Chapter 32

Don't hold back.

The name of our group has been finalized as Teorra (TEORRA). They said the logo was immediately created.

An abstractly expressed tree, right? No matter how I looked at it, it was a polygon that didn't look like a tree at all. The only thing I could recognize was a straight line representing the earth, which crossed the word "TEORRA" horizontally. Thanks to the straight line, the O looked like a rice cake, making it quite unique.

Overall, it received positive reviews. It didn't seem like it would look outdated over time. Most importantly, it resonated with the members. Everyone was satisfied.

We finalized the parts that we had roughly divided earlier after completing the arrangement. It wasn't much different from the initial distribution I had set up. The producer was impressed.

"You've done a great job with the part distribution. There's nothing for me to change."

"I paid special attention to it."

From the beginning, I made sure there was no bias in the members' parts. Each member needed a portion to showcase their individuality. None of the members lacked talent.

As the main vocalist, I took the high-pitched parts. When it wasn't my part, I supported from the back as a backup vocalist. Oran, the lead vocalist with a beautiful voice, had impeccable singing skills that fit well anywhere. He served as a link between the members.

Chorok, the main dancer, had a clear and refreshing concept, making him perfect for the title track. Parkha's voice, with its unique tone, could serve as a highlight.

Jion, the main rapper, had a distinctive flow but was quite restrained in this song. He softened his diction and left space in the lyrics. Seohun, the lead rapper, blended well with the song with a style closer to singing rap.

Each member had different ways of expressing their charm and unique features. I had been observing the members closely, which had a significant impact on the songwriting.

I wanted to bring out more than their abilities, but I couldn't, which was frustrating. I was still a beginner in songwriting... This was the best I could do for now. My ideal was higher, but my ability couldn't keep up.

Since the lyrics were all done, we started singing them to the music, making small adjustments to any parts that sounded off or lacked rhythm.

"Ewon, I had a dream last night. The lyrics fit perfectly. There was a giant tree as big as an apartment building, and under it were five fruits. Inside the fruits, you guys were there. The fruits, which were like eggs or seeds, broke, and you were born one by one. Then you called me 'hyung.' I guess I was the oldest even in the dream. Haha."

"It sounds like a music video plot."

We have a world view where we are a new human race after a catastrophe. If we moved the background to a fantasy setting, this could be the story. Our group name also means earth, and the logo has a tree. It seemed to fit well.

When I told the manager, he said it would be reflected in the background setting of the world view.

"Ah, the lyrics need to be slightly changed."

The lyrics didn't change much, but the completion level improved significantly.

Arrangement complete. Lyrics complete. The next schedule was recording. The members practiced their parts repeatedly. Seohun even mumbled his rap in his sleep. If he hadn't done just one verse, he would have been tortured all night.

We were also on a diet, which became stricter as the day of the camera shoot approached. It felt like a conspiracy to make us look like sticks. None of us were particularly chubby.

When we complained, the staff said we were better off than other idols.

"You guys are taking it easy with your diet. The girls almost starve themselves."

That's ridiculous. If the diet was any stricter, it would threaten our lives. We need to look good on camera, so we have to diet, but...

"And there are even leaner male idols than you. Our company doesn't push the diet as much. Some people don't like it when idols are too thin."

"Things have improved recently. Fans are more concerned about the health of idols. But we still need to lose weight."

To capture the public's attention, we had to meet the standards of beauty. In this era of a flood of idols, appearance is a significant competitive advantage.

I resented the camera that made us look wider. Why couldn't it make us look slimmer? Was it expensive and couldn't be changed? I had my doubts, but we were in a subordinate position and had to follow.

Chorok, the big eater, seemed to struggle with the small amount of salad he was given.

"I didn't eat lunch. Why am I the only one left out?"

He had just eaten a minute ago and was now denying it. I understood. The amount was small for me too, so it probably didn't even register with Chorok.

Especially Seohun, who was trying to lose muscle mass. He was tall and broad-shouldered, so if his muscles were too big, his clothes wouldn't fit well.

Moreover, he would look like an athlete rather than a refreshing idol. To lose muscle, he had to stop exercising, but Seohun, who was addicted to exercise, suffered from withdrawal.

"My body feels heavy. Guilt is overwhelming me. I feel like I need to exercise..."

Seohun eventually became depressed. The members kept hovering around him, trying to cheer him up and encourage him. Parkha gently teased Seohun, but Seohun, annoyed, told them to go away.

"Get lost! Seohun said! It's shocking! I trusted Seohun, and he got mad at me. Sob sob."

Parkha pretended to cry dramatically.

"When did I...?"

Seohun, flustered, eventually apologized to Parkha.

It was an exaggeration to say he was angry, but there was a hint of irritation in his words.

