Chapter 38

37. OST

Unlike the composer, who stiffened without a word after hearing Taeju’s words, the PD burst out laughing. The actor had no spare time to do session recording. He had only pretended to introduce him as a musician to tease a friend who had misunderstood.

“You!”

“Haha, sorry, sorry.”

The four of them, including the engineer, went to have dinner nearby. Although they had recorded the performance quickly, it was already dark and the streets were crowded with people.

“So, who are you going to give that song to?”

“Kim Nahyeon?”

“Ha. Why would a singer like that be interested in your song?”

Indeed, the song was excellent. If Kim Nahyeon were to sing it, it would fit perfectly. She could capture the soft and nostalgic feeling of the song.

“Hey! What’s wrong with my song?”

“Haha, just kidding. I really like this song.”

While it would be great if a top singer like Kim Nahyeon sang it, the composer had only released idol songs so far. Although he was well-known, the genre of the new song was completely different from his previous works.

“Oh! What about Ji Hyun-soo? His voice would also fit this song well.”

“TB’s Ji Hyun-soo? Indeed, it would fit well.”

“It’s impossible. He released a solo album at the beginning of the year. Even if the song is good, it’s hard to release it right away.”

Several other singers who would fit the song well were mentioned, but realistically, it didn’t seem easy. The PD teased the discouraged composer, and Taeju, who had been listening, clenched his fist, finding the remarks quite mischievous. If it weren’t for the introduction as a twenty-year friend, it might have been misunderstood.

“Haha, come to the studio tomorrow. I’ll show you something good.”

Taeju’s head tilted to the side when he heard the PD’s words. They were supposed to record a song at the studio tomorrow. The composer had already met him today, so there was no need to invite him, but he wondered if there was a reason.

‘If his skills are as good as I saw in the film, there’s no need to look for another singer.’

The two people, unaware of what the PD was thinking, tried to read his intentions by scrutinizing his face. However, they could only see a sly expression and couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.

“Haha, you sly dog. I get it.”

The composer, who had known the PD for a long time, gave up first. Taeju also gave up and focused on the dinner. The salty chicken was delicious as always.

It’s a fact that Agent S would be amazed if he knew.

While eating chicken, Taeju burst into laughter, remembering Agent S’s appearance, carefully storing chicken feathers.

“Phew, you’re giving me chills. What’s so funny about a man’s face?”

The PD teased Taeju, looking at his face. The engineer, who had been quietly eating chicken, nodded in agreement. Feeling embarrassed, Taeju ordered more drinks and composed himself while eating the chicken.

*

Taeju arrived at the recording studio at a similar time as yesterday and checked the text message from his manager before entering.

He had tried to dissuade Gyeonwoo, who was supposed to take a vacation but insisted on picking him up, but it was in vain. Knowing that Taeju had gone to record alone yesterday and that his voice wasn’t in good condition, Gyeonwoo couldn’t refuse to pick him up tonight.

“Even when I go to the convenience store alone, Unseok worries. Am I that helpless? Or is this just a manager’s sense of duty?”

Taeju didn’t want to feel like a fool again, as he did when buying a camera. He wanted to do what he could on his own. He didn’t want to become someone who couldn’t live without a manager or assistant.

Still, he didn’t want to blame his very competent manager. He was just doing his job.

“Sigh, nothing has changed from the past.”

Inside the studio, only the engineer from yesterday was there. The PD and composer hadn’t arrived yet. There was about 30 minutes left until the scheduled time. Taeju planned to warm up his voice before recording.

“Scales. I learned them briefly when I attended a piano school, but I started practicing them consistently at some point. Thanks to that, my vocal basics are better than I thought.”

‘I learned from a piano teacher who also accompanied a choir. It’s really useful to have learned it.’

He practiced scales and sang the song he would record today until the composer and PD arrived. They came back with bags full of drinks and snacks.

The PD, upon seeing Taeju warming up his voice, immediately sat down. The engineer had already prepared everything for recording, so it seemed they could start right away.

“Let’s start with ‘Regret.’”

“Sure.”

Taeju sang according to the PD’s instructions.

It was a song to be inserted into a scene where he secretly watches Seonmi, whom he parted ways with in Busan, and follows her to a wedding shop. There, he feels regret and sorrow upon seeing Seonmi in a wedding dress.

“Wow, that’s really good.”

“Indeed. Most singers can’t sing this easily. He really makes it sound effortless.”

The PD and engineer were amazed by Taeju’s singing, while the composer looked shocked. He had heard that Taeju was an actor, but his singing was on par with a professional. In fact, his emotional expression was even better than most singers.

“What is this? PD, is this the interesting thing you wanted to show me?”

“Haha, did you see? Don’t bother looking for a hard-to-find singer like Kim Nahyeon. Try to persuade him.”

The PD had checked Taeju’s video before taking on the movie OST recording. While watching the video to get a feel for the movie and to help a friend, the music director, he was impressed by Taeju’s singing skills.

After hearing the honest and soft-voiced singing, he understood why the independent film was planning to release an OST. He was even a bit disappointed that only two out of the six songs Taeju sang in the movie would be included in the album.

“He’s an actor, but he could debut as a singer right now. Not to mention his looks and guitar skills from yesterday.”

