Chapter 94

**Draft (2)**

When I think of the feelings that come to mind when I recall Hyeon, the genius cat I met by fate, it's a song that expresses those emotions.

The song is titled 'Hyeon No. 3,' but it has no lyrics yet. The elegant progression, mainly featuring piano, makes it closer to a New Age genre.

Although there are repetitive sections, the song is nine minutes long. After writing it, I realized how much I wanted to tell about Hyeon, which made me feel a bit embarrassed.

I had only intended to let Hyeon hear this song...

"Did you plan to bury this song?"

It wasn't a song I wanted to bury. I just thought it wasn't ready for public release yet.

"It's a good song, but it needs some polishing."

"A warm spring day, sitting in the shade outdoors, feeling drowsy as a gentle breeze blows by?"

"......!"

How did he know? I had never told anyone, but I did imagine such a scene while composing. I wanted to lie down with Hyeon on a hammock and take a nap.

Seohun's sensitive nature allowed him to read the short musings from just the sequence of notes. It was amazing.

"I composed it while imagining something similar. It's incredible that the intent was conveyed. It's rare to find someone who can read my thoughts so well."

"Really? It's an honor to receive praise from you, Iwon."

Seohun's innocent smile made me feel as if a benevolent halo was emanating from him.

"Iwon! Did you let Hyeon hear this song?"

"Not yet?"

"I know because I'm a professional online butler that cats would like this song!"

Is there really a difference between professional and amateur online butlers?

Pak insisted that we should bring Hyeon right away. So, I decided to bring Hyeon to the studio and show him around.

Since we would spend a lot of time in the studio in the future, it would be nice if he could come here with us. Of course, if Hyeon prefers to roll around in his room, there's nothing we can do.

"I'll be back. You can play any song on the laptop."

Hyeon isn't close to the other members, so I had to bring him myself. If someone else went, he would hide without looking back.

* * *

The studio and the dorm are close, so it took less than 10 minutes to run there, bring Hyeon, and walk back slowly.

When I asked if he wanted to come to the studio, Hyeon immediately went into the carrier, which saved time. At this point, I began to doubt whether Hyeon was really the Einstein of cats.

"Hyeon, I brought you...?"

I was about to announce that I had brought Hyeon when I opened the door, but the members were already engaged in a heated discussion around my laptop.

"Ham Iwon, you were planning to bury such treasure-like songs? You're a goose that lays golden eggs without even knowing it."

Seohun burst out laughing at Olan's unexpected comment. Laughing there would make Olan's words seem true.

"H21 Violin Etude No. 5? What, you even wrote a violin etude?"

I created it to warm up my hands with a single piece. It was a melody-less song made solely to loosen up stiff hands.

"A few songs have a very experimental feel. Our album is quite commercial, isn't it?"

It was enough that Chorok recognized it. Even though I submitted it for experience, I agonized over every note for our debut album, especially regarding commercial appeal.

"That's true. I've seen Iwon's playlist, and he doesn't stick to one genre."

I can proudly call myself an omnivorous music listener. This means there's a good chance of producing fresh songs, but on the other hand, a slight deviation can make me seem ahead of my time.

Balancing this is my homework. Will I naturally develop a sense as I continue my idol activities?

"I've decided. I want this one."

Surely, the song Ji-on chose isn't the one currently playing in the studio? I thought he mainly used boom-bap and trap beats for rapping. This etude is bizarre to the general public.

"...Really that one?"

"Iwon, are you here? If you're here, make some noise."

Who are these people who got so absorbed in the conversation that they didn't notice my presence?

Instead of responding, I opened the cat carrier and tapped my knee twice while sitting on the sofa.

Hyeon immediately came out and settled on my thigh, causing the members to exclaim in amazement.

"Can we train him? Cats are capricious animals, right?"

Pak, who has always wanted to keep a cat, was about to study Hyeon, who defied his common sense.

"Hyeon is a genius cat."

I haven't tried it, but if I tap his shoulder, he might climb onto it. Pak, who had been listening to the seniors, subtly took out a treat.

"Hyeon~ Can you come to my lap? I'll give you a treat. Okay?"

Since Hyeon is so good at understanding, the members treat him like a child. He is definitely not an ordinary cat.

Meow!

The cry was sharp. Pak seemed to understand the rejection and lowered his conditions.

"Then just eat the treat. That's fine, right?"

Hyeon climbed down from my thigh, ate the treat, and quickly returned. Even after giving the treat, Pak was in despair.

Since Hyeon only follows me, the members' desire to challenge him grows every day.

"I don't have a cat..."

Leaving the dejected Pak, I turned to Ji-on.

"Ji-on, are you really asking for this etude? You want to rap to this song?"

"Yeah. I think I can do a rap that breaks stereotypes."

The unpredictable pitch and length, and the unfamiliar progression, would break stereotypes but also shatter the listeners' peace.

There's a reason I haven't played it much.

"Do you really have to use this song?"

"I'm already hooked."

Can I persuade Ji-on to change his mind? It would be more efficient to find a compromise in that time.

"Then I'll polish it and give it to you."

I'll probably have to rewrite it, but it's part of the polishing process.

