Chapter 28 of 100
Chapter 28
13 min read3,262 words
"Anyway, I need your help... No, I should say we need each other. While I need your help, I can also provide assistance to you, and it’s not very troublesome. You just need to focus on singing well, and I’ll handle the shooting, uploading, and promotion. What do you think? Are we going to help each other?"
Lee Hwan’s words made the two girls fall into deep thought. Although they found Min-kyung’s oppa a bit strange, relatively speaking, this was indeed a good thing for them.
If they really became popular, even if the company’s plan was set, it could still change. They had seen and heard of such things before. And even if they couldn’t join the company’s girl group project this time, leaving the company was also an option. It wasn’t a bad idea.
After a moment of consideration, the two girls nodded in agreement. Then... in the afternoon... both sides realized they had been tricked.
...
At four in the afternoon, the sunlight outside gently illuminated the grass in the courtyard, making everything look vibrant. The weather was also very nice today.
However, at this moment, the cheerful guitar music inside the house finally stopped, followed by two voices speaking simultaneously.
"You have such a cute face, yet you can’t act cute at all. No wonder you were eliminated!"
"Your guitar playing is so bad, and your singing is even worse. How can you write these songs? You must have plagiarized, right!"
Lee Ji-hyeon quickly stepped between the two, forcing a smile and said, "Don’t be angry, both of you. We just started, and even though it’s not a formal recording, it’s not possible to get it right in just two or three tries. Calm down, calm down!"
While speaking, Lee Ji-hyeon secretly reached out with her right hand to pull on the hem of Jeon Bo-ra’s clothes, signaling her to control her emotions.
But how could Jeon Bo-ra control herself at this moment? In the morning and at noon, everything was fine. The three of them, being the same age, communicated quite well. Lee Hwan played the demo version of the song sung by Jung Young, and they practiced until three o’clock. Then, Lee Hwan set up the DV and microphone he had bought and announced that they would try recording to find the right feel.
Up to this point, everything was still smooth. Jeon Bo-ra and Lee Ji-hyeon also found Min-kyung’s oppa to be a very easy person to get along with. He even ordered a lot of delicious food for lunch, so... he must be a good person.
But the turning point came when Jeon Bo-ra started singing during the trial recording.
Although Lee Hwan had not been exposed to much music before and was a complete novice, over the past two months, he had accepted most of the memories in his mind, especially those related to music. His ability to evaluate music had rapidly improved, though he was still unclear about some music styles.
But this song, "Don’t Cross Your Legs," wasn’t that complicated, so Lee Hwan put forward his requirements, which were very simple...
Cute...
He just needed a cute and playful performance. It didn’t need to be incredibly amazing. Given the singing abilities of the two girls, although Lee Hwan didn’t know how to evaluate them, they sounded pretty good. After all, they were trainees, and Jeon Bo-ra had even debuted before.
The key to the recording was to sing in a cute and playful manner. The song’s biggest feature... should be described as ‘interesting.’ It wasn’t that the melody or lyrics were particularly outstanding, but the overall feel was very interesting.
So, Lee Hwan initially thought that the singer needed to perform in a cute and playful way. The male part was just a simple accompaniment, and the requirements for the girls were very high. That’s why Lee Hwan asked Min-kyung to find cute, young, and good-singing trainees to help.
Fortunately, she did find one. Although she wasn’t young, she had a very youthful appearance. Adding a somewhat intellectual beauty, and with Jung Young not coming, the two girls were a perfect match.
But what made Lee Hwan feel like he had fallen into a trap was that Jeon Bo-ra, who looked so cute without even trying, had no playful feel in her singing. Lee Hwan always felt something was off. On the contrary, Lee Ji-hyeon was very good at being cute, and her forced smile turned into a cute smile.
This huge contrast immediately infuriated Lee Hwan, and after multiple attempts, he started criticizing.
At first, Jeon Bo-ra was a bit embarrassed and thought she hadn’t done well. But after putting in her best effort, when Lee Hwan repeatedly said she wasn’t cute at all and even called her ‘Bo-ra the fake cute girl,’ it finally made her angry.
So, she started criticizing Lee Hwan’s poor playing skills.
At this moment, the two were in high spirits, almost ready to fight. However, their inner confidence was different. If it really came to a fight...
"Phew!"
Lee Ji-hyeon’s persuasion made Jeon Bo-ra relax a bit. She was worried that this guy might hit her or something.
As for Lee Hwan, he let out a long sigh, realizing he had been too hasty. As for whether he would hit a woman, Lee Hwan would say that 99% of the time, he wouldn’t.
But if it was the 1% situation, it was hard to say.
"Alright, alright, just try to find the right feel. I’ll go out and get some sun. Call me when you think you’re ready!" Lee Hwan, holding the guitar, turned and walked towards the courtyard, his expression much calmer.
Jeon Bo-ra, on the other hand, widened her eyes, feeling it was unscientific. How could someone who was so harsh just now suddenly become so reasonable?
Lee Ji-hyeon also looked at the person lying on the plastic bench in the courtyard with curiosity. She was full of questions.
Actually, it wasn’t just her. Even Jeon Bo-ra, who was annoyed with Lee Hwan, felt very curious.
Min-kyung’s brother, 23 years old, a songwriter, and seemingly fond of music. From the three songs, he seemed very talented, but he was uploading his own work directly instead of selling it to singers. This was indeed very puzzling.
The two girls knew there must be a reason, but they were too embarrassed to ask. So, they found Min-kyung’s brother, who had never been exposed, quite mysterious.
Moreover, what troubled Jeon Bo-ra was that she felt she had heard this name somewhere before but couldn’t remember where. Was it because she was ‘getting old’ that her memory was declining?
"Bo-ra, isn’t being cute and playful your secret weapon? What’s wrong with you?" As Jeon Bo-ra’s friend, Lee Ji-hyeon couldn’t say she knew her completely, but she knew her well enough to ask curiously.
The two sat back on the sofa. Jeon Bo-ra, with a bitter face, pouted and said, "How should I know? That jerk said I wasn’t natural enough and needed to be even cuter than naturally cute. I don’t know what he means. What’s even cuter than that? A god of cuteness? Or not naturally cute?"
Lee Ji-hyeon tilted her head, thought for a moment, and replied, "What should we do? Although I don’t know why Lee Hwan is doing this, I feel quite lucky. It’s like my ‘face praise’ period. If more people pay attention, maybe someone will really notice us. The chances are small, but if there’s a possibility, I want to try. Even though the company’s selection is over, there’s still a chance before we officially debut!"
Hearing Lee Ji-hyeon’s sincere words, the dissatisfaction on Jeon Bo-ra’s face diminished. In fact, she had only agreed to help Min-kyung’s brother because Lee Hwan had asked her, without knowing the reason.
But now, this help might really be mutual, as he had said.
"What should we do? I’ve already given it my all. Is it that a 23-year-old woman is already past her cute expiration date?" Jeon Bo-ra said with a bitter face.
But...
Lee Ji-hyeon suddenly had a strange feeling in her heart, as if... she had been hit by a stray bullet (23-year-old woman).
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