“He’s a cheat character.”

“Valuable.”

The engineer added a weighty comment. Taeju, ignoring the conversation outside the recording booth, finished singing the song. There were no instructions to stop, so he sang to the end with the accompaniment.

“It seems he has recording experience.”

“Clean. No unnecessary elements. It seems he deliberately suppressed his personality. Try to make him sing more naturally.”

Taeju had once done a part-time job as a guide recording. Guide recording required accurate singing to teach the song rather than showing the singer’s personality. The PD and composer found traces of this in Taeju’s singing.

“Taeju, try to sing more naturally, as you want to. Like you did in the movie.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Taeju immediately understood what the PD meant. Even though it was a long time ago, these traces of his part-time job would occasionally surface. He took a deep breath and started singing again.

From the way he immediately corrected his singing after being instructed, it was clear he had experience. The PD felt that today’s recording would finish faster than expected.

The composer, sitting next to him, was biting his lips. It seemed unlikely that he would meet Taeju again after the scheduled recording. He wanted to hear a proper vocal performance of the song he had worked on all night.

“Don’t get too excited. If we finish early, I’ll ask Taeju.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. So stop shaking your leg. Or go get some sleep for a few hours.”

The PD, finding it hard to concentrate due to the composer’s restlessness, tried to calm him down.

After a long time of following the PD’s instructions and correcting his singing, Taeju finished recording ‘Regret’ in about five hours. For an amateur, the recording speed was not bad. It was probably because he had practiced and sung the song countless times before and during the movie shooting.

“Let’s stop here for today. Are you coming tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yes, I have a recording in the morning.”

The PD, despite boasting to the composer, was actually cautious about bringing up the topic. He had heard that Taeju was a well-managed actor by his agency.

He was young, handsome, and talented. His acting skills were confirmed through the video. He was a busy actor with a tight schedule for at least the next six months.

‘Even if he records a song, it’s impossible for him to have separate activities. But it’s a waste to let his voice go unused.’

“Taeju, would you like to sing the song you heard yesterday?”

The PD asked Taeju, who was drinking lukewarm water after coming out of the recording booth.

He had borrowed a guitar and worked on the song all night, apparently finishing the recording.

“Did you finish recording? You said there were parts to fix yesterday.”

“I worked on it until morning. Do you want to listen?”

A small bell sound was heard, and the song started. A gentle and light guitar melody was followed by a soft drumbeat. The song continued calmly.

“It’s good, but a famous singer would be better for this kind of song.”

“No, Taeju’s voice fits this song better. It’s better to sing it honestly without any gimmicks.”

The composer, who had returned at some point, contradicted Taeju. Taeju was in a dilemma. He didn’t mind singing, but he had no way to promote the song. There were no music shows or performances as a singer.

In about ten days, he would start filming ‘Melody,’ and it would be even harder to find time. After ‘Melody,’ he would start filming the drama ‘Guardian,’ and when that was over, he would likely be involved in promoting ‘Melody.’

Although his recognition was low now, by the time the movie was released, the drama ‘Guardian’ would have finished airing, and he would have gained some recognition. So, it would be hard to do other things for a while.

“What are you talking about?”

A stranger’s voice was heard while they were talking in the studio. It was Gyeonwoo. He had come in because Taeju hadn’t come out even though the time was up, and he found Taeju surrounded by people with a troubled look.

Taeju’s face brightened upon seeing Gyeonwoo. He was relieved to have someone to speak on his behalf, as he couldn’t think of a good way to decline.

But then he was startled.

‘I clearly decided a few hours ago to do things on my own. How can I be thinking of passing it to my manager now?’

“The composer asked me to sing a song he composed.”

“A song? Can you explain in detail?”

Taeju explained to Gyeonwoo, occasionally interrupted by the PD. He also mentioned that he had no way to promote the song due to his schedule. Gyeonwoo agreed with Taeju. It was a waste for a good song to go unnoticed, but if there was a way to promote it, it could be a good career move for Taeju.

“Can I listen to the song?”

“Of course.”

The engineer, Jin-gu, cleverly played the song. The calm melody filled the studio. The composer, tense, watched Gyeonwoo and Taeju’s reactions. Taeju looked regretful, and Gyeonwoo’s expression was a bit stiff.

Even after the song ended, Gyeonwoo’s expression didn’t change. The composer, expecting a refusal, looked disappointed.

“Well, what do you think?”

“Wait a moment, I need to take a call.”

The composer asked for his opinion, but Gyeonwoo left, citing a phone call. The PD approached the composer, patting his back in comfort. Although he hadn’t heard it directly from Gyeonwoo, the result was obvious from his leaving. It would be a refusal.

Taeju looked apologetic. He really wanted to sing the song because it was good, but he had no spare time. He couldn’t think of how to apologize to the composer, whose face had turned pale.

While they were in silence, Gyeonwoo returned to the studio with a much brighter expression and immediately brought up the matter.

“Do you have lyrics for this song?”

“Huh?”

“If Taeju sings it, can you finish the work within a week?”

“Huh?”

The PD, composer, and Taeju, all confused, stared at Gyeonwoo. Sensing their increasingly intense gazes, Gyeonwoo added,

“It might be included in the drama OST.”

“Huh?”