"Iwon! You said you'd let Hyeon hear a song. 'Hyeon No. 3'!"

Right. I brought Hyeon to play the piano for him, but I got distracted. With six members, it's a common occurrence.

"Since this is the first song Hyeon will hear, I'll play it for him. Hyeon, sit here and listen."

To fulfill Pak's wish, I placed Hyeon on Pak's thigh.

Meow?

Although he didn't like it, Hyeon found a comfortable position and curled up, as if he would tolerate it once.

Pak stroked Hyeon carefully, as if he were a delicate sugar decoration, and I sat at the piano.

Since my grand piano is at home due to space constraints in the studio, I played on an acoustic piano today.

'Hyun No. 3' is a song I composed by hand, following the musical ideas that came to mind without any instruments or programs, so I had memorized it all. However, I decided to play it without being bound by the sheet music.

If I perform with Hyeon as the audience, the song can be reborn with more emotion. I'll arrange it while maintaining consistency.

♬♩♪~

I started calmly, continuing with a gentle and lyrical melody. I relaxed my fingers and pressed the pedal to create a rich resonance.

Since the song has no climax, it's suitable for quiet concentration or when you can't sleep.

When I glanced at Hyeon in the middle, he was closed-eyed and purring peacefully. Is it a good song to listen to?

In the latter part, I assumed he was taking a nap, so I played more quietly.

I ended the performance quietly while maintaining the original emotion.

Ding...

Pak opened his mouth, pointed at Hyeon, and brought his palms together beside his cheek.

Ah, Hyeon fell asleep? He's holding his breath so as not to wake him up?

A laugh escaped me.

Now I understand why people who keep cats are called butlers. It's a softened term.

Even though Pak isn't responsible for raising a cat, his focus is on Hyeon.

He's like a devotee serving a god...

"From the moment you started playing the piano, he looked drowsy and fell asleep. Iwon, if you don't plan to use this song commercially, why not upload it to Newtube so fans can listen freely?"

A song I scribbled and played only for Hyeon, which ended up in my draft list.

It was worth digitizing it. Although it's an incomplete song, it's fine to leave it as a Newtube video for fans to listen to freely.

"Good idea. You could call it a cat lullaby. It would be nice to play 'Hyun No. 1' and 'Hyun No. 2' as well."

The two songs are even more incomplete, but I'll acknowledge it for now.

Suddenly, my to-do list grew. I need to rewrite the song for Ji-on and polish the Hyun theme song.

"Set the D-day for a week from now."

* * *

After five days of working on Theora's schedule, I was able to complete the song.

The Hyun theme song itself is a simple and straightforward melody, so there wasn't much to change, but the problem was the etude I planned to give to Ji-on.

I had to maintain the challenging and experimental feel Ji-on felt from 'Etude No. 5' while making it less jarring for others to listen to.

Trying to satisfy both led to rewriting the entire song.

Still, it turned out decently. It remains closer to a dynamic classical accompaniment than a rap beat, but I decided to give it to Ji-on after a bit more refinement.

I initially planned to release the Hyun theme song on Newtube for anyone to listen to, but the company suggested registering the copyright first to prevent any copyright disputes.

Although I don't plan to make money from this song, it's wise to prevent any issues in advance.

The members felt the same way. As soon as we accepted the company's proposal, they handled everything for us.

After registering the copyright, the preparations for the Newtube video shoot went smoothly. Today, Theora rented a space with a grand piano for the shoot.

The shoot was handled by the same staff member who did the first teaser for "Hey! Ta! Theora!"

【A Surprise (Gift Emoji) from Theora to the Cottage】

"Hello! I'm Theora, full of endless possibilities!"

As the cottages quickly entered the live stream, Chorok asked about their well-being.

Those who haven't finished work, those pondering late-night snacks, and those who recently became fans and greeted enthusiastically...

It's still amazing to think that there are fans sharing their daily lives beyond the screen. Will there ever be a day when I can accept it calmly?

"Surprised by the sudden live stream? Today, I'm here to give a gift to the cottages from Iwon. Iwon will explain the details."

Questions filled with anticipation poured in. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment, so if I package it as a great gift...

"...It's nothing special. I scribbled a song about the cat, Hyeon, who now lives with me, and I want you to listen to it."

– Hyeon♥♥♥♥

– Is the cat's name Hyeon?

– You really went all out with the 'Ham' surname, didn't you? 😂

"I hope the cat butlers, the cottages, will listen to it with their cats. I played it for Hyeon first, and he fell asleep."

– Cat butlers?!

– Iwon calls us cottages?

– Is this a cat lullaby?

– I'll bring my owner!

Some fans noticed that I was the only one calling them 'cottages' and left comments.

"Originally, it's 'cottages.' Many of you voted to call you cottages, so I'll call you that."

– Iwon is upset!

– Calling us cottages? I like it!

– Is this revenge for voting for cottages? 😂

– Info: In the last birthday live stream, you called us cottages.

– So cute!

– You call us cottages when you're in a bad mood, right? 😂

The playful emotions were conveyed through the chat window. It was a question with an obvious answer, but I couldn't help asking.

"Is it that fun to tease me?"