We learned a new fact. If you want to see Seohun angry, prevent him from exercising.

He was already sensitive, so if we pushed him further, he would definitely snap. We decided not to take the risk.

They say it's scarier when a calm person gets angry. The anger gauge fills up much faster when he can't exercise. We had to be careful.

* * *

The day of the recording arrived.

I arrived at the recording studio first and waited for the members with the producer. The producer suggested I observe the entire recording process since I composed the song.

Previously, when we recorded, the engineer handled everything, and I only learned how to operate the equipment by watching over his shoulder. This time, I had the chance to learn properly.

The song we were recording today was the title track of our debut album. I had to put in a lot of effort.

The members who were recording for the first time pretended to be calm but were frozen with tension.

The camera brought by the manager probably contributed to this. The manager said we needed to get used to the camera and followed us around. The camera seemed to be on, but there was no mention of it being for an official video.

Was it for practice? It would be difficult for the manager, who wasn't a professional, to keep the camera steady.

"Will your voices come out properly if you're all so tense? Why don't Ewon record first while you relax?"

Following the producer's suggestion, I entered the recording booth first. The members gathered behind the producer, watching me like meerkats.

Parkha and Seohun were visibly tense. Jion pretended not to be and held his head high. Oran sat on the sofa, crossing his legs and smiling, with one corner of his mouth twitching. Chorok took a deep breath.

I was in the booth, but the members were trembling on my behalf. That's why I wasn't nervous. I took a deep breath and put on the headphones.

I followed the producer's instructions calmly, repeating parts I didn't like. I wasn't satisfied, so I continued recording even when the producer said it was good.

When I came out of the booth, quite some time had passed.

"I thought you'd finish in one go. You picked the most picky person."

The producer shook his head, seemingly exasperated. I wondered what he was trying to achieve with that stamina.

"Why did you keep redoing it? What was different?"

Parkha approached and asked, saying it all sounded the same to her.

"I thought I could do better."

"Producer! Will we be directed by Ewon when we go in there?"

"Hmm? I was planning to do that."

"We're in trouble! A picky producer has appeared!"

Parkha backed away and made a fuss, clinging to the other members and pointing at me. The other members weren't particularly scared. Except for Jion, none of them had recorded before. Only Jion seemed to have a vague idea of what was to come.

"Try your best. Then it will be over quickly."

"Wow, what a manipulator."

I sat next to the producer and joined in the directing.

"You're doing well. You're not even nervous."

"No, take out the third one. The pitch was unstable in the middle. Try a few more times. Oran can do better than this."

One of the samples for the doubling slightly bothered me. My ears were much more sensitive than others. I realized this after handling various instruments. The teachers who taught me violin and piano were all surprised by this.

The producer, with his long experience, directed clearly and quickly. However, he didn't set the bar too high.

In terms of efficiency, the producer's directing was suitable. It would be hard to notice the differences in the audio unless you were like me.

But I couldn't settle for that. It was our first album, and my ears wouldn't allow it.

"Producer, you don't have to hold back. You can demand as much as you want from us."

"Huh?"

"Even if it takes two days, three days, or a week, push us to the limit."

"...Huh? What did you say?"

"Wasn't it hard for you? Many people couldn't keep up with your directing, so you had to lower your standards. But this time, you don't have to."

"Um, yeah. I, I'm at the top, um, right there."

The producer, with his scruffy beard, cleared his throat a few times. Maybe he was a smoker. It could also be the dust in the recording studio.

I opened the water bottle I brought and took a drink. A singer's voice is the most important. I was particularly thorough with voice management, and the dust in the recording studio was starting to bother me.

"...Ahem. Shall we try it two more times?"

The producer said to Oran. Oran, who was inside, answered and prepared to record again. His chest rose and fell as if he was taking a deep breath.

The members outside the booth were staring at me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I tilted my head, and the members started making a fuss.

"Devil! Tyrant! Ahhhhhh!"

"Innocent face, trick. You're the worst producer I've ever seen."

Parkha ran around the small recording studio, making crying sounds, and Jion briefly complained.

Raising the recording standards would be tough, but the quality would improve, right? I thought everyone would be happy.

"Ewon isn't just a genius for nothing. This level of determination is admirable. Be prepared, comrades..."

"From today, the strongest among us is Ewon. I'm the leader, but I can't oppose this. I'm sorry..."

The members made a fuss for a moment but that was it. They didn't ask me to go easy on them. They didn't complain. During the repeated recordings, they silently followed the directing. The sky gradually darkened.

As we left the recording studio together, the producer muttered something. He said it would be noticeable on a few billion-dollar speakers.

I felt a sense of accomplishment and left the recording studio with relief.