm scared," Jihoon muttered with a tearful pout.
"I'm scared too!!" Jaeseok whined back. "Can't I just not host this part?! Don't they know I'm afraid of heights?!"
Jihoon peeked down toward the boats. "Hyung, is not about the height that I'm scared of… Look at Hyori noona down there. She's sitting like a crocodile, waiting to kill me the second I land!"
Right on cue, Hyori opened her mouth and mimed snapping her jaws, sending everyone into another round of laughter.
"Ahh, Jihoon-ah… It's such a waste that you're not doing variety full-time," Jaeseok muttered, shaking his head. "Okay! Last chance. Three! Two! One!"
But Jihoon didn't have time to jump.
Before he could even brace himself, Jaeseok planted a strong kick on his backside and sent him flying off the platform.
"OK! Next one!" Jaeseok announced like it was a regular routine.
Jihoon hit the water with a splash, flailing wildly. He couldn't swim, and for a brief moment, panic surged through him.
Fortunately, the life jacket kept him afloat, and nearby staff quickly helped him onto the boat.
But as soon as he reached the edge, he saw her—Lee Hyori—standing with a sweet smile that masked her evil intent.
Jihoon hesitated.
He grabbed the edge of the boat, trying to pull himself up. But just as he was about to climb, thump!—Hyori's foot met his forehead.
Every time he tried again, her foot found a new creative angle to block him.
After several failed attempts, Jihoon clung to the hovercraft like a sea otter and looked up at her with puppy eyes.
"Noona… my lovely, charming noona… I have truly, deeply repented. Please have mercy."
Hyori squatted down, grinning, clearly enjoying her power.
After teasing him just enough for the camera to catch it all, she finally stepped aside and let Jihoon clamber aboard, soaked, humbled, and hilariously defeated.
The boat rocked with laughter as he collapsed onto the deck.
[Author's Note: Heartfelt thanks to Wandererlithe, JiangXiu, Daoist098135 and Daoistadj for bestowing the power stone!]